Via TreeHugger.com
It's amazing what an Olympic victory can do for a country's cycling fervor. Yes, as noted by The Times' transport correspondent, Ben Webster, the British are in the midst of a cycling revival of sorts -- fueled as much by the recent hikes in energy prices as by their target='new'team's epic haul at the Beijing Olympics. The squad, which boasted two Olympic track cycling champions and a BMX world champion, took home an impressive 12 medals -- 7 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze -- to top the medal table in that category. That cycling prowess seems to have rubbed off on a large section of the population in the last few months, resulting in record numbers in London and other major cities.
Article continues: Olympic Success Converts Millions of British to Cycling
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Olympic Success Converts Millions of British to Cycling
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Popovych rejoins Discovery Team... Err I Meant Astana
Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych completes the 2009 Team Astana roster. Popovych will support leaders Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador in Grand Tours.
Cycling Quote of the Week...
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle. ~Ernest Hemingway
A Dog In A Hat...
Dog in a Hat, a book about an American racing in Belgium, reads like the racer — Joe Parkin — was just telling you these epic stories on a ride, up a climb, or at a coffee shop. I guess that Joe’s friends convinced him to write this book after years of hearing his stories, laughing, embellishing them, and imagining themselves what it’s like to race the Hell of the North. Joe did that and more. I expect when you get dropped by Joe, the grumbles are, “yeah drop me on this local hammerhead ride, but he got dropped all over Liege-Bastogne-Liege, whatever … .”
And that’s the beauty of this book and story. It’s not a hero’s journey, but instead a racer’s tale, including drugs, betrayal, crazy stuff. A story about getting flat-ass dropped and waking up in a whorehouse to race again.
Think about the determination it takes us to finish our local Tuesday night world championship and here’s Joe: a stranger in a strangeland, racing with some crazy-ass mofos.
Ah Yes - The Beer Refreshing
Ah yes, second only to coffee as the refreshment of choice for cyclists, this photo from the BBC reminded me to post about seasonal beers.
Via Bikehugger.com
Spare Tire Belt
Green meets style in the Spare Tire Belt ($45). This smooth black belt is hand-made from reclaimed bicycle inner tube with canvas labels, pop rivets and nickel plated belt fasteners. Pair with jeans for a unique casual look.
Monday, November 10, 2008
RFID programs aim to make bike theft a thing of the past
Biking is becoming more and more popular in cities due to people looking for alternate modes of transportation that are eco-friendly. And with cities looking to reduce congestion, they're making it easier for people to get around by bike. But a raise in bike use brings with it a raise in bike theft. And that requires some high tech preventative measures.
There are three new and clever systems being put in place that use wireless RFID tags to protect people's bikes. One in the University of Porsmouth in the UK attaches a tag to your bike that's connected to your phone. If your bike is moved without you unlocking it via your phone, a camera catches the culprit in the act. The similar program at Oregon State University attaches bugs to students bikes so they can be identified and recovered if stolen. And there's a very similar program going on in Copenhagen. In the future, hopefully bike theft will be much less of an issue thanks to these groundbreaking programs.
Via Treehugger
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Custom-made Gold Shoes for the Olympic champion
"These gold road shoes are a reminder of a great race in Beijing. I hope to get some extra morale!"
Jeweled Carbon Bikes for Rich Kids , Are You Kidding?
This Christmas, gift your little one a Swarovski bike, and you will never have to explain to them the benefits of outdoor sports. Pinco Pallino, the company which specializes in clothing for high-end babies, has signed a global distribution agreement with De Rosa, marking production of exclusive pieces for the world of cycling, best known by the more experienced connoisseurs. The two models include a “silver” one featured above with Swarovski crystals designed for girls and the “black” one featured below with a “1950” mark on it is meant for boys.
No further information can be had including the price tag and availability. The designer bikes were on display at the cycle and motorcycle exhibition at Milan.New US Patent says "Cyclist Are Human Too" via a Traffic Loop Sensor Trigger For Bikes That Gets You More Green Lights
A common problem for bicyclists, and in particular for bicycle commuters, is the traffic loop sensor. These are the devices which detect the presence of vehicles to control the sequencing of traffic lights at many intersections. Often, they are installed in figure-eight slits cut into the pavement near a traffic light.
Those traffic loop sensors embedded at stop lights to detect the presence of a car have always provided fodder for vehicular snake oil vendors: I've seen products promising to eliminate red lights ONCE AND FOR ALL by ingeniously fooling a mysterious (but gullible, apparently) system hidden below the pavement. While false promises abound, this patent for bicycles seems to be more on the legit side, and could result in more carefree whizzing through intersections than previously allowed.
The systems work by detecting the shift in inductance caused by a huge metal object being in the vicinity of a charged loop of wire embedded in the road, thus knowing when someone is waiting for a light chane. Bikes, naturally, have a hard time tripping these sensors, which are calibrated to avoid false positives by smaller objects. This sensor, then, emits a signal which fools the sensors at the press of a button. Carry on, cyclists, carry on.
A bit too bulky, and it sure eliminates any idea of clearance, but maybe it can get smaller & lighter in the future.
Via Plan Bravo via BBG
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Bicycle Film Festival 2008. It’s Not Too Late
I’ve given kudos to the Bicycle Film Festival for years, for spreading the word about this most miraculous of vehicles, so why should I stop now. Although, admittedly, I have arrived less than early to the party. But the annual festival still has four gigs before it slams on the brakes for yet another year.
Having just finished in Paris, the show now moves Down Under. It will be playing in Sydney, Australia on 13-15 November, before heading further south to Melbourne (19-23 Nov). Then it flies off for a penultimate performance Milano, Italy (26-30 Nov). The movies, events, swap meets, art displays, performances and general good times wind up its eighth successful year in Portland, Oregon on 11-13 December.
Whilst some of the program remains the same in all cities, plenty of local content is also assured so click those links above for more details.
::Bicycle Film Festival 2008
Bodum Chambord 8-Cup Press & Thermal Glasses
While high-end coffee makers promise ultimate convenience, I (and many others) say there's still nothing quite like a french press.
The Bodum Chambord 8-Cup Press & Thermal Glasses ($40) brews up to 8 cups of coffee the old-fashioned way, and features a built-in, three-piece stainless steel filter, a polished stainless lid and holder, a wide black handle and knob, and a glass carafe.
As a bonus, the set includes two 12-oz. Pavina double wall glasses, giving you everything you need for a great coffee experience.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Exploding bike lock shows bike thieves who's boss
Enter the exploding bike lock.
The exploding bike lock is pretty self explanatory: it's a bike lock that blows up if you try to cut it instead of opening it properly. It works like anti-theft tags on clothes by spraying a permanent dye everywhere when it's cut, so the potential thief is covered and easily identified. Is it a perfect solution? No, but it's a clever step forward for bike security...
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Claw Bike Storage From ABC's "American Inventor" Available For Pre-Order
If you caught ABC's "American Inventor" last season you may remember "The Gladiator Claw" bicycle storage device as one of the finalists. Well, the folks behind the Claw have used the startup money earned from the show to turn their idea of a push-button catch and release storage hook into reality.
Basically, it is a modest but clever upgrade to basic hook systems, but if you have a really nice bike it may be worth dropping an extra $60 on. Plus, I don't see why it could not be used for other items as well.
The Claw is now available to pre-order from Amazon.com for a November 15th release.
Amazon and The Claw via Crunchgear
Bike mounted generator harnesses energy from your bouncing butt to light up the road
Ask any serious bike racer, and they'll tell you that a bike needs to be as stiff as possible to avoid wasting energy. That fine for hard core racers, but most of us want our rides to be comfortable too, so we buy bikes with a nice cushy seat, and a springy suspension system to help smooth out the bumps.
Designer Deco Goodman decided that there must be a way to harness that wasted movement, so he developed the Commuter Cyclist's Sustainable Energy Source. Attached to the seat post, this device harnesses movements in the seat post spring, along with energy produced by the brakes and a wheel mounted generator system, to deliver an electrical charge that powers a headlight and built in tail light. It also charges a battery which can then be used to juice up your cellphone, or top off your iPod so you have some tunes for the ride home.
This looks a whole lot more practical that some bike mounted wind generators I've seen.
Deco Goodman, via Dvice.com
Sunday, November 2, 2008
An exercise bike that chills beers makes exercise more appealing...
If you're trying to get yourself to exercise more, you need the proper motivation. Sure, losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle are OK motivations I guess, but I prefer a more tangible incentive: beer. Frosty, cold beer.
That's why this exercise bike would be perfect for me. It's got a heat pump attached to it, so if you drop a beer in and pedal enough, it'll cool it off for you. So you can time your workouts instead of by calories burned or minutes biked but by beers cooled. Once you chill up a six pack, it's time to stop. What a healthy system!
PEGE, via Treehugger
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