Xfire Safety Light Beams Your Own Bike Lane

There are lots of reflective or illuminating gadgets and accessories for bicycles and cyclists. But this is the first device I’ve seen that not only provides a light, it also creates an impromptu bike lane through the use of lasers.

xfire bike light laser

The Bike Lane Safety Light has two red 0.5mW lasers that beams two lines on either side of the bike. Xfire claims that the lines are visible even under headlights and streetlights. The Bike Lane Safety Light also has Five LEDs to provide further warning. The lasers and LEDs draw power from two AAA batteries.

xfire bike light laser 2 150x150
xfire bike light laser 3 150x150
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xfire bike light laser 5 150x150
xfire bike light laser 150x150

You can order the Bike Safety Light from Xfire for $40 (USD). I think the laser lanes are way better than rear lights. They’re less annoying or glaring to look at compared to a bright or pulsing rear light, and they give other people a better idea of your position and size. Plus lasers.

[via Inhabitat]


Wahoo Fitness introduces RFLKT: an iPhone-powered bike computer that lets handsets stay in pockets

Wahoo Fitness introduces RFLKT: an iPhone-powered bike computer that lets handsets stay in pockets

Sure, you can turn your smartphone into a bike computer, but if you’d rather not put your pricey piece of tech anywhere near harm’s way, Wahoo Fitness’ RFLKT Bike Computer offers an alternative. Instead of packing all the brains, the device sits atop a bicycle’s handlebar and displays data it’s fed via Bluetooth 4.0 from cycling apps running on an iPhone 4S or 5. At launch, the hardware will support the firm’s own Cyclemeter application and Wahoo Fitness App which can monitor ride information ranging from location to speed, in addition to heart rate with additional accoutrement. Aspiring Alberto Contadors can page through data and even sift through tunes on their playlist with the help of buttons on the device’s side. Gently tipping the scales at 2 ounces, the RFLKT measures up at 2.4- x 1.6 x 0.5-inches and boats a one-year battery life on a single coin cell. Wahoo’s gadget is slated for a December launch, but there’s still no word on pricing. For more specifics, take a gander at the full press release below.

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Wahoo Fitness introduces RFLKT: an iPhone-powered bike computer that lets handsets stay in pockets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Ridiculous Bike Mutates While You Ride It [Wish You Were Here]

There are a million different bike designs out there, each suited to a different terrain. The Continuously Ergonomic Race Vehicle—Or CERV—is Cannondale’s attempt at making a single bicycle that can adapt to the course you’re on. It’s a bonkers concept that looks just as crazy as it sounds. More »

Finally, WD-40 That Won’t Ruin Your Bike [Cycling]

A few weeks ago we explained that while WD-40 is useful for everything from unsticking gum to cleaning tile, you shouldn’t spray it anywhere near your bike. It causes dirt and dust to stick to your chain, turning it into a grody mess. Now the venerable brand will release a whole line of products formulated specifically to clean, protect, and preserve your bicycle. More »

Wahoo KICKR Power Trainer lets iPhone cyclists feel the simulated burn (video)

Wahoo KICKR Power Trainer lets iPhone cyclists feel the simulated burn video

Wahoo Fitness’ BlueSC cycling sensor is well and good for iPhone owners that always have fair weather and friendly roads to ride. For everyone else, there’s the company’s just-unveiled KICKR Power Trainer, a bike training system that uses a Bluetooth 4.0 link with Apple’s device (or an ANT+ bike computer) to come as close as possible to the real thing. The KICKR can change resistance as soon as third-party iOS apps like Kinomap Trainer and TrainerRoad give the word, either arbitrarily for a routine or to replicate that on-asphalt feel at up to a 15 percent hill grade. Wahoo claims the super flywheel and wheel-off design improve the sensation of the virtual road and keep the measurements for both power and speed accurate over the long haul. If there’s anything holding back indoor athletes, it’s the launch. The KICKR will only land in US basements and living rooms come November, and while we haven’t been quoted a price, we’d wager that it’s much more likely to fall in line with the cost of a regular bike trainer than a sensor like the BlueSC.

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Wahoo KICKR Power Trainer lets iPhone cyclists feel the simulated burn (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Maps for Android adds turn-by-turn biking navigation, helps pedal-pushers in 10 more countries

Google Maps for Android adds turnbyturn biking navigation, helps pedalpushers in 10 more countries

Google’s cycling directions have been slowly expanding their reach to the mobile world and other countries, but the only option for navigation so far has been to memorize the route. As of today, you won’t have to stop every five minutes to get your bearings. Google Maps for Android has received a low-key update that adds spoken, turn-by-turn Google Maps Navigation for riders in every country where biking directions exist — if you can clamp your phone to your handlebars, you can find your way. Many more riders are just seeing mobile support of any kind in the process. Both navigation and regular directions should now be live in the Android app for 10 more countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Cyclists just need to swing by Google Play to keep their two-wheeled adventures on track.

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Google Maps for Android adds turn-by-turn biking navigation, helps pedal-pushers in 10 more countries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bluetooth SIG releases certifications for fitness devices aimed at runners and cyclists

Fitness gadgets are great, but you never quite know what you’re going to get when it comes to calorie counts, or a reading of how many miles you’ve run. That could change, though, thanks to a set of standards the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is adopting with regard to fitness devices. These two certifications, which apply to running and cycling gadgets, respectively, affect the way data (e.g., cadence, speed, distance) is transmitted to paired devices like smartphones, sports watches and cycling computers. As far as SIG is concerned, too, more standardization means OEMs will have an easier time bringing new products to market — not that there’s any current shortage of options to choose from.

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Bluetooth SIG releases certifications for fitness devices aimed at runners and cyclists originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EcoXPower charges a smartphone, bicycle headlight and tail light with pedal power

EcoXPower charges a smartphone, bicycle headlight and tail light with pedal power

Bicycle rigs for charging cellphones have lit up our radar before, but now the EcoXPower is being billed as the first device of its kind that can simultaneously juice up LED lights and a smartphone with the power of your pedaling. Packing a headlamp, a red tail light and a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, the contraption attaches to a bike’s front wheel hub with the help of a universal mount. When clamped on, the apparatus’ clutch engages between the velocipede’s spokes so it can generate electricity. A USB adapter cable runs up the two-wheeler’s fork to a water-resistant, touchscreen-friendly case that can house iPhones, Android handsets and “all major GPS devices” perched atop the handlebars. Cyclists yearning to charge their electronics with the dynamo can pick one up for $99.99. Roll past the break for the full press release.

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EcoXPower charges a smartphone, bicycle headlight and tail light with pedal power originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Short Film Shows English Eccentricity and Engineering at Its Best [Video]

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 »

This Gorgeous Dutch Bike Is the Perfect City Ride [Desired]

I’ve got a FAST custom road bike. I love it, but in the city it feels like a sports car. It needs a lot of TLC, and I’ve got to constantly worry about it getting stolen. For what? To be stuck in traffic? I need a killer city bike like the Vanmoof 5.7. More »