Category: Cycling

Pedal Power Gets Boost From Powerpedals

Going out for a spin can mean a good workout, but if you’re spinning to work sometimes you can use a little help with the pedal power. To that end Powerpedals is on the way. Enter the Tonaro electric bicycles, which feature a revolutionary central drive technology that makes electric cycling more efficient and gives riders more freedom when shifting and when choosing how to ride.

“Every so often a radical new design comes along and changes everything. So it is with Tonaro’s patented central drive technology and electric bicycles,” said Philip Hughes of Powerpedals. “The entire drive system is housed within the pedal cranking system and the bracket mount motor enables the bikes gears to be used with the motor. This allows you to down shift for hills and to shift up to higher gears as you gain speed.” Continue reading Pedal Power Gets Boost From Powerpedals

Hoops You Don’t Jump (or Cycle) Through

Normally we think of “hoops” as something you jump through, but usually not in a circus kind of good way, but rather as a tedious task. However the UK-based designed firm Cyclehoop is actually looking to utilize hoops in a non-tedious way. The award-winning designers and architects specialize in producing innovative indoor and outdoor cycle parking solutions, and they’ve developed a new way to transform existing street and sign posts into bike parking. The Cyclehoop can even be used with existing parking meters, essentially making the posts able to do double duty.

What is great about this is that many sign posts, and especially those parking meter posts aren’t really ideal for chaining a bike. The former lacks coating to protect against scratches to the bike, while the latter isn’t ideal as many bikes with chains could be forced over the top of the meter. The Cyclehoop further allows riders to know that the posts are for legitimate bike use. It is a simple way for buildings and cities to work together to quickly provide an alternative to bike racks. In the end it is one less hoop to jump through.

Cyclehoop Official Website

Hands On: Not Off-Camber with this Bike

Is it about time that your current mountain bike needs to be upgraded? Are you looking for a full suspension bike that has decent travel, but is also a bike that you can ride all day, all over the mountain? Like most people, IS money the object (to save)? If you answered ‘yes’, the Camber line of bikes from Specialized might be for you.

The Camber line of bikes is touted by Specialized as being “The best high-performance, high-value trail bike. Perfect as a first ‘fully’ or hard-earned upgrade.” On a recent trip to Northern California, I was able to throw my leg over one of these bikes and hit some familiar trails. I signed a Camber Elite 29 out from the Tam Bikes’s ‘Test’ fleet in Mill Valley and hit some trails on Mt. Tam.

I spend most of my mountain bike days on a 26-inch Moots YBB so I was looking forward to having 4″ of front and rear travel along with the larger 29-inch wheels. We rolled out of my friend’s place and had to ride the pavement for a few miles before hitting the trails. The previous day I had test ridden a Specialized Epic Comp 29, so I was used to some of the features on that bike like the automatic lockout of the rear shock. The Camber is not meant or designed to compete with the Epic line…the top of the line Camber is about $100 less than the bottom of the line Epic 29. Continue reading Hands On: Not Off-Camber with this Bike

Interbike 2011: Key Brands Returning

As we head into spring that means we’re at about the “half way” point to another Interbike, the the cycling industry’s annual flagship trade event. This year the show hits its 30 year mark, and is quickly selling out as exhibitors large and small lock up their space for the September 14-16 show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.

“Interbike 2011 is already shaping up to be one of our biggest shows ever,” said Show Director Andy Tompkins. “The mix of established brands that exhibit every year and companies new to the cycling industry or just new to the show provide retailers with the opportunity to see the latest offerings from every corner of the cycling world, something that can only happen at an event as broad based and well-attended as Interbike.” Continue reading Interbike 2011: Key Brands Returning

TIME to Ride with StemCAPtain

We’ve seen no shortage of cycle computers, and today these feature GPS in addition to tracking distance, calories burned and of course speed. But a pair of Colorado mountain bikers, Graeson Lewis and Mike Hogan, have opted for a more retro and stylish approach with their StemCAPtain clocks.

Essentially, the device replaces the generic – and frankly boring – handlebar stem cap with a timepiece or other similar round gizmo. These include waterproof thermometer or compass (think of that as old school GPS). The installation is simple enough. Remove the old stem cap and replace it with the aluminum base of the StemCAPtain and then snap in the clock or other insert. A silicone gasket at the bottom reportedly keeps it snug and rattle-free.

So do these caps do anything that a cycle computer doesn’t do? Not really, but it is a sort of nifty and easy swap out, and can add a bit of individuality to a bike. The StemCAPtain is available directly from the company, with prices ranging from $19.95 to $26.95 US. Time to ride.

[Via Gizmag.com: StemCAPtain – not a bike lock, but a bike CLOCK]

StemCAPtain Official Website

DannyShane Takes it in Trade

It may be a crash, or just seasons of wear, but at some point, every jersey has to be retired. And sometimes you buy a jersey that just doesn’t fit and you start eyeing newer, shapelier jerseys out there. If the latter is the case, DannyShane has a deal for you. Between now and June 15 of this year, DannyShane will take any brand new or gently used cycling jersey as a trade-in when you upgrade to any of the cycling wear company’s jerseys or bibs. For the trade, you’ll receive a $22 trade-in rebate. Continue reading DannyShane Takes it in Trade

Hands On: Epic Comp 29

Recently I mentioned the demo day and test bike programs that bicycle retailers and manufacturers have in place so that the consumer can really test drive a bike before purchasing. With bikes costing several thousand dollars, it only made sense that the customer would really want to make sure that their new bike investment was the right one. Out of all of the mountain bikes that I have, only one is full suspension and it only has a little over one inch of rear travel. Since my days of racing for Pro-Flex in the late 1990s, I have been turned off of full suspension bikes. Realizing that there have been many advancements in bike technology and now that I am a little old (translated…more body pains), I think it might be time to add a full suspension bike to my fleet. Continue reading Hands On: Epic Comp 29

Hiplok Not Just for Hipsters

Anyone who has spent any time in a large city has probably seen riders “wearing” their bicycle chain and lock. This “fashion statement” was popularized by bike messengers since the early 1980s. Unlike most U-locks or other cable locks that can be defeated with relative ease, a sturdy lock and tough chain are actually serious deterrents.

Now with more urban commuters, it is no surprise that some companies have taken the simple concept and turned it into true fashion statement. This includes Hiplok, which does sound like something hipsters would either embrace or shun for the name alone. Continue reading Hiplok Not Just for Hipsters

Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride Part II

You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it out for a test drive, but surprisingly this is exactly how many people buy bikes. This isn’t surprising for lower-end bikes, but then the numbers are well north of $1,000 this is just crazy. Why wouldn’t you test a bike first?

Some of the major bike retailers even maintain a small fleet of ‘Test Bikes’ for their customers to sign out for the day to ride on the local trails. There is usually a fee that you will have to pay to take the bike out, but most shops will allow you to apply that fee towards the purchase of a new bike. Just a few weeks ago, I was able to sign out two different full suspension Specialized 29ers from a local dealer, Tam Bikes in Mill Valley, California, to take up on some trails that I am very familiar with and have ridden often. After a few hours on each of the full suspension bikes, my mind was swayed by being able to ride a test bike on trails that I have ridden often instead of just around the parking lot. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride Part II

Transforming Bicycle – Bike to Cart

One problem with biking to the grocery store is that you have to lock up the bike. The other problem is that most bikes aren’t really designed to carry a lot of goods, and unless you’re just getting a bag of chips (not exactly health food for riders), you might have a hard time transporting your purchases home.

The Ville Urban Folding Bicycle, which won a Bronze Prize at last year’s IDEA Design Awards might just be the solution. It is a folding bike that essentially transforms into cart to help you do your shopping, and then with a quick change you can be ready to ride home with a bike that includes baskets for your goods. And unlike those actual Transformers from movies and cartoons, this one actually seems practical!

[Via Yanko Design: How To Fold A Bike Into A Cart]

Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride It: Part I

Are you considering buying a new mountain bike that might even cost more than your car? If so, you might want to crank on the pedals before you put down the plastic.

When I bought my first mountain bike 20 years ago, it was common practice for the local shop to let you take the bike around the parking lot for a ‘test ride’. This was back when there were U-brakes; thumb shifters; no suspension; and a mid end bikes were $500 and high end bikes were seldom over $2000. You got the feel for the bike and if the frame fit you, but it was not a real good indication as to how it would handle on the trails.

With the ever increasing amount of technology being put into bikes today, it is not uncommon for a decent bike to be in the range of $1500 to almost $10,000 – more than some new cars! With front suspension, rear suspension, 29er wheels, disc brakes, 2×10 gearing, etc. the parking lot test course just does not cut it anymore. If you have only ridden 26-inch wheels on all of your mountain bikes, how do you know that you will like the feel of a 29er? This in fact happened to me a few years ago. I test rode a Cannondale 1FG 29er from a bike shop in Fairfax, California and absolutely hated how it handled in the parking lot. I own a 26-inch wheeled 1FG , but the 29er felt slow and seemed to corner like a school bus – I vowed to never own a 29er bike. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Test It Before You Ride It: Part I

Indoor Bike Lock Solutions

For cramped apartment dwellers, those who live in dorms while away at college, regular commuter or just don’t who don’t trust their roommates, locking up a bike inside can be a problem. Roommates probably won’t want the bike locked to the kitchen table, and office managers may frown on a bike tethered to a desk. But if you can’t keep an eye on your bike you need not worry that out of sight mean out for a joyride.

Rodd Industrial Design in the UK has created two new locking solutions. The first is Armlock, which is great for multi-occupancy houses and apartments where a bike can be stashed in a common hallway. It is fixed and wall mounted, where the frame is placed in the lock, which is then engaged. When not in use the Armlock can be folded back to the wall.

For a less semi-permanent solution there is the Lupin, a flexible sleeve that slides in the door frame near the hinges. A plastic block makes it impossible for the device to slide all the way through and thus provides an anchor. The other end features loops that a bike lock can pass through, making for a handy place to lock a bike. This can turn a utility closet into a handy bike storage locker. Instead of lock and load, this is lock and go.

[Via Dexigner: New Solutions to Residential Bicycle Theft Unveiled]

Race Radio Ban Could Result in Boycott

Two-way radio technology has become a major part of sports, but some governing bodies are looking to ban their use. This is most notable in professional cycling where a number of teams have threatened to boycott this falls Tour of Beijing cycling race unless the International Cycling Union (UCI) withdraws its ban on the radios.

Race organizers have tried to institute bans in major classics, such as last year’s Tour de France, but Beijing could be the real showdown as it is the only event in professional cycling that the UCI actually governs and promotes directly. As expected the teams are not taking this lightly. The professional cycling association, known as AIGCP (Association International des Groupes Cyclistes Professionels) could pull out of the Chinese event. Continue reading Race Radio Ban Could Result in Boycott