This adventure started when John and I went to the Chicago offices and photo studio of Playboy for a photo shoot with the Shark in February. Pretty amazing to see the photo studio where nearly every photo in Playboy is shot. From products to models, Playboy still does all their own image making. Sweet!

We had to park a few blocks from the building that houses the Playboy offices and it was a reasonably warm day for February like 32 degrees or so. We got quite a few looks from folks rushing around the Chicago lake front and even more when we went in the front door of the building. I was tempted to ride down the halls but discretion got the better of me.

When we arrived at the palatial, top-floor suites of the Playboy offices we were taken to the studios and spent the next couple of hours watching as a couple of Playboy staff photographers set up the large softbox and 6 flash heads that would illuminate our beautiful Shark.

When the moment came for the actual snapping of the photos George Georgiou, legendary Playboy Photographer, did the honors. Thanks, George, the Shark looks great!

Our booth was right next to the fine folks from Raxter and we had the opportunity to test the fit of the Shark on their hitch mount rack and it fits great so if you need a rear carrier for your Shark be sure to check the Raxter out.

In the photo above we have the Shark sharing with Raxter
with a traditional road bike and getting along fine!

The photo above shows a pair of Sharks on the Raxter. Nice Fit!

Head Shark, John Schlick gets in a morning ride in Vegas during Interbike.

The folks from Schlick Cycles will again be attending Interbike in 2007 looking for accessories and apparel to make your Shark experience even better. Look for a report when we return in late September.

The Schlick Shark Flickr Group address is:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/schlick-shark/

If, for some chance, you don’t want to, or can’t join Flickr, send us your pix and we’ll get them posted!

Show off your Shark!

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Benno Baenziger ought to be blushing. In two years’ time, the Townie bicycle he designed turned his Vista, Calif.-based Electra Bicycle Co. - the little beach cruiser company he co-founded 14 years ago - into an industry player and the bike was copied by several major brands.

With their chopper-like frames that lower the seat, push the cranks forward and raise the handlebars, the Townie and its ilk eliminate the fear of falling and the back, neck and hand discomfort that can come with conventional bikes’ lean-forward position. The result: Riders can place their feet on the ground while seated and ride with a comfy heads-up, straight-back position on wide, cushy seats. These so-called flat-foot bikes aren’t the greatest hill climbers - it’s hard to stand up out of the saddle - but they are comfy for all-day riding, will usually accommodate everyone from preteens to 6-footers and come with a wide-screen, picture-window view of the world that other bikes can’t touch.

Schlick Shark: The Harley of the bike world.

Likes: Sleek, jaw-dropping looks, with the natural laid-back feel of a touring motorcycle. The first bike from Milwaukee bike geek/software engineer John Schlick, the Shark achieves Townie-type comfort with an innovative, artistic frame featuring a series of arcing aluminum tubes. Instead of a seat post, the seat slides fore and aft on integrated frame tubes. Eight-speed drivetrain uses a clean internal hub, eliminating potential chain skipping. Dynamo front hub allows you to plug in a generator light.

Dislikes: High price for beauty. Does not turn as well in tight quarters as other bikes, due to the longer handlebars and wheelbase.

Price: $2,489. (262) 790-0723; http://www.schlickcycles.com

Electra Townie 21 700C: Fast version of the classic Townie, with tall 700C road-racing wheels rather than mountain-bike wheels.

Likes: 21-speed aluminum-framed bike has faster cruising speed than smaller-wheeled bikes, making it surprisingly suitable for long-distance commuting, touring and serious fitness training. Includes rack mounts for panniers and cargo.

Dislikes: The larger, narrower wheels and tires have a harsher ride than the smaller, wider ones.

Price: $400. (800) 261-1644; http://www.electrabike.com

Giant Suede SS: Simple, comfortable, aluminum-framed single-speed.

Likes: Comfortable position and clean looks. Virtually maintenance-free; no derailleur cables to get in the way or break down. Stopping power supplied by front-wheel hand brake and simple coaster brake we all used as kids; just backpedal slightly to slow down. Enclosed chain guard keeps grease off long pant legs.

Dislikes: Single-speed version is slow due to lack of gearing.

Price: Single speed $270; 24-speed Giant Suede DX bike, $330. (Multispeed models run $340-$370.) (800) US-GIANT; http://www.giantbicycle.com

Cannondale Daytripper Seven: Agile 7-speed bike with a design halfway between a regular bike and a Townie.

Likes: Good looks. Good handling, due to a shorter wheelbase and the seat not pushed back as far as the other review bikes. Includes a bell, dual handbrakes, chain guard and a suspension fork.

Dislikes: Does not feel as laid-back and comfortable as the others. The design leaves the cockpit a bit shorter and more cramped, and the seat higher (so you stand tippy-toed, not flat-footed, on the ground).

Price: $599. (800) 245-3872; http://www.cannondale.com

The mission of the annual contest is to encourage entrepreneurs in the creation, start-up, and early-growth stages of high-tech businesses in Wisconsin. Each year, participants have the chance to win seed capital and valuable services that will help them launch their businesses.

The statewide contest is an opportunity to compete for cash and in-kind prizes, but it’s also a chance to get constructive feedback on business plans and to help move it from a virtual business to a reality.

This year’s winners were announced at the Governor’s Banquet during the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference on June 8, 2006 in Milwaukee. MatriLab, a biotech start-up with origins in Madison and strong business and clinical roots in Milwaukee, was the grand prize winner out of the 188 Contest entries.

Contest finalists had the opportunity to present their business concepts to attendees at the Conference. The Schlick Shark created quite a stir as spectators took the prototypes for a spin around the mezzanine of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The reaction from those who had the opportunity to try the Shark was thrilling. Thanks to everyone who helped put the Shark through its paces. We look forward to seeing each of them on our Owners’ Registry in the near future!

For years, self-described tinkerer John Schlick has scribbled sketches and jotted down ideas in thick spiral notebooks.

He’s filled three of them, often writing just before going to sleep or even after. His wife, Cheryl, has bought lighted pens for him so he can write in the dark.

The notebooks, Schlick said Monday during a break from his work as a self-employed computer consultant, are filled with “a lot of ideas around cars, stuff around businesses, everything from electronics in homes to - I don’t know; I guess I’d have to look.”

Now, after some 10 years of jotting, Schlick is on the verge, for the first time, of taking one of his ideas to market. And it looks promising enough that he is among 27 finalists competing for more than $100,000 in prizes in the third annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.

Schlick, 37, has patented an idea for a new bicycle design in the genre known as cruisers - fat-tire, easy-riding, old-fashioned bikes that are enjoying a resurgence of popularity. It’s a category that made up about 4% of units sold by bike shops in 2004, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. But that was up from just 2.2% two years earlier, said Loren Mooney, an executive editor of Bicycling magazine.

“It’s been on a steady upward trajectory,” Mooney said.

Schlick’s twist on the venerable design includes a special frame on which the seat can slide backward or forward along a rail that arcs over the rear wheel. That lets both short and tall riders use the same bike, with anyone able to rest both feet on the ground without rising from the saddle.

“It’s (a) really comfortable riding position, kind of like a touring motorcycle,” Schlick said.

He calls his bike the Schlick Shark, after the fin-like profile the back end of the frame suggests.

Except for the fact that he doesn’t ride much, Schlick is a bit of a bike nut. He has eight bicycles of his own in his Menomonee Falls garage, plus Cheryl’s bike and the five they keep for their three kids.

The Schlick Shark, in which Schlick so far has invested “probably a little north of $40,000″ of his own money, evolved from a friend’s gift of a cruiser from the ’50s. Schlick loved the styling, but said the bike was short on performance and comfort.

The tandem recumbent he and Cheryl sometimes use, on the other hand, is “really comfortable, but a little bit goofy to ride.”

Wanting to combine the best features of both, Schlick started sketching.

He came up with a design he described as comfortable but very functional, and higher than a recumbent, allowing the rider to see and be seen in traffic.

At first, Schlick thought about opening a shop to make the bikes. But his financial projections led him instead to turn to Richard Schwinn.

Schwinn, great-grandson of the founder of the famed bicycle company that bears his name, runs a small, high-end bike-building firm in western Racine County called Waterford Precision Cycles.

Schwinn’s company is now finishing up the first 10 Schlick Sharks. Initial retail price: probably about $1,900. If the bike gains traction and can support larger production runs, Schlick figures the price eventually will drop to $1,100 to $1,300.

That’s still pricey. The average cruiser purchased at a specialty bike shop - not Target or Wal-Mart - sold for $270 in 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available, said Fred Clements, executive director of the bicycle dealers’ association.

Seeking affluent buyers

Schlick said his bike, which he calls a performance cruiser, offers more comfort than its traditional cousins, with less pressure on the rider’s hands, shoulders and neck. He’s counting on the bike’s functionality and styling to attract buyers such as well-to-do baby boomers who haven’t ridden a bicycle in a while and want to ease back in.

“It’s a design that I can see a lot of wealthy customers wanting for a cruiser,” Schwinn said.

He said he was skeptical of Schlick’s idea at first, but said changes to the initial concept have “really helped make it a sensible design.”

John Jensen, owner of Johnson’s Cycle & Fitness, a Wauwatosa bike shop that stocks many cruisers and which will display the Schlick Shark, also likes the new bicycle.

“It’s a neat idea,” Jensen said. “It’s a fun idea.”

He doesn’t see it, though, as a bicycle that will sell in big numbers.

“It’s going to be a very small market,” Jensen said, “but I think he’s going to have a very good captive audience.”