bicycle

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

At first glance, this bike may look more like a fashion statement than an environmental one. But its wheels, which resemble spinners adorning the tires of some inner-city SUVs, are actually circular solar panels soaking up energy from the sun's rays.

The "E-V Sunny Bicycle," which claims to be "the first all solar electric bike," generates enough natural power to charge the batteries that run a 500-watt motor attached to the front wheel with a top speed of 19 miles per hour, according to OhGizmo.

The price of this 75-pound bike is fairly steep at $… Read more

If there's a Hummer equivalent for bicycles, this would be it. The aptly named "HyperBike" was ostensibly made by inventor Curtis DeForest because he wanted to "keep up with traffic," but we suspect that he got tired of being pushed around by SUVs and wanted to level the playing field a little.

Regardless of its origins, this human-powered monstrosity is a force to be reckoned with, reaching speeds up to 50 mph on tilted wheels measuring 8 feet high. As SCI FI Tech notes, it's technically not a bicycle because it has a small … Read more

When most people think of bicycle frames, they have in mind materials running the gamut of aluminum, chrome-moly steel and carbon fiber. Not so a timber technology student in Germany. For his two-wheeled creation, he turned to the beech tree.

More specifically, Jens Eichler got himself some sheets of beech plywood, along with a strong glue (phenol-resorcinol) and some power tools. After a few months of playing with the concept, he set to work in August 2006 on what would become a tandem bicycle he calls "Renovatia."

See more photos here.

What ever happened to old-fashioned sirens? We hate the way that just one tap on the obnoxious horns of today's fire engines routinely make everyone jump out of their skin. But there's a something on the market that can give everyday sclubs like us a chance to do the same thing right back--from a bike, no less.

The frame-mounted "Thunder Horn" claims to emit a 115-decibel auditory assault, which Technabob says is the equivalent of "standing in the front row of a Metallica concert." Brando, its Hong Kong-based manufacturer, warns not to use it … Read more

Even in this day of permanently affixed earphones, some people insist on enjoying their music the old-fashioned way, in the open air. And cyclists are no exception.

The only problem is that some speakers created specifically for bike frames are, as colleague Jasmine France would delicately put it, fugly. iHome, however, is trying to remedy that with its "Bike to Beach Bicycle Speaker" for the iPod.

The sleek design of the $100 " iH85," as it's also known, makes it look something like a rifle scope. But MobileWhack says it's supposed to add brawn to … Read more

If you're looking for a hydrogen vehicle somewhere in between a fuel-cell powered flying car and a fuel-cell powered wheelchair, German company Masterflex Brennstoffzellentechnik has the answer: a fuel-cell powered Cargobike.

The three-wheeled electric bicycle runs on power generated from its 250-watt fuel cell, which is fueled by an onboard 90-gram low-pressure hydrogen tank. (It can also be powered by good, old-fashion pedal power when the H2 runs out).) According to its designers, the Cargobike has a range of 250km and can accelerate to 6km per hour without assistance. In addition to powering the wheels, electricity from the fuel … Read more

Alternative forms of eco-friendly personal transportation have been appearing on drawing boards and wacky-tech Web sites for quite some time now, and in most cases they don't actually gain much traction. And many are painfully awkward despite a seemingly 'streamlined,' 'futuristic' design (we're talking about you, Segway). So maybe it's time that personal-transportation visionaries actually looked to the past for inspiration.

Like this one, a new take on the classic VeloSolex motorized bicycle. The VeloSolex, according to oO's Very Eclectic, was originally introduced in 1946 as a low-cost transportation solution for post-war France. The funky little … Read more