November 19th, 2009 4:56 PM | by Christen da Costa
I know, I know, it doesn’t look real, but apparently some dude (François Knorreck) spent 10 years, 10,000 work hours and 15,000 Euros building the Snaefell, a motorcycle with the ultimate side car. I was sort of hoping that the bike could detach from the side car and be independently propelled, but as you can see from the overhead shot it’s one complete body; a Unibody (wink) of sorts. I have to question how well it handles, but considering its uniqueness does it really matter?
November 19th, 2009 4:00 PM | by Christen da Costa
The Taga combines a high end stroller with, you guessed it, a bicycle. But of course, like most high end strollers it’s not cheap; it starts at about $2,400.
So what else do you get for all that cash? An aluminum frame, Shimano Nexus Inter-3 internal gear hub, disc brakes, Shimano Nexus roller brake and an average conversion (stroller to bike and vice versa) time of 20 seconds.
Looks a bit dangerous, what with the child’s seat in the front and all, but this would surely go down well with the stroller moms hear in Brentwood.
November 10th, 2009 4:16 PM | by Christen da Costa
I’ve got me a bike light, but I have yet to purchase a portable bike pump because it’s just too much gear to tote around with me. The PUYL (I assume it means Pump Up Your Light) is a bike pump and LED light in one. It requires absolutely no batteries to shine your way home since 20 seconds of pumping provides up to 45 minutes of power – brilliant.
Right now it’s a prototype, and its maker, Kai Malte Roever doesn’t seem to have any plans to manufacture it, but given the amount of buzz it’s currently receiving I’d say it’s just a matter of time before we see one of these in REI.
Update: It’s patent pending, so maybe we will see it sooner than later.
Tokyo, Japan has long been a place with a massive population and a small amount of land. So as you can imagine they’re always inventing new ways to store their worldly positions without displacing their living space.
The multistory computerized bike parking garage is just one of those things you have to see to believe. The bike slips into the mini freight elevator’s clutches and using an attached electronic tag it drops below the earth’s surface and stores it until the user returns. To retrieve the bike they simply need to swipe a card and the computer will look up its location and retrieve the bicycle. Cost for storage is about $20/month.
The current undisputed king of the geeky gadget may well have just been found, folks–brace yourself for the iPhone Arider.
It’s still in the prototype stage, but one day we’ll all be able to enjoy the iPhone Arider. And what does it do, you wonder? Simple–it’s a portable navigation system that feeds to a display in a pair of glasses. It follows your head motion, so if you want to pan the map to the right, you just look right. Pan any other direction and you just look that direction. Even better, it also can be used as a Bluetooth headset, PLUS it will handle Twitter updates.
I couldn’t be happier about this one, folks–I’m eagerly awaiting the day I can buy Spider Jerusalem-style picture taking sunglasses, and every move like this brings me one step closer to my triangle-and-circle.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could do more to help save the planet with your morning bicycle commute, then look no more, o ecologically aware one; we’ve got the solution for you!
It’s called the E-Werk, and it’s from Germany. Those of you hearing Vince from ShamWow declare that the Germans make good stuff are not alone, and I’m laughing too. But anyway, the E-Werk hooks to your bike and uses your pedal pushing skills to crank a generator on the go, converting your bike into a portable power generation system. Naturally, there’s not a whole lot of juice that you get out of these, being as you’re just pedalling a bike and all and most of your kinetic energy goes into moving the bike along.
It’s a pretty clever device, make no mistake, and for people who do a lot of biking, then you’re definitely going to want to get your hands on one of these.
September 1st, 2009 8:12 PM | by Christen da Costa
Garmin kicked out a new GPS system today called the Edge 500. Designed specifically for cyclists, it weighs just 2 ounces and can track speed, distance, time, GPS position, elevation, temperature, calories burned, climb and descent. For accurate altimeter readings, Garmin has stuffed in a barometric altimeter and like their other devices includes their ANT+ technology for wirelessly transferring data from the device to your computer. Toss on one of Garmin’s speed/cadence sensors as well as heart rate monitor and the Edge 500 can keep even closer tabs on your workouts.
The Edge 500’s battery is good for up to 18 hours on a single charge and comes bundled with a low-profile, quarter-turn mount that attaches to any pair of handle bars. You can expect it to arrive this fall and start at $249.99 – add $100 for a bundled heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor.
If you don’t fancy yourself a Segway type and would like something a bit more urban and hip, then the EniCycle might just fit the bill.
Unlike traditional unicycles, the EniCycle takes just 15-30 minutes to learn how to ride, a feat accomplished by way of mini-gyroscopes that measure the vertical angle of the bike 100 times a second. That info is then sent to the bike’s internal processor and 1000 watt hub motor to keep the bike balanced. To accelerate, just lean forward while a pair of foot pegs act as a steering wheel. Top speed maxes out at 10 mph and the battery provides about 3 hours of riding time on a single charge.
Its inventor, Aleksander Polutnik, has only created two of the bikes and is currently in search of funding to begin mass production.
I’m all for riding a bike over car transport and PedalPower+ now offers me a way to double down on my green equity. Much like the dynamos of the 80s and 90s that powered many a bike lights, the PedalPower+ uses the same concept but instead regulates the power to charge any connected device, such as a cell phone or MP3 player. If no device is connected the PedalPower+’s internal battery sucks up the charge for later use and a set of onboard solar panels can add a little extra charge when you’re not on the go. Skeptical about its durability? Don’t be. The manufacturer has tested it for up to 60,000 miles with speeds ranging from .5 to 60mph. And for the more hardcore rider there is hub version, which will require a bike shop for installation since the wheel will need re-spoking.
There doesn’t seem to be one set price for the PP+, but it sounds like we should seem them sooner than later in bike stores and other outdoor related shops.
I’ve been looking for a way to scare the bejesus out of drivers in LA while I navigate the bicycle path and I might just have found my answer. Enter the Ecoblaster Rechargeable Air Horn. Using a bicycle pump you can refill the soda bottle like reserve with enough air for 70 horn blasts at up to 115dB. At just $30 consider me sold.
