[My Atomic Mass]

[Design 21]

[Reuters]

Based on the renderings, you can display a rear view camera on the screen (technically impossible) or use the iPod like a Nike+ device to track your bike workout (might also be impossible). Still, very cool if you're using this on rides that aren't through traffic. [Cannondale Community via Cannondale via Trend Hunter]

From a technical point of view, the Trailcart is like a hybrid mountain bike and four wheeler. It's got permanent four-wheel-drive and is powered by roughly 290Nm of torque. In terms of conquering rockey terrain, it has 400mm of axle displacement. TreeHugger adds that it has a "double-action mechanical hydraulic braking system" and a Shimano Nexus 8 shifter coopted from the cycling world. The developers are trying to keep the weight at 50kg or less, in order to be transportable on automobile bike racks.

At the moment Trailcart is getting some serious investment from some heavy hitters, including Land Rover, and speaking of Land Rover, the little four-wheeler is involved in testing at Land Rover's "obstacle park" in Wülfrath, Germany. I really really want to try one of these out. There's no word on how much exertion is required to get that thing really moving, but if it takes any kind of physical strain at all, chances are it'll never make it to America. [Trailcart via TreeHugger]

The design evokes new rave couture, with its iconic smiley face and the strobe effect, bringing kitsch glamour to the cycling experience. The minimalist components are attached to the spokes of the wheel, emitting a fixed image of a smiley face using LED lights. This effect is achieved through inbuilt microchips that are able to calculate the speed of the wheel in such a way that the smiley face remains stationary while the wheel spins.

Never mind its lame-ass looks, it gets good mileage on a charge—if you're commuting round-trip distance is 62 miles or less, you're in luck, because this unsightly cycle can go that far. It says here that you can even attach a solar charger to the thing, probably making it even more obnoxious-looking but more practical at the same time. Drop 15 bucks for the plans, go to a junkyard and get some parts, and you're in business. [Atomic Zombie, via Gizmo Watch]

The gears themselves are made up of two rotating metal discs with tilting balls. The balls can roll to almost any angle, but the bikes cost $2995 for the standard version and $3995 for the Signature Series. Seeing as regular fancy bikes can cost a couple grand already even without infinite gears, this doesn't seem all that bad. [EllsworthRide via PopSci via Oh Gizmo]

Nice (luggage) rack. [Pink Tentacle]

For one, the ball bearing cup that holds the crank was integrated into the frame directly, saving a lot of weight and space. And the seat post slips over the main frame, instead of inside of it, which increases pliability over bumps. These moves shave half a pound, making the bike about 15.4 pounds total.

Discovery is on the 5.2, not the 6.9. It's true; the team is on the 5.2. The 6.9 fuselages were not ready in time so we painted 5.2 fuselages with 6.9 decals. With team spec (Dura-Ace grouppo, Bonty bars, stem, saddle and RXXXL wheels) bikes weigh 7.0kg (15.4lbs). Not bad for our middle of the range fuselage, eh?

The bike is built in different models, with varying grades of componentry and in three varying grades of carbon fiber. The highest end material is OCLV Red, which is packed with a high amount of modulus carbon fiber in their most complex grid. While the whole thing is somewhat of a gadget, the front fork on some lower end models also have an integrated speed sensor that links to a computer by the 2.4Ghz range. That computer is good for tons of data, including:

Altimeter, Wireless Cadence, Maximum Cadence, Heart Rate Zones, Average Heart Rate, Maximum Heart Rate. Trip Time in and Above Heart Rate, Percent Grade, Average Percent Grade, Maximum Percent Grade, Current Speed, Average Speed, Maximum Speed, Odometer, Trip Distance, Elapsed Time, Ride Time, 12/24 Hour Clock, Pacer, Temperature Gauge.

Attach the separate RC unit to your handlebars and the speaker to the bit below your crossbar and off you go. The speaker uses Reson8 technology and it even comes with an AC lead so that you can charge your iPod up through it.

*Does anyone have time for the shouty little brat?

Product Page [iHome via Mobile Whack]

This project has gone beyond some vaporware CAD drawing—he's actually built a great-looking prototype, riding this bike around and impressing everyone in sight. Although Kaufmann never reveals the exact weight of his wooden bike, he extols the virtues of using wood for a configuration such as this:

"Did you know that wood is up to 10 times stiffer than fibreglass and nearly 6 times stiffer than a kevlar/epoxy composite? Using wood and epoxy industry created some of the world's best multi-hulled sailboats, sprint kayaks and rowing shells. lightweights. Quicker in acceleration. Easier in manoeuvring. More convenient to carry. Straightforward to maintain and visually divine. A swan among ducks. So why not also using this material for a bike?"

Designer's Page [GP Designpartners, via Treehugger]

Flickr [via Boing Boing]

And take a look at that seat—it's like a trunk. So, an automatic transmission ... trunk? What characteristic of an automobile will bicycles take on next? Cup holders? – Charlie White

Product Preview - Trek unveils new family of comfort bikes [Bike Gallery, via Treehugger]

Well, almost. It's a bit different because it's based on an invention by Leonardo da Vinci, a continuously variable planetary (CVP) drive called the NuVinci CVP. What the heck is that? You still have to shift gears, but the response is instant, and there's no clanging or clicking involved whatsoever. That bike pictured above isn't cheap; you'll pay around $3,000 for one. Jump to see a video showing how the CVP drive works.

The CVP drive will be available as a kit for other brands of bicycles later this year. – Charlie White

Product Page [Ellsworth Bicycles, via OhGizmo]

Shimano is licensing the technology to bike makers such as Trek, Giant and Raleigh; pricing wasn't announced yet. – Charlie White

Shimano aims for an easy urban ride [Slash Gear]

When rain hits, a few strokes of a pump inflates it, and it sticks up like a turgid schlong, keeping that telltale skidmark of water and mud off your back for the duration of the storm. Neat trick. – Charlie White

Product Page [Topeak, via Coolest Gadgets]

We were completely sold on this idea until we discovered that the complete system with bike and stroller together costs 2587, or a jaw-gaping $3318.57. Ouch. – Charlie White

Product Page [trioBike A/S]

The 3G Stepper will be available this September with prices ranging from $199 to $649 for the four models. – Nicholas Deleon

3G Bikes Home Page [3G Bikes via Cool Hunting]

Yes, this is a design concept, it's called Moov, and it lets the rider change the separation between the rear wheels, enabling spectacular acrobatic stunts. Using what he calls "biomechanical muscles" to make it work, student designer Jean-Michel Raad created this concept which won first prize at the Coventry University MA Design Show. This is one bike design we'd like to see built. – Charlie White

Bust a Moov: concept bike goes 'biomechanical' [Sci Fi Tech]

Product Page [Via Boing Boing]

The folks at Bright Night USA have designed both the Stridelite and the Cyclite, cycling jackets not only with the typical reflective stripes and bright colors, but feature an integrated strobe light of sorts, letting passersby know that, "Hey, I'm ridin' here!" The jackets come in both hard and soft shell designs, and will set you back somewhere in the neighborhood of $150-$190. Perhaps a little on the pricey side, but it's still probably better than waking up on your neighbors lawn because some careless motorist knocked you over.

Stridelite + Cyclite [Bright Night USA via OhGizmo!]

Its Canadian developers say the motor can propel this bike at speeds of up to 19 mph without even peddling. That must be a hell of a motor, because the bike, including batteries and motor, weighs 75 pounds. The company says it's now taking orders for delivery in September, with the complete bicycle costing $1295 (Canadian) or $795 for a retrofit kit. Almost looks too good to be true.

Product page [via Treehugger]

Bike racks are usually horrid black things that not only take up loads of space in your hallway but uglify it. We know New Yorkers who've spent twice or thrice as much on folding bikes as they would on regular ones because they didn't have enough space to store their bikes in their apartments or anywhere in their buildings! For about $88 plus shipping (from the UK), you can get a Cyloc in one of four colors and display your bike on your wall, whether it's an expensive racing bike or a beat up road warrior.

Cyloc Cycle Storage Solutions [via design*sponge]

So never mind impressing everybody with that famed Mercedes logo—though beautiful, that bike is like a tank dragging an anvil compared to this one. Readers, school us further: are there even lighter bikes than this?

Product Page [pk0r Bike] Thanks, Tom!

The A-Bike is the lightest folding bike in its class, weighing in at just 12 pounds. The bike is ultra-portable and with practice can be folded or unfolded in just 10 seconds. Despite the tiny wheels, the bike can achieve normal speeds without forcing you to pedal like a madman. The completely enclosed chain system means that your pants cuffs won't have the telltale grease marks of a bicycle commuter, also.

A-Bike [Yanko Design]

Looking for a modern training bike for your child who can't pedal? This may be the right kind of thing for you. It's not exactly a bike because you don't pedal it, so it's dubbed a car. It uses centrifugal force to make it go frward at the maximum rate of 8 feet a second. The car uses the steering wheel to power itself, kind of like those things they used to advertise on Nickelodeon—what were the called? Anyway, moving it back and forth rapidly allows it to create energy to move forward. TThree year olds rejoice! It's available now for $79.99.

Centrifugal Force Ride-On Car [I4U]

Ross Nizle is a college student at the University of Vermont. He has decided to harness the free (well, maybe not the panels, but the light is) and plentiful energy of the sun to power his Apple Powerbook G4, iPod, cell phone, and Palm Pilot. After doing some research and planning, he put together his solar project. His biggest challenge was not the solar system itself but where he had to make it work: A college dorm room. He couldn't make any structural modifications to the building, had no power tools (or tools, for that matter) and knew he would have to move the system to a new room every few months. His website documents the adventure and the ending is a happy one. So much so that he's even offering to charge other students' gizmos with his clean energy.

Another DIY project that involves renewable energy, but this time you have to burn some calories to get the power flowing. The people have Geek Technique describe in great detail how to turn a windup LED flashlight into a iPod charger. They warn that there's a lot of cranking involved to charge the batteries, but it is still a cool project.

The Volta 7-speed with power-assist is a city bike made in Canada by Mikado. In these times of high oil prices, more and more people are looking for alternative ways to get around. This probably explains why Ford killed its biggest SUV and the explosion in bike sales (last year, more bikes than cars were sold in the US for the first time since the early 1970s). The Volta is the perfect commuter: The electric motor has a range of 45 kilometers (38 miles) on a flat surface, it has mudguards and fender to keep you from arriving to work all grimy, and the saddle is said to be comfortable and has springs.

In a future where clean ways to produce electricity will become more popular, and where decentralized production (because of the lower energy density of renewables) is common, glass that can produce electricity will probably become ubiquitous. The Californian company XsunX has introduced "Power Glass", a technology that allows glass to produce electricity at half the efficiency of traditional solar panels, but at one quarter of the cost. That could yield more power per dollar, and make it easier to tap into solar power since you wouldn't have the problem of finding a spot where to put solar panels.

For the gadget-lover who needs to have a piece shiny of technology in everything we have these LED cufflinks. Although they are not paricularly "green" in themselves, they are sure to make you stand out in a crowd of suit & ties, and when people ask you about them, you can spread the LED gospel ("Much more efficient than conventional light bulbs, and even compact fluorescents! They are the future!").

torsion in the bottom bracket—the central spindle around which the cranks turn. As a rider pedals, the bottom bracket axle twists almost imperceptibly; the Ergomo measures this through an optical system and reports the data to its own handlebar-mounted computer.

High Tech Bicycle Toys at Interbike [ExtremeTech]

Revolutionary Venom Line Being Developed by Specialized [Mountain Bike Tales]

Edit: We got punk'd straight up Ashton Kutcher Style. Loof Lirpa Publishing posted these bikes. And the convenient dyslexic reader noticed that Loof Lirpa is of course April Fool backwards. At least we didnt spend hours rendering odd looking bikes for a joke. So there!

UPDATE - We didn't get punked. After the jump.

Numlock writes:

The bikes were taken from concept artist Scott Robertson, who has a step-by-step tutorial on the technique used for these renderings.

http://www.drawthrough.com/tutorials/indoorbike.html

They weren't created with the intention of being "April Fools" jokes, but
apparently someone else thought they would work well as such.

I guess it should stand as a testament to how talented the guy is...

I have eyes, though, and I can tell you this. These bicycle spinners from Deuce-Usa will give you one sweet set of pimpin wheels. Integrating "the world's first patented hub spinner technology", they'll fit all 20-inch wheels and "depending on the speed that you are riding your bike, they spin for a minimum of a half a minute or more after you stop".

They'll carve a nice little hole in your wallet too, at $220 for one. -DP

The Product Page [Deuce-Usa via DoubleViking]