This week at Wandertec: -I completed setting up the Wandertec CELLO bike case’s new streamlined accounting. -Brian and I started putting insulation into our new location’s workshop. -I had a shipment of 10 Burley Cargo Trailers delivered to the wrong address. -I came up with a promising design for a product I’ve been working on:…
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Should I Ride Today? Flip A Coin…
My Slicks and Ice really don’t like each other. I was considering Fritz’s idea about using the zip ties, but haven’t gotten the chance to work on it … yet. I agree with kimbofo — “Most people have a general interest in the weather … when you become a cyclist you develop a more specific…
DIY bamboo bike trailer
Bike commuters need a way to haul stuff. Carry Freedom will send you their free plans for a bike trailer that you can construct out of bamboo or other readily available materials. They only ask that you: Tell them what you are using the bicycle trailer for Send them photos of the bicycle trailer you…
Toko Profi gloves
Positives: Cool Euro styling, comfortable, fits like a glove, breathable, lightweight, reflective stripe on back. Negatives: Dorky Euro styling, expensive, no snot-wiper, not waterproof. Toko is a Swiss brand for competitive Nordic/cross-country skiing clothing, waxes, tools, and textile care products. I like winter sports almost as much as cycling, and a lot of my ski…
Poor man's tire chains
From BikePortland comes an idea for a cheap substitute for tire chains or studded tires for those of you who don’t normally bike on snowy roads. Use zip ties on your tires for extra traction on snowy roads. These will interfere with the brakes, of course, so it’s suitable only if you have a fixed…
Plan now for National Bike Month
May is “National Bike Month” and Friday, May 18 is National Bike To Work Day in 2007. In Colorado, the Colorado Legislature has designated the month of June as Colorado Bike Month, and Colorado Bike to Work Day is Wednesday, June 27. If you haven’t started already, plan now for Bike to Work Day events…
San Luis Obispo Bicycle Safety Day This Saturday
I wish I was there instead of in the frozen mess in the Midwest… In order to honor the memory of bicycle safety advocate Bob Garing, the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club and the County Bike Coalition have designated Saturday as “Bicycle Safety Day.” This article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune states: “Garing, who…
Managing CELLO Inventory/Google AdWords on the Side
This past week, I spent most of my time organizing the multiple parts of the Wandertec CELLO into our new QuickBook’s Manufacturing software. This time consuming task should pay off as it will result in a very clear picture of how many CELLOS are available and what parts need to be ordered. Developing a smooth…
Volunteers Wanted in Portland Area
If you commute in or around the Portland area, please check this out and consider volunteering. “Portland State University professor is looking for help to study the travel patterns of a particularly elusive creature: the urban bicyclist.” Can’t believe I scooped BikePortland on this one (although I haven’t searched back very far…) In other news:…
Bike facilities at work
Where I work, we have secure, covered bike parking; lockers and showers (with shampoo and soap provided!). The employee shuttle buses all have bike racks on them. We’re also permitted to keep our bikes in the office (which I do). On job interviews, the first question I ask is “Can I ride my bike to…
Are you Fred?
Bobby asked what a Fred is. According to the Glossary of bike terms and slang, Fred can either be the poseur buying more bike and kit than he’s capable of utilizing; or he’s (and Fred is generally a “he”) the bearded utility cyclist with sandals, rack, pannier or milk crate and with jeans tucked into…
THE GUTS OF WANDERTEC
One of my resolutions for the New Year is to become much more revealing in the Wandertec Blog. My goal in this is to try to get to the guts of what happens here at Wandertec. I hope the readers of this Blog will find this perspective an interesting and revealing example of a start…
You Get What You Pay For
Let me start out by saying that I consider myself to be a fairly thrifty person. So it came as a surprise to me when my 1977 Yama 10-speed started developing issues last Spring, I shelled out for a pretty nice bike (Trek 7.5 disk – swapped out the 7.3 frame because I liked the…
Manzella Silk Weight Windstopper Gloves
Positives: Lightweight, comfortable, works as advertised (windproof, water resistant). Removable fleece liner lets you adjust the insulation depending on conditions. Excellent manual dexterity and feel lets you operate zippers, helmet buckles, lights and locks. Negatives: Missing cycling-specific features: no reinforced fabric on palm side, slick grip, no snot wiper, no padding. The Manzella Silk Weight…
Maniac or Moron?
Inspired by Kent, my second post to CBB is the introductory “About Me” post to establish my bona fides (or lack thereof). I think the ultimate conceit of any cycling blogger — especially one who writes about commuting — is that anybody actually pays attention to what passes for advice. I think many of us…
Random News
Harnessing the power of the internet to search out bike related news today and, okay, I’d not heard of Chlo Sevigny before I saw this picture on Urban Delicious’ post “Bike Lane on the Fashion Runway” but it was nice seeing a celeb out bike commuting. I do agree with the poster’s statement “Riding and…
No sweat bike commute
Greg LeMond famously quiped that cycling “never gets easier, you just go faster.” Rivendell’s Grant Petersen paraphrased LeMond in his bicycle commuting tips when he wrote, “Riding never gets easier, you just go faster, but the effort remains about the same.” I spent 15 years of my life with a faster bike commute. Each year,…
Wonder Woman
I personally don’t make new year’s resolutions because they’ve never really worked for me. I do, however, hope that some people have resolved to take up commuting by bike this year and hope they’ll stick with it. It’s a tough time of year to take up the challenge, what with plenty of cold winter weather…
Happy Holidays
On behalf of everyone at CBB… Happy Holidays!
Much Respect Due
Ok ok…I have way MORE respect for all you guys that commute in the bitter cold. This morning it got pretty cold here in Southern California, 35 degrees. Hey! That’s bitter cold for us! So I decided to go for a ride…BRRR! My ears, fingers and what ever else sticks out was about to fall…
Cycletote First Impression
I’ve been testing the Cycletote for a few weeks now and I have to say, so far so good. I haven’t experienced any problems with the test unit that we have. Here are some shots showing how stable the Cycletote is. It also demonstrates how well the linkage works. Even when I’m cornering, the Cycletote…
Suggestions, ideas sought for ALCo bicycle master plan
Here’s your chance to get involved if you live in the area… It’s one of the healthiest — and sometimes fastest — ways to commute around the area, and Alameda County officials are hoping to make it getting around unincorporated Alameda County on a bicycle a little bit better. The county’s public works agency will…
Kayak On A Bike
I find it amazing how handy the Xtracycle really is. I found this on a kayaking site.
How to tune a rear derailleur
Tuning derailleurs have always intimidated me. Everytime that I mess with them, I make it worse. So I turned to RL, our resident master wrench, for some advice. Here’s the basic procedure with illustrations. We used the Ibex Trophy with a Shimano Deore LX derailleur. Your bike maybe different but the same principle applies. First,…