From the Series
Form and function are arguably two of the most important concepts in design. And its often very exciting when these two concepts happen the wrong way around. Like in the case of Swiss designer Christophe Machet’s Camioncyclette.
The Camioncyclette is a cargo bicycle that can carry loads of up to 150kg. Machet explains that most cargo bikes are regular frame bikes that have had baskets and other storage devices added to them and “that’s why in most cases they look rough”.
Machet’s Camioncyclette is therefore rather a big basket with added wheels. He went about the design by taking a rectangular basket and then cutting spaces for the wheels and for the ride, while the rest of the bike is dedicated to loading. Understood more simply, the basket is the frame of the bicycle.
To ensure a safer and more stable ride, the front basket does not move with the front wheel. Around the crank of the bike, space has been allocated for batteries, should the rider need some mechanical assistance with the heavy load.
Machet is a graduate of the Ecal University of Art and Design in Lausanne, Switzerland.
