BICYCLES
Compact patchnride tool gets flat tires up and running in 60 seconds
By Nick Lavars June 19, 2014
The patchnride tool repairs punctures by injecting a patch between the tire and the tube
For something that can happen so easily, a flat tire is responsible for a disproportionate amount of angst. Even if your wheels spin on the quickest of quick-release axles, patching up a tube or replacing it all together can be as frustrating as it is time consuming. The team behind patchnride has developed a device claimed to quickly repair a punctured inner tube, no greased-covered hands or fidgety levers required.
Using a thumb slider, patchnride injects a patch into the space under the tire and over th...After pinching the tube to create a gap between the tire and inner tube, the tool's pointe...As the name suggests, patchnride is designed to provide a quick-fix for a punctured tire.
As the name suggests, patchnride is designed to provide a quick-fix for a punctured tire, without having to remove the wheel. Unlike the SLiME Smart Tubes and Michelin Protek Max inner tube, which offer a self-contained solution, the patchnride is a separate tool that is small enough to keep in your pocket.
As with conventional patching jobs, the first step is to locate the leak. The patchnride kits includes a leak detector, which is essentially a liquid solution and a cloth. Rubbing the solution over the tire reacts with the air that is being released and causes bubbles to form at the site of the leak.
After pinching the tube, the tool's pointed tip is inserted into the puncture with a twisting motion. Using a thumb slider, patchnride injects a patch and adhesive from a single use cartridge (called a "patch pod") into the puncture. Pumping the tube full of air then causes it to press the patch against the underside of the tire and lock it in place, leaving the hole sealed tight and you with enough pressure to continue the ride. According to the developers, the process takes less than 60 seconds and requires little technical know how.
The company says the tool will fix punctures up to 3 mm (0.12 in) in size and work with just about any bicycle, be it cruisers, mountain or road bikes, as long as its wheels run on inner tubes. The kits that include the patchnride tool, two patch pods and two leak detectors can be pre-ordered through the company's website and are priced at US$30, with shipping planned for September 2014. Additional patch pods will be priced at $12.
https://patchnride.com/
http://www.gizmag.com/patchnride-bicycle-flat-tire-repair-tool/32605/
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MARINE
Solo Shuttle Trailer lets you kayak with your bike ... and bike with your kayak
By Ben Coxworth June 19, 2014
The Solo Shuttle Trailer lets you tow your kayak behind your bike, then mount your bike on your kayak
Kayaking down rivers is definitely a fun experience, with new scenery constantly presenting itself at every turn. It does offer one logistical challenge, though – you have to leave one vehicle at your take-out point before you start, then take another vehicle (with your kayak on it) upriver to the put-in. That, or you have to arrange for someone to pick you up. Either way, it's not a one-person activity. Ohio-based inventor Jerry Allen, however, has created a possible solution. His Solo Shuttle Trailer lets you tow your kayak behind your bicycle to get to the put-in, then bring your bike along for the trip to the take-out.
Allen first came up with the idea when his schedule only allowed for him to paddle at a time of day when most of his friends and family were at work. With no one to help with the shuttling, he ended up simply not kayaking very often.
The trailer frame is constructed of 6061 aluminum and stainless steel, and is equipped with a couple of foam flotation blocks ... just in case. For getting the boat to the put-in, it's towed behind the user's bike just like other bicycle kayak trailers (yes, there are others).
Once it's time to launch, the trailer is reconfigured so that it can be mounted on the rear deck of the kayak. Built-in mounting points allow the bike to then be attached to the trailer, in much the same way that it would sit on a car's rooftop carrier. Upon reaching the take-out, the bike is taken off, the trailer is put back together in "towing" mode, and the user then pedals home with the kayak once again behind them.
Inventor Jerry Allen with his creation
The Solo Shuttle Trailer is designed to grab onto the the cockpit combing of wide-beamed recreational kayaks, so sea kayakers and paddlers of sit-on-tops won't be able to use it. Looking at it, one also has to wonder how that added weight on the back of the boat will affect its stability and handling.
"My bike and trailer's combined weigh is about 40 lb [18 kg]," Allen told us. "I would like to ask people that routinely load extra gear on their kayaks for extended trips how they might handle the added weight. I can say for myself the handling has not changed. I can still track a straight line and even stand in my kayak if I want."
He is currently raising production funds for his trailer, on Kickstarter. A pledge of US$600 will get you one, when and if they're ready to roll.
... and if this project "floats your boat," you might also want to check out the Shuttle-Bike. It's a kit that's carried in a backpack while cycling, that lets users mount their bike on pontoons when they reach the water.
http://soloshuttletrailer.com/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/267589546/solo-shuttle-trailer
http://www.gizmag.com/solo-shuttle-trailer-kayak-bicycle/32617/
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