CPH

Why it is renowned

The CPH was the bike with which Jens Martin Skibsted, Biomega's co-founder, became a designer himself. He said the design was driven by integration: a shaft drive, and otherwise a very Scandinavian, essential style.¹ Biomega's later BER e-bike built on it and on the AMS.²

Recognition

• Cycling Weekly, UK⁴2012a first-ride review of the Biomega Copenhagen
• Sight Unseen, New York¹2010Skibsted on the Copenhagen, his first design

The story

Skibsted designed the CPH, and Biomega launched it in 2000 alongside Marc Newson's MN.³ In place of a chain, the pedals turned a drive shaft through a bevel gear, housed in an aluminium case that doubled as the chainstay.⁴ The aluminium frame had a square down tube with the Biomega name etched into it, an eight-speed Shimano Nexus hub and internal cable routing, and came in 17.5, 20 and 22.5 inch sizes.⁴ In 2004 Biomega's own site showed the CPH, or Copenhagen, in Dragon Black.⁵ Cycling Weekly tested it in April 2012 and found it heavy at 14.6 kg, but smooth, low-geared and close to maintenance-free for city riding.⁴ Biomega no longer made it; its range came down to the BER e-bike.⁶