Bird Of Prey Bike Gives Riders A Whole New Position

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You’re probably already familiar with what riders look like on a recumbent bicycle, lazily leaning back, but if the Bird of Prey bike takes off you’ll soon see them in an entirely new position: semi-prone. In other words, this bicycle has its riders leaning all the way forward, legs stretched out the back, as if flying through the air, with their hips and elbows fully supported through leather pads. A creation of California-based architect John Aldridge, it’s been in the works since 1991 but only now hitting the production line. Aside from looking a little bizarre, the position is said to have its advantages, such as increased agility through a lower center of gravity, an improved aerodynamic profile, and increased power production:

Due to the Bird of Prey’s ergonomic layout, riders are reportedly easily able to turn its big 60-tooth rear chainring (linked to a 36/11 cassette), producing more torque than would be possible than with a smaller ring. They’re also able to spin like crazy when climbing hills, with their legs fully extended.

Like anything new hitting the market, don’t expect it to be cheap: it costs a whopping $8,500.

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[ Product Page ] VIA [ NewAtlas ]

Keep Your Shoes Clean With The Shifter Boot Protector

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Riding season is upon us, which is hard to believe considering the gargantuan amounts of snow currently on the ground. But it is, and that means you’ll have to once again start making choices about what to wear on your motorcycle. If you haven’t adopted specialized riding shoes, you might be familiar with the issue of having to pick footwear that you don’t mind getting a little dirty or scuffed where they contact the clutch lever. That concern might have limited your options before, but if you get the Shifter Boot Protector, you can just slip it over your shoe and wear any fancy boots you like without damaging them at all. It’s elastic so it will fit over any size boot and costs all of $8.

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[ Product Page ] VIA [ Werd ]

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OhGizmo! Review: The OGIO No Drag Mach 3 Motorcycling Backpack

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Riding around town on two wheels is an amazing experience, but it’s also one that inevitably causes you to compromise on many fronts. There’s no storage space on a motorcycle if you don’t have saddle bags, for instance, yet you might still want to bring stuff with you on your rides. Regular backpacks flop around in the wind at higher speeds and tend to become annoying after a while. We were looking for something designed specifically for riding; after some research, we settled on the above. We’ve spent the last few weeks testing the OGIO No Drag Mach 3 Backpack, and we’d like to spend the next few lines telling you about it. If you’re not in the mood for reading, out here we can tell you this much: it’s fantastic and well worth the money.

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The Hardware
The OGIO No Drag Mach 3 backpack’s exterior is made from a single shot molded shell that’s mostly waterproof. It’s semi rigid, so you do end up looking somewhat like a turtle. However, it’s a cool look and ends up being distinctive rather than ugly or distracting. It also does mean that the bag keeps its shape under the pressure of the wind, which is exactly the point of designing it that way.

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The Mach 3 opens up from the inside, from the part that touches your back, to reveal a very spacious interior lined in a high-visibility red fabric. This rear panel swivels forward, but not all the way, which prevents objects you might’ve stashed in the pockets to fall out. It is itself covered in a ton of compartments designed to hold a variety of things, from pens, to laptops, to pretty much anything you’d want to carry. There are zippered compartments, unzippered compartments, and compartments with holding straps.

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On the sides, still on the inside, are two dedicated shoe storage compartments, which stops your shoes from moving around and getting your clothes dirty. And on the top part of the bag, accessible from the outside, is a fleece-lined zippered pocket made specifically to hold electronics, or glasses, or anything else that could get easily scratched.

Fleece-lined zippered pocket

Fleece-lined zippered pocket


On the exterior, you have some high quality shoulder straps, padded and comfortable, one side of which features a quick-release clasp. If you ride with a jacket (as you should), this is a very appreciated feature. There’s also a sternum strap that prevents the shoulder straps from sliding off, as well as a waist strap to keep the bag glued to your back. The final strap is a Nubuck-lined “helmet leash” which lets you carry your noggin-saver around with ease.

Helmet leash

Helmet leash


Interestingly, on the outside of the opening panel, touching your back, are two foam pads designed to create an air gap and increase ventilation. That’s a nice touch.

Rounding out the features is a hydration hole that makes it super simple to route a straw from a container kept on the inside, straight to your mouth. Going on long rides in the hot summer sun makes this a highly desirable capability.

Quick-release shoulder strap

Quick-release shoulder strap


The Performance
All the features in the world mean nothing if it’s not comfortable, or if there are glaring flaws. We’d like to say that we haven’t found anything to really complain about. It’s super comfy. There’s just something about the shape and positioning of the straps that makes it conform to your shoulders and back perfectly. It never pulls or tugs when riding at higher speeds. It’s super spacious and ingeniously designed. If we had to find something to criticize, we would have to say that the irregular and angular shape of the interior does make it harder to stash certain things without wasting space, like little boxes. It’s also hard to set down vertically on any surface since the bottom part is also angled.

Interior with Coke can for scale

Interior with Coke can for scale


But overall, the quality of the materials and the stitching is top notch. It’s a solid bag designed with ergonomics in mind, and all the little details OGIO thought of incorporating show that they kept a rider’s needs at the forefront. While its distinctive styling would suggest that this is a bag that favours form over function, we’re happy to report that it’s actually quite the opposite. The Mach 3′s style is clearly a result of OGIO’s designers looking for, and finding, an optimal solution to all of a rider’s carrying needs.

PROS
+ Semi-rigid outer shell doesn’t deform in the wind
+ Multiple pockets and compartments accommodate a number of objects
+ Spacious interior lined in a high-visibility red fabric
+ Quick release strap
+ Helmet leash
+ Dedicated shoe holders

CONS
- Irregular shape makes it hard to set down vertically
- Irregular shape makes it hard to carry squarer boxes without wasting space

PRICE
MSRP: $139

[ OGIO No Drag Mach 3 Backpack ]

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