Fuji Utility Bike Wins Design Award and World Wide Production

August 14th, 2014 9:13am

Winner of Bike Design Project goes into production and world wide distribution...Introducing "Denny"

Philadelphia, PA (August 14, 2014) - No bike-building contest has ever moved beyond the prototype stage into mass production - until now. Following last Monday's announcement of the winner of Oregon Manifest's The Bike Design Project, Fuji Bikes has begun working with design team TEAGUE x Sizemore Bicycle to bring Denny - voted "The Ultimate Urban Utility Bike" - to retail floors in 2015.

 

Fuji will work closely with TEAGUE and Sizemore Bicycle to ensure that the Denny is structurally sound, that it fits all criteria needed to pass testing, that it can be made available at an accessible price point, and that the production model is as close as possible to the original prototype. Fuji will communicate expected arrival dates and pricing in Spring 2015.

 

The bikes, which were initially intended for distribution in the US only, received so much international interest that they will now be made available to Fuji customers worldwide.

 

"The fact that this was a public vote means a lot to our team, so we're super excited to reward those voters by working with Fuji to refine the 'Denny' and bring a great biking experience to market," said TEAGUE Creative Director Roger Jackson.

 

The Bike Design Project paired five high-level design firms with American bicycle craftsmen from five cities - Chicago, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle - to design the ultimate urban utility bike. After nine months, online voting went live the week of July 28th, and it was Seattle's Denny that garnered the most votes of the more than 130,000 cast.

 

In developing the Denny, TEAGUE x Sizemore aimed to create a design that could endure the unpredictable terrain and climate of their native Seattle. The Team believes the Denny is an "all in" cycling solution that integrates security, safety, and convenience for the everyday commuter born from a simple premise: "an everyday bike that removes the barriers to becoming an everyday rider."

 

Prototype features include:

•     Removable handlebar lock system
  
•     Quick stop handlebar lock system
  
•     Automatic gear shifting
  
•     Electric power assist
  
•     Integrated storage as part of the frame
  
•     Removable battery for easy charging
  
•     Minimal fender design that removes water from the tire
  
•     Fully-integrated turn signals, head and brake lights
  
•     Auto-on lights that react to natural light conditions
  
•     Safety lights that flood light onto the road around the bike
  

"The bike features exactly the kind of innovations we had hoped would come from these collaborations, affirmed by the amount of interest and excitement our dealers, distributors, and fans have shown since Monday's announcement. We welcome Denny to the Fuji product line and look forward to sharing this groundbreaking new model with cyclists around the world," said Fuji VP of Marketing Karen Bliss.

 

"We brought these teams together to explore from the ground up new options for the everyday rider," said Shannon Holt, Oregon Manifest co-founder. "The results of their efforts have been met with extraordinary enthusiasm from an international audience, demonstrating that the public is more than ready for great design solutions in the commuter category."

 

The winning Denny, along with the additional four contest prototypes, will be on display at the 2014 Interbike Trade Show, Las Vegas in Chrome's Urban Yard.

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