This is a review of speakers, but I feel like a Sex Ed teacher getting ready to talk to high school students about condoms. Here's the deal: Maybe we shouldn't cycle while listening to music. Maybe we would all be better citizens of the world if we could center ourselves in our zen place, clear…
Commute by Bike
Winter Commuting in Alaska: Learning to Ride In the Wind — Real Wind
Editor’s Note: Ever since her first contribution, “Blizzards and Meth Labs and Bears. Oh my!,” Shanna Ladd has sent me a wealth of information on her experiences winter bike commuting 10 miles into Wasilla, Alaska. It’s way too good to publish in one long post, but I will give away the ending: To us wussies…
Helmet Mirrors, Classic Television and Voyeurism
Unlike some of the smug writers around here (you know who you are), I’m a TV addict. Especially of old, black-and-white science fiction shows or spy shows. I am so addicted that whenever I look into my helmet mounted rear-view mirror, I immediately hear the creepy, double guitars of Etrange No. 3 and … (He,…
Honk if you're Horn-Envious
If the price were right, and installation was easy and unobtrusive, I’m still not sure I’d want a horn on my bike (or anyody’s bike) that sounds like a car horn. I’m wrestling with the idea (perhaps the same way I wrestled with e-bikes just a few years ago, and came out okay with them,…
Bag Buddy: The Right Wrong Way to Carry Grocery Bags
Confession: I used to carry grocery bags on my handlebars. Now when I see anyone doing this practice, I regard it with the same disdain as other reproachable behaviors such as public nose picking, talking in theaters, or having the same ringtone as I do. But for every unsanctioned behavior, there is a right and…
Upstand: The (Almost) Vanishing Kickstand for Weight Weenies
There are basically two kinds of people who would use the Upstand : Weight weenie roadies who miss the usefulness of having a kickstand, but wouldn’t want to be seen with one mounted to their carbon-fiber status symbol. Mountain bike warriors who don’t want a kickstand that might deploy unexpectedly, or catch on a rock…
My 2013 Resolution: Shut up about how great bikes are
My teenage son has his first job. He is working at the ski resort on the West side of that there mountain. His commute is about 14 miles, one way. I’d love to say that he is commuting by bike, but I don’t think the thought has even crossed his mind. He does not have…
My Bikey Christmas
I get bike-themed stuff for Christmas. No surprise. I bet you do too. This year, I opened a gift from my wife, which she thought was a small metal sculpture — a wall hanging. I noticed that there is no loop on the back to receive a hanging hook. And I also noticed something strange…
The Mayan Apocalypse and Cycling Irrationality
Today is December 21, 2012. The Mayan Apocalypse has not happened. But it’s early in the day as I write this, and there’s still plenty of time for solar storms, a geomagnetic reversal, a surprise collision by a Ninja planet, or whatever. I’m not counting on it. My attitude is akin to Brent Cohrs, who…
Jean-Paul's "Incroyable" BionX
Bonjour, je suis Mr. Jean Paul je viens de pass une commande pices BionX, je suis trs contant de votre site BikeTech Shop, rapide paiement avec PayPal, de France au tat Unie, merci. Cordialement, Mr. Jean Paul. Bonne ftes toute l’quipe Google translate: Jean-Paul is very happy with his BionxX purchase from Bike Tech Shop….
No Regrets: Good, Cheap, Bike Commuting Accessories
I used to buy really low-quality bike accessories for myself. I’d walk into a bike shop and I’d be that tragic combination of ignorance and sticker shock. So I would buy crap. The tragedy is that back then I had more spending power than I do now — what with a mortgage and all that…
Alex Moulton's answer to, "Don't those small wheels slow you down?"
When I heard that Alex Moulton had died, the first person I thought of was Al Capello, owner of Portapedal Bike, in Tempe, Ariz. When I visited Portapedal earlier this year, Al revealed himself to be an aficionado (a.k.a. fanboy), and he gave me test rides on the most expensive bikes I’ve ever ridden. He…
Yet Another Holiday Gift Guide for Bike Commuters – 2012
I know, I already did a 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. Why do another one? Because I forgot some things, that’s why. Also because some readers made some good suggestions after reading the first one. And also because a few products we’ve reviewed in the past year deserve another look. Bike Saviours Getting Butts on…
PBS's 'Pedal America' Needs Another Season (at Least)
A week or so ago I spoke with Ira David, the host of Pedal America, “the only national television show in the United States that educates and inspires viewers to re-discover the travel, environmental, and health benefits of recreational bicycling.” This show was launched with a big splash at the National Bike Summit earlier this…
Cycling and Kindness
Todd O’Reilly and his 13-year-old son Daegan are making a documentary about the power of kindness as they ride Adventure Cycling Association's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route from Mobile, Alabama to Toronto, Canada. They are asking for two kinds of pledges. First, is that people pledge to be more kind in a very specific way determined…
Holiday Gift Guide for Bike Commuters – 2012
You’re a bike commuter, or you know someone who is — maybe you know many many people who are. (If you don’t personally know any bike commuters I’ll be happy to introduce you to some.) We’re not so difficult to shop for, but I’ve made it even easier for you. And when your gift recipient…
The Secret Power of Red Cycling Pants from Betabrand (Review)
On any given day Kate Watters would rather be biking than stuck in her car in traffic. She and her husband collected several vintage one-speed bicycles on their honeymoon road trip from Flagstaff to Vermont, riding around small towns along the way. She writes about her field adventures, creative episodes, and the wonder of the…
NBC's Report on Road Rage Toward Cyclists — With 50% Fewer Clichés
Recently NBC News ran this report on cyclists using bike- or helmet-mounted cameras, such as GoPro to document motorists bad behavior and/or aggression towards cyclists. And it’s… not bad — for a television news piece on cyclists and motorists. It doesn’t blame the victims — the cyclists. It doesn’t paint all cyclists with a broad…
'Why is that bicyclist in my lane?' (Friday Roundup)
For those of you who don’t follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook, Google Plus, etc.: Are you working or something? This is a roundup of some of the things we saw fit to share with our less productive readers over the last seven days:
Franken-Fixie: A Hipster Bike with a Clean Republic E-Bike Kit
This is a guest post from Pete Prebus. Pete runs Electric Bike Report and is enthusiastic about spreading the word about electric bikes because they have great potential to get more people on bikes and out of their cars. Yes, I know, an electric motor on a fixie bike is a little sacrilegious, but it…
I swear to inspire one more woman to ride a bike (Friday Roundup)
For those of you who don’t follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook, Google Plus, etc.: Are you working or something? This is a roundup of some of the things we saw fit to share with our less productive readers over the last seven days:
Post-Sandy Bike Commuting Tips for New Yorkers
Hey, New Yorkers! Are you still figuring out your post-Sandy bike commute? I’m 2069 miles away, but I haven’t forgotten you. I’m happy to pass along these tips from Bike New York: Be careful of any obstructions in the road. Downed tree limbs and wet leaves are particularly dangerous. Some flooding may have opened up…
Critical Cycles’ Factory-Direct Fixie
This is a guest post from Pete Prebus. Pete runs Electric Bike Report and is enthusiastic about spreading the word about electric bikes because they have great potential to get more people on bikes and out of their cars. Critical Cycles is a new kind of fixie company. They state on their website that: What…
Kid Rock and Sean Penn's Cum-Bike-Ya
Wanna feel warm and fuzzy one week after the US election? How about two rich entertainers hurling partisan epithets at each other? The language is not safe for work, plus it’s nearly 11 minutes long, so save this until you get home. Spoiler Alert!!