bikes

Editor's note: This post was updated at 8:59 a.m. PDT August 7 to remove the incorrect statement that Pedego is also the maker of the eZee bike.

You have heard of the eZee bike, which is cool but rather expensive. Now there's a slightly more affordable option from Pedego, another electric bike maker, for those who want to be in shape and stay green, but just can't stomach the price tag of the eZee. The new offering is another electric bike, called the Comfort Cruiser, and it costs around $1,600--$400 less than the … Read more

Ever wondered why Europeans seem to be in so much better shape than us Americans? Well, instead of driving everywhere, they bike around town. The good news is that one of their secrets, the eZee electric bicycle, is now available in the U.S.

eZeebike USA announced Wednesday a major expansion of the eZee brand of electric bicycles into the American market. The eZee brand is already popular in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

eZee bicycles are just like regular bikes except they're equipped with an electric motor that helps power the vehicle to ease the pedaling during long rides or rides on rough terrain.

Each e-bike has a rechargeable battery that takes about five hours to fully power and then has enough juice to run the bicycle at around 20 mph for a distance of about 20 miles. Of course, you can always turn this off and power the bike by yourself, the traditional way.

eZee bicycles are obviously not for hardcore cyclists.… Read more

Can I gush? RunKeeper is the coolest freakin' iPhone application ever. OK, maybe not for everyone, but it's definitely the coolest for runners, hikers, bikers, and anyone else interesting in tracking their outdoor activities.

Let me explain. This summer the running bug bit me hard, and I'm now running farther and faster than in years past. Consequently, I've grown interested in determining my pace, distance, total run time, and so on.

My first thought was to get Apple's Nike + iPod, which is reasonable at $29--but incompatible with my iPhone 3G. Plus, I didn't want to … Read more

As a longtime fan and patron of the Bicycle Film Festival, we're proud to welcome its founder and director, Brendt Barbur, into the studio for a sit-down interview about the international filmfest. The BFF is a celebration of everything that encompasses cycling: joyrides, casual trips, long-distance journeys, trick sessions, racing, and so much more is captured by the unique program offered.

Brendt tells us about the bike accident that motivated him to immerse himself in bicycle advocacy and the production of bikecentric movies. Eventually, the wheels started turning, more people submitted videos, and nine years later, the festival reaches tons of people across the world in dozens of cities including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, and Melbourne, to name a few.

Most of the movies are independently shot and produced with innovations in helmet-cam technology and mixed-media design. To further promote cycling, Brendt and the BFF team also host an annual art show that features both established and independent artists who use bikes as inspiration. If you have a chance, we highly recommend checking out at least one of the programs as the festival comes around to your city. By the end of the show, I think I might have convinced Wilson to actually buy a bike! Much thanks to Brendt and the Bicycle Film Festival for all that they do for the cycling community.

If you watch today's video (coming soon, check later today), you'll notice some serious changes to the introduction. We're very proud to announce that The 404 is now sponsored by Beck's Beer, so a big thanks to them for supporting the show. We're also going to be debuting several new weekly segments over the course of the next few months, so be sure to listen to tomorrow's episode for the first of many new changes coming to The 404 Web show. And don't forget that we'll have Blake Stevenson, the winner of our logo competition, on the show tomorrow to talk about his design. See you then!

Yay for this. I can't count the number of times I've had to swerve wide of cyclists to avoid one of those tense situations between wary bikers and impatient drivers vying for road dominance. It can be particularly challenging for people in countries where there's no bike lane set aside for bipedal locomotion. So having something like the LightLane go from concept to commercial production would be good news, indeed.

This patent-pending little gizmo was originally created for a design competition. Although the concept did not win, the inventors received an encouraging response and are continuing development.

The product clips onto the back of the seat bar, uses super-bright red LEDs and two high-visibility diode-pumped solid state green lasers to project a virtual light path on the ground around the cyclist. The result is a recognizable boundary that's clearly visible to drivers.

Hopefully, when this device finally goes to market, the transport authorities will make it compulsory as a safety add-on for all cyclists. Watch a video after the jump.… Read more

Sometimes, working with a very specific type of tech product for so long will make one doubt whether anything truly unusual is ever going to flutter in through the mail slot. I was in just such a slump when I came across the CyFi Wireless Speaker while researching fitness-friendly tech. This unique, bicycle-mounting gadget seemed like just the ticket for active types who shun the gym in favor of hitting the streets on two wheels.

Far be it for me to look down my nose on anything that encourages cyclists to shun dangerous earbuds in favor of a safer way … Read more

Chrome started with a couple of guys in Boulder, Colo., who set out to built a bag that could stand a lifetime of daily abuse. Eight years later, the operation is now based out to San Francisco, where Chrome bags have become the staple of bike messengers, students, and packrats alike. Today, Chrome also announced its sojourn into the techie commuter market with the release of two stripped-down, laptop-friendly bags: the Vega and Corsair.

The Vega draws inspiration from the classic "musette" bags used to feed cyclists in the middle of a big race. Since weight is everything to these pros, the bags have to be minimalist and utilitarian, and the Vega is no different. It's light, tough, and can easily fit up to a 15-inch laptop.

It's important to stress the tough material used in the build: 1,000 denier Cordura material, a heavyweight nylon with a urethane coating to protect from water, abrasian, and grime. Make no mistake about it: these are some of the toughest bags you can get.… Read more

Who said nerds eat onlyjunk, never exercise, and rack up 1-900 bills while living in their parents' pool houses? Well, now we know at least one of those isn't true.

Pro BMX rider Aaron Ross partnered with Odyssey to produce this signature BMX set that features a clever keyboard pattern spelling out the name of the rider.

The full set includes two-piece, multibutted chromoly bars; a set of 145 millimeter Krayton Rubber grips; and a special T-shirt all bearing the same design. Available now on DansComp or the Odyssey's Web site.

Pics of the full set after the jump.… Read more