Cycling
Evolve recumbent trike folds up in seconds, fits in trunk of smart car
Relatively obscure though recumbent bicycles are, many people appreciate the ergonomic and aerodynamic advantages of the quirky two-wheelers. If quirkiness is your thing, however, then a recumbent tricycle might be even more to your liking. Not only do they look pretty sharp, but they're also more stable than the bicycles. Unfortunately, however, most of them are also quite cumbersome to transport - can you imagine trying to carry one up a flight of stairs, or fit it inside a car? Fortunately, there are some recumbent trikes that fold up. One in particular has been lighting up the recumbent forums lately, as it folds very small, very fast. Read More
Whether you have the wind whistling in your ears on the highway, or the sound of scrunching tires coming from beneath you on a singletrack trail, it can often be difficult to hear what other cyclists are saying. While most of us are just content to yell “WHAT?”, Swedish wireless tech company Free2Move has what it thinks is a better idea – it’s HIOD One, a Bluetooth communications system designed specifically for cyclists. Read More
PowerWheel is designed to make your race bike go ... slower?
... and why on Earth, you may ask, would you want to go slower? Well, because it requires more effort to make a slow bike go fast, and the more effort you put into your training rides, the faster you’ll go when you swap in a regular front wheel on race day. That’s the idea behind the new PowerWheel and SlowWheel, made by TriSport Devices. Read More
What do cars have that bicycles don’t? Lots and lots of things, actually, but one of those is a rearview mirror. While both cyclists and drivers have to shoulder check when changing lanes, cyclists additionally have to twist all the way around in order to see what’s directly behind them. Helmet- and handlebar-mounted side mirrors are certainly one way to minimize that twisting, but for people who like stuff, there’s another – mini rearview camera and monitor systems. Cerevellum has just started taking orders for one called the Hindsight, which now has a competitor known as the Owl 360. Read More
High-end mountain bike has a 'Look' of its own
For many of us, the list of dream mountain bikes that we’ll never be able to afford just keeps growing. That said, quite a few of those bikes have a way of looking alike – after all, there are only so many variations on the basic upright bike frame that will stand up to off-road use. At this weekend’s Eurobike trade show in Germany, however, a pretty unique-looking full-suspension rig is making an appearance. It’s the Look 920, and as is the case with some high-end road bikes, its handlebar stem is integrated into the top tube. Read More
While heated handlebar grips may be nothing new for snowmobilers or motorcyclists, they’re something that mountain bikers have never been offered before – or have they? The comments board is open, if you know of a previous product. In any case, A’ME’s Clamp-On MTB Heated Tri Grips are just such an animal. If you’re a cold-weather cyclist who doesn’t like wearing thick gloves that cause your hands to get sweaty, they may be just what you’re looking for. Read More
While commuter bicycles can generally get by with a rear-wheel-only coaster brake, mountain and cyclocross bikes require both front and rear brakes – along with the hand levers used to activate them. Although this doesn’t pose much of a challenge for most riders, it does for those who only have the use of one hand. One possible solution is to use a system that joins both brake cables to one common end, which then goes into a conventional lever. Another solution, however, is to use Paul Component Engineering’s dual-cable Duplex lever. Read More
This sleek, human-powered missile on wheels is called Eiviestretto and it's one of the world's fastest recumbent bicycles or HPVs (human powered vehicles). On August 2nd, Francesco Russo of Switzerland rode this custom-built streamliner to beat the world record in one-hour cycling by covering a distance of 91.556 kilometers (56.89 miles). The new record was set on the DEKRA Test Oval track in Klettwitz, Germany. Read More
Riding a bicycle on busy streets full of motorized vehicles can be risky enough in the daytime, but it potentially becomes even more dangerous at night, when motorists are less likely to see cyclists. Much of that risk can be minimized by using a bright headlight and strobing taillight, although those don't do much to increase a cyclist's visibility when seen from the side - and even if they did, there's no such thing as being too bright. Two separate projects, however, are aimed at developing systems that would allow a bicycle's wheel rims to act as running lights that would be hard not to notice. Read More
Fallbrook Technologies released the NuVinci Continuously Variable (CVP) N170 transmission for bicycles in 2007. The rear hub-based system does away with distinct, defined gears, it’s sealed against dirt and other contaminants (unlike a derailleur), and it allows riders to change drive transmission ratios even when standing still. Last year, the company unveiled the NuVinci N360, which is smaller and lighter than the N170, yet has a wider range of ratios. This Tuesday, Fallbrook announced yet another incarnation of the technology – the NuVinci Harmony, which is an auto-shifting version of the N360. Read More
