Serenity tire gets modified

Do you love cycling? Casual cyclists might not experience a flat tire throughout their entire lives, but things are very different for professional cyclists. Just ask any of the riders in this year’s Tour de France – to be on the receiving end of a flat tire after one hits a tack or nail on the road is extremely frustrating, as it results not only in delays, but of more concern, it is absolutely dangerous in certain situations. In 2011, Hutchison introduced its airless Serenity tire to the world that is touted to be 100% flat-proof.

Now, necessity is the mother of all invention, but there is no stopping someone who wants to update an existing device – as cyclist Steve Boehmke realized that the Serenity tire is fairly difficult to install, and will only be able to fit to a very specific sized rim. He managed to turn the tables around by building wheelsets with the tires pre-mounted, so that there will no longer be any hassle for you to install them on your bicycle when the time comes.

Just a refresher – the Serenity tire is made out from a microcellular tube which will fit into a specially designed tire casing. It will ride as though it were an ordinary bike tire, with approximately 60 pounds of pressure, and that is more or less the equivalent to a mountain bike or city bike. As the tire has no air, it will not have any rolling resistance from air loss. Tipping the scales at approximately 1,400 grams (3 lb) a pair and boasting a reflective sidewall so that you will have some semblance of visibility during low light conditions, the tires are also said to be able to handle more shock absorption compared to the standard issue tube tires, where they are rated for approximately 3,000 miles (4,828 km) of wear.

Boehmke has, as many an entrepreneur has done, turned his attention to Kickstarter in order to raise the necessary funds to achieve his dream. Right now, there is still a week or so left to go, and his project has already raised $1,678 of its $1,000 goal. Good luck to Boehmke!

Source

[ Serenity tire gets modified copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Faraday Porteur Electric Bicycle: The Perfect Bike for Wealthy Hipsters

I have to say that this electric bike looks pretty awesome. It was designed by San Francisco-based Faraday Bicycles and this is their first production model. The team is looking to fund the production of the Porteur through Kickstarter.

faraday porteur electric bicycle

The Faraday Porteur is an electric bike and it’s been designed for commuters. The lithium batteries are hidden inside the frame, allowing the rest of the bike to look pretty elegant and comfortable. The boost mode feature has an active assist that will help users ride up slopes. There are built-in sensors that analyze how much pedaling is being done, and it matches foot strokes with an electric motor. The bike includes a quick-release front rack for storage and high-powered front and rear LED lights. The battery supposedly can be recharged in under an hour(?) and it has a 10-15 mile autonomy. It also has disc brakes, allowing it to stop quicker than other commuters that don’t have these.

faraday porteur electric bicycle side

The Faraday Porteur has been launched through a Kickstarter project, where it’s selling for the rather extravagant “introductory” price of $3500(USD). At the time of writing, with 21 days of funding left, the project has amassed $73,000 out of a $100,000 goal, so it’s got a very good chance of getting funded.

faraday porteur electric bicycle back

faraday porteur electric bicycle close

faraday porteur electric bicycle front close

[via designboom]


Faraday Porteur electric bicycle debuts on Kickstarter

We first wrote about the Faraday electric bicycle from Ideo in October last year when it won the Oregon Manifest design competition, taking the title as the best urban utility bike. Well, it seems that the bike is finally here as it makes its debut on Kickstarter. Designed by IDEO, an international design and innovation consultancy, and in collaboration with Rock Lobster Custom Cycles, the Faraday Porteur electric bicycle combines old-fashioned elegant design with state-of-the-art technologies to create the ultimate electric-propelled utility bicycle for modern people like you and me.

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Pedal Lock: additional security for your bicycle (concept), Bicycle helicopter gets you going,

Pedal Lock: additional security for your bicycle (concept)

Pedal LockBicycle locks are pretty standard accessories to have if you own a bicycle, and in terms of design – they haven’t really changed over the years. Well, some folks have come up with an interesting concept lock that they think can work better than what we already have. Called the Pedal Lock, it is basically what its name implies: a bicycle lock that doubles up as pedals for your mode of transportation.
(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Bicycle helicopter gets you going, FBike multicopter bicycle concept is surreal, flight test to commence in August,

Google and Sustrans join forces, bring bike navigation to UK Maps

Google and Sustrans

Pedaling your way through the streets of London Town and eager to avoid giant hills or dangerous traffic? Well, Google Maps is about to become your new best friend. The (still kinda-sorta) search company partnered with Sustrans to bring cycling directions to UK users of its mapping app. Now, alongside your typical driving, walking and public transit options you’ll see an adorable little biking icon. Really, there’s not much more to say, it’s a feature we in the US have been enjoying for quite some time and we’re happy that our friend across the pond are finally joining the party. There’s a celebratory video and some PR after the break, if that sort of thing intrigues you.

Continue reading Google and Sustrans join forces, bring bike navigation to UK Maps

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Google and Sustrans join forces, bring bike navigation to UK Maps originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raxibo Bike is Powered by Your Hands and Feet

I’m not sure if this makes it easier or harder to get your bike moving, but it certainly is different. The RaXibo Hand-Tret-Velo is Swiss made and features a pedaling system built into the handlebars so that you can use the strength in your arms as well as your legs to get going.
raxibo bike
Granted, it looks pretty silly, but imagine the workout you would get compared to a traditional bike. Though it would make texting harder for text addicts. It isn’t clear how steering the bike works while you pedal with both your legs and feet, but it looks like you can still control it while you pedal, by simply nudging it in the direction.

The RaXibo Hand-Tret-Velo comes in a basic version with 26-inch wheels for about $2,600(USD) and there is also a special version with a larger 29-inch rear wheel for around $2,900.

[via Gizmag via Dvice]


ARM server running on pedal power demoed at Red Hat Summit

ARM server running on pedal power demoed at Red Hat Summit

With x86 and a few high-powered RISC chips dominating the list of the most powerful computers on Earth, you might be wondering what’s the big deal with ARM and it’s push into the server space. Well, this is the big deal. The image above is of Jon Masters powering a Calxeda-server from HP with nothing more than a bicycle. OK, so there’s a bit more to the setup — including a 400 watt inverter, a 35 Ah battery, a UPS and a Pedal-a-Watt — but the gist of it is that Masters was able keep 32 ARM cores humming along just by pedaling his road bike at the Red Hat Summit. The demo was mostly meant as a proof of concept, but we can easily imagine our future robot overlords putting us to work keeping their network of servers running. On the plus side, pedaling to power the Internet might help solve our global obesity epidemic. For a quick tour of the rig, check out the video after the break.

Continue reading ARM server running on pedal power demoed at Red Hat Summit

ARM server running on pedal power demoed at Red Hat Summit originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Porsche 911 Bicycle: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet?

I’ve never been a fan of those car company branded bikes, like BMW and Ferrari, but this design is kind of interesting since it’s supposed to be made not just for looks, but for speed. It was created by the Netherlands-based designer Bastiaan Kok and was inspired by the Porsche 911.

porsche 911 bicycle

The bodywork of this bike mimics the iconic lines of the famous sports car. It’s got an integrated headlight, as well as a curved top tube and a rear wheel fender that comes complete with a taillight. The handle bar is low, kind of like a time trial bike, and there’s even a place to store your helmet.

porsche 911 bicycle side

It’s supposed to be built from lightweight alloy, but I doubt that this would work well since most high-end bikes are made out of carbon fiber. The design has disc brakes, and that’s a good feature because as fast as this is supposed to go, you’ll need to stop quickly not to crash.

911 bike 3

For now, the 911 Bicycle is only a concept, so you probably won’t be seeing one on the road any time soon.

[via designboom]