When we spoke with Ikea design chief Marcus Engman last year, he said that the retail giant saw two huge trends coming: the need for sustainability and the ever-increasing urbanization of human life.
Elsewhere, Ikea's sustainability head said that the world had reached "peak home furnishings," perhaps leading to Ikea's recent interest in hydroponic gardens and cardboard cameras.
It makes sense, then, that Ikea has a big release coming in the way of Sladda, a bicycle designed for urban living. It just scooped up a coveted Red Dot design award.
Core 77 notes that this is a bike aimed at non-cyclists: the gears are hidden in a hub in the rear wheel, the drive belt is purported to be maintenance free, and the aluminum frame makes it easier to lug up stairs.
Ikea says that "click system" — which we have few details on — will allow riders to kit out the bike accessories, like an app store, but for your bike. A basket or a cart is a start.
The bike was designed by the Swedish design studio Veryday Design. It's slated to come to the US in the late summer or early fall. Other outlets are reporting a $797 price tag, but Ikea hasn't confirmed that with us.
