The Growler Cycle, or How Beer Adds Innovation to Bike Design

There are a lot of chicken and egg scenarios going on here.  The last decade has seen a rise in two seemingly inextricable phenomena: an increase in unique bicycle commuters (both the people and the bikes themselves) and an increase in unique beer.  Which precedes which is anybody’s guess.  We drink more to replace the calories we burn pedaling around town, or we pedal around town to burn the extra calories we consume via microbrew?  Likewise, why build an entire bike around the ability to carry a growler as opposed to building an accessory for existing bikes?   A lot of innovation meets this sort of skepticism, like why do I need CDs when I have cassettes?  Maybe this beer cycle will be the next Tang, Post-it, or microwave.  Flip to side B for more pics, pontification, and endless unseen possibilities.

Creator Joey Ruiter already has an interesting cadre of interesting transportation concepts including a 36er, an e-bike, boats and motorized vehicles.  The Growler City Bike prototype is part of Ruiter’s thoughts on the cargo we carry.  The Growler City Bike was built around (literally) a growler from a local pub, but “with or without the beer, this changed how we view typical beach/ city ‘cruisers’” (J. Ruiter).

The Growler City Bike is designed with 29er wheels, monarch springer fork, 2 speed internal kickback hub, and disc brakes, so the ride should be comfy and quiet.

But what about this idea of putting cargo a the center of the bicycle instead of on top of it? Certainly that would add stability while protecting the precious cargo.  Putting heavy cargo in front baskets or rear luggage racks can throw off the handling of a bicycle and send the cargo flying in the case of a crash or even sudden stop.  Perhaps this concept will lead to new ways of transporting other precious cargo like organ donations or Stradivarius violins.

Via gas2.org