News

A British inventor has built the world's fastest and loudest shopping bicycle. Shopper bikes are the ideal vehicle for short-distance errands; robust little work vehicles long loved by those for whom the bicycle is about function rather than form.They are bikes that cannot be described as fast, until now. V1 doodlebug-powered bicycle Colin...

No one can be certain whether or not it’s dangerous to cycle while listening to music on headphones, but an alternative approach to traditional ear buds or headphones that does not drown out ambient sound is possible by using bone conduction. Cynaps is the world's first Bluetooth, bone conduction headset incorporated into a hat. Sewn into...

Trust the Dutch to know what makes a good bicycle bell. Apparently it’s all in the choice of metal. While the alloy used in the most basic models (the type that’s fitted by law to all cycles sold new) might be cheap to produce, it’s sound is tinny and inferior. By comparison, traditional bell metal comprises mainly copper and has been used...

The extreme stunt riding of Scottish street trials maestro Danny MacAskill has gained him a following of many millions - his first film, a five-and-a-half-minute video posted on YouTube in April 2009, brought his incredible skills to the attention of the world and has been viewed by over 32m people – but bicycle stunt riding dates back more...

How can a decent sort of person have self-respect when their barbecue set-up doesn't include at least sixteen different grill attachments, a roster of specialised implements and wireless technology? The answer is, of course, a resounding- ‘they simply can’t’. Thankfully, a Stateside retailer have taken the al fresco charring of flesh to its...

A new British design of bicycle called a paravelo that transforms into an easy-to-operate aircraft, requires no licence to ride or fly, soars to altitudes of 4,000ft and folds down small enough to store in the hallway, has been launched today. [quote type="cycle_insurance"] The paravelo: • Takes off from any open space and reaches 4,000ft •...

One of the reasons the uptake of electric cars continues to be so slow is that batteries are expensive and take a long time to recharge, but electrified roads could offer a solution. Volvo is well known for ground-breaking innovation. It was the first car maker to introduce modern seat belts and more recently it has developed vehicles that...

A new type of digital street sign changes the information it displays depending on the time of day and what is happening in its locality. As ever more people turn to smart phones and sat navs, what of the traditional street sign? Earlier this month, a sell-off of London’s best-known street signs, including those from Abbey Road and Downing...

We British have a love/hate relationship with the caravan. Even those who hate them, love to hate them. It’s not altogether clear why caravans polarize opinion in this way, but their image problem isn't helped by anodyne styling and paint schemes. Might it help if they looked less like toasters and more like a log cabin? If they were built...

No one can be certain of why triathlon is becoming ever-more popular. It could be a by-product of the cycling boom, part of a trend for fitness by those in their 30s and 40s or the variety and social aspect of the sport, but growing it is; the British Triathlon Federation now boasts more than 15,000 members who attend more than 500...