We’re rarely interested in anything to do with BMX, however, when BMX design legend Bob Haro talks it’s difficult for us not to listen, even if he’s talking to a local newspaper reporter for The Coast News. What’s he talking about? His limited edition 540 re-release of his original BMX freestyle bike designs under his new label Ikonix.
“IKONIX will be an iteration of the original bike, integrating technology to meet the needs of today’s hot, young riders,” he said, adding that the product line will include freestyle BMX bikes, racing bikes and BMX parts, accessories and apparel. . . “We are working with young riders who can give us input on the product,” he explained. “It is a definitely a collaborative brand that harnesses creative knowledge and expertise. The products are designed at my office in Cardiff and engineered and prototyped in San Diego. My goal is to make as many of them in the United States, preferably Southern California, because it’s the right thing to do.”
Yes it is. And the bikes will reportedly be dropping in September 2013. Watch for it.
After dying laughing several times while reading the Bike Snob NYC blog (and being brought back to life with a good jolt from some portable defib paddles), it was finally good to put a face to the name. His shoes shoes alone prove he’s part of the proper tribe. Now the snob is out on the road promoting his book Bike Snob Abroad (which comes out this spring). In the meantime, click the link to buy it his first book Bike Snob: Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling, or here for his second The Englighten Cyclist.
Know a great bike mechanic? Someone who you think it’s getting the recognition they deserve? Someone who turns your bike around same day and doesn’t make you wait a week to find out nothing was done on your bike? If you do WD-40 Bike would like to know about them for their new Wrench of the Month program.
“The bike shop mechanic is often the un-sung hero of the cycling industry” offered WD-40 BIKE’s Mike Irwin, “There is a hidden story behind every well-running bike – that of a dedicated mechanic who takes pride in each machine and its rider. Our Wrench of the Month program is a salute to the folks who make riding safer, smoother and more enjoyable.”
If you are this mechanic, or know one click right here for nominate yourself, or your mechanic. Monthly winners will get an assortment of WD-40 Bike products and merch. For instance, February’s winner was Eric Faifer of Tom’s Bicycles in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For all the details, or to watch Faifer build a wheel blindfolded, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Aside from all the amazing things Shaun Palmer did for snowboarding, he also changed the face of downhill mountain biking and, it could be argued, made it what it is today. Here is the mountain bike section from the Palmer dock The Miserable Champion. You decide.
When allegedly Stravanating cyclist Chris Bucchere, 36, slammed into and killed 71-year-old Sutchi Hui while he was crossing the street with his wife Bucchere had reportedly already run two red lights and a stop sign, according to a story in the LA Times. Now, a Superior Court judge has decided that Bucchere should face the felony charge of gross vehicular manslaughter.
Superior Court Judge Andrew Y.S. Cheng ruled Thursday that Chris Bucchere, 36, should face the felony charge, believed to be a rarity for a bicycle collision that resulted in a death. . . . Ted Cassman, Bucchere’s attorney, argued during the preliminary hearing that the charge should be reduced to a misdemeanor.
We feel for the Hui family and our thoughts are with them, however, had the tables been turned and Bucchere been on a bicycle hit and killed by a car being driven by Hui, do we really think the charge would have been the same? A dump-truck driver in Denver hit and killed a cyclist (his second violent act against cyclists) and his charge of “careless driving resulting in death” comes with only a maximum one-year jail term and a $1,000 fine. And that is just plain wrong.
Volvoisn’t just sitting back while thousands of cyclists worldwide are hit (and often killed) by cars, they’re doing something about it according to a story on BBC News.
The auto firm says vehicles fitted with the system will be able to detect threats including a cyclist suddenly swerving out into a car’s path. . . It said that if a collision risk was detected an alarm would sound and the car’s brakes would be fully deployed. . . he technology is an enhanced version of Volvo’s pedestrian detection system which it launched in 2010. . . Like the earlier release the innovation uses a radar in the car’s grille and a camera located between its windscreen and back view mirror to detect collision threats.
Now, if we could only get this technology installed on all Ford F-150 trucks, cyclists the world over might finally be safe.
Aside from their rubber straps repeatedly failing (and being replaced by our local bike shop), we’ve loved our Knog lights both front and rear. Now, we’re set to be even more stoked on the company a they announce their Blinder Road series of lights featuring 200 lumens of light up front and 70 for the rear.
According to a story on Road Cycling UK the lights feature the following:
The front light uses two Cree LEDs in separate lenses, one with a narrow, focussed 15° beam, and the other with a wider 22° beam to flood the road. That makes the Blinder Road visible at up to 1,000m, according to Knog, while the front light also uses a thermal management system which automatically regulates light output for optimum performance when the bike is stationary and in motion. The front light has four lighting modes, with a claimed battery life of one hour on the brightest mode and up to six hours in eco-flash mode.
Not sure what the US pricing is going to be but keep on the look out. These lights shine.
