This Novel, Handmade Bike Is 17 Pounds Of Sexy

Challenging the tradition of the bike frame by getting rid of a big chunk of it. Bikes haven’t been just about mobility for a long time. At a glance, you can tell whether a bike’s owner is an adult or a child, outdoorsy or urban, hippie or hipster. That’s why Rizoma, an Italian motorcycle accessory company, has designed a bicycle to be a fashion statement. “We were looking for a cycle not for sport, but something different, like a dress!” explains CEO Fabrizio Rigolio. The result was the 77|011 Metropolitan, an aluminum and carbon fiber bike that weighs a mere 17 pounds, yet has its own performance completely overshadowed by unique design. The difference--that your eyes have probably noticed without your brain processing--is the bike’s lack of an extended seat tube. Without that long, straight bar in the way, the frame ever so slightly bubbles ou...