Hasta La Gadget!

Vengeful, Vengeance, Revenge: These are just some of the headline opportunities for the McLaren/Specialized Venge

Formula One car-maker McLaren and bike company Specialized have teamed up to “reinvent the road bike.” Have they done this? No, but they have made a bike that looks pretty damn awesome: The Venge.

Trust a car company to concentrate on aerodynamics. You can’t make a competition road bike any lighter, thanks to strict UCI (the racing governing body) rules. But you can reduce drag, and McLaren says that the bike is 8% faster thanks mostly to this aerodynamic shaping. The chain-stays, for example, are shaped to let both front and sidewinds flow around them. The Venge frame, designed by Specialized, weighs in at under a kilo. The McLaren version manages to shave off another 15%.

Those wheels don’t look so great for crosswinds, though. Aerodynamic rims work great until the wind blows in from the sides, when they turn into sails. Just ask any fashionable fixed-gear rider who is sporting deep-Vs.

Stiffness has not been compromised, and the chain-stays are quite circular, allowing for good power transfer from the pedals without losing anything to flex.

The seat-post is adjustable, the cables are all routed through the frame, and the carbon sheets that make up the frame are cut by computer. This accuracy means that the overlap between carbon sheets is minimal, reducing weight thanks to needing less carbon and resin.

This thing looks ridiculously fast. It is also ridiculously priced (and has a ridiculous name: Venge sounds like some kind of tropical disease). The Specialized version will cost up to $9,100 (specced with a Shimano Dura Ace d12 group set), or $4,000 for just the frame. The fancier, lighter McLaren Venge will cost you $8,000 for the frame, and a scary $15,000 complete. I recommend a big lock if you take this to the supermarket.

McLaren Applied Technologies teams with Specialized [McLaren. Thanks, Chuck!]

Specialized Reinvents the Road Bike [Adventure Journal]

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This electric bike collaboration is almost impossibly easy to use

Electric bikes don’t need to be dorky, or look like something you borrowed from grandma. In fact, if it wasn’t for the down-tube bulge that holds the battery, this electric bike concept could pass for a pretty cool-looking mountain bike.

The concept is a team-up between Bosch (the electrics), NuVinci (the rear hub) and Gates (the belt-drive), and was built for the Taipei bike show in Taiwan. It is designed to be an almost maintenance-free commuter bike, aimed at those who want to ditch their cars to save money.

While Bosch’s electrical system powers the bike — and puts all the controls and readouts in a console up on the handlebars — the real meat is in the drive system. The motor is of the pedal-assist kind, which provides a a boost to the rider’s own power instead of opening up like a motorbike throttle. This power is sent to the rear wheel via the Gates Carbon Drive, which needs no lubrication and therefore never leaves oily stains on pants cuffs.

Finally, we reach the NuVinci hub. This hub uses planetary gearing for infinitely variable ratios (between its high and low limits, obviously). This lets you get just the gear just right, whatever slope you’re on.

The bike will never be made in numbers, and exists only as a way to show manufacturers what electric bikes could look like. I’m of a mind that says people should just ride a real bike and burn a few extra calories already, but for the terminally lazy, as well as those who just can’t ride due to age or infirmity, electric is still way better than taking the car.

If this “collabo” bike were ever actually sold, it would go for around €3,000, or $4,200. Yet another reason to use pedal power.

Sneak Peak: Belt Drive E-Bike with NuVinci and Bosch Technology Provides Glimpse of Electric Bike of the Future [Carbon Drive blog. Thanks, Paul!]

See Also:

• Panasonic Electric Granny Bike Foolishly Aimed at Kids
• Awesome DIY Electric Bikes Defy Laws, Good Sense
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The Flea v2.0 has a clever USB charger, and a battery level indicator

Blackburn Designs’ Flea bike lights look to be some of the most cleverly designed lamps around — and not just because they look like a Transformer’s head.

The Fleas do much that most other removable lights do: They fix onto the bike with velcro straps, they offer a choice of flashing or steady beams, and they use bright LEDs for lots of light without using too much power. The rear lamp runs for up to 12 hours and the front up to five (it puts out 40 lumens). Then things get really clever.

Both lights have a charge indicator, so you always know exactly how much time you have left. Not that this is really a problem, as they recharge via USB, meaning you’ll never have to buy another battery again. Even the charging is clever. The lights come with a USB dongle that plugs into a port or charger, and has a pair of magnetic contacts on top. Just stick the light to these points and it’ll be charged in 90 minutes.

The front and rear lights are both listed at $30, and there’s even a solar charger, which comes in a kit with a spare USB dongle for another $30.

Flea product page [Blackburn Designs via London Cyclist]

See Also:

• Owleye Solar Bike Lights Also Charge via USB
• Hands-On: Spaceship Bike Light Blinds Puny Humans
• Boomer: A Rechargeable USB Bike-Light from Knog
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The Cinco may be the cutest cargo-carrier ever

Alex Liauw designed the almost ridiculously practical Cinco bike, and unlike most concepts, this one will be in stores soon. The Cinco is for city bikers, and is made to carry loads and yet still be easy to ride. Think of it as a mini cargo-bike and you’re half way there.

The most obvious feature is the rear carrier, which can be used with either a wooden deck or a wide, strong basket. Because it is part of the frame, this rack is strong and stiff, and can even carry a loaded airline carry-on case.

Now take a look at the wheels. They’re small, at 20 inches, but far apart, thanks to long chain-stays. This gives it the feel of a bigger-wheeled bike and allows the rear load to sit low and forward, close to the bike’s center of gravity. This makes it more stable.

Then look at the tires. They’re fat, making the ride smoother. The bike comes in one size, but adjustments to stem and seat heights mean that it can mimic frame-sizes of 46 cm to 56 cm, big enough for a six-footer to ride. The multi-shaped frame also offers plenty of closed loops through which to thread chains and locks, meaning you can secure it to almost anything.

Future plans include a simple, single-speed model, and a range of locks and other city necessities, but for now there is one nine-speed model only. The price has yet to be announced, but if you happen to be in Taipei, Taiwan between March 16th-19th, you can take it for a spin at the cycle show.

Cinco product page [Ortre via Bicycle Design]

Cinco details [Cinco5]

See Also:

• Home-Made Kid-Carrying Cargo-Bike
• Electric Cargo Bike: A True Car Replacement?
• Amazing DIY Cargo-Bike Mods
• Bullitt Bike is Cool, Cargo-Carrying Cruiser

The $2,500 James Perse Cruiser will be bought by Hollywood stars and ridden just once.

The James Perse Cruiser is s like a classier version of Pee-wee Herman’s classic red and white bike. It’s a beach-cruiser style bike, with fat wheels and tires, a single-speed coaster brake hub, a steel frame and a Brooks saddle. It also costs $2,500.

Why so much, for something so simple it should cost a few hundred bucks? Because James Perse is a fashion brand, not a bike brand. The LA-based company also “makes” furniture and clothes. Looking at the site’s bio page, though, shows a couple of relevant details. James has indeed been to the beach, and there is a picture of him as a child, sitting astride a bike.

If you want one of these beautiful-looking machines, you can choose matte black, orange, khaki or creamy white. To buy it, just head to your local bike shop. Just kidding! You have to visit a James Perse boutique, conveniently situated in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, East Hampton NY, Aspen and other fancy areas. And you should probably never, ever take it anywhere near the corrosive salt and sand of your local beach.

James Perse Cruiser [James Perse via Uncrate]

See Also:

• Bullitt Bike is Cool, Cargo-Carrying Cruiser
• Masi Speciale SoulVille: Super Stylish Utility Cruiser
• Electra Delivery Bike is an Old-School Cargo-Carrier