Technabob » bike

Bicycle Upgraded with Train Horns Sure to Clear the Way

Technabob — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:54:07 +0000

Ever find yourself on your bike, only to be cut off by some jerk who doesn’t think bikes belong on the road? Or maybe you’re slowed down by some peds hogging the bike path. While you could try and ring your little bicycle bell or squeeze your meek little horn, you’re much more likely to get their attention with the horns they use on a train or an 18-wheeler. That’s exactly what DIYer Chad Thoren (aka “The Chadster“) did with his bike.

The Chadster outfitted his bike with a large dual-trumpet horn from a train, connected up to a tank filled with compressed air. He says this produces much louder results than you get by just hooking up the horns to an air compressor, so I can only imagine how loud it really is. The video clip below gives you a sense of it, but I’m guessing that in person, it’s much more startling.

The rather simple build requires a cruiser in order to provide a large rack for holding the compressed air cylinder, along with some hose, bungee cords and duct tape. Chad provides instructions on how to build your own over on Instructables, but recommends that you only use it to give pedestrians a scare (and maybe a heart attack,) and not riding in vehicular traffic. Personally, the bigger problem I see is that the rider of the bike probably needs to wear earplugs when riding if they don’t want to go deaf.

OSSA Monocasco Electric Bike Concept: 1970s Style, 21st Century Tech

Range — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:00:42 +0000

This concept electric bike looks like an updated version of the original OSSA Monocasco bike that Santiago Herrero rode in the 1970s. However, this bike is an electric version, so you can use it pretty much anywhere without worrying about fuel efficiency and harming the environment. While it probably won’t burn the kind of rubber that the original did, it is an appealing compact and energy-efficient package.

The Monocasco Concept Bike was designed by ART-TIC Team and it’s a tribute to the original OSSA Monocasco and Herrero, who died on his OSSA in the 1970 Grand Prix. It’s definitely got that classic café racer look.

To make it into an comfortable everyday city bike though, the seating position might have to be changed a bit.

It will be interesting to see if this electric bike ever gets made. Since it was designed for OSSA, it’s always a possibility.

[via Yanko Design]

Peugeot DL 122: The Bike for the Computing Commuter

Range — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:00:51 +0000

Commuting on bikes is becoming more and more popular, with the rising costs in for fuel and public transportation and the reward that you can actually get fit while getting to work on time. Here’s an interesting concept for an urban commuter bike designed by Lauren Picard for Peugeot, the French car maker.

The DL 122 urban bike includes a built-in carrier for laptops, briefcases and documents. The items will fit securely between the two walls of the main frame and lock into place. The items will also maintain the center of gravity of the bike, allowing it to provide a better balance, contrary to backpacks and saddle bags.

The bike is made out of wood and aluminum, with a leather saddle and grips. It has compact 20-inch wheels and a hub that offers 8 speeds.

At this point, it’s only a one-off prototype, but I could definitely see this bike being a winner if they decided to put it into production.

[via designboom]

Bike Planters: A Little Green Goes a Long Way

Hazel Chua — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:00:01 +0000

I read a lot about the “Green Revolution” over the last weekend, since it was one of the topics covered in my school Finals. You’d think that something with that name would have something to do with saving the environment, right? Wrong. It’s actually a movement that pushed for advancements in the field of agriculture, such as the use of pesticides, fertilizers, and other advanced farming methods that increased crop yields but caused the deterioration of the soil and of the environment, in general.

But what do you think about starting your very own Green Revolution – and I mean, the truly green kind? The Earth is at the stage where we people need to start giving back instead of consistently just taking. One way to do this is by carrying a little bit of green everywhere we go with this portable Bike Planter.

These tiny 2.3″ tall, 3D printed planters from Wearable Planter (yes they sell ones you can wear on your person too) let you carry your favorite plant with you wherever, whenever. Because of its small footprint, the Bike Planter is happiest carrying around clippings from succulents or air plants. Most bike riders I know are already eco-conscious, and this just lets them prove their point further.

The Bike Planter is available for $45(USD) over on Etsy.

[via Inspire Me Now via Likecool]

Boxx Electric Bike is as Small as Basic Transportation Gets

Conner Flynn — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:02 +0000

City life is tough. Sure, you can walk most anywhere you want or take a cab, but having your own mode of transport gives you a bit of freedom. But cars are expensive. Bikes are good, but require a lot of energy on your part. Mopeds are an option, but not if you can’t store them – never mind the emissions from the gas-powered ones. The BOXX electric vehicle seems like the perfect solution.

Reminiscent of the design of the old Honda Motocompo, the BOXX It’s basically a small box on wheels that can go up to 80 miles in a single charge, with a top speed of up to 35mph. It measures just 36 inches-long, weighs 120 pounds, and can handle a single passenger from 90 to 300 pounds. It’s got a suprisingly rich feature set for its size, including drive-by-wire control systems, all-wheel drive, traction control, anti-lock brakes, LED lighting and an optional heated seat for cold weather.

It takes up less space than a standard bicycle, and fits just about anywhere. Sadly, you have to be rich right now to own one since it will cost you $3,995(USD). If you have the money, it seems perfect for city living. If you want one, head on over to the BOXX product configurator now.

[via Redferret]

Ridekick Trailer Turns Any Bike Into an Electric Bike

Range — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:00:14 +0000

Have you ever wished that you had an electric bike, especially while hauling groceries home from the store? Well the Ridekick trailer promises to do everything an electric bike does, plus offer you some extra storage space as well. It also allows you to unhitch the trailer and go without using electric power.

The Ridekick trailer has got a 1HP/500W electric motor. The twelve amp-hour rechargeable battery is enough for a maximum range of 12 miles and a top speed of 20 mph. The throttle control can be affixed to your handlebars, and can be used to give you that little extra boost while hauling cargo or heading up a steep hill.

Ridekick costs $699 (USD), so it’s cheaper than the vast majority of electric bikes out there. It will certainly enable people who wouldn’t normally consider using bikes everyday to do so, thanks to the extra power.

[via Inhabitat via DVice]

Scooter + Bike = Scoobike

Hazel Chua — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:00:14 +0000

I learned how to ride a bike pretty late in life (not sure if I can say that I really know how to “ride” one – “wobble” is more like it.) So when I’m tired of wobbling and the occasional swerve sometimes, I hop off and walk the rest of the way to my destination instead.

It takes a longer time for me to get home or meet up with my friends, but really, it would probably take longer if I forced it by pedaling the whole way. Which brings me to why I think the Scoobike is a really neat design for a totally different and efficient way of getting around.

The Scoobike was designed by Ardhyaska Amy. It’s a scooter and bike in one, hence it’s name, Scoobike. Pedal away when you need to get someplace quick, or just scoot along and appreciate your surroundings if you have a bit more time in your hands. It’s equipped with pedal-powered LED lights as well so you won’t get lost or bump into something in your path.

[via Yanko Design]

Jet-Powered Harley Sold on eBay: Hell Yeah!

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:39:20 +0000

This is the ultimate motorcycle if you ask me. I have wanted a jet bike since I was a kid when that Battlestar Galactica TV Movie had Starbuck and Apollo flying around on jet bikes. This jet bike doesn’t fly, but it is something special – a 1929 style Harley with two jet engines.

I can only imagine it’s a flaming death trap waiting to kill anyone that sits on it. I can also imagine it will cook your legs all the way through before it blows up and kills you. The special bike was created by Robert Maddox with the goal of hitting 200mph.

I can’t imagine going on a motorcycle at 200mph, much less on a bike with a pair of jet engines under your butt. Still, death on wheels never looked so cool. This is one serious cool bit of kit and it just sold to one lucky buyer on eBay for a whopping $25,000 (USD).

[via Autoblog & The Kneeslider via Bornrich]

Primer-V2 Robot Rides a Bike, No Training Wheels Needed

Conner Flynn — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:00:24 +0000

We’ve seen robots that are capable of riding bikes (and unicycles) before, but usually they are slower than this guy. PRIMER-V2 also seems to have a ton of confidence. It’s crazy how good this little ‘bot is at riding his bike. I now foresee a future where bots will roam the streets doing sweet tricks on their BMXs and Huffys. Do they still have those?

This bot can reach speeds of 6 mph and uses centrifugal force from its front wheel and a gyro that helps with steering when going in a straight line. He really looks like a kid that just learned to ride and is doing great. And just like a kid, PRIMER-V2′s braking method is to use its metal feet to slow the forward motion of the bike.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

At times, our robot future is looking less scary at times, and more comical. I can’t wait to see all of the bike-riding and skateboarding bots at various parks and playgrounds. First they took our jobs, then they took our kids’ pastimes.

[via Geek]

Write a Bike Concept Makes Sure Your Bike Never Gets Stolen Again

Hazel Chua — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:00:11 +0000

Okay, so it’s going to take more than having your name fashioned literally from the bike itself with the Write a Bike Concept, but it sure it a good start. (But for ways to really secure your bike from thieves, then you could try checking out the Bike Lock handlebars concept or check your bike into the Bike Vault. Your choice.)

The Write a Bike concept by Juri Zaech is definitely a fun one, but there are obvious flaws. First, bikes with parts that just float because of what name is fashioned on it just won’t work. Unless you just plan to push your bike around and walk beside it, that is.

But if the designer somehow manages to turn his Write a Bike concept into a (safe and sound) reality, then it might deter would-be thieves because it would be so much easier to spot them trying to sell a personalized bike or even ride in one. (A rugged man on a bike with the name Mathilde on it? No, I don’t think so.)

[via Design Milk via Gadgets Matrix]

Owl 360 Rear View Bike Camera: Safety Improvement, or an Accident Waiting to Happen?

Range — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:00:27 +0000

If you bike a lot, you know that anything that distracts you from the road ahead will potentially cause an accident. I’ve had a few, and one of them actually just involved playing with my cycling computer. I ended up in the hospital. I’m concerned that the Owl 360 camera, which promises to let you check up what’s behind you on your bike, will end up causing more accidents that it saves. Then again, it’s cool to have the option of having eyes in the back of your head.

The Owl 360′s camera is mounted beneath your rear seat, so it’s not optimal for most cyclists who have their tool bag strapped on there. The rechargeable battery lasts for 5 hours, and the system is weather-proof. The camera is IR sensitive for night use, and you can pop off the screen and take it with you so nobody steals it.

There are definitely some downsides with a system like this, but ultimately, if seeing what’s going on behind you has been a problem, this is a product that could help. You can pre-order the Owl 360 for $180(USD) over at their website.

[via Gizmag]

Revolights Turn Your Bike Tires into Lights

Technabob — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:39:35 +0000

I’ve seen a number of products which let you turn your bike wheels and spokes into a source of illumination, but I have to say that the Revolights are the best idea I’ve seen yet. Not only do they make your bike look almost as cool as a TRON lightcycle, but they actually help illuminate the road – possibly better than conventional headlights.

Kent Frankovich, Adam Pettler and Jim Houk designed Revolights to actually replace that crummy little headlight and red taillight you might have on your bicycle with something much more sexy and useful. A normal headlight projects light out from the front of the bike and then down to the ground, but the Revolight actually casts light directly from the rim of your front wheel forward and onto the ground beneath the tire.

Similarly, the top-rear segment of the rear tire illuminates in red, providing a bright and functional taillight.

Revolights use a series of thin LED rings that mount to each wheel rim, and then use a small magnet to provide information about speed and position of the wheel to the system’s controller so it can illuminate the correct bank of LEDs at the right time.

At this point, the Revolight is in the later stages of prototyping and they’re ready to move onto the next stage of development before offering them to the public. That said, the Revolight team has a Kickstarter project going on for the next few days to raise funds for the final prototypes leading up to a product release.

A pledge of $200 or more will get you a set of Revolights once produced, and they’ve already blown through their initial goal of $43,500 by almost $100,000 – so you know there’s a market for these things.

PumpTire: Tire Inflates Itself As You Ride

Hazel Chua — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:00:13 +0000

I like taking the occasional bike ride out into the country to relax and unwind from a long, hard week at work. However, I’ve had to forego impromptu bike trips and postpone because I found that the tires were out of air and that my pump or spare tires were nowhere to be found.

But then, came the PumpTire.

The PumpTire is a revolutionary design by Benjamin Krempel that’s currently up for funding on Kickstarter. The tire actually employs a mechanism that pumps your bike tires as you pedal and move along, ensuring that you will never have a flat tire or ever have to manually pump some air into your tires – if all goes well, that is.

The PumpTire is fitted with a valve and a special inner tube that work hand-in-hand to determine if your tires are full or if they could still use a pump or two of air. As you can see from the video clip, Krempel already has a working prototype of the PumpTire, and just needs funds to ramp up production.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Krempel has listed the goal for his project as $250,000 (USD). The project has managed to raise around $9,000 as of now, so it seems that the group is still a long way off from reaching their goal. If you want to help out, you can make a pledge on PumpTire’s Kickstarter page. A $75 pledge will get you a pair of PumpTires, along with innertubes and pressure control valves, assuming the project reaches its funding goal.

[via TDW Geeks via Dvice]

HAF X Mini Bike Casemod: Log On, then Ride Off

Technabob — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:18:45 +0000

I’ve seen a couple of computer mods that look like motorcycles before, and even a scooter computer, but I think this is the best combo of computer and motorized vehicle I’ve seen yet.

The HAF X Mini Bike casemod is actually both a fully-functional gaming PC and a gas-powered mini bike, capable of carrying its builder along for a ride.

Built by René Grau from CM Storm, the system is based on an CoolerMaster HAF X chassis, with an Intel Core i5 CPU, and a 4GB GeForce GTX460 graphics card, running on a Mini-ITX mobo. Storage is provided by a 300GB SSD, so the guy who built it doesn’t have to worry about bumps in the road damaging a hard drive. It also sports dual exhaust and a two-stroke engine, with a top speed of about 40MPH – unusual stats for a PC.

Looking for proof that it actually works as a PC, and as a bike? Look no further than this video clip, which shows it handling double-duty.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

What’s the last time you saw someone pouring gasoline into their computer? And before you even ask – no, you can’t use the system while riding – unless you’ve got a really long extension cord.

[via Case Mod Blog]

Bike Guide Concept Is a Neat and Eco-Friendly Idea

Hazel Chua — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:40:53 +0000

All the cars lining up the streets don’t make for a very pretty sight. The recent wave of erratic weather has also convinced me to start living a greener and more eco-friendly life, but you can’t really take your bike or electric car with you while you’re traveling – or can you?

Designers Kukil Han, Daehyun Kim, Bojoong Kim and Jihwan Yun came up with this really neat design that they call the Bike Guide Concept. Basically, visitors and tourists can rent out one of the bicycles to a pre-selected destination that the bus will take them to.

Once dropped off, you can bike away in the woods or in the trail that you’ve chosen before going back to the designated bus stop to go back home. Each bike would be equipped with an advanced navigation system to make sure that you don’t get lost along the way.

Not only is it a unique and totally new way to discover a new city or place, but it’s also eco-friendly because of the bike factor, and the single vehicle to transport riders. Make the bike guide bus a hybrid or electric car and the whole concept could be executed with no emissions.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Yanko Design]

YikeBike Fusion: A Geeky Bike for Less

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:43:52 +0000

Way back in 2009, we first talked about the then new YikeBike that was an electric bike make from carbon fiber. The bike has a very geeky design, and if I might say – makes the rider look really weird riding it. The design of the bike reminds me of the old bikes from decades ago with the big front wheels and the small rear wheels.

One of the big downsides to the original bike and its light carbon-fiber design was that it made the bike cost over $3,000 (USD). Today a new version of the YikeBike has surfaced that is made from alloy and composite materials and will sell for under $2,000. Other than the material the Fusion version of the YikeBike is made from, the original and Fusion are the same.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The carbon fiber version weighs about 10.8kg and the alloy Fusion version is 14kg. That makes it notably heavier, but I think most folks will be fine with that considering it’s about $1,000 cheaper than the original. Either way, you will still look like a total nerd riding the YikeBike.

[via Stuff]

Bike-Lock Handlebars Foil Crooks (And Maybe You)

Shane McGlaun — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:19:22 +0000

I have talked about a bunch of different new bike security designs and whatnots that have landed recently, my favorite being the bank vault. Another new bike security concept has landed today, and it is designed so that you have a bike lock with you everywhere you go without having to wrap around or lock around your bike when you are riding. The concept is called the Bike-Lock Handlebars.

The designer is Jaryn Miller who attends the Savannah College of Art and came up with the cool concept for a class project. The idea is that the handlebars come off the bike and turn into the lock needed for protection of the bike. If the thief cuts the lock, they won’t be able to ride the bike away because the bars will be ruined.

That is assuming the thief isn’t some sort of world-class no-hands rider. The downside is if the thief tears up the bars and then leaves the bike, you can’t ride the bike home either. Still, it’s a cool design that would help protect your bike from those thieving bastards running around the city.

[via Fastcodesign]

Bike Vault: For Bicyclists Who Really Take Bike Theft Seriously

Shane McGlaun — Mon, 02 May 2011 22:25:16 +0000

Last week I wrote about the cool TiGr bike lock that I figured would keep your bike safe from just about anything. If you looked at that lock and thought, “That’s not secure enough for my bike,” I have found the place you want to live. A building in Portland, Oregon has an old bank vault that it offers up to people that ride bikes for parking.

Look at this vault. It looks like gold from Fort Knox was stored inside at one point. The vault has racks on the wall that riders can put their bikes into vertically. Apparently, the building, called the Spalding Building, which was a former bank, has been converted into apartments of some sort.

The gigantic vault door weighs 16,000 pounds. Here is the part that maybe should have been kept secret. That giant vault door is rigged not to lock. It will still shut, but safety deemed the door needed to be non-locking. Maybe what you need is to combine that TiGr bike lock with this vault.

[via Core77]

Angel’s Halo Bicycle Helmet Looks Dumb, Ironically Keeps You from Going to Heaven Prematurely

Technabob — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:43:27 +0000

Why is it that so many of the things with life-saving potential look so silly? Take, for instance, this bicycle helmet that lights up like a halo. The Angel Bicycle Helmet not only protects your noggin from injury with its polycarbonate shell, it’s got a 360-degree ring of LED and fiber-optic encircling your head.

The USB-rechargeable halo can be set to constant-on, or to flash on a regular basis. Sure, your bike might already have LED front and rear lights, but drivers coming from anywhere other than head-on or behind you might not see you – making dark intersections especially dangerous. With this bright yellow halo wrapped around your dome, there’s no way that drivers will miss you. Of course, they might point and laugh – resulting in a different kind of safety risk – driver distraction. At least they’ll have a good laugh before they crash.

You can find the Angel Bicycle Helmet over at Firebox for £49.99 (appx. $83 USD).

[via 7Gadgets]

TiGr Titanium Bike Lock Keeps Thieving Bastards at Bay

Shane McGlaun — Sun, 01 May 2011 12:00:39 +0000

I had a bike stolen when I was little and I was all kinds of pissed. When I saw the flick Peewee’s Big Adventure, I knew exactly how Peewee felt when he came outside and found nothing but his bike chain left after a thief made off with is ride. What Peewee and I really needed to keep our bikes safe was this awesome TiGr: Titanium Lock.

This thing is a long titanium bow that you would probably need a blowtorch to cut through. I think a thief with a torch would set off warning bells to people walking by. The bike lock is on Kickstarter right now seeking the funds to come to reality. The project needs $37,500 to test and produce an initial batch according to designer John Loughlin.

It has about a month to go before the project is funded, and so far, John has about half of his goal pledged. The coolest thing I see about his lock is if someone did steal your bike and left the lock behind you could totally kick some ass with it. It looks like a blunt sword. You could catch up with that crook and just beat him senseless.

[via Kickstarter]