bike

Some gadget makers just won't listen to reason. As much as Crave has ranted about the dubious value of handlebar speakers, they insist on coming out with more of them.

The latest example comes in the form of this bike stereo speaker from a distributor in Italy, of all places. We can't even imagine what it would be like to try to hear them over the cacophony of horns and obscenities in Roman traffic jams.

It does have the practical foresight to include a protective case for an MP3 player to protect it from the elements, according to … Read more

Some people will do just about anything to get their bikes noticed. But if you're one of those boring cyclists who just want lights for safety--as opposed to a statement--then Puma's latest model may be worth consideration.

The reason: It glows in the dark. We're not talking about some randomly placed stickers or reflectors here, but the whole frame. It's finished in luminescent paint that absorbs sunlight during the day, according to ProductDose, so it's not as if you'd be riding around in Day-Glo colors 24/7.

And lest you think this … Read more

The next Tour de France winner may very well be the tech nerd from your IT department if MIT's new invention makes it to the mainstream. Taking a page out of the "GZ PC-Sport and Power Stepper" book, students modified an exercise bike so it can power your laptop.

The device works with a bicycle wheel attached to a generator, which in turn charges a conventional car battery. A 12-volt cigarette-lighter adapter is then used to hook up with your laptop. This prevents overcharge and fluctuating current damaging your PC.

This also begs the question: Does one … Read more

As we were just saying, bike technology is doing its best to catch up with car equipment, especially where LED devices are concerned. "Bicygnals" are no exception, and they provide important safety features to boot.

No ordinary turn indicators, these ultrabright front and back LED units are connected wirelessly by radio waves so they'll blink simultaneously as needed, according to Shiny Shiny. The absence of wires comes in handy for another reason: It's easier to pull them off the bike to take with you.

We applaud the effort, but we'd still like to see a … Read more

As cyclists continue to assert their equal rights on the road, their gadgets are trying to keep up with car technology as well--whether they be MP3 players, GPS devices, phones, speakers, or even heart monitors. But until now, one crucial element has been missing: LED messages.

Japan's Digital Cowboy (we love that name) is about to remedy that, however, with something called "Lex" that attaches to the bicycle's spokes. Just download a message from the computer through a USB connection and, according to Everything USB, "as the bike wheel spins down the road, you are … Read more

Given our position on physical activity, our appreciation for such gadgets as bicycle GPS devices is predictably limited (as in nonexistent). From what we understand, however, some hard-core cyclists have been anxiously awaiting the release of Garmin's latest "Edge" models, the 605 and 705, top-of-the-line devices that include new mapping features, training systems and the ability to share information wirelessly with other bikers on their 2.2-inch color LCDs.

But they'll have to wait. GPSLodge says Garmin has encountered some bumps in the road (sorry) and is postponing its release from the scheduled December launch date … Read more

Let the octogenarians have their Wii Bowling. At the other end of the life cycle, kindergarteners are getting their own indoor workout with virtual bikes.

As childhood obesity persists as a mainstay in headlines, more companies are looking for ways to make exercise fun--or at least seem like fun--and e-bikes are apparently leading the trend. Fisher-Price debuted its "Smart Cycle" earlier this year, for example, but it has some competition from across the pond in U.K.-based Gymkids and its "Cyberbike."

Both have brightly colored toy-like designs and can hook up to a TV … Read more

If the robust HyperBike is the bicycle equivalent of a Hummer, then the high-tech Yamaha Bobby is the BMW one.

The Bobby prototype from Yamaha Motor is an electric bicycle that lets riders connect to the Internet. Ubergizmo pointed out that the bike can also be turned on and off from select cell phones.

Bobby is one of 19 concept bikes Yamaha Motor plans to show at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. The Bobby is part of Yamaha's "Art of Engineering" theme for this year's show, according to Yamaha.

Yamaha Motor also seems to be partnering … Read more

A new take on handlebar-mounted mirrors for bicycles has cyclists mounting mirrors on themselves instead of their bike.

The Rear Vision activity mirror, which comes in a wristband or glove option from Pacific Connections, is intended to help urbanites better navigate the jungle of cars on a daily commute, as the blog BikeCommuters.com points out.

But I think it could have other uses:

For those stuck with their back to the office door, it's a handy prevention device for when your boss is about to catch you reading CNET blogs instead of doing work (like now).

When writing … Read more