Labels: bicycle safety, bike video, NHTSA

Amsterdam is a haven for cyclists. How else could you explain a place that has a multi-story parking garage for bicycles or a national holiday honoring bicycles? Watch this video of bicycling in Amsterdam and see for yourself.

Labels: Amsterdam, bicycling, bike video, cycling

Lots of YouTube videos tend to be grainy and unprofessional; however, here is a great one from Britain (scroll below the video for more text).



The video is from "The Gadget Show, a television series in the UK that profiles various types of gadgets. The subject for this segment is a comparison between two highly unconventional folding bikes - Sir Clive Sinclair's infamous A-Bike and the Strida. With a telescopic frame, 9" wheels and weighing in at just 12 lbs, the A-Bike wins in the portability test; however, the Strida beats the A-Bike on riding comfort and speed. Have a look.

Labels: A-Bike, bike competition, bike video, folding bicycle, folding bike, folding bike video, Sinclair Research, Sir Clive Sinclair, Strida

Earlier today, a reader sent me a link to this YouTube video showing the folding and unfolding process of a new folding bike from Bike Friday, the Tikit 2 Ride. The video is so impressive, I had to replay it four more times and even called Bike Friday for more details.



Though brief and grainy, the video is an awesome demonstration of the versatility of folding bikes. In the video, a bicyclist rides into view, quickly comes to a halt, dismounts, folds the bike, rolls it a few feet, unfolds the bike and rides away. The entire sequence takes just 16 seconds!!!

According to Peter Berra at Bike Friday, the bike is currently in testing by a small core of cyclists and is expected to be available for sale this Spring. MSRP will start @ $1200, a reasonable price for a custom fitted, made in the USA folding bike with high quality componentry.

Labels: Bike Friday, bike video, demo, folding bike, Tikit 2 Ride, YouTube

I've never heard of heli biking but apparently it's something that mountain bikers do in British Columbia, Canada so I suppose it's done elsewhere too. Regardless, it looks like an adrenaline pumping ride from start to finish. Watch the video and see for yourself.

Labels: bike video, british columbia, canada, heli biking, mountain biking

Ever since I first read about the A-Bike sometime ago, I have been skeptical about the practicality of this folding bike. After watching a YouTube video today showing the A-Bike in action, I can see where some users would benefit by having a bike this light (just 12 lbs) and quick to fold, especially if they commute partly by bike and partly by mass transit bus or subway train.

What concerns me most about the A-Bike are its teeny tiny wheels (hitting a pothole, road debris or crossing a drainage grate could lead to a dangerous spill). Without a doubt, this bike was designed for cycling on smooth pavement but that can be hard to find in many congested, urban areas. With a max load capacity of 187 lbs, many Americans would be too heavy to ride it. Also, the bike is designed to cruise at a max of about 15 mph so I'd be leery of riding this single speed bike in traffic in Manhattan or downtown Chicago; tooling around Central Park on it would be fun though.

Regardless, the A-Bike was conceived by the famous inventor Sir Clive Sinclair and someone thought enough of this bike to provide the financial backing needed to mass produce it so I'll withhold my verdict on the smallest of folding bikes until I get to ride one. In the meantime, here's the video I saw as well as a promo video from Sinclair Research. Watch them and judge for yourself. I'd love to read what you think too.





Note: If all you see is an empty box where the movies should be, you probably don't have Flash on your computer. Flash is free and can be downloaded from Adobe.com.

Labels: A-Bike, bike video, folding bicycle, folding bike, folding bike video, Sinclair Research, Sir Clive Sinclair