Bicycles

BMW has rolled out its 2012 line of bikes. With a new component here and a new paint job there, the collection provides largely cosmetic differences to last year’s models with the Mountainbike Enduro appearing to have received the most attention.  Read More

Most bicycle couriers and hardcore urbanites will tell you – if you’re going to be leaving your bike locked up in a public place, ride something cheap and crappy that thieves won’t be interested in. The problem is, many bicycle commuters are very “into” bikes, and thus own fancy machines that they don’t want to leave at home five days a week. While there are a number of locking systems that might or might not keep these peoples’ bikes from being stolen, enterprising thieves armed with nothing more than a set of hex wrenches can still remove some of the more valuable components from those bikes. The new infiniti3D system, however, is designed to stop such parts-pilfering thieves in their tracks.  Read More

Slovakian mechanical engineer Braňo Mereš has created some pretty nifty one-off bicycle frames over the past several years. Some of his construction materials have included riveted-together strips of titanium, a woven bamboo fiber/epoxy resin composite, and carbon fiber rods. With his latest creation, the X-9 Nighthawk, he has taken yet another approach – the frame is made from sandwich panels that have an aramid core and carbon fiber skins.  Read More

Cardo Systems, Inc. has long specialized in radio communications systems for motorcycles. Now the company has turned to the bike market in building what it calls the "world's first Bluetooth communications and entertainment system for bicycle helmets."  Read More

Elegance and practicality are a killer combination, and both are abundant in the latest concept from Peugeot. The company's rethinking of the traditional urban bicycle won't suit everyone, but it will almost certainly appeal to enough cyber-serfs to warrant production. The design highlight is the positioning of bike's leather laptop compartment, which is safer for the laptop, and provides a better balanced bike that's nimble and fun to ride. You can even lock the briefcase in place.  Read More

Pictures have finally emerged of the Vauxhall/Opel RAD e Concept pedelec (pedal-assist electric bicycle, in other words). "Pictures" is precisely the word, mind - these are computer renderings rather than product photos. Still, they give a good idea of what Vauxall/Opel has in mind (if nowhere else), and the accompanying press release gives one or two further points of insight.  Read More

People who commute by bicycle don't have to remove their pedals, racks or fenders when they park in public ... so why should their lights be any different? Well, because most battery-operated bike lights come off with the simple flick of a quick-release, or the turning of a single bolt. Massachusetts-based Gotham Bicycle Defense Industries, however, is attempting to address that problem with its Defender bike light. Not only is it theft-resistant, but it's also waterproof, and it looks like the light Dirty Harry would use - if he rode a bike.  Read More

Despite the continuous advances being made in lithium-ion battery technology, many cyclists still prefer to use dynamo-powered lights on their bikes – there’s no having to remember to recharge the batteries, no subsequent forgetting to put the light back on the bike, and no worrying about the batteries unexpectedly giving out mid-ride. Dynamos, however, have their own drawbacks. Friction-powered sidewall units slow the bike down and wear out the tire, while dynamo hubs must be built into the wheel, and add to the bike’s revolving weight. Now, however, German inventor Dirk Strothmann has created what he claims is a better alternative – a small, no-contact, self-contained dynamo bike light.  Read More

Many people now carry a powerful computer around with them wherever they go that can feed them the latest dose of gossip, keep them in constant touch with loved ones and can even guide a user from one place to another using GPS technology. Smartphones like the iPhone can also be used as cycling computers, offering the same kind of workout information produced by dedicated devices (like the Garmin Edge 500), but with all that useful multimedia and communications technology thrown into the pot too. The Bike Pack for iPhone from Wahoo includes a weatherproof case to protect the device, a proprietary fitness app, and a wireless speed and cadence sensor - all for a fraction of the cost of the Garmin device.  Read More