Ford Motor Company has notably been in the bicycle news lately as the title sponsor of the San Francisco bike share program Ford GoBike. But the company’s recent patent application for a Retractable Bicycle Carrier is geared towards those that own both cars and bikes.

The patent application – published Jul 6 2017 – details a retractable bicycle carrier. While the specs and drawings in the patent are installed on a Ford Mustang, the text of the patent clearly indicates this as a device intended for any vehicle.

A bicycle carrier system for a vehicle includes a rail assembly configured for translation between a stored position within a vehicle fascia and a fully deployed position. The rail assembly includes one or more sliding rails each carrying a plurality of pivoting anchors.

Of course this is just a patent application and there is no real indication that this will ever come to market. It is also not the first time we’ve seen automakers experiment with bicycle centric autos. But Ford seems to be doing more and more in the area of bicycles.

Because we view ourselves, both as an automotive company, and as a mobility company

— http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/ford-unveils-latest-e-bike/

In addition to the Ford GoBike partnership mentioned above, the company had previously been working into the bicycle market in a much more direct manner. The MoDe:Flex was a prototype smart bike reported on VeloReviews. Perhaps Ford is hedging its bets about where transportation is heading in the future.

Official press release from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS):

Portland, OR, 2/19/17 –  NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) releases their official statement regarding the state of Utah and land policy that is affecting the outdoor and cycling industry.

http://www.2017.handmadebicycleshow.com

Aligning with the recent actions taken by other brands that exhibit at Outdoor Retailer as well as the conversations regarding the future of Interbike in the State of Utah, NAHBS will not be calling Utah home to the show in the future.

“When we were negotiating the show, Governor Herbert hadn’t begun his assault on public lands. His agenda for the state of Utah has the ability to curtail the recreation of our exhibitors and their customers. If not for signed contracts, booked airfares, hotels and the builders depending on the show taking place, we too would be relocating” said Don Walker, founder of NAHBS. “Our goal is to spotlight frame builders and the cycling industry partners that support them. NAHBS moves the location each year to accommodate the needs of builders across the country. Regardless of our schedule we would not chose to bring the show back to Utah unless serious changes are made by government officials.”

This news and the subsequent backlash from industry leaders occurred a month before the 13th edition of NAHBS was set to take place. Unfortunately moving the show this year is not an option. March 10th-12th NAHBS will take place in Salt Lake City and NAHBS look forward to spending time with all the small builders and craftsmen that the show was founded for. We hope that Utah will come support these businesses in light of recent events.

About NAHBS:

NAHBS Showcases the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. We are a meeting space for frame builders and consumers who are passionate about custom-made bikes.