brace yourself

for a bike-centric new year!!!

carbon dioxide detector

images of Climate Dress via Ecouterre

Another interesting use of the Arduino Lilypad... Diffus, a Danish design company, has created this beautifully crafted Climate Dress which monitors and responds to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air:

The Climate Dress is made of conductive embroidery, over hundred of tiny LED lights inserted into the embroidery, a CO2 sensor and an Arduino Lilypad microprocessor. The LEDs visualize the level of CO2 in the nearby surroundings and are powered trough the embroidery.

Just imagine this application on cycling apparel - LEDs pulsating based on the air conditions as you bike alongside city traffic. The more harmful, the faster the pulse...

via Tuned Into Cycling

warm, fuzzy and reflective

LFLECT Reflective Legwarmers

LFLECT Reflective Woolly Hat

Reflective wool is starting to pop up more and more. Last month I posted about Dashing Tweeds' Lumatwills line and now...

Lost Values' new "LFLECT" - reflective fashion accessories for the urban cyclist!

The product line is handcrafted in the Scottish Highlands and is the first spin off from Distance Lab. LFLECT debuted last September at 100% Design in London and was awarded "Best Use of Material' by Blueprint + when opening their studio last month they invited guests to bering items of clothing to be customized with LFLECT.

common injuries

Just had to share this diagram of common inline skate injuries via Kyle Sola's blog which documents his design process while a Pratt ID student.

the essentials... tote

Handmade by Emma, a costume designer in Melbourne, Australia via Makool Loves You.

The Sartorialist/Lance Armstrong

Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist/Lance Armstrong

My talented friend, Jen Lee, with a keen eye for facial recognition - recently launched Compare/Contrast. While not bike related, some other great ones...

John Waters & Conrad Hilton of Mad Men

Zooey Deschanel & Katy Perry

tis' the season... to repair

click to enlarge

Platform21 = Repairing is a design platform from Amsterdam aiming to positively influence the relationship between user and product. And this is their manifesto.

Platform21 = Repairing starts with the idea that repair has been underestimated as a creative, cultural and economic force. If we don’t start looking at repair as a contemporary activity soon, an incredibly rich body of knowledge – one that contributes to human independence and pleasure – could be lost. The situation is especially puzzling when you consider current global interest in other ideas related to sustainability, such as recycling and the cradle-to-cradle philosophy.
With Platform21 = Repairing we aim to raise awareness of a mentality, a culture and a practice that not so long ago was completely integrated into life and the way we designed it. It is not too late.

I plan to give the gift of repair this year.

the new PIN UP: NYC artists on their bikes

David Byrne & Cindy Sherman riding down the West side path

photographer Collier Schorr

The Swiss Institute/ Contemporary Art, New York commissioned photographer Lukas Wassmann to shoot a calendar featuring none other than NYC artists riding around the city. You can order one of the 500 editions printed [here]

But be warned that you wait until December 2010 to hang David Byrne (wearing an awesome jacket) & Cindy Sherman...

Bright Bike V2.0

Retroflective adhesive vinyl is a wonderful thing.

Fortunately Michael Mandiberg, artist, programmer, designer, educator, bicyclist, and creator of Bright Bike - recently released DIY Kits made available online [here]

The kits come in two types: Caterpillar and Pinstripes.

The Caterpillar has 1 inch bands that wrap around the main tubes, and in inch dashed lines along the fork and seat stays. The Pinstripe has 1/4 inch strips that run along the outside faces of all tubes.

Each kit is sized to be large enough for a 61cm frame with extra wide tubing, so in nearly every case, you will have extra materials that will give you room to play and experiment.

the strange sight of a sunken bike

While my studiomate, Ali, was recently scouting locations for her next pop up lunch... she came across this abandoned bike. While sad, it makes for a wonderful illusion.

seasonal bike love

Copenhagen Christmas via Inhabitat

Barcelona (cones) Trees via Wired

Milano Carouselle via Design Boom

Lots of joyful pedal-power installations are popping up in cities around the world this holiday season...

Copenhagen, Denmark (top) might be taking the lead with 15 bicycles in the City Hall Square lighting up 700 LED bulbs that a 17-meter-tall evergreen.

In Barcelona, Spain (middle), once the sun sets you can hop on a bike and contribute to powering the LED adorned Christmas tree in the central Mercat Santa Catarina square.

While in Milan, Italy (bottom), Carouselle by Ignacio Ojanguren Alvarez, Christina Perdikaki, and Hafsteinn Juliusson. By pedalling the stationary bikes you light up the over sized lamp!

Studio Forbes goes fold-up

Rob Forbes, founder of Design Within Reach, also loves Dahon fold ups!

Forbes is launching a new company, 'Public', next year which will presumably sell smart-simple-beautiful bike design. In the meantime you can sign up for their mailing list here. They are also already selling these Nutcase helmets...

renegade paint job

While I can't get enough of Time's UP Love Your Lane campaign... I am totally enamoured by this group that takes on sprucing up bike lanes (!) in Williamsburg

Thanks, Scully