When we think of a commuter bike we think of something that you don’t mind locking up all day while you’re at your desk. We think of something that can take a beating, something that you ride to work and back but a bike that likely sits next to something at home that you ride on the weekends or after work.
Needless to say the Rizoma 77/011 is not such a bike. This carbon fiber commuting bike is a high-end bicycle from Italy and it evokes style, functionality and design. Priced at $4,700 it features custom components including an interchangeable rear cog that allows it to be ridden as either a single-speed or fixie. It utilizes the Gates Carbon-Drive belt system instead of a traditional chain, so no worries about grease on the legs.
Because at this price the Rizoma 77/011 is a bike you might opt to ride in an Italian suit. Video after the jump
We’ve seen a number of systems that allow a bicycle to charge up devices on the go. These typically feature a dynamo but not Ideso has introduced the PowerPac, which works much like larger stationary bike power systems. This device, which recently found the Red Dot “Best of the Best 2012” Design Award, could be the world’s first product to offer removable power storage.
There is a certain irony in that many bicycle lights are located far higher than those on an automobile, which means that it isn’t able to illuminate the road as well. But Kent Frankovich and Adam Pettler had a revolutionary idea: mount the bike light on the wheel, which in turn put it closer to the ground.
We’ve seen a trend in cycling shoes that don’t look like cycling shoes, but DZR has introduced the Jetlag Nero, the first and only (at least for now) SPD compatible slip on shoe. The company admits it is the “ultimate companion for the lazy cyclist,” but can you really call anyone who takes the time to have special shoes that clip in lazy?
Vancouver-based start up SAHN Helmets says their brain buckets are “about riding. Not racing.” And we like the fact that they take note that not everyone is looking to go out and put in miles on a long training ride. Matt Kelly and Sen-Huy Tan opted to do something different.
It is something everyone who rides on bike on city streets or even rural roads has encountered – the car that got a little too close for comfort. But fortunately riders in California will soon get some protection as a CalBike-sponsored law will accelerate the construction of protected bikeways throughout the state.
Novara, REI’s bike line, is marking its 30th anniversary with a new line of bikes and gear that includes folding bikes for transportation, road bikes, mountain bikes and reflective clothing. Retailer REI will start to get the 2013 line of bikes, and continue getting new items through spring. 
Horses have an advantage over donkeys – girls like ponies and horse race is the sport of kings. But donkeys are beasts of burden, and just a step up the chain gang from mules. Horses may be good for riding but donkeys are the preferred choice for hauling goods.
The four-day “Celebration of Cycling,” which takes place every April in Laguna Beach will go Gran in 2013. The largest cycling festival in the world will see a new partnership with RCS Sport, the organizers of the highly esteemed Gran Fond Giro d’Italia event series, which include mass participation cycling events.
The Dutch love their bicycles, and they don’t stop riding for much. Because many residents don’t own cars they depend on the bikes to get them where they need to go all year round. That means riding in the rain, which we’ve seen firsthand and it didn’t look like fun. But it also means they need to ride in the winter, and that can be dangerous.