We bike commuters specifically, and cyclists generally, like to talk about how being on a bike heightens our awareness of our environment and our communities. But this aspect of cycling remains one of the hardest to communicate to a non-cyclist. Your most poetic description of “heightened awareness” won’t convince sedentary habitual motorist to think, I…
Since he introduced his proposal for the next surface transportation re-authorization bill late last week, John Mica (R-FL) has become public enemy number one in the bicycle advocacy world as well as in many other interest groups that would suffer from this proposed drastic reduction in transportation funding. The new bill calls for a 33%…
This morning I swung by KickStand Kafé all in the name of testing a newly-mounted bottle cage on my Dahon for its compatibility with my commuter coffee mug. While there, I found a deeper purpose to my commute. The building occupied by KickStand used to be a bike/ski shop, and the owners very shrewdly have…
New Belgium’s Clips of Faith was in town last Friday, and even though it was threatening rain, my wife and I went. Clips of Faith is a beer sampling and independent film tour. And even if you’re not a beer lover, it’s a nice way to spend an evening. The whole story is that until…
Detroit Bike City
Last weekend my wife and I took a road trip up to Bryce Canyon. On our second day there, we took an excursion up route 12 to Boulder, Utah.Our drive took us through some amazing country as we passed the Escalante National Monument. We took a detour onto Hell’s Backbone Road, a road built in…
Here is our ragtag setup at the Flagstaff Farmer’s Market a few weekends ago. Art Babbot, a Flagstaff city council member and organizer extraordinaire welcomed us to set up a booth under the auspice of educating people about Electric Bikes. We were instructed to be low key on the marketing and focus on the educational…
Keith Earickson is a transient who is currently headquartered in Flagstaff, AZ. He writes a filthy, NSFA (Not Safe For Anything) blog at www.spacedriftin.blogspot.com and is enjoying his switch from a crappy, no-name beach cruiser to a fully loaded Surly LHT way too much. He has forgotten how to drive a car. Recently I was…
Following up on a DIY bike trailer project that we published the first phases of last September, Harry sent us these photos of the next steps in the project. It’s done. Total cost: $75 ($50 for new tires, tubes, $25 for velcro). And a lot of time. The fabric is rip-stop nylon (donated by my…
Tom Bowden is a bike commuter from Richmond VA, a "suit" – a corporate lawyer with an MBA, and a conservative "“ You betcha! He is also a board member of BikeWalk Virginia, a pro cycling and pedestrian group in Virginia that raises raises money to promote cycling, walking and active lifestyles. Tom’s lawyerly blogging…
Bin Feng Zheng’s NYC Biking Story
Pete Prebus is the guy at Electric Bike Report, a website dedicated to getting the word out about electric bikes through e-bike news, reviews, guides, and general e-bike advocacy. Pete wants to encourage more people to ride bikes by providing good info about e-bikes and all the benefits (all the time) they have over driving…
CETMA Cargo Bikes!
Chariot Carriers and Croozer Child, Cargo and Dog Trailers will be 10% off from July 3 through July 12 at BikeTrailerShop.com and BikeKidShop.com.Chariot makes premium bike child trailers, with quality details from the components to the stitching.TheChariot Cabriolet trailer, designed for one or two children, has a reputation for being both affordable and versatile.$429$379.TheCX2 is…
This review is by Arleigh of Bike Shop Girl. If you remember, Arleigh was at the helm of Commute by Bike for a good while and will be continuing to review and post commuter articles now that she is back on the bike commuting after her accident with a car a while back. We are…
The City of Prescott, Ariz. was kind enough to hold it’s Independence Day festivities a couple of days early to give me time to take photos, write about it, and get my post ready to publish by July 4. (Technically it was the annual Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Parade, but it looks and feels like…
I was invited to interview Peter Flax, Editor-in-Chief of Bicycling Magazine. I said Sure! And I did. The interview was a few days ago. And today–literally today–I read the entire e-mail message that came with that initial invitation, and I saw there was a list of recommended questions. Sorry, Peter, I completely missed those questions….
Cyclists’ Special
Bill Walton and I have a lot in common. We both have red hair. His middle name is Theodore. People think my first name is Theodore (but it’s not). We’re both less than seven feet tall. And… and… We both have friends who follow basketball. Thanks to my high school friends’ incessant yammering about NBA…
The True Cost of Gas
Earlier this winter and spring I published several photos of the electric bikes that we are testing in the JOYBAG project (jump on your bike and go). Now that summer is here, it’s time for the bright cheerful tones of summer to show off the lines of our JOYBAG fleet. Here is the Kalkhoff ebike…
Karen Voyer-Caravona is an admitted bicycle dilettante in Flagstaff, Arizona, who blogs about her adventures on two wheels, vélo envy, her husband’s cooking, and cross country skiing at www.sheridesabike.com. Visit her website for her endless opinions on the most stylish shoes for pedaling, critiques of bike parking, and the best bike date dining destinations. The…
I’ve been reviewing the Ortlieb Downtown Commuter Pannier for several months now after my prior foray with the Racktime Workit Pannier. With our parent company Campfire Cycling launching their semi-annual Ortlieb, Tubus, Racktime Sale, it seemed like a good time to share a few words about one of Ortlieb’s premier commuter panniers. A little info…
Understanding where and how to park your bicycle once you have reached your destination is as important as learning to ride safely to your destination as a utility cyclist. If you are riding your bike to complete errands or if you are using your bicycle to commute to work, knowing how to find bike parking…
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