Momentum Magazine
IKEA is Rolling Out a Low-Maintenance Urban Bicycle This Summer

IKEA is Rolling Out a Low-Maintenance Urban Bicycle This Summer

The Sladda is being billed as an easy-riding everyday bike for city dwellers.

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Ikea bicycle

A digital rendering of the Sladda with attached accessories from Ikea’s press release.

Now that IKEA has built every product imaginable to furnish, decorate, organize, and generally reside in your home, they’re moving on to your life outside the front door. The Swedish furniture giant recently announced that they’ll be rolling out a unisex bicycle called the Sladda in August, 2016.

IKEA bicycle

A closeup on the belt drive, hub, and click system.

The Sladda is billed as a “unisex bike with customized accessories designed to fit an urban life.” It was created by by Oskar Juhlin, Jan Puranen and Kristian Eke of global design consultancy Veryday. In their press release, the retailer said the design focus was on developing an affordable, low-maintenance bicycle that would serve as a viable transportation option for urban dwellers. It has an aluminum frame to keep it light enough to transport up and down stairs, a rear internal hub for low-maintenance shifting, and a belt drive as a maintenance- and grease-free alternative to a standard chain. The retailer says the belt is good for 9,320 miles (15,000 kilometers). The handlebars are height adjustable, and IKEA will be offering the bike with a choice of 26- or 28-inch wheels, an option they claim will make it a suitable size for anyone 12 years and older.

For add-ons, the Sladda has a “clever click system” – the function of which is not elaborated on – whereby users can easily attach accessories such as a basket, a rack, panniers, and a cart. However, designer Juhlin hints at the possible development of more accessories down the road: “Sladda is like tablet apps: you can add endless accessories to enhance ease of use.”

The Sladda is being marketed as an environmentally-friendly replacement for private automobiles, enabling users to easily make a choice to live more sustainable lifestyles. With its emphasis on low-maintenance functionality and easy riding, the Sladda appears to be aimed at non-cyclists who are curious about urban riding but overwhelmed by the technology or the amount of other options out there.

The Sladda has already taken home a Red Dot Design Award for Best Product Design, and has been named “Best of the Best” in the groundbreaking design category. It’s set to roll out in August, 2016 all over Europe, with a projected price of €699 (USD $797) for the general public, and €499 (USD $569) for members of the Ikea Family loyalty program. Nothing has been announced about its entrance into North American markets, but we can imagine that if the European pilot test proves successful we’ll see Sladdas on our streets in the not too distant future.

No word yet on whether or not you’ll have to assemble it yourself at home, Allen key included.

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14 Comments

  • Keith Bierman

    No follow up? It’s been recalled and cancelled. To reduce confusion, it would be good to update the post. https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/06/ikea-bike-sladda-recall/562145/

  • Guest

    What – no chain guard??

  • AnneN

    One wheel missing for me I like my tricycle.

  • dingdingwikki

    A single (disc) brake, on the front wheel only? Isn’t that kind of dangerous and likely to lead to you flying over the handlebars if you need to stop very quickly?

    • seventy percent front

      Only if you’re an idiot that has no clue about physics or bikes.

  • If it’s supposed to be targeting urban settings, they missed the boat by not integrating front and rear lights, and even rear “directional indicator.”

  • While I think frames should be “unisex”, the option of a more open (easy to mount) one would make the bicycle more accessible for people with arthritis and other mobility problems. No problem for a taller person, but for someone liike me who isn’t of Nordic height and has short legs, it doesn’t look open enough.

    I’m sure the name origin is utterly different, but Sladda does evoke the unfortunate “Lada”…

  • “Sladda is like tablet apps: you can add endless accessories to enhance ease of use.” – This made me crack up. Like a bell, for a bike… like you know a normal bike accessory. Jokes aside it’s a very pleasant looking bike.

  • Looks great, thanks for the great coverage, Momentum!

  • Robert Anderson

    There’s no shifter pictured on the bike, so if it’s a geared hub, it’s probably a two-speed back-shifter (like a DuoMatic). Good for flat European cities, but maybe not so great for the hilly suburbs….

    • Andreas

      … or they forgot to include a shifter in the 3D renderings.

    • Or hilly cities… like Bristol! At least it’s an ally frame, get those legs working!

Comments are closed.

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