National Bike to Work Week: Day Four. And I didn’t commute by bike on days one through three. What!? You say. Tell us it isn’t true, Glorious Leader! Please stop calling me “Glorious Leader.” It’s embarrassing. But this is why I didn’t bike to work for three days: That majestic animal is Howard Bishop. I…
Commute by Bike
The Tangle Frame Bag: A Top Tube Groove
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…
Choosing the Right Wrench
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…
Are We Overselling National Bike to Work Week?
And so it begins… National Bike to Work Week 2012 is officially underway. If you are a newcomer to Commute by Bike, then welcome. Did you find all the information you needed? For God’s sake, I hope so. That’s what we’re about. Last week I received a message from the California Bicycle Coalition which began…
Fabian's BOB Trailer, Motorized Bicycle Adventure
Fabian has previously submitted photos of his bike cargo trailer, his train of bike trailers and a video as well all hooked up to his gas-motor/hybrid. Fabian took to the mountains with his bike and a BOB Ibex for a great adventure. The story regarding these photos is best told by viewing the web link:…
Cass Gilbert's Extrawheel Roundup
Our pal and world bike wanderer and writer Cass Gilbert borrowed an Extrawheel Voyager from us for a bit. If anyone knows touring gear, it is Cass. Check his great photography and writing about his adventures and favorite gear at his blog While Out Riding. So without further ado here is Cass… Extrawheel Voyager A…
Banjo Brothers Saddlebag Panniers: Cram Away!
Vanessa Marie Robinson is a NYC-based industrial designer who's blog For The Love Of Bikes covers her multifaceted interests in all things cycling. Having started commuting year-round by bike in Montreal, Canada 13 years ago, she currently enjoys here 22-mile, rain-or shine-commute along the Hudson River. Whether you commute by bike or just ride a…
Pierre's Fat Tire BOB Trailer
We talk quite a bit about the both the Extrawheel and BOB Trailer , and often compare the virtues of these two great single wheeled bike trailers. We recently got these photos from Pierre, who has taken the spirit of the BOB single wheel trailer and modified it for Fat Biking. I really can’t…
Four Things About Cycling that aren't 'Just Like Riding a Bike'
Bike to Work Week is when we regular bike commuters hope to inspire new people to join our ranks. I hesitate to say “our ranks” because I don’t feel as though I’m in a rank. Do you want to join a rank? I doubt it. I prefer to think of all of us as users…
Banjo Brothers Metro Backpack: A Place for My Stapler
I have had a lot of backpacks in my life. Big ones. Small ones. Barbie-themed ones. Outdoorsy ones. Good ones. Bad ones. A backpack is my preferred bag for traveling away from home, as well as back and forth to school, work, and all kinds of other activities. I mean, why use a bag with…
The Many Reasons We Ride: It's not just National Bike Month
Hey! It’s National Bike Month, when we “celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride.” It’s also been a year since Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by US Navy Seals. If not for his messiah complex, bin Laden would have been just another, high-rolling, porn-watching, hypocritical son of…
Andrew's Wood Frame Cargo Trailer
A DIY solution to the bike trailer. Simple materials and a solid design make for a nice looking cargo hauler.
May is Bike Month: It's easy once it's easy
“Wanna have a beer?” At 7:44 PM, on Friday night, when it looked as though I would spend the evening excavating my garage, that text message popped into my phone from my friend Chuck Cheesman. Later that same minute, I replied that I indeed would like to have a beer. And during that minute before…
Cleverhood Rain Cape: Patience… It'll rain eventually
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. According…
'Park To Pedal': Drive, park, then bike. (Yeah. That'll work.)
Commute by Bike has been HuffPo’d! Welcome, readers of The Huffington Post. We hope you enjoyed the article, “Bike To Work: Commute With ‘Park To Pedal’ Instead Of Driving All The Way” with it’s link to Tim Grahl’s article over here, “A Guide to a Simple Bike Commute.” And thank you for continuing to explore…
Portland did what? Pinch me. Am I dreaming?
Tom Bowden is a bike commuter from Richmond VA, a "suit" – a corporate lawyer with an MBA, and a conservative "“ You betcha! He is also a board member of Bike Virginia, a pro cycling and pedestrian group in Virginia that raises money to promote cycling, walking and active lifestyles. Tom’s lawyerly blogging can…
Greg's Xtracycle Dog Rig
Greg, sent in this clever setup for using his Xtracycle to commute with this his dog. A good use of the WideLoaders. The customer innovation never stops! Keep on sending in those photos…
The Art of Advocacy: 'The Return of the Speedwells'
Mike Rubbo, filmmaker, painter and cycling advocate, raises some very interesting questions in his short film, "The Return of the Speedwells." Focusing specifically on Australia, Rubbo faults the media for its depiction of cycling as a competitive and aggressive sport, to the exclusion of images of the friendlier, utilitarian benefits of cycling. [T]he sport cycling…
I Feel Your Rage
Somebody yelled at me from a car this week. I’m pretty sure he was yelling at me. It happened so quickly. I was heading down a hill, preparing for a left turn. I checked the traffic behind me with my rear-view mirror. I moved out of the bike lane, into the main lane, and toward…
John Denver, Death Metal, and a Jam-Pac Premium Handlebar Bag
Keith is a Flagstaff resident, an all-time, all-weather, all-conference/all-state bicycle commuter. If you want to get him a present he would love a Park Tool TM-1 spoke tension meter. He writes a filthy, NSFA (Not Safe For Anything) blog at www.spacedriftin.blogspot.com. He aspires to own a pair of Bar-Mitts one day. Before trying out this…
Fear and Usury in Moab
There’s a 100-mile stretch of Interstate 70 between Grand Junction, Colorado, and Green River, Utah. If you enter that stretch of highway and haven’t gassed up, this is where you might find yourself at the mercy of Papa Joe. Papa Joe’s Stop & Go is a gas station in Crescent Junction, Utah. It’s the point…
The Fixit Public Bike Repair Stand: There When You Need It (Maybe)
Since 1995, Dero Bike Rack Co. has been positively contributing to the world of bike commuting. The company produces a host of bike parking solutions, including commercial racks and storage lockers as well as home storage products. However, I have mixed emotions about the new Fixit Public Bike Repair Stand that Dero has recently introduced….
Life After Messenger vs. 'Career Courier'
I’ve had a DVD copy of Career Courier for months and months. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to watch this documentary about the lives of bike messengers with someone who had lived that life. The problem is, I live in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is not a bike messenger town. So when I went to…
Marital Aids (Part 2)
Previously, I wrote about my attempts to do more by bike so that my wife wouldn’t always pick up my slack using our car. She’s no lard-ass chronic cager. (She would like you to know that.) It’s just that “Save the world with bikes” is just one of the things on our to-do list every…