httpv://youtu.be/Uy0-qE3q_T8
Modding king Ben Heck can do anything with a solder gun and some electrical circuits. What he did recently via his Ben Heck Show webcast was to create a wearable turn signal. The video above shows how he did it!
Tag: Bicycle
Public Pump
Bike Fixtation was launched as a way to provide public works stands and vending machines to aid riders who might not be able to find a shop. Now the company is introducing durable and theft-proof pumps that will allow riders to get some air when it is most needed.
Churning for Ice Cream
After a long ride you may feel like you’ve earned a treat. Maybe you’ve burned enough calories for an ice cream even. One creamery, the Peddler’s Creamery in Los Angeles, makes sure you’ve earned those calories. The ice cream shop makes artisan bicycle-churned organic dairy and non-dairy ice cream. Continue reading Churning for Ice Cream
Bike Storage Options Save Space
Ever since we had to find a way to store five bikes in a New York City apartment – and still have living space for ourselves – we keep an eye out for new ways to store bikes. Now that we’re in a house we have a little more space, but still like to keep our growing fleet of two-wheeled cycles neat and manageable. Apartment Therapy has a round-up of 10 solutions that hang on the wall, ceiling, or just help your bike stand on the floor without risking a fall every time you walk by. Check out some of the options they’ve found. How do you keep your bikes out of the way?
[via Apartment Therapy: Park It: Small Space Bike Solutions]
Bike Speakers Bring the Noise
The loneliness of the long distance ride can be unbearable at times. While it is one thing to take in the scenery and enjoy the ride sometimes a little music will make that climb or just the miles on the road go by a little quicker. Headphones – especially in-ear headphones or earbuds – can block the outside world, and while that might seem a good idea in fact it really isn’t. Continue reading Bike Speakers Bring the Noise
Zuri Handcrafted Bamboo Bicycles
Bamboo as a material for bicycles isn’t really that new. There have been a few companies that have used the fast-growing, ultra-strong grass as a material choice for frame design. The latest is German-owned Zuri, which might seem as an odd choice as bamboo isn’t exactly native to the Rhine or Black Forrest.
However, the hand built bikes are actually produced in Africa from locally grown bamboo. The venture was started by David Hoffmann and Philipp Sayler of Munich, who set up shop in Zambia where the bamboo is harvested. The pair also look for bamboo that has real character and grain to give the bikes a nice sense of style. Continue reading Zuri Handcrafted Bamboo Bicycles
The Porsche of Bicycles
We’ve seen various automakers jumping on the bicycle bandwagon – Ferrari, Audi and Lamborghini to name a few – but the Porsche 911 caught our eyes. This isn’t actually a Porsche concept however, but rather is a dream coming from Dutch industrial designer Bastiaan Kok, who looked to create a bike that replicated the look of the famous Porsche automobile.
So will it see actual production we don’t know, but we can dream too. Additional images after the jump
Bicycle Museum of America Welcomes RoundTail to Exhibits
RoundTail is about to join the ranks of historical bicycles at the Bicycle Museum of America in New Bremen, Ohio. This Thursday, June 21, at 11:30 am, one of RoundTail’s first production prototypes will enter the museum to be placed on display. Continue reading Bicycle Museum of America Welcomes RoundTail to Exhibits
Crash Test Dummy Developed for Bikes
Automotive designers have long used the so-called “crash test dummies” to determine how a passenger in a car will fare in a crash. Now students at Ottawa’s Carlton University have developed a crash test dummy specifically for testing bicycle equipment.
Dubbed “Superman,” this dummy doesn’t actually ride a bike but rather can fly – perhaps earning his moniker – over the handlebars at speeds in excess of 15 mph, crash into an obstacle or make impact with the ground. This is done to simulate head and neck injuries, will also determining what other injuries a rider may sustain.
[Via The Toronto Sun: Researchers make crash test dummy for bikes]
Made in America: Vuelta USA Bicycle Chainrings
Finding a bicycle frame made in America is actually pretty easy. Though most of the big names have sent production overseas, there always seems to be a new hand built frame maker popping up. The same used to hold true for component manufacturers, but it is much harder to find companies that still make their products in the U.S.A. Chris King, Paul Components and Wheels Manufacturing are just a few of the companies that remain, but there are even fewer who still make chainrings. Vuelta USA of Pacoima, California is one of probably less than five companies that still manufacture chainrings in America and may be the only one that offers such an extension selection of sizes. Continue reading Made in America: Vuelta USA Bicycle Chainrings
From the High Tech To Low Tech – Roof Rack Reminders Can Help Protect the Bike
As our friends at BikeRadar.com noted last week “Roof rack reminders could save your bike,” because we either have done it or know someone who has done it – driving into the garage with the bike on the roof of the car. The result is never pretty for the garage, the car and especially the bike. As the spring riding season is coming up, US Editor Matt Pacocha offered a piece that looked at a range of products designed to remind those with bicycle roof-racks that the bike is up there. Continue reading From the High Tech To Low Tech – Roof Rack Reminders Can Help Protect the Bike
Sunday Q&A: Velolet – “The Orbitz” of Bicycle Rental
While many types of transportation can fill in the blank in the statement, “Have ________ Will Travel,” typically when traveling a bike can be a pain to bring along. But renting a bike can have problems as many shops don’t always have high-end bikes available and you’re often subject to a first come, first served.
Now there is another way; where you can browse online, find the bike of the level you desire, book and be ready to ride when you arrive at your destination. Velolet is an online bike rental platform, dubbed the Orbitz of bike rental, designed specifically for the bike industry and the needs of brands, bike shops, and cyclists in that industry. Dan Clearly of Velolet tells us how the service works. Continue reading Sunday Q&A: Velolet – “The Orbitz” of Bicycle Rental
Made in America: Lynskey Performance Products
Even though the company Lynskey Performance Products has only been around since 2006, the Lynskey name has been involved with the bicycle industry much longer. Back in 1986, David Lynskey merged his knowledge of exotic metals, gained through the years of experience that has family had in the metals industry, with his desire to build a lighter bike frame for competition. The result was the beginning of the titanium bicycle frame company, Litespeed. For the next 13 years, David Lynskey, along with other family members, were the faces behind the name ‘Litespeed’ until they sold the company to the American Bicycle Group in 1999. A few years went by and the non-compete agreements expired, but the desire to build titanium bicycle frames never did die. In 2005, with the encouragement of their mother, the Lynskey family decided to jump back into the bicycle business and Lynskey Performance Products was born on January 1, 2006. Video after the jump