In the 12 months that Ive lived in piping hot Phoenix, the best rule of thumb Ive learned for beating the very high summer time heat is to wear dresses and skirts. Nothing combats temperatures over 100 like the flutter of a skirt and a breeze running its fingers across my legs when Im pedaling…
For people working regular business hours, it’s usually in the Fall and Winter when they need reliable bike headlights. The sun sets earlier, and daylight saving time kicks in in other parts of the world. In Tucson, I found myself commuting home after sunset even though it was the middle of the summer. Some days, around…
When I got my recumbent, the tech who prepped it for me mentioned clipless pedals as a defense against “leg suck.” Google that term for the grisly details, but do it on an empty stomach. Briefly, it’s when you’re riding along and your foot slips off the pedal, falls down, hits the pavement and your…
As a sometime product reviewer for Commute by Bike, you might recall that Im always ready to try out a new pannier or bike bag, especially one thats smartly designed, functional and attractive. Of course, I was happy to try out my fourth Detours product, the Ballard Market Pannier. Seattle-based Detours, named the bag after…
Here’s an article I came across with some good information about the legal rights of cyclists, and some common misperceptions. Regarding the perception that roads are for motor vehicles: …roads are still for moving people and motor vehicles are but one type of conveyance by which people move. And the perception that slow vehicles are…
Matt Elias was in the process of fulfilling his ambition to be completely carfree in Tucson. He had just purchased a full Xtracycle setup from Campfire Cycling when he encountered a cart-before-the-horse problem: How do you haul all of this Xtracycle hardware home before you’ve retrofitted your bike as an Xtracyle? In a car? Of…
I recently got married to an Australian. Which means lots of sightseeing. Which turns out is pretty cool!First off, a little about me — I’m pretty lame. But I suspect so are a lot of people in the same sense. I have lived in several super cool places, and have never bothered going to the…
The Detours Coffee Bag is modeled after a one-pound, er… coffee bag. You know the kind of bag you get at the grocery store where you dump the beans from the bulk bin into the bag, but you spill some on the floor. Then you dump the beans into your grocery store’s coffee grinder, which…
There is possibly nothing that sums up the spirit of Utility Cycling better than a bike move. Having recently moved – though not by bike, since it was to a different city – I am still reeling from the amount of waste a move creates. Cardboard, gas, money, donuts, your back, you name it. And…
I suspected that the Montague Boston 8 would be a perfect commuter bike for my three-month sojourn in Tucson, and I was right. Damn, I’m smart. So this is the Boston 8 as it appears on the Montague Website, all pristine, clean, and without accessories: And this is the Boston 8 after I’d accessorized it for life…
Do you notice anything interesting about this bike? Look hard. So it wasn’t all that hard, was it? I came across this image over the weekend, but it was a version with the useless rear suspension circled. I suspect that the front suspension is ornamental as well. I went looking for the original image, and…
Dutch Perspective on US Cycling Infrastructure
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…
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…
A man of few words with a fondness for orange. l like building them. Started 15 years ago. Not to sure what the next one will be like. So far they carry everything I’ve put into them – up to 200 pounds so far. Well, Mike, you’ve come to the right club and here are…
Electric (bike) Inspiration
![Xtracycle [hearts] Local Dealers and Campfire Cycling](https://campfirecycling-media.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/xtracycle-hearts-local-dealers-and-bike-shop-hub-thumbnail.png)
Commute by Bike has had a long fascination with Xtracycle cargo bikes — those longtail wonders that make an ordinary bike into a “sports utility bike.” Way back in 2009, Arleigh (a.k.a. Bike Shop Girl) documented her build up of this utilitarian beauty: The FreeRadical Cargo Bike Kit contains the parts you need to…
Bike Share in Salt Lake
Check out Simon’s child trailer. No, he doesn’t put children in it. We’ll let him explain: This trailer started as a two-child trailer, but it was too large, too high and the fabric floor was just not practical for cargo hauling. So I took it apart and built a new trailer around a sturdy plastic…
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…
This Independence Day week, explore the freedoms hitting the road with your bike allows. Take a cue from Andrew and his Tout Mule-fitted rig. Also check out Andrew’s previous patriotic tour.
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:…
Introducing: the Wonder Trailer!! by Liam: I’ve spent 2 years building this articulated bike trailer it can haul upwards of a ton to 2 tons**. The trailer handles surprisingly well for its size: 5 x 2 feet with 20″ wheels. I am currently working on what in England we call a tilt body – basically…
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…
on orders of $149 or more ***exclusions apply