Did I really use the word “nifty”? Yeah, I guess I did. But lacking a thesaurus, that was the best word I could come up with to describe the Cage Rocket.

I ran into Will Stiles at the Cage Rocket booth at this year’s Interbike. I’d seen his product online, and was curious to check them out in person. As a tandem owner, we’re always packing more goodies than we need, because we can. But a trunk bag isn’t always convenient, and neither is a little bag under the seat. So I thought I’d give it a look. Here’s the actual product photo:

It’s a simple design that does its job very well. No straps, no velcro, no reaching under your seat. Storage as close as your water bottle cage. The lid latches firmly, and there’s a thin layer of foam inside to keep it relatively rattle-free. It’s roomy and stays put in a standard wire cage. You can fit a phone, MP3 player, small camera, sunscreen, money, or some nutrition bars (jelly snakes for you Australians) in it with ease. If you’ve got the cage to spare, it’s a great idea. To top it off, it gets the double seal of approval for not only being made in the US, but it’s made by Goodwill Industries. “The Goodwill mission is to change lives by helping people with disabilities or disadvantages go to work.” How can you not get behind that?

If you’re a recreational cyclist, commuter, or just looking for handy on-bike storage, you owe it to yourself to check it out. I’m sure I’ll have to get another for our tandem when my wife steals mine.

If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, you can read her blog on myspace to find out how she’s doing. She’s one tough little scrapper, with a very positive attitude. I’m sure she has some dark moments, but from the tone of her writing, she’s kept her sense of humor and has her friends and family to help her through her recovery. That and sheer will seems to be all she needs.

So go check it out. You can leave some encouraging words for her, and also get updated on all the different opportunities out there to help defer the cost of her medical treatment.

Rock on Tara!

I get all sorts of updates on Identiti Bikes through their myspace page. That’s fitting, since it suits their demographic, and it’s a relatively inexpensive (uh, free) way to get exposure and generate interest in their products.

So every once in a while, I wander over and have a peek at what’s new. Today, I saw this:

And in the words of drunken Homer Simpson, “Me want”. I’m slowly getting convinced that all anyone my age really needs is one gear and a sturdy fork offering a few inches of travel to take them back to the simpler days of their youth. Up until recently, I had a 20″ and 24″ BMX, (I still have the cruiser) but they lack front suspension. That’s fine for racing, but not so much for everyday bashing around.

This prototype P60 looks like just the ticket to replace half the bikes I own. I’ve got some friends that are into single speed MTBs, but the P60 looks like it would be more at home thrashing everything in sight from one end of town to the other. Which would suit me perfect, as winter is fast approaching where I live, and the trails will all be snow and mud soon.

Yeah, I want one now.

There’s really nothing funny about this story. I’m just a bit swamped with work, and had nothing to write about that I could put together quickly.

You either get it, or you don’t.

I’ve definitely got at thing for HPVs, (human powered vehicles) so when I read this article about the HPV team at Missouri’s Rolla university, I had to have a peek at their site, and see what they’re up to.

That’s their little land rocket, clocked at a hair over 59 MPH. Their goal is to break the standing collegiate record of 61.5 MPH, and it looks like their fearless pilot, Jerrod Bouchard, should be able to achieve that.

Granted, he’s got a team of very bright university students on his side, along with the kind of aerodynamic advantages that a 16″ wide, fully enclosed, Rohloff-equipped recumbent can provide.

Let’s wish him luck in breaking that record.