Back to Basics
The Secret Life of Bees psp I ran across this post from James Thomas of the Bicycle Design blog last night. It shows a prototype Trek Stop (think truck stop) that’s currently located outside a bike shop in Madison, WI. Think of the Trek Stop as a vending machine merged with a mechanic’s bike stand wrapped in the styling of a gas station awning. The vending machine sells all of the basics you may need while out and about on your next ride including tubes, patch kits, water bottles, etc. I could see these units being a success in areas where bikes shops aren’t currently found – in dense urban areas, near parks and trails that handle a lot of cycling traffic, or near mass transit hubs. Overall I think it’s a great concept whose time may appropriate with the cost of gasoline on the rise and the renewed interest in bikes as viable commuting options.
Bike to Work Fashion
In keeping with my recent post
about the Speed Vest, here’s another nighttime cycling accessory that promises to boost visibility for 2-wheeled commuters. Cordarounds has just introduced their Bike to Work Pants, which feature fabrics that pass as cubicle-friendly khaki by day but transform into reflective beacons once you roll up a pant leg or pull out a rear pocket. Here’s a grainy, blurry nightime video that shows the benefits of the product.
It’s products like this that can help avoid cycling-related accidents and catastrophes. For example, perhaps NY State Senator Jeff Klein would have seen the cyclist he almost hit and could have avoided the embarassing blog chatter about the incident.