the first twenty pibal bikes by philippe starck arrive in france

  in 2012, philippe stark and peugeot announced that they would be collaborating on the development of an electric two-wheeler for the city of bordeaux’s bike sharing program (see designboom’s coverage of the design in its initial concept phase here). on november 8th, 2013, the first 20 bikes of the ‘pibal’ pre-series were distributed to the citizens of the french city to test out and share their impressions.

philippe starck with the pibal bike

over the last 10 years the number of inhabitants commuting by bike in bordeaux has tripled, spawning the project to provide the citizens with an alternative public transportation system. the hybrid design is suitable for urban use, enhancing people’s mobility through starck’s proposed ergonomic– it features rim guards, along with yellow tires, an automatic two-speed hub, comfortable seating and handles and a convenient foot rest which allows you to motor along as if you were on a scooter.

at the beginning of 2014, 4000 pibal bikes will be available for loan from the city, promoting the practice and sustainability of cycling as a means of getting around.

alain juppé, mayor of bordeaux with philippe starck