Life
7 Badass Bike Innovations That Will Make You Excited to Cycle to Work
The past few years have seen a surge of innovation in bicycle technology, construction and design. (Hello, check out this bike seat designed to give women orgasms!) From foldable bikes and helmets to phone-chargers powered by your own movement, here are seven exciting developments guaranteed to make bike commuting easier.
Alas, the beer growler cycle pictured here is still only a prototype!
The past few years have seen a surge of innovation in bicycle technology, construction and design. (Hello, check out this bike seat designed to give women orgasms!) From foldable bikes and helmets to phone-chargers powered by your own movement, here are seven exciting developments guaranteed to make bike commuting easier.
Alas, the beer growler cycle pictured here is still only a prototype!
Cardboard Bikes
IIzhar Gafni has designed the first bicycle made almost entirely of cardboard. The idea was to create something both lightweight and cheap. In August, Gafni announced that his company, Cardboard Technologies, had partnered with equity investors to build its first production facility.
The Rubbee
The Rubbee is portable device that can be attached to a regular bike to provide electric power. Awesome, right? The small box just clips to a bike's saddle post, and can be attached in under a minute. According to its manufacturers, it can take cyclists to speeds of about 15 miles per hour.
Smart Bike Locks
The Smart Bike Lock means you'll never have to worry about losing your lock keys again. The lock syncs up with your smartphone — one swipe, and it unlocks. If you set it to "proximity mode," it will unlock as soon as you approach the bike. And beside unlocking your bike, it stores location data in case you forget where you parked.
ECOXPOWER Charger
The ECOXPOWER Device Charger is a gadget that attaches to your bike and powers any electronic device that uses USB. What's so innovative about that? ECOXPOWER's gadget is actually powered by you as you ride. As soon as cyclists hit speeds above 3 miles per hour, it begins charging and storing power.
The MIKE Bike
The MIKE Bike was designed with a modest agenda: To replace city cars. Launching this month, the MIKE bike has an aluminum frame with front and back LED lights, blinkers, a front tray designed to hold luggage, a back basket and and a smartphone docking station that allows you to charge while you ride. It comes with the option of an electric-powered motor, too.
Foldable Helmets
Foldable helmets like this one from Carrera mean you don't have to choose between forgoing a helmet and carrying one around all day. Just fold it up and stick it in your backpack or purse!
Kwiggle's Lightweight Foldable Bike
Germany-based Kwiggle claims to have made the most compact, lightweight foldable bike on the market. Unlike some foldable bikes, which are still really heavy (and therefore kind of defeat the portable purpose), the Kwiggle only weighs about 15 pounds. When unfolded, the Kwiggle bike is made for half-seated, half-upright riding.
