Columbus Rides Bikes!

The Cleveland Hostel is housed in a historic building in  Cleveland’s vibrant  Ohio City  Neighborhood with restaurants, shops, breweries and the fabulous  West Side Market  right at your doorstep. With numerous  bus  lines and a stop on the  red line train  just a block away it is easy to get anywhere in the city. We offer  shared  and private rooms , a large fully equipped  kitchen, common areas , and amazing views of the city from the  roof top deck . The hostel is brand new and was specifically built with travelers in mind. Features include free wifi, free city maps, free off and on-street parking, bike rental, bike storage and lots of information on places and happenings around the city. Our staff are well traveled, friendly and helpful. http://theclevelandhostel.com

We don't mind saying this is the most beautiful bike we've ever built. No expense spared, craftsmanship in every detail, pain-stakingly designed for urban bliss. This is the bike we'd buy if they paid us more money. Premium Reynolds Cr-Mo frame with custom cast dropouts is light, simple and durable with custom stainless seatstay link for belt drive Extremely durable lugged Cr-Mo fork with classic lines and custom cast dropouts with integrated alloy washer, built to withstand any urban obstacle Custom 700c box section rims with sleeve joint and stainless eyelets build a comfortable, strong, and beautiful wheel for hitting the city streets Sure-shifting Shimano Alfine 8-speed internal hub provides super low-maintenance riding in any weather Gates Center Track carbon belt drive means quiet, clean, super low-maintenance performance [Specialized]

Momentum Mag  presents the second annual Holiday Gift Guide.  You can purchase a printed Gift Guide in Issue #59 the Winter Issue on newsstands now. Or you can download the new digital edition with BUY NOW and FIND A DEALER options. Download the free Apple app on itunes.  Note: you will first need to download the  Momentum Mag  app. or Download the free PDF.  Note: The PDF version does not have the BUY NOW or FIND A DEALER buttons activated.  You will need to download the digital edition or app in order for those buttons to work.

Growing up in Buffalo, NY I’ve heard lots of good excuses against commuting, or riding at all, in the winter months — and despite best laid plans to run, ski, or hit the gym, bikes collect dust, spare tires get bigger, it isn’t pretty.  Bike Spikes, however, show a lot of promise to head off those excuses by turning your tragically average steed into a studly snow bike.  Bike spikes are comprised of six flexible, studded plates connected by a wire that tightens them down on your existing tire, like modern snow chains which can be installed or removed in a matter of minutes by an experienced user.  While there isn’t much information out there yet, the pictures and video look pretty promising. More photos after the break. The wire connecting the studded plates allows you to tension Bike Spikes properly to your tire and to fold up the unit for easy storage. Bike Spikes look cool and add visibility. http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/11/18/bike-spikes-by-cesar-v

As American cities become more cycling friendly, bike lanes themselves are becoming more diverse. The toolbox of street design options available to planners is broadening to include new tricks and layouts. One such new bike facility is the “bike bay,” which make left turns across traffic safer. Bike bays, also sometimes called Copenhagen Lefts, combine the functions of a  bike box , which provides a waiting zone for turning bikes, and a bike sneak , which directs cyclists onto a particular riding angle. The idea is to have cyclists who want to turn  left  exit off the main bike lane and onto a separate slip lane on their right , which then curves around 90 degrees and allows them to cross perpendicular to the original lane. The idea should be familiar to anyone who has driven much in New Jersey, where the “ New Jersey left ” or “ jughandle ” essentially performs the same function for cars on state highways. San Francisco recently opened a bike bay at the corner of Market Street

Researching bicycling, like many ethnographic projects, suggests a bodily incorporation of the ethnographer into some local practice. I mean, I could study the social and cultural life of bicycling and not also ride a bike, but that would be like a celiac studying people who sample bread. Actually, that’s kind of accurate, because there is not one kind of bicycling, just as there is not one kind of bread. The celiac could enjoy millet and rice flour loaves, while avoiding those with wheat flour. I study and practice urban transport bicycling, which includes what I think of as “ urban recreational cycling ,” but I don’t know much about mountain biking, long distance recreational cycling, or racing. I don’t study those things, but I know people who do, like  Sarah Rebolloso McCullough, who studies the history and practice of mountain biking . I don’t focus on gender, but I read the work of  Elly Blue, a writer trained in anthropology who explores gender and many other issues in bic

You know that we take disaster preparedness pretty seriously here at Yuba Bicycles, because we believe that our bike contribute to making the world better – when the sun is shining or when a hurricane just decimated your neighborhood. Ever since the  tongue-in-cheek article from the CDC  came out about using a zombie apocalypse as a way to envision disaster preparedness, we’ve been waiting for someone to build up a Mundo as the ultimate zombie defense bike. Rok Straps , a strap manufacturer and major supplier to the US military and many emergency relief agencies, has built the Rok Straps Urban Tactical Bike, as a proof-of-concept for what a bike can be in a emergency or military situation. Wonder if they’ll bring it out to the 2013 Disaster Relief Trials? [See more at whatabikecando.com]

By chance, I heard last week’s edition of the BBC radio program, “Afternoon Theatre.” It was a drama based on the life of Beryl Burton, who, when she died of a heart attack while riding her bike in 1996 at age 58, was regarded as the world’s greatest ever woman cyclist. Two other female champions have since laid claim to Burton’s throne: Jeannie Longo of France and Marianne Vos of the Netherlands. These extraordinary athletes have variously been called the Eddy Merckx of women’s racing, but it’s hard to compare riders from very different eras: Burton had her heyday in the 1960s, Longo in the ’80s and ’90s, and Vos in this current century. The Dutch wunderkind has deserved her cyclist-of-the-year accolades this season thanks to her world and Olympic road titles, and her repeat victories in the UCI World Cup, women’s Giro, and cyclocross worlds. Before Vos’s recent emergence, Longo dominated women’s racing on road and track for the best part of 15 years—and that was well before her

I had a bike stolen a week before your friend. I filed a police report. Got a call this week from a detective telling me that the police reports sometimes fall through the cracks, but that CPD is having a property room auction this Saturday. She claims there are a ton of bikes that are going to be auctioned. Anyone can preview the sale at 9:00. If your bike is there and you have your paperwork (police report, serial number), they will give it back to you. I know it's a long shot, but I thought I'd let you know. Suze Here's the link. http://www.columbuspolice.org/CommunityInteraction/AuctionsEvents/AuctionsEvents.html

SRAM hasn't officially announced the upcoming Red hydraulic disc brakes and matching levers, but we know they're deep in development. Now we've spotted them out in public at a local cyclocross race in Castle Rock, Colorado – not far from SRAM's brake headquarters in Colorado Springs. It still feels as though there's some refining to do (we squeezed the levers but didn’t have a chance to actually ride them). But it looks as though they're tantalizingly close to being finished.  SRAM  isn't officially discussing them but several details can be ascertained just by observation. "Right now we're not really talking about it, but it needs to be out there and tested," said Avid product manager Paul Kantor. Massive lever bodies with vertical hydraulic cylinders The new levers have an outward cant [Keep reading at  BikeRadar]

Spread some holiday cheer (and cut down on the plastic kitsch) by decorating your yard with a red-nosed two-wheeler People get attached to their bicycles—and not just because they use clip-in pedals. That's one reason why bikes so often gather dust in the garage long after we've replaced them with newer, shinier models (Americans buy 20 million new bicycles a year). The frame may be bent, the chain rusted, the paint chipped-but we just can't let go. This project will help you finally put your two-wheeled friend out to pasture, at least for a few weeks each year. Using simple bike tools, I turned my ancient one-speeder into a reindeer to decorate my yard during the holiday season. [Keep reading at Sierra Club]

Kelly Clifton   has heard this stereotype a number of times: "Cyclists are just a bunch of kids who don’t have any money," says the professor of civil and environmental engineering at Portland State University. "They ride their bikes to a coffee shop, they sit there for four hours with their Macintoshes, they’re not really spending any money." If you’re a shopkeeper with such suspicions, you’re probably not on board with any plan that would cut down on parking right outside your door. Cyclists are the ones with time to kill; drivers are the ones with money. This perception is problematic in a place like Portland, where the bike-friendly city government is now looking to extend the reach of bike infrastructure – and the appeal of bikes themselves – to newer riders and neighborhoods farther afield from the urban core. "As we move out beyond those areas into more auto-oriented areas," Clifton says, "we start to see businesses say, ‘Hey, wait a m

The perfect complement to a bike with wood fenders   Available in all of the same wood species as Sykes Wood Fenders. [Sykes]

9:52AM EST December 2. 2012 -  Drivers in bike-friendly cities may be doing double takes, as bicycle-specific traffic signals pop up alongside the traditional round red, yellow and green signals controlling intersections. At least 16 U.S. cities, including Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C., have installed the lights, which feature a bicycle-shaped signal, according to an October study commissioned by the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. They signals are common in Germany, Sweden and Australia, according to the study. The reason for the new signals? Bicyclists can be at risk when entering an intersection on a yellow light that allows enough time for cars to clear the intersection, but not for bikes, the study found. Even traditional green lights may not allow enough time for a bicyclist starting from a stopped position to make it across. Bicycle signals can also help prevent collisions when a motori

I've been struggling with what to wear when it's raining, but not very cold.  I love my  Nau Shroud of Purrin  trench,  but it's  too warm for anything above the low 40's.   I've flirted with the idea of a rain cape for a while but didn't love any of the traditional options.   After much deliberation, for my birthday I bought myself an Iva Jean  rain cape.    I loved the silvery grey color.  And I was mostly satisfied with the look and fit.  The pullcords did work to free your arms,  and give it more shape than the "giant poncho"  look of traditional capes.   The problem was that it wasn't actually waterproof.   I rode in it a couple of times when I hoped it would rain, without any "luck",  and then I rode in it in the nasty snow-rain wintry mix we had a couple of weeks ago.   And it leaked.  My clothes underneath were quite damp in the 30 minutes it took to get home.   So I decided to return it and start looking for other alternati

COLUMBUS TRANSPORTATION AND PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION BICYCLE SUBCOMMITTEE   Call for Applications for 2013   The city of Columbus is accepting applications to serve on the Bicycle Subcommittee. The subcommittee reports to the Transportation and Pedestrian Commission and has been in existence for 2½ years. The city will be updating the Bicentennial Bikeways Plan in 2013 and anticipates using the subcommittee as a major partner in the update effort. Other duties include assisting the city in the design and operation of bike facilities, assisting in the prioritization and programming of bike projects and collecting community concerns regarding general bike issues. We are looking for people who have a personal and/or professional interest in advancing the culture of biking in the city for all levels of users and can devote quality time to the task. Please send your resume or qualifications and statement of interest to Kim O’Harra at KAOHarra@columbus.gov  by January 2, 2013. The

In North America over the coming months, Brooks will be hosting the  Dashing Bicycle Show , a travelling display of fine bicycles and accessories for fans of  style in the saddle . The Opening Exhibition will take place on the 8th of December in San Francisco at Huckleberry Bicycles, where Hendrick’s Gin will be on hand to lubricate the cogs of human interaction. “The Dashing Bicycle Show 2012-2013 Tour” 08 Dec 2012  Huckleberry Bicycles  San Francisco, CA 23 Feb 2013  Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop , Denver, CO 20 April 2013  Bicycle Space  Washington, DC 08 June 2013  Bikes on Wheels , Toronto, ON 25 July 2013  Bicycle Habitat , New York, NY Each event will begin with an opening party, and the display will remain for a fortnight thereafter. The bikes on display will be given away at the end of the tour in a very special contest, so read below for more details! A wooden box designed by Ben Wilson, such as this, will be travelling around the continent, its contents aw

Note: The above method of measuring stems is only one of a plethora of methods employed - but is probably the most popular one currently.  Some manufacturers measure stems in "degrees above horizontal" (common on road bikes, and assuming ~72-3 degree head tube), "degrees from 90 degrees", etc.  If in doubt, print out the chart, and use it to guesstimate your stem's "degrees above horizontal" value by aligning the bottom of the chart with a horizontal surface and sighting the stem extension against the extension lines on the chart. You'll usually be pretty close in estimating your head tube angle at 73 degrees (road) or 71 degrees (MTB).  So, to arrive at "stem angle", add the head tube angle to the "extension angle" from the chart and you'll have a number that most bike shops can use.   To calculate the effect of raising a stem, add 0.96cm of rise for every 1.0cm of quill or steer tube you expose, and subtract 0.30

Cycling is a great way to get out in the fresh air and see the great outdoors, even if bikes seem quite, well, basic. For a geekier edge though, Jenna de Boisblanc’s pimpMyBike  project modifies your bike to give it turn signals and a better strobe light. This project is built around an Arduino microcontroller, which sits alongside the battery pack in a box placed between the handlebars. This central control box also houses a speedometer and odometer, and two buttons near the brakes—one on each handlebar—control the LED matrix on the back of the bike. Tap a button to activate the turn signals (the button on the left handlebar switches on the left turn signal, the right button activates the right turn signal), and hold either of the buttons to star the strobe light. When you hit the brakes, the LED display turns red, like a typical brake light on a car. The back display flashes amber for night bicycling, and shows amber arrows when you activate the turn signal—no need to lift

Enjoy winter riding! In  Momentum Mag 's 59th issue we take an in-depth look at the growing popularity of e-bikes being used for transportation. Find out what our testers thought of 11 e-bikes as they took to the streets on a range of electric-assist rides. Discover how innovation, design and technology keep us rolling. See the latest sustainable frame materials, find out what’s inside an internal-gear hub and learn what it takes to make bike share systems work. We also have two fun DIY projects to help you customize your bicycle. Join us on a trip around New Orleans by bicycle and get a glimpse of the city’s diverse cycling scene. Check out our latest  Holiday Gift Guide  that we’ve loaded full of great gift ideas for the bicycle lover in your life. Plus; winter style picks for men and women, boots to keep you warm and dry on winter rides, a folding cargo bike, your winter riding tips and more! Pick up the latest issue of  Momentum Mag  at these ret

I personally believe that artists have the Midas touch. Any object they touch is magically transformed into a unique and exceptional piece of art. And more often than not, these are really expensive pieces of art. Adding to the list of some of the most expensive pieces of art is this new creation from artist Jack Armstrong. Dubbed the CosmicStar Cruiser ARTBike, it is the world’s most expensive ARTBike. Valued at $1 million, this ARTBike easily surpasses the  ½ million dollar bike created by artist Damien Hirst  for charity. Created over a 6 month period on a SOLE beach cruiser made in Los Angeles, the $1 million ARTBike from Armstrong is truly a functional piece of art. After winning the SOLE bike through an arm wrestling match with American Artist Kelsey Fisher, Armstrong began the task of repainting the bike in his "cosmic extensionalism" style of art. The bike was created in collaboration with Fisher and the two cannot wait to unveil it. [Luxury Launches]

The Cross Canada Project: Documenting a Bicycle Tour Across Canada from mike beauchamp on Vimeo .

Dear Friends of the Bike Lady: Year 2012 is rolling along amazingly well. Thank you for your continued support and generosity. Here’s a quick status update: We just surpassed $40,000 in funds raised to date and have 750 locks purchased, 750 sets of safety information photocopied and 750 tote bags donated by Meijer all on hand. We also have 772 helmets donated by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in conjunction with the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. We have slightly over 700 bicycles currently being assembled at Pickaway Correctional Institution (PCI) and tomorrow, we begin rolling them out! Tomorrow, Licking County will take 23, Union County 37, Madison County 50 and Franklin County will receive the first 100 of 500 total. As in years past, Abbruzzese Brothers will donate time, fuel, labor and vehicles to move the bikes. We’ll continue purchasing bikes as long as there is funding and we’ll deliver them through December 22 nd  until the last one is out the door and last n

How Bicycles Can Save Small Town America - PathLessPedaled.com from Russ Roca on Vimeo . An explanation of how bike travel can revitalize rural areas. To learn more or have us speak to your community, visit PathLessPedaled.com

We’ve been riding our Salsa Vayas for a little over two months and have managed to put over 1000 miles on them. In that time, we’ve ridden them around town, on the  25th Anniversary Cycle Oregon ride , on  our first randonneur event  (the Verboort Populaire), up Larch Mountain, on a few overnight bike tours and miles and miles of hills and gravel on road rides around Portland. The good folks at  VeloCult  built up our frames with components that we picked out that are a little different from the off the shelf Vayas and we had the bikes fitted at  Crank PDX . We’ve ridden them enough to get a good sense of how it handles and its ride qualities and what its best uses would be. So what’s the verdict? How do they compare to the venerable Surly LHT? Read on. Mountain Doubles Perhaps the biggest difference from our builds compared to the pre-built models are our choice of drivetrain. I’m using Apex brifters (which come stock on the  Vaya 2 ) and Laura is using Shimano bar end shif

Definitely a useful device for anyone that commutes to work on a bike, the BLAZE bike light helps motorists become aware of cyclists in their blind spot. Now completely funded on Kickstarter as of today after raising approximately $40,000, the  BLAZE bike light  projects a symbol of a green bike on the road approximately ten to fifteen feet ahead of the cyclist. Created by a woman named Emily Brooke in London, the light is designed to warn motorists that someone riding a bike is moving up in their blind spot a few seconds before the cyclist appears on the left or right side of a vehicle. Beyond regular sized automobiles, people driving large commercial trucks or buses with much larger blind spots will be able to avoid cyclists more effectively after spotting the laser projection on the road. Brooke came up with the idea for the BLAZE bike light in order to increase the safety of riding within London. According to the Kickstarter project, nearly four out of five traffic accide