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2011 Utility Cycling Year in Review

Another year has come and gone here at Utility Cycling. It’s been a year of ups and downs. The year started out strong with lots of great posts from myself, Josh Lipton, and Stacey Moses. We made some good progress in the summer towards the Utility Cycling book we’ve been dreaming up for a while….

Chrome Bags and Striped Socks

We’ve been selling Chrome Bags for about a year now. I’m not sure if its made us any more stylish than we were before, but as I’m noticing who is carrying them around Flagstaff, I’m a little bit more aware of the current fashion trends, as I was here spotting this Chrome Citizen Messenger Bags…

Top 10 Posts of 2011

Commute by Bike's Top 10 Posts of 2011

So, 2011 is almost over. It’s time to coast across the finish line with a look back at those times when I wasn’t feeling quite as lazy as I am today, after three days off. To determine the top ten posts of 2011, I took a look at how many times each post was viewed…

Cycling Holiday Lights

Happy Christmas, Bike Commuters

If you celebrate Christmas, here’s wishing you a happy one. I hope you got those cycling accessories you were wishing for. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, get on your bike! It’s Sunday! Go on a ride and enjoy the light traffic — courtesy of the lousy economy and those of us who are at home…

Brian's Nashbar/BOB Love Child

As a purveyor of BOB Trailers, we’ve often looked in disdain at Nashbar’s knockoff single-wheel trailer offering at about half the price.   We’ve also spoken and heard about quite a few Nashbar trailer customers that have not been happy with the performance.   There must be a few happy customers our there, but we’ve never heard…

A2B Metro Goes South for the Winter

A2B Metro Goes South for the Winter

BluesCat is a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, who originally returned to bicycling in 2002 in order to help his son get the Boy Scout Cycling merit badge. His bikes sat idle until the summer of 2008 when gas prices spiked at over $4.00 per gallon. Since then, he has become active cycling, day-touring, commuting by…

Seeing Dog / Seeing the Light

Seeing Dog / Seeing the Light

“Apophenia is the experience of seeing meaningful patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.” It is the very human tendency to put meaning into random and unrelated information. For example, I recently saw Dog in the wood grain of a baseboard at a local restaurant. Some would call it pareidolia (a vague and random…

The Ortlieb MudRacer Saddle Bag: Built to suit or not?

The Ortlieb MudRacer Saddle Bag: Built to suit or not?

Karen Voyer-Caravona is an admitted bicycle dilettante in Flagstaff, Arizona, who blogs about her adventures on two wheels, vélo envy, her husband’s cooking, and cross country skiing at www.sheridesabike.com. Visit her Website for her endless opinions on the most stylish shoes for pedaling, critiques of bike parking, and the best bike date dining destinations. I…

Gnar Lube Review

Gnar Lube / Gnar Swag

Nathan Friedman specializes in living the good life and making it look easy. Mountain biking all summer and skiing all winter, Nate is a rock star of the outdoor opportunities in the Southwest. To get some inspiration on living life to the fullest, check out his blog, Handlebar Sandwich. Commute by Bike‘s editor gave me…

Stu's BONGO Arch

In developing the Big and the Really Big Wandertec BONGOs, we decided to incorporate the rail system, a liner and a waterproof cover. The challenge for the cover was to come up with a simple, sturdy design that was easy to install and remove. One key element we were thinking through was how to keep…

Bike Parking: Salsa Fargo

Hey look! Someone is using our bike rack! Since Stu built this incredible bike rack, I think that I’ve only seen people lock up their bike to it 5 or 6 times. Perhaps its just so amazing that people are scared to scratch it. I think it just needs to get a little weather worn…

Dear Employees: PleaseCycle. Thank You.

Dear Employees: PleaseCycle. Thank You.

For veteran cyclists looking for additional motivation to ride to work or for new commuters seeking assistance to get started, PleaseCycle offers solutions to these issues and beyond for London-based employers. The company, which launched its program this quarter, features an comprehensive online portal that allows employees to log miles, plan routes, and track both…