Commute by Bike

#Trending in 2015: The Mobile Bike Shop

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…

On My Radar: The Garmin Varia

“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,…

Vision Zero: The Plan to Eliminate Road Fatalities

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…

Madness is a Squeaky Bicycle

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…

New Crowdsourced Bike Safety Map: BikeMaps.org

Anything that combines two of my favorite things – geography and bicycling – is something I can’t help but share with you all! Hooray for bike maps! Earlier this month, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, geography professor Dr. Trisalyn Nelson launched a new bike mapping website called BikeMaps.org. The website is a…

'Transportation Colonialism' and Inequality

'Transportation Colonialism' and Inequality

Before coming to Madagascar I spent a lot of time organizing my storage unit – and getting pulled into the kind of distracted, time-consuming reminiscing that happens whenever I get near all my old junk. I came across this booklet: “Transportation Patterns in Nairobi & Programs to Improve Opportunities for Bicycling [PDF]” published by the…

Toyota Ebolla

Ebola and its Rival Killer: Cars

Note: This was written on September 21, 2014Not too long ago I announced that I would be working in Madagascar for a number of months. Well here I am, in Madagascar. I arrived today.Ever since that announcement the one topic that has come up repeatedly has been…Can you guess it? Ebola!  Almost to a person,…