Concrete

This is special; having the ability to first grasp that creative moment and then, having the scientific aptitude to bring that idea forward. I liked Alexander's and Pieter's design because it has identified a solution to a problem that people might not know they have in the first place. The design allows the user to easily switch between an upright commuter bicycle to a speedy recreational model, without compromising on its performance.

Alexander Crolla and Pieter Lesage are both 27 years old and graduated in 2001 from the Hogeschool Antwerpen, Department Integrale Productontwikkeling. Together they are now running an Antwerp based design office called concrete, all round-creative. 

The Intera is an inventive design that turns a standard city bike in a recumbent bike in a matter of seconds. It's an ideal bike for the commuter who frequently rides in and out of the city. The bike owner can convert his bike in both directions without the aid of tools or separate parts. It does so through pivoting part of the bike with the paddles without effecting the chain of the bike. This bike gives the user the safety of an upright bike in a city environment with the speed of a recumbent bike in the countryside and is designed by the use of existing techniques, systems and parts by which the production costs will be minimized. The Intera also has a pure, functional and elegant styling.

The frame of the recumbent bike follows the position of the cyclist. As a standard bike the pedal tube and the simple fork at the back are perfectly aligned so that an even form arises.