The Wheelie Good Round-Up

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We hope this week’s Wheelie Good Round-Up puts a smile to your face as you take a break from the working world this weekend. If you’ve found something cycling related on the web that you think it is worth featuring on the Round-Up then tweet at us on our Twitter handle with a link to the content or video.

Taking it to the max

Anyone who knows anything about the mountain bike scene will know there is an on-going debate the relative merits of 26″ vs. 29″ vs. 650b wheel sizes. Not one to be conformist, US bike maker Ibis has waded into the debate with a new wheel size, a massive 59 inch wheeled bike. Of course, the bike, the Ibis Maximus, is not in any way a working model but it does stand out in the realms of giant bikes for its sheer looks. Unveiled to the public this past week at the Sea Otter Classic meeting in California, Maximus was created by sculptor Nick Taylor. The main frame is made from steel pipe with the forks, bars, stems and links also custom made.

Photo © wynnphoto.com

Edge of the seat descending

If you’ve ever watched pro-cycling, you’ll know what a hair raising experience descending a mountain climb can be. Speeds can reach anything up to 80 to 100kph on some descents. The handlebar cam video below is from some reconnaissance footage taken by Pro-cycling team Argos-Shimano (formerly Project 1t4i) of the Cipressa descent from this year’s Milano-San Remo race route. We think it is a great insight into the speeds professionals cyclists can reach when descending as well as the expert bike handling control needed to ride such descents.

Dropbar lights

We’ve featured all manner of bike lighting systems on our blogs here on Going Going Bike from LED lights attached to bike forks to those in wheel rims. The innovation in this area knows no bounds with one inventor, Mitchell Silva, working on a LED lights system that forms part of a bike’s handlebars. Mitchell, who is an Industrial Design student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, has taken a simple drop bar handlebar and installed plastic tubing containing approximately 40 LED bulbs onto it. The whole system, which Mitchell has named GLO-BARS, is powered via USB and activated by a button on the handlebar itself. Due to issues with structural integrity Glo-Bars is not quite ready for production yet with Mitchell continue his testing for the time being.

How to wear a skirt and cycle

Women are a growing and important part of the cycling market but not all women who cycle want to being clad in lycra while they cycle to work or go out for a leisurely bike ride. Here at Going Going Bike we’ve offered our own recommendations on what clothing women might want to wear while cycling including skirts. What we didn’t do was tell the ladies who read our blog how exactly to cycle in a skirt. Luckily one lady cycling blogger (Jemma) has, and this is her guide. We think it is a tremendously useful bit of blogging.

Bike and be creative

Kids love creating stuff through art as much as they like the freedom of getting out on a bike. Someone has created a bike accessory that allows you to do both at the time. Called the Chalktrail, the add-on accessory is a flexible wishbone device that clamps to the rear wheel of a bike and holds a stick of chalk that presses to the ground as the bike is ridden. What is left behind you is a colourful trail showing where you’ve been. Chalktrail should go into commercial production this year and be available in time for Christmas in the US at least.