Bicycle

While it might be better known for vehicles of the motorized variety, for over 60 years BMW has also been manufacturing a range of high-end bicycles. The company’s new 2011 range provides something for everyone – or at least everyone with a well stocked wallet – with a Cruise Bike, Touring Bike and a couple of mountain bikes. And for the first time BMW has extended its M Series branding to its two-wheeled vehicles, but despite the M standing for Motorsport it’s not for a motorbike, but rather the new 2011 BMW M Bike Carbon Racer bicycle. Read More

Engineers from the Bristol wing of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) have announced the development of the first bicycle using Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) technology. The manufacturing process involves "growing" the components from a fine nylon powder, similar in concept to 3D printing. Said to be as strong as steel, the end product is claimed to contain only a fraction of the source material used by traditional machining, and the process results in much less waste. It also has the potential to take manufacture to precisely where the component or product is needed, instead of being confined to factories often located a great distance away. Read More

As the Missing Persons song goes, “nobody walks in LA.” But with the release of the 2010 Los Angeles Bicycle Plan, the city hopes to make it easier to ride there. As part of the city’s commitment to transform LA from an auto-centric metropolis to a city with a multi-modal transportation system, the City of Los Angeles has released the draft 2010 Los Angeles Bicycle Plan, which designates 1680 miles (2700 km) of bikeway facilities and proposes three new bicycle networks that will crisscross the city. Read More

If you’ve shelled out several thousand dollars for a high-end road or mountain bike, it’s understandable that you might want to bring it with you when you travel to far-away cycling locales. Should you be traveling to compete in a race, it’s pretty much essential that you bring the bike you’ve trained on. It’s also understandable, however, that you might not want to entrust the safety of your precious cargo to a simple cardboard box or giant plastic bag. While several companies offer foam-padded bicycle-shipping cases, Biknd takes a different approach with its Helium case – it uses inflatable air bladders to protect your ride. Read More

If you’ve ever tried to install a rooftop or rear-end bike rack on your car, then you’ll know what a hassle it can be. You have to put the thing together, carefully line everything up, run the hooks under your roofline or hatch, then try to tighten it all down simultaneously so everything doesn’t get pulled to one side. According to the folks at SeaSucker, however, their racks attach and come off in seconds, thanks to an attachment system that involves nothing but rubber cups. Read More

The name Sinclair was stamped on single-person electric transport way back in 1985 with the world's first mass produced electric vehicle – the Sinclair C5. Fast forward to 2010, drop a wheel, shed lots of weight, add modern batteries and you start to get a picture of the newly developed Sinclair Research X-1. Essentially an electric-assist recumbent bicycle with an open-sided fairing, it has the aerodynamics, ergonomic pedaling position and weather protection of a velomobile, yet its weight and price are closer to those of an electric-assist bicycle. Read More

Camping, especially when it’s not car-supported camping, is all about reducing what you have to carry with you. If someone comes along with a tent that doesn’t require poles, then that’s definitely welcome news. As its name implies, however, what Topeak’s Bikamper does require instead is a bicycle – probably a little bulkier to carry with you than tent poles, but presumably the folks at Topeak are assuming that you would have the bike with you already, anyway. Read More

With its chunky fat tires, 14-speed gears and centrally-located electric motor, the Hanebrink all-terrain vehicle looks like a fun ride. Built to cope with a multitude of off-road situations with style and speed, the pedal-assist electric bike is classified as a bicycle throughout the U.S. so should also be good for popping down to the local mall and hauling back the week's shopping on the rear cargo rack. It's also managed to claim first place in the very first Interbike Hill Climb Challenge. Read More

Cutting edge New York artist Josh Hadar has created a three-wheel electric bike that is sure to turn heads. Based around a sprawling, chopper-like frame similar to that used in his earlier pedal powered designs such as "Uncle Stew's Trike", Hadar's new creation has a range of up to 30 miles and puts out 15 kilowatts at its peak, which, when combined with the weight of four 12-volt lead-acid batteries and two chunky wheels at the rear, is reportedly more than enough to put you on your derriere. Read More