Zoobombing
The US city of Portland in Oregon is home to a unique weekly cycling event known as zoobombing. Take a look at this BBC news story. Continue reading Thursday Reading List (12/08/2011)
Tag: Bicycle
Thursday Reading List (11/10/2011)
Welcome to a weekly digest of web links I think are worth checking out. These items include articles, images, and video. Please comment on what you find interesting. If you have something to share, please submit links of interest to mike@kineticshift.com.
British TV Ad for Christmas
This week sees the Christmas installment of the British store Halfords ad ‘ That’s Helpful, That’s Halfords’ campaign, with a 30 second Bike TV commercial, designed to encourage parents to come to Halfords to buy bikes for their children’s Christmas presents. The young girl is shown riding and enjoying her new bike in all seasons and weather. So take a cue from her and get out and scream while you are at it.
Super Cooper Bicycle
Britain’s Mini-Cooper (technically now German as it is owned by BMW) has been known for its stylish compact cars, but in recent years the company has also shifted gears and followed the wheels of high-performance auto brands such as BMW and Porsche by rolling out a line of bicycles! The Cooper Bikes aren’t meant to be race machines, but instead are aimed at the urban commuters, with sleek Reynolds steel frames.
In total Cooper Bikes has introduced eight models in three groups, and these feature quality parts including Sturmey Archer cranks, Brooks leather saddles and Tektro rim brakes. Three of the four T100 bikes are designed as single speeds with freewheels but feature flip-flop rear hubs for those who like the fixed gear configuration; while Zandvoort model features a 3-speed Sturmy Archer rear hub transmission. The company also has 5-speed models, but it is the T100 Sebring (pictured) that has caught our eyes. This is a Mini with me in mind.
[Via Gizmag: Cooper bicycles: Retro rides for the urban commuter]
Hands on: Elite Pro Cycling Jacket by Showers Pass
Showers Pass Elite Pro Cycling Jacket Review
The weather in Colorado can be unpredictable. Sunshine, hail, high winds, and snow can all happen within a few hours even on a summer day. With this kind of variability you learn to carry a jacket at all times while on the bike.
The Elite Pro jacket is made with a three layer proprietary fabric and is highly waterproof. The wind-blocking is exceptional. Beyond the basics, the jacket is loaded with features designed specifically for cycling. The Elite Pro is light, form fitting and doesn’t flap in the wind. At the waist, it is short in front and ultra-long in the back. This feels a bit awkward when you try on the jacket, but once on the bike, it is spot on. The sleeves have the same style. They feel freakishly long when standing and perfect when on the bike. I’ve learned to cinch the wrist up when off the bike, positioning the sleeves at the wrist to keep them from falling over my hands.
The jacket has tremendous ventilation. There are two core zipper vents that replace armpit zippers on previous models.
Continue reading Hands on: Elite Pro Cycling Jacket by Showers Pass
Toyota Prius X Parlee Concept Bike
httpv://youtu.be/lWzdWMapJ-c
I can honestly say, never thought I’d see the day that you could move something with just your mind. You can, and this isn’t just something out of Star Wars. Toyota and bicycle manufacturer Parlee have teamed up to create a concept bicycle that is as cutting edge and trend setting as the Prius. The video above shows how this could be a game changer for cyclists. And in a related story the BBC takes its own look at mind control. Mind over matter indeed!
Google: Moving Sustainably for Commuting Employees
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt5sMxYMkGs&feature=player_embedded
Google has long been thought of as an innovator in the high tech industry, but most people who do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area are unaware that they are also innovators when it comes to their employees commuting to work. With 1000’s of employees, Google has grown what was a grassroots van pool in 2006 to a 70 vehicle fleet with 275 daily departures which can all be tracked online by the waiting employees. This program alone has reduced their yearly carbon dioxide emissions by 5,400 tons or the equivalent of almost 2,000 cars off of the road a day.
Realizing not everyone can or wants to take the shuttle, Google also encourages their employees to use other modes of transportation to commute to work. Along with reducing the carbon footprint and getting some exercise, employees who are part of the Self Powered Commute Program (ie. cyclists) also earn a charity credit for each day that they ride. In addition to encouraging employees to use alternative transportation to commute to work, Google also has 1,000’s of bicycles around that Mountain View campus that employees can use as needed.
Brendon Harrington, Transportation Operations Manager at Google, talks about alternative transportation and says that 40-percent of Google’s Mountain View employees commute via non-single car driving.
Though Google has not completely achieved the goal of being ‘carbon neutral’, they are making a valiant effort. What is your company doing?
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…
Kinetic Shift at the Gran Fondo Los Angeles
This past weekend, Kinetic Shift went to the first Gran Fondo Los Angeles, which started off in Beverly Hills and headed through Santa Monica and over to the massive climbs of Topanga Canyon Road. The event was sponsored by Colnago, which was one of the innovators of carbon fiber technology. The company has worked with Ferrari since the 1980s to produce new materials.
Above is the bike that belongs to Alessandro Colnago, grandson of company founder Ernesto Colnago. This reporter had an opportunity to ride that bike on the 72 mile ride… note my “second water bottle” of choice!
Pedal Power to Purify Water
Over the years we’ve heard of how bicycles can generate power for lights (on the bike and off), but how about purifying the liquid needed to cool down the rider? That’s the idea of a new bicycle that could soon be mass produced for the developing world. Nippon Basic Company announced a new bike system called Cycloclean that needs only manpower to help run a motor to pump water through a series of filters, purifying five liters (1.3 gallons) of water in about a minute.
So far the company has sold about 300 bikes since launching the system in 2005, and soon the bikes could be mass-produced in Bangladesh, where demand for the cycles has increased. The only drawback could be the cost – currently the bikes sell for about $6,600 – making this a rather expensive glass of water. But if costs can come down, this could be a way to have clean, safe drinking water for those long rides.
[Via Bangkok Post: Japan touts pedal-powered water purifier]
Bicycle Briefcase
There have been a lot of folding bicycles, including several that are small enough to fit in a suitcase, so when we heard that there was a briefcase bicycle we quite expectedly got a little excited. But in fact the bike doesn’t fold up to a size small enough to actually fit inside a briefcase, and instead the carbon fiber bike comes with a carbon fiber briefcase that helps maintain the rigidness of the frame while riding. The bike was designed by Marcos Madia, a finalist in the Seoul Cycle Design competition.
It is an interesting concept, and it is just in the concept stage at this point. The biggest downsides we see to the bike is that it is still likely to be too big to bring into most offices (those building managers have something against bicycles), and the briefcase is too small to transport much. Likewise, there is the fact that this could be a tricky bike to lock up too – and it has “steal me” practically written on the side, even if it isn’t quite stable enough to ride without the briefcase. Now if only there was a way to get a folding bike that could actually fit inside a briefcase. George Jetson had his aircar that folded up, so a bike should be a no brainer.
Book Review: Bicycle Technology by Rob van der Plas & Stuart Baird
There have been dozens of books on bicycle maintenance, riding techniques and even the history of the sport, but little has been written that actually describes the technology around a bike – at least not in a way for the average rider. Authors Rob van der Plas and Stuart Baird, who both share a lifelong passion for bicycles, have finally addressed this and have written a concise book that examines everything you’d ever need to know about the two wheel contraptions.
This effort, Bicycle Technology: Understanding the Modern Bicycle & Its Components will appeal to the hardcore gear head as well as the causal rider. It offers 28 chapters, beginning (fittingly enough) with a short yet thorough history and development of bicycle, its accompanying technology and finally to what the future may bring for riders. Additionally, this book offers detailed information on practically every single component and materials used in bike construction, and while this isn’t meant to be a study on maintenance, it will help anyone who tinkers with their cycles have a better understanding of how the specific parts work. Other key topics such as different types of bicycles, as well as information on design are all presented over the course of the 320 pages. Continue reading Book Review: Bicycle Technology by Rob van der Plas & Stuart Baird
Stan is the Man Thanks to His Tubeless System
During the Second World War many nations relied on bicycles to transport soldiers in rear areas, and to carry messages. Some nations, such as Japan, even used bicycles to rush troops to the front lines. This worked well until the bikes got flat tires – and with rubber in great demand many bikes proved to be sort of worthless, a feeling any rider with a flat probably feels. However, the Japanese solution was simply to ride on the rims until those bent out of shape. Fortunately today bicycle tubes are still just about the least expensive part on the bike, but that’s little comfort when you get a flat and have to change the tire – unless you think of riding on the rims.
So we’re not exactly sure who this “Stan” might be, but he invented one cool product – at least as long as you’re not the maker of bicycle inner tubes, or like riding on your rims with flat tires. The Stan’s Tubeless System is essentially a kit that allows for most standard bike tires to hold air without the use of a tube. This innovative system uses a rubber rim strip to cover the spoke holes along with a liquid sealant to prevent air from leaking through the tire. Continue reading Stan is the Man Thanks to His Tubeless System
London Introduces High Tech Bicycles for Rent
Plan on visiting London any time soon and you might not have to hail a black taxi cab to get around; instead you might be able to rent – or “hire” as they say in the British capital – a bike instead. The city, which is also in the process of installing new bicycle friendly lanes, has introduced 6,000 new high tech bikes for people for to use.
As part of a system that went live last week, users can register online for a year’s membership or pay an access fee for the week or day – ranging from £45 for a year to £1 for a day. After accessing a bike the rental costs are a tad high too, with an hourly rate of £1, and if you keep the bike for more than 24 hours you’ll get hit with a £50 fee. That’s probably too hefty a cost for most commuters, and some have asked why regular riders wouldn’t prefer to buy their own bike. Jon Snow, a presenter for “Channel 4 News” and also presidents of the National Cyclists’ Organization further offered a first-hand opinion of the bikes for The Financial Times, noting that the bikes are a bit heavy, especially compared to his own titanium ride. Continue reading London Introduces High Tech Bicycles for Rent