this week's gizmag

Dave C forwarded me another Gizmag weekly post. Two things caught my eye:



That's the BMW Pedelec electric folding bike. You can get two of them into receiver harnesses in the back of the BMW hybrid vehicle, where it will also charge up while you drive. Then, when you arrive at your destination, you can pull this 44-lb. electric-assist bike out of the hatch, ride it up to about 16mph for 16-25 miles (depending on "rider profile", which I suspect is Latin for "how fat you are"), then hoist it back in the car for a recharge. If you want to go farther or faster, you can pedal it.

I don't think I'll see a lot of 'em in MIddlesex County.

The other:





... is the Aston Martin One-77, "the world's most technologically advanced road bicycle." From the article:

What really sets the One-77 apart is its advanced computer system, originally developed for the F001. The computer uses a complex array of sensors, including GPS, a rear-wheel speed sensor and a crank position sensor, to take performance analysis well beyond the speed and distance measurements of other systems. It gives cyclists a menu of more than 100 specific measurements, including crank torque, leg power and crank force, all broken down into left and right legs. Other measurements include acceleration, wasted leg power, rate of ascent and rear wheel speed.

...The One-77 is built as a training tool for serious cyclists, and we're guessing buyers will need a big sponsorship or two to cover the cost. There's no listed price, but Bike Radar reports that the bike will cost around £25,000 (US$39,000 at time of publishing).

I find it hard to believe that it's really meant as a "training tool for serious cyclists", in that it's made as a companion to a luxury speedster also named the One-77, and that production is to be limited to 77 units (get it?). I think it's a separate-you-from-too-much-money tool for serious spendthrifts.

I like to see the Gizmag stuff - I remember the first post I did about the Chinese bike club wiht the velodrome on the roof. But so much of the stuff they post seems like just expensive silliness.