Rans is known for their recumbents and low seat upright bikes. Rans designer Randy Schlitter schleps around Hays, KS but he didn’t the cargo capacity he needed, so designed the Rans Hammer Truck. The Rans Hammer Truck is the Rans unique take on longtail cargo bike. The 35 lb bike can carry up to 500…
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Interbike: Keen Shoes and Bags
Keen is a ver. environmentally conscience company that started out making a closed toe sandal that was safer for cyclists to wear.. They’ve since expanded into bags and other forms of cycling-safe sandals.. Their newest model is the Commuter.
Interbike: Moots Comooter – $8750
If you’re talking high end commuter bike, you’re not going to beat the new Moots Comooter. Originally built for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, the Comooter got so much attention and feedback that they decided to add it to their production line. This bikes spec list tops any others, as well as it’s MSRP…
Interbike 2008: Trends
I’m at the first day of Interbike 2008 in Las Vegas with others in the Crooked Cog crew. Here are a few things I’ve seen: Attendance is incredible — the show floor is absolutely packed with a record number of booths and attendees. Everybody is offering single speed and fixed gear bikes. The companies that…
Interbike: New Knog Products
Knog is back and better than ever. Their focus on design and eas of use makes them a great company to look to for commuter products. Their new stuff includes a cycling computer, new LED designs and some hip looking tools.
Interbike: Crumpler Hydration, Luggage and Masks
Crumpler is the rad bag company out of Australia. Last year I reviewed their Part and Parcel bag (which I’m carrying here at the show) and this year they’ve expanded into other areas of carrying your stuff around. Hydration packs, luggage and even bags that can double as masks are all now in the Crumpler…
Interbike: Salsa Fargo, adventure touring (and commuting?)
A lot of people are having trouble categorizing the new Salsa Cycles Fargo. They’re labeling it an “adventure touring” bike. It has all the comfort for long distances of a touring bike while built as a mountain bike. It looks to be the perfect bike for long gravel roads and perhaps some adventure commuting.
Interbike: The Loring – an affordable, practical side of Civia
Last year Civia caused quite the stir when they launched their brand with the Hyland line that started at $2500 and quickly went up. After giving the Hyland a ride I was less than impressed with the comfort and versatility of the bike. However this year Civia is releasing their new line, the Loring. A…
What is this? (plus, win a free prize!)
What is this a graphic of? First person to figure it out AND put a link to where they found it gets a free one… (make sure you leave your real email address with the comment)
Bikes belong
In response to a letter to the editor claiming cyclists don’t belong on the road, Andrew Posner writes a rebuttal at Treehugger.com, specifically addressing these main points: Bicycles are slow, hard to see and vulnerable. Too many cyclists don’t know the rules of the road. Unlike drivers, cyclists are not required to have insurance, and…
Pictures of me riding…
All the pictures I ever post here at commutebybike.com are of the bikes while I’m behind the camera. Well during some test riding over the past couple days a few people actually snapped some photos of me in the wild. So here they are…
Interbike 2008: Pashley Guv'nor
This beautiful bike is a throw back to an early 1930’s model that Pashley built and carried. This new version was built early last year for one of the owners as a personal bike. It was never intended to get moved into their product line. However, a last minute decision put it in the shipping…
10 Tips For Staying Motivated
If you have some other method of transportation, the occasional temptation is there to eschew the bike for a day, a week, or even for the entire winter. Bike commuting can seem old or boring if you’ve been doing it a while. Here are some tips for staying motivated.
Interbike Outdoor Demo Day 1
The Interbike Outdoor Demo is a couple days out in Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City Nevada suffering through riding as many new bikes as possible. The first bike that caught my eye was the Pashley Guvnor.. The original one was built up for the owner as a fun bike for him.. Last year they showed it at…
Bike share… in China
China was once known as the Bicycle Kingdom, but with increased affluence has come increased motorized traffic and government restrictions against bikes as China is now the second largest car market in the world behind the United States. China is on track to overtake the United States in the length of its long distance highways…
Commuting 101: Avoid Target Fixation
Man, I hope I don’t run into that… Recently, I’ve had a series of close encounters with critters, storm debris, buckles in the pavement, other cyclists and pedestrians on the multi-purpose path. Something in a book I was reading seemed applicable: “…your hands are hardwired to your eyes. Look ahead; see where you want to…
Meet the Commute by Bike Crew (plus, Interbike next week…)
Next week the Commute by Bike crew will be in Las Vegas, Nevada covering the Interbike tradeshow. If you’re in the area or attending the show, make sure you come check out the Blogger Mobile Social at the VIP tent of the USA Crits Finals Thursday night at Mandalay Bay. You’ll get a chance to…
Yahoo's purple bikes
Yahoo created a small fleet of purple bicycles equipped with a camera, GPS receiver, cell phone and (solar) power for this gear and deployed the bikes around the world to chronicle their journeys. The cameras take a photo every 60 seconds and post them automatically with geo tags to Flickr, where you can see the…
Dallas readers, prepare to go multi-modal
DallasNews.com reports: Dallas transit agency to add bike racks to buses. I get down to Dallas a few times a year and have yet to see anyone biking to work. I know you’re out there and perhaps DART’s putting bike racks on their busses will help get more people out. “By New Year’s Eve, 650…
Prosecutor bikes to work
When you’re a bicyclist testifying in a road rage case, it’s good to have an attorney who knows the law. The Car Whisperer in Chicago had a run in with a antisocial motorist last August. The motorist went nuts right in front of a police station. The driver was cited for violating the three foot…
Tip: Watch out for bears!
Pantagraph.com: Jim Litz is accustomed to pedaling past 300-pound black bears on his morning commute to work. “I’ve come close to them this time of year,” Litz said, clutching his side and grimacing. “I know bears. The entire creek bottom is just hammered by bears. That’s the beauty of living here. But typically, they’re crossing…
First Impression: Kona Dew Deluxe
Ed – The following is a guest review done by Joe Daniels, our correspondent in the wintry north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is the first in a series of articles that will be his review of the Kona Dew Deluxe. One of the joys of my life is exercise. I ride 3-4 times per…
Nice bike commercial
Okay, some people are complaining about the sidewalk riding and wrong way riding, and others don’t like the advertiser, but I like that this video shows people dressed for living riding their bikes to get around and transport their stuff. And there’s no ridiculous “Professional drivers on closed course” disclaimer to accompany this transportation ad!…
Commuting 101: Keeping footwear dry
In the wake of the tropical storms, we’ve had a lot of rain in the past week. My cycling shoes have gotten so wet that they don’t get a chance to dry out before it’s time to leave for work in the morning. Here are some tips for keeping your footwear dry in monsoon season.