US Weekend l April 25-27, 2008 <<back
Green Smart
Julian Smith
USA Weekend
April 25-27, 2008
New Bikes Switch into High Gear
TAS GAS PRICES soar and global climate change looms, that low-impact standby called the bicycle is looking better and better. And so are bikes themselves. Check out these cool new models and accessories:
To shrink your carbon footprint to nearly zero, hop aboard a bike fashioned from a plant – bamboo – not industrial metal. But it’ll cost you: A frame alone from Calfee Design is $2,695.
Having trouble getting up hills?
Try the RevoPower wheel. This $600 gas-powered wheel, to be released later this year, fits in place of a bicycle’s front wheel. The engine gives you a ower boost at the touh of a handlebar-mounted throttle. But no worries: A souped-up bike is still more energy-saving than a car.
If switching gears gives you pause, try the RIDE, which features an innovative transmission inspired by a 600-year-old Leonardo da Vinci sketch. Housed inside the rear hub, this “NuVinci” technology uses ball bearings and two rotating metal discs to create the perfect gear ration for any terrain with the twist of a dial. (The NuVinci technology may even be used in cars and trucks one day.) At $2,995, it’s for serious bikers only.
Want to borrow, not buy? Cities like Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., are gearing up for public bike-sharing programs.
Julian Smith
USA Weekend
April 25-27, 2008
New Bikes Switch into High Gear
TAS GAS PRICES soar and global climate change looms, that low-impact standby called the bicycle is looking better and better. And so are bikes themselves. Check out these cool new models and accessories:
To shrink your carbon footprint to nearly zero, hop aboard a bike fashioned from a plant – bamboo – not industrial metal. But it’ll cost you: A frame alone from Calfee Design is $2,695.
Having trouble getting up hills?
Try the RevoPower wheel. This $600 gas-powered wheel, to be released later this year, fits in place of a bicycle’s front wheel. The engine gives you a ower boost at the touh of a handlebar-mounted throttle. But no worries: A souped-up bike is still more energy-saving than a car.
If switching gears gives you pause, try the RIDE, which features an innovative transmission inspired by a 600-year-old Leonardo da Vinci sketch. Housed inside the rear hub, this “NuVinci” technology uses ball bearings and two rotating metal discs to create the perfect gear ration for any terrain with the twist of a dial. (The NuVinci technology may even be used in cars and trucks one day.) At $2,995, it’s for serious bikers only.
Want to borrow, not buy? Cities like Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., are gearing up for public bike-sharing programs.
