Cycling | Evolving Consumer

Alarmed and Ready

You can’t always keep your eyes on your bike, but the RFID Bikealarm is the next best thing to having someone watch your bike. Designed by Dennis Siegal, this device attaches to a bike saddle and emits a 120dB alarm when moved. This isn’t meant to replace a physical lock but rather to provide a low-cost second line of defense.

The alarm is activated by holding an RFID tag close to the device until an audio acknowledgement is sounded, and deactivated the same way when the owner returns. Siegel opted to use RFID technology as opposed to Bluetooth as a way to keep the costs down. Siegal designed the RFID Bikealarm as part of his university studies at University of the Arts Bremen in Germany.

Dennis Siegal Official Website

Giro’s New Road

Giro is ready for spring with its additions to the New Road clothing line that features its first ever women’s offerings. The Giro New Road for Spring 2014 includes base layers, tops, bottoms and outerwear. New Road apparel coordinates with other Giro cycling products including helmets, gloves and shoes.

The company promises to offer the same freedom to mix and match for women that it has long offered for male riders. We hope to have more details soon.

Giro Official Website

Virtuous Rides

Patience is a virtue it is often said, and for those who can sit back and enjoy a ride to work Virtue Bikes might be the way to go. The company offers a number of bicycles that evoke the pleasures of riding and a return to simpler times.

The company offers a cargo bike, the Virtue Truck, which can be carry a total of 110 pounds, but what really turned our heads was the Virtue School Bus (above), a bike that can carry about 300 pounds (meaning a kid or two) in the front cargo container. Continue reading Virtuous Rides

Will Counterfeit Bikes Put Riders at Risk?

We’ve touched on this topic before – counterfeit products hurt everyone. The maker of the real product loses sales and the consumer gets a cheap copy. With sporting goods there is a greater risk to the consumer, as the products can fail!

Our friends at BikeRadar recently noted that local shops in the U.K. are actually blending bike equipment with genuine parts to deceive the consumer. This isn’t a widespread problem, but it does show that things could get much worse very quickly.

By selling fake gear a retailer can make a short term profit, but it could hurt the industry in the long run as it costs tens of millions of dollars each year. Where it gets murkier is when shows that many small shops are also getting caught up in the fraud – and these shops aren’t out to deceive anyone. Instead they are buying from dubious third parties. In the end it could hurt the mom & pop retailers that don’t have deals with the big brands.

This will be a story to watch as it develops.

[Via BikeRadar: Local bike shops blend real and fake bike kit to mislead consumers]

Seeing the Pixel

When it comes to TVs and other display technology what you don’t want to see are the individual pixels. This is why higher resolution looks better. However, there is another kind of Pixel technology that is being developed that is actually all about being seen.

Apparel maker Sugoi has introduced a new line of fabric that allows the entire surface of a garment to be reflective when hit with light. Instead of accents on the new Zap cycling jacket that work as reflectors, the entire jacket can light up at night and ensure that riders or runners can’t be missed. Video after the jump

Custom Shoes for Millar’s Final Rides

David Millar has had a colorful career on the bike – to say the least – and for his final season as a professional rider he’ll be wearing custom shoes from Fi’zi:k to honor his accomplishments. The company is actually releasing a pair that will be auctioned off for charity for the Small Steps Project.

Unique fi’zi:k R1 shoes raced by Pro Cyclist David Millar
Small Steps Project Official Website Continue reading Custom Shoes for Millar’s Final Rides

Fly6 Has Your Back

Cyclists need to keep their eyes on the road, but there are times many wish they had eyes in the back of their head to watch for oncoming traffic. The Fly6 Camera and Tail-Light Combo is a bike light and more. It provides a light to alert drivers to a rider’s position, but also features a camera that can record how a driver may have responded.

The design came about after one of the inventors was shot by a slingshot by a passenger in a passing car. The designers, which are now looking to a Kickstarter campaign to help the Fly6 get off the ground so to speak, are hoping that drivers who know they are being filmed will behave more responsibly. Video after the jump

Rockwell Bean Bucket

There have been numerous attempts to make a better bike helmet, but German designer Rockwell Headgear has looked to a concept we first covered back in 2012 when it was introduced for ski and snowboarding helmets. Instead of a foam liner the Rockwell utilizes Vaco12 technology, which consists of pods of beans that are spread out to absorb energy on impact.

The Rockwell helmets feature a Vaco12 layer along with a hard outer shell and a textile softshell in between. The result is a helmet that has layers to take the blunt of an impact – which is better than the head taking it!

Rockwell Headgear Official Website

United Spokes of America

While Washington may be known for gridlock from time to time, The League of American Bicyclists hopes to see movement in D.C. at next week’s National Bike Summit. This event will take place in advance of the next transportation bill.

The League is mobilizing behind the theme “United Spokes: Moving Beyond Gridlock.” The Summit will feature top transportation, government and political leaders including:
• Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
• Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ)
• Jack Wells, Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Texas Sen. Rodney Ellis
• Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto
• Phillip Darnton, Executive Director, Bicycle Association of Great Britain Continue reading United Spokes of America

World’s Greatest!

How do you celebrate a silver anniversary? By proclaiming you’re the world’s greatest. That is what Timbuk2 is doing this month as it celebrates its 25th anniversary with the release of an update to its Classic Messenger Bag. To trump a classic it went with “World’s Greatest Messenger Bag.”

It is 25 percent lighter than the classic, and features Cordura 940D Endurance Nylon, which provides higher tear strength and is also water repellent. This bag also offers a double-loop cam buckle offers easy fit adjustment while eliminating excess webbing, an adjustable shoulder strap with a permanent air mesh strap pad adds comfort and new corner flaps keep out water. The new bag also has a low profile top grab handle.

It takes a lot to be the greatest but Timbuk2 went all out with this one.

Timbuk2 Official Website

Team USA

While it is still just the end of February and that puts the Fourth of July many months away, you can show your national pride with Cincelli’s new cap that is meant to honor Nelson Vails – who went from NYC bike messenger to silver medal Olympian back in 1984 on the track.

Cenelli Rider Collection Cap: Nelson Vails

Tongue Tied

We’ve heard of a “silver tongue” but not a Cactus Tongue – at least not until recently. The Cactus Tongue won’t speak a word but it will hold your bike up. This simple bike rack is designed to hold any bike up to 33 pounds. It can support a bike via the top tube for horizontal storage of the bike on the wall, or by the handlebars for vertical storage.

Cactus Tongue Official Website

California Touring – Tour of California Route Announced

The Organizers of the Amgen Tour of California have announced this year’s route for America’s highest ranked stage race, which runs north to south from May 11 to May 18. It will cover 740 and organizers have said that the toughest and most critical stages occur on the first few days as a way create a new dynamic in the battle for the overall title.

The peloton will face the longest stage, the fast and flat time trial, and the hardest stage in the first three days of racing. In past races, the time trial and Queen stages – which typically shape overall standings – came late in the race, and the leader after that point had to defend his top position for only one or two remaining days. This year, with several days of difficult racing to follow, it is likely 2014 race fans will see the coveted yellow leader jersey change hands throughout the week with top performers in close contention and challenging each other until the very finish,” a race press release said. Continue reading California Touring – Tour of California Route Announced