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Showing posts from January 16, 2011

A Do-It-Yourself Bicycle Powered Snow Plow [via Make:]

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The custom 3-wheel bike with sidecar was made years ago, a replica of a bike my childhood friend had. Last winter I added a snow plow accessory. Up to 1 inch of snow doesn't make it worthwhile to fire up my big 8HP snowthrower. And shoveling my 90' long driveway by hand can be too much. So my bike plow makes it easy to make a few runs up and down the driveway to make 2 or 3 piles that can then be easily hand shoveled off to the side. A lever pulls up or lets down the plow with a rope and pulley. Pulling the lever all the way back cantilevers the rope and pivot point so it locks in place. The plow blade is hinged with a bungee cord, so hitting a discrepancy in the road allows the blade to flop and give like a real plow. The bike can turn on a dime so raising the plow and returning up the adjacent path is quick and easy. I can do 'reverse' by pushing down on the front wheel with my foot to roll it backwards.Totally useless with larger snow falls, but the light ones make ...

As seen at Paradise Garage

I saw a lot of Masi bikes on the floor at Paradise Garage. Fuji road bikes are available with full carbon frame and 105 in the $1500 range. New lines will be added soon.

REMINDER: Ride the Divide, Award Winning Documentary, will be shown at COSI THIS Monday!

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RIDE THE DIVIDE , AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY FILM, ON MIDWEST MID-WINTER TOUR   Ride The Divide , the award-winning feature-length documentary about the world’s toughest mountain bike race, will kick off a Midwest mid-winter tour when it premieres in Columbus on Monday, January 24, at the COSI Extreme Screen Theater. The film chronicles the story of several mountain bikers who attempt the 2,711-mile race named the Tour Divide along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. The movie was named the Best Adventure Film at the 2010 Vail Film Festival. This film has become an instant cycling classic, and made its television premiere in September on the Documentary Channel. But the Adventure Cycling Association said the film should be seen on the big screen: “The cinematography is stunning!” Nowhere will it be more stunning than on COSI’s 7-story-tall extreme screen. UpaDowna added, “ Ride The Divide  is one of the most inspiring  real  cycling movies … in a long...

Speedway Cycles Fatback (if you really NEED to ride in the snow)

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Winner of the Iditarod Trail Invitational two years running thanks to veteran endurance racers Pete Basinger (who helped design the frame) and Jeff Oatley, the often copied Fatback represents the ultimate, yet most practical design in snow and sand bikes. Titanium won't rust and is without question the material of choice for a bike exposed to huge temperature swings (resulting in condensation) and salt water. Featuring the no-offset design paired with the widest possible hubs, this results in the best chain line and balanced wheel tension for strong, dishless wheels. We offer sizes from 14" to 22" and can build custom sizes with any finish you choose, from bead blasted to brushed, polished or painted. [Speedway Cycles]

Franklinton Cycle Works new digs!

I had the pleasure of touring the newly relocated Franklinton Cycle Works this morning. The new location is 897 West Broad near Tommy's Diner and The Florentine restaurant. They are NOT open to the public at this time, but hope to be up and running in the spring. A fundraiser is in the works so they can build out the inside and details should be available soon. [Franklinton Cycle Works]

Chris King Espresso Tampers (They have salt and pepper shakers too)

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Our espresso tamper is born from an appreciation of the coffee making process as much as the coffee it produces. We worked in collaboration with the Portland, Oregon based America Barista & Coffee School to develop a professional grade espresso tamper with precise dimensions, exceptional feel, and the iconic shape that every cyclist recognizes as the very best. We offer three flat base sizes in stainless steel, 53 mm, 56 mm, & 58 mm, with an aluminum handle in the four colors shown. Total stack height is 83.5 mm with a base depth of 10 mm. 446 grams Made in the USA. Call us (800.523.6008) to place an order and check color availability. Price: $75.00 [chris king website]

Brompton folding bicycle towing a boat

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The Case Against Lance Armstrong - via SI

AS THE CYCLIST AND CANCER CRUSADER FACES POSSIBLE INDICTMENT BY A GRAND JURY, SI TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT OLD AND NEW ALLEGATIONS THAT HE USED PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS WHILE WINNING TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Selena Roberts, David Epstein Around 8 p.m. on Nov. 11, 2010, Italian police and customs officials acting at the behest of agents of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pulled over Yaroslav Popovych as he drove on a roundabout in Quarrata, a quaint Tuscan village of stucco facades and colorful shutters between Pistoia and Florence. The officials had been looking for Popovych, one of Lance Armstrong's Radio Shack teammates, to execute a search warrant. Italian authorities say the Ukrainian cyclist was startled but cooperative. He led them through olive groves to his house beside a cemetery. There the officials found drug-testing documents, medical supplies and performance-enhancing drugs. They also found e-mails and texts that, they say, establish that as recently ...

Need to block spray from your rear bike wheel? Crochet a cover!

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Welcome to Simeli Simeli designs bicycle ornaments: hand crocheted  dress guards  and matching   keyrings . ‘Dress guard’ according to the Dikke van Dale  (Dutch dictionary): oilcloth or plastic lining partially surrounding the rear wheel of a bicycle to prevent a jacket or skirt from coming into contact with the wheel. There is no country in the world which pays so much attention to dress guards as The Netherlands does. Often there are  fewer bicycles in other countries anyway, but those bikes there are, mostly have no dress guard. In hot countries this is only logical. Nobody wears a long coat which needs protection and the women with their long skirts do not ride a bicycle. In this respect  the dress guard may be regarded as a unexpected symbol of women’s emancipation. Long live the dress guard ! [simeli website]

Proposed bill would restrict bicycle bans in Colorado cities [via Biking Bis]

by  Gene Bisbee  at 04:56PM (PST) on January 11, 2011  |   Permanent Link   |   Cosmos The fight to reopen the streets of Black Hawk, Colorado, to bicycles is going to make it to the State House this year. A state legislator told the  Bicycle Colorado  advocacy group  that he will introduce a bill entitled the "Open Roads Act" when the General Assembly opens for business next week. The bill would allow local authorities to prohibit bicycling on some streets only in limited cases and only if a nearby alternative route is designated. The author of the bill,  State Representative Andy Kerr , told Bicycle Colorado: "Banning bicycle travel on every street in a community penalizes people that choose healthy, affordable, pollution-free transportation." Black Hawk's ban The firestorm about bicycle bans was sparked over the summer when police in the town of Black Hawk started issuing tickets to people on bicycles. The City...

Yay Bikes is now officially a Non-Profit!

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[yay bikes website]

It's Time to Take a Stand for Bicycling

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YikeBike Review [via Engadget]

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Want to meet a bunch of random strangers everywhere you go? Start riding around on a neon green electric bicycle that looks like nothing this world has seen before, something tossed out of a passing UFO that some New Zealand shepherd found glowing slightly as it rested in the middle of a smoking crater. This $3,595 electric bicycle with a 15mph top speed and six mile range does come from New Zealand, but the   YikeBike   is very much a product of human ingenuity, or so creator Grant Ryan claims, but that doesn't stop it from giving us a riding experience that is nothing short of other-worldly. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily equate to a   entirely  perfect experience. [continue at Engadget]

Pinchflat - Watch out for it!

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Pinchflat is a partnership between WGC, Yay Bikes!, Jeremy Slagle Design, and Fulcrum Creatives with additional support from the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts. Pinchflat will be a part of a whole month of programs celebrating the intersections of bikes and art at Wild Goose Creative. Pinchflat - a bike poster blowout slated for May 14 at Wild Goose Creative! [facebook page] More details will be posted when available.

Gearlocks - Dedicated to the Enhancement of Bicycle Security

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From the website: Gearlocks is the newest way to provide security to bicycles under many kinds of conditions for many users.  The locking system can be mounted to existing structures such as bicycle racks, hand railings, sign posts, walls, or even be used as a portable device.  It can be used by a single user or by a series of different users, always with the same ease and security.  Our "patent pending" cable design is made to eliminate the vulnerability that typical bicycle cables have to being easily cut.  Our proprietary cable utilizes a layer of pinch resistant fabric (Kevlar from DuPont) outside of the strength cable core and an alarm trigger that is exterior to the layering.  The cable system is designed to activate the alarm during the first part of a cutting attempt with the multiple layering to eliminate the ease of cutting through in one quick cut attempt.  You must experience our hybrid cable system before discounting this product.  T...

SP Carbon Bikes straight outta Manhattan

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Editor's note: These frames look eerily like  Pinarello bicycles. So my best guess is that they are purchasing the frames from the same Taiwanese manufacturers and adding their decals and details. From their website: Hello, Glad you found us. First off, we are not a bike store, with high school kids that just want to sell you something. We have a vested interest in seeing you get the best possible bike. We are small and need postive word of mouth to continue growing. Who IS S.P.CARBON? A dedicated builder and growing group of riders. S.P. has been taking care of customers for over 10 years. Our new space has been located in downtown Manhattan's Tribeca waterfront district since June of 2009. We have created over 55 bicycles in the past year. We have many satisfied customers with solid testimonials available upon request. * NEW SPCARBON bikes can now be ordered from Waterfront bike store on West st. Free test rides can also be arranged on weekends. We have a private studi...

Yuba Change Your Mobility Tour – Redux 2011

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Steve is Coming And He's Bringing Bikes! We’re taking YUBA to the people on the “Change Your Mobility Tour 2011″! Steve’s taking YUBA Mundos to the people across the US.  No, he’s not riding, but that’s a great idea!  He’s going in the YUBA Van and he’ll have lot’s of Yuba Mundos and accessories with him.  He’ll be visiting dealers, going to shows and going on rides! Click here to see his route . If you’re on (or even near) his route, drop him an email at:  bode@yubaride.com  and let’s schedule and event in your area. Let’s go for a ride! [yuba website]

Rides a Bike - a Tumblr link

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Movie stars and their self-propelled vehicles. Created on Thanksgiving, 2010. Updated twice or thrice a week. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ralph Bellamy and Luella Gear ride bikes. [http://ridesabike.tumblr.com/]

2011 Lynskey Backroad Touring Frame

When we were in Chattanooga last year we did a drive by of the Lynskey factory. I should have stopped in, but I didn't want to show up unannounced. It may be worth the trip down to get fitted for the Backroad. Titanium, touring geometry, racks, and disk brakes, plus the ability to run 38mm tires with fenders would give the best flexibility. Now, if I could get a demo bike to test that would make it enticing. ; ) [Lynskey Website]

The first Ohio Randonneurs ride is March 26th. Better start training!

[Ohio Randonneurs Website] Date Event Route # Tentative Start/End Location Route Mar 26 OH 200k ACP Brevet 445 Springfield, OH Springfield-Urbana-Springfield-Waynesville-Springfield Apr 9 OH 300k ACP Brevet 446 Springfield, OH Springfield-Oxford-Springfield Apr 23 OH Fleche Columbus, OH End in Columbus, OH May 14 OH 400k ACP Brevet 467 Blueash, OH Blueash-West Union-Blueash-Lebanon-Blueash Jun 4 OH 600k ACP Brevet 468 Blueash, OH Blueash-West Union-Blueash-Urbana-Blueash Jul 16 OH 300k ACP Brevet 259 Lancaster, OH Lancaster-Chillicothe-Nelsonville-New Lexington-Lancaster Jul 30 OH 400k ACP Brevet 260 Lancaster, OH Lancaster-Chillicothe-Nelsonville-Beverly-New Lexington-Lancaster Aug 13 OH 200k ACP Brevet New Logan, OH Logan-Hocking Hills-Tar Hollow-Logan Sep 3 150k RUSA Populaire New Columbus, OH Westgate,Columbus - ?? - Westgate, Columbus Sep 3 200k ACP B...

The Slow Bicycle Movement

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From the Slow Bicycle website: First there was Slow Food and then Slow Travel, Slow Companies, Slow Planet, etc. The time is ripe for Slow Bicycle. We figure the Slow Bicycle Movement is all about the journey, not the destination. The destination is, invariably, a fixed geographical point which isn't going anywhere... [okay, sure, the tectonic plates are in constant movement but they are thankfully even slower than us]... so you're going to get there eventually and anyway. It's about riding your bicycle. To work, to play. Casually, in a relaxed manner. With time to enjoy the self-propelled movement that you and you alone generate. And, of course, to look around and see the landscape - urban or not - that you pass by at your leisurely pace. It's time to take cycling back and place it firmly in the category "normal way to get to work, to the shops, to the cinema". Indeed, "normal things to do". This is for those who enjoy the ride. There are...

Cycle Chic Copenhagen - The Original Cycle Chic

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The thaw is setting in and the snow is slowly melting. But winter ain't over yet. Welcome to Cycle Chic. This is where it all started. Cycle Chic  began its bloglife back in June 2007 when journalist, film director and photographer Mikael Colville-Andersen decided to put a growing number of his photos about Copenhagen's bicycle culture into one place on the internet. A series of social documentary photos about Copenhagen started to include a number of shots of life in the World's Cycling Capital, including fashionable Copenhageners on their bicycles. The feedback about these photos was positive and there was clearly a growing interest abroad in seeing how the bicycle was an integral part of life in the Danish capital. Specifically about how Copenhageners have demystified the bicycle and use it without any form of bicycle 'gear'. Just as the bicycle was meant to be ridden when invented. What happened after Cycle Chic was launched took everyone by surprise. ...