Each month, our friends over at Cyclr.com will take you by the hand and guide you around their latest discoveries in the cycling world. Everything from new brands, designers and makers through to some ingenious inventions and ideas.
There’s no doubt about it: cycling is in! Whether you’re a fair weather cyclist, a commuter or a sports enthusiast, it seems that just about everyone is riding some sort of bicycle. But in this technology-dominated day and age, there’s so much more you can have on your bicycle than just a bell and some simple lights. After all, if you want to stay ahead in the style game, finding the latest tech that puts you ahead of the cycling crowd is imperative.
So, if you’re in search of some gadgetry to trick out your bike, here are this month’s innovative, fun, and downright good-looking bike-related discoveries that’ll definitely rock your ride.
SAWAKO LEOPARD HELMET
Japanese-born designer Sawako Furuno makes helmets for ladies, and they only come in one size. If you’re a guy with a smaller head, though, it might work. This wild helmet is covered with a patent leather leopard print, which makes it friendly to the streets and streetwear. Whether you wanna try it for yourself, or surprise your girl with a thoughtful gift, you better act fast. It’s limited edition like most of her pieces, so once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Learn more at: www.there-cyclingshop.co.uk/accessories/sawako-helmets/leopard.html
TOKYOBELL CRYSTAL BELL
I like my bells cheap and with a healthy ping. Cool design welcome, but by no means necessary. The Tokyobell Crystal Bell looks like an upside-down pull lever type bell without a leaver, with moving gears visible through a transparent casting. Like? It can be yours for £8.
Discover at: https://tokyobike.co.uk/
BOOMBOTTLE
It’s portable, waterproof, rugged, plays music, and fits right in your water bottle holder. Yes, its no Hayley Wood Boombox bicycle, but it does give your ride a musical boost.
Learn more at: www.amazon.com
MICHAUX REFLECTIVE HANDLEBAR TAPE
Looking for a sharp upgrade? Transform your handlebars into glittering lightsabers with these handcrafted leather strips, perforated and backed with reflective material for a more sartorial ride.
The tape is backed with 3M reflective material and double-sided tape for easy and accurate application. Each set includes one pair of cork end plugs and is suitable for all handlebar types.
So my friends, if you want to splurge on some hand crafted tape, head over to Michaux.cc. They also stock a variety of other cool super chic accessories to top up your summer bike style.
Discover at: www.michauxclub.com/product/gold-handlebar-tape
VELO GRIP
There’s not really much to say about these grips, bar the obvious. Rocking a traditional looking design, the Velo grips are made using a hard-wearing imitation leather and look great!
Discover at: https://tokyobike.co.uk/
FOFFA BIKES URBAN
The ‘Urban’, a product of London-based bicycle brand Foffa Bikes. The ‘urban’ has been designed to be the ultimate multi-purpose geared bicycle, perfect for leisurely rides as well as fast and long commutes around the city. Considering the Foffa boys have sold over 5000 bicycles in 7 years, they know a thing or two about bicycle design. Best thing about this bicycle, it can be yours for £499.99. What a bargain!
Discover at: www.foffabikes.com
PATCHNRIDE RIDE
Patchnride, as the name suggests, provides a quick-fix solution for a punctured tyre, without having to remove the wheel.
As we all know, the first step with any patching job is locating the leak. The Patchnride kit includes a leak detector, which is essentially a liquid solution and a cloth. Rubbing the solution over the tyre reacts with the air that is being released and causes bubbles to form at the site of the leak.
After pinching the tube, the tool’s pointed tip is inserted into the puncture with a twisting motion. Using a thumb slider, Patchnride injects a patch and adhesive from a single use cartridge (called a “patch pod”) into the puncture. Pumping the tube full of air then causes it to press the patch against the underside of the tyre and lock it in place, leaving the hole sealed tight and you with enough pressure to continue the ride. According to the developers, the process takes less than 60 seconds and requires little technical know how.
The tool is able to fix punctures up to 3 mm in size and will work with just about any bicycle tyres, as long as it’s wheels run on inner tubes.
Unlike the Slime Self Healing Road Innertube, which offers a self-contained solution, the patchnride is a separate tool that is small enough to keep in your pocket or store in your saddlebag.
Discover at: https://patchnride.com/
CARRADICE SADDLEBAG
Classic, attractive, durable, and compact; the Carradice Saddlebag is ideal for daily use. Carradice bags have been made in England since the 1930s using traditional designs and methods. The bags in the traditional series are hand-sewn, with the name of the person who made each bag written on an inside label.
Discover at: https://tokyobike.co.uk/
VELO VL-1043 SADDLE
Being a Brooks lover, the idea of riding on anything but Brooks is a concept that doesn’t exist in my reality. However, the Velo VL-1043 represents a welcome exception to my saddle rule. Lightweight and donning a minimalist design, the road saddle offers a great level of comfort from the well designed padded areas and open groove channel; to relieve the pressure from sensitive tissues – or more commonly referred to as one’s bottom.
Discover at: https://tokyobike.co.uk/
DEFAULT MINI COMMUTER BAG
This bright red backpack is one pimped-out commuter bag. It’s got tons of waterproof pockets for all of your devices, has a roll-up rain cover when the storm is really coming down, and is lightweight for some of those longer commutes. With room for a grocery mission, extra clothing, and protection from the rain, this bag is more than comfortable for everyday use, but will also carry larger loads with ease.
Discover at: https://ilequipment.com/collections/all/products/default-mini
BURLEY TRAVOY BIKE TRAILER
If you need to haul a whole bunch of things to and from work, it goes without saying a bike trailer is your best friend. That’s all I have to say.
Discover at amazon.com
DEREKS X KENNEDY CITY BICYCLES CYCLING BAG
Having successfully mastered bicycle design, Kennedy City Bicycles have moved into the realm of backpack design. Coined by the great folk of Kennedy as a beautiful, practical accessory for the city cyclist, the hard-wearing cycling bag’s reflective label means it qualifies as a piece of safety equipment and can be purchased using Cyclescheme.
Discover at kennedycitybicycles.cc
SANDWICH BIKE
Our good friends at AND DUTCH have recently become the UK’s first dealer of the Sandwich Bike – a bike, which like an IKEA bookshelf, arrives at your door in pieces that you assemble yourself! We definitely appreciate the aesthetic and simple design of this ride. We’ve also been told, more than just looking good, it rides like a dream. Available in single, 2-speed and 7-speed models.
Discover at anddutch.co.uk
CARRERA FOLDABLE HELMET
I recently purchased a pair of foldable Ray Ban sunglasses and I love them! I just realised that fact was totally irrelevant. Anyway, if you need a helmet you can more easily throw in your bag, this is a great option. Don’t be fooled by the name, the helmet doesn’t fold flat. However, it does condense to about half the size of a normal helmet, without adversely hindering the most important element – protection.
Discover at amazon.com
GREENCHAMP BAMBOO BIKE
One for the kids! Crafted from Bamboo, the Greenchamp Bamboo bike is an eco-friendly balance bicycle for kids aged between 18 months and 5 years old. The pint-sized product was born from a belief that children’s toys should be made from eco-friendly, sustainable materials.
The lightweight and durable frame ensures easy maneuvering for kids who are new to the cycling lifestyle. Greenchamp uses two specially developed technologies during production. Firstly, honey is infused into the bamboo fiber to prevent cracking, while the frame is fused between two bamboo walls to ensure the durability of the bike.
“Our nature-based joints and bamboo framework promotes the smoothest ride possible for your child, so no matter how they ride, the vibration dampening effects of our natural materials compliment their riding style for a glide-like feeling with maximum comfort” – Daniel Heerkens, Grenchamp Bikes
Discover Greenchamp and support their Kickstarter project at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/842997820/greenchamp-bikes-sustainable-bamboo-balance-bikes
SPRINGTIME PICNIC BASKET
Designed and developed by Dutch design startup Bloon, Springtime is a pannier come picnic basket. Word on the design circuit was the Springtime was penciled down for a May release. May has come and gone, yet still no sign of the Springtime. One still garners hope that the day of reckoning will soon be upon us.
Discover at bloondesign.com
POSTPUMP 2.0 SEATPOST
It’s not often I find something ridiculously useful and awesome, but the PostPump 2.0 Seatpost is just that. A seatpost that contains a hidden bike pump – how can you not love this?!
Discover at premiumbikegear.com
KNOG BLINDER LIGHTS
The clue is in the title. Visible at over 500 metres, the Blinder has a high-powered surface-mount LED and a lithium polymer battery that is USB-rechargeable. SWEET!
Discover at kennedycitybicycles.cc
FRAME HANDLE BY WALNUT STUDIOLO
The Frame Handle (a.k.a. “The Little Lifter”!) is a comfortable, stylish, sturdy, and easy-to-use leather handle for carrying your bicycle, whether it’s up the stairs, across the tracks, or onto the spaceship!
Discover at walnutstudiolo.com
BOOKMAN LED BIKE LIGHT
Lean and luminous, these detachable LED bike lights withstand all weather conditions and pop with colour. Stockholm-based Bookman considered the essentials: colour block shape, curved underside, oversized rubber button and a groove for the attaching elastic cord. Three flashing modes: slow, fast and steady. The front light flashes white; the taillight is red. Sure it’s cool on a bike. But we can think of many more uses…can you?
Discover at Amazon.com
MISSION BICYCLE CLICK BIKE TOOL
The Click Bike Tool is proof something small can pack a punch. With seven tools in all to perform nearly any roadside adjustment your bike may need, this little multi tool has everything you need. Yes, warranted, it’s nothing new, but it does look good.
Discover at missionbicycle.com
REVOLIGHTS ARC
Based in Emeryville, California, Revolights is an innovative company changing the way bikes are illuminated and protected on the streets. Their most versatile design, the Arc, is a wheel-mounted light that makes bicycles more visible and paths easier to see at night. The Arc can be installed on the front or back wheel as a headlight or a taillight. Either way, its USB-chargeable LED “smart” rings spin ‘round and ‘round, providing 360 degrees of illumination.
The Arc also functions as an automatic brake light. Its speed sensors track how fast one’s traveling so that, depending on the mode, the LEDs brighten or blink more rapidly to signal deceleration. The Arc itself attaches to the wheel rim, securing below the brake calipers with rim clips. Once mounted, the design is permanently riveted into the fender and cannot be stolen without the whole fender being removed. An “anti-theft” investment in cyclist safety, the Arc is a bright idea for anyone pedaling after dark.
Discover at revolights.com/pages/revolights-arc
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