There was some big cycling news annouced at the Boston Bike Week including a vending machines for cycling helmets.
The first four of the vending machines will debut between late June and early July, according to Nicole Freedman, Boston’s bike czar.
After any kinks are ironed out, the city will order 12 to 15 more, scheduled to appear by the end of the summer.
The city is still hammering out a contract with HelmetHub, the contingent of MIT students who came up with the design, but they know this much: Helmets will be available for rent or for sale, and city officials are aiming to keep the cost low — the rental fee will likely be $2, Freedman said last week. Down the road, she’s hoping to introduce a membership program for frequent helmet users.
They’ll be the first helmet vending machines on the street anywhere in America, Freedman said.
“It’s awesome,” Freedman said. “The machine’s fantastic.”

STOOPID TALL Bike

Los Angeles-based cinematographer Richie Trimble recently unveiled a massive 14-foot tall bicycle during the CicLAvia open street event last Sunday.

Called the ‘STOOPID TALL’, the custom-designed bike is 14.5-foot tall at the seat, 17-foot at eye level, and has a 32.5-foot long chain—which is six and a half bicycle chains joined together.

Cycling from La Cienega to Venice Beach, Trimble recorded the journey using a camera that was attached to his chest—capturing the awesome view from his perspective.

According to Trimble, he said that he has plans to build and ride an even taller bicycle next.

Would you dare to cycle from such great heights?

Worlds fastest electric bike

Specialized launched a new bike at the end of March but it won’t be available in the US, and perhaps the UK too, because it’s too fast.

After three years of development, the €5,499 Turbo, which is Specialized’s first production electric bike, has been designed specifically to be “the fastest and best e-bike ever”. However, its top assisted speed of 45km/h (28mph) is 13km/h faster than is allowed under US federal law and 20km/h more than is permitted in the EU*, including Britain.

The new bike includes a 250 watt rear hub motor, a 342Wh lithium-ion battery that’s integrated into the down tube and that can recharge in just two hours, and carbon fibre Magura MT series disc brakes with a regenerative charging feature. “You can get an hour on full speed,” Ben Delaney, Specialized’s global marketing manager said “The engineering team has done several 40km rides at top speed on mostly flat terrain.”

There’s also a wireless handlebar unit that shows power level and battery status, lets you operate the bike’s integrated LED lights, and also includes normal bike computer features like speed, time and distance.

The most important feature of the new Turbo is its speed – everything about its design, and every engineering decision made during the three years of development, was centred on making this bike the fastest and best e-bike ever. We’re confident that we’ve succeeded. Once you ride one, we think you’ll agree.

Top tips if you have an accident

Total Cycle Assist and Cycleguard give their top tips for riders who are unfortunate enough to have an accident that leaves them with minor injuries and a bashed up bike.

1. Get clear and safe
The first thing to do is get clear of the road, said Richard Williams, MD at Total Cycle Assist: “It sounds easy enough, but often people panic and don’t realise that getting clear of other traffic is a prime move.”

2. Ask for details
Williams said it was important to follow the same drill car drivers would in a collision – that means collecting information: “Exchange details with driver and witnesses, including the registration number of the vehicle – this is essential for managing claims efficiently.

“If you’re claiming for damage to you or your bike, then you need the details of who ran into you,” he added. “Even if you don’t think there is damage, take details anyway in case you spot something later on.”

3. Gather supporting evidence
Insurers like as much detail as possible about the nature of the incident. Using a smartphone, capture some shots or footage of the scene and damage, said Adrian Scott, head of Cycleguard.

“If you need to make a claim on your cycle insurance policy, submit a claim form with accurate details of the incident – together with any supporting information, such as photographs of the surrounding area or footage from your helmet camera – as soon as possible,” he said.

4. Go for a check-up
Sometimes, injuries take time to reveal themselves, said Williams. It’s worth booking a medical appointment to get checked over. “It always pays to get checked out at your doctors or at hospital, even if you feel okay – injuries can materialise after hours or days,” he said.

5. Speak to insurers first
After the dust has settled on the incident – hopefully with no lasting physical effects – Scott advises not entering into correspondence with the third party, as it might affect the claim. The first call should be to the insurers, not the bike shop.

“Don’t attempt to repair or replace a damaged bike without speaking to your insurers first, as this might impact upon your claim,” Scott said.

75 year old killed on her bike was hit by a driver who had killed another cyclist in 1986. Driver gets community service.

Gary McCourt, 49, from Edinburgh has been sentenced for causing the death of a elderly cyclist in Edinburgh in 2011. He received a sentence of 300 hours of community service, and a five year driving ban. During his trial it was revealed he had killed a cyclist in 1985. For that crime (his guilt compounded by fleeing from the scene) he received a year in jail and a ten year driving ban.
McCourt admitted to police he had “clipped” the back wheel of Audrey Fyfe, 75, at a junction in 2011. In 1986 McCourt was jailed after killing George Dalgity, 22, a geography student from Edinburgh, who was killed while he cycled along the city’s Regent Road.
Sheriff James Scott said he would not send McCourt to prison for his second killing of a cyclist because there were no aggravating factors, such as drink or drug abuse. He said the collision between McCourt and Mrs Fyfe was caused because he had “momentarily” lost concentration.
Sherriff Scott said ”Mrs Fyffe wasn’t to blame in any way for the accident. He added: “However, she was not wearing a safety helmet and that in my view contributed to her death.”
This despite the fact the only thing which contributed to her death was the atrocious driving of a motorist who had already killed once before.

UK bike commuters laughed in the face of the prolonged winter

The long winter may have dented the sales figures of big high street shops, but according to the latest statistics from the Cycle Work Alliance it didn’t stop cycle commuters saddling up.
Figures from the first quarter of this year saw a significant 19.3 per cent increase in take up of C2W, compared with Q1 2012. The scheme encouraged over 15,000 new cyclists to commute to work by bicycle, a figure that is ‘unprecedented’ for the first three months of the year, according to the Alliance – consisting of Cyclescheme, Cycle Solutions, Evans Cycles and Halfords.
The Government-supported cycle to work scheme, which supports employees with the cost of a new bike, remains a proven, affordable and effective way of increasing cycling uptake that proves the appetite for cycling is there in the UK population, the Alliance added.
“We’re thrilled that the British population has braved the terrible winter weather and is increasingly seeing cycling as an attractive form of commuter transport,” said Keith Scott, head of business services at Halfords, and a member of the Alliance.
“The first quarter of any year is the most difficult time for encouraging new cyclists to get bikes and start cycling to work. These results are therefore hugely welcome, and are demonstrative of the scheme’s proven ability in increasing the number of people who commute to work by bike.

Should all children be given the chance to learn how to cycle at school

According to the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, this should be the case.
They’ve published a list of things they want the government to do to help increase the number of cyclists in the UK. They plan to make sure one in 10 journeys are made by bike by 2025.
A number of organisations to do with transport have written a letter to a national newspaper, calling on the government to make cycling lessons compulsory for all kids in England.
The Daily Telegraph reported, British Cycling, the AA (Automobile Association) and several other organisations, say giving pupils cycling lessons from the age of five upwards would help tackle obesity and improve road safety.
“Like swimming, being able to ride a bike confidently on road, with minimum risk, is an essential life skill for an active and healthy lifestyle,” the letter says.
“Most children have a bike and want to cycle to school, but only two per cent actually do so.

Mum who’s son died in bike accident backs helmet safety campaign

A mum whose 10-year-old son was killed in an accident while riding his bike says a new campaign to get more cyclists to wear helmets will save lives.
Kai Rayment fell from his bike and was hit by a bin lorry near his Lincoln home in August 2006.
Spokesman for the Lincolnshire Road Safetty Partnership John Siddle and Communications manager for Headway UK Luke Griggs launched headway Lincolnshire’s campaign to get all cyclists to wear helmets.
An inquest heard that the Westgate Primary School pupil may have survived had he worn a helmet – which his parents had planned to buy the week after he died.
Now, head teachers are being urged to make the wearing of cycle helmets compulsory for children, teachers and other staff who bike to school.
Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership and brain injury charity Headway Lincolnshire are campaigning to get more people of all ages to wear helmets.
Halfords is offering a 15 per cent discount on new safety hats using vouchers available from Lincoln South, Grantham, Boston and Skegness fire stations.
Kai’s mum Tara Rayment, 43, of Thurlby Crescent, Lincoln, who campaigned for free helmets for primary school children, said: “It is so easy for an accident to happen but putting a helmet on can make a big difference to the outcome.
Seventeen cyclists including one child died on the roads of Lincolnshire during the past five years.
Last year, eight child and 37 adult cyclists were seriously injured in the county. Road safety spokesman John Siddle, who has written to schools to get all their cyclists to don helmets, said: “While we have traditionally talked about the visibility of cycle users, we rarely address the problem of cycle helmets.
“Many of those that wear cycle helmets do so because they have had that ‘near miss’.
“Many are not so lucky and either die or suffer significant injury.”

Boris Johnson wont be bullied into wearing a helmet

Boris Johnson has said he will not be bullied into forcing cycle hire users into compulsory helmet use in a radio phone in on LBC 97.3fm.
Citing ‘mixed evidence’ on the effectiveness of helmets in incidents on the roads, Johnson told listeners that ‘other things’ will be prioritised to make cycling in London safer.  Johnson went on to say that evidence from Australia has previously pointed to helmet compulsion detering the masses from cycling.
Johnson said: “I’m not discouraging anybody from wearing a cycle helmet if they want, loads of people do, but all I’m saying is, no I’m not going to make it mandatory because I think on balance there are other things we can do to make cycling safer, and that is what we are doing.

“What I won’t do is take measures that I think will drive cyclists off the roads.”
Roundabouts, signalling and training for lorry and bus drivers were among the things Boris said Transport for London would focus on improving.
With Johnson’s personal cycling habits called into question he stated: “I do sometimes wear one, but when it’s cold I tend to wear a beanie hat. I’m nothing but inconsistent in this matter, but i’m going to be bullied into wearing one.

Boosted Boards

A Sunnyvale, California based startup wants to change that perception with what they claim is the “world’s lightest electric vehicle” and it’s a skateboard.

Boosted Boards was a Kickstarter success last fall, when they raised over $467,000 to further develop their 12-pound electric longboard. The motorized board is packed with 2000 watts of power (or 2.6 horsepower) and has a six-mile range on a single charge.

“Because it’s really light and portable it means there’s a lot lower friction involved when you use it, so you don’t have to park it, you don’t have to lock it, you don’t get stuck in traffic things that you associate with cars or even bicycles.”

Equipped with a drivetrain that can get a lot of torque out of the motor, a 185-pound rider can climb a 15% grade. You can control the board with a handheld remote that has a throttle, brake control and a battery gauge.

We think this is extremely cool. Slight shame about the price at the moment, it can be pre-ordered for $1,299 but this is because they did not want to compromise with any of the technology they used and wanted to make the best product possible.

Check out the cool video below to see it being used up and down hill.