bikes - page 3

How To Fix iOS 6 Maps [Feature]

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My, though, aren't these new maps purty?
My, though, aren't these new maps purty?

A lot has been written over the last day or so about the crappy maps in iOS 6, and the fact that Apple’s new data engine doesn’t live up to its pretty new map tiles and spectacular flyover feature.

I thought exactly the same thing when I first installed a beta of iOS 6 on my iPad a month or two back. But while Apple’s maps are definitely a step back in many ways, it’s not all as bad as it seems. Not quite anyway.

But guess what? If you’re willing to use a couple extra apps until Apple fixes things, you can get everything back that you’re missing.

ECOXPOWER Bike Hub Generator Charges Your iPhone As You Ride

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Keep your iPhone fresh as you pedal.

 

 

If you want to power your bike’s lights and charge your iPhone as you pedal, you should have specced a dynamo hub when you got the wheels built. But either you were too cheap (like me) or couldn’t see the point. Don’t worry! There’s hope for both of us in the form or the ECOXPOWER generator, an aftermarket power and lighting system for your bike.

Sleek Clamp Puts iPhones And Cameras On Your Bike

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Attach your iPhone to you handlebars in style.

It used to be that bike handlebars were for holding on to, and for telling your bike just which direction you wanted it to go. You might add a bell, or wrap around some fancy colorful bar-tape, but that was the limit of directional decoration.

Now there are so many accessories that can be clamped and clipped to the bars that touring cyclists even add an extra stumpy bar to their stems just for bags, computers and lamps. And now we can add a tripod mount to that list.

The Best Fitness Gadgets [Best Of]

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It’s August, and you’re either on vacation, or leaving soon. The problem? You just tried to fit into last year’s swimsuit and – worse – you did it in front of the mirror. While it might be a little too late to lose that belly before you hit the beach this summer, take steps now and you’ll be a slimline hottie in time for Christmas and New Year, ready to undo all that good work in a week or two.

To help you, here’s our list of the best fitness gadgets around.

Finally, A Bike Mount For the Jambox

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Ever since I got a Jambox speaker, I have been looking for a way to mount it on my bike for some in-ride tunes. And here, made in the good old U.S of A, is the Jambox Case, a little $25 accessory which will strap the portable speaker to just about anything, including a bike.

So why haven’t I bought one? Why don’t you just watch the video and see for yourself.

The Best Travel Gadgets [Best Of]

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It’s August, which means two things. One, there’s no news to report on, which means that most of a gadget blogger’s workday is taken up with siestas and refreshing beverages. And two, it’s vacation time! That’s right: The whole northern hemisphere likes to take a break at exactly the same time, all the better to enjoy congested roads, overpriced plane tickets and overcrowded hotels.

To ease your pain, we’ve put together a list of the best travel gadgets. You may not enjoy spending a hot and stuffy month with your in-laws, but at least your tech won’t let you down.

BikeCharge Aftermarket ‘Hub’ Lets You Charge Your iPhone With Pedal Power

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Simple, and easy to install. Photo London Cyclist

 

 

There are a few ways to keep your phone juiced as you ride. Those with foresight will have specced a wheel with a dynamo hub and USB adapter. Those who live in sunnier climes might opt for a solar panel. ANd those who lack both good weather and good planning skills can grab the Tigra BikeCharge, an iPhone charger that will fit any bike.

iPhone Wind Meter Handy For Surfers, Cyclists And Weather Nerds

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Better than licking a finger and holding it up.

If you had any doubts that the world of iPhone accessories could grow any stranger or more diverse, then throw them out now. The Shaka Wind Meter proves that there are still plenty of depths yet to plumb.

The Shaka is a simple little gadget: a fan that plugs into the headphone socket of your iPhone and tells you the wind speed. It’s made for surfers, but has many more uses than that.

Chrome’s New Rolltop Messenger Bag Is Waterproof And Big Enough For a 17-Inch MacBook Pro

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Fill it with Ice and beer and you have yourself a mobile party
Fill it with Ice and beer and you have yourself a mobile party.

You’re on a bike. You’re carrying your MacBook Air and your iPad with you, when it starts to rain. Do you: a.) duck under the nearest bridge to wait it out (and maybe play a few quick levels of Angry Birds); b.) Panic a little, but carry on, hoping that your crappy messenger bag holds up; or c.) laugh out loud, and turn left instead of right at the next stop and add another few kilometers to your trip. After all, riding in the rain is fun, right?

If your answer was “c”, then you probably already own the new Chrome Lieutenant Rolltop Messenger Bag.

Bike Speed And Cadence Sensor Talks To iPhone Via Bluetooth 4

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Wahoo's low-power sensor should last as long as a regular cyclocomputer.

There are probably hundreds of apps that will turn your iPhone into a mobile fitness device, using the phone’s GPS to track your speed and from there derive calories burned, route taken and so on. Some of them even connect wirelessly through a dongle to heart-rate monitors and the like. It’s like having a coach in your pocket, only he doesn’t wake you up in the morning by shouting at you.

Now, though, things are going to the next level. Wahoo’s new Blue SC speed and cadence sensor talks direct to the iPhone via low-powered Bluetooth 4, letting it communicate directly with your bike.

SleekSpeak Is A Cool-Looking Wireless Speaker For Your Bike

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SleekSpeak is the bike speaker I have always wanted
SleekSpeak is the bike speaker I have always wanted

Cyclists: Imagine that you could buy a speaker that combined the Bluetooth-connected, rubbery boxiness of JawBone’s JamBox speaker with the stretchy go-anywhere strap-and hook of Knog’s bike lights and cyclocomputers. Well, imagine no more, for a mere $70 will get you a SleekSpeak, a handlebar-mounted bike speaker over on Kickstarter.

Make An iPad Bike Handlebar Mount [How-To]

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Safe, snug and probably a little dorky: My homemade iPad bike mount. Photo Charlie Sorrel CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

The iPhone makes a wonderful bike computer. It’s tough, comes with great GPS and can be loaded with zillions of navigation and fitness apps. It also enjoys a wide range of ready-made handlebar mounts.

But the iPad, possibly even more useful as a map thanks to its large screen and crazy-long battery life, has precisely zero bike mounts available. So I decided to make one. Here’s how: