SpyBike GPS Tracker for bikes

I have had my Recumbent stolen and it is not fun. In the US about $200 worth of bikes are stolen, some of them locked and some not. A thief is looking for the bike he can get the most money for, that is why your your recumbent may be the one he will steal. That is why the in a Urban setting you will need more than a bike lock.

The SpyBike GPS tracker from Integrated Trackers gives you a second line of defense. You should still lock your bike, but if a thief happens to break it free, you have a means to get it back. The device mounts inside the headset, where it is hidden and unassuming. You use a special wrench to secure the device, so it's not easily removed.


Activate the unit when you leave your bike using the accompanying electronic key ring. If the bike is taken before being deactivated with your key (i.e. stolen), the vibration sensor initiates the tracking system, which sends you an alert SMS message and begins uploading coordinates to the cloud every 20 seconds until the vibration stops. The unit will activate again when the vibration starts up (i.e. the thief is riding or transporting the bicycle), so you can continue keeping up on its whereabouts.
You can keep track of the bike's location via Integrated Trackers' website, and then relay its location to the police. If you forgot to arm the unit before your bike was stolen, you can remotely activate it by sending an SMS message. It checks its messages automatically every six hours, so it will begin tracking when it gets your message.
The tracking service is free, but users do have to equip the unit with a pay-as-you-go SIM card and will be charged for the data used in uploading coordinates. This may seem like an extra cost and work, but combined with the quad-band GSM modem, it allows the unit to work with nearly any mobile network in the world. You can configure it to the carrier that offers the best coverage in your area to ensure that it works when you need it. The unit uses GPRS to upload data, not SMS, and Integrated Trackers says it costs a fraction of a penny to send each update (in the U.K.). The SpyBike starts at US$153.58

C.R.A.B.S. Cruisin' the Cross Seminole 3-11-14

Florida has some awesome bike trails in the below video is some of them. Alot of them connect many of the Parks, and they are flat and fast.


C.R.A.B.S. Cruisin' the Cross Seminole 3-11-14 from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Electric Trike Rocking it at 50 mph

This is an project that  Milwaukee-based inventors Dustin Herte and Ryan Bass have been working on for five years.  the Odyssey Mk. 5. Fitted with an 80-volt 1.6-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, one charge will be good for a range of 50 miles (80 km) on power only, which if you are prepared to pedal, can be stretched out to 80 miles (129 km) charge time is 3 hours. For more info check it out at gizmag
check it out

Shaft Drive Recumbents

After riding recumbent bike in Portland Oregon for over 8 years in the rain and mud. I see a real need for a shaft drive on the bike. There are a number of European manufacturer that support this, one of them is a Finnish designer.  Below is a picture of his high racer recumbent. On the  web site he reviews some of the advantages and disadvantages http://www.recumbent-gallery.eu/finnish-recumbent-with-shaft-drive/

There is an new Manufacturer of the start producing shaft drive recumbent.  As you can see from the video this bike is more of a commuter bike and set up so that it is close to ground for easy seating. .  The bike and the above photo is more of a high racer because of laid back sitting position and the larger wheels

Another manufacturer is FlevoBike out of the Netherlands they have been producing the green machine for Number of years.  This bike is also lower the ground because the lower wheels and the seating position is adjustable 

The problem is system of these bikes are available to U.S.  Which is a real shame.  Because I think there is real value in these type of recumbent bikes.