Hasta La Gadget!

Riding to work on your bike makes for a refreshing morning. You can be grumpy if you try, but it gets your blood pumping, and by the time you arrive at your destination, you’re ready to face whatever challenges may come your way. On the other hand, riding home in the evenings is always a bit terrifying. Cars can hardly see you, and never seem to expect bicycles to be on the road.

If you don’t want to become part of the statistic of bikers who are hit at night, you likely want to have reflective gear or lights on your backpack, clothing, or attached on your bike. If you happen to forget any of these pieces of gear at home, it could quickly become a life or death situation if a driver doesn’t see you well enough in the dark. If you’d like to know you have some visibility, there’s a line of clothing from Betabrand that will make you stick out like a sore thumb.

It’s called BikeToWork, and it’s a variety of “regular clothes” that have a highly reflective aspect to them. Regular cycling attire doesn’t normally accommodate a work setting, so this will hopefully bridge the gap. There’s everything from shorts and dresses to button down shirts and blazers. They all have 3M retroreflective yarn woven into the fabric, so it will be pretty hard for some aspect of your outfit not to be seen. Seeing that this fits such a specific market and is aimed at professionals, you’ll want to prepare yourself for prices such as $118 for a single shirt.

Available for purchase on Betabrand, found via OhGizmo
[ BikeToWork is a line of reflective everyday wear for cyclists copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Real cycling, (not the ride around the lake I do on an occasional Saturday) takes a tremendous amount of time and commitment. I believe it entails pushing the limits, and forging ahead. Training often, watching what you eat, and always working towards the next level. Unfortunately, it also entails having to look out behind you, in order to keep yourself safe.

Well, now you can keep your concentration on the road ahead, while your new Hindsight 35 keeps you apprised of whats going on behind you, and you’ll never look back. Designed to increase your peripheral, and your rear-view vision, Hindsight 35 can he help prevent accidents that happen because you can’t see behind you, or, because you’re turning around to look.

A specialized digital camera is attached to an area such as the seat post, and sends along video data via the micro-HDMI cable to the handlebar-mounted screen, featuring ANT+ wireless technology that can display data from compatible devices, and the vibrant LCD display can be read in direct sunlight. (just don’t wear polarized glasses)

So if having real-time views of whats going on behind your back while you hit the open road will help you in your cycling endeavors, and the ability to record video in a continuous 5-minute loop, gives you extra security in the case of an accident, and a cyclometer that includes speed, max speed, average speed, trip distance, odometer, and a stopwatch gets your wheels turning, then the 379 dollar Hindsight 35 might be for you. Available soon, at cerevellum.com
[ Hindsight 35 – Watching out Behind You copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Many people who used to take a car or bus into work are starting to find that a bicycle ride is far more enjoyable. It saves you some gas money, deters you from having to deal with the un-pleasantries of riding a bus, and gives you a little work out. It’s always a bit rough at the start, but becomes second nature once you’re more accustomed to it. One issue that you may face though, is where to put your bicycle once you’ve reached your destination.

Not only do you need to locate a bike rack, but you will want to make sure you have a lock to keep it in place. Of course, this means you have one more item to carry with you on your travels. Most of the time, the more effective bike locks are a tad bulky, and don’t really break down to fit easily in your bag. This is all well and good, but most people want to travel as light as possible. The Foldylock may help to take up less space, as well as provide you with the means to keep your mode of transportation safe.

This is comprised of six steel links that are reinforced with fiberglass over a plastic covering that will keep your bike safe from theft and scratches. The rivets are designed to hold up against drilling, and it won’t rust over time. It all folds up to about the size of a wrench, and will set you back around $80. It comes with a mount for your bike which will take the place of your water bottle holder, but there is another option that holds it on via straps.

Crowdfunding available at Kickstarter, found via OhGizmo
[ Foldylock keeps an eye on your bike when you’re away copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Going at any pace above a walking speed means falling will be more painful. The same goes for just about any mode of transportation. The faster you go, the more dangerous an accident is. There are plenty of vehicular accidents, but misfortune on a bicycle has a very good chance of being fatal. There’s not a cocoon of metal around you with airbags to go off if you hit something, and you’re far harder to see on the road.

There aren’t rear view mirrors all over your bike as there are with cars. While you can affix some mirrors to your handle bars or helmet, they have a penchant for being a bit shaky. While cars do need to see you, it’s necessary that you keep an eye out so you don’t merge when you shouldn’t be. The RearViz was created not for others to see you, but so you can make sure to spot potential danger before it strikes.

This is an arm band with a convex mirror that will allow you to see behind you. There are different band sizes so you can choose whether it will go on your forearm or upper arm, and there are a variety of color inserts that are purely there for aesthetics. This will cost you anywhere from $25-40, and the UV-resistant plastic used to create this should last about 5 years. It would be nice to not have to look into a shaky mirror, and have the option of removing it. This isn’t available just yet, but keep your eyes peeled on their site in the coming months if you’re interested.

Available for purchase soon at RearViz, found via damngeeky
[ RearViz – Look out, behind you! copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

There are a lot of ways to get around, especially if you live in the city. You can walk, drive, take public transportation, and of course, bike. Oftentimes, the last option can be one of the best ones. It’s quick, you don’t have to wait on someone else’s schedule, and you don’t have to pay for gas. There are downsides, like dealing with inclement weather, and making sure you have the energy to get to your destination without working up a sweat. While you can’t really do much about the weather, you can make sure that you get from Point A to Point B without expending much energy at all.

Electric bikes aren’t a new concept. There are plenty on the market that you can buy, but the selection isn’t as vast as if you were shopping for a regular bicycle. So what if you could transform your favorite two-wheeler into an electric-powered one? That’s exactly what the Rubbee intends to do.

This device quickly and easily attaches to the seat tube of your bike, while the friction wheel sits on top of your rear wheel. Steady force is maintained as it spins, causing your tire to also move. It uses a special polyurethane formula that is supposed to provide maximum grip on the wheel, and eliminate any grinding that would wear away the rubber. There is also a throttle that you will attach to your handlebars, for controlling your speed.

The unit can provide enough juice to take you up to 15 miles on a single charge, and enough power to get you up to 15 mph. As for charging, you’ll only need to plug in the unit for 2 hours to get a full charge. Currently, you can pre-order your own Rubbee for around $1070.

Source: OhGizmo
[ Rubbee electrifies any standard bicycle copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]