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Speed Freak

Quick release has been a standard feature on higher end bicycle wheels for decades, but there is a new game in town that could have the fast draw on the old school quick release. This is the SPEEDrelease hub, which offers a quick take down of quick release, but offers the added benefits of thru-axles.

Developed by Topolino Technology the SPEEDrelease promises quick wheel changes along with a more solid wheel connection. This is because while thru-axles are designed to be stiffer and thus safer than traditional quick release axles it isn’t without its faults. The SPEEDrelease system incorporates a permanently-attached skewer that runs through the center of the axle. It is also ideal for closed dropouts and ideal for road disc applications.

In other words it could be truly a best of both worlds product. It is one of those that begs the question why someone didn’t come up with it sooner? Continue reading Speed Freak

Show Your Compatriotism

California snowboarder Rick Hansen is the man behind Compatroit snowboards, and he’s now looking to Kickstarter to get the next line of boards off the ground. Designed for the core rider and mountain enthusiast, the new boards feature new graphics that will help this indie start-up standout on the slopes. Video after the jump

CES Preview: It’s On

InvenSense will showcase its new “AlwaysOn” solutions at the upcoming 2014 CES, where sensors can track motion, audio, visual and even environmental conditions including pressure, temperature and humidity. This could enable a “human like” context of awareness, intuition and natural interaction. Wearable sensors could track touch, while audio devices could “hear.”

The company will showcase its new MPU-6515 product, the world’s first MotionTracking SoC optimized for Google’s Android KitKat 4.4. Android 4.4 defines several new sensor functions including Significant Motion Interrupt, Pedometer, Step Event and Event Batching.

We’ll be sure to check out the AlwaysOn technology in Las Vegas at CES.

InvenSense Official Website

Roll Like the Danish

E-bikes are often good in concept but sometimes provide assistance when you don’t need it. The other problem is that e-bikes cost a lot, and weigh a lot. Designers at MIT might have a better solution. They’ve created the Copenhagen Wheel, which gives a power assist based on the effort. This in turn allows riders to go faster and further.

The wheel can monitor effort, so when a rider struggles or pushes harder the wheel in turn provides more power. Users can also adjust the level of assistance via a mobile smartphone app. The Copenhagen Wheel even utilizes regenerative braking to get juiced up as well.

The best part however is that no special bike is needed and the Copenhagen Wheel can be used with most bikes. Video after the jump

Change of Color

The military has long looked to develop superior camouflage, but typically the only method of changing the color was to have it be two sided – thus summer green on one side with the browns and oranges on the other. This year Cabela’s worked to develop ColorPhase, which the company noted is the world’s first camouflage clothing to be printed with rapid-change, temperature-activated dye.

What this means is that when it is warm outside the fabric remains mostly green, but as the temperature drops below about 65ºF (18ºC) it starts to change to brown. ColorPhase isn’t limited to just the jacket and also includes caps, gloves, pants and shirts. Continue reading Change of Color

Rig in the New Year

Get in the big ring with the Big Rig pedal desk. We’ve seen a variety of other desks that have melded bicycles to work, but this one is designed to meet the demands of getting a spin and getting work done.

Andy Wekin and his team are now looking at ways to harness cycling power – which they claim is already 97 percent efficient – and utilize it as a practical method of providing power as well as helping burn calories. Many of the workout desks with treadmills need to be plugged in, and the pedal power of many workout desks with bicycles just goes to waste. The concept with Big Rig is one where the energy created from pedaling could power a device!

The team is now looking to a Kickstarter campaign to get this one rolling. Video after the jump

Going to PowerPot X

Things are really going to pot – and we mean that in the best way possible. The PowerPot X, which is being developed through a Kickstarter crowd funding project, has met its goals with just under a month to go. This 10-watt portable generator is designed to create electrical power while camping or otherwise out in the wilds.

Simple fire and water create power! The original PowerPot V was launched via Kickstarter in April 2012, and now the company is looking to bring it up a notch.

“We are astounded by the amount of support the PowerPot X has received in such a short time,” said Matt Ford, CEO of Power Practical. “We used Kickstarter to launch our inaugural PowerPot and Practical Meter, so we’re not new to the concept of crowdfunding, but we didn’t expect such preliminary success. This gives us a head start on getting the next generation in thermoelectric power manufactured and shipped to all our devoted supporters.”

This bigger, lighter and even strong addition to the PowerPot X Series emits 10 watts of power but has no moving parts. It can also be used to charge up to four devices (such as GoPro cameras) simultaneously, and can power up smartphones and even a tablet computer. It produces electricity in any weather, day or night. Video after the jump

Hand Signals

When riding a bike we know that drivers can’t read our minds when we need to make a turn. The best option – really the only option – is to use hand signals. The problem is that many times drivers still don’t take notice, and at night it can be hard to see these signals.

The Zackees Turn Signal Gloves, which are being developed by San Francisco cyclist Zach Vorhies, a former software engineer at Google, could help make the signals a little clearer to drivers. The gloves are washable, utilize a super bright LED light, and offer a long battery life. The Zackees are now being developed by a Kickstarter project and could be just the thing to make your intentions known.

Video after the jump

Hot Pants

Staying warm in cold weather isn’t easy, especially on a bike where movement creates wind. DirtBaggies has a solution and it is looking to help warm up the pants. The company is looking to develop a line of winter-purpose thermal liners.

DirtBaggies has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help get things cooking. These American made bibs feature stretchy, single-sided, wicking fleece on the legs. These are already successfully funded and will begin shipping January with a knicker and standard short lengths in all sizes. Video after the jump

Spring in Your Pedal

We’ve seen plenty of shoes that put a spring in your step, but the BIUS1 is designed to put a spring in your pedal stroke. This bicycle pedal does so by actually including a spring-mounting with it, which is designed to reduce the stress on the joints. BioConform devised these pedals so that the shoe stays in place against the platform, but the pedal can move in and out along the axle so the leg does its own thing. The company even claims these pedals work a wider range of leg muscles than other pedals.

BioConform Official Website

Smart Shoes Ready to Run

There are smartphones and smart watches, but now developers at the Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) are looking to create smarter shoes. The “EU Project RUNSAFER” concept utilizes specialized running shoe packed with a micro-controller, a radio frequency (RF) module, accelerometers, GPS sensors and a battery.

The system is designed to capture biomechanical signals from the body and transmits them via Bluetooth to the a runner’s smartphone, which then evaluates the data and offers feedback to the runner on how they can improve performance.

“Pulse-rate watches and chest straps record only vital signs like breathing and heart rat,” said Dr. Andreas Heinig, a scientist at IPMS. “In contrast, our running shoe medically evaluates and moni- tors training while jogging. It informs the runner for example of incorrect foot position, asym- metric loading, or warns of exhaustion or overload. There has never been a comparable device before.”

A prototype of the running shoe has already been developed, as has a mobile smartphone app. The researchers are now working on a smaller version of the microelectronics and sensors, which remains the bigger challenge, particularly since the system must be waterproof, light, and durable.

[Press Release: High-tech athletic shoe for pure running pleasure]

Saddle Up

Riding a bike shouldn’t be in a pain in the you know what, but for many it is just that literally. A cushier seat doesn’t always help, but the Mograw shock-absorbing saddle could and should do the trick. It takes the concept of a suspension seatpost but utilizes elastomer inserts that sit between the rails and the saddle. This can absorb those bumps in the road and make for a softer ride.

Designers Martin Moravcik and Slawek Gawlik are now looking to bring out the Mograw via an Indiegogo project. Video after the jump