Crisp doesn't have to mean battery operated. In fact, we think you can't get any more crisp and any more green than a good bike -- and that is especially true for a bike that is designed to get people out of their car and back on a bike.

Introduced as the answer to the millions of American adults who don't really ride a bike any more, the Trek Lime screams out "ride me" to those folks who might be a little intimated by today's highly engineered, full-suspension bikes with multi-bracket gear systems, disk brakes and 27-speed grip shifters.

With its big, comfortable spring-loaded seat, curved, adjustable handlebars, three-speed automatic transmission and pedal brakes, the Trek Lime is designed to make riding a bike as enjoyable today as it was when you were a kid.

And at $580, the The Trek Lime, which was recently awarded the "People's Design Award" at the 10th annual National Design Awards, is a real value for an every-day commuter.

Shimano market research showed that many people find shifting and braking controls on traditional bikes too complex. That's why Shimano invented its new 'Coasting' platform -- an automatic-shifting three-speed drivetrain tucked into a sleek housing with few visible moving parts.

All tucked away under the Lime's bottom bracket are the guts of Coasting:  an electric control box, that measures speed, and a dynamo front hub that powers the control unit and shifts up or down.

Coasting, available on bikes from just three brands right now, takes the guesswork out of shifting and braking. And together with the other technology-softening features, it helps make Lime the kind of bike people can just sit back and ride.

via arch1design: Bicycling