The most popular cycling stories in 2010

When Toyota entered the global market for luxury cars in the late 1980s with a new brand called Lexus, they relied on engineering excellence to take on heavyweight rivals Mercedes and BMW, and it’s an approach that the company has now applied to the electric bicycle.Lexus has this week brought the electric concept bicycle to Britain for the first time, to publicise its sponsorship of the Great British Bike Ride, a four-day charity fun ride from Land’s End to London.Every aspect of the Lexus Hybrid Bicycle is state-of-the-art. The bike boasts a front wheel hub-mounted 240W electric motor, a 25.9V Lithium-ion battery, an electric eight-speed Shimano internal gear system and carbon fibre frame. MoreIt’s not legal on British roads, it costs £3,000 and you have to order it from Switzerland, but the Stealth Fighter electric bicycle is a strong contender for title of world’s ultimate off-road e-bike.The Stealth Fighter has one gear for pedalling without electric power and another for pedalling with the motor at higher speeds.The makers of the Stealth electric bicycle claim than slick tyres produce more noise than the motor. Because most other electric bikes are chain driven they still emit enough noise to be annoying.A rear wheel hub-mounted electric motor does away with the need for a derailleur or chain tensioner and means the bike, unlike chain-driven machines, is almost entirely silent. MoreThis new design of poncho/tent hybrid may look eccentric, but it is aimed at the many walkers and cycle campers who need waterproof clothing and a tent, but have to keep to a minimum the weight and volume of equipment they carry.Hikers and cyclists already have a choice of tents that use a bicycle as their means of support, lightweight pop-up designs and waterproof sleeping bags, but the poncho is the first tent that can be worn as an item of clothing.The way we travel and the efficiency of our homes have a massive impact on our carbon footprint so this ‘wearable tent’ is not only a useful bit of camping kit, but possibly the most environmentally-benign piece of clothing ever invented.