Hybrid Bicycle

	OB1: The Hybrid Electric Bicycle That Also Costs $13,000

We have a crush here on Groovy for electric-hybrid bikes. Personally, just knowing that I’ve got some assistance on the myriad of hills surrounding my town is a pretty sweet advantage. I’d pedal the other 90% of the time — which would be a hell of a lot better than taking my car the five or so miles to work. Plus, no sweaty nastiness on those host summer days.

Anyways, if you’re looking for the absolute pinnacle in electric-bicycle customization, the OB1 from Optibike is probably your best bet. From Gizmag,

“The key component of the Optibike system - the patented Motorized Bottom Bracket (MBB) which drives through the derauiller gear system to optimize acceleration and range at all pedaling speeds - is now oil cooled and delivers 850 continuous watts of power. Add to this carbon fiber handlebars, brakes, derailleur, chainring and cable ferrules, a customized paint job, GPS satellite navigation, plus a wireless PDA interface that provides real-time feedback on remaining range, battery charge and motor temperatures, and you have yourself one high-performance urban commuter.”

Speeds are about 30+mph and we imagine range is pretty decent — especially with the the lightweight aluminum monocoque frame. Speaking of which, the frame is guaranteed for life, while the lithium-ion battery is covered fully for three years or 30,000 miles. That’s a pretty awesome warranty for a bicycle battery!

For more info, jump on over to the site — but make sure your wallet comes packing. This bike will cost your just about $13,000. Of course, only 24 will be made this year, so if exclusivity is your thing, that price might be worth it. If that’s a little too high, you can pick up their lower models for about $5K.

	The Sunny Day Compact Solar Electric Bicycle

In the future, bikes will fold, zoom around without human assistance, and generate their own power. Such are the ideas behind the first-place winning design by Larry Chen for the 12th annual International Bicycle Design Competition.

Called the Sunny Day, this bike has solar panels integrated into the streamlined design that helps reduce drag when on the move — and then flip up when parked to take advantage of the sunshine. The bike can also fold up quite easily allowing urban commuters to compliment their journey with mass transport. The idea is to create something that is largely independent from the grid, power-assisted, and easy to take with you.

It’s still on the drawing board, but with some cash from the competition — and a few willing investors, perhaps Mr. Chen’s design will cruise past us in the coming years.

	The Green Picture: The Lexus Of Human-Powered Bicycles

The Rhoadescar is one of the swankiest human-powered two seaters I’ve seen yet. Especially with the top up to keep the rain/sun out. Granted, you probably won’t fit in the bike lane — and the highway will be a bit of a challenge, but I did it nonetheless. More details here.

	Electric Bike Gets 75 Miles Per Charge, Yours For $2K

Electric bikes are an intriguing option for those of us perhaps not ready for a scooter, but needing an extra bit of “umpf” when cruising hills or long distances. In terms of pedaling to work, I could do without sweat pouring down my shirt when I arrive; especially since to go across Ithaca, NY you need to climb at least one hill.

Anyways, the Giant Twist Freedom DX bike from Giant Bicycles uses a mix of human and machine power to achieve about 75 miles between recharges. From the article,

When you pedal, an integrated torque sensor summons the perfect amount of power from the bike’s front-hub motor to keep you at a steady pace; pedal harder and the motor settles down, take a rest and it kicks into overdrive.”

Apparently, the bike will be available in May for $2,000. That’s a pretty decent price for a nice-looking set of wheels with some assisted power on board. Hills be damned, I want one.

	Step Aside Ron Paul - This Velorution is About Bikes!

A small private college ran into a dilemma when the number of applications for parking exceeded the parking spaces the college has available for the first time in the school’s history. So instead of firing up the bulldozers and turning a portion of the quad into asphalt, the school thought outside the box, and offering incoming freshmen a free Trek bike and lock if they pledge not to bring a car onto campus for a year.

AP/SFGate:

If incoming freshmen promise not to bring a car to campus for a full year, Ripon College will give them a Trek 820 mountain bike, a helmet and a lock — a $400 value.

“We’re a residential college with a beautiful, historic campus in the middle of a small town,” said President David Joyce, an avid cyclist. “Paving it over was not an option I was willing to consider.”

He hopes the 1,000-student campus’”Velorution Program” will protect it from building more parking lots.

“We obviously live in a car culture. That’s not about to change,” Joyce said. “But if a significant number of students learn that a car isn’t a necessity at this stage of their lives, that’s good enough for me.”

	The Dog-Powered Recumbent Trike Harnesses Man’s Best Friend

We’ve heard of dogs dragging humans through the wintry depth of the Alaskan wilderness, but this is the first engineered dog-powered trike I’ve ever laid eyes on. Inventor Mark Schuette expanded upon the idea of the dog-powered scooter (yes, it too exists) and used the “dog behind a steering wheel” configuration with ‘the added stability offered by a sit-down trike design and twice the steering power and braking power of the scooter.’ From the article,

The original scooter enables the human to ride standing up whilst the dog is harnessed into a frame and subject to steering and braking. As the scooter requires the rider to stand upright and balance it was not particularly appealing to some users (such as the elderly or physically handicapped). The new trike adopts a tadpole design (two wheels in front) and has a harness space for a dog on each side of the rear wheels. Schuette’s inventions are the first dog pulled devices to place the dog behind a steering wheel. This is designed to give the rider precision steering control of the dog making it easier and safer to ride in an urban environment.

It should be noted that while there are two spaces for more than one dog, it’s not absolutely necessary to employ 8 paws of power. Additionally, the human-powered pedal option means Fido and Spike won’t have to drag your ass around all by themselves. There’s also a fender kit included to protect the pooches from coming into contact with the rear spokes; or I imagine small rocks and such.

Got some dogs that seriously need to expend some energy? Pick this up for about $1100 here.

	The Future Of Fuel A look at new energy sources for the road ahead

Cars are not friends of the environment, however many people can’t do without them. Having just moved to a place in the US with limited public transport, it has become apparent that some people just cannot do without. Thanks to high (well, higher than they’re used to) gasoline prices in the US, vehicle manufacturers have finally woken up to the fact that in order to sell more cars they’re going to have to produce ones that are cheaper to run and own. That usually means alternative fuel vehicles, but what are the options?

Click more to continue reading — and also check out our poll to the right to vote!

	Puma’s New Bike Glows Green At Night

Why someone hasn’t thought of this before is beyond me. Here at Groovy, we take our biking seriously — and it encourage it whenever possible. Of course, we’re also aware that biking in cities and towns can be a bit of a nightmare during the darker hours. That’s why we’re completely jazzed about this new ‘glowing’ bike from Puma. It’s almost as cool as the glow-in-the-dark star stickers you had as a kid all over your ceiling. Here are the details:

Available in two colourways, one butter milk come green and the other a deep orange which turns a golden orange tone these bikes feature a paint which absorbs the sunrays during the day so when the sun goes down it produces a magnificent glowing effect.

The bike also comes with “twin-disc breaks, off road tyres, head and back lights, and an integrated wire lock system. Apparently this means if the bike is stolen stolen and rode without the wire, the whole thing will auto-destruct. I have no idea what that means, but if there are bright explosions and sparks involved, I’m all about it.