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Steve Benning with Ohm XS 750

The e-Bike Guinea Pig Talks Traffic

Steve Benning has been bike commuting for two weeks, and shows no sign of waning enthusiasm. We sat down and talked about dealing with drivers, motorcycle baggage, and family planning. Wait. That didn’t come out right. I’ve been using this as my second car, because we only have one car in our family. So I’ve…

Critical Mass and the (Bicycle) Chain Reaction

Cycling enthusiasts and nuclear engineers both have a unique understanding of critical mass. While cyclists do not necessarily need to understand the effective neutron multiplication factor or fissile material to participate in cyclings Critical Mass events, these rides do have a complex and sometimes misunderstood history. Critical Mass rides are still defined by organized coincidence,…

Fixed-Gear Rear Cog

Fix-Curious? An Experiment in Fixed-Gear Commuting - Part 1

Josh King lives in Seattle, where he commutes by bike every day, rain or shine.   He switched to full-time single speed commuting in 2010. You can read his thoughts on going gearless at www.singlespeedseattle.com At the beginning of 2010, frustrated by the mechanical problems and constant derailleur adjustments necessitated by riding through Seattle's winters, I…

Geography of Youth

Youth, Technology, and Bikes Around the World

Alan Winslow and Morrigan McCarthy will launch an around-the-world trip on bikes to study and document the strange and understudied phenomenon of youth. Okay, youth is probably the most overstudied phenomenon there is–what with their spending power, their trendsetting superpowers, and their forming of lifelong consumer habits. But Winslow and McCarthy aren’t anthropologists or market…

The Bike Friday Trailer

I did my monthly paper roll pickup at the Daily Sun, this time with the Bike Friday I am testing for Commute By Bike. It was a good opportunity to test out the capabilities of the suitcase/bike trailer that is available for traveling with the Bike Friday. Not only does the Bike Friday fit into…