Kitout your bike

5:12pm Monday 4th August 2008

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Make cycling fun again with some of these biking gadgets.

NOW the summer is finally here it's time to dust down that mountain bike you last saw in the back of the garage buried beneath a pile of junk sometime in September.

Cyling has enjoyed something of a comeback in this country. Soaring fuel costs and draconian parking fees have combined to drive people back onto two wheels.

If you haven't ridden one for several years the latest mountain bikes will come as a pleasant surprise.

Most have a minimum of 18 gears for tackling the toughest hills. Motorcycle suspension and brakes also handle the going and stopping much more efficiently than gran's old bone shaker ever did.

Of course, the upsurge in cycling has led to a corresponding increase in biking gadgets. Take a look at these:

SIGNAL JACKET

Designed by a student, this trendy jacket has special LEDs embedded in the back. When you press a button they light up in an arrow pattern - indicating your direction at the next junction. A brilliant way to avoid those "Sorry mate, I didn't see you" moments when turning right.

The signal jacket isn't on sale yet but several manufacturers are said to be interested, so watch this space.

BICYGNALS

Sick of taxi drivers and buses cutting you up? Fit a set of these battery powered LEDs and you can instantly get your own back. Why? Because themake your bike light up like a police car. The front and rear signals communicate with each other wirelessly for indicating left and right.

They are powered by a pair of cheap AA batteries so you'll never be stuck for juice. Mind you, they do cost more than £40 so you'll need deep pockets.

CYCLE BAG

How to carry all your gear is a perennial biking problem. The strangelooking Cycle Bag is a saddle that can pull double duty as a back pack.

Removing the saddle also makes your bike less attractive to a thief.

It's a concept design and, to be honest, I can't see it making production, can you?

BETTY BIKE LIGHTS

It may have a daft name but this ultra-bright bike light is eminently sensible.

Using a specially designed lens, the 22-watt Betty can project a beam 1400-lumens bright - the equal of many a decent car. The battery lasts for a month and there's an emergency power mode which can eke out two-weeks worth from dying cells.

Good, but is it really worth almost £600?

GRIP SPARX

One for the kids. These red handlebar grips incorporate ultra-bright flash LEDs on the end helping myoptic car drivers spot you at night.

Choose from red, green or blue.

Price: £11.99 from gadgitz. com

IPOD HOLDER

I love listening to my favourite tunes as I pedal along. This mount grips your iPod (or iPhone/PDA/GPS) in its 360-degree adjustable arms so you can view your device from the handlebars. You can pick one up from USBFever. com and it costs $14.99 (approx £7.50).

PEDALITE 360 DEGREE VISIBILITY PEDAL LIGHTS

What a good idea. The 360s are unique battery-free pedal lights for bicycles that have been designed to make cyclists more visible to motorists day and night from any angle, including the side. Launching this summer, for details see pedalite.

com

UTILI-KEY MINI TOOL

This beauty looks like a key until you fold out the blades. It sports a knife with both a straight and a serrated blade, three screwdrivers and a file.

More details from amazon.com