We talk often about cars, planes, and trains of the future—but what might the bicycle of the future look like? With their newly unveiled 2026 Zora concept, bike manufacturer Trek offers us a contemporary glimpse of what a state-of-the-art racing bike might look like in ten years (which just happens to be the company’s 50th anniversary).
Trek convened a team of designers and engineers to actually design and build out a prototype for Trek World 2016. The team, led by designers Brian Lindstrom, Steve Baumann, Jon Russell, Hans Eckholm, and Michael Hammond, came up with something that certainly looks futuristic: the sleek-looking concept features integrated headlights and taillights, as well as disk brakes and a belt-driven wheel. The frame is made of ultra-durable and lightweight carbon fiber, and is showily streamlined. There’s also a minimal dashboard at the center of the handlebar, which subtly and intuitively shows the speed of the bike.
Unfortunately, the Trek Zora remains a design concept for the moment. But fingers crossed we’ll be able to zip through the days and nights on this beauty in the not-so-distant future.