Inspired by motorsport: Pirelli & Ciclotte launch exercise bike
Compact size means users can place the bike in different areas and use it for “both fitness training and to complement home décor” (Photo: Pirelli)
A puzzled frown appeared upon Matteo’s face as he approached the curious, tyre-shaped construction. He’d heard whispers that the device was “characterised by elements derived from motorsport” but it also possessed bicycle pedals. The bold Pirelli and P Zero logos on the side caught his attention too. What in blazes is this thing – could it be a motorsport-inspired exercise bike?
It was indeed. The first Pirelli-branded Ciclotte Bike made by Multi Design saw light of day during Milan’s Design Week (18 to 23 April 2023), and this version of the design exercise bike inaugurates a collaboration between the two Italian companies.
Luca Schieppati is the designer behind the Ciclotte Bike, which distinguishes itself from traditional exercise bikes through several elements, starting with the single wheel form. Pirelli comments that Schieppati conceived the exercise bike to “faithfully reproduce the feeling of pedalling a road bike,” a feat it achieves thanks to multiple ratio transmission, an electro-magnetic resistance system, a frame that flexes laterally with each push of the pedals and a narrow gap between the pedals.
Bluetooth connectivity enables “immersive training experiences that simulate real roads” as well as training programmes, spinning classes, and multi-user challenges. Pirelli says the Ciclotte Bike is “imagined for a contemporary lifestyle where physical exercise, work and well-being share the same space,” and therefore its compact size means users can place the bike in different areas and use it for “both fitness training and to complement home décor.”
Colour schemes reflect F1 tyre specs
The Pirelli edition of the Ciclotte Bike stands out with graphics that “mirror the layout of the tyres used in the world’s most prestigious car competition, of which Pirelli the sole supplier.” These bikes are available in five colours, reflecting tyre supply on race weekends: white ‘hard’, yellow ‘medium’, red ‘soft’, green and blue for “rain”. For the first time, Ciclotte also features handlebar grips in rubber for an “easier grip during the most intense workouts.”
Yellow and red versions of the new bikes were displayed yesterday during two events that are part of the Fuorisalone–Milan Design Week, at the Excelsior Hotel Gallia and the Illulian boutique.
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