In our experience, one of the best ways to not get your bike stolen is to not ride a particularly nice bike. Beater bikes are a great way to tool around town, but you probably want to make sure your beater isn't actually going to fall apart while you cruise through Pothole City. That's where David Chant, a Toronto-based artist and bicycle designer, comes in.
Chant's company, Beater Bikes, makes "easy to use, low maintenance and inexpensive" bikes, inspired by traditional Dutch and English design. Chant is gearing up for the launch of his newest model, a good old-fashioned urban bike, (the kind that we imagine David Byrne would look good on) and he needs help. He currently has a small stable of prototypes for the new bike, and, given that the man only has so many legs, is looking for a handful of testers to house and ride them for a few months. Bike snobs, beware: testers are under strict instructions not to give the bikes any special care. "Not looking to sell them," Chant says, "just to have them ridden and get some feedback. Besides, it seems like a shame to have them sitting idle in my studio."
Visit the Beater Bikes site to apply as a tester, or to sign up for one of the sweet 2012 Speed Diamond Frames.
