A design team in Seattle is working on an electric bike that serves as a new way to get riders through the city's nasty weather.
The bike, called "The Denny," comes with a wide range of features that separate it from the average two-wheeler, such as a removable electric motor for extra power and automatic gear shifting, according to The Verge. It also comes with a detachable handlebar that can also be used as a lock, saving riders the trouble of carrying one with them.
Integrated turn signals and head and break lights are also included, along with smart, reactive lights that shine based on how light it is outside.
"The Denny bike is about returning the rider (and ourselves) to those early days of carefree riding," the bike's creators explained, "when cycling was just about 'get up and go' freedom; the reason we all fell in love with bikes in the first place."
Design firm TEAGUE and Sizemore Bicycles teamed up to create The Denny and also designed it for riding through Seattle's unforgiving hills, Seattle Weekly reported.
The battery for the motor can be recharged, and the gears are controlled by a computer and shift depending on the terrain you ride through. The creators designed the fenders to be made of rubber to help the bike deal with rain.
The Denny, which is currently only a prototype, has entered the Oregon Manifest bike design project, a competition in which designers from cities across the U.S. build their own design for a futuristic bike, The Verge reported.
Other entries in the competition include a concept from New York that features a built-in USB charging station, as well as a prototype from Oregon bearing a 3D printed titanium frame. Votes for the designs are taken online, and the winner will be built by Fuji Bikes. The bike is expected to be made available in stores in 2015.
Sarah Matheny from TEAGUE said the price for The Denny has not been determined yet.
"Fuji, our manufacturing partner will make that call once the final bike is chosen," Matheny said. "The cost of the prototype is unfortunately no help for an estimation given every part is custom made- at this point it's a stunning piece of art. Mass production will knock into the reality of MSRP."
