News

The bicycle bell is a much under-valued accessory; although it is a legal requirement that bicycles start their lives with one fitted, the fashion is for them to be quickly removed. However, a Japanese film on Youtube suggests a new use for the millions of bicycle bells discarded each year; donate them to pedestrians for use on crowded...

Crossroads in California have been equipped with radar that can differentiate between bicycles and cars, and triggers a green light for cyclists. The ‘Intersectors’ use microwaves to determine whether a vehicle has two, four or more wheels and adjusts the traffic light accordingly. “To the city of Pleasanton, this is the best of both worlds...

Over 1m drivers this year face the prospect of an unexpected bill for £100 because their breakdown policy does not include home rescue. The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) estimates that of the 4m drivers who each year buy breakdown cover without home rescue, up to 40 per cent will find themselves in need of the service. Home...

You might assume a drag race between a supercar and a bicycle would be a one-sided affair, but a battery engineer at American electric vehicle supremos, Zero, has built an electric ‘superbicycle’ capable of 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds, which is faster than a 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Tweet World’s fastest e-bike Pretty it isn’t, but the electric...

The Cyclepedia app is a digital coffee table book that captures the evolution of cycling with wonderful clarity. One hundred bicycles of historical significance can be rotated 360º, zoomed in on and generally poured over. The £6.99 Cyclepedia app also includes video clips, original brochures, contemporary advertising, engineering drawings...

The drawback with electric bicycles is that they can be a little heavy to pedal long distances without the help of the motor and too expensive to buy in addition to a good conventional bicycle. Enter the Ridekick, a small electric trailer that hitches to almost any type of bicycle to push it at speeds of up to 19mph and costs £450. A...

Walking is already the most environmentally-benign form of transport, but Spanish company O1M has unveiled a skin tight, biodegradable shoe. The O1M Onemoment biodegradable shoe has a flexible sole only 2 mm thick that allows the foot to walk and run unencumbered by thick padding and means it can be rolled up and stored in a pocket when not...

The challenge of how to remain visible on a bicycle in winter can involve flashing LED lights, high-viz jackets, defensive riding techniques – perhaps even the odd Santa hat – but the following riders had lofty ideas about how to stand out on the road. Ideas to stay visible A Russian commuter has come up with a novel way to ensure drivers...

There is a company based in Kent that sells American ex-police cars, complete with full livery, flashing lights and a broadcast PA system that allows the driver to broadcast their voice extremely loudly outside the car. Understandably, such in-car PA systems are not offered to British drivers as an optional extra, but a similar product now...

Mopeds are rarely thought of as anything other than a stepping stone towards car ownership for teenagers or a death-defyingly speedy way of delivering pizza, but an appetite for good-looking electric vehicles that look good and won’t break the bank is breathing life into the low-powered, two wheeler market. Juicer 48 The Juicer 48 pictured...