making NCY bike friendly: air stations

Two nights in a row this week I helped out people on the West Side Greenway with flat tires -- yes, I always carry a bike pump. But it got me thinking back to visiting Stockholm years ago where they have 'cykelpump' stations scattered around the city offering free air to all since after all, lots of flats are a result of low air pressure.

With the growing number of cyclists (including the upcoming launch of NYC's own Bike Share) and the city pumping $$$ (no pun intended) enhancing its waterfront with an eventual continuous bike path around the island... incorporating some free air filling stations would be nice!!! Here's my dreamy scenario of installing air pump stations along the waterfront every 2-3 miles around the city since gas stations and bicycle shops are few and far between...

Additional pump station add ons that come to mind: presta valve adapter, PSI control so you could fill up your road bike tires to 100+PSI(!), and attached wrench and set of Allen keys.

Torch, a new cycling helmet

FTLOBs reader Nathan Wills sent over a helmet he's been developing which integrates front and rear lights into the helmet itself. You can check out more about the Torch, including a video of the design in action in the pouring rain, on his Kickstarter page (where all funds raised will go towards tooling, initial production, packaging, and domestic shipping to backers).

I'm not sure of the overall weight of the helmet but like the idea of gaining visibility from the sides and since its an all-in-one product --  you won't have to worry about forgetting your lights at home!

Minimergency (tiny care) Kit

I came across these tiny (measuring at just 3.5" x 2" x 2") emergency kits 'for her' in a gold pouch at JCrew today. The Minimergency® Kit are made by Ms. & Mrs. and include these seriously small -- yet totally practical -- items that I admit to often finding myself needing in a bind: Clear Elastics, Sewing Kit, Double-Sided Tape, Stain Remover, Deodorant Towelette, Pain Reliever, Tampon, Breath Freshener, Dental Floss, Adhesive Bandages, Hairspray, Clear Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Emery Board, Earring Backs, and Lip Balm

The little kit would be at home next to my bike commuting pouch...

Knog light bliss - a Boomer Rechargeable and Wearable review

Knog, the Australian-based bicycle product company, sent me over some of their new bike lights to test out -- and they did not disappoint! Since it's (already) that time of year when the sun starts setting before I leave the office, I've been able to use them this entire month... 

The Knog Boomer Rechargeable comes as both a front white light and a rear red light - and doesn't require a single battery, hence the name 'Rechargeable'. I just plugged it directly into a USB port -- more on that below. The lighting quality is superbly bright and was particularly impressed with the front light which reflected every street sign half way down the block on my commute home through Brooklyn  ('up to 55 Lumens' as noted on their website). They also have 4 modes of lighting from HYPER blinking to solid. Although twice the price of their popular Frog Stobes you get more then twice the power ♥ hence more visibility ♥ and don't have to buy another bike light battery.

ready for my commute home

The Boomer comes in a silicone body which fits varying handle bars/seat tubes sizes and doesn't require permanent hardware -- once locked up I could easily grab them off my bike in seconds. The front light easily attached but I was a bit apprehensive with the way the rear light has a smaller fastener you have to make sure slides in - yet it never slipped off or loosened.

rear light recharging / lite up green when finished

So, more about the recharging process... these lights are smart little things. They have a built in warning system to let you when you are soon in need of a recharge and the USB plug is built into the light itself so you just have to slip off the silicon casing and plug it in vertically (I used my MAC desktop). I did notice that once plugged in, I had to push it side to side to make sure it maintained contact and make sure it was recharging. The rear light was easy to remove from the casing which peeled out like a banana while the front light took a little work to remove -- the best way was to push on the bottom to slide it up.

It just so happens that last year I bought another brand's rechargeable light but ended up pretty unhappy for two reasons: 1) in order to recharge it you needed to use a separate USB plug attachment that came with it but was so tiny I misplaced it for weeks; and 2) the bike attachment's Velcro strap, which I thought was nice and minimal, broke in half. I mention this since Knog's design doesn't have either of these issues. For weeks they've been reliable and easy to use + come in six colours so you can accessorize - and who doesn't like to have that option?! Silicone is a sticky material though I had no problem cleaning off grease (along with remnants from the bottom of my bag) by wiping them off with soap and water - after all, they're waterproof! 

Also tested out their Boomer Wearable with an integrated clip ALONG with a removable magnetic plate which attaches to your clothing/bag (similar to my Flower Power reflectors) -- pretty freakin awesome! The magnetic strength was strong I was able to wear it on my canvas bag and would work great on a jacket. I actually ended up using the clip on my belt (mostly out of habit) but still found it to be one versatile light.

glow in the dark jeans, yes, you read correctly

How amazing would it be to be spotted riding at night in these Glow In the Dark Jeans! Spotted on Cool Hunting, Naked & Famous Denim uses only the most unique and rare denim fabrics from Japan - and they really went all out with these newly launched line. You can check them out in person at Barneys New York and Barneys COOP nationwide, and here's a bit more about them...

The jeans work because we apply a phosphorescent coating to the fabric in Japan. This coating is baked into the fabric and will absorb light and slowly release that light with an emanating green glow, just like those Glow in the Dark stickers we had on our ceiling as a kid. Just charge them up in the light (can be natural sunlight or artificial bulb light) and then shut the lights and watch ‘em glow! The jeans will also glow intensely under UV light (aka Blacklight), so if you wear the jeans in a club with a blacklight, your pants will appear neon green!

 

BAGGU goes NEON

via Baggu.com

Who couldn't use an extra splash of neon / day glo?! Just love how your visibility increases exponentially! American Apparel has been making this great Nylon Cordura Backpack in Hunter Orange for years and I always love spotting one from a block away (really!) So, I was also really excited to see BAGGU (the makers of those reusable grocery bags in loads of colour/pattern options) just came out with their lightweight ripstop nylon daypack that folds into its own pocket... in NEON! Either on your back or in your bike basket - these little guys will POP!

via America Apparel

straight up

 

How I loved spotting this rigged up headlight (i.e. flashlight) - so old school. The fact that it takes at least a couple D batteries is just awesome. Also sweet to see Trek's Belleville has those (front + rear) racks making it one ready to roll utilitarian set of wheels...

wearable cam love

My friend - and brewmaster - Nathan Zeender sent over this link from BBC News this week... 'Helmet Cameras Capture Bad Driving' about a London commuter who recorded getting run off the road by a truck with a mini video camera he was wearing at the time and was used as evidence in a court case against the driver. (The cyclist won.) In the article the UK "cycling organization CTC says the more people cycle, the safer it becomes, as drivers become used to watching out for bicycles. The organization says there has been a 91% increase in cycling in London alone since 2000, while casualties have dropped by a third." Transportation Alternatives in NYC has similar findings. Clearly a huge drivers are just unaccustomed to watching out for cyclists - and they need to. It definitely can't do any harm to share a cyclists point of view.

... while on the topic of wearable cams, I do love watching helmet camera videos and the technology just keeps getting more and more amazing! GoPro’s HD HERO is one amazing video and still photo camera which you can attach to your sport helmet or body. Just watch the video above - highlights from the world's best freestyle bike athletes in Northern California at the 2010 Post Office Bike Jam! (Watch out, the soundtrack may get stuck in your head.)

Trent Jansen Studio's Cycle Sign

Sign Stool 450

Spotted on the pages of ♥ VOGUE LIVING Australia ♥... Sydney-based Trent Jansen is uber resourceful.  He has been salvaging the scraps from the making of his Sign Stool 450 (made from used road signs) and is creating two styles of bicycle reflectors: Cycle Sign: Spoke Clamp and Cycle Sign: Strap. Both of which are available at Cycle Style.

Liking the idea of bringing a material off the streets / into the home / and then back on the streets!

tarot on the go

Danielle Baskin's handpainted helmets includes a series based on tarot cards - each helmet comes with an interpretation of the card!

gleam on

ADIDAS x JEREMY SCOTT @ COLETTE
Fall/Winter 2010-11

As I remain obsessed with visibility on the road - be it to fellow cyclists / pedestrians / motor vehicles - high contrast and reflectivity prevail in my mind. Jeremy Scott's collaboration with Adidas is so over the top - Elvis meets Cirque du Soleil meets club kid - I can't help imagine being donned in this mirror sequence two piece along with his silver 'wings shoes'...
And if you were to seek an all out accompanying accessory - may I suggest Porter x Barney’s CO-OP 25th Anniversary Luggage Collection...

Psst, you may want to check out [this study] about how Cyclists Might Not be as Visible as They Think!

all-metal timelessness

Spotted Specialized's Airtool Double Barrel Pump with it's sleek all-metal design at Bicycle Habitat. Should have noted its size since I can't find the details online - but take my word this is one compact pump + comes with bracket to mount to your frame. Love the classic design and that it's all-aluminum -- also given the face that Specialized sells replacement parts if need be -- should last a lifetime! Can't help but imagine how it would look on mounted on an all-chrome bike or this Sacha White commuter bike...
Oh, and if you want ultra compact then check out the pocket size Airtool Mini Pump...
(Note that these appear to be only for Presta valves -- but here's hoping they'll come out with Schrader compatible version.)

stella glows in the dark

Last fall I posted about the amazing longevity of litoenergy -- and what a great application of similar material in Stella McCartney's new Glow in the Dark athletic apparel for her Fall/Winter 2010 Adidas collection. Would love to see more crossover with her current cycling line...

symphony of safety

wooden bike bell by Incredibell - the Woodpecker comes in Padauk and Japanese Cherry
(each wood producing a slightly different ring)

Adjustabell by Incredibell
which comes in handy for a track or road bike with large diameter handlebars
(and so easy to remove)
Illuminator by Incredibell - a bell + LED light
while I really love the idea of the two essentials combined,
the design would benefit from more then just one LED

Dutch brand Fietsfabriek's Klaxon Bike Bell - also in green and black
available at Rolling Orange in Brooklyn

the classic looking Hammer Strike Crane Bell from Rivendell - in Brass or in Silver Alloy
(which, as they point out, rings a slightly higher tone because it's aluminum)
PUBLIC's bright Federico Red Brass Bell

and for the sweet tooth - a petit gâteaux
hand painted bicycle bell from Montreal-based dringdring

Since a friend was recently looking for a bicycle bell - thought I'd share a little round up of a few I admire. If you are looking to buy an Incredibell or Crane bell, Adeline Adeline carries a good assortment online and in their NYC shop!

Also could not resist doing a post on bells and not including these two great videos - from Amsterdam demonstrating diversity...

and the incredible power of the bicycle bell...

Have a bicycle bell that you love? Do share...