Continued from “Learning to Ride In the Wind "” Real Wind“ Since this is the first year that we don’t have a car, we have had to learn how to pack things home, and have had quite a few mishaps along the way. I knew that without studded tires, I had to walk over the…
Says Eric of his grocery and gear-hauling trailer: I modified a Frugah trailer by adding supports to either side of the fork at the front of the trailer to stop the twisting that caused the hinged side braces to snap off of the top frame. I chopped off the suspension at the rear wheel and…
My Recycler
Writing this review has been very difficult for me. Ordinarily, I like to inject a bit of levity into my contributions to Commute by Bike, but this product from Two Wheel Gear has frustrated me at every turn. There’s really just not much funny about panniers in general, let alone panniers designed to carry work…
It snowed all night last night in Flagstaff. It’s supposed to snow all day today, and tomorrow. And it got me thinking about some of the reactions to Shanna Ladd, our guest blogger who is learning to bike commute in Alaska — 10 miles from her cabin in the boondocks into Wasilla. Some readers have…
Says Doug of his recent trailer purchase: I love the Burley Travoy. I wish it had a little heavier weight capacity although I realize there was an aim at keeping it light. I chose it over other models and styles primarily because it hitches to the bike directly behind rather than off the axle, since…
Commuting by bike through the winter has presented several challenges. One of the challenges has been adequate lighting. Without good lighting, I have lost the trail and ended up off my bike. I have had to stop many times by the highway until the bright lights of the oncoming cars passed, because the headlights completely…
Local Spokes
Says Gus of his winter rig: I don’t have a car and use a trike for my shopping trips in the winter (about 10-15 miles round trip). This is my newest creation using 20″ Wandertec Bongo wheels. The BionX I had from my previous trike. In the warmer months I use a conventional touring type…
Women & Bicycles In 2013
Cuff straps and cuff clips are designed to do one thing, which is to keep your pants cuff away from your chainring where it can be exposed to sharp, gnawing, nasty, greasy teeth. They don’t always do a good job. Like many — perhaps most — American bike commuters, I use a repurposed bike that…
Matthew González is a pedestrian, cyclist, and in-denial vegetarian who blogs his adventures at www.mgregueiro.com. He formerly worked in Miami with Teach For America and now travels Europe doing research as a Fulbright Fellow. He launched www.mgregueiro.com as a place to discuss great ideas with the many great minds hiding throughout the wrinkles and corners…
So that Lance guy has fessed up to cheating. I got wind of it yesterday on Facebook. My first reaction was a giant yawn — which perhaps could have been bigger and louder with steroids. It didn’t even occur to me that Lance Armstrong’s confession to Oprah had anything to do with the work that…
According to Charley: This was an unfinished project using a Giant cruiser frame and Xtracycle. A little challenging to mount a stop and cable slot under the crank for front derailer, but otherwise routine. This bike is really Giant! Charley also added Xtracycle Freeloader Saddlebags and SnapDeck for extra cargo carrying capabilities.
This is a review of speakers, but I feel like a Sex Ed teacher getting ready to talk to high school students about condoms. Here's the deal: Maybe we shouldn't cycle while listening to music. Maybe we would all be better citizens of the world if we could center ourselves in our zen place, clear…
Editor’s Note: Ever since her first contribution, “Blizzards and Meth Labs and Bears. Oh my!,” Shanna Ladd has sent me a wealth of information on her experiences winter bike commuting 10 miles into Wasilla, Alaska. It’s way too good to publish in one long post, but I will give away the ending: To us wussies…
Unlike some of the smug writers around here (you know who you are), I’m a TV addict. Especially of old, black-and-white science fiction shows or spy shows. I am so addicted that whenever I look into my helmet mounted rear-view mirror, I immediately hear the creepy, double guitars of Etrange No. 3 and … (He,…
If the price were right, and installation was easy and unobtrusive, I’m still not sure I’d want a horn on my bike (or anyody’s bike) that sounds like a car horn. I’m wrestling with the idea (perhaps the same way I wrestled with e-bikes just a few years ago, and came out okay with them,…
Happy New Year! Wow, I must admit, I am somewhat stunned that we are already one week into 2013. I wasn’t quite prepared for 2012 to be over yet. Anyhow, as has been the tradition here at Utility Cycling, I’m doing a “year in review” post, albeit a few days late. But as I looked…
Is one of your New Years resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle, bike more, be more “green” or even spend more time tinkering around with your new tools in the garage? …or old tools that look new because you never use them…Bill accomplished all these in 2012: I built up a semi-custom trailer off of…
Confession: I used to carry grocery bags on my handlebars. Now when I see anyone doing this practice, I regard it with the same disdain as other reproachable behaviors such as public nose picking, talking in theaters, or having the same ringtone as I do. But for every unsanctioned behavior, there is a right and…
There are basically two kinds of people who would use the Upstand : Weight weenie roadies who miss the usefulness of having a kickstand, but wouldn’t want to be seen with one mounted to their carbon-fiber status symbol. Mountain bike warriors who don’t want a kickstand that might deploy unexpectedly, or catch on a rock…
My teenage son has his first job. He is working at the ski resort on the West side of that there mountain. His commute is about 14 miles, one way. I’d love to say that he is commuting by bike, but I don’t think the thought has even crossed his mind. He does not have…
I get bike-themed stuff for Christmas. No surprise. I bet you do too. This year, I opened a gift from my wife, which she thought was a small metal sculpture — a wall hanging. I noticed that there is no loop on the back to receive a hanging hook. And I also noticed something strange…
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