Ford "Mode: Flex" Non-Functional Bicycle Prototype, 2015

Summary

Automakers increasingly considered themselves "mobility providers" in the 2010s. Ford Motor Company's MoDe:Flex bicycle prototype was born of that thinking. The power-assisted bike operated via an Apple iPhone app that controlled the electric motor, monitored the rider's speed and heart rate, and provided navigation assistance and traffic updates. When disassembled, the bike fit neatly into the trunk of a compact car.

Automakers increasingly considered themselves "mobility providers" in the 2010s. Ford Motor Company's MoDe:Flex bicycle prototype was born of that thinking. The power-assisted bike operated via an Apple iPhone app that controlled the electric motor, monitored the rider's speed and heart rate, and provided navigation assistance and traffic updates. When disassembled, the bike fit neatly into the trunk of a compact car.

Artifact

Bicycle

Date Made

2015

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2017.93.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Thermoplastic

Technique

3-D printing

Color

Silver (Color)
Black (Color)
Blue

Dimensions

Height: 37.5 in

Width: 26 in

Length: 47 in

Inscriptions

on bicycle tires: SCHWALBE / MARATHON SUPREME on bicycle wheels: MODE FLEX on bicycle sides, above pedals: FORD on top of bicycle seat: ROYAL GEL / SR / SELLE ROYAL on proper right side of bicycle seat, from back to front: COOL X SENIUM / respiro

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