Designing in 12 Dimensions

Welcome to the ‘Designing in 12 Dimensions’ blog. It is about cycling, cyclists, and thoughts motivated by 50 years of cycling and meeting cyclists of all stripes. Its focus is also on designing new bikes & new systems at Bike Friday. Written with a makers & pantologist’s perspective, and as an introvert with the bicycle […]

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Electric Expectations – What to Expect from a Bike Friday Electric Assist System (BF EAS)

Design Goals – At Bike Friday we start with the end goal in mind. Bicycles are already so special and refined it makes no sense to add things that do not add to or enhance the wonderful experience of cycling. We usually think of cycling as self-powered, so efficiency takes more thought than when designing […]

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Traveling with an Electric Bike

Tips on traveling with an e-assist Bike Friday -By Alan Scholz (Bike Friday designer and co-founder) From the Joy of Cycling on Sunshine Series part 3   It can be argued that the best way to arrive is by bike. Certainly, a great way to meet wonderful people everywhere in a low key way that […]

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Riding on Sunshine Part: 2

The Joy of Riding on Sunshine  Perspective – NASA,1964, Pop Tunes, Human Scale & Dreams come true.   #2 in series. In the first article I wrote of the confusion about electric bikes, how I felt we had been right – but very wrong, about cycling’s ‘sweet spot’, & Joy.  Here I continue my sense […]

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E-motion is High at Bike Friday

E-motion is High at Bike Friday The 3 Es of our Electric Enhancement systems for Cyclists E-xpectations, E-tiquette, E-mancipation E-xpectations: why now? the law, realistic power & speed, + flying with an E-nhanced BikeFriday Why now? Why now and not before? The short answer is confusion. Confusion caused by multiple definitions of what an electric […]

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Cyborgs in Our Midst!

Why and How E-assist makes sense to the Cyclist Why it has been so confusing Sounds like a movie doesn’t it? Before you start thinking I am talking about creatures of the Borg from Startrek or about human Cylon hybrids I need to do a little definition. Cyborgs, as I use it here, are quite […]

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Bike Friday Eyes eBike Market in US and Asia

On fire! That is the only way to describe the current US eBike business. While much of the US bicycle business has been in a slump, one category is showing good growth: eBikes. By some estimates, electric bike sales grew as much as 70% in 2016 and may have reached 250,000 units. Based on researching […]

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The Enigma of Electric Assist #2

The Enigma of Electric Assist  By Alan Scholz, Co-founder/Designer of Bike Friday & Burley Design  The main mystery of Electric Assist for bicycles. Why is it not more popular in the US? It is wildly popular other places. What do they know that we don’t? It seems like it should have so much going for […]

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The Mystery of Electric Assist #1

The Mystery of Electric Assist  – or – Mechanical doping could make your life better. Alan Scholz, Cofounder/designer of Bike Friday & Burley Design I have watched bicycle assist systems be innovated since the 1970s. Back then they were little wheel drive gasoline motors. Noisy, dirty and to me as a cyclist not at all […]

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