KickStarter | Evolving Consumer

Scrooser is Scooting

The scooter craze keeps going. Ever since the scooter made its return almost 20 years ago people continue to ride to two week foot-powered pushers. There have been some unique twists along the way, but Scrooser Manufactory in Germany is looking to Kickstarter to get its fat-wheel design up and rolling.

This version features a batter power pack that can run for up to 25 days in urban environments and allow people to get from point A to point B with more than just some shoe leather. Video after the jump

Stair Descender

We’ve seen many a stair climber but the Stair-Rover is a skateboard that can apparently do its things on stairs, while tackling just about any terrain the urban jungle can throw at it. The London-based creators are now looking to Kickstarter to get this thing rolling.

The Stair-Rover can handle flat even surfaces like a traditional longboard, but the unique chassis features a V-frame design that allows wheels to bounce up and down independently and conform to the shape of stairs and steps. This provides a crab-like scuttle that gives a smooth ride on any surface. Video after the jump

For Whom the Bell Rolls

Bells have been on bikes for years, but Dutch Design is looking to introduce The Bell. The Amsterdam-based company is taking its concept to Kickstarter and is now raising funds for what could be the last bell you’ll ever need. This one features high quality materials that can endure the weather as well as the harsh UV rays from the sun.

The 100 percent Dutch made The Bell is also designed to be heard and thus can alert people – because that’s the purpose of having a bell in the first place! Video after the jump

Handle on Things

There is so much stuff to bring while cycling and even with three pockets in the jersey there is also more to carry. The Handleband could solve that problem as this universal bike mount can hold phones and even open bottles post-ride. The Handleband is now being developed by Daniel Haarburger of Boulder, Colorado via a Kickstarter project.

This simple band attaches easily to a bike and removes just as easily. It should work with almost any handset and any bike. And as noted the metal latch doubles as a bottle opener! Video after the jump

Batter Up

Baseball has seen its fair of changes over the years. The sport is far more ethnically diverse than it was 100 years ago. The stadiums are more high tech, but the bats have mostly remained the same. However, ProXR looks to change that by making an ergonomic baseball that could be the biggest thing to improve hitting since steroids!

The ProXR Kickstarter project is now field testing its new baseball bat technology, which utilizes an ergonomic knob at the base. This provides a better grip and could just improve the swing. Video after the jump

Posted LED

We’ve seen many attempts to integrate a light system into a bike, and the Light-Post is certainly a novel idea. It is currently wrapping up a Kickstarter project and its creator, Andre Brown, hopes to bring out seat post with an LED bike light later this year. The Light-Post is features an li-ion battery along with the electronics and LED lights mounted inside the seat post, offering a sleek design and ensuring that the light isn’t forgotten. Video after the jump

The Wheel Reinvented

People often say they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, but that is pretty much what the folks at Shark Wheel are looking to do. This “square” skateboarding wheel is designed to shred as much as it rolls. It allows riders to handle wet surfaces better and even allow for riding through gravel or other rough conditions.

The wheels are designed around a shape that fits inside a cube, and while not technically a square it isn’t quite round either. This helical shape is further enhanced by the fact that the wheel is made up of three strips, which means there are less friction points on the ground. This in turn allows the wheel to roll faster than a traditional wheel while providing that better handling.

The creators of the Shark Wheels are now looking to get things Kickstarter and hope to roll out later this year. Video after the jump

Give Me Shelter… and Water to Drink

A rain tarp is ideal for keeping you dry while out in the wilds. But the KAMMOK Team, which is looking to Kickstarter to raise funds for its Kammok Glider Rain Tarp and Weather Relief Shelter, think it can do a little more.

The Glider features rainwater retention and heat reflective technology. What does this mean exactly? Well for one this tarp features patent-pending built-in rain retention technology that can actually collect rain water in both light and heavy rain conditions. This water is funneled to special bottles and thus can provide drinking water where it might not otherwise be available.

When it isn’t raining, the Glider can also be pitched with the reflective side facing the sky to help those underneath stay cool. Video after the jump

Cardboard Bike Goes to Production

A year ago Israeli engineer Izhar Gafni announced he had developed an easy to assemble, easy to recycle cardboard bike. Since that time we didn’t hear much, but now news is circulating that Cardboard Technologies is gearing up for production and has even released a few videos to show the progress.

It also looks like Gafni is getting ready to kickstart his efforts with a Kickstarter project. We’ll be watching this one closely. Video after the jump

Banana Bike

If you were a child of the 1970s or thereabouts you likely remember the “banana seat.” Now BananaHama is taking to Kickstarter to roll with its unique bike project. This Los Angeles area start up is looking to bring out a recumbent bike with a hammock like seat. The company promises that a ride on the bike is unlike any other, and we don’t doubt it. Video after the jump

Switch It Up

Do you have a road bike and on those rare occasions look to ride a time trial or triathlon? You could have two bikes but for those on a budget, or for apartment dwellers with limited space, this isn’t always an option. Switch Aero is looking to Kickstarter to take their project off the ground and provide a system that offers a quick transition from road bike to aero bike.

Unlike other systems that merely add simple aerobars, this one offers fully adjustable areobars that you’d expect to find on a true aero bike. In addition this system utilizes a special seat post that allows for quick change positioning of the seat as well. It could turn virtually any road bike into a transformable bike that is ready to go aero. Video after the jump

BrakeIT

What is better than a bike light to be seen? How about multiple bike lights that react to motion? LucidBRAKE is a stop sign-shaped brake light that mounts practically anywhere and is waterproof and lightweight. It features a three axis accelerometer that is able to detect braking forces relative to gravity and lights up much like a brake light on a car.

It offers two different braking speeds but also can be set to random blinking mode to help ensure it is seen at night or adverse weather conditions. LucidBRAKE is now looking to Kickstarter to get this thing rolling. Video after the jump

More Monkey Business

We first heard about the MonkeyLectric system that lights up bicycle wheels last fall, and now the company has looked to Kickstarter to kick start its efforts to bring more colorful designs to a road near you. The company is looking to create web-based software that will allow riders to create images and animations that can be seen in the wheels.

The Monkey Light Pro system is designed to be waterproof, durable and designed for use on city streets. The technology, which is being designed and manufactured in California, reportedly adds just 500 grams to the bike and can run for three to eight hours at full brightness – based on what graphics are shown.

Does anyone need this? No, but it does sound like an interesting way to get your message out there. Video after the jump