The meaning of the new Cruzbike logo

February 1, 2015/ Jim Parker

We spent months discussing what our new logo should mean, what feelings it should evoke. Finally, we hired a professional graphic artist, Jon Ketchum. Mr. Ketchum studied the Cruzbike website and forum to become familiar with our customers and products. He interviewed us to learn where the company has been, and what makes our products unique.

When he came up with our new logo and presented it to us, we immediately knew there is a reason you hire a professional to do a tough job.

He seized on the “Z” which is near the center of the CRUZBIKE company name, and converted it into a unique yin yang-evoking symbol. In Chinese philosophy, the yin and yang symbolizes that seemingly opposing forces are actually complementary and interconnected: light and dark, new and old, fire and water.

Relating that to the Cruzbike experience, we have many examples of seemingly opposing forces, that are actually complementary forces working in a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. The essence of Cruzbike is the combination of the best features of the diamond-frame standard bike world with the best features of the recumbent bike world, to create something new and better.

Our logo uses the “Z” to take the soft curves of the yin-yang, and adapt it to the edgy and high-tech cycling world. The Z in the logo is a graphic representation of the final and possibly most important transfer of energy that occurs in modern bicycles; and it’s one of the most overlooked places of energy transfer: the pawl and ratchet mechanism in the free hub of the drive wheel.

The pedal receives the forces from the body and turns the cranks, which spin the BB axle which turns the chain ring which drives the chain which turns the cassette which turns the free hub. But the drive wheel does not turn until the pawls and ratchets engage in the hub. This is the critical point where human power turns the wheel.

Now when you look at our logo, you might see the pawl & ratchet or you might see the yin & yang. But most importantly, we want you to like it on your t-shirt, jersey, hat, and bicycle. We want the logo to help you feel like you are a part of a community with membership open to anyone who enjoys flying along an open road on the coolest bike ever made.