Good Design + Form + Function = PUBLIC

[IMAGE-1]

Today we want to take time to introduce you to a new friend of ours: PUBLIC Bike, an advertising partner here on the Pure Green site. We were excited to work with PUBLIC for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was a collective sigh of relief over the bike company's amazing eye for good design and quality mixed with affordability. There's a certain amount of romanticism, at least for me, surrounding the vintage bicycle. Put a basket on the front and a bell on the handlebars and I'm a happy girl... well, in theory. The reality is that good vintage bikes can be hard to find, and often the work needed to make them road worthy is beyond my wrench-yielding skills, and no, I don't enjoy being covered in bicylcle grease. New "vintage" varieties, while enjoying a comeback, can be costly or lack a little something in the design department - enter PUBLIC. Their attention to good design mixed with great function is the backbone of the company, and honestly what else would you expect from a company conceived by Rob Forbes, the very same gent who founded Design Within Reach, many a design maven's mecca. But for us at Pure Green, PUBLIC's vision plays just as big a part in our admiration - no where in the world does the automobile play a role so big as here in North America. While blessed with the luxury of wide open spaces, it does justify the necessity of motor vehicles to get us from point a to point b. And yet, even in urban spaces too often we grab the keys instead, whether it's habit, convenience, weather... the reality is that the bicycle plays a relatively minor role compared to other places in the world. PUBLIC wants to help us rethink that, perhaps with the enticement of a beautifully designed product (modelled after the classic 1960s and 1970s Parisian "mite" bicycle but with modern engineering), but also with the idea that our urban spaces need to be reclaimed for biking and walking: "Our vision is that more of our urban streets and sidewalks get reclaimed for walking and biking, and that our public spaces are developed for better human interaction and conversation. We'd like to see a closer personal connection between residences with shops, parks, cafes and libraries. We’d like to see streets safe enough for kids and old folks to get around on foot or on a bike. The quality and usage of our public spaces is the measure of the success of our democracy. This is why we call ourselves PUBLIC. We want to help in our own way."

[IMAGE-2]

And it seems as though others feel this way too - you can see the statistics on the rising popularity of biking here and the nearly metoric rise of the Montreal native bike sharing system BIXI is surely a testament, which can now be found in cities all over the world. If biking more is on your list of 2012 resolutions, the great news is that PUBLIC has made it easy to acquire a spiffy new model with their direct shipping option. Arriving nearly assembled, in a few short steps you're ready to ride (following that you can check out their ten innovative and fun ways to recycle the box). And be sure to check out their new colours assortment, five 'lickable' flavours with names like salted caramel and grapefruit. 

[IMAGE-3]

Last but not least, we loved this video produced by the Sierra Club and featuring PUBLIC - entitled Two Mornings it just might entice you to grab your helmet instead of the keys (when the weather warms up of course!) - be sure to follow that up with this great little post on resources for the beginner bike commuter.

If you are interested in advertising with Pure Green we would love to hear from you - opportunities are available now. Our ad programs are completely customizable, from combining print and digitial mediums through to creating solutions that help you achieve your own goals and budget. Please contact us at advertise@puregreenmag.com to learn more.