Category: Low Tech

Tip a Canoe – Make that Fold a Canoe

There are two words that don’t seem to sound right together, and those are “folding canoes,” but yes they exist. In fact they aren’t really all that new. There are many fitness devices that fold up, but then again most don’t have to float. And yet, canoes can do both. The problem is that most don’t pack up to be all that small or light weight. They’re only really portable in the sense that they actually fit in the car or truck.

But an Israeli designer has created a canoe that folds up to be compact enough to take on the go, and weighs in at just nine pounds! And it floats too – that latter point being the really important one of coure. Designer Ori Levin is the creator of the Adhoc, a single-passenger canoe that features a carbon fiber frame and outer hull made of aramid fabric, the same material used in racing sails.

As the video below shows, setup is easy as custom-made locking mechanisms hold the framework together. The whole thing can be stashed away in a backpack and still assembled in about five minutes. So far this is still a very much still in the concept stage rather than being commercial available.

So now you can tip a canoe or fold one too.

[Via DesignBoom: ori levin: adhoc folding canoe]

Video after the jump Continue reading Tip a Canoe – Make that Fold a Canoe

Wood Makes a Return to Youth Baseball

We reported earlier this year that the NCCA had introduced new rules regarding what constitutes a “legal” bat, as some alloy metals were banned, because they gave an unfair advantage to players. But now Rhode Island has stepped up to the plate to ban all metal bats in its American Legion Baseball league for youth players.

This is just one of three states where the American Legion has reportedly mandated this switch from metal to wooden bats, citing safety as the main reason. While tradition has been cited, and thus the use of wooden bats is in line with those Major League Baseball, it has been argued that wood bats are in fact safer. Research has shown that balls tend to leave wooden bats less quickly, and this gives players on the field more time to react to line drives.

As we noted last year, the National Federation of State High School Associations adopted new guidelines that will come into effect in 2012 on the performance of non-wooden bats as well.

[Via Rockdale Citizen: Youth leagues mull different bat standards]

One Street Goes the Right Way By Launching Components Arm

Getting bikes to those who need them is just one way that One Street helps, but now the organization has announced that it has launched a new program to help address the issue of what happens after bike parts wear out. Now the international bicycle advocacy nonprofit has launched One Street Components. This new components arm of the organization has become necessary as One Street’s Social Bike Business program provides durable transportation bikes to impoverished people in communities around the world.

Each local program starts by refurbishing used bikes as they move toward manufacturing their own steel frames, forks and racks. This local manufacturing will be necessary as the bike industry no longer produces quality, affordable transportation bikes. But an alarming pattern has been hindering even the refurbishing stage. Continue reading One Street Goes the Right Way By Launching Components Arm

For the Dearly Departed Surfboard

We all bemoan when a favorite workout item reaches the end of the line, and in many ways whether it is a bike or surfboard, it can feel like a friend passing. But what happens next we ask? While new products often get a lot of attention, less is given to what happens when the new new becomes old? The truth is that much of our new materials aren’t so easy to recycle, and many products that are made from recycled materials can’t be further reused.

Designer/surfer/artist Christopher Anderson is drawing attention to this fact with a new project he’s calling “1000 Surfboard Graveyard,” which aims to provoke new ideas and generate a conversation about the sustainability of high performance surfboards, while looking at their carbon emissions and non-renewable resource consumption and finally their eventual disposal into a landfill

The artist is currently trying to collect and install 1,000 broken surfboards on Garie Beach in New South Wales, Australia as part of a project with Surfrider Foundation Australia. We’ll be sure to follow this story and look for the results.

1000 Surfboard Graveyard Blog

Get Closer to the Racers and the Bikes During the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Are you dreaming of seeing a mountain stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Tour de France style, but are dreading the drive up one of the passes due to the traffic or road closures? Do you want to see who is using carbon fiber, SRAM, the new Shimano DuraAce Di2 and not just read about it? Does getting an up close look at the latest technology that the pros are riding that may not even be available to the general public yet interest you? The Colorado State Police (CSP), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have decided to allow spectators to camp out overnight alongside each state road that the race travels past. For a period of 24 hours prior to the race passing your campsite, CSP and CDOT will not ticket or require campers to move as long as they are camping off of the path of travel, including shoulders and private property. As long as the campsite does not impede traffic, it can stay. This move will allow more spectators and fans to have closer access to the competitors as they struggle to tackle some of the toughest mountain passes of the Rockies and this is your perfect chance to see the racers pass by at a speed that you can actually get a look at their equipment! Continue reading Get Closer to the Racers and the Bikes During the USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Keeping Water Off of a Cyclist’s Back in Style

The British company, Water off a Duck’s Back, is set to release this fall a new men’s cycling rain coat designed to be both functional on the bike as well as fashionable after the bike is parked. Currently Water off a Duck’s Back has three different styles of coats for the ladies, but none for men. The new men’s coat is approximately the length of a peacoat, but is tailored to allow movement in the shoulders and arms where needed for cycling.

Along with style and cut designed for use while cycling, this British manufactured coat also has a‘hidden’ feature. When the cuffs are folded down, the collar is pooped up and the button strip on the back of the coat is turned over, wide reflective strips are revealed to hopefully allow the rider to be seen easier in low light situations. Continue reading Keeping Water Off of a Cyclist’s Back in Style

Simulated Wood Grain For Your Bike

Back in the early 1990s there was the now largely forgotten Los Angeles one-hit wonder alternative band School of Fish, which in its one-hit “Three Strange Days” offered the lyric: “And Johnny Clueless was there, With his simulated wood grain.”

Well, Rob Pollock of New Zealand is no Johnny Clueless, and he probably never heard of the song nor the band. But he’s spent his life painting faux wood finishes on various things, a process he calls “woodgraining,” which is now taking to bike frames after customizing his son’s bike. Those looking for a wood-esque bike can send their frames to Rob’s Woodgrain Bike Frames, where Pollock paints them individually over seven to 10 days.

The process, which can run about $1500 US, involves stripping the old paint, where he sprays a light colored base, and then uses a multi-step process to hand brush the actual one-of-a-kind woodgrain pattern in darker colors. Clear coat is added, along with a protective epoxy coating. The result is a bike that looks like wood.

(Video of the woodgraining process after the jump)

Continue reading Simulated Wood Grain For Your Bike

Fitness Journal: Transform a Belly of Flab With a Bag of Sand

There was a workout routine we had been hearing about, and had mixed opinion about. It was called the “sandbag training,” which essentially is a sort of weight lifting routine but instead of lifting metal or other solid weights, it involved using a bag of sand.

As with any weight lifting regime, it is important to do things correctly or you could cause serious injury. Additionally, it seems that not sand is created equal. And there are other factors to consider including the fineness of the sand and the types of bags that will be used. Essentially sandbag training is about bags of sands within bags, making for a flexible but still consistent weight.

(Video after the jump) Continue reading Fitness Journal: Transform a Belly of Flab With a Bag of Sand

SIA Preview: Helmet Covers for Those Looking to get Active

For those who think the current weather is frightful, and prefer snow instead of heat waves, last week saw the Snowsports Industries America winter preview in New York City, known as the Summer Showdown. It was a chance to cool down with some very cool products.

While this reporter is personally enjoying the heat, it was interesting to get information on new helmet covers from Active Helmets. The truth is that many helmets are designed to help airflow, but it got us thinking, what if you’d like to cover it up?

Active Helmets has the answer with a new line of helmet covers, which were introduced at the big SIA show in January. These are made to be interchangeable from helmet to helmet, sport to sport. So when the weather cools down you can cover up your cycling helmet, and then later use the cover to show your style with a ski or snowboard helmet. Active Helmets currently offers custom logos for ski schools, resorts and even group events. So as the company says, “play it safe, wear a helmet,” now you can cover it with some style.

Active Helmets Official Website

Bike Fixtation Makes Simple Fixes Easy

There are times when you might need to a simple fix, and don’t want to head to the shop. Most of us, even those of us who ride a lot, don’t have a bike repair shop in our garages or basements. And for urban dwellers, just having the right tools can be a problem as there is no place to store them.

What we need is a kiosk, a one-stop repair shop for those handy enough to do it yourself. And now in Minneapolis there is just such a kiosk. Looking much like a vending machine, with a bike stand to boot, the self-service bike kiosk is located in the Uptown Transit Station. This station was devised by cyclists Chad De Baker and Alex Anderson and is fitting called the Bike Fixtation. Continue reading Bike Fixtation Makes Simple Fixes Easy

Made in America: Something to Jump Up and Down About

The modern trampoline is not as old as you might think. After observing trapeze artists performing flips and tricks on a stretched safety net below the trapeze, George Nissen had the idea to create a bouncing bed from a stretched piece of fabric to help him train for his gymnastics tumbling.

With the help of his coach, Larry Griswold, the two decided to experiment with stretched canvas, grommets and coil springs in the mid-1930s to create their own bouncing platform. Nissen and Griswold were both gymnasts and wanted to add some entertainment to their performances along with helping them train for competitive events. While touring with their new invention in Mexico, Nissen overheard the Spanish word for diving board, el trampolin, used to describe the apparatus and he decided to use an anglicized form as a trademark. Throughout the years, the trampoline has been used by entertainers, athletes, the military and even astronauts for everything from training to competition. Continue reading Made in America: Something to Jump Up and Down About

How to Transport 4 Gallons of Milk and a Pound of Butter on a Bike…

In Europe bikes aren’t just used for leisurely rides or for a commute to work. In Europe, as well as many other parts of the world, bikes are used as a main form of transportation. That might not seem like a big deal, but imagine what it means for just going to the grocery store? Hauling anything that won’t fit in a shoulder bag can be an ideal. To solve the problem innovative bike makers have added baskets to bikes, and some have looked at low-tech solutions.

The Danish company, Velorbis, has announced the release of the ‘world’s strongest’ wicker basket. If you have ridden a bike with a front basket loaded down, you might have noticed how squirrelly the handling of the bike can be while riding. The new basket from Velorbis is being advertised as being able to have 15kgs (33lbs)… or the equivalent of four gallons of milk and a pound of butter. Continue reading How to Transport 4 Gallons of Milk and a Pound of Butter on a Bike…

Look Buff in the Summer Sun

Everyone likes to get a little “buff” in the summertime, but too much time in the sun can leave you burnt and blistered instead. One solution is a large hat, or you could put on sun screen with a trowel. The other solution is to look a little Buff, as in put on a headwrap.

The Buff High UV Protection headwrap can be used as a bandana, scarf, headband, mask, neckerchief or even ponytail holder. Made of a cloth material that blocks up to 95 percent of the UV rays it will also wick sweat and features an active-odor control that actually resists odor-causing bacteria. It can keep you cool, dry and a bit fresh.

The wrap is made of a single piece of cloth, and yet is elastic. Since one size, 21×9.5 inches may fit all, but colors certainly won’t it comes in a variety of patterns and colors. And of course it is machine washable and needs no ironing. Time to Buff up.

Buff Official Website