Six Handbuilt Bikes

by Karen Day

Thanks to the ever-rising global trend, we're seeing more and more custom-made, one-off or otherwise tricked-out bikes. For those who want a bike with a unique story behind it, we rounded up a few covetable rides.

Renovo Wooden Bikes
Smooth and stiff, the hollowed-out these hardwood bikes' high-tech capabilities are as remarkable as their elegant appearance. Portland-based Renovo uses computer-aided machines to create the sustainable frames and finishes them by hand with wood personally selected by each customer. Prices begin at $2300, check their website for ordering information.

via Inhabitat

Momentum Bikes
Artist and designer Matt W. Moore of Momentum hand-painted a limited series of five Traitor Ringleader frames, sealed with a protective clear coat. His love of cycling led him to create one-of-a-kind bike frames that reflect his equally immense passion for design. The Ringleaders run $1,200 a pop.

Ateliers d'Embellie
The entirely handmade Ateliers d'Embellie “porteur bike” mixes leather crafting with urban style. The Schwable Delta Cruiser tires keep you rolling on cobble stone streets while the detachable flask keeps its rider rolling after a long ride. Contact the man behind Ateliers d'Embellie for more information.

Luxury Lowrider
The Luxury Lowrider reworks vintage bikes, adding playful options like banana seats and handlebar streamers on antique Schwinn frames. Options range from basic to elaborate with prices spanning $500 to $5,000 depending on how detailed the bike. Contact Luxury Lowrider to place an order.

Fast Boy Cycles Fast Boy Cycles builds bikes to the customer's preference—micro-managing the project does cost extra—beginning with fillet brazed or lugged frames. Wooden handlebars and baskets add to the overall charm of the seat-optional bike (above left). Frames begin at $2,000, contact Fast Boys to place an order.

Republic Bikes
Providing an array of options, Republic custom-designed single speed bikes allow the rider to choose between fixed or free, among a multitude of color combinations. A simple and affordable bike that truly expresses individuality, Republic bikes are available on their website or through Urban Outfitters for $400.

Pierre et Gilles Retrospective

by CH Contributor

by Shawn Thomson

A rare exhibition of famed photographers Pierre et Gilles opened in Berlin last month, comprising a total of 80 unique large-format works spanning over 30 years of collaboration and featuring images never before shown in public. In one word, fantastic!

Pierre et Gilles (born 1950 and 1953, respectively) have been living and working together in Paris since 1976, influencing contemporary photography definitively. Their shiny, glittering body of work flamboyantly romps through a fanciful universe filled with religious symbolism, mythological iconography, homoeroticism and lots of skin. Film stars and pop divas, princes and sailors, angels and demons, porn stars and boys next door are all represented here.

The duo has also created photographic portraits for the likes of Marc Almond, Catherine Deneuve, Marilyn Manson, Kylie Minogue, Iggy Pop, Nina Hagen, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Madonna, to name just a few. Pierre photographs the model and Gilles painstakingly retouches and hand-colors the print, highlighting each detail to create a vivid and colorful world of aesthetic perfection as dreamed up by the artists.

The show is a must-see for anyone in Berlin this summer.

Pierre et Gilles Retrospective
Through 4 October 2009
C/O Berlin
Postfuhramt Oranienburger Strasse, 35/36
10117 Berlin, Germany map
+ 49 30 28 09 19 25

Burton Private Stock Snowboards 2010: Fritz the Cat

by Tim Yu

Burton released another board in their exclusive Private Stock Collection today. Available in only 100 specialty shops worldwide, the 2010 edition features Fritz the Cat, cartoonist R. Crumb's infamous feline con artist. Fritz also starred in the first animated feature film to receive an X rating in the United States, the most successful independent animated feature of all time.

The limited-edition board features the Channel system and takes on the new super smooth but playful V-Rocker shape—the edges, nose and tail slightly curve up providing a skate-like feel to the ride.

Available for $400 from a select group of retailers contact Burton Rider Service at +1 800 881 3138 to locate an exclusive dealer near you. Burton flagship stores in New York, Burlington and Los Angeles will also carry the board.

Also, be sure to check out Burton's new site, especially The Community, which allows riders to make their own profiles.

Read more about the Private Stock Collection here.

Sèvres Vase Clock

by Tim Yu

The Sèvres Vase Clock, a prototype by Georgios Maridakis, indicates the hour with an audible knock. Just place the vase of your choice on the brass and wood stand and the hammer will strike the vase each hour.

Each vase makes a different sound, but adding different amounts of water for different pitches and notes takes it one step further. The modern take on a grandfather clock is a subtle, unobtrusive way to indicate time—we'd add a few flowers too.

Designer Georgios Maridakis is currently finishing a stint at the Royal College of Art in London. Visit his site for more info on this and other projects.

via Yanko

Out on a Limb

by Jacob Resneck

Nestled in the wilds of the 92-acre Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, a new exhibit blends education, entertainment and lessons in environmental sustainability. Called Out on a Limb, it consists of a 450-foot walkway that takes visitors five stories high view from inside the forest canopy.

At the center of this spectacle is a 250-year-old Chestnut Oak whose trunk and root structure remain literally untouched by the innovative design from Metcalfe Architecture & Design.

Made from recycled wood and metal, it's a lightweight structure that can be disassembled and reassembled in places to move with the ebb and flow of the forest's natural growth. Lumber from the walkway was milled from locally felled back locust—the same that's currently used in New York City's park benches—as it doesn't require chemical treatment to resist rot.

The exhibit only opened last month and is designed for children and adults alike. It's located in the leafy Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Morris Arboretum
100 East Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118 map
tel. +1 215 247 5777