Apparently, a man in China had his arms chained so tightly in an illegal prison that his flesh and skin began growing over the shackles. It’s really gross and if you have a weak stomach, don’t click through. No, seriously. More »
Designers from the Schwinn Csepel Zrt think they’ve perfected the bicycle by removing that messy chain and replacing it with a hipster. Ha! Sorry, I meant cable. Two, to be precise. More »
True story*: After having my bike stolen for the third time in as many months a few years ago, I had the exact same idea as the SmartLock from designer Mike Lambourn. Except instead of dye and pressurised gas inside the cable lock, I envisioned explosives and shrapnel to teach the bastards a real lesson. Obviously, it never got off the ground – it’s fairly difficult to buy explosives in today’s terror-filled society. And besides, this is a much better idea – the dye the SmartLock sprays will mark the bike, the crime scene and the criminal, making it easier for the cops to catch the perp. And even if they wash off all the dye, the cable also includes Smartwater, a special invisible liquid that is practically impossible to remove and can be detected by police using UV sensors. More »
Bikes with chains may be becoming an endangered species. Belt-driven bikes, which were introduced by boutique bike makers a couple of years ago, are just starting to hit the mainstream. Trek has introduced two new urban bikes for 2009 with belt drives rather than chains, and they look pretty sweet.
