Columbus Rides Bikes!

In my previous post,  No Such Thing as Junk Miles , I wrote about how a lot of road bikes today are overly influenced by racing -- making them too narrowly focused for the needs of many people who otherwise could  be well served by a good-quality road bike, but instead get steered into mountain bikes, "comfort" bikes, and cruisers because they don't want something that essentially boils down to a racing bike. There are exceptions, of course, and I thought I'd highlight a few bikes available today, to fit a range of budgets, that buck the current trends in bicycle design by being simple, comfortable, and versatile. Surly Pacer  (photo used with permission from Surly.) Surly Bikes , a brand from Quality Bicycle Products (QBP -- which supplies many bike shops around the country), offers a couple of bikes that fit my description of versatile road bikes. They also are pretty affordable. Using chrome-moly frames, welded construction, and single-color powder coated fini

You want to travel the world by bike, but you’re unsure about WHAT to pack… and HOW exactly you should pack it all on your bicycle. In this article I will demonstrate to you how I pack my current touring bicycle (a  Co-Motion Pangea ), my four  Ortlieb  panniers and my single  Ortlieb  handlebar bag. Inside the bags that hang off my bike are everything I need to survive for months at a time – as you will see in just a moment. It should be noted, however, that this is just ONE WAY of packing your belongings for a long-distance bicycle touring adventure. WHAT items you choose to pack and HOW you choose to store your particular belongings is going to depend on: Where you are going in the world What the road conditions are like in that area (paved roads vs. dirt/mud/ice/snow) How long you are going to be traveling (a couple days vs. several weeks or months) Where you will be sleeping at night (camping vs. staying in hotels) Personal preference And a number of other factors (w

To many, the ingredients for New York City’s bike-share program suggested a sort of sadistic alchemy. Start with notoriously unforgiving traffic. Add thousands of bicycles along the city’s most congested corridors. And see how perhaps the world’s least understanding drivers would cope with the new additions. And one more thing: Many of the cyclists would be helmetless novices — or worse, tourists — careening into and out of lanes with the whimsy of a youngster pedaling through a suburb. As of Monday, though, after more than five months and five million trips, none of the program’s riders have been killed on the bikes. About two dozen injuries, most of them minor, have been reported. [Keep reading at NY Times]

A man sauntered into our neighborhood bike shop and examined the display of locks. He hefted the most impressive one, a massive, heavy chain, looked at the price tag and frowned. "I don't know if I can afford it," he said to the shop owner. "Can you afford to have your bike stolen?" the owner replied. This is, in a nutshell, the basic logic of bike security. Bikes are light and easily transported, convenient qualities not only for bike owners, but also for bike thieves. So it's worth taking a few simple steps to keep your ride locked down when you aren't around. Once you've decided to secure your bike, you'll need a lock. There are several good options out there, depending on your needs. [Keep reading at Momentum Mag]

Get back on the road safely. Image by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious Before jumping back onto your bike it’s worthwhile remembering that some road users just aren’t looking out for us cyclists. But don’t panic – we’ve got some handy top-tips to keep you safe and seen out on the road. 1. Be alert It’s amazing what you will encounter as a cyclist on the road, you need to have your wits about you and be attentive to both the road and it’s other users. Keep your eyes peeled for fellow cyclists, motorists, parked cars and pedestrians with their unruly dogs, prams and children – at all times. 2. Have confidence Always remember that us cyclists have as much right to be on the road as motorists, be confident in your abilities and bike positioning. Pay attention to vehicle blind spots; don’t hide to the side or behind vehicles. In particular, try not to cycle up the inside of big vehicles, HGV’s turning left are notorious for their involvement in cycling accidents. Being assertive,

The stealthiest silent alarm for bikes. When someone as much as touches your bikes, you'll get an instant (as in one tenth of a second instant) notification in your smart phone. If the worst happens and your bike are stolen, Cricket can hunt down your bikes using it's cloud based system to ensure a swift recovery. Your first line of defense -  a small, lightweight silent alarm for your bikes . When combined with our free iPhone app, it allows you to sit back, enjoy and know your beloved bikes are safe where you left them. The Cricket uses low-power Bluetooth communications with a range of up to 150 feet and  works for years without replacing the battery  or switching  the device on/off. The Cricket will work with your iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPad 3 rd  and 4 th  gen, iPad mini, and iPod Touch 5 th  gen Each year  hundreds of thousands of bikes are stolen  across the United States, and each theft leaves the victim stressed and

'spread your love' by hamed kohan 'seoul cycle design' competition shortlisted entry 'spread your love' by hamed kohan  'spread your love' by hamed kohan from iran is one of the shortlisted design entries from more than 3000 participants in our recent designboom competition, 'seoul cycle design 2010', organized in collaboration with  seoul design foundation . the tire design features heart-shaped knobs that create playful tracks on the streets. a series of corresponding bike racks are distributed throughout the city. designer's own words: 'simple as love, strong as love.' tire treads in different colours  http://www.designboom.com/design/spread-your-love-by-hamed-kohan-seoul-cycle-design-competition-shortlisted-entry/

Looking back through the blog posts I have made I can track a definite progression of my movement away from mass participation events toward more low key, intimate events. I guess this is mainly as these smaller events tend to be the most challenging. The tougher you make something, the fewer the number of people who are gonna show to suffer. So, finding myself on a start line with less than 200 riders around me didn't feel out of place. But the fact that about 5000 had already started the event ahead of me that morning was mind blowing. Plus, another 6000 or so would be starting over the course of the morning…even more mind blowing! Racing bikes affords me not only the opportunity to suffer with friends new and old, but also to fulfill my passion for travel. Nothing gets you more ingrained in a new place than being absorbed into a bicycle event. If you love the outdoors then at some point you will of been alerted to the huge potential Norway offers, a nation of outdoor spor

Our line of Gen2 helmets comes with a Spin Dial at the back to give you a snug and comfortable fit, 360 degree reflectivity and the revolutionary magnetic buckle, allowing you one-handed operation and NO PINCHING! Durable ABS shell Protective EPS inner foam lining Front, top & back venting Adjustable Spin Dial allows for a snug & comfortable fit Deluxe soft chin pad for extra comfort 4 sets of foam pads to give you the perfect fit 360 degree reflectivity Magnetic buckle means no pinching! BE SURE TO MEASURE YOUR HEAD BEFORE YOU ORDER! All Nutcase bike helmets comply with the US CPSC Safety Standards for bicycle helmets for persons age 5 and older. [Nutcase]

CoGo Bike Share is cycling along strong! This initiative started by Mayor Coleman provides our Columbus residents and visitors with a fun, healthy, and unique transportation option. Whether our customers are commuting to and from work, running an errand, or taking in the sights and sounds of Columbus, the response has been overwhelming. Our short two months have been a huge success, with all of our customers logging in over 60,000 miles. I wanted to make you aware of an opportunity that may be of interest. CoGo Bike Share is running a winter advertising special for three months for our ad space in our 30 bike stations. This 55" X 35" space is valued at $800/month and is located on the street facing side of our stations. Before we pitch the space nationally, we wanted to provide Columbus businesses and organizations the space at a discounted rate. We value the support that each of you has given to the program and this is our way of saying thank you!    Pricing can be

Perfect  tyre  pressure for  cyclocross  is a personal thing, with variables in riding style, experience, setup and conditions all affecting the ideal arrangement. Correct pressure should be low enough to provide maximum tyre contact area and shock absorption without bottoming out on the rim. So what PSI is that, exactly? You will have to experiment to discover what works best for you. Here's how. The first step to unraveling this mystery is to establish benchmarks. Either get a good gauge (more on that later) or at least commit to using the same pump all the time, as different pumps can have wildly varying readouts. Now, start at a fixed point, say 50psi if you’re new to ’cross and using clincher tyres. Next, make some notes as you ride and race. Then, adjust the pressure according to the points below — and keep track of the exact pressure and the results. Pinch flat during a training session? Add some pressure. Feel like you’re getting rattled around like a pinba

Easy to store and acces all kinds of bikes anywhere EASY STORAGE:  Raise your bike with a tug on the safety release and then a slight push down on the bike, engages Bike-Nest's unique mechanism, so it lifts your bike for you to its stored position without electricity or pulleys. EASY ACCESS:  Slight downward pressure will lower your bike to the floor so its ready to use. NO POWER, NO PULLEYS:  Bike-Nest uses no power or pulleys. Its unique spring mechanism lifts the bike effortlessly for you, with only your fingertips to guide it. EASY TO INSTALL:  Only two screws are used to mount Bike-Nest to any ceiling joist or beam in just about any location;, your garage, house, apartment, or loft. ALL KINDS OF BIKES:  Bike-Nest works with all kinds of bikes; road bikes, cruisers, mountain bikes and high-performance bikes. COMPACT DESIGN:  Its compact design makes it easy to install Bike-Nest almost anywhere you want to store your bike. It maximizes storage space by raising

Upcycled shopper pannier made with salvaged materials - perfect for that trip down to the farmer's market. simple flap-top pannier d-ring tabs for adding a shoulder strap made from salvaged banner vinyl & truck tarps Size - 5" x 11" x 15" - 825 cu. in - 13.5 liters - 1 lbs 12 oz Each bag is uniquely cropped from our limited stock of banners & truck tarps.  Trim colors are selected to complement the graphics. All of our products are handmade from scratch by us in Portland OR, USA.  All of our fabrics and most of our hardware and trim is manufactured in the USA Stock items ship in 1-3 business days [See more at  North St.]

The Belll is 100% Dutch Design. Moreover, it will be produced in Holland entirely. Together with a couple of 1.000 early investors around the globe, The Belll is crowd funded by Kickstarter in 2013. This was only possible because of your trust in our company, in combination with our enthusiastic team, who work each day with tremendous dedication and with lots of fun to deliver a great Belll. QUALITY The Belll can easily resist weather influences like rain and UV. So, no more rusty pieces of metal on your bike. And the design is also clever, it can be installed easily; plug & play. No screws, just click it to your handle bar and go! [The Belll]

Description These lights were designed from the ground up to improve your ride. Sparse lights are constructed from cast metal, not plastic. Once installed, they are part of your bike. They won't jostle, rattle, or interfere with your cables. The metal chassis is joined by a double-lens, sealed with a silicone gasket to keep everything dry inside and working for a very long time. They're solid, sealed, tamper-resistant, and stupidly bright. SPACER LIGHT The Spacer Light sits beneath your stem in the stack of spacers. The light fits both 1" and 1 1/8" steer tubes. This integration makes it extremely difficult to steal and keeps the light pointed in your path of travel, visibly seated above the shoulder line of cars, and generally out of harm's way.   The source of illumination in the Spacer Light is a 3 Watt white LED with 3 modes, On, Off, and Blink. The 'On' state is bright enough to light your path ahead. The motion of the 'Blink' St

The Biking Game is a multi-generational game that allows every member of the family to play together. Themed around the legacy of biking with one of the more iconic biking companies on the planet, Schwinn, the Biking Game promotes an active lifestyle while educating and inspiring a future generation of bikers. The Biking Game was created to inspire families and bike enthusiasts to get outside and enjoy one of America’s greatest recreational activities together. The game is designed to grow with the player, starting at level one questions, which are primarily identification of basic bike parts and riding etiquette. As the players increase in their knowledge about biking culture they grow into the higher level questions. A fun & educational game where parents & children can race to see who can get their bike through multiple terrain and back home first. All while sharing favorite biking memories and creating new ones! [See more at Education Outdoors]

By the time he was 56 years old, Rust had settled into an off-the-grid life.  From outside Mike Rust's ramshackle compound tucked into the base of Copper Butte, you can just make out Great Sand Dunes National Park, 60 miles east across  Colorado's  expansive San Luis Valley. The dunes form when southwest winds whip up sand on the valley floor that was left behind when ancient lakes receded. Here a saddle in the  Sangre de Cristo Mountains  stalls the gusts, allowing the sands to accumulate. By the time I visit Rust's place, northeast of the town of Saguache, the grit has worked its way in.  Jerry Mosier ties a bandanna behind his neck, pulls it up over his mouth, and ducks inside. It's 2010, and the place has been abandoned for a year now. Pack rats and field mice moved in quickly. In this climate, mouse droppings often carry Hantavirus—a disease that kills a few people in the state every year.  I tuck my nose into my shirt and follow Mosier inside the truck camper Rust