http://www.crankzone.com Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:37:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mohsen Saleh, a design engineer living in Milan, Italy, has been working on a rear wheel steering recumbent bike design (in his spare time) for about a year. In a recent post on his blog, Mohsen explained his three main objectives for the project: To eliminate the long chains used on current recumbent bikes To [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/mohsen-saleh%e2%80%99s-rws-recumbent/ I recently worked with my buddy Chris to pimp out his 2010 Fox 40 to 2012 specs and it was a big success. Well, Fox decided to send down a brand new 2012 Fox 40 FIT RC2 for us to compare and review as well. I was pretty stoked to give the 2012 Fox 40 [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/2012-fox-40-fit-rc2-review/ http://www.crankzone.com/location-for-2013-and-2014-mtb-gravity-nationals-announced/ There’s one piece of gear that every mountain biker has, but most of us rarely think about: a helmet. That is, we rarely think about it until we really need it. The Giro Hex is a beefy lid intended for all-mountain, trail, and marathon applications. It features an in-mold EPS liner, polycarbonate shell, P.O.V.™ visor [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/giro-hex-helmet-review/ While most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are waiting out the snow and the rain and hoping for an early spring, it’s smack in the middle of the summer mountain biking season in the Southern Hemisphere! Diaries Down Under is a new lifestyle mountain biking video series based in Queenstown, New Zealand that features [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/new-mtb-video-series-%e2%80%9cdiaries-down-under%e2%80%9d/ I have a backlog of design related topics that I have been meaning to discuss here at Bicycle Design, but those posts are going to have to wait… at least more day. This morning, I want to take a minute to mention the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, which was proposed yesterday in the [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/us-readers-contact-your-representative-today/ Heading into the weekend it had been sunny and in the 60′s for three days, and my planned ski trip with my daughter was derailed by a birthday parry and a youth activity. As a result I was looking forward to sneaking some time in the saddle, until either a touch of the flu or [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/what-to-do-when-you%e2%80%99re-too-sick-to-ride/ I remember seeing these trails signs this summer and thinking “What’s with that guy’s feet?” Those of you in the northern parts of the US and in Canada know, right about now the opportunities for good, quality mountain-style bike riding are few. The days are short, the temperatures are forbidding, the ground is frozen and [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/mushing-on-the-mound-what-to-do-when-snow-slows-your-roll/ For his thesis project at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, Industrial Design graduate student Ramon Hung designed the Velo Chic folding bike, which is specifically aimed toward women living in urban areas. On his portfolio site, Raymon points out that: “In America, women comprise only 25% of bicycle riders. The main factor that [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/a-couple-of-folding-bike-concepts/ And now for something totally different:  the Ripper 29, produced by Slingshot Bikes.  It’s so different that I’m not even sure where to begin this post.  I mean, it’s got a cable instead of a downtube.  And there’s a spring.  And fiberglass.  What’s going on here? The Ripper 29 is a very unique looking bike. Components The [...]]]> http://www.crankzone.com/on-test-slingshot-ripper-29-mountain-bike/