The BikeCharge Dynamo is such a wonderfully simple yet remarkably useful device. It taps into your cycling energy and converts it into USB output power for your gadgets. The DC generator can be mounted on just about any bike and with the universal USB output, it can also charge the majority of smartphone brands. You could presumably use it to charge your iPod or your GPS device too.

But how much power is it really generating? According to the developers, you get 3W 5.0V DC output, which will let you fully charge a typical smartphone in about two to three hours. Even if you’re only cycling to the grocery store or taking a ride through the park, you may as well make the most of your expended energy, right? Thankfully, the BikeCharge Dynamo is also weatherproof and is 20% lighter than similar systems. There’s also a quick release clutch if you want to get rid of that extra resistance when you don’t need charging, as well as a built-in 1W LED light.

You can pick up the BikeCharge Dynamo for $99.99, and the installation is a simple DIY affair.

[Source]

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When you’ve parked your stolen bike somewhere (and you’ve presumably locked it up some way too), you activate the SpyBike with a special keyring. If during this time the SpyBike detects that it’s on the move, you’ll get a text message on your phone. Meanwhile, the SpyBike also goes to work by GPS tracking its whereabouts, which you can then view through the free website. The battery can last “for months between charges so long as you remember to disarm the tracker before riding your bike.”

The SpyBike won’t help you if the bike recovery turns to violence, but at least it can tell you where you can find the bike. While there is no monthly charge for the actual GPS tracking service, the SpyBike does require you to install an active SIM card so that it can send you those text messages. This also serves the secondary function of using aGPS via GSM where the primary GPS is less effective. The SpyBike product itself is £97.50, or about $152 US.

[Source]

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First, the futuristic-looking frame (3.53 pounds) is made from carbon fiber and it houses a touchscreen-equipped computer with WiFi, plus the necessary lithium-ion battery pack to power it. The wheels (1.32 pounds each) are made from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together, this keeps the weight down to just 46.3 pounds including the swappable battery and, thus, helps to make the e-bike more efficient. The motor peaks at 2.3kW for 250 Nm of torque.

Second, there are five “travel” modes on this e-bike. They range from getting you to rely on your pedal power alone to allowing you to cruise on electric power alone, the latter of which has a top speed of about 31mph. There are also two “wheelie” modes where the power is controlled to help you keep that front wheel in the air, offering better stability and balance.  No word on price or release date.

[Source]

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Those of you who rely so heavily on the iPhone, so much so that it is is the key to outside world, you’ll be amazed to see it’s also the key to an electric scooter. But not just any electric scooter, we are talking about the Scoot from San Francisco-based startup Scoot Networks. The company plans to rent out Scoots as a cheap and eco-friendly way to get around, and all you need is your iPhone to start the vehicle.

The company owns 20 scooters so far and is conducting a test service in San Francisco. The service is expected to be available in late 2012 or early 2013 to people 21 and older in the city. The scooters feature a plastic-covered smartphone dock, and to rent it you have to dock your iPhone (needs to have the Scoot Networks’ app) which will then act as both the scooter key and dashboard (Android phone docking will eventually arrive).

After docking, the handset will ping a server to check whether the vehicle is available and if it is, and if you are an approved rider, the server sends a code to the phone that will unlock the scooter. At present, you have to press a virtual “start” button on the device to turn the scooter on. While riding, the phone will show you your speed and range based on the battery life of the vehicle, and there will also be an on-screen map.

The Scoot will be available for $5 per hour or you can take one at 5 p.m. and return it at 9 a.m. the next day for the same price. It can reach up to 30 miles per hour and will go 25 miles on a single charge (recharging takes 6 to 8 hours).

According to the company’s founder Michael Keating, “We really do want folks to make this a big part of how they get around town. If they do, we think they’ll really like it. It’ll save them time, it’ll save them money, and it will make the whole city work better“.  And since these are small vehicles and won’t be allowed to be rented for more than 2 days, it is expected that the service will be allowed in most states.

But a few analysts believe that the business won’t become big as it will most likely become popular only in areas like university campuses and also because many would prefer a bicycle if the destination is not too far away. What do you think?  Would you scoot?

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The head-turner at the Berlin Bicycle Show (Berliner Fahrradshau) earlier this month was a “stealth bomber”.

No, the organizers didn’t allow airplanes as last-minute entries into the bicycle show – it was the X-9 Nighthawk, a one-off design marvel with fighter plane looks that materialized from the drawing board of Slovakian mechanical engineer Braňo Mereš.

Though the X-9 won admirers through its rather mean look – the pitch black frame with angles straight from the stealth bomber – the real design breakthrough was in the materials used to make the one-off innovative frame.  Mereš, who has previously used materials like strips of titanium, epoxy resin composite and carbon fiber rods; took a new approach while designing the frame of the X-9.

It is made from sandwiched panels which have a core made of Aramid and carbon fibre skins.

Yes, you heard me right. Aramid! The bicycle must be built like a tank!

It is the same heat-resistant synthetic fibre used for making body armour. The panels for the Nighthawk are made of an aramid-derived material laid in an open honeycomb pattern, wedding the two main design parameters – strength and light weight – quite perfectly.

Mereš used a water jet to cut the panels according to his measured design requirements before connecting them to each other. Then he used laminated carbon fibre sheets over the honeycomb and the result is a single-speed frame which weighs 1.4 kilograms.

Mereš insists that the goal of the experiment was to build a first bicycle frame using honeycomb sandwich panels. Honeycomb frames are already used but not panels sandwiched to make things tougher.

The material is widely used in aircraft industry and gives good stiffness to weight ratio compared to carbon composites. The engineer insists that weight can be further brought down using lighter epoxies.

Mereš did go back to carbon for his fork, stem and handlebars though he stuck with the stealth fighter angles while designing them specifically for the X-9. The saddle is also custom made while he used off-the-shelf wheels, disc brakes and a beltdrive to complete the sexy bike.

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Cycling is fun and healthy. Cycling to work is noble, when you think of the green cause, and, yeah, it’s healthy too.

But for the modern-day office commuter on two wheels, the biggest pain would be to carry his work gear, that new latest configuration, a delicate laptop.

While many use good old backpacks to lug their laptops, some carry it in front baskets or rear carriers, both of which will adversely affect the cycle’s balance as it changes the centre of gravity. Regulars who cycle to work, which by the way, includes this writer too, find the balancing act a bit of a pain, considering the other juggling acts they all have to endure to keep themselves on road.

Peugeot has come out with a concept urban cycle which addresses this issue. Of course the DL122 that Peugeot has brought out is an urban bike, the looks, elegant as it may be for the nerdy cyclist, may not appeal to the mountain-biker in us all.

But functionality is what Peugeot — who is known for car-manufacturing but a company which has also seen its cycles win ten Tour de France crowns — is trying to highlight in the DL122.

The concept bicycle has a centrally positioned leather laptop compartment; a safer cocoon for the laptop. It also provides a better balanced bike and the briefcase can be locked in place, claims Peugeot.  The design breakthrough here is that the positioning of the carrying case is such that it keeps the centre of gravity of the bike roughly in the same spot where it is when rode without a bag, therefore making it stable.

The centre of gravity, as we all know, is the average location of the mass of a bicycle. If the rider can manage his as well as the luggage weight to as close to the centre as possible, it could significantly stabilize the bike. This is where Peugeot designers have succeeded: using materials such as Aluminium while leather adds a touch of class to the design.

But the point is,will the case be immune to shocks and bumps a rider and his cycle endures on a pot hole ridden road to work?  When carrying a laptop in a backpack, riders generally save it from shocks as most of them have the tendency of standing up while riding over rough terrain. With the laptop fixed in a case on the frame, it is likely to take the full brunt of the shocks transferred from the frame.

Unless of course, Peugeot has come up with some shock absorbing buffers in the frame or between the frame and the leather case. But one has to admit that design indeed offers a stable bike with loaded luggage that is.

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I’m not entirely sure how useful or practical this would be in a real world sense, but it’s still a pretty cool thing to have. Basically, it’s a vest that you wear while out riding your bike and it will show your speed to all the cars (and other folks on the road) on your back.

The Speed Vest project comes by way of inventor Mykle Hansen. The wearable vest contains a series of sewn-in numerals made from electroluminescent (EL) wire and they automatically show your current speed based on an off-the-shelf bike speedometer sensor. There’s an Arduino microcontroller involved too.

It’s a pretty nifty creation, but all that criss-crossing EL wire looks pretty ugly when not illuminated. Wouldn’t it be better to do a more conventional seven segment digital display, not unlike what you see on typical digital watches and alarm clocks? Yeah, you get boxier numbers, but then you don’t get all that extra EL wire everywhere. Check out the MAKE page if you want to make your own.

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I’m all for going green. If possible, it’d be great if more people took public transit and rode their bikes. However, because of the weather, a lot of commuters don’t want to ride their bikes in the rain. The Hase Klimax 2x fixes that with an optional portable rain cover.

What you see is basically a recumbent bike (it’s really a trike, since there are three wheels), but it is power-assisted. There is an electric motor there to, “assist users climbing hills or over logner stretches.” There are pedals too, if you want to make use of your own human power. That said, it’s the detachable rain cover that’ll save you on the ride to work.

The rain cover folds up when not in use, but it can also be set up quickly, unfolding around the user without the use of any tools. Toss on a poncho, some goggles and a helmet and you’re ready to brave the elements on the way to your downtown corner office. At least that’s the idea. Test rides are being offered in Europe, but I can’t seem to spot pricing info.

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We’ve seen technology where, if you happen to get a flat tire, the tire is able to temporarily patch itself long enough to get to a tire shop. The PumpTire is quite different, addressing a very common concern with all cyclists: the slow leak of air pressure. To fix this, the PumpTire effectively pumps itself.

Your bicycle tires naturally lose a little bit of a pressure all the time, because the air molecules slowly diffuse through the rubber sidewalls. This is why you need to re-inflate your tires every once in a while. The City Cruiser and City Pro bicycle tires use PumpTire technology. There’s a tire, a detachable valve, and an inner tube. Air can then pass from the tire to the tube and, when the pump is working, air moves in from the atmosphere and through the valve, automatically shutting off when the desired pressure is met.

The City Cruiser is meant for casual riders up to 65psi, while the City Pro is a high performance tire for up to 100psi. This is just a KickStarter project and the PumpTire team is looking to raise $250,000 in a little over a month.

In related news, I read in 24 Hours newspaper that Goodyear is working on Air Maintenance Technology for its tires. This would have a built-in miniature air pump that mains the optimal pressure at all times. That’s for cars, though, which would be quite different than the bike-centric PumpTire.

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Just in time for the summer! If you’re the type that likes to hit up the mountain trails with your bike, but you have come to rely on your smartphone for everything from mobile music to GPS navigation, then this new product from Bracketron could be a good fit. Literally.

Called the All-Weather Soft Case Bike Mount, it is a mobile device mount that’ll accept not only your iPhone, but also a variety of MP3 players, smartphones, and other similarly-sized electronics. They say that they are targeting both recreational and competitive cyclists. Basically, you can mount your mobile device to your handlebars while still being able to use the touchscreen behind the clear protector. And yes, the whole shi-bang is weather resistant, in case you happen to get caught in a shower.

No tools are needed, since this’ll mount with an adjustable C-clamp. That should fit most handlebars with its three latch levels. I’m not much of a cyclist, especially when it comes to mountain trails, but I might break out the bike for some city rides this summer. This would certainly come in handy for that. Find the All-Weather Soft Case Bike Mount now for $39.95 through Bracketron.com. It’ll hit REI retail stores next month too.

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