Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

fuseproject X SyCip LOCAL

fuseproject SyCip OM Trike

An aside to the core Oregon Manifest competition, a program was also established to combine the imaginations of three of the world’s best design firms with three top bike builders. The brief for the Creative Collaborations was, coinciding with the Manifest, to devise their interpretation of the ultimate urban human-powered transportation device.

San Francisco design agency fuseproject teamed with SyCip Design, another SF local, to create a clean and modern looking trike that would not look out of place on the pages of Wallpaper* Magazine. Yves Béhar, fuseproject’s founder, is a bit of a visionary, whose work is included in the permanent collections of the Musée Nationale d’Art Moderne/Centre Pompidou, the MOMA, the Munich Museum of Applied Arts and the Chicago Art Institute. Jay and Jeremy SyCip have been supplying the rides for SF messengers and world-class racers since 1991. Given fuseproject’s design pedigree, and SyCip’s custom frame building integrity, the result was destined to be a solution that was both functional and easy on the eye.

The three-wheeling LOCAL is the result of their union. A shortened wheelbase has eliminated the steering issues common to a heavily-laden front end, which can be disconcerting to novice riders. Especially if they happen to be guardians of small children, pets or cartons of beer. LOCAL features integrated lighting and an 11-speed Shimano Alfine hub, a necessity for those navigating the topography of San Fran. Security is catered by a Kryptonite D-lock that forms part of the front rack’s frame. The main triangle of the frame is utilized by a bespoke cotton-drill and leather-trimmed utility ‘belt’ which houses another successful Yves Béhar design: JAMBOX, the first intelligent wireless speaker and speakerphone.

Big thanks to fuseproject for the photography.

fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike
fuseproject SyCip OM Trike