Israeli “mass-production” engineer Izhar Gafni, 50, has designed a new bike that is made out of cardboard. Gafni believes it has the “potential to change transportation habits in the world’s most congested cities,” according to a story on Haaretz.
“I was always fascinated by applying unconventional technologies to materials and I did this on several occasions. But this was the culmination of a few things that came together. I worked for four years to cancel out the corrugated cardboard’s weak structural points,” Gafni said. . . “Making a cardboard box is easy and it can be very strong and durable, but to make a bicycle was extremely difficult and I had to find the right way to fold the cardboard in several different directions. It took a year and a half, with lots of testing and failure until I got it right,” he said.
Guess the biggest question we have is this: is it stiffer, lighter, and cheaper than carbon?
“Acting in mutual agreement, on October 12 Leopard SA and Johan Bruyneel decided to end their collaboration. From this day on, Johan Bruyneel will no longer act in the position of General Manager of cycling team RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK,” a statement from the Luxembourg-based team reads.
We’re guessing this will not be the last change we’ll see in cycling. Click the link for the rest of the story.
There’s nothing funnier than watching someone lie through their teeth for over 10 year and here, in this clip created by The Telegraph UK, is Lance Armstrong doing what he’s done and continues to do today: lies, lies, lies, yeah.
Click the link to follow the latest developments in the USADA case against the former really good cyclist.
Yes, here it is another “I can do anything on my Pinarello Dogma 2” video this time from Martyn Ashton. One thing is for sure, watching Ashton ride is a bit more entertaining than seeing Bradley Wiggins get pulled to another stage win on the same bike. Thanks, WD-40 Bike.
The stealth airbag helmet manufactured by Hövding appears to be for sale, according to a story on Gizmodo.
The ridiculous part is that it was designed by two women at the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University in Sweden who said they “wouldn’t be seen dead in a polystyrene helmet.” So, they went with this? Fashion makes no sense. But it’s not just a statement—it actually keeps your brain safe. Accelerometers and pyrometers can tell whether you’re just riding or you’re actually in an accident, and when they sense an abnormal movement, a inflator pumps helium into the crazy thing, making a soft airbag for your sweet, fragile brain. It’s powered by an onboard battery that’s charged through a micro USB port.
All this for only $600. Safety at a bargain price. Now, if only they had one of these for our entire bodies.
The aspect we find most frightening about these stores is that the drivers are rarely charged with a crime. It’s almost as if cyclists have the same value under the law as house cats. It’s remarkable.
Boston Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine was reportedly injured yesterday (Tuesday, October 3, 2012) in New York City when he crashed his bike in Central Park while reading a text, according to a story in The New York Times.
On the wet, slippery path, Valentine was reading a text on his phone from Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox second baseman, and riding his bicycle. When he looked up, he had to swerve to avoid the umbrellas of two French tourists walking in front of him. The bike skidded, and he lost his balance and went careening head over pedals down the side of the hill by the road.
Remember, don’t text and ride, especially if your real skills are on the diamond.
On September 29, 2012 filmmakers Lauren Gardner, Nick Navarro and Em Baker left San Francisco on bikes to make a documentary film “exploring the hazards of cycling in the U.S.” according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Gardner, Nick Navarro and Em Baker. . . plan to spend the next three months traversing the country, ending up in St. Augustine, Fla., widely considered one of the most dangerous places for cyclists in the country. Their footage and interviews will be turned into a documentary titled “Spoke.” . . “We want to examine the hows and whys” of bicycle-car accidents, she said, and explore the various types of infrastructure in place across the country. . . “We don’t want to create a perspective that’s biased — we are trying to represent all different viewpoints,” Baker said. . . Along the way, the trio will be meeting with families affected by bicycle accidents, law enforcement, cycling advocates and many others.
Taylor Swift is working on a new video in Paris, France this week and it would appear that riding a bike play a big part in her Sound of Music inspired video, or something like that. Either way, she looks good on the wheels, even if her front tire looks a little low.
DaWayne Eacret, a truck driver who hit and killed cyclist Kathryn Rickson (pictured right) last May (2012) in Portland, Oregon will not face any criminal charges, according to a story on KXL.com.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office talked to witnesses and looked at surveillance cameras. They concluded there was nothing that Eacret could have done to avoid the collision and it was not clear if he could have seen her before he turned.
Another reminder to be careful around big trucks, because it doesn’t seem they’re required to be careful of cyclists.
