The Bike Valet takes a nod from the notion that bike storage doesn't have to be strictly utilitarian. Design can be found even in the most mundane places. Here's what the kick-starter campaign says:

"Storage for us, like many, is a problem. We live in a small downtown apartment, and if we happen to be dense enough to leave our bikes outside they wouldn't last more than a few days, even with the priciest lock around. We lost a beautiful, vintage, hand-made Kleine in just such a way a couple years ago. So we bring our bikes inside. Given our storage issues, this makes navigating the entry hall difficult. I personally have tripped over or snagged a pair of dress pants on an awkwardly placed bicycle more than once. The solution?

The Bike Valet. It is made from 1/8" cold steel initially designed in Sketchup and later transferred to CAD. Its elegant shape is cut using a laser cutter. It is heated and bent by hand to the appropriate spec's and then powder coated for a durable long-lasting finish in red, blue, black, cream white, pale green or grey. You have your choice of either a leather or neoprene pad to rest your bike on. We think any combo of the six colors and two pads looks pretty spectacular! "

They have 66 hours to go to reach their goal of $10,000 and are only $600 away. If you're into this, head over to the Kick-Starter page.

Saskia sent along the new line from Snakebite Bike Gang:

"Snakebite is a clothing brand by illustrator, screenprinter & rider Saskia Haex. Snakebite brings fresh graphics inspired by riding bikes (expecially fixed gears) and everyday traffic.

The first line of Snakebite apparel will hit the stores Spring 2012. But before the whole line hits the stores we are releasing this very special tshirt for (bike)lovers for Valentines day.

It's available as of now in sizes S, M & L. Price € 22,50 (ex. shipping). Handprinted in limited edition of 50 pcs."

Order through: snakebitebikegang@gmail.com
Or our facebook: www.facebook.com/SnakebiteBikegang

Maxime Mary is a character designer who recently graduated from Gobelins in Paris and here's his latest work, a character named Eddie. How does that drivetrain work?!

I love Taj's illustrations, especially this one. Check out more at Fairdale.

A reader sent in this Niels Albert cyclocross painting. I'd imagine it'd be easy to get those mud splatters with paint. Check out more information here.

Landshark Bicycles will always have a home on PiNP. I just love what Slawta has done in his time as a framebuilder. Now, to celebrate a new website and a partnership with Gnar Lube, Slawta will be building a limited number of hand-built, rigid carbon 29'rs called the Gnar Shark.

I received a FedEX tube today and this print was inside, along with some Gnar Lube. How stoked am I? Pick up one of these prints at Gnar Lube and try out their lube. If you're a baller, you better scoop one of those bikes and let me photograph it.

Woof is working on the identity and branding for the FG Marathon 2012 and so far so good! I want to make it to Jakarta this year, it just hasn't ever panned out. Maybe in the spring?

Gidea Group designed the packaging for the KMC Pink Lady chain:

"Pink Lady is a "pink ribbon" (international symbol of hope and awareness in the fight against breast cancer) product created by KMC Chain (who has the largest worldwide market share for bicycle chains). It was meant to be a gift box where you give not only a great bike chain, but also to a great cause. From these design goals, KMC asked us to come up with a packaging concept."

Thanks for sharing Charles!

Speaking of Boston and Fringe, 44RN sent me this on Sunday night and It's gotta be one of the simplest, yet most useful (and off-topic but still relevant) designs I've seen this year. Check out Cuppow:

"This is CUPPOW - our solution for easier drinking from a canning jar. The canning jar already makes an awesome platform for a travel mug: it’s easy to clean, made of heat-resistant glass, cheap, durable, and when sealed it doesn’t leak. The only problem is that with their large openings, canning jars are not great for spill-free sipping while on the move. So we adapted it - made a new lid that lets us drink like a boss from virtually any wide mouth canning jar. It’s a simple eco-friendly alternative to poor-performing and messy disposable hot cups, and over-built and expensive travel mugs."

Check out more below.

Leave it to Tracko to dig up design like this and point out the obvious flaw right off the bat. Yeah, 13 is a bit overkill. Could you imagine how thin that chain would be? Or maybe they're pushing for a new freehub spacing. Now, if he knocked three sprockets off this, It'd be a perfect poster for a bike shop!

I'd love to climb some of those.

Maybe not tip to tip but this would be an incredible way to spend the latter months of summer. Regardless, I want to do Vancouver to Portland in May but on my road bike this time.

Thanks for this one Sasha!

This one comes from Repeat Press' Tumblr, via Aaron on Twitter. Thanks for thinking of me guys!

Ralf Holleis is a product design student and for his final, he designed a carbon fiber-tubed track bike that uses laser sintered stainless steel lugs. These lugs are designed, fabricated and finally, assembled to meet any geometry, simply change the model and the machines produce the lugsets. Then, as Ralf describes, you simply glue the frame together.

I've seen carbon-lugged bikes being produced before, at various builders and while the process is fairly similar, the final steps are all more complicated than some form of bonding. But I'll give Ralf some kudos for putting technology to use. You could do some impressive lugwork without having to go the investment cast route.

Check out the final bike, the VRZ 1, below.

Oh man, this one's great. I do agree on rule #58 but then again, I agree with most of what's in here. Thanks for the find Tracko!

Edit: I knew I'd seen the Rules elsewhere...

Guilherme Henrique is a graphic designer and as far as I can tell, Ville Vs. Velodrome is a case study on the scale of the city, the bike rider, the velodrome, racers and their bikes. Each of the templates have detailed descriptions as to what is the quantifying or qualifying characteristics of the scale stepping. Kyle showed these to me last week and I'm way into them. Check out the full set at Guilherme's Flickr!

44RN has bene a busy dude this year. On top of a demanding full-time job, he designed some killer chainrings and now, this Tab Desk Lamp has finally come to fruition. Check out more photos here at 44RN!

I love it when people email me to share their work in the most humble ways. Tomi sent this over last week and when I told him I would post it, he was ecstatic. Why on Earth wouldn't I post this? It's rad as hell. Check the full set here! So good!

Dave Murray, an artist who utilizes angular, almost origami-inspired designs, did some work for Toronto-based Dandyhorse Magazine recently. This one takes the cake! Seen at Headset Press.

Mine would be filled with Chinatown rats...

It's a rainy day here in Austin, which has me browsing the internet more than usual. I just came across this post on Chris' Tumblr, linking to an Art Battle LA contest. Head over right now and vote for Chris! It only takes a second.