Back in May we first reported on the Copenhagen Parts efforts to introduce its Magnetic Bike Lights, which were aimed at urban bike riders. Of course it was for those with steel bikes – as carbon fiber, titanium and even aluminum framed bikes aren’t magnetic.
But apparently that hasn’t detracted the company, which announced last week that it launched a Kickstarter effort to bring the lights to market. Video after the jump
Last year at Interbike we were able to try out some of Surly’s new snowbikes including the Pugsley and the Moonlander. These bikes of course don’t have to stay in the garage until the white stuff falls, and they work well in sand and mud as well.
But now Surly is coming out with a fat-bike that is meant for the trail as well. The Krampus is a fat tire mountain bike that offers three-inch wide tires but is actually a 29er that can handle singletrack at speed. Unlike the Pugsley, which requires special hubs, cranks, rims and other parts, the Krampus is compatible with most mountain bike parts. Continue reading Surly Chews the Fat Tire Bike
From The New York Times: Riding the Wave of Surfer Fitness
To the casual spectator, surfing seems to involve primarily balance, grace, nervy insouciance and a certain laid-back, ineffable oneness with the powers of the deep. But a series of newly published studies of the actual physical demands of surfing reveal that other, sometimes surprising aspects of fitness may be as important to surfing success as the ability to judge and remain upright on a swell. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (8.25.2012): Wave Rider, Printable 3D Bikes
Supposedly once you learn to ride a bike you never forget. The problem is the “learning” part that can be difficult and even traumatic for some kids. Training wheels have long been the method utilized to get kids to learn to ride, but now the Gyrobike could change that.
This 3-in-1 bike was developed by Robert Bodill and it works by starting with no pedal or chain, which allows the child to get comfortable just sitting and coasting on the bike. From here a Gyrowheel is added, and this features a battery-powered spinning disk that creates a process know gyroscopic precession that helps keep the bike and rider upright. More importantly this requires no training wheels. The Gryowheel can be reduced in how much it aids in keeping the rider upright. Additional images and video after the jump
As summer draws to a close it means football season is around the corner and this year many players will be donning a very new helmet. For the 2012 season Riddell introduced its new 360, the latest in a long line of next generation football helmets.
The 360 might not be technically “the helmet of the future,” but it could be the starting point at where the future will begin. The helmet has been tested against 1.4 million impacts but yet it isn’t actually guaranteed to prevent concussions – at least not yet. The new 360 tries to reduce the amount of movement the helmet has on the wearer’s head, and to accomplish this Riddell has installed an “occipital lock” that can keep the helmet firm and stable on the wearer’s head. Video and additional image of the inside of the helmet after the jump
Most of us don’t have eyes in the back of our head, as a result while riding a bike we often turn to see what is coming at us from behind. This can be a problem because just as with a car, it isn’t advisable to take the eyes off the road.
There have been efforts to make helmet mirrors, but many actually get in the way and look a little silly. Now a pair Canadian inventors, Greg Maxwell and Richard Seck, have come up with a potentially game-changing design with the Isoteko mirror.
While it still leaves a bit to be desired with as far as how it looks, it does provide a better way for wearers to see what’s behind them. And when not in use can flip up. As the video shows it can be used on just about any helmet and is even designed to be repaired should that become necessary. Video after the jump
httpv://youtu.be/D_K0xz5t_IY
There is the old saying “sink or swim,” but frankly the Aqua-Xtracycle is all wet. Seeing it in action sort of evokes a greener version of the jetskis from Waterworld. In the future if the world is covered by water we probably will let our bike sink and we’ll grab things like tomato plants or just bags of dirt since it seems to be worth more than gold in the post-apocalyptic wet lands.
Now the concept itself isn’t bad. You need to cross water, here is a way to do it. But this doesn’t really seem all that safe, or efficient. It is one of those novelty things that just is looking for a solution where a problem doesn’t really exist. During World War II there were systems designed for floating a Jeep as well – but they proved just as impractical. Our bigger concern is that if this isn’t used correctly it could result in a bike at the bottom of a lake – and we just hope it doesn’t take a rider with it.
This one just gives us a sinking feeling.
Kinetic(Mis)Shift are products that we think deserve to be called out for their utter lack of fitness benefits
While we won’t be surprised if this shows up in dance clubs, the Halo Belt is actually a pretty novel concept. It is an LED light system that is wearable around the waist or across the chest. It works by providing illumination through a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fiber optic that creates a bright glowing wearable light.
The Halo Belt can be worn by cyclists, runners or even just people who go out for a walk on dark streets. It runs on just two CR2024 batteries and offers up to 20 consecutive hours of run time. The company is currently engaged in a Kickstarter campaign but also already succeeded in raising eight times its goal.
Thus we should the belts in red, blue, yellow and green in the not too distance future.
We first heard about the Hӧvding inflatable bike helmet back in May (also called the “invisible helmet” because you don’t see it until you need it), and now the Swedish designed brain bucket is ready to ride – or ready for riders we should say.
The fashion forward helmet, which can detect a crash, and inflate allows riders to have the wind in their hair when they ride – and yet protect the same head and hair from being covered in blood and gray matter should a crash occur. It won’t come cheap, and will reportedly cost around $600. But can you put a price on stylish safety? Video shows the helmet in action after the jump
Bike Luminance is a Kickstarter project that aims to create a bike helmet with a motion reactive lighting system that will signal your turns with the tilt of your head. A prototype of the helmet has LED lighting that blinks to signal a right turn, left turn and stop, depending on how you incline your head while riding. Continue reading Bike Luminance Turns to Motion Reactive Helmet Lighting
Architect Charles Wagner has created a novel concept for track bike racing with his Luxodrome design, which essentially consists of side-by-side 200 meter and 250 meter tracks that are connected with diverging lanes. Of course this would require a new type of racing, but it could put a new spin on the century old sport.
Consider the Sci’Con back to be your personal department of power and water while you’re on a ride. We’ve seen bags that haul water in a hydration pack and those that have a solar charger. Well, the Italian-made HydraCharge offers both.
It features a solar panel for recharging mobile devices and can juice them up while you ride. It can take about four hours to get that iPhone or MP3 powered up, and while you’re doing the riding you can enjoy your own sort of juice to stay hydrated. The HydraCharge holds 1.5liters as well.
The loneliness of the long distance ride can be unbearable at times. While it is one thing to take in the scenery and enjoy the ride sometimes a little music will make that climb or just the miles on the road go by a little quicker. Headphones – especially in-ear headphones or earbuds – can block the outside world, and while that might seem a good idea in fact it really isn’t. Continue reading Bike Speakers Bring the Noise