{"id":566086,"date":"2026-03-28T07:30:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T07:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/566086\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T07:30:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T07:30:36","slug":"data-has-replaced-creativity-in-cycling-its-time-we-bring-back-concept-bikes-to-unleash-true-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/566086\/","title":{"rendered":"Data has replaced creativity in cycling. It’s time we bring back concept bikes to unleash true innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Concept bikes used to be the highlight of the cycling show season. These out-there designs from the likes of Specialized, Cannondale, BMC and Canyon gave us us a glimpse into the future of bike design.<\/p>\n

The most outlandish concept bikes didn\u2019t come from software studies; they came from the creative minds of design teams. Blue sky thinking made for real flights of fancy that sometimes could lead to real-world rides or at least inspire major elements and design directions.<\/p>\n

I loved heading to huge bike shows such as Eurobike and Ponbike, and other events in Milan, Berlin, Kortrijk, London and elsewhere to see what design and engineering teams had been playing with. <\/p>\n

These teams were experimenting with every type of bike, from road to urban, mountain and even kids\u2019 bikes. The unleashed creativity may not have inspired that many real bikes, but I like to think it kept designers and engineers fresh.<\/p>\n

More recently, we haven\u2019t seen concepts beyond CFD and simulations. I want to see creativity rule again and not have design be at the behest of computers and engineering software. Maybe it\u2019s a throwback, but I want my designs to come from the humble pencil \u2013 I think it could lead to exciting innovation.<\/p>\n

Speedy but not special
\n\"BugattiThe Bugatti Factor One is data-driven, but not pretty. Factor<\/p>\n

The recent Factor One shows how computers now rule bike design. The aero bike is a truly radical design \u2013 and one that\u2019s celebrated in a Bugatti special edition<\/a>, even if no amount of signature Bleu de France paint makes the Factor look good. The bike\u2019s odd angles and awkward front end just don\u2019t sing out to the aesthete in me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll have to explain the performance benefits of the Factor One to friends to justify the price, whereas a beautiful concept made real, such as the original Lotus Sport Pursuit<\/a>, or the 108 as it was later known, needs no explanation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same with Hope\u2019s Team GB<\/a> bike. Its challenging looks need data to explain, whereas Miguel Indurain\u2019s Hour Record bike, the Pinarello Espada, didn\u2019t forget the style to focus solely on substance. It looks fast standing still.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Specialized fUCI concept bike dreamed up by Robert Egger was designed before Specialized had its own wind tunnel. The concept was drawn to look fast, with some aero knowledge, and let the details come later.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Egger did everything the UCI said you can\u2019t do on a bike with the fUCI. Warren Rossiter \/ Immediate Media<\/p>\n

In an era of AI and data-driven design, with certain sections of the cycling media clamouring for aero efficiency above all else, we run the risk of creating a generation of ugly bikes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Efficiency might sound good, but ultimately brands need to sell bikes. So make them pretty!<\/p>\n

With this in mind, it\u2019s no wonder titanium is on the up<\/a>, and steel bikes remain popular at all price points. If we look at the latest road bikes, I admire the Colnago Y1RS<\/a> in terms of its aerodynamic prowess, but I don\u2019t want one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you asked me which Colnago I\u2019d buy, it\u2019d be without doubt the glorious Steelnovo<\/a>, or if it really had to be carbon, a C68<\/a> please.<\/p>\n

Making a statement
\n\"\"Cannondale’s intriguing CERV. Cycling Sports Group<\/p>\n

I love that concept bikes said something about a brand. Take Specialized\u2019s\u00a0history of concepts. On one hand, you have cutting-edge aero ideas such as the fUCI and on the other a series of bikes inspired by California hot-rod culture, with bikes taking inspiration from classic scrambler bikes. It\u2019s an expression that says something about the brand that another Tarmac does not.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019d expect, Cannondale\u2019s concepts leaned into racing, although the transatlantic nature of their design team brought plenty of urban solutions, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"It’s easy to see where Egger gets inspiration for his concept bikes. Gary Boulanger
\n\"\"BMC engineers designed and created the Impec concept project bike in four months to show off the Swiss company’s resources. Ben Delaney \/ Immediate Media<\/p>\n

BMC\u2019s concepts brought cutting-edge integration and an emphasis on precision shapes. Lots of the elements of the 2014 Impec concept are now generally accepted: integrated bars, fully internal routing and in-frame storage. The Impec was never going to be produced, but it inspired plenty of bikes that followed.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Split stem design on the Impec was intended for the 2nd generation Time Machine but never made it to production. Simplon launched a similar design in 2016, and two years later Cervelo launched their version of a split stem, which has since become iconic for their brand. Torgny Fjeldskaar<\/p>\n

Canyon\u2019s concepts showed the ambition of the brand \u2013 high-tech manufacturing for sport bikes, and a series of urban solutions that even moved beyond the \u2018simple\u2019 bicycle and into transport solutions for all.<\/p>\n

The decline of shows has reduced the concept bike\u2019s importance
\n\"CanyonCanyon’s MPACT concept bike offered an urban solution with advanced manufacturing. Canyon<\/p>\n

Cycling trade shows aren\u2019t as important as they once were. America\u2019s legendary Interbike folded before Covid in 2018, and Eurobike hasn\u2019t recovered<\/a> since the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Taipei Cycle Show is more for industry insiders, but it has still thrown up the occasional interesting concept over the years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps the concept bike doesn\u2019t have the press potential it once had and has fallen victim to budgets being restricted or pushed into the digital aspects of R&D.<\/p>\n

The AI tools being used now could really do with being rewritten, but then it\u2019s hard to quantify beauty when so much is in the eye of the beholder.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Cannondale Stealth Concept from 2008 (co-designed between Torgny Fjeldskaar and Erik Eagleman). Torgny Fjeldskaar<\/p>\n

Torgny Fjeldskaar, the industrial designer who has worked for both Cannondale and BMC<\/a>, now runs his own Fjeld design<\/a> consultancy, with the likes of Colnago and Fizik as clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He told me that: \u201cFor product development teams, working on a concept bike can be a massive creative boost. It allows designers and engineers to explore entirely new solutions without the usual constraints and risks tied to production.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concept bikes I\u2019ve been involved in often included features that were clearly unrealistic at the time \u2013\u00a0some still are, and may always remain so. But interestingly, a few of those ideas eventually found their way into production in one form or another.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CannondaleThe Cannondale ON was a folding concept bike drawing heavy inspiration from a student project by Philippe Holthuizen and Rodrigo Clavel, which Torgny supervised at Elisava (Barcelona’s school of design and engineering). The Cannondale Urban team developed the idea and two patents were granted; one for the structural chaincase and one for the folding mechanism. Two ridable prototypes were shown at Eurobike in 2007 and the project had a fair amount of support from upper level management, but unfortunately the global financial crisis hit and all non-standard projects were canned. Torgny Fjeldskaar<\/p>\n

Fjeldskaar also highlighted how concept bikes are generally less appreciated than concept cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the automotive world, the value of exploring bold, unconventional ideas \u2013 whether in interior or exterior design \u2013 is widely understood by both the general public and enthusiasts,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when these concepts have little direct relevance to future production models, they are appreciated as a vital part of innovation. In cycling, by contrast, both functional and visual experimentation often face a fair amount of initial pushback.\u201d<\/p>\n

But wait, there is hope for the future of concepts\u2026
\n\"VanVan Rysel launched the FTP2 concept bike at Velofollies in January 2026. Van Rysel<\/p>\n

So the concept bike seems to be relegated to the history books, yet one cycling company recently attempted to bring it back to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Van Rysel, the upstart brand born out of Decathlon, launched a proper concept bike<\/a> at Velofollies this year. It did its job. It got Van Rysel a ton of press, lots of comments, and everyone talked about Van Rysel for a few days. The FTP2 did everything a concept bike should:<\/p>\n

It challenged current thinking. It\u2019s a TT\/aero concept with built-in power assist to propel you to speeds over 100kph.\u00a0
\nThe details are full of bright ideas. It integrates lights, GPS, textures, materials, and while it has all the data-driven aero shapes you\u2019d expect, they don\u2019t dominate the design.\u00a0
\nIt completely ignores rules and regulations.
\nIt doesn\u2019t fit into a \u2018normal\u2019 bike genre.
\nIt’s a story that says, \u2018some of the tech will make it into bikes\u2019.
\nThe chances of it making production? Zero.<\/p>\n

So, thank you, Van Rysel, for reinstating my faith in the concept bike. But please, more of this from the rest of the industry.\u00a0After all, who doesn\u2019t want to mix tech with a good dose of style?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Concept bikes used to be the highlight of the cycling show season. These out-there designs from the likes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566087,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-566086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}