Tag: Kickstarter

The Z shaped crank

Richard MasonerJanuary 16, 20131 Comment on The Z shaped crank

I’m curious: Does anybody believe the claim that a Z shaped crank can provide more leverage because it’s longer?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-WN8kPolug&w=500&h=281]

I hope it doesn’t take an advanced education in physics to realize why the shape of the lever arm doesn’t matter, only its distance from the lever does, but here’s the detailed discussion if you need more convincing.

The inventor, Glenn Comment, apparently was inspired to design this crank in a dream after a frustrating day biking to a friend’s house into a stiff headwind. He kept shifting down into a lower gear to get through the headwind. Comment’s inspired solution: create a longer crank arm (which is equivalent to shifting to a higher gear, but never mind that), and then keep the spinning diameter the same by bending it into a Z shape. Because of the big elbow bend on that crank, you also get much less cornering clearance. Instead of a pedal strike, you’ll have the crank itself strike on the pavement. That should be exciting!

Comment and his family market these cranks as “Z-Torque” and they’re available for sale for $270 for a set. They’re expensive because each set of cranks is machined out of a block of solid aluminum.

Z-Torque’s first attempt to reduce prices through mass production was via this Kickstarter project. 27 people ponied up over $75 each to support the project, but they still fell far short of their $50,000 funding goal.

The Kickstarter campaign fell short by about $43,000, so they’re trying again at another crowdsourcing site. If they succeed, Z-Torque plans to supply a team with these cranks for the Cigar City Criterium in Tampa, Florida. Z-Torque also says the cranks are designed to fit standard (which one?) square tapered spindles.

Friends have undoubtedly explained the physics to the Comment family. Many of the comments left on Z-Torque’s YouTube channel and elsewhere on the Internet are brutal. This family’s willingness to soldier on is a testament to the universal human ability to believe the goofiest things.

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Electric car horn for bicycles

Richard MasonerJanuary 9, 20135 Comments on Electric car horn for bicycles

I occasionally talk a big game in the various social media sites, but I’m generally a pussycat on the road and big believer in cooperating with other traffic when I’m on my bike. I’m assertive about my road rights, but I won’t be a complete jackass just to make a point.

Hence, I’m not a fan of loud horns on bikes. You can reach for your brakes and come to a stop faster than you can punch a horn button, and I really dislike noise pollution.

I realize, however, that horns are popular for numerous reasons. I can recommend the Delta Cycle Airzound Horn – it’s loud and reasonably inexpensive. You charge it with an airpump. It’s made of cheap plastic bits that can (and do) fail, but they’re easily fixable.

Jonathan Lansey in Boston, however, wanted something more like a car horn with its discordant two tone *honk*, so he recruited some engineering help to create a small, lightweight electric horn for his bicycle.

There are some admirable design elements in this horn: the button is designed so you can brake while honking, for example. A single charge of the lithium battery should last for a month or two. And it sounds like a car horn.

You can buy this horn by supporting the Kickstarter project, which only has three days to go and has already met its $43,000 funding goal.

Loud Bike electric horn

More info at LoudBicycle.com.

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The Cockroaches of Transportation in Disasters: The Book

Richard MasonerDecember 17, 20121 Comment on The Cockroaches of Transportation in Disasters: The Book

According to Bike Portland, 2012 has been the year of using bicycles in disaster response. Elly Blue’s next edition of Taking the Lane features True Life Stories where a bicycle was instrumental in saving people during disasters large and small.

One of the stories comes from my dad, who was among the first outside responders who arrived with aid and supplies after the disastrous 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan. 6,500 people perished in this 8.6 magnitude quake, which caused US$100 billion in damage, or approximately 2.5% of the Japanese GDP then. 150,000 buildings collapsed, as did freeways, subways, and shinkansen tracks. 70% of the railroads in the Osaka-Kobe were unusable because of quake damage.

How did my dad make use of bikes to get to Kobe? You’ll need to buy Elly’s book to find out! There’s only three more days of funding for this Kickstarter project. I personally want to see this one published so please pledge a few dollars and spread the word. Thanks!!

Kickstarter: Disaster! Bicycling through the apocalypse by Elly Blue.

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