Never fear, The Spoken won’t be making a habit of profiling the latest releases of the multi-national, corporate bike manufacturers. But when it comes to this custom, one-off project by the in-house design team of Trek, we’re going to make an exception. This amazing looking machine has been dubbed the ‘Broadsider’ and, coming from a creative industry background, I’ve been impressed by the components of this project. The industrial design team has gone so far as to produce a graphic novel in conjunction with the bike and in doing so has not only produced a bicycle, but a personality.
Set in a post-apocalyptic, ‘post oil’ world, this is the personal ride of a fictional ‘cliff rider’ Max Malco, who lost his life saving a young boy from his race rivals. Far-fetched stuff, yes, but this project is purely hypothetical. It won’t be going into production which is a pity because bicycle speedway is a sport with as much cult following and heritage as bike polo. I’ve always been a sucker for a clearcoated, raw weld finish, it describes the heat and fire involved in producing a frame. From that to the hand-sewn leather saddle, chainstay guard and hand grips, this bike is most definitely the pedal powered version of that cinematic classic Mad Max.
Special thanks to Todd Herbst for the well-taken studio shots.
