Dutch Perspective on US Cycling Infrastructure
Commute by Bike
'The Art of Carrying Things by Bike' – Linked up Version
And I thought Streetfilms had a monopoly of making slick videos about urban cycling. ‘The Art of Carrying Things by Bike‘ by Laura J. Lukitsch, is a “a nice montage of some San Franciscos iconic bike routes and destinations, including the Wiggle, Ferry Building and Market Street.” I watched this video like a birdwatcher frantically…
The Multimodal Cat – Bike, Bus, and Light Rail in Phoenix
I normally have a dream bike commute. My eight mile early morning trip into the office is a mere 200 foot gain in elevation. When I get to work, the showers at my gym are less than a hundred paces from the secure, locked conference room where I park my bike. When I head home…
Electric (bike) Inspiration
Electric (bike) Inspiration
Bike Share in Salt Lake
Bike Share in Salt Lake
Thinking of Spain on America's Independence Day
It’s Independence Day in the United States of America. My thoughts are in Spain. Spain was just one of many countries pissed off at the British in the 1770’s, and Spanish support for the American Colonies seeking independence was a pretty big deal. But that’s not why my thoughts are in Spain. It’s because my wife…
The Cocoon: Carry half a deer, half a bear, and a tiny dog—possibly all at once!
The Cocoon basket from DoggyRide would probably be just fine for carrying a doggy. I, on the other hand, used it more for the transport of a somewhat endangered species, to be revealed before this article ends. I think the endangered species handled the enclosed space with less stress than did the pup. The dog:…
The Thule Commuter Pannier and Tour Rack (go together like Ikea and Super Villains)
Just to be confusing, Thule now makes bike racks and bike racks. The former being the things you use to carry your bike on your car; the latter being the things you put on your bike to carry panniers, rack-top bags, kids, beer, etc. Soon I suspect they will also be manufacturing bike racks as…
Bike Commuting Basics Video
Bike Commuting Basics Video
Homo Satis Habilis – Handy Enough Man (Father's Day 2013)
I know how to patch a tube. I know how to pump up a tire. Neither is very hard to do, so it’s not like I’m bragging. And I’ve been known to dismiss the idea that one should learn these or any other mechanical skills before they take up cycling. I’ll say something like, “If…
The Uberhood – Be cool, stay dry and keep riding!
Karen Voyer-Caravona is a some-time city cyclist living in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a founding member of Phoenix Spokes People, which is dedicated to promoting bicycling as a viable transportation option in the city of Phoenix. When she is not conspiring socialist plots against her city’s infamous car-centric culture, she is studying for her masters…
Our Commuting 101 Section Featured in New Book: Go Green…
A new book by Crissy Trask is a “practical guide that details the money-saving side of greener, healthier, and simpler living.” I haven’t read “Go Green, Spend Less, Live Better” yet, but I flipped as fast as I could to Chapter 4 — “Getting from Here to There without Breaking the Bank.” The chapter begins…
A Guide to Backpack-Panniers
Should you use a pannier or a backpack? It’s one of the great, dumb, debates between cyclists. There advantages to each mode, so why can’t the answer just be yes? I own panniers as well as several backpacks. Some mornings I’m like a socialite trying to decide what shoes to wear. Is today a pannier…
Americans Are Driving Less
Americans Are Driving Less
Quivvers: The Speedo of Messenger Bags
You probably carry a cell phone with you when you commute. And on your commute, you probably don’t use your phone for GPS navigation, because you are going to work and you already know how to get there — unless it’s your first day at a new job. What I’m getting at is that you…
A Plea for First Timers: Adjust your Seat
Hey new bike commuters! Are you fixing to ride to work? Maybe for the first time ever? Congratulations!If you’re prepared, you have been listening to lots of advice, and maybe you’ve read our entire Commuting 101 section.Here’s one last thing that will make a world of difference: Properly adjust your dang seat height.If it’s too…
Throwback Thursday: Bike to Work Week 1993
Throwback Thursday: Bike to Work Week 1993
The Beginner's Mind of Car Freedom
Bike commuting in Tucson is becoming easier. My routes are starting to take shape, and I’m feeling less and less like I will get lost on the way to work. I don’t think of my commutes as “exercise.” Rather, I’m aware that my body is adjusting to what I’m asking it to do every day:…
The Beginner’s Mind of Bike Commuting
I’ve completed two weeks of bike commuting in Tucson. Since this isn’t a permanent move for me, I’m deliberately cultivating a transitory (i.e. non-permanent) lifestyle here in Old Pueblo, as the locals call it. I’m couch surfing here — no real couches yet, but guest rooms and inflatable mattresses. My commute will change several times…
My First Two Tucson Commutes
Campfire Cycling moved to Tucson, Arizona over the weekend. While my co-workers moved five big truckloads of inventory and office equipment, I was entrusted with delivering our rotted and weathered picnic table. Tucson Commute 1 I commuted by truck with this precious cargo more than 250 miles in our company’s gutless Mazda, and brought them both…
A Single-Speed, Single-Question Personality Test
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time on two single speed bikes, and the two couldn’t be more different. Loyal readers have seen these bikes before. One is the Critical Cycles bike that Pete Prebus reviewed here, but with an E-Bike Kit. The other is my grandfather’s Murray Montery, which has finally started to…
Improvised Endo Training Wheels with a Ridekick Trailer
This is a tale of idiocy or brilliant resourcefulness. You decide. You may have read that I have one of those Ridekick trailers that push the bike. (See: “Ridekick: A Nicotine Patch for Car Addiction.”) This story ends with me doing something that I’m sure the Ridekick company doesn’t ever want you to do. So…
Social Sharing of Rides? BikeSpike: Meet MyRidePool
I’m boring. I’m a closet introvert. I don’t go on group rides. For my commute, I stick to the same couple of routes. I commute alone, with my deep thoughts, like, Maybe only dumb people recount being abducted by aliens because aliens keep the smart ones. So I don’t really get why there are so…
ScatoLOCK: Automatic Bike Lock with Hidden Smart Key
UPDATE: If you are discovering this article after April Fools Day 2013, now you know what’s going on here. In 2010 Jay Bourque was mugged on his way home from a doctors appointment in Brighton, Michigan. The thief not only took his bike — a Batavus Ouverture worth $1700 — but also the key to the Batavus’…