bikes

Heat cycles: how D.C. cyclists rode out the hottest July on record [VIDEO]

Cyclists in Washington, D.C. talk about how to keep a heat wave from breaking your bike-commuting habit.

Coolest bike commute ever

I can't see this type of ad flying in the U.S., where there's already some perception of bicyclists as scofflaws. But in the Netherlands, bike commuting is so commonplace that the Dutch Cycling Association can shake up its image with a super-hot besuited dude doing BMX stunts.

Critical List: Canada’s pushing tar-sands oil; cutting methane also helps cut climate change

In 110 meetings over less than two years, the Canadian government tried to convince Europe to delay or derail legislative changes that could affect the imports of tar sands oil. Basically, Canada doesn’t want Europe to know how carbon-heavy the oil is, because that could affect U.S. and European imports. So they’re pushing it as environmentally friendly. Because hey, if you don’t know how dirty something is, maybe it’s clean!

We often talk about cutting carbon, but here's a reminder that cutting gases like methane and nitrous oxide can also slow climate change.

The EPA found that, left to their own devices, companies don't tell consumers that their processes release or their products contain chemicals harmful to children.

Mayor of Vilnius takes out Mercedes parked in bike lane — with a tank [VIDEO]

Artūras Zuokas, the mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania, makes his point crushingly clear: Bike lanes are for bikes, not luxury vehicles.

Bikeshare makes for a Nice Ride in Minneapolis [VIDEO]

The bikeshare system in Minneapolis is only one year old, but already it's being counted as a big success.

Toyota concept bike has psychic gear shift

Parlee Cycles and tech company Deeplocal are working together on a bike inspired by the Toyota Prius. It's a reasonably slick-looking machine, but the really weird and bizarre part is the "neuron shifting." The bike uses a gaming neuroheadset, which detects the brain's electrical activity like an EEG, to let riders shift between gears using only their minds.

How do you design a bike that will make people give up cars?

Oregon Manifest is a challenge, sponsored in part by Levi's, to bike designers and constructors to build "The Ultimate Modern Utility Bike." The bike must have features like built-in anti-theft devices, fenders, lighting, load-carrying capability, and kickstand. Bikes entered into the contest will be tested on a 50 mile course that covers city and dirt roads, asphalt, gravel, hills, and stairs. The winner receives a $3,000 prize.

Amazing bamboo bike is grown, not manufactured

The complicated weave of the Ajiro bike would be work-intensive to achieve through conventional means -- it takes a lot of energy to bend bamboo stalks into shape. So instead, design student Alexander Vittouris tensioned the bamboo over a mold as it grew, then harvested a completed bike frame. 

The Bike Factor: Disability and the ability to ride a bicycle

For many people with disabilities, cars don't just symbolize independence and freedom, they make them possible. But this isn't universally true