Hasta La Gadget!

So you are one of those who prefer to get around town using a mix of public transport as well as your set of two wheels – non oil guzzling ones, that is, in the form of a bicycle. Well, well, what are you to do then in order to maximize your “green” and eco-friendly lifestyle while you are on the move? This is where the ECOXGEAR pedal powered headlight and smartphone charger comes in handy, where it will come equipped with a universal mount so that it can be attached to most standard and oversized hubs. Not only that, there is also a handlebar mounted, water-resistant and touch-screen compatible smart phone/GPS case which is pretty much self-explanatory, so I don’t see the need for me to go there. The ECOXPOWER can be yours for $99.99 a pop if you are interested, but let us take a closer look at what it offers in the extended post.

For starters, the ECOXPOWER will come with an ultra-bright LED front headlight and red rear tail light that are capable of being mounted to your bike’s front wheel hub. The included USB adapter cable will run up the front fork and into the handlebar mounted, water-resistant smart phone case. Each time your bicycle’s front wheel turns, the ECOXPOWER’s clutch engages between the tire’s spokes, kickstarting a generator which will power the lighting system, the integrated lithium ion rechargeable battery and the power jack for you smartphone. Talk about efficiency, yo!

As for the smartphone case, it is touch-screen friendly and accommodates all major GPS devices and smartphone models, especially those from the iOS and Android camps. Not only that, the ECOXPOWER will also come equipped with an on/off remote switch which can be mounted to the handlebars, delivering full control over the headlight and taillight while on a ride.

CEO of ECOXGEAR, Greg Fadul, said, “Typical bike lights have a short life expectancy, most of which are only 10-15 hours or even as low as five if on high brightness. Bicyclist either have to routinely buy batteries, remove the light for recharging, or replace their lights completely. ECOXPOWER is self-powered and with the built-in rechargeable battery, extra costs and inconveniences are non-existent. And if you’re using your smart phone for GPS or music on a long ride, you never have to worry about running out of juice.”

Product Page available on Amazon.com.

[ ECOXGEAR pedal powered headlight and smartphone charger for bicycles copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The Moulton Bicycle Company was established 50 years ago by the engineer who designed the suspension system for the first Mini. This video takes a peek at the inner-workings of the company at its headquarters in Bradford-Upon-Avon, UK—and shows off the kind of English eccentricity that is impossible to resist. More »

Getting to work and back can be quite a challenge if you have to go through traffic jams all the time, but there is this thing called the bicycle which would definitely be worth checking out if you happen to live just a few blocks away from your work place. After all, cycling is a whole lot greener, not to mention it saves you plenty of time and money since you need not circle many times over to look for a parking spot which is more or less exorbitantly priced in cities. Apart from that, if you live in a hilly area like San Francisco, then the $1,800 Commuter’s Advanced Electric Bicycle is the perfect mode of transportation to own.

With it, you are able to tackle those notorious hill slopes with ease, not to mention the Commuter’s Advanced Electric Bicycle comes with a wide range of advanced features to deliver a safer commute. It has an LCD that illuminates the current speed, letting you know of the voltage on the left on its battery, while indicating when its headlight, rear light, and turn indicators are active, so that you are able to maintain a stern concentration on the road. Dual rear-view mirrors pave the way for maximum road visibility. You can hit a top speed of 20 mph with the bicycle’s 500-watt electric motor.

[ Commuter’s Advanced Electric Bicycle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

When it comes to pedal power, you really do not have that much choice in terms of how fast you are going to go. After all, a whole lot of it depends on you making the effort to cycle as hard and as fast as you can to max up your speed. Of course, unless you are talking about a bicycle with an electric engine that will help you move as fast as possible without assistance from your legs. Enter the Marrs M-1 bicycle that intends to be the Harley Davidson of bicycles.

Anaheim-based Marrs Cycles is proud to announce that their Marrs M-1 most probably has far more in common with a customized Harley Davidson, compared to other stuff that are put out by Specialized or Trek. Company founder Kacy Marrs, he who has a background in riding a range of both bicycles and motorcycles, as well as his business partner, Brad Fanshaw, who did run a company which constructed truly one-of-a-kind hot rods, do have something interesting for the future with the Marrs M-1 bicycle.

Similar to Fanshaw’s cars, the Marrs M-1s are constructed in a built to order format. What I am saying is, the specifications will all be different, depending on what the user wants. After all, money is your limit. When you translate it to plain English, it would mean the specifications is able to differ from bicycle to bicycle, depending on what your wants are. Rechargeable lithium battery packs will be at the heart of the Marrs M-1, which is used to juice up a three-phase brushless rear hub motor. Just what kind of performance can this puppy pack? Well, the smallest pack of them all is capable of churning out 20 amp hours, which on paper, it enables a 175-pound (79kg) rider to travel up to 20 miles (32 km) on a single charge – without the need to pedal.

The Marrs M-1 bike has a top motorized speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). After all, anything that is speedier, it would not be able to legally be classed as an electric bicycle for the US market. Marrs mentioned that his company has already come up with personal test bikes which will be able to exceed that speed. After all, Marrs said that he did bring the Marrs M-1 for a test drive at approximately 30 mph (48 km/h). You might need to fork out a minimum of $7,000 if you are thinking of getting one of these puppies for yourself.

Source

[ Marrs M-1 intends to be the top end bicycle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

They told him it was impossible – three engineers that is. Engineers may be smart, but obviously these ones lacked vision. After his wife persuaded him to give it a try, designer Giora Kariv got to work on a bicycle made out of cardboard, with a cost of less than $9 to manufacture.

Kariv was inspired by a man who made a canoe out of cardboard, and since he himself had a passion for bicycles and recycling, he wanted to create a functioning cardboard bike. Mission accomplished. Surprisingly, it can even withstand water, humidity, and it’s pretty strong. Kariv had to work through several generations of the design to get it just right. It had to be strong enough to hold a person of up to 300 pounds after all.

Folding the cardboard is what makes it so strong. Kariv compares folding the cardboard to origami. With a total materials cost under $10, Kariv sees much potential here. Assuming the labor costs aren’t prohibitive, stores could sell them to consumers for around $60 depending on what they wanted to add to the bike over and above the original design. The cost is great, especially if it should be stolen, you won’t be out as much money.

[via No Camels via Geek]