Now that we’ve gotten (most of) our important fall tradeshow coverage posted, our attention turns to the weird, the random and the outrageous things we spotted while walking miles upon miles each day.
Adorning the Melon Helmets booth were two insane rat rod cruiser bikes that, as far as we could tell, were indeed rideable. And both were among the more creative (but not the weirdest) bikes we saw…
Imagine the weld work that went into making the frame out of chain.
Its partner traded metal for wood, creating an equally stunning chopper with its own special touches. Like axe handles for handlebars.
Huge thanks to Melon for bringing these out. We’ll have some of their new helmet graphics in a separate roundup.
If you need something more practical than an oil barrel or wooden box to transport your goods, there’s no shortage of stylish bakfiets cargo bikes. This one’s from Dolly Bikes, which are based and made in The Netherlands. The frames are designed to be agile but stable, riding more like a traditional bike.
And the lightweight, double-wall plastic tubs are lighter than traditional wood cargo crates.
Urban Arrow took a different tack in designing their bike and saving weight in the cargo area. Actually, they let you design the bike by having a modular system so the bike can always fit your needs.
This one’ the Family Model with EPS foam basket to hold your kids. It can be had with a rain cover that also helps shield the driver, or swapped for a locking cargo box.
Or just pop on a shorter cargo section for a shorter, more nimble wheelbase when extra capacity isn’t needed.
Yedoo doesn’t do traditional adult bikes, but they do have adult sized scooters to go with the youth versions. They also make balance bikes and pedal bikes for tots.
Last year, MC2 (for Multi Config Cycle) had a similar looking big wheeler but with a slightly more traditional seat. This year, they went for comfort with a padded mesh recliner attached to the carbon fiber folding bike.
Its adjustable angles even let you flip things around to put the larger wheel (and pedals) in the rear. Seriously:
Quick release detachable hydraulic brake systems allow the front and rear brakes to switch levers as needed when reconfiguring the bike.
Like the Big Wheels of our youth, the larger wheel is directly driven by the pedals…sort of. They did fit a gearing system in to let you change speeds a little.
It also folds up for compact storage.
At the other end of the spectrum were these very traditional and very handsome city commuters from Foffa Bikes.
At the purpose-built end of things was the new Poloandbike CMNDR track bike that is, of course, not really meant for the track. It’s meant for the streets, and possibly a very aggressive game of bike polo.
Portus has a knack for getting their bikes into other peoples’ booths. Last year, it was their “world’s lightest balance bike” for kids hiding in Tune’s booth. This year, they camped out at fellow German component manufacturer Trickstuff (which had their own collection of sweet new parts!)
This year’s bike was indeed used to showcase Trickstuff’s parts, but was also a new full suspension design that they’ll teach you to build in their frame building classes.
For a production bike that’s almost in production, the new Orange P7 is a steel trail mountain bike that keeps it simple:
Throughout the exhibit halls, many a supplier sets up some version of a bike they can make for you. The good ones (at least, those good at marketing) do something unique to show off their special skills. This one, which we forgot to catch the brand name, had an interesting way of making aluminum stays.
Lighter? Stronger? Or just an example of their machining capabilities? Who knows, but it does look good if only it weren’t going to be a solid way to collect mud.
Bees Bike, a creation of Altinsoy Manufaktur, is a completely modular frame concept made of trellised alloy panels. Want a full suspension bike? Just replace a strut with a shock and you’re off to the enduros. Need a hardtail for KOM challenges, just put the strut back in and you’ve got a rigid rear end.
Wanna cheat your way to that KOM? Bolt in a motor. Actually, the Electra Bee is an existing (and separate) model, the modular hard-or-soft tail standard mountain bike is the new one. Plans are to eventually sell it as a complete bike for about €3,500 or as a frameset so you can build it up with your own components.
Check out Mega Roundup #2 for more, and stay tuned for more randoms and roundups!
