The Bicycle Animation

The Bicycle Animation, more information at the LINK: Youtube

Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill

There's some huge riding, but also some of the most technically difficult and imaginative lines you will ever see. Without a doubt, this video pushes the envelope of what is perceived as possible on a trials bike. LINK: Youtube

Bicycle Rush Hour Utrecht

YouTube link.

Time lapse video from the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.

This is an ordinary Wednesday morning in April 2010 at around 8.30 am. Original time was 8 minutes that were compressed into 2 minutes, so everything is 4 times faster than in reality. The sound is original.

This is one of the busiest junctions in Utrecht a city with a population of 300,000. No less than 18,000 bicycles and 2,500 buses pass here every day. And yet Google Street View missed it. Because private motorized traffic is restricted here.

These cyclists cross a one way bus lane (also used by taxis and municipal vehicles), two light rail tracks and then a one way street that can be used by private vehicles.

Commentary at the link addresses the absence of helmets on the cyclists.

Via: The High Definite, Via: Neatorama

World’s first ever pedal-powered cycle?

Historian Xu Quan Long claims this wooden cycle is is a recreation of the world’s first ever cycle. He says it was in use over 2000 years before the first wooden bicycle.

Xu said he stumbled across the discovery while studying the works of legendary ancient Chinese inventor Lu Ban, who was born more than 2,500 years ago.

Lu is credited with inventing devastating military weapons like a counterweighted ‘cloud ladder’ for storming castle defences, and a ‘wooden bird’ that could supposedly glide for three days without landing.

Link – Via: greendiary, Via: Neatorama

History of the bicycle

Some say that Pierre and Ernest Michaux invented the bicycle in 1860s. historians now disagree and it’s a proven fact that bicycle is older than that

The first two wheeled vehicle was invented by German “Baron Karl Drais Von Sauerbronn. It was called the “Laufmaschine” or “Running Machine”. It had two same size in-line wheels attached to a wooden frame on which you sit and push yourself with your feet.

Link, Via: Neatorama

Joules, The Bicycle-Riding Robot

(YouTube Link)

Engineer Carl Morgan’s son complained that a certain hill was too hard to climb on his bicycle. Could his dad invent a machine to help him power over these inclines? The answer came in “Joules”, an electrically-powered robot that rides in the back seat of a tandem bicycle:

Morgan spent months modeling how to transform a motor’s spin into pedal-pushing legs. The motor inside Joules’s torso turns a series of linked belts and chains that transfer power from one area of the robot to the next. Each upper leg pivots at the hip, raising and lowering its knee and forcing the lower legs to turn the pedals. He also added “bones” (rods on the outside) for needed stiffness.

Morgan was nervous when he climbed in front for the final test, but Joules easily cruised to the top of the hill. The bike could probably do more, even hit 30 mph, but Morgan says he doesn’t plan to find out: “Abject cowardice on my part means we’ll never know for sure.”

Link | Official Website, Via: Neatorama

Music on Wheels: 7 Bicycle Bands

Linsey Pollack has a one-man show on Cycology, the art of playing the bicycle. As Professor Squealy Deetbum, he demonstrates the music of a clarinet made from a bicycle seat stem, frame percussion, the gear cable cello, tuned wheel spokes, a handlebar harmonic flute, and other bicycle parts. He is also a member of the Cycologists, a three piece band consisting of Pollak, Ric Halstead, and Brendan Hook, all playing bicycle parts. Watch a performance of the Cycologists on video.

Few things go together as well as bicycles and music. If you didn’t already know that, there are plenty of people who will prove it to you. LINK

Open Bicycle - Sean Milnes

They went out on the streets for a few hours with Open Bicycle rider Sean MIlnes while he threw down some fixie tricks. Enjoy. LINK: Vimeo

Cool Portable Bicycle Concept

Equipped with innovative wheel folding system, eco // 07 bicycle by Victor M. Aleman is designed to save space when it is being transported or not in use. LINK

The Cycologists: A Bicycle-Themed Band

(YouTube Link)

Linsey Pollak, Brendan Hook, and Ric Halstead comprise The Cycologists, an Australian band that bases its preformances on a bicycle theme. They’ve fitted their instruments into their bicycles, as the video above demonstrates when the musicians use their seats as clarinets. Other instruments include tuned bicycle bells, flutes that work as handlebars, and panpipes powered by tire pumps. The Cycologists’ stage shows are quite complex and you can see videos of them at the link.

Link, Via: Neatorama

MonkeyLectric--revolutionary bicycle lighting

MonkeyLectric have developed an innovative bike wheel display system that allows cyclists to show stabilized images and videos on spinning wheels.

The system uses 256 ultra-bright LED’s to display full color moving images. It functions at bike speeds between 12 to 40 km/h and is suitable for all weather conditions on city streets. LINK, Via: Youtube

Pricing starts at around $2,000 per video system ($60 for basic lights system). For more information, visit monkeylectric.com

Bicycle Built for 2,000

Bicycle Built For 2,000 is a compilation made up of more than 2,000 separate voice recordings collected by Amazon's Mechanical Turk web service. Singers recorded 2 second sound clips without any prior knowledge of what the final song would be. The result is the second-creepiest rendition of “Daisy Bell” ever performed. Daisy Bell was the first song ever sung by a computer. LINK, Via: Vimeo

Murata Boy, the Robot that can Ride Bicycles

Murata Boy, is a robot capable of riding bicycles unassisted. Balancing, pedaling and directing the bicyclee, turning the bike to avoid obstacles, etc. LINK: Youtube