Really liking Bike so far, i can really see it finding a place in several of my workflows.
One thing does really bother me though…the app icon. Not sure if it is still a work in progress prior to launch but i find it very convoluted and jarring for what is an otherwise very simple and clean app. I realise this is down to personal taste but keen to hear if you have plans for its development.
This is the polished 1.0 icon! 
Right now I like it and am unlikely to change for version 1.0. I also recognize that it is a little jarring, and there’s likely room for improvement. I’m open to suggestions, though I am unlikely to just replace right away. Good news is that over time my app’s icons do seem to evolve and improve.
I respect different opinions on icon visuals, but wanted to add one positive to the icon. I like it. It scales nicely at different sizes and there is no mistaking it. I’m tired of app icons all looking similar to each other. There’s always room for tweaks, as you say (for instance, I’m not sure the spokes are needed - they get very blurry in the small wheel in particular), but I think the concept is pretty fun and unique while still conforming to the overall macOS form factor.
I find myself using Bike so much that I had to change it to a more minimalist (boring) version:
If you are up for it share the icon file here. I still like the default, but I bet some Bike users would have fun trying something different.
Sure. Here is a png version.
For those that want to use this: Copy this image to the clipboard and then paste it over the app’s icon in the Get Info panel (right-click on Bike app in Finder to get to this). It will of course revert to the regular app icon with any updates.
I notice, FWIW, that the conjunction of bicycles with continuous cycles and infinities spins a lot of wheels in the collective doodling and icon-sketching mind :- )
See for example image searches like: bike infinity icon
and pages like
Very different direction to the default icon, but looks great (and captures the visual essence of the app interface)!
My pennyworth is that the original bicycle icon could be simplified and improved by losing the penny-farthing thing: just the spoked bicycle wheel says bicycle, and includes the connotations of expansive thought. Without the frame and second wheel (and their twee associations) the head and wheel could expand to be graphically bolder, simpler and more effective.
Thanks. I have no doubt the icon could be better, but I plan to keep this one for now. I like it, and like that it’s a bit busy. But input registered, at some point I might introduce a new simpler icon and imagine that I thought of the idea all by myself.
For me, the screamin’ yellow is the issue. If users could choose the background color … big win. A dark warm grey/taupe such as Reeder or Nota use would be very welcome.
I’m not so sure about that. I like it. And it is too soon for a “corporate” makeover of the branding! 
Your inalienable right of course Jesse.
I like the yellow (the colour of philosophy?), but it’s easy to change if you don’t like it. A couple of other app icons I regularly recolorize with ColoFolXS.
I use @oddballs nice icon for a bit, played around with my own color variants, and then came back to the default yellow bicyle-head. It is just so delightfully different and distinct. Sure, there may be room for refinement (weird, I, know, but I find the lips on the head too open and protruding!), but the concept is great and part of the identity of the app, for me.
Just want to add a vote in favor of the current icon. It looks different, but not sloppy, and fits in with that Mac-y gradient. I appreciate something that isn’t ruthlessly conformist, and took positive note of the icon before seeing this thread.
I like the metaphor behind the original app icon but it is a bit too busy/detailed for my taste.
@oddballs Based on your idea I created two icons for Bike that feel right at home next to iA Writer while keeping a touch of yellow.
| Dark | Light |
|---|---|
Hey there @jonathanmuth. This is really excellent.
Would you mind telling me how I can use the dark version without a white border appearing? My icon currently appears like this:
If you could also tell me how to make the icon change with light and dark mode, that would be amazing.
Sorry for the questions, I’m a bit of a beginner.
Many thanks
@DIYerUk My bad! When I uploaded the icons, the forum software converted them from PNG to JPEG and they lost the transparent background. Here is a download link.
When it comes to changing the icon automatically with light and dark mode: I believe this cannot be done unless it is implemented by the developer inside the app. This would also mean that you’d have to replace the ICNS files inside the app bundle instead of just pasting them into the info window – making the process a lot more involved.
You’re an absolute gentleman. Thank you.
I agree. For me it’s the yellow background. It stands out and is distracting.
