cherubim air line bicycle's framework rolls like a wave

this exquisite bicycle was created by cherubim, the supplier to the japanese national cycling team at the 1968 olympic in mexico city. the company was founded in 1965 by hitoshi konno, and his son, shinichi konno, is now carrying forward its legacy of sculptural steel-frames. konno–who is a master builder–continues to incorporate japanese artistic style into modern steel bikes, and the company’s ‘air line’ is widely regarded as one of the most eye-catching bicycles in the world.

forms avoiding all right angles

featuring a graceful red coat, the cherubim ‘air line’s’ minimalist form is designed to avoid any right angles or ‘hard edges’ that causes air-resistance in conventional bicycles. instead, it rides on undulating lines and elongated ellipses. while the sculptural form gives the impression that it’s a gallery work of art, this bike is made for fast riding. as the name may suggest, aero dynamics has been a central focus during this project, pushing the boundaries of physics in the hope of reaching new possibilities in terms of speed. 

evolution of the steel frame

 
‘aerodynamics is the largest theme in bicycle history all the time’, says shinichi konno. he continues,‘cherubim created this bike by breaking the regulations and traditional concepts, because we believe this is the only way to expand the horizon of bicycle design. we’re too wedded to the traditional diamond-shaped bike, air line presents the new possibility for the race like the hour record and velodrome time trials.’

master builder shinichi konno

cherubim’s workshop, based in a corner of tokyo, believes that the origin of making things is in its own human hands. with this fundamentalist approach, its craftsmen can be found working in the ever-flickering bike lights of the studio.