bicycle

Horn Bike goes old-school on your iPhone sound

Bicycling around town wearing earbuds isn't a great idea and is even illegal in some places. But a set of decent bicycle-mounted speakers will set you back $60-$120, and if you crank them up you risk some dirty looks. Now there's a third alternative. A Taiwanese company figures that if you're going to spring for a handlebar mount for your iPhone, you should get a little sound amplification in the bargain.

Horn Bike from Fruitshop (I'm guessing the names sound a lot cooler to Taiwanese ears) features a small horn that passively amplifies the sound from your iPhone's built-in speaker. Think cutting-edge technology circa 1890.

The silicone iPhone 4 mount doubles your phone's volume, making it loud enough to hear well--given not a whole lot of ambient noise. Because the horn projects the sound right at you, it's not so loud that it bothers people sharing the road or trail.… Read more

Crave 58: Replace your face (podcast)

This week, Donald and Eric discuss two street-legal TRON-inspired lightcycles at opposite ends of the price spectrum. Plus, we creep out on a way to perform real-time video face substitution, and the implications it will have on the future of video chat and our children. In geek news, Eric nominates an actor for Zombie of the Year and sounds off on Gears of War 3.

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Revolights: Ditch your bike lights for wheel LEDs

There are fun discoveries galore on Kickstarter, but not all projects end up successfully funded. Revolights, a new way of lighting your bicycle at night, has already topped its $43,500 goal by almost $100,000.

When investors are throwing that much money at a concept, it's worth a look. Revolights uses rings of LEDs attached to your bicycle wheels to replace the common headlight.

The LEDs shine white light on the forward wheel and red light on the back. A magnet tracks speed and orientation to control the lights. The LEDs zip around the entire tire when stationary, making your bike hard to miss at night, whether you're rolling or not.

Revolights are bright enough to light up your path while also screaming, "Bicycle!" to any car approaching from your side.… Read more

Copenhagen: A city of SUV cyclists

COPENHAGEN--The Danes practice what I call green pragmatism.

It's the realization that people, even those who believe in the cost- and health-benefit analyses of going green, are not going to change their behavior unless the new option is both practical and convenient.

But presented with cool technology in the marketplace and education on why a change might be beneficial, people will adopt new best practices offered to them. It's why the Toyota Prius has become so successful, while things like CFL and LED light bulbs are still struggling.

This is certainly the case here in Copenhagen. The self-described &… Read more

Prius Project concept bike lets you shift by thinking

Powering uphill on your bicycle often comes down to mind over matter. What if, in addition to controlling your protesting thigh muscles, your mind was master of your bike's gear shifter?

That idea is being made flesh in the form of a high-performance concept bicycle that sports a thought-controlled interface.

Electrodes in the rider's helmet pick up neuro-electrical activity. Signals from the helmet are transmitted to an electronic gear shifter mounted under the seat. With training, a person can learn to shift up or shift down simply by thinking it.

Gives "Look Ma, no hands!" new meaning.… Read more

Designing the ultimate utility bike

Inspiration comes in many forms. Just ask the team of designers at Ziba design consultancy in Portland, Ore., and bike builders at nearby Signal Cycles, who are working together to create the ultimate utility ride.

The group of five took a Franken-bike out for a spin this spring. It was a standard hybrid bike, the kind you see commuters pedaling to and from work everyday, with the notable exception of a sidecar, just off the right side of the rear wheel and just big enough to fit two bags of groceries.

The sidecar had no gloss, no fit or finish. … Read more

V-Moda bestows celebrity status with personalized Crossfade headphones

Last year we awarded the V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones high marks for their durable construction, stylish looks, and aural affinity for DJs and fans of dance music, but at the time they were only offered in three colors: gunmetal black, phantom chrome, and white pearl.

Today, V-Moda adds more colors and the option to personalize your design with embellishments that (according to the press release) were "previously only available to select celebrities."

It seems like everything can be customized online--custom dress shirts, custom bicycles, and now custom headphones, thanks to V-Moda.

The company's Crossfade LP active … Read more

Climbing bike lock raises the security bar

German company Conrad recently showed off a DIY bike lock that will lift your bicycle up a lamppost, (hopefully) putting it out of reach of thieves. The device is motorized and has skateboard wheels that let it "roll" up the pole, away from prying hands.

This is not a finished product that you can buy, but something anyone can make. Conrad is a Web store that sells parts and tools for tinkerers. In fact, the page where this video is featured includes links to the different components needed for those who want to attempt to make the DIY lock.

Check out the video below to see the contraption in action. … Read more

Stylish cyclist collar hides airbag inside

Riding along on your bike, it looks like you're sporting a stylish scarf-ey thing. But if an accident happens (heaven forbid, bite your tongue), that same scarf-ey thing fully inflates into a head- and neck-protecting airbag within 0.1 second.

Meet the "Hövding," or Chieftan, a collar-disguised airbag hood for bikers developed by two Swedish industrial design students. It's being shown off this week at the Scandinavian Technical Fair Stockholm and could be available in Europe by spring of next year.

When inventors Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin asked cyclists on the street why … Read more