Get ready for the
Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival | April 9th and 10th, 2011 in Aptos, California being put on by the
Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz. I will be there, you should be there too. Also, check the first link for the sweet promo video the club put together. It should be a grand old time! Plus, you could win yourself an awesome Santa Cruz bike! Or get your photo taken by the roving photographer (me).
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| When designers smoke crack and design stuff. |
Get Pumped Up While You Cycle with Airspresso via Incredible Things - Since we stopped drinking coffee several months ago, this isn't quite so personally compelling but it is a neat idea for those hard-core Java hounds who also happen to be hard-core cyclists as well.
The image to the left is of the
Limousine Bike, clearly a statement bike without any practical application unless you happen to have ten foot long arms. The statement the designer is making is, supposedly, that more isn't always better. That's not really what I get though, I get more of a "Thou shalt not smoke crack and design bicycles."
iBike Dash CC turns your iPhone into a cycling computer - this is less about the software since I've got at least three apps on my iPhone right now that function incredibly well as cycling computers (including one that speaks my times and splits to me in a rather sexy voice). This is about the protective case that mounts on the bike and keeps the iPhone from flying off or getting soaked in a downpour (both very good things). My current mount requires me to paradoxically remove my iPhone from its protective case to secure it to my handlebars.
In many ways, I really like the idea of
Cycling by Candlelight, it evokes a certain romanticism but the practical reality of using a candle as a headlight means you'd have to keep your speed way down as it would be all too easy to outpace the meager light given off by the reflected flame. It might work as a rear light given its flickering nature but this is more fashionable accessory than useful add-on. But I could be wrong, I'd like to see how it does work.
It does evoke a certain train-like romantic charm though.
Need a new bike, why not print your own bike with your 3D printer? We're not quite there yet but the race just got alot shorter with the introduction of the
EADSAirbike. They call it Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) technology but its basically using a tech'ed up printer to printer layer after layer of material to build out a 3D shape. Not sure how it would ride but it would definitely be a solid conversation starter.
And, finally, via the ever thought-provoking Bicycle Design, the
Drymer, a reborn e-bike with a roof, articulating wheels, an electric motor and, possibly, a future. Probably not much of a real future in the USA since we tend to the bigger must be better philosophy. Here's the
link to their site but its all in Dutch and my access to Google Translate is, oddly, blocked behind the school district firewall.
