The most beautiful bikes in the world: We'll mess you up! Part 2
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Part 2 of our series: The most beautiful bikes in the world. Here, five more BIKE editors present their favourite bikes in the world. Check out these eye candies.
We wanted to find out which bikes are considered the most beautiful in the world. Initially, we thought of interviewing scene celebrities, professional bikers and engineers. But it soon became clear that many of them were biased due to their obligations to employers and sponsors. This made it almost impossible to obtain objective assessments. Although some bike pros and engineers mentioned models from other manufacturers, they were reluctant to use their names for this.
So we do it - the BIKE editorial team. Each editor names their favourite bike. The conditions: It should be a production bike that is currently on the market, or at least was recently, or will be soon.
But isn't beauty always subjective? From a philosophical point of view, beauty is one of the oldest and most controversial topics in the history of ideas. It is less about "being pretty" in the everyday sense, and more about questions such as: What makes something beautiful? Does beauty exist objectively or only in our perception? Why does it touch us? Whether it relates to a person, landscape, architecture or even mountain bikes, the topic is the same. Some well-known philosophers have said or written clever sentences about this.
What makes a bike beautiful? Two designers, two statements
For me, design without purpose is not beautiful. Only when a bike convincingly combines function and appearance does it unfold its effect and become an eye-catcher. And, of course, a bike should also look fast - with a clear want-to-have effect. Attention to detail is a must.
Peter Denk, design engineer
Design language and function must be coherent - a bike should not appear overloaded. Flowing lines help to create a natural look. Designing the frame not in isolation, but with the wheel size in mind, is a decisive advantage.
Jürgen Schlender, Designer Alutech
Our most beautiful bikes in the world - Part 2
Starfighter - Actofive I-Train | Trailbike | 120-150 mm | from 5999 Euro (frame)
I just can't get enough of this piece of jewellery. The I-Train is a masterpiece of German milling art, for whose main frame a 3-axis portal milling machine eats its way through a 94.5-kilo aluminium blank for twelve hours - in some places down to a wall thickness of 0.8 millimetres. I could stroke along the fine milling grooves on the surface, which look like papillary mouldings, forever - a bike with an individual fingerprint. The glued-together frame shells form the 3.3-kilogram base for exclusive trail bike builds, which comes with a shiny metallic raw look as spaced out as the brightly polished N-1 Starfighter from The Mandalorian series. Modular dropouts, flip chips on the shock mount and main pivot point as well as an angled headset give you room for your own personal interpretation of a short-travel bike - perfect for beaming through the trail bike orbit at the speed of light.
Stefan Frey, BIKE editor
Click here for part 1 of the most beautiful bikes in the world:
Back to the future - Dead Rabbit XCO 32" | Marathon | 97/100 mm | from 2590 euros
Wow, lightning! When I saw the 32-inch prototype from the manufacturer for the first time, I thought I was in for a shock. The way the technology carrier for the new wheel size provokes with its retro paintwork is simply cheeky and absolutely crazy. Then there's the rear end with the look of the Elevated Chainstays from the 90s, which visually breaks with the spaceship cockpit and the upside-down fork from Bright. Custom frame and prototype construction are Dead Rabbit's speciality. The XCO 32" is both a show bike and a test model. After testing, a small series is planned for sale. The aluminium frame kit will cost just under 2600 euros. It is manufactured by hand in Switzerland. A completely customised geometry is also available for an extra charge. A super-compact steering stop limiter has been specially developed to protect the chassis from damage caused by the extra-flat cockpit without increasing the stack value. Customers can personalise every detail from the paintwork to the spoke nipple. I'd love to display the sharp results on a pedestal in my living room.
Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Horny piggy - Scor 4060 ST | Trailbike | 140/150 mm | from 4999 Euro
I have no idea how many bikes I've tested in my life. 1000? Maybe. A few hundred for sure. I immediately fell in love with this bike. Piggy pink is not my colour, but with the Scor I found even that funny, because I was looking through rose-tinted glasses anyway. Geo, cockpit, equipment, chassis - everything was just right. But it was above all the frame design of the carbon speedster that inspired me. Functional and yet elegant, extravagant and yet not too outlandish - and most definitely: unique! Every time I looked at it, my heart leapt and every time I rode it, I had to grin. Alpine rides, flow rides, epic rides, shuttle rides, bike park missions - the Scor reliably pushed my fun barometer upwards. Unfortunately, the label no longer exists and you can only get the bike in some sizes in online shops.
Dimitri Lehner, BIKE Editor
Chainsaw - Specialised Demo | Downhill | 200/200 mm | from 6999 Euro
The Specialized Demo is no small-series treasure, no exotic curiosity and certainly no novelty. Quite the opposite: this bike is actually a discontinued model. And yet for me it is the epitome of speed. The demo is as brute as a Leopard tank, but steers through nasty terrain with the precision of a hand surgeon. Faced with loose boulders, dirt edges and high-speed passages, it displays the stoic composure of a Berlin ticket inspector - imperturbable, determined, slightly unnerved by your fear. It doesn't get any more big bike than this. If I had to explain the fascination of this bike category to someone with just one picture, I would hold a photo of the Demo under their nose. This bike has won several Downhill World Cups, survived the Red Bull Rampage and won my heart. The Demo is the answer. What was the question again?
Laurin Lehner, BIKE Editor
Holy milling machine! - Ministry Psalm 150 CNC | All Mountain | 160/150 mm | Frameset 5000 Dollar
I've always had a soft spot for metal frames and clean edges. My first dream bike was an Alutech and my career as a bike journalist began with a milled Ribisu. And now this machine has landed in my feed: The Ministry Psalm 150 CNC is a prototype so far. The look reminds me of the unmasked Terminator. In addition, the CNC finish without additional panelling always has something straightforwardly industrial about it - I already thought the Actofive and Pole were cool. Even more important: the elaborate rear triangle with two rockers reveals developer Chris Currie as a suspension connoisseur. Almost all bikes that have ever really impressed me have a design like this. As far as my wallet is concerned, I can only hope that the Psalm will remain a pipe dream. The modern design with the biblical name is certainly fun. Hallelujah!
Adrian Kaether, BIKE Editor
Adrian Kaether
Editor
