Light electric vehicles and innovative urban bikes are the primary focus of this year’s International Bicycle Design Competition, organizers said.
This year’s competition attracted 839 participants from 51 countries, organizers said, adding that the three best designs would be developed into commercial products. The winners of the competition will be announced on Wednesday at the Taipei International Cycle Show.
The annual competition displays the industry’s latest trends and shows what the bikes of the future might be, the Cycling and Health Tech Industry R&D Center said recently.
“There has been an obvious growth in popularity of electric bikes,” a spokeswoman for the Greater Taichung-based center said, adding that six of the 19 finalists had utilized electric bikes.
Apart from a smaller motor system, concealing the battery in an aesthetic way has become crucial, she said.
The “Velocity,” an urban bike designed by Chen Cheng-liang of Taiwan, for example, has a hidden and detachable power assistance system inside the frame. The system can be used when additional power is wanted, but can be detached when the rider wants more exercise.
Other bikes in the competition featured innovations related to riding at night, carrying luggage or recharging batteries.
One South Korean design features a mini surfboard behind the bike, which a child can sit on.
This is the 16th year the Cycling and Health Tech Industry R&D Center and the Ministry of Economic Affairs have hosted the competition.
The bike show opens on Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall.
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