Bike

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

The race to produce a narrow, tilting, hybrid motorcycle/car/EV continues with another boutique manufacturer throwing its hat into the ring. This time, its Cherban who has released plans of its concept Urban Jet, a 150mph three-wheeler EV that is said to be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in less than 3.5 seconds. It’s a two-seater (bobsled style – though hopefully not as scary) that leans up to 45° into corners, and is reminiscent of the Dutch Carver (see it briefly in our video on the Nissan Landglider and other narrow track vehicles). Read More

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. Read More

We met with Sanyo's David Cabanban Sanyo at CES 2010 and he was kind enough to speak to us about the recent Sanyo-Panasonic alliance as well as Sanyo's new solar panel that is translucent, allowing it to capture solar energy not only from on top of the panel, but also from light reflected off the ground. David also took us through the finer points of the eneloop bike we first spied in December 2008 and we jumped aboard for a test ride. The bike features impressive power-assisted technology that amplifies the rider's pedaling, making cycling up hills or at speeds of up to 15mph that much easier. Read More

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. Read More

Nothing ruins a motorcycle trip like the smell of burning nylon and the sight of your possessions scattered across the highway. Soft-sided panniers are great when you want to pack some gear for a weekend getaway, but they’re not so great if they come into contact with your bike’s hot exhaust pipe. By applying a Zircotec ceramic coating to your bike’s exhaust system, the manufacturer says you can get rid of the heat shields and protect your panniers (and passenger!) from heat damage. Read More

The Texthook has been created by a stay-at-home mum who likes to keep in touch with the outside world. It’s a phone-holder that clips to your stroller’s handle bar and makes it easier for you to text or email while you're out and about (though the makers recommended you wait until the stroller is stationary before conversing electronically). Read More