Designer's bikes

Another (particularly) busy week over and yet again I find myself having not managed a new post for 7 days. Never mind, I'm here now and this week amongst an exhibition opening and a trip to see the local maternity ward (modern and clean but also stuffy and with that classic hospital smell which reminds me of Horlicks made using bleach) I somehow found myself at the Royal Designers for Industry annual shindig (obviously there as a guest rather than on merit). It was a true galaxy of the great, the good and the egocentric of the design world and I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the reasons for this was that I sat next to one of this country's leading lights in product design, Sam Hecht (or Sam Hecht RDI to give him his official title on the evening). Knowing that I could not bluff my way through dinner by solely speaking about design related topics (which would have most likely got me no further than the bread roll before the starter) I cunningly turned the conversation to cycling and, in particular: was Sam a cyclist? Indeed he was (although he did look a little lost when I mentioned the name Colnago - I ask you!) and I can't tell you how relieved I was to have found some common ground before we'd reached the main course. His bike of choice? The Trek District. One might sigh 'quelle surprise' at this choice as if ever there was a 'designer's' bike then the District has got to be it (in the same way that for a brief period in the mid 90's every designer seemed to ride an Aprilia Moto). However it is undeniably a great looking bike and totally practical for the urban commuter (especially if your commute is from Primrose Hill to Clerkenwell - moi? envious? oui!) being single speed and belt driven - which is something that I cannot understand why more manufacturers are not producing, although I know that a new single speed belt driven Moulton is in the offing (purrrrrrrrrr).