bikes

Chrome started with a couple of guys in Boulder, Colo., who set out to built a bag that could stand a lifetime of daily abuse. Eight years later, the operation is now based out to San Francisco, where Chrome bags have become the staple of bike messengers, students, and packrats alike. Today, Chrome also announced its sojourn into the techie commuter market with the release of two stripped-down, laptop-friendly bags: the Vega and Corsair.

The Vega draws inspiration from the classic "musette" bags used to feed cyclists in the middle of a big race. Since weight is everything to these pros, the bags have to be minimalist and utilitarian, and the Vega is no different. It's light, tough, and can easily fit up to a 15-inch laptop.

It's important to stress the tough material used in the build: 1,000 denier Cordura material, a heavyweight nylon with a urethane coating to protect from water, abrasian, and grime. Make no mistake about it: these are some of the toughest bags you can get.… Read more

Who said nerds eat onlyjunk, never exercise, and rack up 1-900 bills while living in their parents' pool houses? Well, now we know at least one of those isn't true.

Pro BMX rider Aaron Ross partnered with Odyssey to produce this signature BMX set that features a clever keyboard pattern spelling out the name of the rider.

The full set includes two-piece, multibutted chromoly bars; a set of 145 millimeter Krayton Rubber grips; and a special T-shirt all bearing the same design. Available now on DansComp or the Odyssey's Web site.

Pics of the full set after the jump.… Read more

Cycling commuters are forced to deal with a million obstacles on the ride to and from work. In urban areas, cars remain our biggest foe, largely because people don't make the effort to look out for our blinking lights. Plenty of companies offer cycling-specific clothing, but they're terribly unflattering in all the wrong places.

But check this out: Cordarounds has developed these Bike to Work Pants. The inside of the pockets and pant cuffs are actually made from a material that reflects lights, thus increasing a cyclist's visibility and safety.

In "daytime mode," the pants … Read more

Listening to headphones while riding a bike is obviously dangerous, and yet I see so many fellow cyclists mashing around with wires dangling from their ears. Why? Well, that's easy: because everyone loves riding to a soundtrack.

Unfortunately, there are too many important road noises (honks, sirens, etc...) that deserve attention, so music has to take a back seat...that is, unless you have the Podio, a digital audio player with a built-in speaker specifically designed for jamming in the bike lane.

The portable Podio includes a special bracket that easily mounts onto a set of handlebars. You can … Read more

I only run when chased, so biking has always been my preferred method for a cardio workout. However, I've never been much for stationary bikes or spinning. The RealRyder ABF8 spin bike, however, might change my mind. (Though I doubt I'll have the $1,995 to buy one anytime soon.)

Instead of a rigid ride, the bike has an articulating frame letting you lean, steer, and sway from side to side as if you were on a typical road bike.

The company claims the instability allows for a more complete workout, engaging core and upper-body muscles since you … Read more

Aqua Moto Racing is an attractive, addictive, and highly replayable 3D Jet Ski racing game--and one of the best games of its kind available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. You control your Jet Ski with simple, intuitive controls: you tilt your device right or left to turn (the farther you tilt, the tighter the turn), and you touch the left side of the screen to brake and the right side to "boost." This temporary speed increase uses the "boost" meter, which you recharge by passing buoys closely and performing stunts off of ramps. Performing tricks … Read more

Lance Armstrong seems like a man with an abundance of life's gifts. Women, calves, Tour de France victories.

However, someone who chooses to "live weak" snuck into his team's truck in Sacramento, Calif., and pilfered Mr. Armstrong's time trial bike. I am assuming that one of his entourage may have informed the police of the heinous event.

Mr. Armstrong himself, however, turned to the one force he can trust. Yes, his 112,000 Twitter followers. With a huge great heave of emotion coursing through his every vein, he penned: "Someone stole my time trial … Read more

One of the most popular iPhone apps of 2008 wasn't a game or productivity app, or even a random sound maker. Surely many iPhone users reading this post have downloaded the app called Koi Pond, or have at least seen it on a friend's iPhone. It's one of the first programs I start up whenever I'm showing off my iPhone because it combines excellent ambient sound, crisp graphics, and you can make waves and "feed the fish" by swiping or touching the screen. There is no real goal to Koi Pond beyond enjoying watching … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Schwinn was at the Consumer Electronics Show with a high-tech eBike that has an elecrtric motor with a battery that can be charged in about a half hour for 25 miles of riding. In this podcast, spokesman Michael de Leon talks about the bike and whether a motor would interfere with the bike's ability to help people stay in shape.

See our complete news coverage from CES here