In August I was looking for a messenger bag that not only carried my 15″ MacBook Pro safely but also was was more on the water proof side. After doing many hours of research I decided on a Knog bag called Franks Dog. Not only did it fit my laptop well, it had a heavy…
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Happy Holidays
To all of the followers, commenters, and friends of commutebybike.com we wish you all Happy Holidays. Take some time to take your bike for a ride and enjoy yourself during the holiday season.
2009 National Bike Summit
As 2008 comes to an end it is very exciting to think of the possibilites for 2009. A new President, a new way of thinking and of course the 2009 National Bike Summit. Put these dates in your iPhone or Blackberry and let us know if you will be attending it would be great to…
New Commute Woes
Recently I moved to a new location outside of Charlotte, NC. My original commute was 25 miles of a bi-modal commute, utilizing the bus for 19 miles and my bike for 6. The commute normally took 45 minutes to an hour and was a wonderful ride on my bike through Davidson, NC. On the weekends…
Winter bike to work in the news
I spotted a couple of “Bike to Work” news items this morning. What’s especially nice is this article in US News and World Report, which doesn’t portray cycling to work during the winter as an activity only for the diehard enthusiasts, but as something anybody can do: On a freezing november morning in Chicago, Megan…
Dailymile goes public beta
As I’ve said before, I’m a numbers freak, and I’m also a bit of a social media hound. I’m still using my spreadsheet to keep track of my miles, but a while back ago, I got an invite to help shake the bugs out of dailymile, a multi-sport portal that bears some resemblance to Brightkite,…
Cycling on ice
It looks like many cyclists have discovered studded bicycle tires this winter. Here’s a very brief post about them. After several years of year round commuting on a skinny tire road bike, I purchased a single studded tire for my mountain bike from Nashbar a few years ago. While it’s very possible to cycle across…
DIY Bicycle Trailer List
Here at the Bike Trailer Shop we have a strong passion for anything pulled behind a bike, and that includes DIY projects. We understand that some people might not have the means to dish out $200 or more for a cargo trailer, or they just want to have a home made trailer to show off….
Cold weather bike storage: Indoor or out?
For those continuing to commute in the cold weather we’re having in the USA right now, do you bring your bike inside or keep it outside? A potential problem with bringing your bike in to warm: The snow and slush thaws, then the following morning the dampness refreezes, rendering your brake and shifter cables potentially…
Bike Tour Preparation:P3 – Pack Up!
The complete blog series on this tour: Bike Tour Preperation: Part 1 Destination, Part 2 Training, Part 3 Pack Up! PCH Tour: There, Biking Back with Burley, The Good, The Bad and The Burley You know where you’re headed, and you’ve been crushin’ it on the bike, on the trainer and in the gym, and…
Clothes Woes: Fabric Blight
There’s really no polite way to put it. When you spend a lot of time on a bicycle saddle pumping your legs up and down, the rear crotch area below your sit bones is usually the first thing to wear thin.
Safe Routes: 70% of students walk and bike year round to Colorado school
As far as I’m aware, schools in Boulder County, Colorado have been the most effective in encouraging children to walk and bike to school through programs funded by State and Federal Safe Routes to School Funding. Some elementary schools in Longmont, Colorado, for example, boast participation rates over 90% on the designated “Walk and Roll”…
2008 Fast Forwarded
So it’s been a long time since I’ve posted to my “business journal” blog. Business at Wandertec has boomed this year not leaving much time to reflect. And much of my blogging energy has gone into the Bike Trailer Blog instead. But, I do like to write and reflect so now that things have slowed…
Bike Tour Preparation: P2 – Training
The complete blog series on this tour: Bike Tour Preperation: Part 1 Destination, Part 2 Training, Part 3 Pack Up! PCH Tour: There, Biking Back with Burley, The Good, The Bad and The Burley So you’ve picked your destination, and are counting down the days until take off. Whether you made last minute plans or…
No Grimy Derailleurs
The same day that Noah wrote about those grimy derailleurs last weekend, I received a shiny new Abio Penza shaft drive folding bike with a 3 speed Shimano Nexus hub. This bike has some interesting features that I’ll write about another time, but this is the first internal hub gearing (IGH) bike in a long…
Christmas Bike Trailer (Custom Bike Trailer)
Once again our friend Ryan Cooper has contacted us about another one of his bike trailer creations. This one is perfect for the Christmas Special Bike Trailer Season. As you may remember Ryan is the mastermind behind the Billy the Boombox box bike trailer that we posted about back in August. This time around Ryan…
Those grimy derailleurs
Winter brings harsh conditions. Road grime, salt, sand, and slush can wreak havoc on your drivetrain. My winter commuter was abused over the summer and fall months. Getting my stubborn, grimy derailleurs to shift smoothly again was a time-consuming adventure. Considering the fact that I was about to buy a new pair of derailleurs, though,…
Grand Opening Sale! www.BikeBagShop.com
The Bike Bag Shop is proud to announce its Grand Opening. To celebrate, get 10% off on all Ortlieb items (+ an additional 10% of with our Bike Gear Combo Discounts) through December 14th. Ortlieb panniers and bags make great bike gifts for bike enthusiasts. The Bike Bag Shop is our partner shop to our…
Cycling gear from the hardware store
“P” at Nippleworks reveals that he uses safety glasses from the hardware store for cyclocross racing. Eye protection is helpful for commuting, too: I know a handful of people who’ve had to recover from a bug flying into their eyes. For riding at dusk or in cloudy conditions, amber lenses improve contrast. Clear glasses are…
Bike to Work Book free chapters
Happy Friday, everybody! Carlton Reid has posted a sampler of free chapters from the Bike To Work Book for your online viewing pleasure. Carlton is doing this in collaboration with Commute By Bike. Let us know what you think of the book.
Bike Tour Preparation: P1 – Destination
The complete blog series on this tour: Bike Tour Preperation: Part 1 Destination, Part 2 Training, Part 3 Pack Up! PCH Tour: There, Biking Back with Burley, The Good, The Bad and The Burley Preparing for a bicycle tour is a lot of work. There are many factors to take into consideration from planning the…
BrightKiters Bike to Work in Denver
Brightkite is a relatively new start-up in the social networking space. They’re tired of social networks that tie you to your cubicle or your desk at home. They wanted something mobile. Something that fostered real-life interaction with people near you. I suppose it’s not surprising that they like their bicycles.
DiNotte lighting recall notice
I know there are a lot of DiNotte fans here so I thought I’d pass along this note that DiNotte is recalling some of their older Li-Ion batteries because they don’t match the quality and safety of their current product line. For more info, see DiNotte’s recall information page. Speaking of lighting up, you might…
DIY bike tire chains
This is cool: Homebrew tire chains for your mountain bike involves less than $20 in chain, cabling, and ferrules, not counting the tools you might need to get if you don’t already own them. Via. That reminds me of this tip in which you can use zip ties to improve traction a little. Both the…