There was plenty of tech news to bring you this week, not least a new gravel bike from Trek and Genesis updating its ever-popular Croix de Fer and Tour de Fer models, while Canyon unveiled a new helmet with a HighBar closure than can save you an impressive 20w… but only if you’re riding at 60-70km/h. Elsewhere, Shimano played down the risk that hackers could jam pro riders’ electronic shifters with a £175 device.
Beyond those big headlines we’ve got plenty to bring you again for the latest edition of Tech of the Week, not least because we’ve had a trawl through the weird and wonderful crowdfunding world of cycling-related Kickstarter projects. Let’s get stuck in..
A game-changer for teaching your kids to ride a bike?
Having exceeded its $1,000 funding target 20 times over, these EZ Training Wheels designed by a mechanical engineer with a masters in robotics from Columbia University are certainly getting plenty of attention.
Promising the “easiest way to learn how to ride a bike”, the EZ Training Wheels have a spring mechanism that, rather than being fixed like traditional stabilisers, can be adjusted to increase or reduce stability depending on a child’s confidence.
The finished product is expected to begin shipping next month, 370 Kickstarter backers supporting the project, the campaign’s page stating that the EZs would retail at $59 (£46).
The designer says: “Unlike fixed training wheels, EZ Training Wheels utilise a smart spring mechanism that adapts to your child’s skill level seamlessly. When your little one is just starting their bike-riding journey, you can set them to its maximum level of support. That means unparalleled stability, so your child can focus on mastering the basics without the fear of tipping over or losing balance.
“Our adjustable support system means they can gradually gain independence, from stability to smooth sailing on their own.”
What do you think? Check out the Kickstarter campaign for all the details…
The new era of bike lights… (maybe)
You might have already seen more than enough Kickstarter projects claiming to have the formula to change the game for cycling lights forever, but another contender has now appeared on the scene, Nole’s crowdfunding campaign expected to start soon.
So what do they offer? Well, the ability to customise your light’s patterns via a mobile app with functionality appearing to include brake signals and that old Kickstarter favourite: indicators.
Apart from that there’s not much else to add on this one, although 31 people are already following the page to get more information when it arrives.
BMC launches all-new URS range
BMC launched their URS range in 2019, short for ‘Unrestricted’, with the goal of “disrupting the gravel discipline”. The Swiss company has now updated the lineup, introducing four new bikes – the URS, URS 01, URS 01 LT, and URS LT AMP e-bike.
The URS is the most affordable bike in the range with prices starting at $3,799 (around £2,900). It’s described as “the purest way to experience unrestricted gravel riding through its perfect blend of progressive geometry, low weight, easy maintenance and a host of other features that enhance the ride”. The URS features integrated downtube storage, space for up to 47mm tyres and multiple mounting points.
The URS 01 shares the same fully rigid frame as the URS but adds suspension in the seatstays and stem. The URS 01 LT takes this a step further by incorporating a suspension fork with 20mm of travel. Prices for the URS 01 start at $5,999 (around £4,600) and go up to $11,999 (around £9,300), while the URS 01 LT starts at $6,499 (around £5,000).
The URS AMP LT is the brand’s gravel e-bike, combining the URS LT with a TQ HPR50 drive unit that offers up to 300 watts of assistance. It’s priced at $9,999 (around £7,700)
All four bikes are available in fives sizes: XS, SM, M, L, XL, and can be purchased from selected retailers now. For more information, go to BMC’s website.
Is it an e-bike, a stage, or a sound system… or all three?
VeloConcerts, an Austrian company, has released the VeloStage which transforms an e-cargo bike into a full stage. The idea behind the VeloStage is to create a sustainable, mobile and environmentally friendly way of hosting concerts, that just so happen to be attached to an electric cargo bike.
So, how does it work? The VeloStage is built around the electric Bullitt X by Larry vs Harry and replaces the cargo box with a stage that folds out. It also features a JBL soundsystem that operates independently from an external power source.
The UK arm of VeloStage is being headed up by Pedal Me co-founder, Chris Dixon, who says, “The VeloStage presents anyone that uses it with the opportunity to create real eye-catching, attention grabbing events literally anywhere with jaw-dropping sound quality on top thanks to JBL. It is quick, efficient, operates mains-free and it’s all with zero emissions.”
If you are interested in hiring one, prices start from £650 per day and more information can be found on the VeloConcerts website.
Be seen and vaporise anything that gets in your way…
In a recent Instagram reel, ECM Emporium shows two of their high-powered flashlights setting fire to a piece of cardboard all while mounted on the handlebars of a bike. This isn’t your average bike light setup though!
Whilst the company does sell a variety of bike lights, these particular models appear to be their 200,000 lumen and 120,000 lumen flashlights, which are designed primarily for extreme scenarios such as cave explorations rather than your daily commute.
The 200,000 lumen light has a claimed beam distance of up to 1,600 metres and a service life of over 50,000 hours. Meanwhile, the 120,000 lumen model can reach around 2,100 metres with a claimed run time of up to 360 hours.
Before you consider turning your bike into a mobile sun, it’s worth noting that while there isn’t a specific maximum power limit for bike lights in the UK, Cycling UK says, “If your lights cause undue dazzle or discomfort to other road users, then you’re breaking the law and the police are within their rights to fine you”.
From lights that dazzle to frames that dazzle…
Apparently we’ll be seeing a few pro riders rocking these on the road soon, Canyon’s MACH874 paintjob featuring a prism colourway with the paint job reflecting each athlete’s national colours. Named after the speed that light travels around the world, 1,079,252,848 km/h or also known as Mach 874,030, we get the feeling Canyon is keen to emphasise that riding one of these will make you fast.
It works for Mathieu van der Poel, so it’ll probably work for you or me, that’s if any of us have the funds down the back of the sofa to get our hands on it, after all these Aeroad CFR MACH874’s are priced at £11,149, almost two grand more than the Aeroad CFR without the eye-catching paintjob. Same wheels, groupset, power meter and tyres, just some (admittedly very nice looking) extra pricey paint.
Check it out on Canyon’s website…
Peak bikepacking
It’s an age-old dilemma for bikepackers/tourers — what do you wear on your feet when you’re not cycling? After all, you probably don’t want to be going to the showers (if you’re lucky), the pub or that midnight toilet trip in your cycling shoes, even more so if they’re for road riding and leave you hobbling around on your cleats.
Flip flops or sandals or sliders are the obvious choice but are often quite bulky and can take up crucial bag space or inevitably end up strapped on the outside. It’s for all the reasons above perhaps then that PEdALED has released a pair of foldable shoes. What could be more bikepacking than that?
Priced at £115 they don’t come cheap, but they’re designed with bikepackers’ needs in mind, and offer an ultra-light, foldable shoe that slips easily into a bag and features drawstring closures, Vibram® soles, and ripstop fabrics.
A Kickstarter storage solution?
Right, back to the crowdfunders for these last two, starting with a foldable cargo bike box for your bike that is compatible with “all common panniers and racks” and turns your ride into a cargo bike with 30L storage capable of carrying a 20kg load. It also promises to fold back down in “under one second” once you’re done.
It’s another one that’s yet to launch, and lacking more info, but what is available is up on the Kickstarter page now.
‘Death Bike’: Probably not coming to a cinema near you
Lastly, it’s not tech exactly, but we couldn’t let a crowdfunder special pass without telling the world about Death Bike, a cycling-related Indiegogo horror film. In the maker’s own words: “High School super-jock Harvey just wants to drive his Jeep fast, talk trash with his friends, and get his freak on — but an unwarranted act of violence towards a cyclist who dared to share his road may not end well for Beaver High’s proudest Buckin’ Beaver. DEATH BIKE doesn’t just ask, “What kind of people would run an innocent cyclist off the road?” but answers: “What should be done with them?”
In case you’ve missed it, here’s this week’s top tech news and features:
- Canyon officially unveils new CFR helmets with HighBar chin strap system that can save you up to 20 watts… at 60-70km/h
- No, you won’t be able to hack pro cyclists’ electronic gears — Shimano shuts down cheating concerns over £175 jamming device, with immediate firmware update to “enhance security” already in use by pro cycling teams
- Trek’s new Checkmate is an all-out aero gravel race machine
- The most expensive road bike wheels in the world — the most eye-wateringly expensive carbon upgrades you can make to your bike
- Five cool bits of cycling tech coming soon from Garmin, Trek, Insta360, Coros and Life360
- Genesis gives Croix de Fer “biggest update since it was introduced in 2008”, with “racier” design and wider tyre clearance
14 thoughts on “Is this Kickstarter a game-changer for teaching kids to cycle? Cargo bike or gig speakers… or both?, A new era of bike lights… (maybe), BMC’s new bikes, Peak bikepacking, Canyon colourways + more”
Hmm, the easiest way for a
Hmm, the easiest way for a child to learn to ride a bike is to use one of the many push-a-long types now available. My kids had one and they both used it for a bit before graduating to a pedal bike.
My eldest had the push-a-long for about a year and at 4, got his first pedal bike. It took him about 200m to master pedalling. My younger son had seen his brother and graduated from the push-a-long to the pedal bike after 6 months at age 3. It took him about 100m and he could ride.
If it was up to me, stabilisers would be banned. They teach kids the wrong technique and inhibit them from learning properly. Sorry, but I think these ‘smart stabilisers’ will give kids false confidence and not really teach proper technique.
And yes, I am a qualified BC cycling coach and I specialise in teaching young kids to ride BMX race bikes. I’ve a lot of experience doing this and I’d say I’ve got a pretty sound idea of what works.
I’m inclined to agree,
I’m inclined to agree, although I only have my own and family experiences to go on.
Some children have poor
Some children have poor balance or extra needs. The more available options there are, the more solutions to these needs there will be.
100% agree with everything
100% agree with everything you say.
It has been shown that stabilisers allow kids to ride differently, so once the stabilisers are removed they have to relearn how to balance unaided.
A balance bike seems to be the best start followed by pedal bike with parent/adult supporting the child under the armpits as they pedal – as Isla Rowntree has shown so many people. I watched her get my 5 year old son riding independently within 2 laps of a tiny car park and there are more than 2 million views for the embedded YT video at https://www.islabikes.co.uk/how-to-guides/teach-your-child-to-ride
OldRidgeback wrote:
Absolutely agree that stabilisers teach the physics model of a tricycle not a bicycle so are profoundly wrong. Unless your child plans to ride tricycle, obviously.
Balance bikes are the correct way to teach the bicycle physics model, with a natural path to brakes, then pedals, then gears.
Why does the physics model matter? Because the human brain has a muscle memory (subconscious function) that is engaged automatically in any stressful situation to benefit the rider.
Doing tricycle control inputs to a bicycle problem will likely end badly, in addition to being another learning challenge to overcome.
I respect the innovation that these adjustable training wheels provide but would need to see some evidence that the result is a bicycle physics model before considering them. An engineer.
My 3 year old is, for her age
My 3 year old is, for her age, a reasonable accomplished cyclist. She had a balance bike from a little over 1 (a tiny frog one) and has been on the smallest pedal bike we could find since she was 2 1/2. We now quite often cycle to town, nursery etc… it’s now a legitimate form of transport for us.
However we put her on an older friends bike with stabilisers and she kept cycling in to thinks. She couldn’t make the bike turn in the way she wanted. It was kinda funny as it looked like she was drunk in charge of a bike. Still, it highlighted that if you want your child to ride a bicycle don’t give them stabilisers.
Indeed. We teach
Indeed. We teach professionally using balance bikes, and I don’t imagine any professional body would consider stabilisers as a teaching tool unless there were additional needs from the rider. We even call kids (not to themselves obviously) who have learned that way “stabiliser victims” because they find it so hard to transition.
Also Canyon…
Also Canyon…
Bikes you can actually afford: Grey.
Absolutely! I looked at
Absolutely! I looked at Canyon recently when shopping for a new road bike and all the decent colours were unavailable.
£46 is just about what I paid
£46 is just about what I paid for a balance bike. Give the child a balance bike at age two, then a 14-inch wheel pedal bike at age three and they’ll be sorted. Stabilisers teach poor technique that has to be be unlearned when they come off. Waste of time and money.
Absolutely. We use balance
Absolutely. We use balance bikes to teach kids professionally. Any kind of transition from stabilisers is much harder – you’re trying to convert the physics of a tricycle where your bum goes the opposite way to your shoulders, to a bike, where everything goes the same way. We call the kids the learned that way “stabiliser victims”.
These stabilisers may be
These stabilisers may be useful for some – but what probably works better is done by many:
Once walking, give the child a four-wheeled pushbike to move about the flat, replace this with an indoor pedal-tricycle early – and start with a balance bike (outdoors) around the age of two. As a result, my daughter asked for a pedal bike at 2.75 years and knew riding immediately (still wearing nappies…). Encouraged by the experience, we gave her younger brother a pedal bike at 2.5 years – which he learned to ride within a week. Just by playing (and spending time outdoors).
Just echoing what others have
Just echoing what others have said here really, my son had a balance bike from around 18 months old, progressed onto a larger one, mainly because there weren’t many options for small enough pedal bikes, then last christmas (aged 3 1/2) he got a 14″ pedal bike. A few goes outside doing the usual awkwardly running along whilst half supporting him thing and he got the hang of riding it. He’s now happy pushing off and getting started by himself and was riding round a country park this weekend withh nothing more than the occasional hand on his back top help push him up the steeper bits of path.
Pushing pedals round is a much simpler skill to learn than balancing, and also, if they’ve been riding with stabilisers they’re probably used to pedalling more quickly, so when they ride without they’ll be that bit faster when they inevitably fall off.
Mirror the comments about
Mirror the comments about balance bikes being a much better way to learn to ride. I always feel sorry when I see kids with stabilisers, it looks so boring! My son got a balance bike before 2 and was riding a pedal bike by 3.
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned, and I think they’re a great idea, is balance bikes with brakes. My son’s had them and he learnt to balance and break on that bike so when he got his pedal bike, he just had to learn to pedal. He was comfortable doing the other two. That made quite a difference how quickly he got it.