Inner City Bikes – the pushbike deconstructed a little

Inner City Bike - close-up view of the handlebars

Inner City Bike - side view

Looking at this you might think that a metalworker with a shortage of raw materials and a thieving streak got to someone’s perfectly good pushbike.

But no, this is the whole bike. It’s the ICB 36, one of two new designs (the other being the ICB 29) under the moniker of Inner City Bikes, designed by JRUITER + studio.



Inner City Bike - close-up view of the handlebars

And the thinking behind the design?

The inner city bike was designed by JRUITER + studio as a project asking questions about ultra short inner city travel. What is needed, who is riding, and how far are they going. At first glance it was a fun aesthetic opportunity in new trends, color, and materials. Our target lived / worked in an inner city environment with minimal space. Bicycling at this level can be more about fashion and culture than speed and performance.

The initial inner city bike was inspired by the “hobby horse” from it’s simplicity and the motorcycle cafe racing culture. Each is an exercise in stripping something down to its core. As it evolved, the design triggered a shift in time, spurring the questions, “Is there an opportunity to change a timeless product?” “Can we go back and try something new?”

The company is well aware that this will not be a bike for everyone:

Before all of the bike fanatics get all fired up, we know this bike doesn’t solve everyone’s personal transportation dreams. Consider it a cafe racer with the performance of a beach cruiser. The positives are easy quick turns, huge power to the rear wheel to go over curbs and up hills, and great start / stopping / sitting situations.

The inner city bike rethinks what a “frame” is, getting rid of basic key components, and creating a new type of urban bicycling.

Right now, you can’t buy an Inner City Bike, but the company is working out its “final manufacturing details, pricing, and availability.”

For your video enjoyment, here’s an Inner City Bike in action: