Registering bicycles to make them easier to track down if lost or stolen isn't new. Many bike retailers put identification numbers on bike frames, and in some cities you can register bicycles with the police. The problem is that these methods are generally only effective at the local level. Enter German startup MyBikeNumber. Launched in December 2009, MyBikeNumber is a free online service that lets consumers register their bicycle and components, or search for them worldwide.

Users register their bike on the MyBikeNumber site using the frame number, and add photos to the profile page to help visually identify their bike. Registered bikes are allocated a unique QR code, which can be printed as a sticker and affixed to the frame. The code can be read by many mobile devices. MyBikeNumber also allows bike retailers to register their entire inventory under a single "dealer code". Registered cycles can be reported as stolen or lost, or recorded as sold to a new owner, through the site.

Consumers can visit the site and check the unique identifiers to ensure that the bicycle they are looking to purchase is not stolen. In the event that a bike is found to be stolen, a message can be sent securely through the site to inform the rightful owner.

According to the FBI, there were 221,936 bicycle thefts in the United States in 2008. Globally, the number of bikes reported stolen annually is estimated at 1.5 million. MyBikeNumber aims to help bike owners worldwide avoid becoming a statistic. Could this be a model worth emulating to trace other possessions vulnerable to theft? (Related: Lost & found in the 21st century.)

Website: www.mybikenumber.com
Contact: press@mybikenumber.com

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

When we wrote about Bamboo Bike Studio late last year, we noted the company's involvement in the Bamboo Bike Project, which seeds bamboo bike factories in developing countries. Working towards a similar goal is Calfee Design, which is helping entrepreneurs in the developing world make locally sourced bamboo bicycles for domestic and international sale.

Calfee Design has been manufacturing and selling its own bamboo bikes from its California studios since 2005, but a trip to Africa inspired founder Craig Calfee to promote the concept in Africa. In 2008, through an initiative called Bamboosero, Calfee set up two bike-building groups in Ghana—one in the capital, Accra, and one in Abompe. Both groups now build frames for several bike designs using locally sourced bamboo; they then ship those frames back to Calfee's shop, where the US team adds wheels and hardware before sending them on to distributors.

The Ghanaian entrepreneurs earn about USD 150 for every frame they build, while the finished bikes are sold for about USD 950 each, according to a report on SantaCruz.com. By December 2009, Calfee had sold 28 Bamboosero bikes and sent six back to Ghana for use by tourists and locals, the site reported.

Calfee hopes to expand the ranks of its bicycle entrepreneurs both in Ghana and in other developing countries, as well as to bolster the supply chain of bicycle parts for those local teams. One to sponsor, partner with or otherwise get involved in? (Related: Low-cost bicycles for (not only) the rural poor — Used Danish bikes help African poor.)

Websites: www.bamboosero.com and www.calfeedesign.com
Contact: craig@calfeedesign.com

Spotted by: Brian Yang

We've seen a few different efforts to help travellers share rides to and from airports, most recently Virgin Atlantic's Taxi2. Now one of our spotters has alerted us to another, Ridepenguin, which is currently in beta at Seattle's Sea-Tac and Las Vegas's McCarran airports.

Ridepenguin helps travellers reduce costs and emissions by sharing taxi rides to or from the airport. Users start off on the free service by indicating which airport they're going to, when, and from what part of town. Ridepenguin then estimates how much money and emissions would be saved if the traveller shared a ride, and invites them to broadcast their journey share request. If Ridepenguin finds a match, it informs users by SMS. From there, the individuals concerned can exchange messages or phone numbers to coordinate the pickup. The service is available both for desktop computers and for smartphones running a mobile browser.

Ridepenguin is the brainchild of Seattle software company EverythingIsTheBest, which hopes to expand coverage to other airports in the future. One to partner with to help make that happen? (Related: Londoners share lifts to Luton airport — Facilitating cab shares to the airport.)

Website: www.ridepenguin.com
Contact: team@everythingisthebest.com

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

As the popularity of bikes for transporting people and products grows, innovative pedal-powered designs continue to pop up. Our latest spotting? Vrachtfiets, a new concept by two students at the Delft University of Technology. Primarily created to help people move house without renting a van, the Vrachtfiets is a two-person vehicle. As explained by the bike's designers, moving furniture usually isn't a solo effort, so why not have two people work the pedals, too? The bike also includes an electrical assist, which will be solar-powered in upcoming versions.

Having worked on Vrachtfiets for two years, Onno Sminia and Louis Pierre Geerinckx recently presented their final design to their first customer, the city of Delft. Quiet, emission-free and capable of hauling substantial loads, cargo bikes like Vrachtfiets will no doubt become increasingly popular for short-haul urban transport. One to get in on now? (Related: Waitrose using bicycles & carts for greener grocery deliveries — French cargo bikes embark on international expansion.)

Website: www.vrachtfiets.nl
Contact: info@vrachtfiets.nl

Spotted by: Martijn Turkenburg

First came stylish helmets for urban cyclists, then customised couture helmets for the scooter set, now Los Angeles-based apparel company, ScooterGirls, Inc. is adding some panache to protective scooter and motorcycle riding gear for women so that female riders no longer have to choose between safety and fashion.

ScooterGirls founder and CEO Arlene Battishill explains: "The main reason women do not wear protective clothing when riding is they don't like the way traditional gear looks or fits"—which isn’t surprising considering that women’s choices were previously limited to smaller versions of clothing designed for men. Launched at LA Fashion Week in October, ScooterGirls' GoGo Gear was created to appeal to image-conscious female scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts who want to go from their bike to a business meeting or social event without having to change clothing.

Priced between USD 239 to USD 389, the range of fully-armored, abrasion-resistant coats combine cutting-edge, feminine outerwear with robust interior engineering. The coats also feature integrated reflective details for night-time visibility that can be concealed during the day. Outwardly nobody would suspect GoGo Gear jackets were anything but a stylish dress coat, yet they are comparable to any other armored riding gear on the market.

As more consumers across the world opt for scooters and motorcycles to reduce their fuel bills and carbon footprints, the market for innovative products and services for riders is likely to grow. One to tap into! Or perhaps there are niches to be carved out by stylizing other non-aesthetically pleasing protective products? (Related: Stylish fire protection kits.)

Website: www.scooter-girls.com
Contact: info@scooter-girls.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann