8:08 PM
The beauty of the bicycle
The beauty of the bicycle is something that many admire, but Michael Embacher has gone one step further and built up an extraordinary collection of some of the best and often weirdest bicycles produced during the past 90 years.
This bike is a Cinetica Giotto from 1990 and is one of only about 50 frames that were finished. It is said to provide an incredibly comfortable ride
This Bob Jackson Tricycle was made in the UK in 1995, hand-crafted to customer requirements.
This is one of only a few folding bicycles made with 28in wheels. It was made in Italy in 1983 when the fashion company Trussardi took the BSA Paratrooper design, dressed it up with leather and created this new version. Around 3,000 of these bicycles were produced.
The Solling Pedersen can trace its roots back more than 100 years to a design by Danish blacksmith Mikael Pedersen, who sought to create a frame that could fit any height of rider. The design used a flexible saddle suspended on a cord; as the rider added their weight the bike gained stability. This model was made in Denmark and is still in production today.
The Vialle Velastic dates from 1925 and aimed to make cycling as comfortable as possible. Advertisements of the time claimed it made cycling feel like sitting in an armchair.
This futuristic-looking bike is the Bianchi C-4 Project model. The resulting C-4 frames made their debut in cycling competitions in 1987.
This folding bicycle has been nicknamed the Inconnu (Unknown) and apparently takes around one hour to fold. Oddly enough, once folded the bicycle needs to be towed as it forms a trailer which is flatter and broader than the bike itself. The designer and manufacturer remain anonymous.
Cyclepedia: A Tour of Iconic Bicycle Designs by Michael Embacher is published by Thames and Hudson.
