bikes

Aerofex: Hover bike fit for buzzing around Endor

When it comes to things from "Star Wars" that I'd like to see in reality, my list includes Ewoks, R2-D2, Wookies, and speeder bikes. Looks like I'll have to settle for a sort-of speeder bike.

The Aerofex hover bike has been in development for some years now, but recent test-flight videos have arrived showing it fully functioning over a dry lake bed in a desert.

The Aerofex uses two ducted fans rather than wheels. The rider's leaning controls the direction of the bike. One of the project's goals is to create a natural-feeling riding experience, much like being on a motorcycle.… Read more

Kilo: We want to ride this glow-in-the-dark bike

Safely riding a bike at night requires a bright headlight and reflectors at the very minimum, but Kilo, labeled as "the very first glow-in-the-dark bike," could change the game.

The concept of a glow-in-the-dark bike isn't totally new, as Zach Schau, co-founder of Kilo's parent company Pure Fix Cycles acknowledged in a phone call with Crave. Schau did suggest, however, that Kilo represents the first mass-produced glow-in-the-dark bicycle at a low price point (Puma experimented with the idea in 2008, but that version cost more than a grand). … Read more

This $9 cardboard bike is a smooth recycled ride

I have a friend who still looks out for her stolen bike wherever she goes. She might not be so obsessed with the loss if the bike had been made for $9 out of recycled cardboard.

Bike enthusiast and designer Izhar Gafni built a functioning bicycle out of cardboard. The inspiration came from a another inventor's cardboard canoe project.

Gafni ran his idea by some engineers who told him to give up the dream, that it was impossible. He tried it anyway. The result is an attractive, working bike that costs as little as $9 to make. Of course, that price tag doesn't include the immense amount of R&D time Gafni put into it.… Read more

My Tracks records your runs

Perfect for outdoors enthusiasts, Google's My Tracks app records your path, speed, distance, and even elevation while you walk, run, bike, or do anything else that a GPS signal can follow. And for those who are a bit more serious about their training, the app even lets you hook up with a few third-party Bluetooth biometric sensors, including Zephyr HxM, Polar WearLink, and ANT+ monitors.

To get started, just open up My Tracks and hit the record button at the top of the screen. From there, so long as you have a strong GPS signal, My Tracks will plot … Read more

Buy a DeLorean (of sorts) for a mere $5,500

Forget the hoverboard. Forget the self-lacing shoes. The ultimate "Back to the Future" fan prop is a DeLorean, the stainless steel machine that zipped around through time.

When DeLoreans first went on sale in the early 1980s, they cost around $25,000. Buying a used one today will set you back about $50,000 due to their rarity and mechanical fickleness. Now you can pick up a DeLorean for just $5,500, but there is a catch. It's a bike.

The DeLorean Bicycle is a collaboration between DeLorean Motor Company and Marc Moore, a cyclist and former … Read more

The 404 986: Where it's hard to stop midstream (podcast)

There are no chat room viewers to keep us on topic now that we've stopped live streaming.

So fair warning: we spend most of the first half explaining the concept of Goodwill stores to Jeff, whose ignorance I still suspect is a veiled attempt at live trolling.… Read more

Boxx on wheels makes for unique, eco-friendly ride

We've seen electric bikes before, but we've never seen anything like the Boxx.

This contraption, which looks like an oversize suitcase that sprouted handles--or a MacBook Pro on wheels, if you ask me--is actually a new all-electric bike made by a Portland-based company called Boxx. Its unique design certainly makes it stand out from the crowd, but so do its eco-friendly features.

The Boxx, is an emissions-free vehicle, can be charged using a standard household outlet system. It comes in two configurations: one with a standard Core power system that provides up to 40 miles of travel on … Read more

Concept T-Bike doubles as tripod

With the Tripod Bicycle, or T-Bike, you no longer have to lug around a heavy tripod while searching for photo opportunities on two wheels.

This concept bicycle, imagined by Indonesian designer Reza Rachmat Sumirat, lets users attach any make or model of camera between the bicycle's handlebars. There's also a panhead that lets your capture panoramas or panning shots of your subjects.

Three sliding bars can be used to adjust the height of the bicycle according to the cyclist's size. A kickstand on the front wheel helps stabilize the whole bike when it's being used as … Read more

iBike helps iPad, iPhone Touch users get in better shape (CES podcast)

The North Hall at CES was the home to numerous fitness technology companies including Velocomp, the maker of the iBike line of cycling computers. The newest product, iBike Power House for iPhone and iPod Touch is billed as "the worldl's first intelligent cycling computer that automatically adjusts to your exercise goals."

The product, which consists of a water and shock resistant case for the iPhone/iTouch, has electronics that perform cycling measurements, including power exertion.

Cycling computers, said Velocomp CEO John Harmon "have always been about numbers. "How far, how fast, what's my heart … Read more