PubliCola Adds Life
Interbike's Pragmatic Bike Porn
Interbike, the bike industry's gigantic North American trade show, is wrapping up its final day in Las Vegas today. Bike companies use the event to show off their latest and greatest products to potential bike shop buyers. PubliCola's travel budget doesn't exist (yet?), but the Internet being what it is, there are hundreds of product pictures from the show floor, some of which will interest PubliCola's commuting readership (I can't be the only one on this sight that loves geeking out over new gear, right?).
This year, among the lust-worthy, five-figure, carbon-fiber dream machines (of which there are tons), there were a lot of bikes and accessories aimed at the bike-as-pragmatic-transportation-tool crowd---part of the growing recognition of cyclists who want to use their bike to commute to work, get around town, and haul their stuff comfortably without mimicking a European racer.
Since there's more to bicycling than infrastructure and road diets (I guess...), here are a few examples of cool-looking products that caught my eye.
Bikes for hauling:
Photo from Flickr user ghost_rider_commutes
Cycle trucks/and Dutch box bikes are gaining in popularity in the U.S. They can hold an amazing amount of cargo without sacrificing stability and handling. This Puma Mopinion cycle truck has gotten good initial reviews from Copenhagenize and is fairly unique among cycle trucks with a (relatively) lightweight aluminum frame.
Photo from Flickr user boxdogbikes
Civia, a commuter-oriented brand in the giant QBP distribution company, introduced their Halsted cycle truck. It's more traditional than the Mopinion with a steel frame and platform with a lower center of gravity. It's listed a relatively cheap (particularly for a cycle truck) MSRP of $995.
Photo from Flickr user bikeportland
Long-tail cargo bikes are borderline ubiquitous these days amongst cargo-carrying cyclists thanks to offerings from Xtracycle, Surly, and Kona. I've written about long-tail bikes helping family cyclists Tim and Anne King haul their stuff and their kids. Sun bicycle's new Atlas long-tail stands out because it's remarkably cheap at $550 MSRP. Most off-the-shelf cargo bikes are well over $1000, and though the Atlas is no doubt spec'd with cheap components to cut cost, it will nonetheless provide an easy entry point into cargo biking for budget-minded riders.
Bikes for getting around:
Photo from Flickr user boxdogbikes
Another cool offering from Civia, the Midtown. It looks to have wide-range gearing, a stock front rack, and comfy, upright seating position.
Photo from Flickr user boxdogbikes
This Linus Mixte is a stylish townie that comes stock with full fenders, a rear rack, and an internally geared hub. Like others in its category, it has swept back townie bars for a comfy, upright position. It pretty much screams classy Seattle bike.
Accessories:
Photo from urbanvelo.org
French tire manufacturer Hutchinson introduced a run-flat tire system that uses a foam donut instead of the standard inner tube. According to Urban Velo, the donut is roughly equivalent to a tube at 50 p.s.i., but because it is tubeless, cannot go flat.
This is obviously the tiniest sliver of new products introduced at Interbike that will eventually stock your local bike shop. There are many, many more to check out (a search of "Interbike 2010" on Flickr comes up with enough drool-inducing bike porn to fill an evening) and I suggest you do.
This year, among the lust-worthy, five-figure, carbon-fiber dream machines (of which there are tons), there were a lot of bikes and accessories aimed at the bike-as-pragmatic-transportation-tool crowd---part of the growing recognition of cyclists who want to use their bike to commute to work, get around town, and haul their stuff comfortably without mimicking a European racer.
Since there's more to bicycling than infrastructure and road diets (I guess...), here are a few examples of cool-looking products that caught my eye.
Bikes for hauling:
Photo from Flickr user ghost_rider_commutes
Cycle trucks/and Dutch box bikes are gaining in popularity in the U.S. They can hold an amazing amount of cargo without sacrificing stability and handling. This Puma Mopinion cycle truck has gotten good initial reviews from Copenhagenize and is fairly unique among cycle trucks with a (relatively) lightweight aluminum frame.
Photo from Flickr user boxdogbikes
Civia, a commuter-oriented brand in the giant QBP distribution company, introduced their Halsted cycle truck. It's more traditional than the Mopinion with a steel frame and platform with a lower center of gravity. It's listed a relatively cheap (particularly for a cycle truck) MSRP of $995.
Photo from Flickr user bikeportland
Long-tail cargo bikes are borderline ubiquitous these days amongst cargo-carrying cyclists thanks to offerings from Xtracycle, Surly, and Kona. I've written about long-tail bikes helping family cyclists Tim and Anne King haul their stuff and their kids. Sun bicycle's new Atlas long-tail stands out because it's remarkably cheap at $550 MSRP. Most off-the-shelf cargo bikes are well over $1000, and though the Atlas is no doubt spec'd with cheap components to cut cost, it will nonetheless provide an easy entry point into cargo biking for budget-minded riders.
Bikes for getting around:
Photo from Flickr user boxdogbikes
Another cool offering from Civia, the Midtown. It looks to have wide-range gearing, a stock front rack, and comfy, upright seating position.
Photo from Flickr user boxdogbikes
This Linus Mixte is a stylish townie that comes stock with full fenders, a rear rack, and an internally geared hub. Like others in its category, it has swept back townie bars for a comfy, upright position. It pretty much screams classy Seattle bike.
Accessories:
Photo from urbanvelo.org
French tire manufacturer Hutchinson introduced a run-flat tire system that uses a foam donut instead of the standard inner tube. According to Urban Velo, the donut is roughly equivalent to a tube at 50 p.s.i., but because it is tubeless, cannot go flat.
This is obviously the tiniest sliver of new products introduced at Interbike that will eventually stock your local bike shop. There are many, many more to check out (a search of "Interbike 2010" on Flickr comes up with enough drool-inducing bike porn to fill an evening) and I suggest you do.
