The final day of Interbike 2013 still saw a lot of activity on the show floor, and allowed us to take in everything we (almost) missed including Colnago’s new road bike above. It was hard not to know this was a Colnago! Continue reading Interbike 2013: Sights From the Show Floor Day 3
Category: Sustainable
Breakdown Shoes
Most shoes will break down in time, but the 01M shoes are designed to biodegrade in months. The Spanish-made footwear, which offers a true minimalist design that could be ideal for barefoot running when you still want some coverage on the feet, are made of a vegetable-based plastic material. This means when the shoes start to show wear they can go in the compost bin and won’t end up a landfill.
01M Official Website
[Via GearJunkie: Shoe Made of ‘Vegetable Plastic’ Can Biodegrade in Months]
Made in America: Up and Pull
With summer soon to give way to fall we know that you can never have too many hoodies, and the Dirtball Pullover Hoodie offers more but uses less. It is made in the USA of 50 percent recycled cotton and 50 percent recycled plastic water bottles. So in other words it is almost like wearing a whole lot of nothing.
Interbike 2013 Preview: Swift Looking Socks
American-made Swiftwick compression socks will be at next month’s Interbike trade show. The company will look to show off its SUSTAIN sock line, which is made from post-industrial recycled nylon. The SUSTAIN line, which runs $12 to $17, offers compression and moisture-wicking capabilities, without the use of chemicals. Continue reading Interbike 2013 Preview: Swift Looking Socks
Weekend Reading List (08.24.2013): Upcycled Roof, Kobe Goes Anti-G, Cycle Cross
Upcycled Roof
From Gear Junkie: Metrodome Stadium Roof Material Made Into Luggage at Duluth Pack
In 2010, after a major accumulation of heavy snow in a storm, the roof of the massive Metrodome stadium in Minneapolis collapsed. More than three acres of the roof material, a Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric, had to be replaced. The material was headed to the landfill. But two people associated with the team made a deal to purchase the material for future use. Unveiled this past week, Minnesota brand Duluth Pack will construct a limited run of bags from the old Metrodome roof. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (08.24.2013): Upcycled Roof, Kobe Goes Anti-G, Cycle Cross
Won’t Fade Away
Some things just fade away, but that’s not what the designers of the FADER Boards hope will happen with their Kickstarter project, which is looking to help roll out a new line of skateboards. Part of the idea is to look cool with LED lights to allow skating at night.
However, this is only part of what Kramer Kitty is hoping to do with his FADER boards. He’s been creating a simple board that can be used to “cruise” as a means of transportation. In many cases he was recycling old decks to create new boards. He is now looking to provide free boards and even roller blades to struggling communities. All was going well, until he received a notice from the city calling for him to stop making boards in his garage.
Now he’s turning to crowd funding to help have the boards made in California and get his business rolling. Continue reading Won’t Fade Away
BA Boards
When we think we of BA, we think of Mr. T’s character from The A-Team. But BA Surfboards is something completely different – and they are launching an Indiegogo project to launch a line of eco-friendly surfboards.They want to create boards that are free of toxic resins and will instead use a UV curing resin that will ensure boards can be recycled when they’re not fit to surf anymore.
We wish them luck at catching some investors and waves. And we pity the fool that thinks toxic resins are OK. Continue reading BA Boards
Tubed Wallet
We’ve seen a number of “upcycled” products, and Jason Lauritzen’s Simple Wallet is one that lives up to the name. He has taken used bicycle tubes and created ride-read wallets – which can be used even by those that don’t bike. This creates a nice use for tubes that might otherwise end up in a landfill. The check won’t bounce but maybe the wallet will! Video after the jump
Fix the World
Bicycle maker Pure Fix announced this month that will donate $100 from the sale of two special edition bikes – The Uniform and The Yankee – to Charity:Water, an organization that funds water projects in developing countries. The Uniform features Pure Fix’s standard fixie frame in yellow with a black fork and black deep-section wheels. The Yankee has a matte black frame with yellow deep-section wheels. Retail prices start at $325, depending on options.
This sounds like quite the pure intention to us.
3D Printing Takes to the Waves
We’re in a golden age for the DIY set. Not only can you build it if you can envision it, but now you can print it as well. Start-up Made Smartboards is looking to revolutionize the customized surfboard industry, where the board can be made based on your body size, your surfing style and even the conditions in which you ride.
To create a truly customized board Shanon Marks, the founder of the company, is looking to 3D printing, which also means no material or resources are wasted. Moreover there is no Styrofoam to use or discard he said. Only what is needed is printed, and each frame is wrapped in bamboo, sealed in fiberglass and ready to catch the wave.
Sounds like a board that was made right, made smart. Video after the jump
Alchemy Goods Expands Product Line
As we’ve reported recently more and more of those old bicycle tubes are being kept out of landfills and are being used in “upcycled” products thanks to the efforts of several companies. Earlier this month it was announced that that Trek and REI have partnered up with Alchemy Goods to form a national bike tube recycling network. Together the three hope to collect more than a million bike tubes by the end of 2014.
This network includes more than 600 Trek bicycle dealers and 1,800 retailers — REI stores and independent bike shops — and is represented in nearly every state. That should go a long way in finding uses for those tubes that typically get tossed after a flat tire.
[Via Environmental Leader: Trek, REI Join Bike Tube Recycling Network]
Weekend Reading List (07.20.2013): Head Studies, Board Builder, Kit or Gear?
Head Studies
From The Chronicle of Higher Education: A Brain Gone Bad
Researchers clear the fog of chronic head trauma
The first thing Patient 53 saw as he walked in was a red football helmet. A groan rattled through his vending-machine-sized frame. “The last thing I want to see,” he said, “is a football helmet..” Continue reading Weekend Reading List (07.20.2013): Head Studies, Board Builder, Kit or Gear?
Pulp Nonfiction
Bike sharing is a great way to get around a city without actually owning a bike. The problem is that when using a shared bike things like helmets aren’t exactly provided. The idea of “shared” helmets are in development, but these require sanitization after each use.
The Paper Pulp Helmet offers another solution, which its creators are looking to bring to market. While still in the concept stage the Paper Pulp Helmet was developed by Royal College Of Art in London graduates Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen, and Ed Thomas. These helmets can be made from newspapers collected from around the public transport network in London. These discarded papers are mixed with water to create a pulp, which in turn an organic element is added. Pigment is added to help differentiate the size.
The mixture is vacuum-formed into a shape, heated and then left to dry. The result is a simply helmet that can be reused or recycled. More importantly it can be sold for around £1 each (US$1.50), thus providing an expensive brain bucket for riders. Video after the jump