Cycling
Latest
Boosted's planned products included e-bikes and an 'Ultimate' skateboard
Boosted was working on a number of boards before Lime snapped it up, including two e-bikes and an 'Ultimate' skateboard.
The best bike Phone mount
By Amy Roberts This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to bike phone mounts. Using a smartphone mount while biking is a boon for anyone who wants easy access to their device. But with phone price tags approaching—and topping—the $1,000 mark, you want to be sure your device will stay firmly attached. After riding with 23 smartphone bike mounts over 90 miles' worth of smooth and rough roads, we conclude that the Quad Lock mounts are the ones we'd use for our own phones. The Quad Lock cases (available for iPhone and Samsung Galaxy) and the Quad Lock Universal Adaptor combined with the company's Out-Front Mount (which we prefer to the stem mount that comes in Quad Lock's case-and-mount kits) proved to be the confidence-inspiring solutions for securely attaching any smartphone to any bicycle. In our tests, phones vibrated hardly at all—let alone rattled or shook—in the Quad Lock products, no matter how bumpy the road became. Both the phone cases and the universal adapter twist to lock into place on the mount, which in turn clamps onto a bike's handlebars. The iPhone 8 Plus case we tested didn't interfere with phone functions, and we're confident, based on the Quad Lock cases we've tested for other guides, that it would protect the phone in daily use. (Also, you can use the cases and adapters with the many other mounts—for car dashboards and running armbands and more—from Quad Lock.) The indented socket on the case's back was among the least noticeable of the case-type bike mounts we tested. The Universal Adaptor sticks out from a phone's case (or back), like most such adapters, which you may find annoying—you may want to buy a separate "bike ride" case for your phone. The Nite Ize Wraptor provides a simple, well-designed solution for riders who want to be able to mount their phone on their own bike or a bike-share bike, and who generally ride on smooth, paved roads. The silicone straps that attach phone to mount and mount to bike feel much sturdier than those of other, similar mounts. Because of the stretchy nature of silicone, we did find our test phones would vibrate in the Wraptor more than they did in the pricier Quad Lock mounts when we rode on rough terrain, but it was nothing like the rattling we witnessed with other silicone mounts and even some case-based mounts. The Wraptor fits handlebars of all sizes and is a cinch to install and remove. Likewise, the straps fit phones of all sizes, and they don't get in the way of the phone's screen or buttons—a problem we had with other silicone mounts. You can also easily rotate the phone from portrait to landscape (and vice versa) even as you pedal. The entire mount is small enough to tuck into a pocket when not in use.
SoulCycle's $2,500 home-fitness bike is almost ready for pre-order
There is plenty of high-tech home-fitness equipment on the market -- like Peloton bikes and treadmills, the Echelon rowing machine and Mirror. But if you've been holding out for the official SoulCycle bicycle, the wait is almost over. Beginning March 13th, select markets can pre-order SoulCycle's at-home bike and training programs.
Google location data led police to investigate an innocent cyclist
Those concerns about police indiscriminately collecting Google location data have some grounding in the real world. NBC News has revealed that police inadvertently made a suspect of an innocent cyclist, Gainesville, Florida resident Zachary McCoy, after using a geofence warrant (collecting all location data around the scene of a crime) to look for leads in a March 2019 burglary. McCoy had been using RunKeeper to track his biking, and had passed by the victim's house three times in the space of an hour -- enough to raise eyebrows among investigators looking for suspicious info.
Analog Motion's AMX is a light and affordable e-bike for commuters
Most electric bicycles are expensive. Like, 'you must have two grand lying around' expensive. Cheaper e-bikes exist but only a handful of manufacturers offer anything close to the $500 mark. One of the exceptions is Analog Motion, a four-person startup that crowdfunded a line of e-bikes called the AM1 last year. The range started at £499 (roughly $665) and, unsurprisingly, smashed its £25,000 goal in a single day. And, somehow, the team actually delivered on its promise and shipped hundreds of well-received bikes. Now, it's back with a second generation that promises a similar balance of performance and affordability.
Fubo Sports Network will stream live sports and original shows
FuboTV is bringing original programming and live sports to its free Fubo Sports Network. The channel will feature shows hosted by popular sports personalities including former ESPN and Fox Sports reporter Julie Stewart-Binks and former LA Galaxy plyer Cobi Jones. Fubo Sports Network will also broadcast live action from Liga MX, the top soccer league in Mexico, as well as major events in cycling and horse racing.
Cowboy's first e-bike solves the removable battery problem
Electric bicycles usually come in two flavors: either a gorgeous two-wheeler with a non-removable battery inside the frame, out of sight, or a design-be-damned mode of transportation that has the battery stuck to its frame like a hideous torpedo. Form or function? That's the decision most prospective e-bike buyers have to make. With the Cowboy, though, there's no compromise. The Brussels-based startup has managed to crack this age-old problem with a sleek but detachable battery that slides behind the seat post. It's a neat solution that immediately elevates the bike above most of its rivals.
Cannondale's electric mountain bikes offer more power for the trail
Cannondale has electrified a significant chunk of its bicycle lineup, and now it's determined to conquer the mountain biking world in earnest.
Even bicycles have Alexa now
When I first clapped eyes on the Cybic E-Legend, I thought: "A bicycle with Alexa? What's the point?" It felt like an utterly pointless addition to a pedal-powered two-wheeler, electric or otherwise. But as I waddled around the bike at CES, I started to appreciate the concept. It can offer directions in a pinch, turn the heating on before you get home, or send a message to your family when you get stuck in traffic. Heck, you could even use it to order UberEats while you're wrapping up a weekend ride.
VanMoof's Electrified S2 is a seriously smart commuter bike
VanMoof is almost ready to ship its next generation of electric bicycles. The Electrified S2 and X2 are vast improvements over their predecessors, with bigger batteries, nippier motors and smarter locking mechanisms. If you live in a city and fancy commuting on a bicycle, but fear conniving thieves and the potentially sweaty exercise required to reach the office, this could be your savior. During a two-hour test-ride in London, I was impressed with the S2's stylish frame, pedal-assisted power and integrated 'stealth lock.' It's not a cheap purchase, but few electric bicycles are at the moment.
The Tour de France deserves a better video game
The Tour de France is one of the toughest and -- in my opinion -- most exciting sporting events in the world. Every year, close to 200 riders saddle up and race across a 21-stage course that spans over 2,000 miles. Aside from the occasional rest day, it's a non-stop marathon that pushes competitors and their carbon bicycles to the limit. Lung-busting mountain climbs are punctuated with deadly descents and hard-fought sprints. Riders frequently crash, breaking bones and bending bike frames in the process. Only the fittest, smartest and luckiest athletes stand a chance of winning the tour's ultimate prize: the yellow jersey. With this year's race in full swing, I recently decided to try the official video game. My hope was that titles based on so-called "niche" sports -- anything that EA or 2K doesn't publish, essentially -- had improved since the original PlayStation era. As an adolescent, I spent many afternoons sinking hours into terrible cricket and rugby games. (I stand by Jonah Lomu Rugby, however.) By now, surely the industry had moved forward and figured out a way, both economically and technically, to do these smaller sports justice? Not in the case of the Tour de France, unfortunately.
VanMoof's Electrified X cured my fear of bike thieves
Five years ago I lost my bike. A few months prior, I had moved into a half-finished block of flats in southeast London. The apartment was complete, but construction workers were still beavering away at the stairwell. Progress was slow, though, and I was keen to commute on two wheels every morning. So I started cycling to work and, at night, chaining my beloved mountain bike to the banister at the bottom of our apartment block, long after the construction team had gone home. Until, one morning, I woke up and discovered that it had vanished. The stairwell, coated in white paint, had a black scorch mark where my lock used to reside. I can only presume that construction workers returned in the night and took a blowtorch to the chain. I haven't owned a bike since.
Lyft is reportedly close to buying the company behind Citi Bike
Lyft might not sit idle while Uber leaps into the bike sharing space. The Information sources have claimed that Lyft is close to acquiring Motivate, the bike sharing behemoth responsible for New York City's Citi Bikes and San Francisco's Ford GoBikes. Neither company has agreed to comment on the move or how it would affect service, but it supposedly wouldn't affect Motivate's existing agreements.
Lumos bike helmet adds Apple Watch gestures to control turn signals
It's been almost three years since we first came across the Lumos smart cycling helmet, which got our attention with its cunning automatic brake lights and wirelessly-controlled turn signal indicators. The helmet has since been shipping as of late 2016, but the Hong Kong startup didn't stop there. Today -- which happens to be the first day of Bike Month -- Lumos is releasing an update that adds gesture control for the helmet's blinkers via Apple Watch, along with Apple HealthKit integration for automatic cycling tracking.
Coros smart bike helmet comes with bone-conduction audio
I've always wanted to cycle with a Spotify playlist pounding through my ear canals. In London, though, that's a dangerous idea given the relentless traffic that threatens to side-swipe you every five seconds. Coros Wearables has a solution: a smart cycling helmet with open-ear bone-conduction audio. The promise is that you can listen to music, make calls and follow directions while still hearing everything around you. The helmet connects to your phone over Bluetooth and promises eight hours of playback on a single charge — enough to last even the longest Tour de France climb.
SOLOS smart cycling glasses are going for a run
While the consumer smart glasses craze has ebbed, the technology has found a niche in the sport training world, especially among cyclists. At CES on Monday, SOLOS debuted the latest iteration of its smart cycling glasses, also called SOLOS.
Cosmo's bike helmet light will alert others when you fall
Cycling can be dangerous, especially if you ride at night or in busy metropolitan areas. To help, a startup called Cosmo Connected is working on a smart light that clips onto the back of your helmet. Eight LEDs -- four red, four yellow -- are positioned in an oval shape. By default, they're set to an "always-on" position so that you're clearly visible in the dark. An accelerometer inside will know when you're braking, however, and warn fellow cyclists, drivers and pedestrians with a more intense light.
New-look Boris bikes start hitting London's street
With all the newfangled, dockless cycle-hire schemes popping up in London, TfL couldn't have chosen a better time to give Boris bikes -- officially called Santander Cycles -- a makeover. The transport authority announced that redesigned Boris bikes have begun hitting the capital's streets today, with thousands more to follow this first batch over the next few years. The new model has smaller wheels for faster acceleration, improved brakes, a tweaked frame and fork design for better handling, a comfier gel seat and harder-wearing tyres. Blaze -- the company that created the laser projection light now present on all existing Boris bikes -- has also been involved in the design.
Everysight's Raptor AR cycling glasses start at $499
We liked what Everysight accomplished with its Raptor AR Smartglasses -- they present helpful cycling info like directions, cadence and your heart rate in front of you so that you can keep your eyes on the road. If you're feeling the same way, you now know when you can get a pair of your own. Everysight has announced that you can sign up for a pre-order invitation at its website today, with pre-orders starting on November 15th ahead of the February 2018 release. That's a long time to wait (sorry, no AR fall rides for you), but the prices sound about right for projector-equipped eyepieces with their own onboard computing and GPS: you're looking at an "early adopter" price of $499 for glasses with 16GB of storage and $549 for 32GB.
You'll look like 'Robocop' with this smart cycling helmet
Bike helmets should be about safety first and foremost, but that doesn't mean you can't rock one that's also stylish. Livall's BH51, introduced at IFA 2017, is exactly that. This cycling helmet is designed to protect your head whilst offering a sleek commuter design, enhanced by a strip of bright red LEDs on the back that you can light up every time you break or turn -- they are controlled through a remote on the handlebar. Aside from that, the BH51 can pair with your phone via Bluetooth, making it possible to take calls or listen to music directly from the helmet. With the stereo speakers, you can get your audio fix and be able to pay attention to the outside world simultaneously.f
