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This is the most fascinating video that you will see all day, and possibly all week. Two champion cyclists try to be the fastest at this thousand-meter race by moving the slowest. In fact, the two competitors go so slowly that at the 3:38 mark, both come to a complete halt. Why? Dan Lewis explains:
The tactical advantage should be clear — the racer in the rear can make a sudden move when the front racer isn’t looking, catching the front racer flatfooted and therefore unable to catch up. But this advantage is moot if a cyclist believes he can simply outrace his opponent over the 1,000 meter course. That’s where aerodynamics come in. Vehicles in motion create slipstreams behind them — basically, rifts in the air similar to what a ship creates in the water. Other vehicles close behind them travel within this slipstream and get a benefit from it: they “draft” and experience less drag, and therefore need to expend less energy in order to go the same speed.
In the case of match sprints, this gives the trailing cyclist an enormous advantage. If the lead racer pushes it from the start, he will end up with only a slight lead with 200 or so meters to go — but his opponent will have much fresher legs. So in order to combat this, we get this weird do-si-do — on bicycles.
You can find this sculpture at the Minneapolis Art Institute. If you use this rack, make sure that your chain is sturdier than a string of paperclips.
Link -via Colossal | Museum Website | Photo: Flickr user Ardent Eye
Got an extra bicycle? Turn it into a sink stand! That’s what artist Benjamin Bullins did. His whole house is filled with old gear recycled for new uses.
This Japanese-language video appears to show a man making room for himself on busy sidewalks with a bicycle bell. He doesn’t have a bicycle with him — just the bell. But when he rings it, pedestrians stand aside anyway.
-via The Presurfer
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Benjamin Krempel founded a company called PumpTire, which is marketing a rather unique bicycle tire. It has a partially open tube on the outer circumference. As the wheel turns, it opens and closes the tube, which draws air from the outside and pumps it into the interior of the tire. When the tire reaches maximum pressure, it shuts off. In a test ride featured in the video, the tire inflated from 22 to 52 psi after three and a half minutes of riding. Link -via DVICE
George Hincapie, a professional bicyclist, has competed in fifteen Tour de France races. That kind of consistent athletic effort will produce an impact on the human body, as this photograph shows. Link -via Doobybrain | Photo: Bettini Photography
Knowhow Shop LA, an art cooperative and fabrication shop, made this enormous comb for the city of Roanoke, Virginia:
The 400 pound comb is handcrafted out of Mangaris using full mortise and tenon construction, while the hair is made from powder coated steel.
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Matt of Bike Hikes has an interesting idea. He’s put old seat belts inside the tires of his bicycle to make them more resistant to punctures:
The idea is very simple – put something between the tire and the inner tube to stop glass and other objects. So I found some old car seat belts left from a pair of messenger bags I made and I used them like a anti puncture band.
Do you think that it will work?
Link -via CrunchGear
Casey Neistat got a ticket for riding his bicycle outside of a bike lane in New York City. He argued with the police officer that sometimes he does so because there are obstructions that make it unsafe to use the designated lane. The cop didn’t care, and issued him the citation anyway.
To prove his point, Mr. Neistat made this video, showing how dangerous it would be to comply with the law…by crashing his bike, over and over again into road hazards. He saved the best for last.
via reddit
Jed Mildon, 24, of New Zealand became the first BMX rider to perform a triple backflip. He gained the necessary momentum by riding down a 20 meter ramp, then up a 3.6 meter ramp, which launched him into the air. You can watch a video (self-starting) of his feat at the link.
Just awesome. Nathaniel Akin found this train of wheels parked by the side of a road. The drive is powered by an electric drill, which is fed electricity by two car batteries held in place with duct tape. The human driver is presumably fueled by beer in the cooler.
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Four years ago, we featured Josh Hardar’s curvaceous bike designs. He’s greatly developed and refined that theme since that time. This particular one, named “Teardrop”, comes with a 80cc engine and hand-spun aluminum wheels.
Link via Dude Craft
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The Spalding Building in Portland, Oregon, has perhaps the most formidable-looking bicycle storage facility in the world. It consists of repurposed bank vaults:
Tenants of the 12-story structure can lock their rides up in one of two vaults converted to bike storage in the ex-bank part of the building (and scrub down in the nearby showers after the commute).
Actually, they’re just for show. The steel doors can’t lock. That would probably be too dangerous for users.
Link via NotCot | Photo: BikePortland.org
Previously: Bicycle Lock Climbs Lamp Post to Escape Thieves
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A fertility clinic in Copenhagen wanted an easy way to transport biological materials in insulated storage through the city, and so commissioned the construction of the Sperm Bullitt:
The Sperm Bike is, like the company’s sperm donations, a Danish product and constructed around the Danish Bullitt cargo bike from Larry vs Harry.
Producing the Sperm Bike was no easy task. It was constructed by the Danish company 10 Tons – who specialise in zoological and botanical models as well as paleontologic reconstructions, including full-size whales and dinosaurs.
With the tail, the bike is 2.9 metres long and fully-loaded with… um… sperm… it weighs 50 kg. About the same as my cargo bike with two kids and a bag of groceries.
If you scroll to the bottom of the linked article, you can find links to images of other unique custom cargo bikes built by the same company.
Link via Marginal Revolution | Photo: Copenhagenize
The StreetFlyer vehicle, developed by Dr. Carsten Mehring, is supposed to represent a land version of hang gliding. The rider is suspended in a harness from the top. She steers with her hands and pedals the rear wheel. Mehring asserts that the StreetFlyer could serve physical rehabilitation purposes as it puts limited stress on the user’s limbs.
Product Link via OhGizmo!
Craig Smith of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, made a snowplow that he can drive with a modified bicycle:
A lever pulls up or lets down the plow with a rope and pulley. Pulling the lever all the way back cantilevers the rope and pivot point so it locks in place. The plow blade is hinged with a bungee cord, so hitting a discrepancy in the road allows the blade to flop and give like a real plow. The bike can turn on a dime so raising the plow and returning up the adjacent path is quick and easy. I can do ‘reverse’ by pushing down on the front wheel with my foot to roll it backwards.Totally useless with larger snow falls, but the light ones make snow removal fun.
Over a period of 27 years, I have invented odd-looking bicycles. I began designing them in 1983, but added to the collection as recently as this past year. The theme has always been more or less the same: Ignore aerodynamic and structural efficiency in favor of whimsical appearance. Perhaps the designs evoke an Aesthetic of the Impractical. Of course, my bikes are not likely to be ultra-light, and with several models a rider might worry that pants cuffs could catch on art nouveau-style floral ornamentation.
If it were possible to make these bikes reasonably lightweight, however, I might like to ride one.
This German-language video appears to show an ingenious solution to bicycle theft. The lock wraps around a lamp post. Attach the bicycle to it, and then the user activates a remote-controlled motor. The lock climbs up the lamp post.
via DVICE | Company Website
The Stemie is a a rubber device that slips over a bicycle’s handlebar stem. If a rider crashes and flies over the handlebars, the Stemie is designed to prevent painful impacts to the groin.
Link via CrunchGear | Photo: Sorachief Design
The B.O.N.D. (Build of Notorious Deterrents) Bike is a bicycle that comes equipped for many commuting situations. Should you encounter heavy snow, the rear tracks and forward skis will propel you forward when your tires lose traction. An ejector seat and a flamethrower mounted into the handlebars helps the rider address interpersonal conflicts. The bicycle is not available for sale, but it will go on public display at a bike show in London next week.
A Hungarian company called Skyex has invented the StringBike — a bicycle that uses wires and pulleys instead of a chain. Here’s how it works:
The “Stringbike” uses two steel cables attached to pulleys, which move on swinging kidney-shaped discs as you pedal. The discs replace a traditional round gear system, and you can install different discs depending on your needs, according to the Web site Hungarian Ambiance.
The position of the pedals determines the position of the discs, so that they swing in opposition — one is always pulling the bike forward, and the other lags behind. This allows a continuous transmission change, which could help a rider navigate winding streets, because you can more easily control the transmission without having to shift gears.
At the link, you can watch a video demonstrating the technology in slow motion.
Link | Product Site | Photo: Hungarian Ambiance
Korean designer Eungi Kim made this accessory that gives a bicycle the appearance of a horse:
horsey’ is an attachable bicycle ornament/accessory which makes one’s bicycle look horsey! the ‘horsey’ package includes wooden ornaments (horsey shape body), metal parts, and screws. the manual is very simple so that anyone can easily arrange it according to one’s needs. through this ‘horsey’ project. I wanted to give a special look to bicycles so that people would care about cycling not only as transportation but also as a lovely pet.
Link via Gizmodo | Photo by the artist
What’s 65 feet tall and consists of 340 bicycles and one tricycle? A work called Cyclisk, newly installed in Santa Rosa, California, by artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector. Placed among several car dealers, the obelisk was funded by a grant from Nissan to the city of Santa Rosa, which has a regulation that one percent of major construction project funds be devoted to art. Link -via Unique Daily
(Image credit: Ilana Spector)
Researchers at MIT developed the Copenhagen Wheel — an electric motor that they say can attach to almost any bicycle. The team says:
There is no external wiring or bulky battery packs, making it retrofittable into any bike. Inside the hub, we have arranged a motor, 3-speed internal hub gear, batteries, a torque sensor, GPRS and a sensor kit that monitors CO, NOx, noise (db), relative humidity and temperature. In the future, you will be able to spec out your wheel according to your riding habits and needs.
Users can also dock a smartphone to the Copenhagen Wheel to control how much assistance the electric motor provides.
ElliptiGo is a combination of a stationary elliptical trainer and a bicycle. It looks a bit unstable to me, but the official website says that it was successfully used on the grueling 129-mile Death Ride in California. What do you think — is this a useful exercise tool?
via CrunchGear | Official Website
This crocheted bicycle cozy was recently spotted in New York City’s Lower East Side.
via Make | Photo: Apothekemedia | Previously: Crocheted Car Cozy
21-year old Kevin Scott designed a bicycle that should be harder to steal than most conventional bikes. The frame can be folded in half and the whole bicycle wrapped around an immovable obstacle:
The De Montfort University graduate used a ratchet system built into the frame of the bike to allow it to wrap around a pole, enabling the lock to be wrapped through both wheels and the frame.
Securing all the bike’s components within the lock was his aim in creating the new bike. It also allows the bike to be stored in small spaces.
The frame can be ratcheted tight to allow the bike to be ridden like a normal bike, but it can be quickly loosened to allow the frame to be bent back on itself.
Link via CrunchGrear | Photo: [deleted upon request]
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials in Germany have developed a bicycle helmet that emits a foul stench after an impact. This would inform users that the shock absorbing material inside is no longer effective and it’s time to get a new helmet:
The polymer materials or plastics produced by the process start to smell if they develop small cracks. Large cracks really cause a stink. The smell comes from odoriferous oils enclosed in microcapsules. “Cyclists often replace their helmets unnecessarily after dropping them on the ground, because they cannot tell whether they are damaged or not. The capsules eliminate this problem. If cracks form, smelly substances are released,” explains Dr.-Ing. Christof Koplin, research scientist at the IWM.
Link via DVICE | Image: Fraunhofer IWM
With the fear global warming taking over the minds of Americans everywhere, it’s no wonder that bicycles have gone through a renaissance in the last decade. True to form, the bike renaissance comes with a lot of innovations to make our old two-wheeled cycles safer, faster and cooler than ever. Some of these bikes are really futuristic advances, while others are just plain cool, whichever you prefer, there’s plenty to see here.
The Cycle Sol prototype may look a little strange, but its solar-charged battery makes it an inspiring piece of machinery. Soaking up the sun help to charge the battery, which can help push the bike to speeds up to 15 MPH. Its greatest attribute though may be the convenient push you’ll feel when tackling tedious hills. Also a plus, if it is left in the garage or used on a cloudy day, you can still plug it into an outlet to get the full battery charge you need to get moving.
Talk about a bike of the future. This stream-lined prototype incorporates an on-board computer that can help count the calories you burn, play music and serve as an unbreakable lock. It was designed by Gold Medalist Chris Boardman, who believes his creation could be an everyday product within the next twenty years. Similar to the Cycle Sol, this bike will also have a solar-powered battery to help you out when you’re tired of pedaling.
If you’re wondering how a bike computer could incorporate an unbreakable lock, it’s all through the magic of fingerprint identification. Of course, if the bikes are considered valuable enough, then you may run the risk of losing your digit all together when some really motivated thieves approach you –a fate that has already befallen one iPad user.
One of the biggest drawbacks to cycling is the danger inherent with sharing the road with vehicles. The Shweeb individual monorail system eliminates this problem and gives you the safety and serenity only possible in your own personal bubble. The company working to make these mini-monorail systems a part of your daily commute claims they are “a personal, efficient, and cost-effective transport solution with applications for urban commuting, recreational and fitness markets.”
If the classic bicycle design of two wheels in line with your body is just too outdated for you, then perhaps the Di-Cycle’s two side wheels are more your style. Perhaps the coolest advantage of the Di-Cycle though is its ability to operate on both land and water.
The Hyperbike may not ride on water like the Dicycle does, but its massive side wheels are instead designed to help protect you in the event of an accident. Also nice, its design, which includes both feet and hand pedals allows you to travel at speeds up to 50 MPH.
On the other hand, if you’d prefer to sit on your bike sideways while it moves to the front, then perhaps the Sideways Bike is more to your liking. Inspired by snowboarding, this one allows you to sit and pedal while facing sideways and then to look to your left or right while steering. I’d be terrified to ride this next to the road, but maybe that’s just me.
If money is your main concern, then this handy $30 bicycle might be more in your price range. It’s cool, it’s collapsible, it’s recyclable, and not to worry, it is water proof. The inventor claims that one of the biggest advantages though is the fact that it will probably not get stolen. On the downside, it doesn’t go very fast and if you bike regularly, you’ll need to replace it every six months or so.
When you’re looking for something a little more flashy, but just as bare-boned as a cardboard bike, the Nulla minimalist bike is a great choice. It’s spokeless, stylish and light, as it is stripped of all non-essential components. The name Nulla even translates to “nothing” in Italian, which means it’s also a perfect ride for any existentialists out there.
Minimalists who prefer recumbent cycles are likely to find this spokeless cycle, created by designer Mathew Zurlinden, to offer many of the same advantages as the Nulla, only with the critical difference in the rider’s body position.
If you were on your college rowing team or if you are simply much more muscular on the top half of your body, then why not row your bike home? Unlike a regular bicycle, even a standard hand-operated bike, this one is not powered by rotating pedals, but instead through pushing and pulling the handle bars. Using it can burn up to 850 calories per hour and it’s supposedly easier on your joints than a standard bike.
Now it’s your turn readers. I’m sure many of you have seen some cool and crazy bikes in your time. Feel free to share them in the comments. Also, which of these designs would you prefer?
Sidi Ergo has pictures and descriptions of the most expensive bicycles ever made, including models plated in gold and encrusted with diamonds. This model, the Koga Kimera, isn’t quite so luxurious. But developed by UK bike-maker Koga for Dutch Olympic competitor Theo Bos Koga, it’s priced at almost one million dollars. The Kimera is said to have the lowest wind resistance of any bicycle ever made.
Link via The Presurfer | Photo: Oobject
