We’ve seen many attempts to recycle bikes and build new bikes for those in need, but one young inventor is looking to turn bicycle parts and creating durable, well-functioning prosthetic legs. 19-year old Parker Owen of Mobile, Alabama studied the diagram of a bicycle and created a method to create the “Cycle-Leg,” a low-cost prosthetic that could be used by those who couldn’t afford more expensive prosthetics. He hopes to create between 20-30 of these when he visits Honduras this winter.
[Via AL.com: Alabama student makes prosthetic leg from bicycle; will make more in Honduras]
Cars are often considered the enemy of cyclists but at this week’s 2013 National Bike Summit, hosted by the League of American Bicyclists the advocacy group noted that it found common ground with the AAA – the Automobile Association of America.
The League of American Bicyclists noted this month that women continue to be the driving force – and thus are doing the pedaling – to the forefront of the bicycle movement. According to a recent national poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, more than 80 percent of American women have a positive view of bicyclists and two-thirds think their community would be a better place to live if riding a bike were safer and more comfortable.
A consortium led by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials is looking at creating custom-optimized ski sledges for use by the competitors in the cross-country and biathlon skiers competing in the 2014 Winter Paralympics. This could involve filming the competitors as they go through their racing motions on a standard sledge, and where the data is utilized to create a bio-mechanical model of the athlete to create a customized sledge. Will this give certain athletes an edge? Perhaps, but it could also just increase the spirit of competition.
Much has been made about concussions and football helmets, but now the Virginia Tech – Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences is looking to expand its ground-breaking research to include hockey, baseball, softball and lacrosse. The five year plan will look to rate helmets worn in those sports and determine the ability the helmets have to lessen the likelihood of a concussion resulting from head impact.
Last month saw the second annual Fatbike Summit where land managers and bike advocates talked about banding together in an effort to promote the sport of winter cycling. In recent years mountain bikers have been increasingly hitting the trails and unfortunately this has resulted in some concerns over trail usage. But the recent summit ensured that the trails can be shared by skiers, bikers and even those on snowmobiles.
There are skateboards made for the half pipe but that’s just part of the skate scene. The Loaded Boards Chubby Unicorn is meant for downhill/freeride, where the experience is a bit more like snowboarding on the streets. The name reportedly came from the fact that the “unicorn” was somewhat mythical – as was this board given its long production time. The Chubby part of the moniker comes from its wide, flat stance.
U.S. Navy SEALs have been in the media a lot thanks to their 2011 exploits that took down Bin Ladden. Movies, video games and TV shows have tried to give a sneak peek into what it means to be a part of this most elite military team, and now former NAVY SEAL Cade Courtley offers up something even better.
We’ve noted the trend in materials being used in the construction of hockey sticks. Composites are being used more and more and the advantage for players is clear, but so is the cost. Likewise, composite materials have a problem in that these are not easily recycled.
A French researcher has designed a suit that can help newbies tackle the slopes on a snowboard. Daniel Spelmezan of the Université Paris-Sud developed a wearable assistant that can be used by snowboarders-in-training. This technology actually grew out of Spelmezan’s work in tactile instruction.