cycles

Top 6 sexiest cycles

Oooooh bicycles are so very in these days (not that they ever went out... but you must admit you're seeing and hearing about them even more lately). Design-focused blog site Inhabitat has a great list of the top 6 sexiest cycles--and from a design perspective the bikes by Skeppshult Bikes are my pick from the list. Above is the new Skeppshult Ladies Nova (isn't that basket just precious?). And it comes in black! Also, below, check out the sleek silver Z bike, that has--yes, you guessed it--a z-shaped frame. As for what's missing from this list, they really need to add the Puma Urban Mobility Bike, which folds up for easy storage--whether you're putting it in a closet, carrying it on the ferry, or loading it into a car (image below!).

$700 gadget for the next Lance Armstrong

There are scads of devices designed to monitor performance while running on the track or treadmill, ranging from MP3 players to running shoes. But digital health equipment pioneer Polar has made it a mission to come up with an electronic fitness aid for cyclists as well.

The CS600 is like an on-board computer with its own software, which Gadgetell says was developed with the help of six teams from last year's Tour de France, "evaluating your heart's performance, bike speed, altitude and cadence." But be warned: Good health often comes at a price, and in this … Read more

Electric motorcycle smashes records

The KillaCycle, an all-electric motorcycle, is now the fastest electric vehicle of all time.

At a drag race in Chandler, Ariz., the bike completed a quarter mile in 8.168 seconds, breaking the six-year-old record of 8.801 held by Dennis Berube with an electric car for more than six years. The bike cranked it up to 155.87 miles an hour. Even more impressive, it hit this level of performance twice, on April 3 and April 4.

The bike is powered by 990 lithium ion cells from A123 Systems, a Massachusetts start-up that is also making batteries for General … Read more

A bike for non-slackers

While it won't go over with the biking cognoscenti who prefer a polished Italian-made drivetrain, the occasional leisure cyclist may find this a fun toy along the lines of the suitcase bike.

Hammacher Schlemmer is selling a chain-free 3-speed called the Belt Drive Bike for $500

As it says in the name, the bicycle has a lube-free Kevlar belt in lieu of a bike chain. The company claims that its lightweight and grease-free belt system needs no tension adjustment, and will not slack or slip.

Ergonomic adjustable 9-inch seat, 19.75-inch aluminum frame, and 26-inch tires with stainless steel … Read more