By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) — The battle to build the best, bad-ass urban bicycle has begun, pitting designs from five different cities, including Chicago.

Voting for the best design began today and concludes on Aug. 3.

In the spirit of Chicago politics, vote early, vote often, get dead people to vote.

Chicago’s entry is called the “Blackline,” a joint venture with the MINIMAL design group and Method Bicycle.

The Blackline was created for cruising in the summer and standing up to Chicago’s legendarily brutal winters.

Rather than a traditional chain, the bike uses a carbon belt.

The gear system is protected from the elements, which can change in a moment in Chicago.

The handlebars use GPS to enable side blinkers, along with an integrated LED headlight.

The bike has a custom steel frame, large sturdy tires, cargo bags on the back and a detachable rack on the front.

The other entries:

New York: The “Merge” by Pensa design and Horse Cycles

Portland: The “SOLID” by INDUSTRY design and Ti Cycles

San Francisco: The “EVO” by Huge Design and 4130 Cycle Works

Seattle: The “DENNY” by TEAGUE and Sizemore Bicycle

The contest is run by Oregon Manifest and sponsored by Levis.

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