The Faraday Electric Bike Goes Incognito With a Classic Look

Electric bikes are a great way to get around, but in a bustling city, locking them up in the face of countless leering eyes can leave one heavy with concern. Taking a more subtle approach to the design of their brand new electric bike, <a href="http://www.ideo.com/">Ideo</a> teamed up with bike builders <a href="http://www.rocklobstercycles.com/">Rock Lobster Cycles </a>to produce a two-wheeler that looks like a peddler straight out of the 50s. But don't be deceived by its retro look, the Faraday packs quite a punch, hiding a series of lithium-ion batteries in its top tubes and a motor in its front hub.

The Faraday was built for the <a href="http://oregonmanifest.com/2011/02/03/oregon-manifest-rolls-out-2011-constructor%E2%80%99s-design-challenge-criteria/">Oregon Manifest design competition</a>.

Despite building an electric bike, the design team wanted to keep their cycle's look simple.

Two prongs up front serve as built-in headlights and the base of a modular racking system, letting you attach everything from baskets to baby seats.

A green box tucked beneath the seat cluster controls the ride.

With a minty fresh paint job, all of the bike's techy pieces are kept hidden inside the frame.

The parallel top tubes hold a series of lithium-ion batteries that power up the front-hub motor.