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…
![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…
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…
I know how to patch a tube. I know how to pump up a tire. Neither is very hard to do, so it’s not like I’m bragging. And I’ve been known to dismiss the idea that one should learn these or any other mechanical skills before they take up cycling. I’ll say something like, “If…
Should you use a pannier or a backpack? It’s one of the great, dumb, debates between cyclists. There advantages to each mode, so why can’t the answer just be yes? I own panniers as well as several backpacks. Some mornings I’m like a socialite trying to decide what shoes to wear. Is today a pannier…
Throwback Thursday: Bike to Work Week 1993
Bike commuting in Tucson is becoming easier. My routes are starting to take shape, and I’m feeling less and less like I will get lost on the way to work. I don’t think of my commutes as “exercise.” Rather, I’m aware that my body is adjusting to what I’m asking it to do every day:…
I’ve completed two weeks of bike commuting in Tucson. Since this isn’t a permanent move for me, I’m deliberately cultivating a transitory (i.e. non-permanent) lifestyle here in Old Pueblo, as the locals call it. I’m couch surfing here — no real couches yet, but guest rooms and inflatable mattresses. My commute will change several times…
“Stoopid Tall” Bike at CicLAvia
30 Days of Biking
Obtaining these Vaude Roadmaster Rear Panniers coincided with an odd turn of events in my life, which must be duly noted before I can continue with this review. I’ve had a trusty Xtracycle for an undisclosed number of years. It was a college graduation gift from my brother and the family “truck.” This Xtracycle happened to be mounted…
Icy Bike Winter Commuting Challenge
Bike Tourism for Small Town America
Bike-Powered Piano Folk Rock Tour
Chile to Kili
I have had a lot of backpacks in my life. Big ones. Small ones. Barbie-themed ones. Outdoorsy ones. Good ones. Bad ones. A backpack is my preferred bag for traveling away from home, as well as back and forth to school, work, and all kinds of other activities. I mean, why use a bag with…
Tips for Riding a Front Loader Cargo Bike
25 Ways to Cross a Major Road by Bike
Youth Summer Bike Camp
Bicycle Travel
Green Lane Project
CicLAvia is Back!
BluesCat is a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, who originally returned to bicycling in 2002 in order to help his son get the Boy Scout Cycling merit badge. His bikes sat idle until the summer of 2008 when gas prices spiked at over $4.00 per gallon. Since then, he has become active cycling, day-touring, commuting by…
on orders of $149 or more ***exclusions apply