New build-a-drone kits combine LEGO bricks and off-the-shelf parts designed by Flybrix to create kid-friendly, wirelessly-controlled drones made to be easily reassembled if they run into something and crash. In the words of another famous kid-friendly robot: disassemble, reassemble!

Flybrix is a San Francisco startup aiming to make drone-building easier and more accessible. Their kit-based flyers can be controlled via Bluetooth by an iOS or Android smartphone (or custom controller).

Children learning to fly need not worry about running these indoor-friendly bots into walls – they can be involved in collisions then put back together. The basic kit contains a few dozen pieces and instructions to build a small quadcopter in just 15 minutes – other advanced kits let kids expand and modify the basic drone (or build their own).

“Co-founders of the startup, Amir Hirsch, Robb Walters and Holly Kasun, want to get teens, or younger kids with adult supervision, interested in things like geometry, aerodynamics and electrical engineering.” While the company isn’t an official LEGO partner, their gadgets are all LEGO-compatible add-ons. One the cofounders has three degrees in math and electrical engineering from MIT, where he first got the inspiration to create Flybrix.

The post DIY Kit for Kids: LEGO Flybrix Drones Are “Crash Friendly” first appeared on Gajitz.

Some cyclists seem obsessed with riding higher and higher, and for those who enjoy the creative genius behind those bigger bikes, this film gives viewers a window into the world of their creation and use.

This extended teaser enters the world of the Zenga Bros of Vancouver who were taught to be creative at a young age and follow a lifestyle with three intersecting tenets called the “Three Beans: Create Everywhere, Redeem Everything, and Be a Fool.”

Discovering super-tall bikes back in the early 1990s, they became obsessed and started making their own wild versions, then documenting the works of others through photography and film.

As the video and images illustrate, it is not just about getting up above the fray, but in some cases can be a way to pack two people onto an odd-shaped cycle, or stack multiple bikes to create some kind of monstrous hybrid.

The film’s trailer premiered as part of the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

The post Tall Bicycle Tour: Film for Fans of Super-High Bike Rides first appeared on Gajitz.

Professional bicycle racer Johan Le Bon has been co-developed a strange single-speed city street cycle that pivots in the middle of the frame, allowing the back wheel to twist and swerve in ways that, at a glance, make it look like it is about to fall apart.

Created with two his friends in Brittany, France (Alban Haloche and Alexis Honoré), the project has been nicknamed the “Trocadero” and lets riders steer with their hips. The result: users can turn in ultra-tight circles and slalom urban street obstacles with ease.

Its makers claim it only takes a few minutes to get used to and a few more to master its use. For riders wanting to switch back to ‘regular’ mode, a simple pin inserts to turn it back into a normal fixed-gear affair.

Thanks to the bicycle’s viral popularity, the creators are making a limited run of 30 vehicles for now to see how serious outside interest really is. It remains to be seen if this is a one-off quirky invention or a serious next step in the future of cycling.

The post Trocadero Fixie: Watch this Bendy Bike’s Back Wheel Pivot first appeared on Gajitz.

Treating a bicycle like a work of composite hardware (rather than a fixed object, this modular approach allows users to replace pieces and parts more easily as well as allowing incremental upgrades over time.

Developed by product design graduate student Kasper Schwartz as a thesis project, the RubyBike is (optionally) an ebike designed to address changing transportation needs and general individualization desires.

The bicycle includes a compact and lightweight frame, smaller wheels (as well as collapsible handlebars and pedals) for a slimmer total package, and reactive steering for urban environments.

The motorization is optional, and can be achieved without changing the appearance of the bike by placing the battery in the middle of the frame and swapping out the front wheel. A smartphone holder allows for easier GPS navigation, speed measurements and other tracking integrations.

The appearance and functionality are “targeted at people looking for a city-friendly everyday bicycle that is stylish, refined and characterful, but which is also practical, useful and durable, and can be easily adapted to suit their needs – even if they would eventually change.”

The post Life Cycle: Customizable Modular Bike with Swappable Parts first appeared on Gajitz.

Using the rhythmic compression of a tire rolling over the ground, this new product from PumpTire provides a tube that can be swapped into any tire and keep itself inflated, providing efficiency, flexibility and reliability (since pressure can be a factor in busting tubes).

A mechanism regulating tube pressure sense the need and turns on or off as required, keeping your tube at optimal levels while you ride, which means: nothing for you to worry about before or getting onto the road. Expert users can even set their own custom target pressures as desired.

The original version of the PumpTire was an integrated system, meaning: you had to use their entire tires to make it work, and when they wore down, the whole combination had to be replaced. This new version will work with different types of tires, meaning you only have to replace the tube. And, of course, it means you don’t have to buy a separate pump to inflate your tires.

From the makers: “What could be better than maintenance free bicycle tires? PumpTire inner tubes and tires do the pumping so you don’t have to. No dirty hands, no looking for a bicycle pump. PumpTire inner tubes and tires are compatible with existing tires and rims. No modifcations are necessary to add PumpTire inner tubes and tires to your current bike. PumpTire inner tubes are designed to exceed the puncture resistance of standard inner tubes and tires. Our design includes a proprietary design which resists puncture and wear more than standard inner tubes and tires.”

The post Self-Inflating Bike Tire Tube Pumps Itself Up as You Ride first appeared on Gajitz.