While you’re at your desk, you can charge the V1 up with a power brick that’s apparently akin in size to that of a laptop. A full charge takes six hours, or you can top the bike up to 80-percent in four hours. Overall, the V1 is good for up to 25 miles of assisted cycling, with a maximum speed of up to 16mph.

The standard V1 is a Swiss Army Knife red, but Voltitude also has a special V1 Carbonesium limited edition that it likens to a luxury watch. That tunes the 250W motor for extra perkiness, and replaces parts of the frame, fork, bodywork, wheels, and other elements with magnesium and carbon fiber.

EasyFold Action:

That adds up to a weight saving of 1.5kg; with the battery in place, the regular V1 tips the scales at 27.5kg and the V1 Carbonesium at 26kg. It doesn’t come cheap, however; the V1 is up for pre-order at CHF 4,990 ($5,472) while the Cabonesium is CHF 7,990 ($8,762). They’ll ship on March 30 2013 and April 30 2013 respectively.

[via Gizmag]

Cardboard is traditionally made of wood pulp, just as paper is, and was invented back in the 19th century to work as sturdy packaging for the shipping of valuable objects. Here in the final form – or near-final form of the bike, no metal pieces will be included in its entirety, it instead relying solely on recycled materials to go forth and cruise. The cardboard that makes this bike a possibility is created with a top-secret set of processes and combinations of treatments that make it rigid, fireproof, and waterproof.

With the “secret concoction” made of entirely organic materials set in the formed and cut cardboard, it’s coated with lacquer paint and set for final construction. Here with the final mix, the bike will cost no more than $20 to purchase on the general market. Gafni notes that the current construction process has each bike made with materials that cost no more than $9 per unit.

“This is a real game-changer. It changes … the way products are manufactured and shipped, it causes factories to be built everywhere instead of moving production to cheaper labor markets, everything that we have known in the production world can change.” – Nimrod Elmish, Gafni’s business partner

Oddly it appears that Elmish and Gafni intend on using advertising to make a profit – perhaps by having a collection of Coca-Cola bikes produced? This bit is not entirely clear at the moment.

“Because you get a lot of government grants, it brings down the production costs to zero, so the bicycles can be given away for free. We are copying a business model from the high-tech world where software is distributed free because it includes embedded advertising.” – Elmish

Here at the start of the process, three models of bicycle and a wheelchair are set to be available for purchase within a year. The partners intend on having an “urban bike” produced in six months that’s assisted by an electric motor (which would require metal), and a youth bike that’s 2/3 normal adult sized bikes. There’ll also be a “balanced” bike (with training wheels) for the youngest customers and a wheelchair for non-profit groups.

[via Rueters; via FastCo]

The bike is being driven across Japan in order to raise money for charity, the proceeds going to the Bokura Company, a support group for children with autism. The bike started out at Fukuoka, and so far has been driven to various cities, including Osaka and Nagoya.

The bike’s final destination is Tokyo, where it will be displayed as part of the Katsuhiro Otomo GENGA Exhibition. The event will be held between April 9th and May 30th, with visitors able to sit on the bike and have their picture taken. The exhibition itself is raising money to help victims of the earthquakes last year, while also going towards reconstruction efforts.

The exhibition has a YouTube channel where short videos of the bike in action have been posted. While it looks like a faithful recreation of the iconic bike, we’re a little disappointed to see that it doesn’t leave any light trails behind as it cruises down the highways.

[via Kotaku]

The first product of Gotham Bicycle Defense has been crowd-funded by KickStarter and has garnered $24,915 of their $18,000 goal – with 57 days left to go! That’s 359 backers for a project that will soon be shipping this lamp with its hardcore features galore. What you’re getting here isn’t just a secure bike light, it’s a wholly unique piece of hardware that only YOU will be able to attach and detach.

When the project began, the team was using a Torx security screw to attach it to your bike – this making the number of people able to steal one extremely low. What they’re doing now is having a completely custom-made security screw created specifically for this lamp – that’s secure! The lamp’s 6 high-powered ultrabright LED bulbs are powered by three AA batteries, these batteries giving the lap 100 hours of life. The back of the lamp is the battery cover, the cover also secured with a tiny allen key so not just anyone can access it.

One of the best things about this whole unique key situation is the groups willingness to send you a new one – if you lose your key, you’re fine! The lamp is also waterproof and made with three tightly sealed silicone gaskets so you’ll have no problem leaving it on your bike outdoors all year long! This beast will allow you to attach it to 22 to 32 mm handlebars and it has a 30 degree spread and 80 degree periphery hotspot. You can also set your lights to run steadily or flash as you’re biking – the light controlled with the center button between the bulbs.

Head to KickStarter to donate and get in on the party early or wait until full production goes into effect soon!

Although Samsung says the tablet holder leaves the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in a position to be “used easily whilst on the move” we can’t exactly see many people reaching down between their legs for some mid-pedaling multitouch action. Better, then, to wait until you’re at the side of the road and snap the 125g case out of its frame.

While bespoke concepts like this are generally done for attention and not sales, 14 Bike Co will in fact be offering both the bicycle and the custom holder to anybody who wants to go tandem with their tab. No word on exactly how much they’ll cost, though we’re looking into it.

The latest project Heck created some sort of sensor that attaches to the handlebars of a bicycle. The idea is that the sensor would alert you when you are riding too close to cars or other devices. The sensor is an electric light-up ping sensor. I thought the sensors that warned when you were too close to things were your eyes.

The episode shows how to build your own if you want from measuring timing and distance with Parallax ping sensors and connecting LEDs to writing the code for the Arduino chipKIT inside and routing the case to hold the device. The sensors will illuminate red or green LEDs to show if you are safe or not. These apparently work like the parking sensors on some new automobiles.

The PumpTire would come in two styles called the City Cruiser and the City Pro. The City Cruiser is a tire made for bike commuters and the City Pro is a performance-oriented tire for riders. The design of the PumpTire allows air to pass from the tire to the inner tube. The valve stem is special and would allow the rider to set the pressure they want to the tires at and riding would keep them inflated.

The valve assembly screws in or out to keep the pressure at the level desired. The stems can also be preset at a specific pressure as well and the stems are filtered to keep dirt and water from getting into the tire. The designers are looking for $250,000 for the project. It has 40 days left to go and so far has raised under $3,000 out of that amount.

Hook up the Vector to a Garmin Edge 800 or Edge 500 – using ANT+ – meanwhile, and you can also collect Normalized Power (NP), Intensity Factor (IF) and Training Stress Score (TSS) data. Unlike other products promising similar datalogging, Garmin’s is designed for easy installation: the injected carbon fiber pedals fit a standard LOOK Keo mount, while the ANT+ pod slots onto most major cranksets. Garmin claims it lets cyclists “measure where it matters” and gain more information on their riding style and performance than position and time alone.

The Edge 200, meanwhile, stores up to 130 hours of ride data and runs for 14hrs on a single charge. It’s compatible with the Garmin Connect online performance community, which can log routes and performance.

Unfortunately, “measuring where it matters” doesn’t come cheap. Garmin says the Vector will cost a not-insignificant $1,499.99 when it hits the market in March 2012. In comparison, the Garmin Edge 200 will be a snip at $149.99 when it lands in Q3 2011.

The battery charge mode will recharge the battery for the bike when the rider is pedaling. The battery-power mode will scoot the rider along with no effort, and the battery assist mode makes pedaling a bit easier when you feel lazy. The frame of the bike is said to be made from a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer.

The battery on the bike also powers the headlight and taillight plus an iPhone dock for your smartphone. Rather than chains, the bike uses what appear to be friction wheels to push the tires a long. There is no word on a price or if the product will leave the concept stage.

[via Inhabitat]

Other than the old-fashioned looks of the bike, the big feature is that it has four wheels. The wheels are touching side-by-side so it still looks like a two-wheeler. The bike is a limited edition with only 12 being made. The bike is built in the US and has a hand crafted leather seat. The rims that hold the dual tires are custom made.

The handles and the frame insert are also covered in the same leather. The laser engraved number in the 12-unit run is printed on the seat. If you want your own version of this bike, you can get it for $2,950. That makes it about half the cost of that wooden bike I mentioned before.

[via Born Rich]

The bike is made by Lagomorph designs and it is one of the best-looking bikes I have ever seen. The bike is a single speed though so it might not be up to the hardcore riders needs. Other features include aluminum dropouts and fittings that are custom made by the company. The bike also uses high-end components in the build making it suited to the wealthy rider.

The rims the bike uses are strong and the brakes use titanium hardware. The company also allows the buyer to customize the bike as well. The frame, forks, headset, and stems are available individually for $3,500 and the full bike will cost $6,000.

[via Born Rich]

The bike flies via two ducted propellers, one in the front and back. There is no need for a tail rotor, because the propellers spin in opposite directions. The engine is a 1,170 cc 4-stroke that is capable of taking the hoverbike to altitudes of up to 10,000 feet and speeds of up to 173 miles per hour. The bike hasn’t undergone flight and safety testing, so we won’t be surprised if that pushes back the product launch by at least another year.

It looks impressive with its sleek Kevlar coated body, but we are not likely to see any flying around the forest any time soon. Thrill seekers will have to wait a while before they can actually experience the hoverbike for themselves. One concern we have about the bike’s design is the open duct area above the front and rear propellers. It seems like important body parts might accidentally get chopped off if they happen to fall in. The price is estimated to be $40,000, but that is likely to change as we get closer to the actual release.

[via Oh Gizmo]

The big issue with the original YikeBike was that the carbon fiber construction made the bike over $3,500. The looks of the bike are wild too; it reminds me a bit of a modern version of one of the old bikes with the really large front wheel and the tiny rear wheel. The YikeBike company is back with a new version of the bike that is made from an alloy material and reinforced composites. This allows the bike to retain the design of the original and cost less for the buyer.

The YikeBike made from the alloy and composite material is heavier at about 14kg compared to the 10.8kg of the carbon fiber original. The price of the new version is significantly cheaper than the original, but the YikeBike is still very costly. The new bike will reportedly sell for under $2,000 and is called the Fusion model. The Fusion model will be sold via dealers while the carbon fiber original will be sold directly from the YikeBike website only.

[via Stuff]

Another set of cufflinks that are even geekier than that flash drive set has turned up. If you are into bikes, you will really like these cufflinks. These look like the front sprocket and crank form a bike. These little things come in three different finishes. If you are wondering how they are made, they are apparently 3D printed out of powdered steel and bronze.

That is cool enough to qualify them as geek gear in my book. I can see people that ride bikes in the large groups in my area wearing these to one of the many charity functions that are always going on in my town. If these tickle your fancy, you can pick up a set for $59 and they will be available in June. I’d have to actually buy a shirt with cuffs to be able to use them.

[via Wired]

The cool part is that the design of the bars means that if the thief breaks the lock, the bike can’t be ridden. That might not stop many thieves that can just get another set of handlebars. The designer of the bike is design student Jaryn Miller and he was told to design a solution to bike theft as a class project. This is a pretty cool design for a student to come up with and it’s a good concept in theory.

The designer said, “People hate carrying locks, and sometimes they forget them. Some locks leave the seats and tires vulnerable, and if they are broken, the bike is still in perfect condition.” The other downside here is if a thief breaks the lock and doesn’t make off with the bike, you can’t ride it either.

[via Fastcodesign]

The Nectar clamp is a fixed clamp that you tighten down with an allen wrench. The Elixir is a fast action clamp with a lever that flips out to allow you to adjust the seat without tools. Both of the devices are designed with a bottle opener integrated as well.

I guess the idea is that after a hard day of riding your bike you can roll into your favorite bar area and pop the cap off a frosty adult beverage. Both of the clamps come in five sizes to fit the majority of bikes on the road. The product is on Kickstarter right now and has five days left to go before it is funded. The Swarm team was looking for $2,500 and they have $3,242 donated so far.

Video demo after the cut

Inspired by a city scooter, the Voltitude bike has disc brakes and is rear-wheel drive; it has integrated front and rear LED lighting, and takes around four hours to charge with a power supply said to be around the same size as you’d have for a laptop. When folded you can trundle the bike along next to you, or hit the “walk” mode button and have it power along at up to 3.7mph (or roughly walking pace).

A five, seven or eight speed gearbox and up to 15.5mph top speed (with some pedal assistance) round out the key specs. Currently the Voltitude bike is being sold in limited numbers as part of a trial in Switzerland, but the company expects to broaden that to worldwide sales in September. No word on pricing, however.

[via Born Rich]

The StreetFlyer looks like a big bicycle with a hump back that holds a rider in a sling sort of like a hang glider uses under the main boom. The vehicle is made from carbon fiber and has what appear to be mountain bike tires.

The works retracts into some sort of backpack to carry it around. I guess the design is intended to make it feel like you are flying a few inches above the road or yard you are zipping across. This thing sounds cool and there is no word on if they will be offered for sale or how much it cost to build. With carbon fiber construction, it won’t be cheap.

Via Ubergizmo

Considering the pretty straight forward design, it’s surprising that no one has thought of this before. But, Kyocera is the first to jump on it, bringing to the world a regular looking bike stand that actually features solar cells on it. Once an electric bike is plugged into the rack, the bike will charge. There will be different variations of the stand that Kyocera puts out into the market. The main version will be one that features three solar modules, which will be able to put out a total output of 79.8V.

Electric bikes are taking off, especially in Japan, so it makes sense that Kyocera would want to develop a new way for them to be charged. Especially ones that focus on the environment, much like the bikes themselves. However, with helping the environment usually does, it doesn’t come cheap. For $23,000, someone can install the new Solar Cycle Station right now.

[via CrunchGear]

Video demo after the cut

There’s also a ski blade on the side, which can be interchanged with the front wheel just in case you get some heavy snow.

Of course, they don’t intend to actually offer the bike commercially; it’s just an eye-catching promotion to get you to think about bike insurance.  The BOND name apparently stands for “Built of Notorious Deterrents” but is an obvious nod to 007.

[via OhGizmo!]

The Wallpaper bike looks normal when it’s put together, but breaks down and can be stored in a bag for transportation or storage in small apartments. The bike frame is held together by S&S couplers and comes with a bag to carry it in.

The bikes were built by several skilled craftsmen and are one-off units and the bike has a price to match the exclusive nature. You can get a bike with a 54cm dark blue frame for £2,450 plus shipping or the larger 58cm frame bike for £3,000 plus shipping.

The bike looks like a cross between a mountain bike and a road-racing bike with the fenders from that red bicycle that Peewee Herman road around. The thing has front and rear suspension and the spokes are angled to look like the legs of a spider.

The chain guides are stamped together using a cold process and the aluminum tubes are welded together. The thing looks heavy, but presumably, with an all aluminum construction it’s rather light.

The bike is designed to fold down quickly and store away in the spare tire area of a car. Autoblog Green reports that it has been told the bik.e will actually be commercialized. The bike has a 12.5 mile range and has a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour.

VW wasn’t clear on where the bike gets it power, but Autoblog Green presumes it gets juice from the car DC power system and the wall outlet. I can see this being something that people in crowded cities that have to park a long way from their destination might like.

According to the designer, the carbon fiber frame is conductive and would be used to conduct the electric power rather than wires. The concept has electric motors between the dual-rims in front and back of the bike.

The concept also uses regenerative braking to generate power for the battery that drives a counterturning axle rather than gears or chains like most bikes use. This concept is a bit farther along than some we have seen, the creator already has a prototype built and in testing. I wonder how the bike protects the rider from the power sent through the frame.