Hövding is an industrial design master thesis turned fully-functional and recyclable, invisible bike helmet.

Urban biking is growing at a rapid pace and I tend to agree with the designers at Hövding that "cars are so yesterday, bikes are the future". To keep us safe,  inspiring designers continue to develop seemingly simple solutions with hi-tech components. In 2005, industrial design students Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin began a project in response to a new law requiring all children up to age 15 to wear bicycle helmets. The new law instigated a debate around whether adults should also be required to wear helmets. Haupt and Alstin saw an opportunity to create a new helmet for adults that broke the mold, providing bikers with an option that is both comfortable and safe, but also fashionable.

Unlike conventional bike helmets, Hövding is a collar worn around the neck. An airbag embedded in the collar deploys on impact via specially designed sensors. Creating a hood-like shape around the biker's head, Hövding protects the rider only when an accident occurs. Hövding is fully certified within the European Union’s Personal Protective Equipment Directive. Once Hövding has been deployed it is no longer usable and should be replaced.

As part of their product service, Hövding requests that users send in their deployed helmets. Because Hövding uses electronic components and batteries, they want to ensure the device is properly recycled. Also, each unit contains a “black box” which records data from the accident. This data is collected and used for further product development work.

After seven years of in-depth user research, from surveying people on the streets to working with airbag experts, Hövding is currently on the market and available for purchase. Unfortunately for us bikers in the U.S., Hövding is currently only available in Europe. And although not quite in the affordable zone for the average biker, it's an inspiring concept for designers and cyclists alike.

Learn more about the technology behind Hövding and where to purchase at the Hövding website.

Image source: Hövding

Check out some of our favorite concepts for urban bikers.

May is National Bike To Month and there will be Bike to Work celebrations happening all over the country. Here at Crisp Green we are celebrating this two-wheeled holiday with some of the newest technologies for biking!

1. SoBi

Created and Founded by Ryan Rzepecki, SoBi is a unique bike-sharing system that has eliminated the need for dedicated docking stations or complex infrastructure, making these systems ready to implement in any city or any college campus. Using readily available technologies including on-board computers, GPS and smart phones users can easily locate, reserve and pick-up bikes. Each bike includes an electronic locking and locating system that is pedal-powered and when stationary is powered by solar panels.

Learn more about SoBi and how to bring it to your town here.

2. Magnetic Bike Lights

These handy little LED lights make it easy for riders to grab and go when locking up. Using magnets, the lights attach to any steel frame, and have been designed to accommodate a variety of sizes. Not only do the magnets make it easy to lock and go, but these lights also turn on and off simply by touching to or removing from the bike frame.

Compact and easy to use, these lights come packaged in recycled materials, making them a top choice for eco-conscious riders. Lights can be pre-ordered on Copenhagen Parts (expected to drop Autumn 2012).

3. Glo-Bar

Mitchell Silva has designed a prototype LED handlebar that not only lights the path for riders, but aims to prevent accidents by making it easier for nearby pedestrians and drivers to see oncoming cyclists. The lighted handlebars can also be used as turning signals via buttons attached to the stem. Although still in the prototype stage, Silva's design is part of a growing trend in new LED lighting for bikes, making it safer for urban cyclists to ride at night.

Source: Inhabitat

A Cincinnati-based urban farm program has developed a cart for transporting fresh veggies to market.

In the wake of the urban farm movement, Permaganic Eco Garden is seeking funding to support the development and production of a pedal powered tricycle. In addition to lowering the carbon footprint of transporting their produce, Permaganic is hoping to add new charm to the city with these trikes.

Designed locally, the trike will allow farmers to transport Permaganic produce to the Findlay Market and the Northside Farmers Market in Cincinnati. The trike includes an insulated storage box and the display stand for selling the produce. Everything a farmer needs to transport and sell their goods in one system!

To support the project please visit their Kickstarter Campaign here.

There might not be too much we can do to keep them from out growing their pants and shirts, but Spanish bike manufacturer Orbea may have found an answer to the  outgrown bike problem. Their line of Grow Bikes - as the name suggests - grow along with your child and allowing them to be used for twice as long as regular bikes.

Now almost all bikes come with an adjustable seat and handlebars, but Grow Bikes add another variable into the mix--the frame itself. With a few minutes of adjusting, the Grow Bike frame can be extended, making the bike safer and more comfortable for your growing child, and buying you another year or two before you have to replace it with a larger model.

Prices range from €179 (about $237) to €259 (about $343) depending on which model and features you want. Pricier than a Huffy, but remember you're really paying for multiple bikes. Pedal over to Orbea.com to learn more.

via Gizmag

A growing movement in the US, bike share programs are beginning to pop up across the country. Bike share programs provide self-service stations where members can rent bikes for short-periods of time and return bikes to any station within the system. Not only does biking remove cars from city streets it's also a great way to maintain personal health.

Urban living often means minimal storage space. Bike share programs offer a great way to have transportation when you need it and storage when you don't.

Here's a list of North American cities with bike shares (click on the city to visit website):

Boston

Boulder

Chattanooga

Chicago

Denver

Des Moines

Fort Lauderdale

Hawaii

Madison

Miami

Minneapolis

Montreal

Omaha

San Antonio

Spartanburg

Toronto

Washington, DC

Keep an eye out for a San Francisco bike share coming in spring 2012 and New York City's bike share to be launched in the summer of 2012.

Coolest Thing About Bike Shares: You have a bike when you need it but don't have to worry about storage or maintenance costs.

The Perfect Gift For: Anyone living in an urban area who wants an alternative to walking, public transportation or cars. Great option for a novice rider who only wants to bike occasionally or an experienced rider who doesn't have the space or time for storage and maintenance.

How You Can Get One: Check out our list of bike shares, many of which are offering end-of-the-year sales and reduced rates for gift memberships.

If you know of other bike share programs in North America, please share with the Crisp Green community!

Header Image Credit: Michael Kritzer

Famed industrial designer Ron Arad has re-invented the wheel with his amazing “Two Nuns Bicycle”. His design proves that automobiles aren’t the only modes of transportation capable of futuristic forms.

Each wheel is made out of 18 strips of tempered steel and bolted together in a beautiful radial pattern. The natural “springy” properties of the tempered steel give the wheels a slight cushion and allow for a smooth ride.

Are you skeptical? See the “Two Nuns Bicycle” in action in the video below!

Two Nuns Bike by Ron Arad from Dezeen on Vimeo.

Yes, the bicycle actually works! Arad’s revolutionary wheel design has the power to change the future of bicycles. A traditional bicycle wheel consists of many different parts and materials including a hub, axle, bearings, spokes, tubes, rubber tire, and more. Arad’s wheels are 100% steel; there are no other materials or complicated assembly involved. I imagine if the “Two Nuns Bicycle” was mass manufactured, the cost would be lower than a traditional bicycle.

Who wouldn’t want to ride on an inexpensive, innovative bicycle like this?

Arad’s design pushes cycling into modern times– and makes riding a bike look cool! I hope that Arad plans to launch his bicycle into the marketplace. This design will help people realize that cycling is a styling and sustainable mode of transportation in the 21^st century.

On December 1^st, the bicycle will be available for bidding at the WOW Bikes Charity Auction to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Source: Fast Company & Core77

Wind turbines and sailing ships prove that sometimes clean air is all you need to power a massive vessel. But what about vehicles that don't have sails or wind-catching blades?

Engineers have discovered that when you add a little pressure to the mix, powering things with air becomes an entirely different science.

For years, we've heard whispers about the compressed air car, but nothing has emerged that's practical or appropriate for commercial sale. It may be that trying to design a passenger vehicle that runs on air was putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. That's why we were thrilled to hear of moderate success with a smaller concept: a compressed air motorcycle.

Gizmag has more:

"Benstead's "02 Pursuit" motorcycle is based on the geometry of a current-spec 250 cc motocross bike and uses running gear from a WR250F and Engineair's DiPietro air engine as its power plant. In its current form it can hit speeds in excess of 62 mph (100 km/h) and, given that the first prototype was developed with a focus on design rather than engineering, Benstead believes that performance can be improved with further development."

Although it was designed for use in motocross competition, it's easy to see how success with this air-powered design could lead to its integration into other light-duty vehicles.

Intrigued? We are too. Be sure to follow the 02 Pursuit during its working debut at the Sydney Motorcycle & Scooter Show in Australia on Friday November 25.