Check out this homemade bike bell system I came across in Madagascar.The owner of the bike — perhaps the inventor — was more than happy to demonstrate.I was visiting the Cold Water Geysers of Analavory. I was not commuting per-se; I was being a tourist.The geysers are not a natural phenomenon, but instead are related…
I am a very lucky guy. I get to go cycling with my daughter. Showing the joy of cycling to my daughter has been one of my favorite things about being a dad. When we go on a ride it is an adventure for just the two of us. Or for the whole family. And…
For several years, I have been reading about cyclists’ frustrations with people parking in bike lanes. Very often, the focus of these posts is the lack of attention and action offered by local enforcement agencies. Last Friday, I published my own ruminations on the topic. On the same day, a lawyer in Arlington, Virginia published…
Bike lanes have about a dozen different names and an approximately equal number of design variations. However, the intended purpose of bike lanes is the same on all streets, in all cities: to provide cyclists with a car-free lane for safer, more efficient riding. When used appropriately, bike lanes make our streets safer for motorists,…
If you bet against the Senate to pass the DRIVE Act before the federal transportation program ran out of funding on July 31st, it’s time to get your wallet out. Right at the deadline, and right before breaking for its annual August recess, the Senate approved the comprehensive transportation bill that includes at least three…
I just pumped a tire for the first time in 10 months.Not because I haven’t had a flat. I have. Not because I ride on my rims when my tires are flat. I don’t (usually).It’s because between my house and my workplace there are at least six roadside bike repair guys. I live in Antananarivo,…
Mobile bike shops are an important industry trend to watch in 2015, reported Fred Clements, the executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association, on Bicycle Retailer and Industry News earlier this year. Humbly, I admit that Commute By Bike predicted this trend many moons ago, when I first wrote about CycloMend in 2013 and…
If you do a quick search for earbuds or headphones on Campfire Cycling, you likely will not be surprised to learn that we cover the controversial topic of cycling with headphones about once a year. Posts appear from as early as 2006 to discuss the logic and legality of riding while wearing sound-restricting devices. At this…
“If you’re one of millions of cyclists, you know every time you saddle up, anything can happen.” That, according to Garmin’s promotional video, is why you need the Varia Rearview Radar, scheduled for release this fall. Before watching the promotional video that likely had the working title “Fear Sells,” I present you with a brief,…
Back in 1997, Sweden adopted the concept of Vision Zero. The Swedish approach to road safety is a straightforward and powerful initiative that can be summarized in a single sentence: No loss of life is acceptable.Admittedly, when I first started learning about Vision Zero, which has been gaining traction in European countries as well as…
Once again, it’s been awhile since my last contribution to Commute by Bike. Loyal readers of this wonderful blog may remember some of my posts from years past, which range from insightful (I hope) to asinine (I suspect). I could not, however, miss an opportunity to write about one of the most important recent developments…
Our long-time readers might remember our Kickstarter project from 3 years ago focused around the Wandertec TUBA. The project didn’t fund which meant that rather than quickly launching this new product to fill the pre-orders, it became a backburner project, worked on at a gradual and organic pace. The TUBA Has Finally Arrived Well after…
There is a clanking, creaking noise in my commuter bike right now. I am pretty sure I know where it is, but laziness is getting the best of me. Let me qualify my laziness. Where I think the clank is coming from is in a part of my BionX powered Xtracycle Edgerunner that is very…
One of the more annoying aspects of everyday bicycle use is fumbling with a bicycle lock. Arriving at your destination by automobile, on the other hand, is a smooth elegant experience. With the click of a button, you are off on your merry way. Why can’t we ride our bicycles and lock them with ease…
I’ve been riding bicycles for a long time without ever having used a helmet mounted mirror, 33 years to be exact. And I know plenty of cyclists with far more miles under the belt who scoff at the idea of attaching a shiny piece of metal to their brain bucket as a matter of principle….
The NRA convention just concluded a few days ago, and let me say that I had a great time — not being there. But I’ve been thinking about the NRA for the last week because of the ongoing fuss over Volvo “Life Paint” — the amazing new reflective paint that Volvo thinks will bolster their…
Prelude. Cars can be habit-forming. I lazily slid into the All-American habit of driving my car to work as I navigated a series of changes in my career, domicile and personal life. So when I received the email from Commute by Bike asking for someone to review a bike, I thought, Hey, that might be…
I bought a bike in Madagascar.I met a kid in the town of Mahajanga. Five years old and full of attitude. I couldn’t understand much of what he said in Malagasy, but bicyclette came through loud and clear.He wanted one, bad. I told him I’d work on it.A month later I heard from the kid’s…
There are lot of photos of my left hand and arm in this post. But if you look closely, you’ll see a couple of bikes. Some bicyclists do need to carry water — a few yards, or even miles from where the water will be consumed. It’s the way of the world, but maybe not…
I spent one week bicycle commuting and mountain biking with a front-wheel mounted Monkey Light M204 a wheel light that offers (mostly) 360 visibility. The M204 is the less expensive model of Monkey Lights from MonkeyLectric.After watching the installation video, installation went fairly smooth. A quick peak of the user guide then I was off…
In 2011 we decided to explore the opportunity of selling electric bicycles and e-bike kits online. It didn’t go well, but we learned quite a bit along the way. I’m here to tell the tale and while I’m at it announce our 25% off BionX Clearance.As you may already know the business behind this blog,…
Let me just cut to the chase; I dont normally wear clothes made for bike riding. However, Vespertines reflective Vespert vest intrigued me as a fashionable solution to my recent concerns about being visible on Phoenixs often inhospitable streets. When I started blogging about my experiences commuting by bike, one of the points that…
We all know for a fact that toilets and drains swirl counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. (And by “fact” I mean “falsehood.”)But did you know that south of the equator riser bars become drop bars? That’s right. I have the scientific proof from Madagascar.Check it out: I think…
More than ten thousand miles from where I sit, there is a storage unit filled with the other 99 percent of my life’s accumulated crap; the stuff I left behind when I shipped off to Madagascar. This includes all four of my bikes. I crammed that unit full of my material attachments like a minor…
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