Bicycle Innovations
- Industrial Bikes that Get the Job Done (Slideshow)
Warren McLaren, 5 March 2010, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Work Bikes, Freight Bicycles, Cargo Trikes, Utility Bicycles, Industrial Bikes -- or whatever you want to call them -- have been been with us for almost as long as the original safety bicycle itself. Though not conceived for recreation or racing, they have often been conscripted into those rolls too. But primarily their role has been utilitarian. Moving materials, goods, animals and people from place to place. Human propelled mules. Pedal powered trucks.
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- New Izip Express Hybrid Electric Bicycle Has Evo Drive
Warren McLaren, 3 March 2010, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes) via ::IZip Express Evo Drive, via media release. Visit Site
"We are confident that the Express will make an eBike believer out of anyone that takes it for an extended test ride," says Larry Pizzi, president of Currie Technologies. The iZip Express is the latest hybrid electric bicycle from Currie, and is arriving on the US market after three years of development.
Visit Site - Pedal Powered Lawn Mower Is Talk of Handmade Bike Show
Lloyd Alter, 28 February 2010, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes) via Dirt Rag Magazine Visit Site & Cyclelicious Visit Site
If you are going to have a lawn, TreeHugger Mike recommends a reel (or push) mower. (But then, he is an addict) If you are going to have a really big lawn, talk to Ted Wojcik. He built this mower, seen at the North American Handmade Show. He normally builds more conventional bikes at Ted Wojcik Custom Bicycles in New Hampshire.
Visit Site - World's Smallest Electric Bike (Video)
Sami Grover, 22 February 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
From an electric assist Brompton folding bike to this insanely compact folding bike concept, there are more and more options for folks who want to take their bicycle with them on the plane, train or in the car. But probably none are quite as small as the Moosshiqk - an electric bike that measures at an astoundingly tiny 18 inches in length and 13 inches in height.
Visit Site - Humancar Test-Drives the Imagine_PS Human-Electric Hybrid (Video)
Michael Graham Richard, 22 February 2010, Canada:TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation Via Humancar Visit Site
That's probably the most original hybrid car that I've ever seen. Various iterations of the Humancar concept have been in development since the late 1960, and this latest version mixes electricity with good old human muscle power, and you steer it with the rowing handles. A nice example of good ol' ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking. Even if I doubt that you'll see those all over the roads soon, it certainly looks like fun!
Visit Site - Kalkhoff Electric Bikes Coming to the US
Sami Grover, 20 February 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
From Schwinn's good looking electric bikes to this $350 commuter bike with electric assist, we see plenty of pedal bikes packing an electric motor as backup these days. And folks seem to be finally accepting the idea that e-bikes replace car journeys, not just make biking easier for lazy people. Now a new e-bike is set to enter the US market, and it takes a slightly different approach to powering those wheels.
Visit Site - A Bike Who Hates Lowriding
Chris Burns, 19 February 2010, Yanko Design - Automotive
Lemme do a quiz on you, bikers. How well do you love gravity? Not? I really hate it man, it’s terrible. So here’s the thing: you’re in luck. There’s a bike right here that defies it. Like a standard rebel. It’s called “Flying Bike” and it’s quite the magnetic levitator. By using the impetus of the bicycle, power is generated and magnetism brings the back of the bike up, up, up, until the gear is literally in the center of the back wheel, unconnected by anything other than the powers of the magnet.
Visit Site - Spokeless bicycle adds some 'cool' to pedal power
Jeff Salton, 16 February 2010, Gizmag - Urban Transport
Usually, when you put nine university seniors together from a mechanical engineering class in a room for a whole semester with no strict agenda, the last thing you expect to get is a useful product. But this team broke the mold and created a “human-powered spokeless bicycle”. Admittedly, only the back wheel is spokeless, but the Yale students had two very good reasons for that – time and money.
Visit Site - Offroad Quadracycling: Pedal-Powered Donuts! (Video)
Sami Grover, 13 February 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Warren has already delivered a pretty comprehensive round up of 13 weird and wonderful quadracycles, among them the "pedal-powered SUV" known as Trailcart. Now another fun, offroad quadracycle has come to our attention, and this one has electric assist and it can do donuts! Boy does this look like fun.
Visit Site - Areaware Showcases Four Designer Bicycles
Warren McLaren, 11 February 2010, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
"Forward thinking technologies and original expression" are the attributes that New York City-based Areaware seek in the designs they distribute. And this emphasis extends to their choice of transport products.
Visit Site - IsoTruss-tubed Delta 7 bikes look funny, but boast high strength to weight ratio
Ben Coxworth, 2 February 2010, Gizmag - Sports
Go ahead, stare. It’s OK, they want you to. Delta 7 Bikes currently manufactures two of the most unusual-looking bicycles on the market, the Arantix hardtail mountain bike and the Ascend road bike. Their open-lattice spider-web tubes incorporate patented IsoTruss geometric design, wherein carbon fiber and Kevlar are woven into a network of isosceles triangles. The triangles join together to form pyramid-shaped trusses, which provide incredible structural support while using a minimum of material. If you’re a bicycle-maker looking for something with a great strength-to-weight ratio, it’s hard to beat.
Visit Site - FREEDOM WHEELS® Modified Bike Service
The FREEDOM WHEELS customised bike program is a joint undertaking by TADNSW and Amway’s One by One Foundation, giving many children with disabilities the opportunity to ride a bike for the first time.
Visit Site - Buddy Bike
Bikes for people with special needs
The Buddy Bike - The Alternative Tandem Bicycle. The Buddy Bike is an inline tandem bicycle (bicycle for two) that places the stoker in the front seat while the rear rider controls the steering. It is shorter in length than a standard tandem and has a lower front seat so both riders can safely enjoy the view. The Buddy Bike can support up to 380 pounds; making it the ultimate family bike that can be enjoyed by riders of all ages and abilities. Its features make it especially beneficial for special needs children who otherwise would not be able to experience the thrill of riding a bicycle. Utilizing this unique patented design and quality bike parts, the Buddy Bike provides safety and REAL quality time!
Visit Site - An Electric Boost for Bicyclists
J. DAVID GOODMAN, 31 January 2010, The New York Times - Global Business
SHANGHAI — Jiang Ruming, a marketing manager, owns a van, but for many errands, he hops on a futuristic-looking contraption that lets him weave rapidly through Shanghai’s messy traffic. He rides an electric bicycle.
Visit Site - The Story of a Hemp Bicycle and a Bamboo Bike Bus
Warren McLaren, 15 January 2010, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Spiegel International have a wonderful write-up (in English) on bamboo bikes. It covers how Craig Calfee's dog inspired him to make a bike from bamboo, How he subsequently won trade shows awatds "Best Road Bike," "Best Off-Road Bike" and "Peoples' Choice" for his bamboo designs, how they were lab tested tougher than carbon fibre.
Visit Site - Eurobike news roundup 3 of Innovations:
fixed-free torpedo hub
bike trailers
cargo bikes
Visit Site - CES 2010 - Sanyo's Eneloop Bike May Be a Bike World Game Changer
Jaymi Heimbuch, 8 January 2010, USA : TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
About a month ago, we heard about Sanyo's (Visit Site) new Eneloop electric assist bike. It has made quite a splash at CES, and is one of the most beautiful electric bikes we've seen. Not only is it gorgeous, but it's at a cost that is very competitive. Designed from the ground up to be an electric transportation vehicle, it has a beautiful shape along with powerful capabilities. Check out our video interview showing off the bike.
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Visit Site - Tandem Unicycle for a Super Balanced Cycling Duo (Video)
Jaymi Heimbuch, 14 December 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes) Via Ubergizmo Visit Site
If you're looking for a minimalist way to bike pool to work, or just tyring to figure out your next circus act, check out the Tandem Unicycle. Watch the creators attempt to ride it, and see if you can resist making one for yourself just so you can test you and your BFF's balance.
Visit Site - GRACE e-bike boasts F1 technology
Paul Ridden, 19 November 2009, Gizmag - URBAN TRANSPORT
Combining jet fighter technology with Formula 1 grade parts and German build quality, the GRACE street legal electric two-wheeler will start to be shipped in limited numbers next year. As well as offering a couple of city travel options, GRACE is also available in an off-road version too. The company has even manufactured a demonstration-only racy model capable of speeds up to 70kmh (44mph).
Like the eRockit, Elmoto and Mosquito, GRACE is hails from Germany, which is fast becoming a hub for the new wave of electric two-wheelers.
Visit Site - MIT debuts the Copenhagen Wheel
Paul Ridden, 17 December 2009, Gizmag
Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable City team have chosen the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change to show off a new bicycle wheel prototype which not only provides electric rider assist, but also contains "a veritable Swiss army knife's worth of electronic gadgets and novel functions", including sensors to monitor air quality and noise pollution, GPRS and Bluetooth connectivity.
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- MIT unveils new 'smart' bike wheel
Lance Whitney, 15 December 2009, CNET News
Beyond giving you an energy boost, the wheel has other secrets in its bright red hub. Using sensors and a Bluetooth connection, the wheel can talk to an iPhone mounted on the handlebars. Through an iPhone app, you can check your speed, direction, and distance traveled. The wheel can also monitor traffic conditions and smog and even keep track of your bicycling buddies.
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- MIT unveils new 'smart' bike wheel
- Use Your Melon: Melon's Slice Folding Bike That Is
Warren McLaren, 28 October 2009, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
We've been highlighting a heap of folding bikes recently (see list below). Melon Bikes is another to add to an ever growing collection. Their focus is that the simpler they "can make a bike to maintain, ride, and transport, the more fun you will have owning it." And Melon have opted to go with 20" wheels as an integral part of their story. Suggesting that with a wheel size that owes its heritage to BMX racing, you'll have a blast, "quick-starting to a high speed instantly - no big wheel inertia to overcome."
Visit Site - Yamaha Sets Course for Future in e-Bikes
Rob Van Ginneken, 28 October 2009, Bike Europe News
TOKYO, Japan – Yamaha, the company that over a decade ago pioneered in e-Bikes with its PAS system, is once again taking the lead in technological developments for electric bicycles. The company is showing at the Tokyo Motor Show (October 24 – November 4) the ‘PASer’; a Star Trek looking e-Bike that features dual motor assist.
Visit Site - Do Electric Bikes Belong in NYC?
Brad Aaron, 21 October 2009, StreetsBlog
In its most recent installment, the City Room bike column cites the apparently burgeoning popularity of electric bicycles. According to the story, "e-bikes" are favored by delivery workers, the elderly, and at least one 38-year-old Manhattan screenwriter.
Visit Site - Modern Two Seat Bike is like a Paddle Boat for the Land
Brian Merchant, 21 October 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
Ever wanted to ride a two-seater bike where you didn't have to stare at your partner's back the whole time, or feel like you were acting out a scene of American wholesomeness from the 1950s? Well, a new design for a bike called the Cojoy has got the answer to both those setbacks--its riders sit side by side, and each controls just one wheel. One thing's for certain: this isn't your grandpa's two-seater.
Visit Site - 1,250 mpg. The PiMobility Electric Hybrid Bike Revisited (Video)
Warren McLaren, 20 October 2009, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
The PiCycle is an intriguing electric hybrid bike. We covered it previously when it was called Electrobike, and launched for the bargain basement price of $7,500 USD. Things have changed quite a bit in the past two years, particularly with regard to the price -- it's lost $5,000!, Yep, the PiCycle, as it now known, goes for $2,500. You have three option of riding the Pi: just like a bicycle under pedal power, completely under electric propulsion, or pedal with electric-assist.
Visit Site - Is The AMiiVA More Than a (Folding) Bike?
Warren McLaren, 14 October 2009, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes) via The Folding Cyclist
The AMiiVA was officially introduced to the world last month. Though contrary to what your eyes might lead you to believe, the "AMiiVA is a more than a bike, it's a Personal Mobility Assistant (PMA)." Where's an airline sick bag when you need it? Come on guys, sure it's snappy, small wheel, folding bike, but let's not complicate things with another silly three letter acronym. The name itself is derived from the initials, Assistant de Mobilité Individuelle, indicating it's French origins.
Visit Site - Jango Flik: The Folding Bike You Can Ride, Push or Stow
Warren McLaren, 13 October 2009, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Two years we noticed that Mercedes were selling a cute folding bike. Now it's resurfaced again. Though this time by the name of Jango Flik.
Visit Site - Gone in 17 Seconds. The Bigfish Bike Folds and Unfolds Fast
Warren McLaren, 12 October 2009, Australia:TreeHugger- Cars & Transportation (bikes)
In working through a backlog of posts we should've brought to you earlier, we present the Bigfish folding bike. In a strange reversal or trade, the bicycle was designed in Slovenia and is made in Italy. Yet sells for just £495 in the UK, €600 in Europe and $549 in the US, which is quite decent for a folding bike, particularly one made in Europe.
Visit Site - The Cruzbike Silvio - form and function in a front wheel drive
Mick Webb, 4 October 2009, Gizmag - URBAN TRANSPORT
For many, the words “recumbent bicycle” conjure the image of a strange-looking vehicle with the rider set low to the ground achieving less than remarkable speeds. That perception could well become a thing of the past with the Cruzbike Silvio, the world’s only recumbent racing bike that is not only fully compatible with road bike components, but aims to eliminate many health problems associated with standard cycling.
Visit Site - Biomega’s Boston Folding Bike: World’s First Theft-Proof Bicycle?
Ariel Schwartz, 1 October 2009, Inhabitat
Any big city resident can attest to the issue of rampant bike thefts — most of us have have experience with at least a wheel being stolen. The only solution up until now been to ride around on a cheap bike, but the Biomega Boston folding bicycle changes all that with a virtually theft-proof design.
Visit Site - Joules, the Tandem Bike Robot that Pedals for You (Video)
Jaymi Heimbuch, 21 September 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
If you have a tandem bike but no one to ride it with you, perhaps Joules could be your partner. The robot's creator, Carl, devised Joules after being challenged to create a tandem electric bike based on actual pedal pumping, plus try to make it effective enough to manage the steep hills in Carl's neighborhood. Turns out, Joules does all the pedaling! Check out the robot in action after the jump.
See the video - Joules (1 min 12 sec) Visit Site - Electric bikes start to gain traction
Bill Rigby, 17 September 2009, Reuters - Technology
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Ever wondered what it would be like to have Lance Armstrong pedal your bike for you? Well now you can find out, sort of.
Visit Site - Sexy Bike Alert: Electra's New Ticino
Jacob Gordon, 5 September 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Design & Architecture
Hello, Ticino. Electra has had a lot of success marketing affordable bikes for that chunk of the biking public that is not about to ride a century, yet won't settle for a generic Wal-Mart model (we know Sarah Michelle Geller is fond of her Amsterdam).
Visit Site - 'Yike Bike' to revolutionise urban transport
- Lachlan Forsyth, 2 September 2009, 3news New Zealand
Designed and constructed in Christchurch, the Yike Bike is about to be launched on the world stage.
Visit Site - Mini-Farthing - the evolution of the bike is unfolding
The basic bicycle design has not changed in 120 years because it is a truly fantastic design that is stable and safe to ride. The mini-farthing has been designed to make a form of personal transport that is better suited to a modern city. Rather than just take a normal bicycle design and squash it up, our aim was to see if there was another configuration that was more suited to the task.
MiniFarthing Homepage - Visit Site
Possible Designs of the mini-farthing- Visit Site
The YikeBike - Visit Site
- Lachlan Forsyth, 2 September 2009, 3news New Zealand
- Flaxen Beauties: Professional Racing Bikes Made of Flax Fiber
Jacob Gordon, 26 August 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Design & Architecture
Finally, a bike made of linoleum. Indeed, flax, from which traditional linoleum is made, is the secret ingredient in the polymer smoothie that makes these ultra-high performance bicycles. Johan Museeuw, the retired Belgian racer and winner of 11 world cups, is the man behind the eponymous line of road bikes. These handmade flaxen beauties, like the blue model below, sport components made from flax blends as high as 80%, with the remaining content good old carbon fiber. Flax is one of the oldest cultivated crops and the basis for linen, linseed oil, linoleum, and more.
Visit Site - Areaware's CarryMe DS: The Smallest, Lightest Folding Bike in the World?
Jasmin Malik Chua, 20 August 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Move over, Strida, Areaware has added a new folding bike to its fold, and the company is heralding it the lightest and smallest of its ilk. The CarryMe DS, which folding-bike aficionados will recognize as a George Lin/Pacific Cycles design slapped with Areaware's logo, was created for ease of transport on a train, bus, or plane. To increase the CarryMe's speed and gearing range, a heel-controlled two-speed drive unit was added.
Visit Site - Is My Electric Bicycle Lame?
Trevor Reichman 16 August 2009, TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
I’ll always remember the time that I was riding my electric bicycle home from work, when at a red light, a cyclist on a traditional road bike pulled up next to me and asked me how fast I could go on “that thing”. I told him that it maxes out at about 18 miles an hour. He scoffed, “Geez, I could ride faster than that without a motor!”, as he then took off through the red light riding as fast as he could…definitely more than 20 miles an hour to his credit.
Visit Site - "Bike of the future will never be stolen, has puncture-proof tyres and will play music as you ride"
Daily Mail Reporter, 11th August 2009, Mail On-Line
It will count calories as you pedal, play music and use a solar-powered motor when you get tired - welcome to the commuter bike of the future.
Visit Site - "Contortionist Folding Bike Rolls Up Smaller Than a Wheel"
Ariel Schwartz, 5 August 2009, Inhabitat
There’s a reason you don’t see too many people toting around folding bikes; many have small wheels that make for an uncomfortable ride, and the ones that don’t tend to be too clunky when folded up. Enter the Contortionist, a sleek folding bike that uses full-size 26 inch wheels. Designed by Dominic Hargreaves, a student at the Royal College of Art in London, the bike contains pivots in its frame and a lockable universal joint in the front fork that let it roll up to an ultra-compact size that fits within the width of its wheels
Visit Site - "Gorgeous Wooden Bicycles by Renovo"
Kevin Gardner, 13 August 2009, Inhabitat Via Core 77
Two grand for a bicycle? Just reading Renovo’s quietly beautiful narrative of how they handcraft wooden bikes is worth every penny. Based in Portland, Ore., this family-owned business takes wood seriously. Their unique line of custom-built bike frames are studiously forged from two halves of wood that have been hollowed out and bonded together. The result is a super strong, fast and attractive set of wheels that’ll make your eyes pop and mouth water.
Visit Site - "Electric-Assist and Cargo Bikes for the Everyday Commuter: Cycle9 "
Sami Grover, 28 July 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Things have come along way, with elegant electric bikes like the GoCycle garnering mainstream interest as a viable commuter option, and DIY electric assist options like the Stokemonkey gaining traction too. Now a new retail store has cropped up in my community, selling and servicing a full range of electric bikes that they hope will entice people out of their cars. But electric assist is just one of the technologies they promote for broadening the appeal of the humble bicycle.
Visit Site - "5 Solutions For Carrying Nearly Anything on the Back of a Bike"
April Streeter, 27 July 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Business & Politics (news)
One of the best parts of urban city cycling, once you get into it, is seeing every day what other people come up with in order to get themselves and their stuff- and sometimes their entire families - around on a bike. We reviewed some of the great ways to haul stuff on the front of your bike, and now here are five ways to carry a little or a lot of stuff on the back of your bike. But if you've devised a better way to do it, don't be shy.
Visit Site - "Winning Design Concept Connects Folding Scooters, Electric Buses, and Bike Trees"
Jacob Gordon, 24 July 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Design & Architecture via Marten Wallgren
The Future City Mobility competition enticed designers to envision how London's transportation could look in 2030. Marten Wallgren, a Swede studying at the Royal College of Art, along with three cohorts, took the Seymour Powell award for their concept dubbed London Garden. The scheme incorporates a network of electric buses, taxis, and scooter-bikes, all of which interconnect to make London Garden a car-free zone.
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Bicycle Clothing Innovations
High Visability Clothing
- Now You See It, Now You Don't: Safety Scarf for Cyclists
by Kristin Underwood, Sacramento, CA on 10.27.09
Fashion & Beauty (textiles)
Now with the drop in temperatures for places in the northern hemisphere, cyclists are going to need more layers and also more reflective gear as the sun goes down earlier and earlier. RF-Scarf now makes a scarf that comes in a sleek, black material that when exposed to bright light "magically" becomes reflective. It's a perfect accessory for walking commuters too.
Visit Site - Benefits of high-visability clothing
A recent study from New Zealand of 2469 cyclists and their self-reported crashes in the preceding 12 months. The conclusions were that use of high-visability clothing is a simple intervention that may have a large impact on the safety of cycling, both in terms of the risk of crash-related injury and subsequent time off work. Details of the study 'Conspicuity and bicycle crashes: preliminary findings of the Taupo Bicycle Study'.
Visit Site - Cycling Chic: Five Fashions Fit for Urban Biking
April Streeter, 10 August 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
The whole point with urban cycling is to make it work with whatever your lifestyle and your sense of fashion (or your work clothes requirements) are. If you want to wear Lycra and/or have a long commute that necessitates butt padding, then there's the option of hauling fresh clothes (or at the very least a shirt). But if you want to wear street/work clothes, what have designers been doing to link together bike-friendly with street fashionable? Add your favorite 'cycle couture' designers in the comments.
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Bicycle Helmet Innovations
- 5 Innovations That Make You Want To Wear A Helmet
April Streeter, 8 March 2010, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
This is not a story of why you should wear your helmet. We're not going to get into that hornet's nest...if we can help it. The debate may never be over. Instead, we're going to show off the ways helmet manufacturers are trying to make you WANT to wear your helmet...if you want to wear a helmet.
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Visit Site - New Helmet Design Uses Biomimicry to Reduce Rotational Injuries
Lloyd Alter, 19 February 2010, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
Here is an interesting idea for a helmet, designed for motorcyclists but that might work for cyclists and skateboarders down the road. 80% of fatal motorcycle accidents are caused by head trauma, and most of those are from "rotational acceleration" and subsequent "intracranial shearing"- the head is turned rapidly and the brain, floating loosely inside, sloshes around a few milliseconds later, tearing blood vessels and nerve fibers.
Visit Site - Regenerative Helmet for cyclists fits like a glove
Jeff Salton, 15 February 2010, Gizmag - Urban Transport
In many countries, wearing a bike helmet while cycling in public places is compulsory because it is proven to have saved lives. However, anyone who has ever applied one of these helmets to their heads knows that are definitely not a one-size-fits-all piece of equipment. An ill-fitting helmet means less protection, but they can require much trial and error to adjust correctly. The Regenerative Helmet overcomes this with its hard outer shell and flexible segments that allow the helmet to contort to provide a better fit. The liner uses dual density multi-impact foam to provide impact protection for both low and high speed accidents.
Visit Site - The Helmet Lock: Never Carry Your Helmet Around Again
Lloyd Alter, 1 February 2010, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Bike helmets are as much of a pain when they are not on your head as when they are- what do you do with it? Most people use U-locks, and if the helmet designers gave a moment's thought to the issue, they could adjust the hole pattern so that you could actually put a U-lock through them. But they don't, so you either have to carry your helmet around with you or leave it on your bike and depend on the kindness of strangers.
Visit Site - Do Helmet Promotion Campaigns Instill a Fear of Cycling?
Lloyd Alter, 18 September 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Sociologist David Horton of Lancaster University is doing a five part series on fear of cycling at Copenhagenize, and in part 3 looks at the effect of helmet promotion campaigns. He notes that most UK cycling organizations are against mandatory helmet use, saying that it should be a matter of free choice.
Visit Site - Eco-Friendly Concept Bike Helmet For Lacoste Makes You Look Less Like a Dork
Jasmin Malik Chua, 27 July 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Fashion & Beauty
Bike helmets aren't exactly lauded for their fashion-forwardness. (Hello, helmet hair!) For a noggin protector that doesn't make you look like a sweaty quarterback or someone who's making a grab for the Tour de France championship title, take a gander at designer Kyle J. Ferguson's eco-friendly concept helmet for Lacoste.
Visit Site - NYC Bike Helmet By Yves Behar is Latest Fashion Accessory
Lloyd Alter, 26 August 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
The NYC Helmet is designed with every rider, every season, and a greener environment in mind. As unique and dynamic as the City of New York itself, the NYC Helmet is an innovative modular system consisting of two components: a protective polystyrene inner shell and a soft fabric outer cover with integrated straps. This design allows its owner to customize and personalize the outer cover, which easily separates from the protective shell for easy storage and cleaning.
Visit Site - Folding Bike Helmet Fits in Your Pocket or Purse
Lloyd Alter, 2 July 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Folding Bike Helmet - Visit Site
No Stiff Helmet for my head - Visit Site
When in France recently I rarely saw a bicycle helmet, ce n'est pas chic. But designers Caroline Journaux & Adrien Guerin are working on one that can fold up and be put away in your pocket or purse. That makes a lot of sense if you ride a Vélo bike in Paris, since you only have a bike when you need it and would otherwise be carrying a helmet around a lot. I don't know if it would pass a Snell test but I like the idea. - Yakkay Gives You at Least Five Reasons You Might Want to Wear a Helmet
April Streeter, 14 May 2009, Sweden TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
I know, I know. In spite of what we've said, the helmet debate will never be over - it is paper versus plastic all over again, except with the added fear factor of saving (or not) the contents of your precious brain if your head is involved in an accident. Whatever you decide to do helmet-wise, don't let it stop you from riding! Safety for cyclists increases when there are more of us out there cycling. So for city riding, why not at least consider these five reasons to wear?
Visit Site - Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic on Bicycle Helmets, or Lack Thereof
Lloyd Alter, 13 May 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
So many people think helmets are ineffective, and they certainly didn't do much good in Star Wars. They also suggest that wearing helmets reduces the rate of ridership, but we covered that here, that is a discussion about bicycle helmet legislation, not bicycle helmets. If you don't want to wear one, fine.
Visit Site - Helmet Head Takes on New Meaning, or Another Way to Warm Up Winter Bike Commutes
April Streeter, 18 February 2009, Sweden TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
No matter what anyone says, it's impossible for the vast majority of humans to look good in a bike helmet. That why gorgeous adult Danes (children must wear helmets) tend to just say no!
It's nice to know that daring designers like Riding Pretty's Shelly Shroeder are out there finding ways other than plastic flowers and stickers to transform bicycle fashion. Shroeder's video is from last year, and is a prototype - since then she's done to-order helmet covers that harken back to the days when women riding bikes tended to swathe themselves head to toe to ride. Shroeder keeps coming up with new implementation of her helmet covers like the rain-proofing version above. She's also got a blog to talk about bicycle fashion and its lack.
Visit Site - Beautiful Bike Helmets
Bonnie Alter, 16 May 2008, UK: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation
Beautiful and bicycle helmet seems like an oxymoron but here's proof that it doesn't have to be. With Bike to Work Days being celebrated, pretty cycling hats likes these prove there is no excuse not to wear one with pride in front of your fellow workers and bikers. They are designed by an eco-conscious Japanese-born designer who got fed up with looking terrible on her bike so she created her own collection of helmets that are funky and still meet all the safety requirements. The helmets are factory-made and decorated with carefully chosen feminine, delicate colours and have "diamond" trimmed chin straps. The designs are cleverly positioned on the back and on the left-hand side so drivers and pedestrians can admire you as you go. Helmets are available in a full range of lovely colours and there is a "designer" label on the back of each one.
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Other associated Innovations
- Magtenlight Powers Your Bike Light With Magnets (Video)
Jaymi Heimbuch, 8 March 2010, USA: TreeHugger - Science & Technology
The time change isn't here quite yet, which means many of us are still riding our bikes home in the dark after work. A bright bike light is therefore a must, and there are a lot of systems available that gather a charge while cycling. The newest one is a system that hooks up to your bike wheel but is entirely frictionless, relying instead on magnetism.
Visit Site - Building an App to Help Neighbors Ride Together
Noah Kazis, 5 March 2010, StreetsBlog
Of all the ways to improve your bike commute, riding with a friend might be the simplest. Not only do you have someone to talk to at red lights, you also become more visible and therefore more safe. With that in mind, Transportation Alternatives is working on a new tech solution called Bike Buddy to help New Yorkers find someone to ride with.
Visit Site - BikeCAD lets you design your dream bicycle online, for free
Ben Coxworth, 21 February 2010, Gizmag - SPORTS
Anyone who likes bicycles has at some point probably fantasized about it - getting their own one-of-a-kind custom-made bike. There are oodles of independent frame-builders out there who will gladly accommodate such fantasies, but their services generally don’t come cheap. Building a high-end bicycle from scratch definitely requires a lot of skill, and even designing one isn’t something that just anyone can do… or is it? BikeCAD, a free online applet, guides users through designing their own road, mountain, tandem or recumbent bike. They can then take their finished design to a builder, or even attempt to build the thing themselves.
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Check out the Bicycle Forest - Visit Site - My Name Is BarBra: Great Idea for Winter Cycling, Lousy Name
Lloyd Alter, 12 February 2010, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Toronto cyclist Hamish Greenland developed the BarBra after a very cold winter ride.
Visit Site - Firefly bike light detects traffic and lights you up for greater visibility
Jeff Salton, 11 February 2010, Gizmag - Urban Transport
Many people want to do their bit to help save the planet, or to simply get fit, by riding a bike instead of using their vehicle. However, traveling on the road when the sun goes down can be off-putting for fear of not being seen by motorists. The Firefly light has been designed to address this concern by making them more visible. It uses a passive Infrared sensor to detect traffic approaching from behind the rider and projects light from flashing LEDs onto the back of the rider with varying intensity depending on the proximity of the traffic. The Firefly light is another shortlisted design submission in our ongoing series of the Australian Design Awards - James Dyson Award 2010.
Visit Site - On-Bike RFID: Cool Commuter Vehicle or Big Brother Biking?
April Streeter, 11 February 2010, Sweden: Cars & Transportation
Dero Bike Racks has put together a solar-powered RFID system which via a tag on the bike or biker and a location transmitter that beeps and keeps count of the number of times a bike commuter arrived by bike, then sends the data via Wi-Fi to a computer for reporting purposes. Similar to the Fast Pass RFID tags deployed on high occupancy vehicle lanes and toll roads, the Dero Zap system signifies the bike is a serious commuting vehicle (eligible for that federal $20 dollar monthly subsidy). RFID tags on bikes are becoming more common - they can be used to attempt to thwart theft and aid in post-theft retrieval, or to help locate your selection in a pile of bike share bikes. Yet is there a sinister side?
Visit Site - RFID enables biking system
27 January 2010, RFID News
The Federal Bicycle Commuter Act, signed into law on Oct. 3, 2008, encourages employers to reward its employees who travel to work by bike, rewarding them with a tax free prize of up $20.
Visit Site - Tunebug Shake turns your helmet into a speaker
Gizmag Team, 13 January 2010, Gizmag
If you haven’t previously heard of TuneBug, that’s because it is a new company and although its portable speaker solutions were shown at CES 2009, they are only just now making their way to market. The products are all based on patented NXT speaker technology which generate sound waves that pass through the surfaces the speakers (aka “sound generators”) rest on, effectively turning those surfaces into speakers. Predictably, there’s a desktop solution which sits on your desk. Now there’s also a helmet-top solution which sits on your helmet, giving you a kind of ambient bone dome surround sound like you’ve never had before – ideal for skateboarding, bicycling, skiing and motorcycling.
Visit Site - Bike SpokeLit
Emily Furia, Jan 2009, Gear and Bike Review Finder
Because we're all such environmentally friendly and health-conscious sorts (why are you looking at us like that?), cycling about the place is second nature. The resulting safety implications, particularly visibility, are an important consideration, as anyone who's nearly been squished between two London buses will tell you. The SpokeLit is a fantastic and simple to use measure that will ensure you don't get knocked off (not in the mafia way, obviously).
Visit Site - Convex Mirrors to be trialled on cycle super highways
Mark Sutton 18 November 18 2009, Bike Biz - News
Small Bath firm produces 'life saving' product to assist cyclists and HGVs
Visit Site - 200 Secure, LEED Certified Pay-to-Park Bike Stations Coming Soon
April Streeter, 29 October 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (cars)
Covina, California, has the third busiest commuter train station in Southern California, according to its mayor, thus the town is investing in a nifty, digitally-accessed bike parking structure called the Mobis Secure Bike Module. While on the other side of the globe Copenhagen is trying out quite minimalistic parking by painting white lines on the sidewalk and hoping people put their bikes there, Mobis, the angel-backed start-up that designed Covina's LEED 3.0 bike facility, is hoping cash-strapped cities will see the utility in safe, user paid parking -- and predicted in its press materials that there would be 200 of these pay-to-park stations in the U.S. within the next five years! Is paid bike parking an idea whose time has come?
Visit Site - It Isn't Just A Helmet, It is an Ear-Pulling Navigation Device
Lloyd Alter, 26 October 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Here is a helmet that I bet even Mikael at Copenhagenize might put on. Its really a GPS navigation device that gets rid of the problems with sound or visual signals that might distract you; instead, it tugs on your ear.
Visit Site - Bike Fashion Show in NYC: Chic Urban Cycling Style (Video)
Emma Grady, 26 October 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Fashion & Beauty
Hudson Urban Bicycles (HUB) in the West Village, New York City, hosted Bike Style Saturday night, a fashion show premiering chic urban cycling looks. Friends of HUB donned tailored bicycle wear--blazers, cropped pants, and caps--from designers Lela Rose, Reiss, Sheila Moon, and Outlier; strutted and danced 'cross the runway to DJ jams; mounted European-origin bikes from Batavus, Abici, Moof, and Linus, and rode out into the rainy NYC night. Click through for our videos--the def jams might have you chair dancing--and more photos from the show.
Visit Site - Five Newfangled Locks To Help Thwart Bike Theft
April Streeter, 19 October 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Bike theft is on the rise, at least in the U.K. where a 22% uptick was registered this year - in the U.S. nationwide statistics are harder to come by. If you are one of the people that has already suffered the terrible sinking feeling of stepping out onto the street and doing a double-take as your brain frantically tries to compute where your beloved bike is, statistics don't even matter. The idea of a theft-proof bike keeps cropping up again and again in fancy futuristic concept bike. In the hear and now, U-locks are still the top of the security heap, but trying new forms and combining a u-lock with some of these other solutions may keep your bike from being an easy mark.
Visit Site - Spooklight: Wireless Bicycle Light Senses When You're Braking
Warren McLaren, 13 October 2009, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes) via Gizmag.
Using technology similar to an iPhone, the Spooklight relies upon a three-axis accelerator to determine when the bike is slowing down. It then displays central rear red LED brake lights to alert other road users.
Visit Site - Bicycle Cargo. Chapter 2: Bike Trailers
Warren McLaren, 5.09, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
A couple of weeks ago we started out on what we naively thought to be simple task. To catalogue some of the more popular forms of bicycle cargo hauling. In Chapter One, we catalogued more than a dozen different • Bicycle Bag and Racks, Here, in Chapter Two, we showcase over 20 different Bicycle Trailer builders. Using their engineering ingenuity you can jump aboard your bike and transport anything from kayaks to kids, fridges to freight, shopping to sofas.
Visit Site - Charge Any Electrical Device While Riding Your Bike
Christine Lepisto, 6 September 2009, Germany: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Eurobike closed a successful week in which records were broken for trade visitors, public attendance, and submittals for the esteemed Eurobike awards. For the second year, a Eurobike Green Award was given to a product that "exhibits particularly significant ecological and sustainable value." This year's green award goes to a gadget a lot of people have been waiting for: a universal charger for harvesting pedal power to charge any music player, mobile phone, GPS or other electrical device.
Visit Site - Fashionable Bike Bags With Some Welcome Surprises
April Streeter, 31 August 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
We at TreeHugger advocate for city bike style, if not urban biking fashion. And of course, we love it when designers combine a city aesthetic with solid sustainability cred. And that is exactly what newcomer company Her Niche aims to do with their Bagonia eARTh bike bags - trying to find that slim edge between needed bike utility and fashion. Perhaps finding the sweet spot necessarily entails a hefty price - the latest honey-colored Rose bag about has a $349 price tag. However, according to its designers, eARTh has more than one incredibly smart feature that will make the bag worth the price.
Visit Site - Bicycle Cargo. Chapter 1: Racks And Bags (revised)
by Warren McLaren, 24 August 2009, Australia: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Bicycles are, as we keep telling our readers ad nausem, the most efficient means of transport humankind has ever devised. Mostly people take that to mean in the transportation of people. But what might have gone unnoticed by many was that bikes are not only brilliant for commuting, recreation or racing, they are also excellent at hauling cargo. From surfboards to sunflowers, from wedding cakes to wardrobes. kids to compost. We’ve covered many of the myriad forms of bicycle cargo loaders over the years, but thought why not group them all in the one place?
Visit Site - Take a Hambone Along for the Ride
Jacob Gordon, 25 August 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Design & Architecture
As the world becomes a more perfect place, where elephant landmine victims walk again, streetsigns are best used as jewelry, and coal plants get the royal STFU, we're gonna need more handy little things like the VeloPocket. Along with its little brother, the Balzac, these handmade cycle pouches are a nice alternative to the nylon reflector-emblazoned saddle gear your racing buddies might favor.
Visit Site - Shower in a Bottle: Another Cycling Excuse Gone
Sami Grover, 13 July 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Rocket Shower Offers Shower with no Running Water
From navy showers to occasional showers, there are plenty of ways to get clean and still save water. But what about showering with no water at all? In their quest to find the best solutions for cyclists and bike commuters, the folks over at The Guardian tested out The Rocket Shower - a shower in a bottle that requires no running water whatsoever. So did it work?
Visit Site - "Best of Boing Boing: Greener Golfing, Your Eco Budget, Kenyan Extreme Recycling"
Alan Graham, 16 July 2009, USA: TreeHugger - Exclusives
If you are going to participate in a sport where about the only thing green are the greens, then at least you might want to look into the cyclists golf caddy.
Visit Site - "Lightlane Is Going from Gleam To Reality"
Lloyd Alter, 29 June 2009, Canada: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
I loved the idea of Lightlane when I wrote You Shall Have Bike Lanes Wherever You Go, but thought of it more as a conceptual project rather than a real product. No more; the response was so terrific that they are putting it into production.
Visit Site - "eCycleway - Safe Urban Cycling or Dangerous Segregation?"
April Streeter, 29 June 2009, Sweden: TreeHugger - Cars & Transportation (bikes)
Designer Christopher Rusay hopes his design for an elevated lego-like cycleway, put together of recycled polyethylene pieces and recycled aluminum struts attached to existing lamp and electricity poles could help cities create and extend cyclist networks (and simultaneously, perhaps, reduce tension between autoworld and bikeworld).
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