Cool bikes

Like many boys my age who grew up in the pre-internet age, some of my time would be spent dreaming about stuff I was "gonna get". Generally, the stuff would be in Lego or toy catalogs. None of it came true because before long a new catalog would be released with a whole load of new and exciting stuff to dream about.

Tragically I still do it. Living in a weird dream world, I ask myself what would I ride if my fantasy world came true and you could ride a bicycle on separate protected paths to a railway station, park your bike among hundreds in undercover parking and catch the every-15-minutes train service to the city or wherever you are going.

A combination of daydreaming and the Internet means you can find out all sorts of stuff. As self-indulgent as it is, these are the top three bikes I would buy:

1. Biomega Mopion

I understand this is still in prototype stage. It really should go into production. To me, it looks totally cool but is at the same time totally useful. That massive basket on the front could take a week's shopping. Mr Copenhagenize has already reviewed it thoroughly. It gets the thumbs-up.

Biomega make a few bikes. One of the coolest is the Boston. It is a semi-folding bike with a steel cable across the frame that also acts as a lock. If the cable is broken the bike just won't work. And of course, it looks totally cool.

 

Biomega also teamed up with Puma to make different versions of the Boston and Mopion. They also produced the Pico, which is another smart looking bike with a smart looking basket on the front - also on the shopping list. Some good pictures are here.

2. Viva

Viva is another Danish design but one that is available here. There are some in the bike shop on the Parade in Norwood. The coolest for me is the Urban Deluxe. It's really stylish in the flesh. Not cheap though - about $2k.

3. Vanmoof

This is still my favourite bike. It looks awesome and has everything you need included. They have just released a new rear rack with a built-in light. There is also a front rack available and judging by the European site,  you will also soon be able to get a bright orange plastic crate to go on the front for your trips to the central market.

Cool.