the smart ebike design tour hits museumsquartier vienna

the smart ebike tour hits museumsquartier vienna
photo by peter bender

after a successful stop in cologne, the smart ebike design tour traveled to austria’s capital, where it visited the museumsquartier vienna to celebrate the art and culture complex’s 2014 summer opening and party. surrounded by historic architecture and a small park, the entrance to the austrian capital’s cultural quarter served as the smart ebike design tour’s meeting point.  there participants embarked on one of two tours, journeying to six specially selected viennese hotspots: MAK, wirtschafts universität, radlager, im ersten, urbanauts and heuer.

the smart ebike design tour station at the entrance of the museumsquartier vienna
photo by peter bender

the sunny weather from may 9th-10th offered a great atmosphere and climate to truly experience and appreciate all that the smart ebike has to offer, while taking in vienna’s historic and creative venues along the way.

museumsquartier vienna
photo by peter bender

smart ebike tour vienna arrives at MAK
photo by peter bender

tour A made its first stop off at MAK, where the group walked through the cultural institution’s reinstallation of its permanent collection of asian artifacts. the compilation of objects spanning a 150 year history of art from the eastern continent are housed inside two large, scaffold-like showcase blocks. the exhibition display conceived by tadashi kawamata offers the viewer diverse viewpoints of the works on show.

MAK’s reinstallation of its permanent asia collection is housed in an exhibition display by tadashi kawamata
photo by peter bender

views of the historic MAK
photo by peter bender

the smart ebike tour making its way through the vienna university of economics and business
photo by peter bender

next up was a spin around the expanding wirtschafts universität (vienna university of economics and business) campus which boasts architecture by the likes of zaha hadid (library + learning center), peter cook / CRAB studio (law department and administrative buildings) and hitoshi abe (educational facility). see more on the building development of vienna university here.

peter cook / CRAB studio’s colorful law department and administrative buildings for vienna university
photo by peter bender

zaha hadid’s library and learning center for vienna university
photo by peter bender

alternative view of the library and learning center at vienna university
photo by peter bender

radlager café and bike shop
image courtesy of radlager

then it was off to radlager, a store and café specializing in italian race bikes and coffee. a fitting pit stop for the tour, the warm atmosphere is a highlight for cycling enthusiasts, by offering a coffee shop to relax and chat among an inventory of classic two-wheeler designs – from peugeot’s rosa-weiss to moulton’s TSR 30.

radlager’s impressive inventory of vintage bikes
photo by peter bender

vintage graphics and photographs document bike culture through the ages
photo by peter bender

the radlager workshop
photo by peter bender

im ersten art gallery
photo by peter bender

tour B began at im ersten, which hosts a cross-disciplinary program that highlights local artists. the smart ebike design tour group was led through the gallery’s anna schmoll exhibition, which focuses on the career of the viennese painter whose specialty is rendering portraits.

installation view of the anna schmoll exhibition
photo by peter bender

an urbanauts’s suite
photo by peter bender

the next check-in was urbanauts, a boutique hotel that also boasts ateliers and studio spaces – a real creative hub for the viennese, as well as those visiting from abroad. the authentic getaway takes over former shops, providing unique accommodations in and around vienna.

urbanauts takes over former shops, transforming them into hotel suites
photo by peter bender

arriving at one of urbanauts’s accommodations
photo by peter bender

on the patio of heuer
photo by peter bender

to round it all out, the final destination of the smart ebike design tour vienna was heuer, the kunsthalle wien’s café and restaurant located at the city’s landmark karlsplatz. having recently reopened after renovations and a switch in management, it was a great place to wind down after taking in the sites, relaxing on the patio with a drink and just people watch.

heuer’s eclectic interior
photo by peter bender

smart ebike design tour participants cycling their way through vienna
photo by peter bender

the design tour of course was experienced via a smart ebike, giving members the opportunity to encounter all of the technical features that the electric two-wheeler has to offer. its feature characteristic is its pedelec system that assists your muscle power as you pedal, making even the toughest of routes a breeze. in addition, it has a maintenance-free and brushless rear-wheel hub motor from BionX that eases your overall ride. four different drive mode levels allow one to determine just how much assistance they want from its 250 watt electric motor. additionally, the smart ebike has the capacity to reach speeds of up to 25 km/h, with even higher momentum attained through regular cycling. the latter means of getting around can be achieved simply by switching off the drive system.

the smart ebike design tour  station outside of the museumsquartier
photo by peter bender

recharging the smart ebike’s battery can be easily done while pedaling or riding downhill. with 423 watt hours of life, it can last up to 100 km on a single charge, with a completely empty battery re-powered after just 5 hours. when no electrical outlet is available, your own pedaling can be used to recharge the battery. this can be done by selecting one of four generator levels that transform the motor into a generator that gathers energy while cycling.

gearing up for the tour
photo by peter bender

rather than featuring a traditional bicycle chain, the smart ebike employs a carbon toothed belt, which lasts twice as long and requires no lubricant or maintenance. the integrated magura hydraulic disc brake system enhances safety – thanks to the 180 mm perforated break discs – controlling the recuperation of braking energy. this is activated by simply triggering the attached lever, thus interrupting assistance from the electric motor with kinetic energy channeled into the battery instead of the wheels.

close-up of the aluminium frame
photo by peter bender

finally, a console mounted on the handlebars provides all the information necessary to navigate and keep track of everything that you need while on the road, and can easily connect to your smartphone using a standard USB interface. an added bonus is that it serves as protection against theft, as the motor will only start if the basic display is fitted in place.

smart ebikes parked at vienna university
photo by peter bender

next, the smart ebike design tour is rolling over to spain, where it will be part of the barcelona design week program. if you like cycling, and want to get your fill of art and design, please sign-up and join us at our next destination. check out bettery magazine for all news and updates on the smart ebike design tour and programs here.

riding through vienna
photo by peter bender