“This is my home territory and it can be a riot of colours jumbling over steep slopes. I know this point well, where everything rushes together as you emerge from…
Specialized has revealed four limited edition runs of the Chisel, its alloy XC race hardtail: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. Let us grab some lamé and chiffon and boogie this way for a closer look.
Just as the Chisel rides a thin ribbon of dirt through the landscape, we are riding a thin line between a physical and digital reality in our daily lives–a line that is becoming increasingly blurred every day. As our natural world decays and our digital world continues to expand, we challenge you to question the relationship of the two with our latest Artist Series—Disrupt the Decay. We used the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as inspiration to push against the digital world to create four unique, limited-edition Chisel frames that beg the question, “Where does one world end and the other begin?”
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Far out, man. If you want to blur the lines between art and sport, reality and fantasy, or just ride so fast you are a blur, then perhaps a Chisel LTD is for you. Each one comes with a premium collector’s book that showcases the art, words, and inspiration for the Disrupt the Decay series from the designers.
Earth
The subdued colors on the Earth frame are inspired by the ceramic-like tones and textures of the desert landscape interrupted with a digital glitch effect, creating a gap in the information. The glitch appears on areas of the seatstay and the collage photography of the seat tube.
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Air
The luminous wash on the Air frame symbolizes the fog rolling over the hills off the Pacific colliding with Silicon Valley. Just as the fog envelopes you in the natural world, the digital world can also envelope you in its technicolor infinity, which is represented in the colorful and glitch-filled logos.
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Water
The flowing layers of color on the Water frame are inspired by the shifting blues of Icelandic lakes. This flow also takes place in the digital world through the binary code of 1’s and 0’s. Binary 1’s and 0’s create the Specialized downtube logo and the S head tube badge. When translated to English, the binary reads “Nature Digital Nature Digital. . .” over and over again.
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Fire
Fire can be overwhelming and creates a barrier, with only small gaps between the flames to pass through. Similarly, digital firewalls are a barrier, only allowing small pieces of data to pass through. Reflective foil pieces under red tint on the Fire frame represent data passing through, while the Chisel graphic on the seat tube melts from the heat of fire.
Specialized
Are you moved to buy one of these frames? Is your heart burning with desire? Would you go through hell and high water to get one? Have they taken your breath away? See what we did there? Depending on which you want you might need to be patient. The frames are all priced at £1099, and the Earth and Air models are launched today. If it’s Fire and Water you’re after, they’ll be on sale on 8th June.
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Replies (15)
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Oh yes, please. This has been on my ‘possible’ list for a few weeks now since I can’t my hands on a Whyte629
Available as frame only since no one can get the bits to sell them as complete bikes?
Is it April 1st already?
APF
£1099! Does the gold leaf just not show up in the photos?
Oh my God I want one.
Don’t mind the concept of limited edition paintjobs on bikes but boy the marketing blurb makes you want to chunder into a bucket ……
what a load of toss
@petercook80 I strongly advise you against reading the gallery labels next to any modern art!
I agree that some nice paint jobs are great.
The marketing BS attached is just wrong.
I guess to answer the question posed in the title…..
Specialized Chisel LTD Elements – Bike or Art?
I guess to answer the question posed in the title…..
Specialized Chisel LTD Elements – Bike or Art?
Maybe Bike 90% Art 10%
(Hannah Dobson) “I strongly advise you against reading the gallery labels next to any modern art!”
Actually I don’t mind that, as an artist can create a work and relate to it in any way they feel, but if we are all honest this is pure marketing balderdash really… but spesh are often a bit liberal with the advertising words….
Well that pretentious drivel worked on me, I’ll buy of each, what a bargain for an alloy hardtail.
The Water frame is lovely and the digital effect logo is nice and subtle. Big thumbs up from me. I also really like the Earth frame. I think Air and Fire might need to be seen in person to really appreciate them.
Whatever it is that’s getting their copywriter(s) through lockdown, we should all try a puff!