I just got back to Seoul from the 2010 Taipei Cycle Show in Taiwan. Aside from the awesome weather (high '70s and sunny) it was a great chance to see the latest trends in cycling and alternative transportation. I was also able to attend the awards ceremony for the 2010 International Bicycle Design Competition and check out the amazing work from the 21 finalists who submitted their scale models. Top honors went to Hsi Huang for the "Shopping Bike" concept, which is a sleek, contemporary folding bike with an innovative storage bin that allows the bike to be used as a shopping cart while folded. Overall I thought it was a great blend of freshness and believability. The overall aesthetic was very product-inspired, and the execution and detailing of the model were top-notch. A full-scale functional prototype was built by the competition sponsor (unknown to the designer!) which was constructed almost entirely of CNC-machined billet aluminum. The Bronze-winning Solar Knight was interesting and was also made into a functional prototype, but I wonder how effective the small flip-out solar panels would be to recharge anything but a laptop! Click here for my complete Flickr photoset on the IBDC winners.

There were a few other finalists I felt were standouts, even though they didn't win the top honors. "RBL" by Marcus Hannibal Madsen is an edgy, urban concept that incorporates cargo-carrying capability directly into the framework of the fork/handlebar. "Oneybike" by Peter Varga is a fresh take on the classic penny farthing that combines recumbent seating and folding capability. "Infinity" by Stephen Henrich is nothing short of pure science fiction fantasy! AutoVelo, my entry into the IBDC took home the Excellent award.

The next day was the Bicycle Design Trend forum, which featured a presentation and panel discussion featuring Mark Sanders, inventor of the Strida and IF Mode. I'll be discussing more about that on future blog posts.

The awards ceremony for the 2010 International Bicycle Design Competition was presented today, and AutoVelo took home one of six Excellent awards presented to finalists out of 720 total entries. AutoVelo is an electric assist bike that mimics the automotive seating position, making it comfortable and convenient for people who prefer driving. Check out my Flickr photoset to see complete pics of my 1/4 scale model. Congratulations to Hsi Huang for taking home the Gold award for the "Shopping Bike" concept! More photos and comments to come on the IBDC awards.