Sean asks an excellent question: How do we keep ourselves motivated when it’s cold and wet outside and the days are short? What do you do to stay motivated to cycle to and from work, day in and day out? Sioux gave her suggestion: she thinks of every ride as an adventure. So how about…
Commute by Bike
Wall Street Journal: Get rid of your car
It’s a strange new world indeed when the Wall Street Journal publishes an article showing how much of a money pit the family car is. If you really want to see where your money is going, take a closer look at your car. Foreign or domestic, it doesn’t matter. It’s a cash guzzler, and it…
Update on Commuter Station
My new shop has been open about 2 months now and we are slowly working out the commuter station and various areas of the shop to promote using your bicycle for transportation, utility or recreation. The first thing we did when laying out the shops floor plan was make half of the shop for recreation….
Commuting 101: The Essentials
One of my readers has the following quandary about bicycle commuting essentials. I can only go by personal experience, but I figure it’s a good discussion starter
Happy 2009!
The roller coaster of 2008 has come to a close. With the rocky last few months I have some trepidations about 2009, however the overall trend was for rapid growth in bike commuting and bike cargo and I am very optimistic for rolling our momentum into a strong year ahead. To start out the year…
What Prompted you to Commute by Bike?
While reading Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert D. Putnam, I came across a statement about people dependent upon television for their primary form of entertainment: “People who are social isolates to begin with gravitate toward the tube as the line of leisurely least resistance.” I’m not sure why,…
Bontrager Race Lite
Off with the old and in with the new was the theme of this past week leading in to New Years. One of the things that came “off” was my cyclo cross knobby tires left from cross season.. I have been commuting on until they were completely worn out and finally last week the knobs…
Reader's Pick: Favorites of 2008
Tell us your favorite thing about 2008. This is your platform now. Maybe it was your favorite post on CBB, your favorite new product from Interbike, or your most memorable bicycle commuting moment from the past year. Let us know in the comments!
Pearl Izumi Sprint Shoes : Long Term
When we left off with the Pearl Izumi Sprint Shoes back in October I was using this shoe as my daily commuter shoe 3-5 times a week. The thread and sneaker look made it very easy to climb on to buses, walk on slick interior floors and still have a stiff sole for pedaling and…
Knog Franks Dog Messenger Bag
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…
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…
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…
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,…