Category Archives: New Cycling Gear

New cycling gear and equipment.

New Cycling Gear

The Stringbike

Here at Velo Logic, we love creative thinking that the shatters preconceived notions of how a traditional component works or looks.

Today, here’s a quick look at a fresh new conception of the drivetrain.

We’ve seen chains, we’ve seen belts, we’ve seen direct drive, but we’ve never seen a string drive.

Stringbike - the carbon time trial versionWhat are the Advantages of the Stringbike?

Well here’s what they say on the Stringbike site, and I quote:

  • Silky smooth and almost silent riding experience
  • Less maintenance, fewer parts to malfunction, long-lasting high efficiency
  • No loose, broken, lost or rattling chains
  • No lubrication, oil, rust or dirty hands – clean bike, clean hands, clean clothes, clean environment
  • No chance of derailleurs going wrong and needing servicing
  • No costly chain and drive-system maintenance
  • Fewer bike parts exposed to possible damage while riding
  • Noticeably easier to climb uphill than with conventional bikes thanks to special riding characteristics of the drive
  • Almost continuous shifting through 19 gears, easily controlled by a single handle grip
  • Quick and easy removal of the rear wheel makes fixing flat tyres clean and hassle-free
  • The strings can be changed easily, without any tools in few minutes.

Bicycle Racing Poster

Bicycle Racing Cycling Poster QuoteOff the Front - beautiful cycling poster on wooden panel. This is a unique work of art, with an original graphic design,  printed on superior quality birch wood. Choose from 10 sizes and create a statement piece that’s perfect for your office or your home. Ready to stand, or hang.

 

A basic StringbikeNo doubt it’s clever, unusual, creative, and it has some advantages… but I’d like to see a side-by-side comparison in terms of speed and efficiency, something like the results of riding traditional vs stringbike in a few 10-40 km time trials.

Nevertheless, interesting concept! What do you think?

Learn more about how the Stringbike technology works

New Cycling Gear

Denny Utility Bicycle – Ready to Go

There’s a lot of new concept bike ideas in the works, I have mentioned a few, just last week I wrote about the DuBike.

Well there’s a pretty cool one that is going to be available soon, this year in fact. It’s the Denny Utility Bicycle and will be produced by Fuji bikes.

denny-utility-bicycle-1The basic idea behind the Denny is convenience. This bike is a workhorse, ready to go when you are, no fussing about.

 

Here’s some of the highlights:

• The handlebar does double duty as a lock
• Automatic gear shifting
• Electric power assist
• Fully-integrated, turn signals, head and brake lights
• Auto-on lights that react to natural light conditions
• Safety lights that flood light onto the road around the bike

Here’s a video of the Denny in action

And if you fancy one… sign up on Fujibikes.com  to be notified when it’s available.

New Cycling Gear

Radical Design, Affordable Price

Updated: November 21, 2014. The Epo Bicycle designer, Bob Schiller, wrote in to clarify that the bicycle is still in the conceptual phase, and that the retail price has not been determined. If it comes to market Bob estimates the price will be around $1,500. Bob’s goal is to design a bike that can be produced in the Netherlands for a similar price to producing a bike in China or Taiwan. The article below has been updated to reflect these points.

Here’s an interesting new bicycle, the Epo, from Dutch designer Bob Schiller.

Why another bicycle design?

Every single person in the Netherlands cycles; even our prime minister uses his bike to get to work. Cycling is part of our culture and it has been for centuries. However, an affordable, contemporary Dutch bicycle disappeared from our streets.

A bicycle is a labour intensive product. For this reason, almost all bicycle manufactures moved  their production to China or Taiwan. Epo revives the local industry and brings production back to the Netherlands.

-Bob Schiller, www.epobicycles.com

The Epo Bicycle with belt driveBob Schiller’s goal is to produce a bicycle in the Netherlands for a similar price of producing a bike in China or Taiwan. The bike is still in the conceptual phase, but if and when it comes to market it will be in the region of $1,500.

Bicycle Technology: Epo Bicycle Front Fork and DiskThe bike has a pressed metal frame made from aluminum.  Two molded sheets are spot welded together.

There is a single fork leg on the front, and a single stay for the rear wheel. The single stay and fork allow the tires to be changed without the wheel being removed from the bike. The Epo also has disk brakes and is a belt drive.

Learn more about the Epo: http://www.epobicycles.com

New Cycling Gear, News

Orfos Flare Bicycle Light

I used to ride at night a lot! Twice a week I’d do the local hammerfest and then ride solo for another 3 hrs. I loved riding at night, it was cooler, quieter, and so I thought… much safer.

After all, I could see the cars coming a mile away thanks to their lights, and they could see me as I had bright front and rear lights. And I rode for years without incident.

One night that naive assumption was shattered when I had a very close call. The road snaked in such a way that my light was not visible until too late. and I came close to being whacked. I wonder if I would have been much more visible had I had something like the Orfos Flares bike light. I think so.

What is the Orfos Flare?

The Orfos Flare is an LED light that emits a glow in 360 degrees, rather than a directional beam like a traditional bike light does. The case surrounding the LED diffuses the light.

What this means is that (part of) the rider and the surrounding environment is lit, making the rider more visible.

The lights are also completely waterproof… just in case you encounter a deluge of Biblical proportions.

orfos-flare-light-1

A cool feature is that the lights attach to the bike magnetically. There is a mount that you attach to your bike with cable ties, and then the light magnetically sticks to the mounting, so you can quickly attach and remove the lights as needed.

The lights run on a rechargeable battery, and are charged via a micro USB port. Apparently, you can get 24 hrs of light from a 90 min charge. Not bad.

The inventor is Pete Clyde, an electrical engineer, and he plans to have the lights shipping by Christmas.

The Monkey Light will do something similar, it’s available right now – check it out: The Monkey Light – cycling safety light

Learn more about the Orfos Flare Light or check it out on Kickstarter.

 

 

 

New Cycling Gear, News

New Trainer: 1upPOWERbahn

While researching the best indoor cycling trainers for our new cycling gear store, I came across the 1upPOWERbahn from 1UPUSA, makers of the innovative 1upUSA trainer that uses a centrifugal clutch system. The POWERbahn trainer is still in development, and unfortunately it did not reach its fundraising goal on Kickstarter, but here’s a brief overview of what it offers.

What makes the 1upPOWERbahn different?

The makers claim that it realistically mimics the outdoor ride indoors, that it closely simulates the experience of grade and motion changes that you feel on the road. It even simulates momentum, and it does it differently based on the rider’s weight.

  • Simulates grades up to 15 degrees, and downhills to -5 degrees
  • Wireless Ant+  speed, cadence and power
  • Authentic inertia and momentum with no deadspots while pedaling

Learn more about the 1upPOWERbahn.

 

 

New Cycling Gear

The Copenhagen Wheel with Integrated Motor

This new bicycle wheel turns your normal bicycle into an electric bike.

The interesting thing about this wheel is that it is “intelligent”, it learns your pedaling technique and turns itself on and off when needed, and recharges itself. So there is no need to turn it on or off. For example, if you’re riding along and encounter a hill, the wheel will kick in and give you a little boost up the hill.

Some technical specifications for the Copenhagen Wheel:

  • At 13 lbs, it weighs about as much as a road racing bike.
  • Motor power is 350 watts
  • Its top speed is 20 mph
  • Takes 4 hours to charge
  • Range of 31 miles

It’s important to remember that this is not meant as your primary motor, you are the primary motor, this assists you when you need it, and is intended to complement your cycling, integrate with it and enhance it, rather than replace it.

Learn more about the Copenhagen Wheel at SuperPedestrian.com

Cycling Store, New Cycling Gear, News

Velo Logic’s New Cycling Store

Check it out! Velo Logic now has a store where you can buy a selection of indoor trainers, cycling movies and DVDs and books about cycling.

We’re starting small but will grow with time, for now you can browse:

Summer’s not over, head on over to the store and grab a few good books or movies to tide you through the summer.

How about Wheelmen, New York Times bestseller on Lance Armstrong’s massive deception and the greatest sports conspiracy ever. And here’s a great read for the ladies, Every Woman’s Guide to Cycling, Selene Yeager covers everything women need to know about cycling, from the basics like buying the right bicycle, to developing fitness, effective training, and finally how to race successfully and win.

On the movie front we have the classic Breaking Away in HD – if you haven’t seen it then you need to get it now, definitely one for the collection.

Heck, if you’re like me and like to ride indoors, you might even like to get a trainer (and in my humble but insightful opinion, you can’t beat the Kurt Kinetic!).

 

Cycling Gear Reviews, New Cycling Gear

Bontrager RXL Cycling Shoes

Photo of Bontrager RXL cycling shoes
Bontrager RXL Cycling Shoes perform admirably!

The Bontrager RXL shoes arrived in a classy, understated box. I tried them on and they fit nicely, a little more roomy around the wide part of the foot than I’m used to, but better than many makes that tend to be tight around there. The shoes are crisp white, with a carbon sole, and gold accents. They look very cool. One thing stood out, they are extremely light. So light that I almost threw them out with the box! No kidding.

I took them for a few short spins to make sure they fit well, that the cleats were well adjusted, and that they wouldn’t start hurting after 20 miles. They felt great, so great in fact, that I forgot that I was wearing them.

Then I headed in to the mountains for a 60 mile out and back from Marion to the top of Mt Mitchell and back. Almost the whole outbound leg is uphill, the return is a descender’s dream, and a thrill. I was prepared for a little bit of discomfort, especially given the fact that I would be climbing for over 2 hrs, but there was none. I completely forgot about monitoring the state of my feet and the performance of the shoe, instead I was captivated by the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway and the views down on to the foothills below. And, it must be said, I was well engrossed in the suffering inherent in a sustained climb of 25 miles.

The Bontrager RXL shoe performed admirably. It was comfortable, stiff, secure and airy, allowing a liberal amounts of air to flow through and keep my feet cool. They felt good on the climbs when I was seated, and they felt firm and secure under out of the saddle accelerations and sprints. The shoes close snug where it counts, but leave ample room around the box area so your foot never feels cramped. With custom e-sole foot beds, you can get them to fit even better.

On the downside, these shoes look great new, but after a bit of real world immersion, they can start to look grubby. Clean them regularly and use your old ones when it rains, and the these brilliant white head-turners will last a lot longer.

On the whole, the Bontrager RXL shoes are right up there with the best.