brian mitchell + eric peloquin + erik askin: bend

‘bend’

with its electric in hub motor and rechargeable lithium-ion battery stored in the downtube, the ‘bend’ is the modern day moped created by a team of three american designers – brian mitchell, eric peloquin, erik askin. its pedals classify it as a bicycle yet its 600W brushless electric motor will provide users with a speed of 20mph. the intention behind the project was to bring the passion and excitement of mopeds and motorcycles and apply it to the technology of electric motors.

‘bend’ rendering

the bent lamination plywood piece connects the seat, storage, and headlight creating a distinctive profile line. the seat extends to provide users with the option of seating two.

the storage bin designed to be easily accessible is sized to store a u-lock, jacket, an umbrella, or laptop.

with a lithium-ion battery stored in the downtube, the ‘bend’ has a range of 20 miles at 20mph. the removable 600w motor abides by the 750w street limit in the united states.

an auxiliary battery is stored in the seat tube for extended range.

meanwhile, the headlight featuring a retro aesthetic has eight high powered LED’s for visibility and safety.

by removing the storage unit, the frame caneasily be converted into a ‘step-through bike’

unlike traditional mopeds and scooters, the ‘bend’ can easily be secured using a u-lock due to its extruded aluminum frame.

production process

cardboard prototype of ‘bend’

production process

sketches

left to right: brian mitchell, eric peloquin, erik askin

seoul cycle design competition 2010

currently, seoul design foundation together with designboom are hosting seoul cycle design competition 2010. once considered a ‘hard’ city, seoul is making strides toward becoming a ‘soft’ city by embracing design concepts that will redefine its urban environment with an emphasis on themes centering on green, blue, history and human. the seoul cycle design competition will be held under the theme, ‘cycling with design: seoul style,’ and is part of seoul’s city-wide effort at improving its design brand and image. the primary goal of the competition is to help build a design oriented city that focuses on its people. the competition is divided into three categories: cycle design, cycle fashion & accessories design, and cycling infrastructure. all three categories emphasize environment-friendly ideas, with the hope that the contest will contribute to establishing a healthier cycling culture.

registration is currently open. to learn more about the competition and to enroll, see here.