METROPOLIS FEATURES GIANT SUEDE COASTING DX

Metropolis, a magazine that highlights the best in architecture and design, is not where you’d ordinarily expect to see bicycle news. But the October 2007 issue features the gorgeous styling and functionality of the GiantSuede Coasting DX in a story titled “Gearing Up – Giant’s New Bike for the Comfort-minded Urbanite Comes Fully Loaded.”

The magazine details the bike’s key features, like the laptop-sized saddle bags, the integrated cell phone handlebar bag with a built-in headlight, and the Shimano Coasting drive train. The story editor also profiles two members of the Giant product development team who are responsible for the look of the 2008 Suede Coasting DX: industrial designer Ted Renwick and senior product development manager Dean Bradley.

Here’s part of what the Metropolis article says:

City-dwelling bicyclists typically choose between two types of rides: the high-traction mountain bike (dependable but better for navigating dirt paths than concrete roads) and its skinny-wheeled cousin, the ten-speed racer (which, though nimble, requires a slumped riding posture unsuited to the morning commute). But with cycling gaining popularity in the United States, companies are increasingly rolling out a third option—the city bike, built primarily with style and ease of use in mind. Giant’s neo-retro Suede Coasting DX model, for instance, allows the rider to peddle in an ergonomic upright position on a wide padded seat while the bike automatically switches among three gears. “We focused on the creature comforts of this bike,” Ted Renwick, an industrial designer at Giant says, “since nobody’s going to race with it.” In keeping with this amenity-friendly philosophy, the DX sports two bags for toting essentials and nonessentials alike.

The full text of the story is available online at:

http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3000