Columbus Rides Bikes!

Vaya Bags' $99  Laptop Bag  is, like all of Vaya's products, made from recycled materials—in this case, recycled bike tubes. Vaya Bags prides itself on reusing and recycling materials that are already weather resistant, such as canvas scrap from sailboat factories. The Bike Tube Laptop bag is a great everyday bag for carrying your laptop and tablet while commuting, but like everything else in this world, it isn't perfect... Continue reading at TechHive

Exercise outfits seem to fall into two camps: garments for those who want to blend in, and those--usually in iridescent colors and futuristic materials--for people who seem to want to say, "Check me out, I’m exercising!" A new, LED-infused cycling and running jacket most definitely falls into the latter camp, albeit more for safety’s sake than for fashion’s. A band of strobing lights streaks up the back, across the chest and out the arms of the Badger 360° LED Jacket, providing visibility from any direction, from up to a quarter mile away, to warn approaching cars. Creator Quanns Leung of Los Angeles-based athletic gear company  Badger Gears  says that he and his business partner’s late-night and early morning triathlon training sessions motivated the jacket’s design. "We didn’t really feel safe running or cycling at night," a sentiment that’s supported by stats: The majority of bike accidents occur between 4 and 8 p.m., when dusk collides with rush hour.

Chicago Bicycle Program On a rare snowy December at UBC, the morning bus commute is a miserable crawl through a city shocked by a sudden burst of winter. Yet Jinhua Zhao, assistant professor at the School of Community and Regional Planning and the department of civil engineering, is beaming. He loves this weather as a metaphor for the shock he says Vancouver needs in order to establish a bicycle culture. In 2007, Vancity ran an experiment that invited people to share a fleet of 45 free machines. Two months later, half the bikes had disappeared and the rest were eventually donated to a nonprofit connecting low-income earners with transportation options. That short-lived pilot was inspired by UBC, which has been home to its own public bike share since 1998: $15 grants access to some 100 purple-and-yellow bicycles scattered around campus. Zhao likes these programs but wants more, much more. "What if we buy one million bicycles-cheap bicycles from China for, say, $30 million

This gladiator straight turns heads.  With it’s fat front tire, chromed out alloy rears, and dropped frame,  Atticus  seems to float over the ground. Atticus  is perfect for scaring roller bladers off the bike path, creating conversation at tailgaiting parties before the big game, or being the center of attention at the car show.  Take it across those long flat surfaces for a late lunch and park it outside of the cafe to turn heads.  Or better yet, valet this sonovagun for instant celebrity. All Urbantrike trikes are single speed, front wheel driven with a free wheel hub.  Hand brakes control your speed and pantented sliding seat channel provides that perfect, custom fit every time. All  Atticus  trikes feature the following: Rollin’ on twelves  – 12″ alloy rims with 2″ of low profile rubber.  Rides and looks sick. Fatty in the front  – 20×2.5 street tread front wheel.  Grip the road like a boss. Bucket ‘o’ comfort  – Molded high density bucket seat.  Low.  Deep.  Comfy.

You may already know Hal&Al's always carry a regular selection of Abita products. This picture was taken during a keg delivery run last summer and was submitted to the Abita French Quarter Fest Getaway Contest . We made it to the top ten as a finalist! So now we need your help. Please go to  https://www.facebook.com/abita/app_451684954848385   and vote for the photo to the right (not the naked girl in the bath tub) Please note voting is through facebook and will not work on your mobile device. Voting ends March 10th. If we win, Hal&Al's will have a BIG party at the bar for all their facebook fans and friends. Thanks!

Image of a PiCycle Limited bike from the  Pi Mobility website What does a bicycle plus a motorcycle equal? A  PiCycle  of course. This nifty mode of transport is a hybrid bike that is powered by both human energy and an electric motor. Depending on your mood and how much energy you’d like to expend, PiCycles let you decide how you’d like to  ride : as a bike, a motorcycle or both. But unlike your standard motorcycle, the PiCyle does not emit any tailpipe emissions and uses less than 200 pounds of CO2 - the same amount of energy as a hair dryer. Created by  PiMobility , the eco-conscious company locally designs and manufactures these sustainable two wheeled wonders with the 21st century rider in mind. Convenience is a major part of PiCycles, and all the bikes can be charged and plugged into any standard electric outlet. To make the deal even sweeter,  each bike is equipped with a charger suitable for smartphones, GPS units, cameras and speakers. Besides being a smooth ride, Pi Mob

Get ready, fun hogs, for the 10th Annual Gravel Rouser Classic! You will find full event details on our website: http:// www.athensbicycle.com/ about/ 2013-gravel-rouser-classic- pg146.htm View photos from the first nine Gravel Rousers here: http://www.flickr.com/ photos/athensbicycle/ collections/ 72157632482119148/ To see recaps and results from last years Gravel Rouser, scroll through the "Notes" tab on our main Facebook page. Please read this year's event information closely because there are quite a few changes. We look forward to seeing you in March for the best Gravel Rouser yet. [Facebook event]

I hope that you are well! I wanted to share my story with you as I have become an advocate for proton treatment for prostate cancer. Here are the links: Bike TV Spot -  http://youtu.be/pH3X1Gk1Xl0 Bill’s Story (Website) – http://www.pennprotontherapy.org The TV commercial is running in the Philadelphia market through March. I prefer watching the commercial with someone playing me rather than watching myself in the interview piece. Hopefully it will all help someone to get life-saving treatment that will help them to avoid serious complications. Regards, Bill-

Columbus Rides Bikes will be heading to Detroit to attend Detroit Bike City 2013 [Facebook event] Detroit Bike City returns to Cobo Center to fill an even bigger space, Wayne Hall. With 100,000 ft2 of floor space and 30 foot ceilings, Wayne Hall is going to be filled with bikes, lots and lots of bikes. With vendors from all over the Midwest and beyond offering new, used, custom, road, mountain, BMX and more, all things two wheeled will be covered. www.detroitbikecity.org March 16, 2013 Cobo Center // Wayne Hall 10:00am - 6:00pm $10 at the door (look out for early bird tickets with discounts / raffles) Kids 12 and under get in free Everyone in welcome to swap for FREE, details below. Detroit Bike City is the premier bicycle event of the year. Started in 2012, Detroit Bike City took hold of the cycling community with a bike show on a scale that Detroit had not yet seen, and it was met with great appreciation. What to expect: Detroit Bike City 2013 is expected to more than double th

Share the Road from AAA Public Affairs on Vimeo .

As a medium, carbon offers unlimited potential. Until Argonaut, you had to make a compromise: If you wanted the benefits of cutting-edge technology, you could go with one of the Big Three, “your” bike just one of hundreds marching down the same assembly line, “your” size just a letter on the tag of a T-shirt. If you wanted custom sizing, you could go with tube-to-tube or wrapped carbon, cobbled together without regard for the true benefits of the material. It’s impossible to make the best carbon fiber bicycle frame by cutting corners. So we don’t. You need proof? Let’s dispense with the formalities: Our engineering and production facility has been a leader in composite manufacturing for over 30 years. We have advanced molding and carbon tooling down to a science. A 4-axis CNC machine? Check. A 50-foot automated plotter? Check. We are engineers who know carbon just as well as we know the trails and twisting descents of our Pacific Northwest. We can make anything. Better. Lighter.

Hand-tooled leather Top Tube bag. This bag is designed to fit almost any top tube size, it has adjustable straps with snaps for more security. Easy to snap on and off of your bike, easy to access while on your bike, and a thin design so that you don’t have to worry about it rubbing on your legs while riding. Perfect for those who don’t like riding with a backpack yet want to carry a few items. This bag is hand sewn, cut, and stained. Items are made to order. Made in our workshop in Los Angeles, Ca. [Bici Couture]

If you are interested in cycling and wish to learn more about cycling apparel and accessories as well as ride opportunities in Pittsburgh, you should plan to attend the Pittsburgh Cycling Expo being held Sunday, April 7, 2013 at the IBEW Circuit Center on the Southside of Pittsburgh.  The proceeds benefit The Montour Trail.   http://www.pghcyclingexpo.com This first-of- its-kind event in the Pittsburgh area is open  to  bicycle enthusiasts, recreational bicyclists and anyone who has an interest in bicycling.  Vendors and local bike shops are invited to display their wares in the Expo area.  Trail updates and information on organized rides will be available.  Doors to the Cycling Expo area will open at 10 am.  The fashion show starts at 2 pm.   Michael Bash, owner of Michaels Cycles in Natrona Heights, PA said when learning of the Pittsburgh Cycle Expo, "Pittsburgh needs an event of this sort." The Montour Trail is a multi-use non-motorized recreational rail-trail nea

DESCRIPTION : AC-RBX is a difficult 45 mile race through the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country on byways of pavement, gravel, dirt and worse. The course in punctuated by relentless climbs followed by fast gravel and dirt descents. Bike and tire choice will depend on weather conditions leading up to the race; but it’s early April in Ohio, so things can change overnight! Organizers will provide daily updates on course conditions.  Regardless of day of race weather, very durable tires are highly recommended. AC-RBX starts and finishes at the Holmes County Fairgrounds just west of the intersection of Route 39 and Route 83 in Millersburg, Ohio: Holmes County Fairgrounds 8381 Ohio Route 39 Millersburg, Ohio 44654 [More at Amish Country Roubaix] 

A cold winter with plenty of ice and snow hasn’t kept people from trying out the new bike infrastructure that was  installed downtown this past fall . “I have noticed a surprising amount of winter use of the downtown u-racks and bike shelters,” says Cleve Ricksecker, Executive Director of the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. “I typically see one or two bicycles parked at the shelters, for example, even on really cold days.” Ricksecker adds that new bike lockers, which were installed at only four locations to gauge interest, have not seen a lot of use so far but still could catch on when the weather warms come springtime. [Keep reading at Columbus Underground]

Every frame builder hopes to lay claim to the space between rider and bicycle, the balance between aesthetic beauty and stark practicality. It’s the goal: to contribute, to connect, to shepherd into being a tool that helps people live cycling. Cycles dʼAutremont aims to to build bikes that balance art with tool. This balance is what makes creative craft so compelling. A great frame has to fit, not just physically, but emotionally. It is the interpreter, translating the experience of pedaling into the ride. The subjective points of interpretation: angles and tubing choices, method and joinery, fork and wheels are the space where we love the work, the decisions, and the careful collaborative thought. Every bike is a chance to be better, to hit those choices just right with a client. Here, frames are built from a dialogue between client and builder. Here, frames celebrate the rider. That’s the process. It’s born of conversation and concepts. It’s finished when the frame is good. It’s fi

Urban commercial real estate has always been a rough-and-tumble scrum, and now Amazon.com has torn up the playbook. Across the country, many brick-and-mortar retailers are in  big trouble . But there's an opening in this bad news that you can ride a bike through. Bikes, it turns out, seem to be a perfect way to get people to the few retail categories that are thriving in the age of mail-order everything: bars, restaurants and personal services. And in Portland, where  an early investment in basic bikeways  has made bikes a popular way to run errands, retailers are responding by snapping up strorefronts with good bike exposure. "All the bike traffic is part of the reason I chose the place, and I am definitely paying a premium for this spot," said Shana Lane-Block, whose 30-seat farm-to-table cafe and bakery  Compote  opened in 2011 on Portland's Clinton Street bike boulevard. "In the nice weather, it is astonishing to me how many bicycles go by."

[See the whole story at  No, you are not ‘held up’ on Dutch cycle paths ]

One of SDOT’s most popular publications, the Seattle Bicycling Guide Map is now better than ever. The map presents information about cycling in Seattle in a clear, easy-to-use, and friendly format. The 2012 edition includes a fresh cover, an updated maps and graphics and descriptions about facilities including green bike lanes, bike boxes, and bike dots. You can  download the map  or order a paper copy free of charge  using our online form . Seattle’s bike map is updated annually to reflect progress made in building the 450-mile bikeway network recommended in the Seattle  Bicycle Master Plan . To receive a printed copy of this map, call Bike Alliance of Washington at (206) 224-9252, or use the online form . You may prefer to plan your trip in advance by using our new interactive online bicycle map . It is developed to appeal to the various comfort levels of riders: frequent, average or occasional. Let us know what you think about the new maps. Write to us at walkandbike@s

This questionnaire is the first step of a research project about recreational and competitive cyclists and cycling. All participants in the project have the chance to win one of our gift certificates worth $150. The gift certificates can be redeemed at www.ekoistore.com to order cycling clothing, helmets, eyewear, etc. Responding to the survey will take about 9 minutes. The questions in this survey are about : - your demographic profile - your participation in cycling events - your use of a cycling training plan - your lifestyle - the cycling equipments you use - the media you use and consumption habits [Survey] The objective of this research project is to better understand the lifestyle of cyclists of all levels and to explore how cyclists train in order to develop better training plans. Your information will only be used for statistical analysis and segmentation and will not be public or shared.  If you wish to have additional information about this research project, please contac

A Stupor Bowl-er takes a breather. Photo by Erica Nicole If you said to a normal person, “Hey, let’s get on our bikes and race in freezing weather, and drink heavily while we do it!” he would probably laugh in your face. But bike messengers and hardcore cyclists are not normal people, and for the past 16 years they’ve been coming from all over the country to gather in Minneapolis to do just that. The event is called the Stupor Bowl, it happens the Saturday before the Super Bowl, and the most accurate summary of it probably came from Brian Lorei, a 23-year-old bike messenger from Chicago, when he announced shortly before the race, “Guys, I’m gonna fall down a lot.”  The Stupor Bowl didn’t always have the drinking component—that came in 2002, five years after the first race, when a bike messenger named Chad Selberg had the bright idea of putting the checkpoints at bars. From then on, being able to ride in a straight line after a dozen shots became as important as riding fast. This