Affinity Cycles and Kenzo Minami team up for $5k Digitizer bike project

Affinity Cycles of Brooklyn, NY, are one of the best respected independent brands in the US and their latest offering is a collaboration with Japanese artist Kenzo Minami. The result is the rather striking track iron pictured above, which can be yours for $5,000. Plus postage.

Affinity are very much anchored in the fixed gear scene but they span the whole gamut of the one-geared cycling and their sponsored riders include Dave Espinoza, the current US Collegiate champion in the sprint and the Kilo, alongside a squad of other track riders and some well-known NYC messengers too.

The canvas for this collaboration was Affinity's Kissena track frame and this was handed over to Minami for his visual treatment. “Within the chaos of visual information found on city streets it is important that the design allows the bicycle to stand out and be recognized by both pedestrians and cars alike,” Minami has said of the project. “The colors and patterns on the bicycle were carefully conceived and laid out with the understanding that they will not only be seen when the frame and wheels are static but more importantly how they will be transformed when the bicycle is in motion."

AFFINITY CYCLES x KENZO MINAMI = DIGITIZER from Cinecycle on Vimeo.

What that means in practice is a very detailed mish-mash of pattern and iconography in primary colours, seemingly drawing influences from video controls, crash test dummies, television test cards and other staples of the late twentieth century. The bold colour scheme on black certainly makes the bike stand out, and the design extends to the 88mm Carbon tubular rims, which are laced to a pair of Phil Wood hubs. Finishing kit includes a Thompson seatpost and stem, Deda Pista bar, Fizik Arione saddle and Sugino track crankset.

NYC / Tokyo based filmmakers Cinecycle curated the project, and Daniel Leeb of Cinecycle said of the collaboration, “Digitizer synthesizes concepts that are fundamental to our culture with regard to how technology can inform and transform our perception of space. Affinity Cycles and Kenzo Minami have come together to create a bicycle that expresses how the cyclist, even in our modern digital age, still represents the most simple and effective union of man and machine." We're not sure what that means, being simple folk, but we think it's a nice looking bike.

Affinity are only making 20 of the special edition framesets so if it's just what you were looking for for Christmas then best head over to www.affinitycycles.com where they're currently in stock...