New Atlas

Bicycles Audio available

Radical suspension fork is a Message to mountain bikers

Ben Coxworth October 25, 2018

Although most mountain bikers seem to be happy with their telescopic forks, over the years we've seen numerous attempts at linkage-based front suspension systems. A recent and particularly interesting example is the Message, a 130mm trailing multi-link fork from Salt Lake City's Trust Performance.

The Message was officially unveiled this week

Bicycles

Kupol 3D-printed bike helmet forgoes foam

Ben Coxworth October 1, 2018

Although we've seen bicycle helmets with shells made of everything from wood to paper, they've pretty much all featured foam cores. The 3D-printed kupol is a little different, as it utilizes a unique system that is said to offer improved comfort and safety.

The kupol helmet is presently on Kickstarter

Bicycles Audio available

Sonic Grip puts a siren on cyclists' bars

Ben Coxworth September 27, 2018

Cars are equipped with loud electric horns, not little bells, as are motorcycles. So, why isn't this the case with bicycles that get ridden in traffic? That's the thinking behind Sonic Grip, which packs a 100-decibel siren into a bike's handlebar grips.

A Sonic Grip-equipped bike, with the siren visible on the left-hand grip

Bicycles Review

Review: reTyre adds some zip to the world of bike tires

Ben Coxworth September 26, 2018

A few months ago we first heard about the reTyre system for bicycles, in which interchangeable tread "skins" can be zipped on and off of a smooth underlying base tire. Well, its Norwegian designers recently sent us a setup to review, and we think there's definitely some potential to the concept.

The reTyre skins can be installed in no more than a couple of minutes

Bicycles

Collapsible bike helmet moonlights as a baseball cap

Michael Irving September 25, 2018

Bike helmets can look dorky and are often too bulky to stash in a bag. The Park & Diamond is a new helmet designed to solve both of those problems, resembling a baseball cap when it’s on your head and collapsing down to the size of a water bottle when it’s not.

Park & Diamond is a collapsible helmet that looks like a baseball cap

Bicycles Review

Review: Sena R1 Bluetooth helmet will get cyclists talking

Ben Coxworth September 25, 2018

Back in 2016, Sena unveiled its Bluetooth intercom-equipped Smart Helmet, which allowed multiple cyclists to communicate while riding. It became the mountain biking-oriented Sena X1, with the road-oriented R1 coming out just recently. The company sent us a pair of the latter to try for ourselves.

We found the Sena R1 to be comfortable and good-fitting

Bicycles

Nova bike lights do away with batteries, wheel magnets and tire-rubbing dynamos

Ben Coxworth September 19, 2018

For years now, Denmark's Reelight has manufactured battery-free bike lights that are powered by wheel-mounted magnets. What if you don't want to put magnets on your spokes, though? Well, that's where the company's new eddy current-powered Nova lights come in.

The Reelight Nova headlight, with the no-contact dynamo visible beside the wheel rim

Bicycles

New bike seat will give your butt wings

Ben Coxworth September 17, 2018

Pain and numbness in the butt/crotch is a common complaint among cyclists, which has led to the development of various types of saddles that are claimed to address the problem. One of the latest, the Canadian-designed Airo Bike Seat, utilizes flexing "Wing-Springs" on either side.

The Airo Bike Seat features pivoting outrigger Wing-Springs

Environment

Dutch cyclists can now ride down a recycled plastic bike path

Paul Ridden September 13, 2018

When it comes to recycling plastic waste, the Dutch are a pretty inventive bunch. We've seen office furniture fashioned from Amsterdam's canal waste, and plastic trash street furniture too. Now the first cycle path constructed using recycled plastic has opened in the municipality of Zwolle.

PlasticRoad inventors Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma take a ride down the 30 meter stretch of ...

Bicycles

A cycling computer that gets creative

Ben Coxworth August 15, 2018

Cycling computers can certainly be handy devices, not only for tracking performance, but also for helping cyclists to find their way through the city. The new Mio Cyclo 210 offers an additional function, that could keep your usual ride routes from gettin' old.