Cycling is a hot sport, made even more so by helmets. KoldRush is a cooling system that delivers water from a bottle directly to a cyclists head via their helmet at the touch of a button. It basically sweats more for you, so that you can ride to your heart’s content. Concerns that the extremely short-range rain could interfere with your vision are dismissed by noting a sweatband will keep the extra moisture form interfereing . This cool(ing) product goes for $200 with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. KoldRush is looking to raise $50,000 in a 45-day run on Kickstarter.
Tag: cycling
![My Task ea84c5b59044ec2838e7e8201bd06ca5_large[1]](http://rossrubin.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/My-Task-ea84c5b59044ec2838e7e8201bd06ca5_large1-300x200.png)
With the cycling enthusiast and computer savvy in mind, My Task adds additional practicality to your phone case. Trading a wee bit of girth for the convenience of a multitoo, the iPhone 5/5 case has a built-in sliding tray that holds tools that assist you with typical tasks that you might encounter on a day-to-day basis associated with cycling and computers, perhaps for a quick repair if someone doesn’t hear our Trigger Bell in time . However, the tools can be changed out so that the tray could hold other items such as change, a few business cards, spare key, jewelry or whatever suits your fancy. It’s made of polycarbonate and covered with a black or red soft-touch coating. For $50, a backer gets their choice of a black My Task Urban or My Task Bike and Jet and an expected delivery of June 2014.
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Whether you are a triathlon addict or just someone who loves cycling for exercise, there are some days when sunglasses are beyond necessary, they are mandatory! There’s little that’s more challenging than trying to make your way through a competition, or even down the street when the sun is blazing right into your eyes. Bike Sunglass Holding Device gives you an easy and convenient place to dock your sunglasses until you need them. The easy to install item is also designed to be positioned for the least amount of aerodynamic drag. For $50, a backer gets a complete product with an expected delivery of August 2014. If this seems interesting, you may also want to check out the Trigger Bell Campaign.
When it comes to bikes, the Dutch are most certainly the experts. Fietsklik, a new product hailing from Amsterdam, is a platform to affix to the back of your bike. It’s unique structure allows you to attach or click different accessories to it such as several different types of bags, crates and child seats. Fietsklik fits on most bikes and makes cycling all the more versatile. A full viewing of this bike tool’s accessories can be found on the Web site, along with a lot of information in Dutch. For $99, backers can get one of two basic packages of the platform itself along with a crate or any bag of choice with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. Fietsklik is looking for $40,000 during its-57-day campaign12.
The Premise. As the eco-movement continues to grow, cyclists become more an more numerous, opting to travel in an environmentally-friendly way instead of using their cars all the time. The only problem is that the safety-movement hasn’t really stepped up to this new influx of cyclists. As a result, drivers and cyclists in the U.S. are still not very adept at sharing the road, which can result in accidents.
The Product. Revolights offers up one more way to improve the safety of cyclists and drivers alike. Instead of dinky blinky lights that most cyclists use, Revolights are long lights that act as the front and back fender to a bike. This current campaign is only for the taillight. If the bike already has fenders, there is a special mount that can be used to attach the arc light to the fender. By detecting the rotating speed of the wheel, an additional brake light is activated when the cyclist’s speed slows suddenly. The Revolights arc light comes with different modes, blinking or not, with a red taillight. The arc light runs on a battery that has eight hours of life and charges in a USB port.
The Pitch. This campaign marks a third go at Kickstarter for Revolights, the Bay Area creators of which show off its product in a video featuring different cyclists riding around at night. It’s especially interesting to see how the brake light comes in when necessary. In addition, the video shows newer features that will be offered soon, including turn signals. Revolights hopes to raise $100,000 in its 54-day campaign.
The Perks. Backers can enjoy the Revolights Arc taillight for $69 at the early-bird price. Regularly priced, the taillight will go for $79 and the light which includes its own fender goes for $109. Reward tiers go up to $629 with an estimated delivery date of October 2014. Revolights talks about having stretch goals in the future for turn signals, but have not actually set them yet.
The Potential. Bike taillights as they exist now are easily mistaken for other things. Most bike headlights and taillights are mismatched, offering a huge headlight with an inadequately sized taillight. This large arced light is much safer because of its size and position partially outlining the wheel, signaling to drivers that they are approaching a bike. The closest product to Revolights right now is the Serfas Thunderbolt USB Taillight, simply because it charges with a USB, but compared to the arc light, the Thunderbolt looks much too small. All in all, while the price of Revolights is rather high, the safety that it offers is worth ponying up for.
The Premise. All those New Year’s resolutions to lose weight are already two months old. A small percentage of them are probably still in progress, most have already been given up on, and some never even got started. Of course, it’s harder to turn down a workout with a trainer that can motivate, push, and correct issues with form or impact.
The Product. The Moov is designed to be the personal trainer that it doesn’t feel awkward working out in front of. Pairing with a mobile device (only iPhone 4s or above supported currently), the Moov can be attached or worn anywhere to monitor movement and track stats. More than just a simple pedometer, the Moov can have apps created for virtually any kind of workout, with built-in support for running, body weight workouts, cycling, boxing, and swimming (it’s waterproof). Most of these workouts only require the base Moov, but boxing works best with a second unit, one on each wrist, and up to five can be used in conjunction with each other. This way, not only will distance or reps be tracked, but the device can even provide suggestions to help exercise more safely and effectively.
The Pitch. The Web site for the Moov is pretty underwhelming and just sort of generic 2014 startup with plenty of big pictures and lots and lots of scrolling. The video ads are slick though, and show off the flexibility and possible applications the device could have beyond workouts, though hearing Apple’s Siri as a fitness coach feels less encouraging and more like an Orwellian state-sponsored physical fitness mandate. Moov needs $40,000 to hit the ground running.
The Perks. The Moov can be pre-ordered for $59.95 (half the retail cost), but the product’s creators also offer backers a nifty referral link that others can click through to pre-order as well, earning the original backer a $5 credit for each pre-order. The first batch is expected to ship in the summer of this year.
The Potential. Moov is a lot more versatile than the average fitness band, and the coaching and multi-device usage really help it stand out; of course, the quality of that coaching remains to be seen. It’s adaptability to different exercises remind one of the Atlas, byt Moov’s approach is quite different. Many people with Fitbit friends know that it becomes all they talk about or post on social media. The Moov looks like the next evolutionary step in personal fitness devices, and will certainly command the same kind of enthusiasm from anyone trying to get or stay in shape.
The Premise. For those who bike to commute or just for fun, laws and convenience tie them to the same streets that cars speed down. Every intersection is an accident waiting to happen, every passing car might not notice the cyclist doing his best to move with traffic beside him. As a result, cyclists are constantly in fear of something much faster and heavier than they forcing them off the road.
The Product. The Fly6 is a combination LED taillight/HD camera that clips right to the seat post and can record the traffic behind for up to 5 hours. The philosophy behind this design is that it will alert motorists to cyclists, and at the same time let them know they are being recorded should they try to do anything dangerous or reckless. Every Fly6 comes with a USB-rechargeable lithium ion battery and an 8GB microSD card.
The Pitch. Introducing the Fly6 are Australian inventors Andrew Hagen and Kingsley Fiegert. Kingsley explains that the inspiration for the device came about when a car full of inconsiderate young people pulled up beside him in a motorcycle and shot him point blank with a slingshot, nearly causing him serious injury. Shocked by the incident, he forgot to take down the license plate number. A number of demonstrations are shown, illustrating the taillight strobe and the camera recording functions, as well as how the current model is waterproof. At the end, the two cleverly reveal that the entire video was shot using a Fly6, illustrating its quality. Andrew and Kingsley are asking for $95,000 AUD to finalize the design, streamline the software, patent the device, and more.
The Perks. $119 AUD ($15 AUD to ship outside of Australia) is all it takes to get a Fly6, delivered in May 2014. A special white model is available for slightly more. At the highest, $399 AUD tier, backers will be shipped a prototype in March with free shipping, to test out and provide feedback before the finished product launches, which they will also receive.
The Potential. The Fly6 could be to cyclists what the insurance dashboard camera is for Russian motorists. Not only does it provide a real safety need, but it could lead to a new generation of viral videos as one of the promo videos hints.
The Premise. Your favorite music flows. You wipe your brow with the last dry spot on your shirt before bearing down for that last attempt at nailing this trick, lest the daylight and your body give out. Start your run, compress for the jump, pop, hit the air, and then the silence, the calm, that instant between bad idea and successful trick. Time and sound resume, and you can stop holding your breath. You stuck that! What could make this moment better? How about if your music was more than a backtrack to that trick? What if it was the unique score to that moment?
The Product. The Jalapeño, so named for its cubist resemblance to the spicy pepper, is meant to enhance the extreme sports experience by allowing your movement to remix music; essentially, shredding on a board or bike creates the effect of a DJ mixing. Along with the accompanying Beat Farm smartphone software, it allows your jumps, spins and turns to slow, freeze, cross-fade between tracks, and pan audio between headphones.
The Pitch. A compact (under 3x2x1″), durable, weatherproof design and a seemingly sturdy mount make the Jalapeño viable across a wide range of applications from snowboarding, to BMXing to breakdancing. Its campaign includes multiple endorsements and three videos depicting testimonials, product demos, and brief explanations of operation, but little technical info about how it actually works. The only info about the creators is that they “first met at the University of Pennsylvania’s IPD graduate program.” In fact, technical development information is lacking overall. Not a campaign designed to appease techies, there are only two prototype development photos, and short, broad descriptions of the development state.
The Perks. Early birds will pay $199 for essential equipment (Jalapeño, mount, software), and everyone else can expect to pay $239, or more, for packages that include extra swag like tees and hoodies.
The Potential. This seems like a ton of fun. Who doesn’t want their own personal soundtrack enabling you to mix and remix. Shredding to your own sounds looks like it will add a new element of fun to showing off, but the challenge will be in ensuring that the novelty doesn’t wear off.