(Image via: Planetary Gear)

Now that Winter is drawing in, we start to appreciate the things taken for granted in the balmier months – such as well-sheltered bus stops. The good news is that the latest designs are more luxurious and more eco-friendly than the soulless gappy cubicles we known so well, as these three designs show.

(Image via: Planetary Gear)

Firstly, the solar-powered Eye-Stop currently being testing in Italy. It is comprised of a dazzling array of interactive screens that let you plan your route, check your e-mail and monitor local air quality. If you want to get updates on the move, you can synchronize your cell-phone with it to receive timetables and updates. As well as the walled & ceilinged version, the Eye-Stop will also come in pole form – which will glow brighter and brighter as the next bus approaches.

(Images via: Keetsa)

For areas with less than ambient environmental conditions, the new bus shelter by Trueform offers air-con (maintained at 20 degrees Celsius whatever the weather), electronic displays and even a washroom. It can be fitted without the need for costly earthworking – and all that techno-wizardry comes courtesy of solar power.

(Images via: Christopher Fennell via EcoFriend)

But if municipalities want to go for a lower-tech green option – what could be more appropriate than recyling buses and turning them into bus stops? Sculptor Christopher Fennell has taken three decommissioned vehicles and turned them into the above shelter in Athens, Georgia, with deliciously retro results. Buses become bus stops – so we have to wonder, is there anything that bus stops can become? Upcyclers, we await your suggestions (in an orderly queue, of course).

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(Image via: Inhabitat)

As world-savingly admirable as wind turbines are…well, they kinda stick out. Putting aside the question of whether the colossal wind-turbines we are growing accustomed to seeing are bad for our health or for local wildlife – they’re definitely bad for the view. In fact they’re as incongruous as lamposts in a field of corn. But maybe we don’t need acres of whirring behemoths – we should just design our homes a little differently. Here are three examples of how we might achieve this.

(Image via: Inhabitat)

Released last year, the Broadstar Aerocam (pictured above and top) is a multi-layered horizontal turbine that follows the wind around at a price translating to less than $1 per watt. Its blades continually adjust to find the optimum pitch to bite into the wind, collecting energy the same way the surface of an aircraft wing collects lift. The Aerocam units can be positioned at points between or atop buildings where the wind is strongest – but unobtrusively, never lifting above the skyline.

(Images via: Cleantechnica)

Taking the idea a step further is the Ridgeblade, a turbine that is part of your roof. The genius of this design is the unit’s length – potentially as long as a traditional sky-high turbine – and the Ridgeblade has already won its designers (the UK’s The Power Collective) a prestigious $750,000 award.

(Image via: Ecofriend)

But why stop at houses? Think of all the bridges, road-signs, walkways, billboards and lamposts out there. Think about the artificially-induced wind of road-traffic – as utilized by this design by Arizona State University – or from the passage of trains or aircraft. If we could work horizontal turbines into our existing structures in such a way that they’re out of sight and out of mind, then could we meet our energy needs while keeping our treasured natural views…and bequeath the sky to the next generation?

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(Images via:  YLighting)

Are we making the most of the creative possibilies of LEDs? From the fan-cooled SoL R38 to the coolant-filled 360 Degree Light, the shape of the next generation of home LED lighting is looking decidedly familiar. Maybe that is to be expected, considering the green, practical need to fit all those screw and bayonet fittings in existing lamp designs – but are we missing a chance to rethink our lighting needs and come up with something neater, energy-thriftier and much more fun? Take the Abyss table lamp – like a corkscrewing paper sculpture (or if you want to be less kind, a length of glowing intestine), it can be bent into exactly the shape you require.

(Images via:  Technabob)

Or the Fragile Future 2 wall-lamp, an ivy-like sprawl of square-edged modular “circuitry” (you can assemble it to fit your wall-space), set with lamps that shine like dandelion heads? This dazzling effect is achieved in the most obvious way possible – by surrounding LEDs with dandelion seeds!

(Images via:  3rings)

Or how about hiding your lighting away in the walls? The appropriately-named Torn Lighting pretends that your wallpaper is hiding a brightly glowing wall, by hiding an LED behind a tailored, faked rip in the fabric. (This would also work nicely with furniture). Those who had nightmares after watching Poltergeist may wish to sit this one out.

(Images via:  Pieke Bergmans)

But for sheer irreverent cheek, it is hard to beat the work of Pieke Bergmans. Her Light Blubs (that’s not a typo) poke fun at conventional lighting by being victims of the “Design Virus”, an affliction that makes them sag and drip like candlewax.

(Images via:  Pieke Bergmans)

Crafted individually to suit their surroundings, these Blubs are made from handcrafted crystal inset with LEDs, and therefore at the other end of the scale from mass-produced domestic lighting – but they crack a much-needed grin at our obsession with ‘bulb-shaped’ bulbs. Maybe it’s time we joined in the fun.

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Regular readers of both WebEcoist and WebUrbanist are going to get a double-dose introduction today to the newly-launched Gajitz dot com, a fresh site from the founder of Webist Media. Ecoist fans are familiar with the timeless lists on far-reaching topics that are at the heart of this site. Gajitz, like Dornob (its sibling site focused on design), takes a bit of a different approach, covering more of the latest and greatest discoveries and inventions as well as creative transportation and world-changing vintage and retro tech.

In short: Gajitz brings you most sensational, educational and inspirational content featuring the past, present and future of gadgets, science and technology – from history-shaping photo-edits of centuries gone by to a just-discovered cure for color blindness to self-driving concept cars, space elevators and teleportation devices of the not-too-distant future.

The new site will feature two familiar faces/names: Kurt (often known simply as Urbanist or Ecoist on each of the two Webist sites) and Delana (a long-term veteran author and editor on both sites as well). Like its sibling site Dornob | Design Ideas Daily, Gajitz will be updated multiple times a day with relevant targeted articles on specific subjects – you will be able to sign up for the main site feed as well as following particular topics via main categories and category feeds: Gadgets, Science, Technology, Transportation, Vintage & Retro.

Any time we have news related to new projects within or outside of Webist Media, it is always essential to note how indebted these sites are to the core authors including Angel, Chris, Delana, Mike, Stephanie and Steve, who make this weird and wacky website work Click here to check out Gajitz, and be sure to follow up on Twitter, friend us on Facebook, subscribe to the new RSS feed and spread the word around the interwebs however else you wish. Once again, thanks for reading, sharing your thoughts and lending your support all along the way – you are what keeps us going!

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Trying to limit the environmental impact of your kitchen? No matter how many food scraps you compost or eco-friendly detergents you use, there are your traditional old appliances, encouraging you to do things the bad old way. They need to be rethought, incorporating all that we now know about sustainably closed loops and thrifty environmentalism…and here are two designs from the forefront of that kitchen eco-revolution.

(Image via: Dezeen)

The Flow2 Kitchen doesn’t rely on fancy electronics – but it is a technological marvel. Aside from a little plumbing and wiring this unit is a free-standing sideboard complete with sink, cooker and refrigerator. The key to its success is “low-tech” physics, cycling round in an energy-conserving, resource-hoarding loop. Newly washed pots drip their excess water onto edible plants. The fridge uses evaporating water to suck heat away from it – yep, no electrical supply needed (your utility budget will sniffle with joy). Food scraps go into the built-in vermicomposter, where your very own population of worms will nibble it down into compost ideal for the garden or for those plants under your drip-tray. And if you have kids…what better demonstration of the entire point of recycling?

(Image via: Kontrastblog)

But perhaps you like hi-tech – and perhaps you have more than a little money to throw around, in which case can we interest you in the rather science-fictional delights of the Brand Aion? The work of French designer Antoine LeBrun, the Aion works in a similar way to part of the Flow2 by conserving water, diverting any excess into the plants housed in the lid.

(Image via: Kontrastblog)

However, shut the lid and things get really clever. The whole device turns into a low-energy dishwasher – using a vegetable soap created by the plants growing above it. You keep track of how far along the cleaning cycle it is via the digital readout glowing on the front. Meanwhile, all that greenery is cleaning upwards as well, by scrubbing the air in your kitchen and leaving it as pristine as your crockery. When it becomes available (yes, it’s still in the early stages of prototyping), expect this device to get everyone in a lather.

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(Image via: Zedomax)

In our search for the best way to array our new-fangled solar paneling, we’re going back to the oldest design of all. A few years ago the solar tree was little more than a stylish concept drawing, as with the above gadget-charging proposal…

(Images via: Metaefficient)

…but now you can find solar trees lining streets. Artificial trees are making headlines for other reasons, but the variety featured above are designed to light our sidewalks, not scrub the air. With luck these are the shape of Northern European streetlights to come – by day trapping the energy from sunlight, and by night expending it downwards using directed LED lighting. For anyone having problems with the phrases “Northern Europe” and “sunlight” occupying the same sentence, the lighting allegedly stores enough during one full day of sunshine to be able to illuminate for four nights running. Efficiency? Getting street lighting off the grid will reduce European electricity demand by a whopping 10%.

(Images via: Yanko Design and EcoTech Daily)

But we can all join in the fun. If you want to charge your favorite gadgets while you hit the surf, stick the Solar-Tree in the sand, hook everything up, and away you go. The device promises to fit every conceivable gadget. Top marks for the idea – but we have questions. Exactly how much energy can you collect from a panel that size – and how much will it cost in the shops?

(Image via: Inhabitat)

Individual solar trees are all very well – but what happens when we make a forest of them? Designer Neville Mars has developed the idea of a photovoltaic “parking grove” – a place where electric vehicles can tap into a constantly renewing source of energy. The overlapping panels automatically rotate to find the sunlight. Who would believe a car-park could look like that? Stunning. There is only one thing missing, a piece of sustainable, eco-friendly technology that has served our planet well enough for the last few million years – because there is no beating the original.

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The push to create and implement greener energy sources has mostly centered on thermal, hydroelectric, solar and wind power. But innovators are always thinking of ways to produce and/or harness power to fuel our world. UK grocery chain Sainsbury’s has begun using kinetic power from their parking lots to fuel checkout stands in one of their new locations.

The Sainsbury’s in Gloucester, which opened in June 2009, has several kinetic energy plates installed in their parking lot. Each time a car drives over the plates, the motion of the plate creates energy. The energy is then stored and sent to the store to provide power to the checkout stations. Sainsburys says that the plates can supply 30 kWh of energy per hour. This type of kinetic energy-gathering isn’t entirely free: it does bump up the fuel consumption of each car a very small amount when driving over the plates. And, of course, since most cars are still fueled with eco-unfriendly fossil fuels, the weekly shopping trip is still hard on the environment if you’re driving there. But if we assume that the kinetic energy plates are being used in place of speed bumps that are frequently found in supermarket parking lots, the energy expended by each car will be the same as it was before.

(image via: Daily Mail)

Highway Energy Systems, the company that designed the kinetic plates for Sainsbury’s, also designed an electro-kinetic road ramp for widespread usage on public streets. They address the question of whether this type of energy costs users money in this way: “The ramp is designed to be situated in parts of the roadway where vehicles are having to slow down, for example on downhill gradients, when approaching traffic lights or roundabouts as well as replacing sleeping policemen and traditional traffic calming measures. In the these situations, the kinetic energy of the car is being dissipated into heat (i.e. through the braking system) anyway; the ramp at this point scavenges a degree of kinetic energy as the car passes over it, but this is far less than is lost through other mechanisms.”

Sainsbury’s expects that the kinetic energy plates will have paid for themselves within two years of their inception. The supermarket giant is doing more than just harnessing the energy of passing motorists, however. The Gloucester Quays store also boasts a rainwater collection system that will use rainwater to flush its toilets. The store is equipped with large windows for letting in natural light and decreasing the dependence on artificial lighting, and solar thermal panels will heat the store’s water in the summer.

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(Image via: Inhabitat)

Isn’t it about time airships took off in a big way? While report after report comes out condemning aviation as a grave threat to our natural world, the number of airline passengers worldwide is rising (set to double by 2030 in the UK alone). Surely we don’t need bigger airplanes or greener biofuels that save the skies but risk plunging the world into a food crisis. Why not rise above all of that with the oldest invention in the history of aviation?

There is no shortage of ideas for turning back the clock and ushering in a second age of zepplin travel. Everyone remembers how the last one ended – but these days, we aren’t so foolish as to fill our human-carrying vehicles with explosive substances (no, wait). Inert helium is cited as the safest way to get modern airships aloft – but we have come a long way from Hindenburg technology, and if we can render petrol safe to use under our very feet, surely cheap, versatile hydrogen has a place in our green future in the skies.

(Image via: Inhabitat)

From the sinuous Airbia (top), aiming to supplant commuter trains and gridlocked frustration, to the helium-filled Aeolus (above), modern airship designs are spectacularly other-worldly (looking like effects shots from ABC’s upcoming reboot of “V“) – and spectacularly green. For energy efficiency, it’s hard to beat a balloon.

(Image via: Popular Mechanics)

And all those acres of airship skin, lofted high into the air – what better place for solar paneling? Designs such as the Turtle Airship and the Aeroscraft (above and below) utilize layers of solar film to help generate power for the operation of the vehicle. In the latter case, the “air” (in fact helium) is completely conserved by way of being compressed, changing the lift of the airship and eliminating the need to take in more helium. Plans are underway for the Pentagon to view a test model.

(Image via: Business Week)

Downsides? Speed is the major problem, and a world of airship travel would certainly be a more leisurely-paced one. There is also the thorny question of weather. Fancy being in an airship during a thunderstorm? This is why designers are looking at the middle ground with well-powered rigid-framed dirigible hybrids (such as the Aeroscraft) offering powered flight and greater maneuverability. Could this finally be the design to capture the public imagination and start shifting those queues at the airport?

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Jewelry is a matter of personal taste, to each his or her own. There are many eco-friendly jewelry designs from vintage, repurposed, recycled; why not go green baby and look good at the same time! We would end up filling many less landfills while styling a knockout piece of jewelry. Some are green and absolutely gorgeous while others fall somewhere far beneath the green but great mark. Make a statement that you are good to the planet as you accessorize. Here are 25 eco-friendly jewelry fashions in an irresistible blend of function and style, some recycled wonders and some will make you wonder what were they thinking.

Chic To Slick Eco-Jewelry

(image credits:Hafsteinn Juliusson,Hafsteinn Juliusson,eco-artware,eco artware)

What happens when jewelry and gardening clash? Why not growing jewelry? In the top pictures, the hand jewelry and ring are experiments in drawing nature to man. Yes, they’re alive, so make certain to water your jewelry or it might die! In the lower left, the men’s cuff links are vintage typewriter keys given a new purpose.  In the lower right is another way to accessorize from a once manual typewriter recycled into a tie tack.

Faux Green To Poop Pendants

(image credits:etsy,parrotjewelry,etsy,sprig)

Pendants and necklaces are basically considered the same thing. Some jewelry makers insist they are different, since pendants are often sold without a chain. The first image is apparently the difference between those people who are green and those who want to appear green. The stone moss pendant on the far left is shaped from clay to look like a basalt pebble with a tiny tuft of faux moss peaking out. The next pendant couldn’t get more real and might be for the person who truly believes in repurposing everything. It started out as an April Fools Day joke but there is a demand for the 1″ parrot poop pendant. The next rock garden pendant requires neither sunlight nor water, since the moss is not living. The talon pendant on the far right is fashioned from rescued ebony wood.

Eco-Friendly Bracelets

(image credits:sprig,inhabitat,WrecordsByMonkey)

Bracelets are an adornment  that can easily brighten up a wardrobe. On the left, this stunning Berry Coil bracelet is fashioned from Columbian red choclo seeds that are strung on an interior coil made of recycled Columbian pesos. On the top right, this 7.5″ bracelet is produced from nine strands of recycled chain. In the bottom right, this large cuff bracelet is called Aeon Skull and is formed from vinyl records. You can change the tone of what you are wearing by adding one of these eco-friendly accessories.

Gadgets Repurposed Into Pins

(image credits:arteco,arteco,arteco,arteco)

These pins are fashioned from repurposed materials. In the top left, this  3″ x 2″ pin is re-crafted from a Hughes Aircraft comparative memory onboard recognition signature analysis system.  Featured at top right, this 4″ x 2″ pin is a 7400 series chip montage of various processors, EPROMS, RAM, and D TO A Converters. At bottom left, this 1 3/4″ x 1 1/8″ pin was made from an AT&T MPU main processing unit from Centrex phone network. In the lower right, this 1 1/2″ round pin is an eclectic collection of cray memory chips, clock oscillators, and may have garnet or quartz detail.

Innovative Necklaces

(image credits:inhabitat,reverienyc,arteco,WrecordsByMonkey,inhabitat)

These necklaces combine style and a green mindset with surely enough variety to appeal to most women. In the upper left, this Snö Leaf necklace is hand-cut from recycled soda and water bottles, but like a real snowflake, no two are exactly alike. In the upper right, these hand-painted shells make up the Fleuri necklace which in mostly natural and from the 1950’s. The lower left necklace is for the eco-minded gamer and made from Bakelite gaming pieces from the 1930’s. In the bottom middle, this charm necklace is crafted out of recycled records. In the lower right, this necklace is a bit less green being made from sterling silver, yet the water faucet necklace supports the UN’s “Water is a human right” campaign and helps to fund clean water enterprises in third world countries.

Fresh Style To Freshly Dried Eco-Earrings

(image credits:huffingtonpost,arteco,huffingtonpost,arteco,tellmewhereonearth)

Earrings, like women, come in all different shapes, sizes, and zesty flavors. For the environmentally-minded person with a sweet tooth, the top left earrings are made from recycled ice cream containers.  In the upper right, these 1/2″ x 1/2″ stainless steel earrings are made from SMA RF connectors, good to 18GHz. The left middle hoop earrings are crafted with care from recycled glass. In the bottom left, these 1/2″ x 3/4″ repurposed parts were originally used as photon detectors from an array in a punch card readers, but are now these earrings. For the woman who has everything, the 1″ bottom right earrings are made from fully dried, non-smelly, moose dropping.

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It is one of mankind’s best, greenest inventions. It spearheads an industry that thrives even in the depths of a global recession. And…it is undergoing a shake-up. Our healthiest, eco-friendliest mode of personal transportation is enjoying the attention of the cutting-edge of design and material technology, not to mention a good dollop of the crazily creative. All rise for the ever-changing bicycle, as we explore 15 unexpected directions our two-wheeled friends are taking us.

(Images via: Disney and Gizmodo and Monkeylectric)

Last year, Disney unveiled a little project they had been working on called Tron: Legacy – and a hundred million blogs exploded. One of the most visually influential films of the ’80s is about to be sequelled, but now the question hangs in the air: if we’re so much more advanced nowadays, why haven’t we got around to inventing lightbikes for real? Happily, some people are working on it, and it’s not hard to see why – the idea is a terrific one. Why bother with headlamps when your bike is itself aglow? Monkeylectric’s LED-lit wheels (that can even display adverts) are a reality, but we may have to wait a little longer for Teague Design’s ‘Pulse’ centerframe to hit the market.

(Images via: Lightlane)

Another glowing idea: for urban areas lacking safe, reliable bike lanes, why not take your own with you? Lightlane uses laser light to lay bright lines on the road either side of your bicycle, encouraging car-drivers to take a little more care when they are overtaking. You can see how effective the concept is by watching the prototype trials here.

(Images via: Bergmoench)

Parking a bike is almost zero hassle (one of its most endearing features), but wheeling it about is another matter. When the going gets too tough, bikes turn from dream rides to cumbersome nightmares. That is, unless you have a Bergmoench. When your legs can’t take any more, shift the weight onto your shoulders – and that pack slung over the crossbar is indeed a fully-working rucksack.

(Images via: The Design Blog and NeonLug)

Unsurprisingly, this winningly practical idea has got the attention of these two designers, fighting over the name “Backpack Bicycle“. Lay your bets now.

(Image via: Yanko Design)

Integration is the keyword for modern bike design. Why bother with accessories when you can turn your trusty steed into the equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife? Take the descriptively-named This Bike Is A Lock. When you’re done cycling, clamp it onto the nearest post and you’re away. (Wannabe-thieves: you might want to go for the post, as it looks the easier challenge).

(Images via: gadl and velib)

Forget road clogged with taxis, spewing out pollutants and charging you the earth for the “convenience”. No – the way forward is the Beijing model, filling the streets with whirling wheels and keeping the air sweet-smelling. Paris has just undertaken a radical new step in this direction with its groundbreaking Velib bicycle hire service. For a dollar and a half a day (or a paltry $40/year), you get unlimited use of bicycles in 30-minute stretches, pedaling them between sensibly spaced hire stations. Europe and elsewhere, take note.

(Image via: Mail Online)

Bikes are not immune from the current commendable obsession with solar paneling. The Cycle Sol recumbent, daubed in a canary yellow that is so attention-grabbing that it has to be the safest thing on the road, is fitted with panels and a motor that charges up as you cycle through the sunshine. When you need a breather, on comes the motor, propelling you along at 15mph or lowering the resistance on the pedals to make hills easier.

(Image via: London Evening Standard)

Now we’re talking! This sizzlingly sexy beauty is the work of cycling pro Chris Boardman, and it’s packed to the pedals with gadgetry including a fingerprint-recognizing lock, puncture-proof tyres and yes, solar panels and a battery. Is Mr Boardman a Tron lightcycle fan? Do we really need to ask? And since it’s designed by an Olympic and world record holding cyclist, we presume that performance isn’t an issue either.

(Images via: Gelardi)

Wouldn’t it be nice if car-drivers were a little more aware of the fact that they shared the road rather than owned it? We have seen Lightlane’s response to this problem, but for a longer-lasting approach, meet Contrail. As you cycle, you leave a trail of colored chalk behind you – making your mark on the streets in both a literal and figurative sense. Cyclists follow well-wheeled paths to a greater sense of community – and car users become more aware that they’re not alone.

(Images via: Shweeb)

Cycling meets Futurama with the Shweeb: one capsule per rail, seven gears and speeds to raise the hair on your neck. Right now it’s a slightly crazy human-powered vehicle sport – but could this be a municipal transport system of the future? Nice to think.

(Image via: dznuts)

All these space-age building materials are very well, but human beings could do with an upgrade themselves. Yes, we are talking chafing. All cyclists suffer if they spend too long in the saddle, and…well, let’s not go into details, except to say that some areas recover slower than others. Which leads us to dznuts – people-mending technology in a tube. It serves as the first line of defense against chafing and infection – and it does it with an eco-friendly sheen, containing organic, Fair Traded ingredients free of animal testing. So go ahead, protect your junk (that is their slogan, honest).

(Images via: Mikael Colville-Andersen and Milton CJ)

Copenhagen sets the tone. The capital city of Denmark is a world leader in bicycle use: in the city’s Greater Metropolitan area, over a third of commuters head to school or work on two wheels instead of four. In the city centre, it’s the most popular mode of transport during rush hour. It is the perfect place for a shift in the thinking behind road-building – to make large-scale roads specifically for bikes, not just treating them as a transport afterthought.

(Image via: Copenhagenize)

Here is how it all starts. The city is currently building 13 bicycle “superhighways”, complete with fast lanes, pit-stops supplying air and bike tools, and straight routes in and out of the city without automobiles hogging the route and providing dangerous distractions. Across the whole city, connections of “greenways” or eco-conscious cycling routes are being woven together into a network that will cover over 100km. Want something similar in your neighborhood? Your local council is waiting to hear from you.

(Image via: Penny Farthings Pushbike Parking)

How much do you love your bike? Enough to build it its own little home? That’s the hope of Penny Farthing Pushbike Parking, who are the creators of the Green Pod, a personal bike park of the future. From the outside it looks clean-lined and pleasant, but hardly a marvel of innovation…

(Image via: Penny Farthings Pushbike Parking)

…until you step inside and see it is fitted with lockers, changing rooms, hot water showers, LED lighting and an electronic security system. The garden shed doesn’t even get a look in.

(Images via: Porro and Treehugger)

We are making good use of the sun’s energy, but our bicycles have barely discovered the wind – which is rather strange considering how firmly mainstreamed wind-generated power has become. So we ask, where are the bicycles with sails, let alone sporting turbines? We are awarding a tentative Fail to modern inventors…and for now, seek solace in one-off inventions such as the Dutch Energy Centre’s Impulse, competing in Aeolus 2008.

(Images via: benstein and MIT and Keetsa)

Back to Copenhagen we go for a deeply clever, deeply fun way to connect with your local biking community. From the MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning comes the technology to find those who crossed your path as you cycled around. Find where? On the social networking site of your choice, such as Facebook. It is all done with wireless smart tags, probably fitted under the seat of your bike – and when you pass someone using the same system, you exchange contact details and personal data of your choice. Since the device also tracks your movements around the city, you can monitor your personal habits and compare them with your green principles. Could it even be used for some kind of citywide massively multiplayer game? We hope so.

(Image via: Cycloc)

If your budget doesn’t stretch to a Green Pod but you want your bike securely out the way, you could try this elegantly simple piece of recycled plastic. Hook your bike’s crossframe into the front of the Cycloc, and the cunning design uses the bike’s own weight to lock it tightly in place – tight enough to hold it above the ground. And since it is hollow, it is a handy place to shove your smaller items of cycling gear. To lock it, slip your standard bike lock around the outside, as shown above…and enjoy the all floor space you’ve suddenly liberated. (Be sure to remember – the Cycloc is only as tough as its fittings -  and your wall).

(Image via: Treehugger)

Finally, we get to the bottom – or more specifically, what is under it. Never mind all these fancy-pants anti-chafing creams – why can’t we design a saddle that takes the pressure off? The answer seems to be force of habit. The classic narrow racing saddle is ideal for professionals spending much of their time leaning forward, but when commercial bikes follow this design and we mere mortals climb on, the whole thing becomes a colossal pain in the rear. The answer is to spread the load before we do fundamental damage to our fundamentals – and for that reason, the No Nose Saddle is perhaps the most important and the longest overdue innovation in modern bike design. Just pray it catches on while we’re still intact.

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