LET'S START WITH THE BICYCLE. IS THIS A BICYCLE? It has two wheels, but they're undersized, like on a kid's bike. It has tubes, but they're joined bizarrely, only at right angles. It has cranks, but they turn the rear wheel directly, like a unicycle. Each wheel steers independently-the back end twists when you twist. The front end is basically another unicycle.
The fact that it wears the skin of a disco ball is actually the least weird thing about it.
The bike begins to make sense when ridden.
Aptly dubbed a circus bike, it's made for doing tricks: popping wheelies while twirling the front wheel, pedaling backward, and even jumping rope with the front end held aloft. Still, if you didn't know better, and heard this bike won a ribbon-the People's Choice award at the 2024 MADE bike show in Portland, Oregon-you might dismiss it as having won by virtue of shininess. You might not think this bike matters: a fringe creation from a specialized corner of a niche sport.
Dumb.
Offensive.
Fun, but frivolous.
You could think any of these things. But if you did, you would be wrong.
THIS BIKE WAS MADE IN A CRUCIBLE. TO BEGIN TO UNDERstand why, you must know who made it.
Originally from Toronto, Danielle Schön was an art school graduate who attended welding school at night while working a corporate job. When Schön was a kid, her single mother channeled her creativity into arts and crafts, particularly sewing. This was for both artistic and practical reasons: a project could absorb Danielle for hours, and her mother wanted her to be able to hem and repair her own clothing.
This story is from the Winter 2024 edition of Bicycling US.
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This story is from the Winter 2024 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
GETTING A FLAT CAN MAKE YOUR RIDE BETTER
ON A BEAUTIFUL LATE-SUMMER RIDE UNDER a cerulean blue sky, I got my second flat in three days.
THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY BIKES TO CHOOSE FROM
\"PERFECTION IS ACHIEVED, NOT WHEN there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.\"
THE CASE AGAINST STRAVA
I'LL BEGIN BY SINGING SOME PRAISES: Without Strava, I'm not sure I'd have re-engaged with cycling at the level I did. Coming from just occasionally messing around on mountain bikes as a teenager to trying my best to race at an elite level, Strava has played a role in pushing me to PR, hunt KOMS, and ride faster and harder than ever before.
LOOKING FOR CYCLING'S CAITLIN CLARK
WOMEN'S PRO CYCLING MUST FOSTER A COMMUNITY THAT WILL FEEL INVESTED IN THE SPORT FOR YEARS TO COME.
THE UPSIDE OF GETTING YOUR CAR STOLEN
AFTER I PARKED AT THE LAFAYETTE COLLEGE track for my workout, I did what I always do: I put my phone and wallet in the center console of my car and took the car key off the ring so I could fit it into the tiny pocket inside my running shorts.
UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF CYCLING'S SUPER AGERS
MEET THE SWEDISH SENIORS WHO PROVE YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO RIDE HARD.
BIKE PACKING AMERICA'S LONGEST MULTIUSE TRAIL NETWORK
Even the slightest rain can sound thunderous inside a tent--and this was not slight rain. It came down in buckets, just as my partner Maggie and I were settling into our sleeping bags.
TWICE AS GOOD
WHY A DISCO-BALLINSPIRED DOUBLE UNICYCLE MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BIKES OF THE YEAR
THE ALCHE MISTS
They led a cycling revolution in Afghanistan where women were forbidden to ride. When the Taliban returned to power, their only hope was a harrowing escape to an uncertain future.
COUNTDOWN - TO YOUR FIRST CRIT
ONE INTREPID MEMBER, ONE WORLDCLASS COACH, ONE INCREDIBLE BIKE-THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME.
