The Bike Geek

I had to steal this from www.bikecommuters.com, it’s so geeky I need to have one:

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) June 14, 2007 — SoundOfMotion.com, a division of Bass Object Technologies Inc., released a new version SoundOfMotion 2.0 of the bicycle computer for mobile devices. It includes a Java application and a specially designed Bluetooth wireless sensor. The application runs on any Java enabled mobile devices. Bluetooth is used for wireless connectivity to the sensor, attached to a bycycle’s wheel. Priced competitively with regular wireless bike computers at $69, the new version offers many additional features such as large color graphic display, travel data recording and sound simulation for safety.

Many cyclists carry their cell phones as a dead weight while riding a bicycle. SoundOfMotion.com will turn their mobile devices into an advanced cycle computer while allowing them to concurrently answer calls or listen to music through a Bluetooth wireless headset.

The specially designed Bluetooth wireless sensor is 250 times more accurate than traditional cycling computers with spoke based magnetic switches. This high accuracy is achieved from using a highly sensitive magnetic field sensor. It is capable of detecting as little as 1.5 degree of wheel rotation or less than 1 cm (1/3 of an inch) of linear motion. This new sensing technology opens a door to accurately measure speed and distance as well as torque and even cadence without any additional sensors.

Using advantages of a large color display, common in many mobile phones, the application shows speed, acceleration, distance and time in large digits, making it easy to read while pedaling in the sun or at night. The detailed travel data can be stored on a phone and uploaded to a computer in a spreadsheet format for training analysis.

One distinct safety feature of the device is a sound simulator. Cars and pedestrians often collide with cyclists on busy streets because they just can’t hear an approaching bicycle. Imagine, if your bicycle could sound like a Harley, or a horse, or even a steam train? You would definitely get their attention! On average, 750 bicycling fatalities and 50,000 injuries happen in the US yearly, mainly during the daytime.

The sound simulation technology allows MP3 enabled phones to play sounds through a mini-amplifier, the size of a PDA including 9V battery, accurately simulating the cyclist’s acceleration and speed. Current sound themes simulate motorcycle, horse and steam train. Like ringtones, users could also compose their own sounds. Riders could easily control the sound volume without taking their hands off the handle bar.

The sound simulation patent-pending technology was inspired by the founder, Vladimir Savchenko, originally for hybrid cars. “Hybrid cars are notoriously known to tangle with pedestrians and cyclists because of their silent electrical engines. As a hybrid driver, I constantly notice people crossing the street right in front of my car without realizing that car is moving.” After testing our sound simulation technology on bicycles we could see it also adopted by hybrid drivers.

The new version 2.0 has been released for the North American market. SoundOfMotion.com also offers lucrative worldwide licensing opportunities for its patent-pending technology.

http://soundofmotion.com

When I was a kid, Redline was one of the BMX bikes to have. Nowdays, RedLine has a couple of bikes that are generating a lot of buzz as must have bikes:

Here’s the Redline Mono 9, a Twenty Niner bike with a 1X9 setup:

The other bike is RL’s favorite bike but with a new makeover, the Redline 9-2-5:

Both bikes should make it to the www.BicycleBloggers.com test stable, as soon as they arrive, I will do an update.

I know it has been quite a long time since I bought these lights from ebay, but since I switch bikes constantly, it was hard for me to ride with these lights for a long period of time.

If you are not familiar with this setup, basically there’s a magnet that attaches to the rim,

a generator,

rear LED lights

and front LED lights.

Think of it like a frictionless dynamo.

The Good:Doesn’t need batteries, LEDs are bright.

The Bad:The generator is made of hard plastic, as you see in the picture above, it has developed a crack it will not last long. The whole set up is heavy and it’s basically mounted permanently on your bike, it is also a little noisy at low speeds and if you are ‘one with your bike’ you will feel the magnet actuate the generator.

Bottom Line:
The concept of a battery-less light is very cool, but the application falls a little short. I hope that the company would re-design the unit as I can see gadgets that run on man or solar power becoming more prominent on home/auto/bike applications.

We’ve been really busy with our two main sites: www.bikecomuters.com and www.mtnbikeriders.com so I decided to compile some of the most popular posts from both sites:

Bike Commuters

-Rl wonders why people are bike commuters, most bike commuters do it for fun, health and savings. Click Here to read the post.

-Here’s a “How To” protect your frame using inexpensive stuff.

-Here’s a little write up that I did about being visible while riding in traffic. Click here to read the post

-Nick James rides NY’s Five Boro ride, some people thought it was too crowded. Read it here.

-We featured a couple of Commuter Profiles: Jack Sweeney from FL and Eric Smith from CT.

-We were lucky to obtain pictures of the new Redline 9-2-5, man that ride is sweet. Check it out.

-My post about Insurance for Bike Commuters got a lot of attention. A must read if you ride your bike to work.

-I was checking out KHS’s Japan site and I found a sweet fixed gear bike that they don’t offer in the US. The bike is sweet. Check it out.

Of course, May was bike to work day and we also attended the first Bike Commuter Expo in Pasadena. We had a good time and we met a lot of cool people

Mountain Bike Riders
-Jeremy finds a Sub $350 Singlespeed 29er from Motobecane called the Outlaw, it seems to be a popular bike because of the price. Interestingly, it looks a lot like the KHS Solo One. Click here to see this nice bike.

-RL covered the Share MTB poker ride, he took a lot of pictures. Read his update here.

-Grace gets a new KHS XC104 for mother’s day, but I’m the one who actually gets the gift of riding along with her. Check it out.

-We got a Motobecane Fly pro to test. This bike weighs 23lbs and is less than $900!!!! See it here.

-Jeremy reviews the Hoss Polo Shirt. Looks like a winner!

-MtnbikeRiders is having a T-shirt contest, no, not the wet kind. We are giving away a 29inches and rigid T-shirt. Click here to enter the contest.

That’s all for now!!!

I’m testing the new revolutionary NuVinci Hub for my other site, www.bikecommuters.com.

Click here for my first test ride and here for my first impression.

RL and I represented www.bikecommuters.com at the First Pasadena Bike commuter expo. We were really happy and satisfied that we took part of this event. I’ve never met so many people that were so passionate about bike commuting. The Expo featured a mixed bag of Bikes, fixed gear bikes being the most popular kind.

KHS Bicycles, SweetSkinZ tires, The Crystal Deodorant and Bumblebar gave us stuff to give away at the expo. We also took a few of our bikes to display. My F20-R was the ultimate attention grabber. We are thankful to CICLE.ORG for giving us a chance to be there and be a part of what we hope to be an annual event.

Pasadena Commuter Bike Expo Gallery, click on the picture to start a slideshow

RL and I are going to be exhibitors at the Urban Commuter Expo in Pasadena Ca. tomorrow.

We’re there to represent our other site, BikeCommuters.com

Stop by and get some free stuff provided to us by KHS Bicycles, Sweetskinz, The Crystal Body Deodorant, and Bumble Bar.

We’ll be raffling off a few sets of tires from Sweetskinz!

With gas prices so high, I thought that Bike to Work week would stimulate people to ride their bikes to work. Mmmm, no such luck. Americans are still in love with their cars and most of them have accepted the high cost of gasoline. Check out our posts of bike to work week at www.bikecommuters.com, we have pictures, commuter profiles and articles.

I participated on the 2007 Fullerton Ride of Silence on Wednesday. I rode with my buddies from www.bikecommuters.com and other riders that I’ve known for awhile. I rode my YB Boring Commuter bicycle, it got a lot of looks and comments from my fellow riders.

Being a bike commuter, I make it a point to ride the ‘Ride of Silence’. It’s cool to see that some of us share the same views when it comes to riding a bike on the streets.

Bicycling magazine is at it again with their ‘Biketown USA Program’. This year they are giving away ‘coasting’ bikes like the Trek Lime.

The following cities have been selected for the giveaway:

San Diego
Minneapolis
Madison
Philadelphia
Boston
Fayetteville

What’s the catch???

Anyone interested in receiving a free bike simply needs to tell Bicycling, in 50 words or less, how having a Coasting bike would bring back a sense of freedom and fun to life. Bicycling’s editors will select what they feel are the 50 best essays in each city and the selected writers will each receive a bike to keep.

Click here to enter!