News

One of the world’s biggest bicycle brands has launched what it claims is an entirely new category of eBike: a speed-focused, high-tech urban bike that just happens to have an electric motor. The Specialized Turbo boasts beautifully-clean lines and a frame unencumbered by clunky-looking batteries or unsightly cables, but it is not quite as...

It looks like little more than a bog-standard street cleaning machine, but the Python 5000 could be the saviour of the disgruntled cyclists and car drivers for whom potholes are a daily curse. It is not clear whether the machine patches potholes better than traditional methods, but it is likely to be quicker; one person can operate the...

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have a bicycle stolen, you’ll remember the feeling; disbelief as you stare at the empty space, anger at the ne’er-do-wells who are now riding your pride and worry over how quickly the bike can be replaced. The sense of relief that you are covered against theft can be tempered by concern that the insurer...

The Prime Minister has made a big mistake by ruling out road user charging on existing strategic roads, according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA). The ETA believes that investment in a strategic road network should be funded by directly charging the driver for each mile used. In places where a well-designed network is still...

The days of ‘helmet hair’ – a superficial, but perennial, problem wrestled with by cyclists who want head protection without a just-out-of-bed hairstyle – are numbered following the launch of a device that fits quickly and easily to any style of helmet. ‘Helmet hair’ is caused by high humidity ironing of the hair under the lining of the...

The lightest carbon fibre bicycle water bottle cages cost over £100, but even the £5 charged for the most basic types seems expensive when you can make your own in twenty minutes for pennies. The excellent DIY website instructables.com offers a free step-by-step guide on how to make your own water bottles carrier using a coat hanger, a few...

Over one in four of all new cars sold have emissions below 120gCO2/km and average emissions from new cars sold in Europe fell by 3.4% in 2011 to 136.1 grams of CO2 per kilometre, according to preliminary data from analyst firm Jato Dynamics. According to Jato, Fiat did best (or the least badly) among 20 best-selling brands, with average...

Pity the lengths to which Jedi Knights go to pay the bills in the twilight years of their careers; Yoda is on tv plugging mobile phones and in a literal demonstration of the fact there is no longer an imbalance in the Force, Darth Vader is seen here riding a unicycle in Portland while playing the Star Wars theme on bagpipes… watch the film...

Volkswagen has used the Geneva Car Show as an opportunity to announce a “fundamental ecological restructuring” for the entire group and that it has set itself “ambitious new sustainability targets.” Over the next five years, Europe’s largest car maker plans to invest tens of billions on “more efficient vehicles, powertrains and technologies...

Cyclists will soon be able to listen to music and take calls on their mobile phones powered entirely by a solar cell on their crash helmet. German engineering company Fraunhofer IZM has developed solar cells that can fit the curve of a cycle helmet without any compromise in performance. The solar-powered helmet allows mobile devices like...