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Unexpected bedfellows Toyota and Parlee are collaborating on the Prius Bike Project, with the design process documented by Prolly. No telling what will come of it but something tells me it won’t be a hybrid, though I must say a hybrid Parlee would be a good play on the whole idea. Perhaps more interestingly is how serious car companies are taking their image as bike friendly these days, reminding me of the mountain bike boom and free bikes on roof racks. Take what you will from the bike/car pairing, but it doesn’t get any more mainstream than car companies. More evidence that urban cycling has made it to the mainstream.
Monthly Archive for April, 2011
The 2011 New England Bicycle Expo is scheduled for May 7th and 8th just outside of Boston in Somerville MA. Locally, it kicks of National Bike Month with a bang. There are 40 exhibitors promised, with lectures, a bike swap, bike rides and more to take part in all for the low price of $6 per ticket.
The newsstand mainstay Bicycling Magazine has recently announced a redesign, that their focus will move away from exclusively road and fitness and more into city and commuter bike and long-form narrative articles. Bicycle Retailer reported on it, with editor-in-chief Peter Flax saying of the change, “…cycling culture has become more authentic and timeless. He cited examples of roadies kitted up in a more stylish way and women riding city bikes in street clothes. “I felt the design and packaging of the magazine could be more sophisticated and upscale to reflect that trend.” And just in case you can’t get enough of it, Bike Snob now officially has a recurring column in the most mainstream of cycling media.
DASH is a new online fixed gear magazine. Based in San Francisco, the magazine is aimed at the Chinese audience. I don’t read Chinese, so I can’t say much about the content, but the layout is slick and the photos are pretty nice.
Check out www.threemin.com.
The Dorais Park Velodrome was lost to the downsizing of Detroit for nearly 20 years before being cleaned up and brought back to life in August of 2010 by a group of people “rediscovering” the place. Cracked and imperfect, it is now coined The Thunderdrome with a few races per year happening on the velodrome, including a number of moped and other small motor classes. The video is pretty great, and the next event is this weekend on April 30th along with another running later in the summer on September 10th.
Big Shot Bikes is another entrant into the online, color-coordinated bargain track bike market with their $395, you-pick-em color scheme bikes. The bike is what you’d expect for the bargain price — a hi-ten steel frame and a bunch of no-name OEM parts that add up to a serviceable if not particularly performance-oriented bike. It is shipped set up as a single speed with brakes, perfect for the entry level rider and campus cruising market this bike is most likely heading towards. A seemingly reasonable choice for someone between the bike shop and the department store that really wants a color matched bike. Also available is a $320 single speed mini velo, curiously marked as “polo” even if there aren’t more than one or two mini velos making regular appearances on the polo court.
Manifesto Architecture created a rotating, ferris-wheel design for a vertical bike storage facility that was submitted to a design competition in Seoul, Korea.
Instead of taking up space on the street or sidewalk, this bike rack in the sky is mounted on the side of a building, utilizing the space above an alleyway between buildings. Each “Bike Hanger” can hold 20 to 36 bicycles.
Read more at www.cyclelicio.us.
Here’s a look at the I Love Riding in the City contributors for issue #25.
We want you to represent your city. Click here, and don’t forget to attach a high-res photo. A “high-res” photo, for those who don’t know, is typically 300dpi or greater at print size. If you’re not sure, try sending the unedited photo file that comes from a digital camera.
The Princeton Tec Push is a serious, self-contained commuter headlight that both looks the part, and performs accordingly. The Maxbright LED lamp delivers 100 Lumens, and the red “side pipe lighting” provides 260º of visibility, or can be turned off if you prefer to do so.
The mounting bracket is simple and effective. While it’s nothing to write home about, it’s reassuring to note that the design has been tested not only on the streets, but on the mountain bike endurance racing circuit.
The Push uses three AAA batteries. Of course built-in rechargeable battery packs are nice, but the nice thing about using standard batteries is that a fresh set is commonly available at the corner store. The claimed burn times are 4 hours on high, 14 on low and 63 on flashing mode. Your results will vary depending on which batteries you’re using.
Available in red, blue or titanium, the Push retails for $50. Visit www.princetontec.com for more info.
Via Bicycle Design: According to the designer, this new frame that debuted at the San Diego Custom Bicycle Show last week, “dramatically increases comfort, while retaining the lateral stiffness and pedaling efficiency of traditional diamond frame bicycles.”
May 1st marks the beginning of our 5th year!
Subscribe to the print edition and we’ll mail your copy as soon as they’re available. And remember, you can subscribe to the Podcast version and iTunes will download the new PDF automatically.
Omerica Organic is a wooden jewelry company from Denver, CO. Everything is designed in house and made to order from ethically sourced woods, and the workshop runs on 100% wind power.
Check out www.omericaorganic.com.
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