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Showing posts from June 17, 2012

In honor of post ride beverages - The Budnitz Beer Wrench

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Our lovely Beer Wrench has a titanium 15mm spanner on one side, and a bottle opener on the other.  Two titanium thumb-screws attach it securely the the water bottle mounts on most bicycles (including ours).     The 15mm wrench will remove rear axle bolts, Alfine internal hub bolts, and Pitlock keys, making it perfect for removing a wheel on the road.  The bottle opener opens... a beer.  Or a bottle of San Pellegrino.  Or any other fizzy bottled beverage you might suddenly be in need of on an extended ride. Engraved quote from 13th century Japanese Zen Master Dogen, helpfully reminding lost riders that we're always exactly where we're supposed to be.   Weight: a paltry 35 grams. [Budnitz]

Get on your bike and ride today!

Today will be a beautiful day to be on the bike, so put down the laptop/cell phone and get in the saddle. Posts will resume tomorrow.

Bike helmet clash: To wear one or not—that is the biker's question [RedEye Chicago]

Aaron Szumny has been cut off by reckless drivers and scraped up by a car door flung in his path. He has seen fellow bikers be just as careless as other drivers, and inexperienced riders create hazards on Chicago roads. Despite the dangers, the lifelong rider, who currently is on a break from cycling, doesn't wear a helmet when he rides. "I feel like it restricts my vision," said Szumny, 30, of Wicker Park. And in a city with no law requiring helmets for cyclists, he certainly isn't the only one to skip out on headgear. In fact, the debate over whether to wear a helmet while riding is constant in the city. Advocates point to recent research that suggests helmets can be a line of defense against serious head injuries, but others question those claims. Opponents say riders might be worse off with the headgear because it can give a person a false sense of security. In Chicago—recently ranked the fifth-most bike-friendly city in the country by Bicycling Magazi...

What To Expect at the 2012 Pedal with Pete, Columbus, OH Ride

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New For 2012: JOIN US FOR A PRE-RIDE PARTY  Pre- register  before Wednesday, July 4th and pick-up your rider packet (maps, handouts, T-shirt, water-bottle) at  ANY  Columbus Bike Source  location on Saturday, July 28th from 2pm-6pm.  Come join us at the  Clintonville Bike Source for a Pre-Ride Party  from 2pm-6pm .  Everyone is invited! Registration will still be available at the store and online through Wednesday, August 1st and the day of the ride, Saturday, August 4th. Bike Source Locations: Clintonville:  2887 N. High Street Dublin:  4840 Sawmill Rd. Westerville:  591 S. State Rd. ADDITIONAL FOOD STOP FOR 7-MILE RIDERS  In the past, our 7-mile riders had food at the START/STOP, but no extra food or water on their route.  Thanks to a suggestion from long-time supporter and rider Wendy Billings and her son Luke, we are adding a food stop  right on the bike-path 1/2 way through our 7-mile route for th...

metrofiets shop+bike

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When we were approached by the  North Natomas Transportation Administration  to build a bike that could act as a roving “fix it” station, we jumped at the chance!  As it turned out – we had our work cut out for us. The “Mobile Bike Service Station” is a mobile bike shop on two wheels. In addition to the “standard” features found on may of the cargo bikes we have built, we outfitted it with the following custom bits: removable “work-bench module” bench mounted vise truing stand locking tool cabinet locking rear box cabinet doors that double as sandwich boards internal storage frame heavy duty rear rack outrigger kickstand The bike is totally self sufficient and has enough room for tools, bike stands and gear for three mechanics. [See more at metrofiets]

How to Succeed at Bike Swaps [Bicycling]

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Photo:   Fred Dreier Bring Cash—Lots OK, we don’t recommend liquidating your savings pre-swap, but remember that swap dealers want greenbacks, not your novelty penny-farthing personal checks. (Every swap has that long line of grumps waiting for the one dial-up ATM.) [See more at Bicycling.com]

Detroit to get $10M federal grant to link city landmarks From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120621/METRO/From The Detroit News

Washington  — The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday will unveil the latest round of grants for projects around the country, including $10 million for a Detroit project. The grant will improve transportation connections between major Detroit landmarks. The grant will help support the city's Link Detroit project, aimed at improving connections between major attractions such as the Detroit RiverWalk, Eastern Market and the downtown and Midtown business districts. LINK Detroit includes capital improvements at Eastern Market; plans to link the Dequindre Cut, Hamtramck and Midtown Loop greenways; and reconstruction of the Adelaide, Division and Wilkins Street bridges over the former Grand Trunk Railroad line, all of which are badly in need of repair. "It will help generate construction jobs immediately, and more jobs in the future as it spurs development in and around Detroit," Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, said earlier this week. U.S. Rep. Hansen Clarke, D-Det...

DIYshift open source electronic bicycle shifter project

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Diyshift is an open source project in its early stages. I try to use as many open source and free tools as possible in its creation. Once finished all of the CAD files, schematics and code will be open source. Keep in mind this is currently a work in progress and there are still many bugs to be worked out and improvements to be made.     The aim of this project is to create an open source/open hardware electronic bicycle shifting platform  using an inexpensive mid-level front and rear derailleurs modified to work electronically using a custom servo mounts,  a standard RC servos, an Arduino based microcontroller and a hand full of easily obtainable components. I am hoping that this project will open up opportunities for those who are interested in experimenting with electronic shifting but who have been deterred by the high price tag for current production systems.   The benefits of electronic shifting:  Electronic shift systems are not suscept...

DISH: Foodie pedalers will try out food peddlers [The Other Paper]

It’s a mix of athleticism and eating: a bike tour with frequent gorging—er, fueling—stops at food trucks. Yay Bikes! will lead a Food Truck Bike Rally through the streets of Clintonville on June 30. The tour kicks off at 11 a.m. at Goodale Park—which, oddly, is not in Clintonville. He adds that starting (and ending) the route in the Short North makes for a nice bike ride, at a little less than 12 miles. “We love Goodale Park and make it a consistent start point for all of our educational and fun rides, explains Ray George, the group’s board chairman. [Keep reading at The Other Paper] Join  Yay Bikes!  for the event! Let them know here.  https://www.facebook.com/ events/348681945199508/

STREET SHARKS SPRINT SERIES PT. 3 REGISTRATION

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Don’t forget to register for Street Sharks Sprints this coming Tuesday, June 26 from 11 a.m. till 8 p.m. Paradise Garage in the parking lot. I’ll be set up under a tent and looking forward to seeing you all out there! If you can not make it between those times I’ll be at the lane and high st. bike polo court from 9 p.m till 2 a.m. Tuesday night! $5 gets you in!

Deckster Clipless Pedal Adapter

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Description Sometimes socks-and-sandals doesn’t seem so wrong. Our Decksters clip in to your two-bolt style clipless pedal and BLAMMO: a flip-flop pedal so you can wear your flip-flops. Tech Details Compatible with two-bolt style cleats (not included) Designed for Shimano, Crank Brothers, Wellgo, Ritchey and Time pedals Not compatible with Speedplay pedals Includes 85 x 95 x 10mm platform and mounting hardware Part Numbers QBP # Product Name PD1151 Deckster Clipless Pedal Adaptor [See more products at Problem Solvers]