bike with sprung steel wheels designed by ron arad all images courtesy of WOW bikes

 

 

as part of a collaborative fundraising event between elton john AIDS foundation and W hotels, six top creatives were invited to transform the distinctive blue ‘boris bike’ used by londoners into a a functional work of art, to by used by visitors to london’s W hotel at leicester square. the project goes by the name WOW bikes and israeli-born UK-based designer ron arad was amongst the select group  – which includes artist benedict radcliff, fashion designers patrick cox and alice temperley, singer paloma faith and illustrator natasha law – who each created a completely original, bespoke bike. arad’s design ‘two nuns’ involves sprung steel arranged in tesselated forms for its wheelsand is fully functional.

 

 

ron arad: two nuns sprung steel wheel bikerendering of the wheel’s tessalation

 

 

‘two nuns’ bike by ron aradvideo courtesy of ron arad studio

 

 

ron arad: two nuns sprung steel wheel bikedemonstrating the sprung steel wheels’ ability to support the rider

 

 

ron arad: two nuns sprung steel wheel bikedetail of the hardware involved in shaping the wheels

 

 

ron arad: two nuns sprung steel wheel bike

 

 

ron arad: two nuns sprung steel wheel bikeron arad with his unconventional bike design

 

*we have updated this article originally published on august 22, 2011 with a new video and additional images.