Ikea readies to launch its first flat-pack aluminium bicycle

Swedish furniture giant Ikea is all set to take on the transport market by launching a self-assembly aluminium bicycle.

In grand Ikea tradition, the new product will receive a guttural Scandinavian moniker – the Sladda, Swedish for "to skid" or "to slip sideways". Made in partnership with Veryday, a design studio whose clients range from Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg to Scandi-stroller firm BabyBjörn, the new unisex bicycle will be available in one colour, two sizes, and have a host of customisable add-ons and extras. The aluminium bicycle is being billed as a lightweight, low-maintenance bike perfect for urban living.

"Sladda is like a tablet with apps," says Oskar Juhlin, Director of Industrial Design at Veryday, "in the sense that you can customise it with several different accessories adapted to make everyday life easier for the user.

"Sladda enables the user to replace the car and by doing so contributing to a more eco-friendly environment.”

The flat-pack, aluminium bicycle is not Ikea's first foray into the transport sector. In 2014, the company began selling an electric bike, the Folkvanlig, but phased it out after a few months.

IKEA spokesperson Annique van der Valk believes that the Sladda will also be a hit with the company's environmentally-aware customers. The fact that it is made from aluminium makes it "a perfect fit with what IKEA stands for," says van de Valk, "offering customers healthy and environmentally-sound solutions."