'full circle' by sanghyun jeong + jun-tae park - 'seoul cycle design' competition shortlist revealed

how can you bike and steer at the same time? your leg will hit the frame and your foot will fall of the pedals.
the idea of working directly on the wheel to get rid of the pedals is interesting, especially in a folding, but it cannot be done on the front wheel. this is the way first bikes in history where made, and there is a way why this system has been abandoned. If you check the new bikes with similar solutions you will see that the pedals are always applied to the back wheel, and there's a good reason for that.

a d k v   09.17.10

interresting but while pedaling, it is difficult to control handle ? and rider can not be pedaling in standing position. It means same mobility with tricycle..

golden fish   09.17.10

here an example of a similar concept that actually works:

http://vectroave.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Inner-City-Bike-by-Joey-Ruiter-Studio-.jpg

even thoguh I admit that the biking position could still be improved

a d k v   09.17.10

Stylish one. Wrong ergonomics probably as stated above. Good night and good luck.

PS: I start thinking that real daily bikers (green spirits and not) have almost ignored this competition and its vision.

Brera_Pista   09.17.10

final resuuuuuults??????

paridevil   09.17.10

(response to "a d k v")

The bike of your link works because the pedals are in the other wheel... completely different. Is impossible to ride this bike uphill in a curve. Another beautiful but useless prototype.

stn   09.17.10

@stn: I know...that's exactly why I shared the link, it was an extension to my previous comment.

@brera: I had the same feeling. seams to me that most of the designers are not familiar with biking, but since these are the shortlisted entries, I could say the same about the jury.

a d k v   09.17.10

Guys, make a simple adjustment to your design and it will work: change the positions of the seat and the steering set.
I am adding a fews links for those unfamiliar with bikes (no need to thank me):
http://www.waysia.com/bicycle.htm
http://www.infovisual.info/05/033_en.html
http://www.chinashop.cc/all-kinds-of-bicycle-parts-p-185.html

cheers

salvatore   09.17.10

So far the comments above seem pretty silly. The rider does not pedal "standing" up. Ergonomics are not wrong, just different. All these foldables require a little getting accustomed to. It s cool modern design, the best I've see - unless you like sticking with history.

Jeff Koopersmith   09.17.10

I don't have more space in my apartment, the new bike is the solution. The design is correct, but i think if is only design or that bike do work and resist.

Ophir Ribeiro de Sá Junior   09.17.10

Jeff,
The comments above, for the most part are not 'silly'. whilst i agree its nice to see something new it has to work and work better than what exists. This is a competiotn for a mode of transport that is used every day. Whilst it might seem boring to stick to what works its only worth straying from that if you are producing something which is ultimatly better. There are elements of the above design that work very well however as an overal package it does not enhance what we already have.

tim   09.17.10

@ jeff: it's interesting you mentioned the "sticking to history" concept, since bikes with this layout belonged mostly to the 19th century. The upright position is not the issue here, and ergonomy can be always improved. But pedaling on a wheel that is also the one which steers is not something that can't be justified with the sake of inovation. that means that the axis of the rotation of the pedals is constantly changing direction, forcing the biker to follow the pedals that are actually moving in a 3-dimensional space...try doing that!
I agree that the concept is extremely interesting and the design is appealing, but first of all a bike is a transportation, and this one is a very hard one to ride.

a d k v   09.17.10

This doesn't look so comfy!!

la_vera_mahshid   09.17.10

A 1:1 gear ratio on a 20 inch wheel isn't going to get you anywhere fast. It could benefit from a planetary gear in the hub.

n t   09.17.10

OMG!! Pedal on the stearing wheel....this is suicide.

Aska   09.17.10

Duh, obvious problem with steering while pedaling, but nobody noticed that the pedals will fold back in at some point in the rotation (unless there is some sort of locking mechanism for them), but based on the crappy, non-thought-out design, they probably overlooked that one also.

oliver   09.17.10

Beyond ergonomics and the difficulties in pedaling and turning at the same time, having a vertical head tube would make it almost impossible to control.

bernacelli   09.17.10

hey guys,
I think it's no problem.
most of trikes have a same way.
it'll work well with enough height of saddle and length of pedals.
above all, it's very stylish design!

good design   09.18.10