Many people know about LifeEdited from our founder and CEO Graham Hill’s 2011 TED talk. What many people may not know is the backstory behind that talk–the personal experiences that guided his decision to launch the company. In this talk from the Wanderlust Speakeasy Festival in Whistler, BC, Graham gives some of that backstory along with some practical suggestions on how to edit your life today.
Put Your Bike on Diet with ThinBike
Way back in LifeEdited history (like a year ago), we told you about the super-rad ThinBike that LifeEdited founder Graham Hill helped design with German bike manufacturer Schindelhauer. The one-speed wonder went from a reasonable 21″ width with handlebars in normal position to a mere six with the help of special hardware. The ThinBike addresses one of the biggest bike storage issues, where width can be as problematic as length.
Now Schindelhauer has released a production version of the ThinBike. The bike has evolved quite a bit from Graham’s steed. There is now a front disk brake for superior stopping. It has 24″ inch wheels like those on a cruiser BMX that are stronger and quicker than the previous model’s 700c wheels. It has a two-speed SRAM Automatix shifting system in the event you encounter a hill or bridge. There is a LightSKIN seatpost with integrated LED lights. And it comes with its own proprietary bike rack. Carried over from the previous version are a lightweight aluminum frame (though in different geometry) and a Gates Carbon Drive drivetrain. With its smaller wheels, improved braking, greaseless drivetrain and ease of storage, the new ThinBike will undoubtably make an awesome urban bomber.
And more good news: You can get the bike in the US through Belt Drive Bikes for $1488.00. We look forward to riding ours in the near future. We’ll let you know how it goes.
Fair Companies Turns Camera on LifeEdited Apartment
Fair Companies is by far the most comprehensive source for videos of great small space homes. That’s why we’re really excited to have the LifeEdited apartment featured on their site. Kirsten Dirksen, who runs Fair Companies, did this profile last month.
Some of the best parts are the “before” pictures of the space taken two and one years ago–the first as a beat-up four room apartment and then post-demolition when it the space was stripped to the joists. Contrasting those scenes with what it looks like now is pretty dramatic.
This is actually the most thorough tour of the space to date as it goes through every corner and most every feature of the apartment. It shows that a living/lived-in, peering into Graham Hill’s wardrobe and showing a recent 10 person dinner party.
ThinBike Slices Your Bike in Half
Bike storage can be a hassle in small spaces. It’s bad enough that you have this big rectangle; but then you have handlebars and pedals jutting out, ready to snag a passerby. And while easy-to-stash foldable bikes are great, sometimes our riding habits and preferences demand a full size frame and wheels.
To solve this issue, LifeEdited founder Graham Hill put this “ThinBike” together with German company Schindelhauer. The bike features fold-up pedals by MKS and a quick release stem by Speedlifter that allow you to put the bars flush with the rest of the frame. All this allows the bike to go from a portly 21″ width, to a mere 6″.
While the $1800 package that Graham put together–replete with Gates Carbon Belt Drive and white rims to match the white tires–might be a bit steep for many, retrofitting your current bike with the stem and pedals can be done for about $200.
LifeEdited Founder Graham Hill at TED 2011
Check out LifeEdited Found Graham Hill at the 2011 TED Conference talking about the LifeEdited Project.