Anyone that’s been to a Critical Mass or other rolling party ride has surely come across some kind of DIY sound system based on a car battery and stereo amplifier. BikeBeatz is an off the shelf bike rack mount stereo using a 240 W amp, a pair of 6 x 9 car speakers and a lead-acid rechargeable battery to bring the sound to the party via anything with a headphone output. The wooden box houses a recharger as well—just plug the whole system into a wall outlet to recharge. Expect 6–12 hours of output per charge. Available in a couple of different finishes for $300 each. www.bikebeatz.com
The Vier lock by Tallac Design is a different take on locking mechanisms—neither u-lock or a true folding lock, maybe it’s best to call it collapsible. Using two bodies and two shackle sections, the Vier has comparable security to a u-lock, but can stack much smaller. The design sacrifices fast deployment for easy storage, fitting under a bottle cage. www.tallacdesign.com
The Problem Solvers Fender Flute provides a lower fender mounting position when using a fork with lots of tire to crown clearance, like suspension corrected mountain bike forks or long disc brake touring and ‘cross forks. Better looking and more effective fender placement for just $18. www.problemsolversbike.com
Whether you’re new to cyclocross and want a decent wheel set that won’t break the bank or are looking for a standby set just in case you destroy the ones you ride on the regular, the Rolf ECX wheels may be just the answer. A new addition to Rolf Prima’s 2014 line of cyclocross wheels, the ECX are built on 22 mm wide rims and feature Rolf’s patented paired spoke design, making for a light, strong set of wheels with 16 and 20 bladed spokes on the front and rear respectively. All Rolf Prima wheels are hand-built, and the company has recently moved its rim manufacturing in-house, joining the very short list of companies that use rims produced in the U.S. The ECX wheelset retails at $599.
www.rolfprima.com