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Tired of snapped chains? Or need to carry heavy loads on your bike?
Both those design problems have been solved with two products shortlisted for the 2013 Design Museum Awards.
Covering everything from the newly completed Shard building in London to a non-stick ketchup bottle, the Design Museum’s sixth annual Designs of the Year honour a range of categories, including Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Product and Transport.
The Mark Sanders-designed Mando Footloose Chainless Bicycle combines manual and electric power. However, unlike other similar machines, it totally eliminates the chain and transforms pedalling motion directly into electricity to drive the wheels.
This energy is then stored in a lithium-ion battery inside the bike frame, before it is converted back into kinetic energy by an electric motor which drives the rear wheel.
Also up for an award is the appropriately named Donky Bicycle, designed by Ben Wilson. A steel beam runs through this compact bicycle by British industrial designer Wilson, meaning it can carry heavy loads on its front and rear platforms. The bike benefits from the strength and easy availability of BMX components.
Both designs will be on show in a Design Museum exhibition from March 20th to July 7th 2013.
