Gotham Bicycle Defense, the makers of the six-gun-looking bike light we featured a while back, are prepping a tail light to go with it.

This time, however, they’re letting you vote on the design. Above is the Defender concept (my favorite) that matches the aesthetic of the front. Two more are posted after the jump. They’re chronicling the process of design, funding and building the new tail light on Good.is, where you can vote for your favorite among the three. The headlight was crowd funded, this one will have a bit of crowd design…

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Xceon’s collection of miniature powered speakers and lights let you see and be heard on your commute.

Front and center is the Acouztic XAC-1000. It’s a combo speaker and headlight that stores your MP3/WMA music files on a 2GB internal memory, so you don’t need to tether it to your phone or MP3 player. Audio controls along the top let you skip through songs and change volume. The speaker end is facing forward here, check the light head after the break. The light has five modes -high, low, two strobes and SOS- and can run for up to 40 hours.

The tube is a vacuum sealed speaker chamber, which they say allows for very loud, clear sound. We turned it up a little bit and it was pretty good considering the size…enough to entertain you and a friend riding along. The light is a 170 lumen LED. Retail is $140 and includes mounting hardware for your bike, charger and more.

On the right is the Xzonic XM-10, a powered speaker that connects to via 3.5mm jack to play music from your iPhone, iPod or any other MP3 player. Set one on either end of your handlebar for surround sound – they connect via built in audio-out jacks. Exterior is CNC alloy and is available in black, blue, red and olive anodized colors. When you’re done riding, bring ‘em inside and use them next to any screen or computer. They’re magnetically shielded to keep your other electronics safe. The built in Lithium Polymer battery is good for up to six hours of playback per charge, and you can charge it while playing music via mini-USB. MSRP is $40.

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When reviewing Lezyne’s Superdrive earlier this year, I mentioned that the coming helmet mount would improve the focused beam’s off-road utility.  Since then, Lezyne’s $20 LED Helmet Mount has become available- and a sample made its way to our door.  Built of Lezyne’s trademark polished aluminum and Composite Matrix (plastic), the Helmet Mount is compatible with all of Lezyne’s rechargeable LED headlights. Click through for more images and and in-use impressions…

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Mission Workshop just dropped a new product, the Arkiv Systems Field Backpack. Accessories sold separately, Arkiv gives the wearer the option to mix and match the following exterior compartments – folio, laptop case, tool pocket, utility cell pocket, vertical rolltop pocket, and a vertical zip pocket.

The bag itself is weatherproof and functions as both a roll-top and flap down pack. It comes in two sizes. The small ($209) holds 16 liters measuring 12” x 18” x 5”  while the large ($229) more than doubles that at 16” x 20” x 8” with a 36 liter capacity. Each weatherproof accessory is priced between $30 and $90. Offered in three colors – Black Cordura (above), Dark Gray Cordura, and Waxed canvas – check it out at the Mission Workshop website.

Click ‘more’ to view a video demonstrating the Arkiv System…

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The past few months, we’ve been tossing this beauty around the office, a Charge Mixer (sized large) weighed with full techs and specs here. Based in the UK, Charge Bikes caters to an audience geared toward functionality and fashion, and twines these attributes into an affordable, durable ride.

Packed in the 2012 Charge Mixer is the Shimano Alfine 11-speed internal hub, the bike’s showstopper. It creates clean lines and a virtually maintenance-free system. It’s built to take the elements with a mechanical hydraulic disc brake and fender combo to handle rainy days. In fair weather, a sparkly black paint job creates a subtly brilliant shimmer.

I don’t use cars, so the Charge received a hearty test. I’ve been riding on expeditions anywhere within the city ranging from massive grocery hauls to miscellaneous errands to picnics to joy rides in the night. On longer journeys of 20 miles or more, the Mixer can hold its own against road bikes with a couple bottle mounts for water haulage.

With aggressive handling and looks, surprising for a commuter, the Tange Prestige steel frame and Alex XD Light double wall rims dampened bumpy roads from point A to point B with some occasional Cs, Ds, and Xs thrown in for good measure. Click ‘more’ to read the full review…

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This fall, Keen is releasing the Harvest III line, a gear series created from upcycled car airbags.

The Harvest III line includes a backpack, a messenger bag, a tote bag and two wallets. A company that strives itself on the idea of hybrid innovation, Keen collected airbags that would go to waste. After undergoing a dying process, the scrap materials are re-purposed into complete and finished made-in-the-USA products.

Each bag is hand numbered and hand signed by the manufacturer. Pictured above is the Harvest III Messenger, priced at $120. Click ‘more’ for the rest of the line…

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Alongside a bunch more new items in Paul Components NAHBS booth were these Minimoto linear pull brakes, and they’re now shipping.

The Minimoto is a compact V-brake designed to work with short pull levers, which includes standard drop bar road bike levers. This lets you run your standard brake/shift lever road group and get the right amount of leverage at the brakes without any force amplifying gizmos in between. It’s also way easier to install and set up than traditional ‘cross cantilevers.

Claimed weight is 108g per wheel and retail is $129 (update: per wheel). They’re available in silver or black ano, come with Kool Stop pads and use Paul’s easy quick release design and sealed stainless steel pivot bushings.

Sure, Specialized may have turned a few heads with their overpowered-for-the-US e-bike a couple months ago, but this prototype by Audi puts it to shame.

Following the car manufacturer’s purchase of Ducati, they’ve released this carbon fiber monster built with carbon-thermoplastic wheels that weigh in at a claimed 600g each. The effect of the lightweight wheels is enhanced with an inverted single crown fork (less unsprung mass), and the whole thing is driven by 2.3 kilowatt-max (3.1hp) motor with 250Nm (184 ft-lbs)of torque. As Stuff points out, that’s more torque than a Mazda 6 or VW Jetta.

Max speed is claimed at 80km/h (~50mph), but delivery is metered out only up to 50km/h in full electric, the rest of that speed needs to come from you. Consider this the human-assist electric bike if you wanna go really fast. Otherwise, there’s a pedelec (pedal electric assist) mode that simply bolsters your efforts, a pedal only mode with no assist and -wait for it- a Wheelie Mode that balances power while the front wheel is airborne.

From the gee-whiz features list, this bike appears to be more about tricks and street performance than commuting. There’s integration with your smart phone, a remote immobilizer and the ability to track the number of successful tricks you pull off and rank them with your Facebook friends. Video above is motorcycle trials pro Julien Dupont putting it through its paces.

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Now distributed in America is the Easy Motion Neo lineup by BH Bikes, based in Spain. Neo encompasses three pedal assist alu-frame bicycles – the Cross (pictured above), the City, and the Xtrem (both pictured after the break). Each bike promises a battery life of 90km. The Cross is built for trekking, with 24 gears to handle the climbs. Check out the full specs on the Cross at BH’s website.

From the Press Release: The technological systems BH designed for the E-Motion electric bikes are much more than a standard hybrid bike.  Our pedal assist bikes feature IBS systems that were created with Panasonic, and SDS to help you discover the thrust of your eBike with each pedal stroke. The maintenance free NEO bikes motor is undetectable and resides within the frame of the bike, for a cleaner and sporty appeal. Thanks to brushless technology, you can also use your Easy Motion bicycle like a regular bike without any additional resistance.

Click ‘more’ to view the City and Xtrem models…

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The Hornster is loud, really loud, its horn maxing out at 178 decibels. That’s roughly equivalent to a transport truck horn. Lodged between the rider’s knees on this custom frame is a scuba tank rigged to a Locomotive Airchime KH3A triple air horn. Designed by Yannick Read of the UK’s Environmental Transport Association, this bike promises to give volume to the dangers that cyclists face while riding. The Hornster is for sale now for £4,995 (roughly $8000) if it’s got your wallet screaming. Check it out at ETA’s website.

Click ‘more’ for images of the Hornster…

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Wheels have always been my favorite part of a bike.  No other single part (do wheels count as a single part?) can effect how a bicycle performs as much as a set of wheels.  My personal preference isn’t always to go lighter however.  As I am a larger guy, and the majority of my riding is spent commuting, reliability is most important.  That’s why my personal wheels are usually a traditionally built 32 whole, 3 cross build.  That said, lightweight and low spoke count doesn’t have to equal a finicky or fragile wheel.

In searching for a reliable, do-it-all wheelset that would shave weight and add performance to the bike, I came across the A23 complete build from Velocity.  The low weight, wider 23mm rim, and great price point had me wanting a set.  That want turned into possession, and with close to 1000 miles on them now it’s time to share my experiences.  Click through for the full review.

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