1. We finished our UrbanMobility Exhibition in the center of Porto. We received a lot of guests, we did show (hopefully) to some of them, that “UrbanMobility” is more than just a slogan. And last but not least we sold some bicycles. I know it is an ugly, business orientated world, but someone has to face it. Or in the words of our good friend Bruce W.: “It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it!”

2. We built up “The Transformer” Bullitt. The most outstanding music machine – made by KlaraGeist – that ever rolled on that part of the western hemisphere. This is not only a “superlative” – it is the truth, but please convince yourself. A 1.200 W stereo high-end mobile unit, that serves to entertain an area of a small football ground or up to 5.000 people. It is part of our mediabix.com advertising concept, that integrates bicycle based advertisement and spontaneous event sessions. As well mobile DJ´s or beach bars could be interested in such a tool. But independent from all this – it is just “cooooooooooooooooool” or in the words of a Portuguese bicycle magazine editor: “This is very beyond of everything I saw on a bicycle so far…” We leave these words without a comment..

3. We established our first retail bicycle brand, the Yuba Mundo. Why did we do this? Didn´t we have enough work with implementation of our own brands that we distribute? Yes we have a lot of work, but regarding that product there was no denying, we had to agree we with Dan + Bob from USED GmbH about the delivery of 3 test bikes. Meanwhile the first is sold and we realized that we were not wrong, when deciding to enlarge our range. The Yuba is an affordable way of using a transport bicycle in a not yet developed city area. It is stable, well designed and manufactured and it is a long tail cargo bike, a range that we so far didn´t recognized as a serious alternative. But we changed our mind and we must confess: Long tail bicycle transport is an option, even when you do not have the perfect structure regarding bicycle lanes etc. as f. ex in Copenhagen or Amsterdam.. and on top of all for a very interesting price. So here we ride our Yuba!

4. What else happened?

The world lost some great voices and characters, in the persons of Ronnie James Dio and Dennis Hopper. Both died of fu…ing cancer and too early for their families , their fans and their work. Let us remember Dennis and Ronnie with some samples of the greatest stuff that they left.

5. What´s new in bicycle biz?

A new city bike brand came up. Sports Nut went “nuts” and launched a new brand with interesting stuff, the CremeCycles. We were in touch with them already but now we will have a closer view on them, when we visit EuroBike in Friedrichshafen in September. Another great bicycle brand from Germany was seen on the horizon, Kalkhoff is entering business in Portugal seriously. We will come back to this after the summer.

6. Final news.

An American city prohibited bicycle circulation. What? Yes! Please read the whole story here.

Any questions so far? No! Nothing – concerning America – surprises me after that environment disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. A nation of professional liars,  gamblers and stupid managers and ahead of all a president who is not able to fight for his targets, that brought him into the position that he actually has. What remains, are the words of our good friend  Colville Andersen: Gas pumps are so last century!

Anyway, we thought what is good for Royals can not not even be good enough for us and so we ordered a Gazelle Miss Grace, the noble and stylish derivative of the Gazelle NL Heavy Duty. We brought the bike to our exhibition “Mobilidade Urbana” that is currently running in OPorto at Belomonte20 Gallery. When arriving, I left the bike outside the gallery to attract people and to make them curious to step inside. That was the best we could do, a lot of people stopped, saw the bike, came to see the exhibition and we had “Full-House”.

Even a Dutch couple came in to have a look on bicycles from the Netherlands - 2.800 km away from home. (Do they suffer, the Dutch people, when they don´t see any bicycles longer than one week..?

But they were very interested and they noticed our little project and appreciated much to learn about activities of Urban Mobility community that are actually happening in Portugal. When I told them, that we started our business inspired by a visit of Amsterdam in 2008, they were happy!

BTW: Our exhibition will continue until 15 of May, we are changing from week to week some pieces and we are planning different activities. On 25 of April I will meet the people from “Movimento Alternativo” and check out, if some of them are interested to visit our place on the day of their annual meeting. Next Friday (30. April) I will join “Massa Crítica” in OPorto, to invite them as well.

At least some actual picture od street-working “Miss Grace”:

And today it came to Portugal!  Probably the first bionicon bike ever in Portugal…

We adapted some accessoríes like the famous bootbag from Hebie and some other Goodies” that we will present later. But the most important: This bike is really cool! It rolls like a Chopper, it looks like a MTB and it is 100% practical and carries a real load. Who is not in the urgent need for our Bullitt CargoBike, because he won´t ever carry more than 50 kg on his bike, will find the perfect tool with that bike. Next week we will adapt our mobile music engine from KlaraGeist/Berlin and the go out for some cool and relaxed rides! See you!?

Recently published on major German newspaper and journals:

An image campaign supported by the association of German insurance companies. People were being interviewed on the street, what they like in their life and what they want to be taken care of… The target was, to draw a quick hand-out of the desired object. One guy draw a commuter bike.. with headlight, baggage carrier and obviously recognizable as a city bike. Then he called it “My Gazelle”  used as a synonym for a whole species of products…

Notes:

1. No, it was not “placed” by Gazelle

2. No, it was not meant as a “Guerilla-strategy”

3. No, Gazelle will not prosecute their brand´s use in foreign-to-species periphery..

Fortunately in Portugal we are not (yet) in the situation of this bike messenger from Berlin, who must use his Bullitt Cargo Bike under the worst circumstances.  Anyway – back to the topic: Since this year we have three Danish bike brands represented in Portugal: After the Bullitt Cargobikes – made by Larryvsharry – were introduced by E-Mobility.pt our  collogues ofCenas a Pedalfrom Lisbon made a hugh effort to order a Christiana – Truck – sorry – a three-wheeler from independent bike builders Christiana/Copenhagen.

BTW: Talking of “Christiana-bikes”…, These days I got caught by an international topic origin from NY Times, published for ex. on Copenhagenize.com and in local newspapers:

Christiana bike stolen, with 3 sleeping children in it:

A bicycle thief in Copenhagen got rather more than he bargained for when he stole a Christiania transport bike in the Danish capital when he subsequently found three children sleeping in the cargo box.

The children’s father had left them asleep while he popped into a shop in the city’s Nørrebro district, and according to the Copenhagen Post, as soon as the thief discovered his haul, he asked the eldest child, age seven, where they lived, and promptly delivered them to a neighbour.

The latter contacted the police, who arrested a 39-year-old man shortly afterwards, with duty officer Mads Firlings of Copenhagen Police saying, “he actually acted very responsibly once he discovered the children.”

So far to this serious but in a certain way funny episode. Perhaps it could had happened because of the non-transparent tent, that was fixed over the Christiana cargo compartment?

Or maybe it is just a symbol for the urgent need of cargo tricycles in European cities?!

To come to an end and clear up the secret around “Wint(h)er time:

At my visit in Copenhagen in December, I decided finally to step into that market too and it was just a small step from the Bullitt bikes (designed by the famous Danish designer Lars Malmborg) to the WINTHER bikes (as well designed by the famous Danish designer Lars Malmborg

We will offer three different models:

• The sophisticated Kangaroo three-wheeler that could carry 2 or 4 (!) children in the front compartment

• The new and innovative Wallaroo two-wheeler (based on the Bullitt cargobike) in a ladie´s frame version and 18 cm longer than the classic Bullitt

• An industrial cargo solution for professionals - A Real work-cycle, that will last and drive as easy as a two-wheeler cargo bike..

So.. stay tuned, I´ll be back soon!

And don´t forget: Always use a transparent cover to protect your children from the rain! (and from being stolen by hazard..

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