Monday, March 22, 2010

Saturday, March 13, 2010

http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/labels/Folding%20Bicycle.html
http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/freebike/starting.htm#Starting

Friday, March 12, 2010

MORE TOP STORIES » SPORTS

Pronghorn APLS 'best of both worlds' mountain bike suspension

By Jeff Salton

14:48 March 8, 2010

The Pronghorn mountain bike frame with APLS - the suspension unit is mounted on the top tu...

The Pronghorn mountain bike frame with APLS - the suspension unit is mounted on the top tube of the frame to help riders extract more energy from the chain

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Serious mountain bikers are always looking for a competitive edge. Often, that can mean extracting every ounce of energy from their bodies and their equipment. Danish high-end mountain bike builder Pronghorn has designed a bike frame the company calls its Anti-Power-Loss-System (APLS) where the rear shock absorber is mounted on the top tube. This, says the company, better utilizes the rider’s energy by delivering power more efficiently to the back wheel when the rider needs it – climbing uphill or negotiating technical courses.

By mounting the suspension on the top tube Pronghorn Racing offers a more horizontal and forward distribution of the energy while increasing the stiffness and rigidity of the rear end. The end result is a faster and more efficient suspension design while eliminating the energy-sapping pedal bob.

In other words, the bike handles like a hardtail when pedaling uphill so all the rider’s energy is conveyed via the chain to the rear wheel - the energy expelled while pedaling is not used to pull the wheel up and down. But when traveling downhill the bike reverts to handling like a full suspension model.

The APLS is now a feature of the company’s carbon fiber range of frames.

The frame was entered in the recent ISPO Brandnewaward competition where it was a finalist in the hardware section.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A Fully Collapsable Bike

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Mexican industrial designer Victor M. Aleman has developed a concept fully collapsible, folding bicycle.

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It looks like its fixed or got a cruiser brake. Thats pretty cool, but then comes the question of are the tires replaceable or would you need to buy a whole new collapsable wheel when you skid the crap out of it? On top of that, the pedals are round. Seriously, why would you design round pedals on a bike?

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But, besides this little critique, I think the concept, execution and overall look of the bike is really cool. This reminds me of another collapsable bike that was mentioned on bextim. Not sure if anyone took the jump to that post but i’ll post the video here at the end.

//Bonus Content//

Dominic Hargreaves designed the Contortionist to—unlike other folding bikes—specifically showcase the aesthetics and feel of a traditional bike. Mechanically, he aimed to create a bike that was unable to fold up while being ridden, even if the quick release were to come loose. The aluminum frame collapses between the two wheels, making its compact size equal to that of a 26-inch wheel, allowing it to be easily carried (or rolled!) onto public transportation. When opened up, it becomes a standard, full-size bike.



bikes

These are two cool concept bikes that could be coming to a local bike store near you!

#1. The Nulla, which means “nothing” in Italian, embraces a minimalist approach to bicycle design. Named as such due its missing parts, including the chain, fork and spokes, the Nulla uses a “direct-gear-chain drive system” instead to support the wheels and produce movement. Created by Bradford Waugh, the bike is still causing much debate as to whether or not it would indeed be operable, but most cycling enthusiasts agree that with its sleek, beautiful design it doesn’t matter all that much. Photo courtesy of Bradford Waugh via LikeCOOL.com.

#2 Is a bike by Phil Bridge, who majored in Product Design at Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England, aimed to design a recyclable bike that was, in essence, worth nothing. Bicycles are often stolen or damaged throughout England, so he hoped his cardboard creation, devoid of sentiment and cost, would deter thieves while also preventing owner worry. A waterproof, honeycomb-structured cardboard called Hexacomb—generally used for engineering purposes—was used for the frame, pedals and wheel spokes. Designed to withstand approximately six months of constant use, the bike has an estimated production cost of around ₤15 (approximately $25). Photo courtesy of Sheffield Hallam University via shu.ac.uk/art/design/news/cardboardbike.html.

To check out 6 more concept bikes take a look at the post at Bix TIm!