Multifunctional cycle designs win top prizes

This article was published by the Taiwan News on March 9, 2006. It reports that a multifunctional tricycle designed for easy pedaling recently won the first prize of NT$500,000 at the 10th International Bicycle Design Competition.

Yves Plattard, a 28-year-old Frenchman, smoothed out the weaknesses of traditional tricycles and incorporated into his design various unique functions. His "Trix" tricycle can be used at work, to carry a passenger, and even for convenient shopping.

The second prize winner in the competition, "Market", was submitted by a Korean designer. It is a bicycle that doubles as a shopping trolley. The third prize winner, from China, is the "New City Bike". The seat of the bicycle can be rotated 180 degrees and be connected to a line of public seating to help solve the parking shortage problem.

The International Bicycle Design Competition was organized by the Cycling and Health Tech Industry Research and Development Center. "Our goal is not so much to find new designs for production, but more to nurture young and creative talents," executives from the Cycling and Health Tech Industry Research and Development Center said.

The international competition drew nearly 1,100 applications. All entries were of high quality. According to the judges, a few key words can be used to describe the winning design concepts - compactness, multifunctional, hybrid combinations, and micro mobility. All the new ideas should serve to stimulate the international bicycle and design industries.

This article further introduces several finalists in the competition and their design concepts. Some of the bicycles can be easily transformed into a backpack, while others can be folded up and carried around like a suitcase. One designer came up with a child's tricycle with rear wheels that can be eventually aligned with the one in the front, transforming it into a bicycle when the kid has finally overcome the balancing problem. Another designer had female bikers in mind and integrated the pram into the bike.