As we power through fall and into winter, my time on the bike has significantly reduced. I used to ride anywhere from 45 to 80 miles a week and this past Saturday was the first time I was on the bike in the last two months. One of the reasons my group of friends don’t ride anymore is that after work it’s simply too dark. There are long stretches on our route that are in complete darkness and that’s never a safe situation.

Light & Motion, a company from picturesque Monterey, CA has been tackling the issue of darkness by providing illumination solutions for cyclists and underwater videographers. I am really digging their Seca line of high performance lights. The number on each of their models refers to lumens rating, or simply how much light is put out the front. The Seca 700 Race outputs a staggering 700 lumens from its five LED’s. In comparison, a Mag 3D puts out a measly 76 lumens. It has has three brightness levels, as well as a fast-switching race mode, and is able to shine on high for an impressive 3.5 hours before needing a charge. It uses a 6-cell Li-ion battery pack that fills in just 2.5 hours making it perfect for long commutes and a favorite among 24-hour racers. The kit comes complete with full mounting accessories for your handlebar and helmet.

In use, I found that I rarely needed to go past the medium mode. The beam pattern is very wide, giving me light at nearly a 180 degree sweep. The beam shape is odd, not concentric like you might be used to from a flashlight. There is little artifacting, thanks to the parabolic reflector design. The whole body acts as a heatsink, with fins serving both design and practical purposes. I noticed inductor whine at the high level, but that was only in a perfectly quiet room, standing still. Mounted on a moving bike, I am certain the rider would not notice.

If you are looking for a high-output, rechargeable light system for your bike, and you’re willing to make an investment ($549 MSRP), I would recommend the Seca 700. And, if you need something to just jot down to the market and you are going to be mostly be riding under streetlamps, the company has wide range of products to help you there as well.

My friend Jens Martin Skibsted designed a slew of new beautiful and gorgeous bikes (remember Biomega?) for Puma. He also launched Kibisi with two co-conspirators Lars Holme Larsen and Bjarke Ingels.  Easily some of the most talented people in the world now under one roof. Congrats guys! This is huge!

When designer Torgny Fjeldskaar isn’t designing bicycles (he is the head of industrial design at Cannondale), he’s making bad ass carbon furniture– all under the brand name Laisr.

Laisr is a furniture brand created and owned by Torgny Fjeldskaar and Javier Alberich. The company is based in Basel, Switzerland. We do high-tech furniture designed and hand-made to stand the test of time. Our current products are designed by Torgny Fjeldskaar, whose daytime job is to design high-end bicycles for Cannondale, a company famous for its innovative use of high-tech materials. Javier Alberich is the creative director. He also worked several years at Cannondale in the past. Currently he’s working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.

As we make our way through 2009, Cycling’s popularity has not shown any indication of slowing down. With Lance’s return to the Tour, continued interest in singlespeed and fixies, and a burgeoning market for city cruisers and vintage bikes (thanks Copenhagen), it’s only natural that this pastime be documented on film. In it’s 9th year, the Bicycle Film Festival launched in New York on June 17th and has participation from 39 cities worldwide. With a full roster of events including live performances, art shows, and of course showings, the BFF promises to have something for everyone. The schedules vary from city to city so please check out the website before you attend.

Considering there are only two points of contact between your road bike and the engines (read: legs) that power it, pedals should be high on your priority list. I had a chance to try the KeO Sprint Laneo pedals from Look on a ride this past weekend. I scored a pair of last year’s high-end Shimano carbon shoes, and despite the irony, I decided to pair the two. At first, I was worried about the hole configuration, but here’s a little tip I learned- Look’s spacing is exactly the same as Shimano’s SPD-SL. The pedals also have a patented “memory” function which allows you to reinstall the cleats in the exact same position each time. This is a great idea considering how long it takes to get pedals dialed in.

I was a bit nervous on the ride since I was taking two new pieces of equipment out on the road at the same time, but once I hit my stride, the pedals performed flawlessly. There is a good amount of float which I usually don’t like but there was no slippage or real hesitation in the release. During climbs when I am standing and really powering down, the large surface area and glass fiber polymer body provided the perfect platform for the power transfer. Though it allows you to customize the release tension (9 to 15 Nm), I found that the factory setting was just perfect. I was able to test out durable the Sprints were when I crashed, landing hard on my left side. After dusting myself off, I checked the pedals and there was nothing some soap and water couldn’t have taken off. Weighing in at just 130g per pedal, this is not the lightest offering from Look but unless you are a weight weenie, I am confident these pedals would impress even the most enthusiastic riders. Lastly, as if cycling wasn’t clean enough, Look has been partnering with Laneo since 2007, promoting an environmental project worldwide.

Bike culture really interests me. What started as a utilitarian exercise (cycling), has permeated into every facet of our lives from the apparel we wear, the environment, and even politics. Cyclelogical, a small company formed just last year, focuses on bringing unique travel and commuter gear to the masses. Besides their organic cotton/bamboo tees designed by artists nationwide, their real specialty are their packs. Panniers, commuter messenger and backpacks, and even shopping bags so you can answer “neither” next time they ask you “paper or plastic?” Most of their tees and all of their bags are incorporate reflective panels and threading which means you will be noticed by motorists. From the special gear equipment pocket in the bags (think toolkit, extra tube, instapumps) to the being able to order any bag in recycled sail cloth material, the team at Cyclelogical have clearly set themselves apart. Check out their website and subscribe to their blog; lots of new products are around the corner.

Maybe you got outbid on yesterday’s DEVO art bike and you’d like to use your current bike to make your own art. For that you need the Contrail, a tool that attaches to your bike’s seat tube and leaves a colorful chalk line behind you as you ride. Brooklyn’s Studio Gelardi says they created it to build biker community. The Contrail holds 200 grams of chalk — enough for about 20 miles of riding — all the while leaving a faint line that reminds fellow cyclists where it’s safe to ride. As bikers follow, the chalk lines grow brighter “reclaiming the crucial shared space.” The Contrail was a finalist in Design 21’s Pedal To The Medal competition and is not in yet in production.

The Kaws bike just got some unlikely company by way of the original spud boys, DEVO. Created and donated by Michael Hammond of Trek Bicycles, this fixed gear bike is a piece of rolling artwork, complete with DEVO lyrics integrated into the custom paint. Per devobikeauction.com: “You might not be able to eliminate all the ninnies and the Twits but they won’t be able to keep up with you on your very own one of a kind custom-built Devo Bike. So go beyond the normal thing, do the super thing. Bid to help fight cancer and bid to claim this devo-lutionary machine.” The auction has been underway for a week and ends today. 100% of the proceeds from the auction go to Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Cancer Foundation. More pics after the jump.

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There’s not a huge amount of crossover between athletes and toy collectors. But when that intersection occurs you’ll be sure to find a handful of fit fanboys — like the ones drooling over art superstar KAWS and Lance Armstrong’s bike collaboration. Supertouch has been breaking the news of Lance’s “Stages” art show, which brings together 30 artists for a summer exhibit in Paris with all profits going to LIVESTRONG. To draw attention to the show, Lance will be riding several art bikes on the Tour de France. From a distance, the KAWS bike doesn’t stand out, but get up close and you’ll see his trademark teeth and XX eyes. Lance had KAWS hide the slogan, “Winners Not Whiners” on the bike’s bottom bracket, too. Lots more pictures here and below.

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A common element of most bicycles is that familiar diamond frame that gives them structure and support. A new bike design by Romanian Industrial designer Ionut Predescu has thrown that conventional configuration out the window in favor of some nifty wire work. Rather than rely on a solid frame, Predescu utilizes two carbon-fiber tubes that work in concert with tension on the Kevlar wiring. It turns this cycle creation into an remarkably light vehicle. But how does it ride? It’s only a prototype, so we’ll have to wait for that answer. Cyclers, you can stop your drooling … for now.

Via Yanko Design

As long as urban centers exist and people remain exercise and eco-conscious, bicycles will always be a preferred mode of transportation. But riding a bike with accompanying cargo can prove difficult. Lane Kagay, a former SF bike messenger was tired of not having a convenient way to transport large boxes, so he made one. The result is CETMAracks — his line of rigid, virtually indestructible front mounted steel bike racks handmade from his home in Eugene, Oregon. Built and designed by bike messengers, these babies are a marked improvement over rear mounted racks or handlebar baskets, causing absolutely no impediment to your steering mechanism and living up to the highest of standards for protecting precious materials en route to their destination.

By now you should have already heard of Freeman Transport, the Montana-based (whoa – not Portland?) bike artisans building collapsible bikes for travel. The idea of flying to another continent and pedaling my way across the countryside has always intrigued me, and a collapsible bike would be just the ticket. Friends Benjamin Ferencz and Nathaniel Freeman founded the company in 2006. Their first models, simply named No.1 and No. 2 are track bikes with hand-built frames, a carbon or steel fork, and come packaged in a beautiful Billykirk leather and waxed-canvas bag.

Recently, airlines have made the dimensional limits for checked luggage stiffer and many cyclist are finding that bringing the factory box to the airport will no longer cut it. The way the Freeman bikes collapse means a hassle-free flight. They use a threaded lug, and bikes using this design have actually been proven to be stronger than traditional ones without the lug. Though they are trying to keep things simple, the options aren’t scarce. Finishing options (any color paint or powdercoat) plus a roster of industry leaders (Paul, Phil Wood, Campagnolo, Deda) means you can truly have a custom, high-quality bike when you travel. Though announced months ago, they’ve only recently become available — about the same time their new website launched. Keep your eye on the site, especially the news section, for a awesome collaboration in the works.

Congratulations Klee.

It was a tough decision … so many sweet rides to choose from. So we deferred to our benefactor: Puma USA. We realize there were a few of you who brought us wooden bikes, but Klee got there first by finding this uniquely intricate and amazing cycle. Our man over at the Puma says, “I would have taken a wood-burning pen and drawn some cool #@&$ on it.” Agreed. Congrats Klee, you’re going to be one bad-ass riding through town on this new bike.

You’re watching the Olympics in China. The Chinese ride a lot of bicycles. You think to yourself, “I need a new bike.” Then some other things happen and you find yourself on this website, just in time for a stupendous Big Ticket Tuesday prize. You may have read our previous post about the Puma-branded Biomega bicycle — well, it can now be yours for the low, low price of free.

THE PRIZE: The Puma Glow Rider urban mobility device. (It’s a bike. Est. retail – $1200, courtesy of Puma.)

THIS WEEK’S RULES: We have another Interweb scavenger hunt for you. This velocipede is the cat’s pajamas, but there are probably hundreds of bikes out there that have been tricked (we’re trying real hard not to use pimped) out for people’s riding pleasure. Find us the most inspired two-wheeler (and it has to be a bicycle — no mopeds, scooters, motorcycles … anything with an engine). Just paste the link in the comment field. The best entry will get our biggest prize yet. And remember: One entry per reader.