Columbus Rides Bikes!

WHO?  Spurcycle: a passionate venture for two brothers to build a bicycle accessories company. WHAT? GripRings are currently a clever idea in pre-production form. The concept is pretty simple. In fact, chop a heavy rubber tube into sections and you have our first prototype: grip rings. Each grip is no longer an indivisible part. Instead, each grip is configured by stacking rings onto the handlebar against one another. It means you can use as few or as many rings as you want to change the width of your grips, extra wide or even down to the little grips used with twist-shifters.  The design has advantages beyond just length customization. Until now, it was difficult to mount grips inset from the handlebar edge, such as near the stem. Narrow or wide, GripRings can be installed more places.  Finally, since each grip is built from a series of colored rings, our grips achieve a new level of playful pattern making. Team colors are an obvious ...

If you live in a "progressive" city you probably have at least one lane of traffic that is dedicated as a "no killing bikers" zone. Which is a pretty grand idea, because we love it when we are not killed. While most of us here at Bike Smut are pretty experienced, bike lanes can offer some comfort in a bustling city especially in a high speed zone with lots of traffic. Still we generally prefer to " take the lane " over riding in just a rigidly defined space. We can see the benefits for new bikers to feel more at ease in the "no killing bikers" zone, but tragically it all too often becomes a "double parking" zone or a "car door opening in your path" zone. [Keep reading at Bike Smut]

The course will be +/- 30 miles of tight new england singletrack. The pre-eminent annual singlespeed mountain bike etc etc…here are the past locations and winners to the best of my knowledge. The fastest man and fastest woman will be recognized, but to win the belt and the SSUSA Champion title you’ve got to win the derby. Practice up boys and girls. 2008 Tennessee: Rob Kranz (M) and Rebbecca Tomaszewski (W) 2009 Georgia: Dejay Birch (M) and Shanna Powell (W) 2010 Arizona: Jon Bailey (M) and Mandy Wisell (W) 2011 Colorado: Nat Pellman (M) and Eszter Horyani (W) 2012 Vermont: maybe you… [SSUSA2012 website]

[See the BMX bike of the future here]

The purpose of a bike tow system is to assist slower and fatigued teammates; faster riders slow down and slower riders speed up such that the team’s overall speed increases. Towing systems are usually anchored to the seat post of the stronger rider’s bike (tower) and attached to the front of the weaker rider’s bike (towee). An alternative system is a waist-belt pair joined by bungy cord. NOTE: tow rope systems are also used with great success on foot too. Variation 1 – seat post The most common version has a piece of PVC pipe attached to the seat post, through which a length of bungee cord or surgical (rubber) tubing is threaded. The PVC pipe should be from-the-post-to-just-past-the-end-of-the-wheel in length. The pipe keeps the cord from getting caught in the lead rider’s wheel when there is slack on the rope. With the PVC pipe in place the tower is able to reach behind to ‘catch’ the cord should the towee drop ...

SONG FOR A SADDLE by Simone Pace (Blonde Redhead) Available for purchase: http://simonepace.bandcamp.com Edited by Jen Whalen Make A Bike Movie for the 12th Annual Bicycle Film Festival. Submit your film at:  http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

I have biked everywhere within 4 miles of my apartment in the past 5 years , including every job I’ve had — I’ve never had to drive to work in Denver. I find riding a bicycle exhilarating, but that’s no reason for you to think you should. In fact, here are 9 reasons you shouldn’t bike to work. I’m sure you can think of others. 1. It’s too dangerous. Can you imagine being out there on a bicycle with all these crazy drivers flying past you, nothing to protect you except a plastic and styrofoam shell on your head? You could get killed. The absolute best thing is to stay in the protective cage of your car, because no one’s ever been killed when they’re inside an automobile. Driving is safe. 2. You have to wear a tie to work. Or a suit. Or a skirt. Not only that, it’s important to wear your tie/suit/business casual attire from the moment you leave your house in the morning until the moment you get home. There is no conceivable way you could leave some clothes at your office, an...

[Gizmodo story]

Editor's Note: It seems the news is reporting a lot of cyclists being hit from behind. I think it occurs a lot more than what people think or state. High profile stories include the woman from NYC hit in Columbus in February, professional Levi Leipheimer, and the first person to be charged under the new Pennsylvania 4 foot passing law hit a cyclist from behind. Frank Pavlick was riding his bicycle on Fahy Bridge Monday when he was struck by a car. He suffered minor injuries, but the driver of the car will be cited under the state's new bike safety law.  ( Kathleen Cook, TMC  /  April  1 , 2006 ) By  Tracy Jordan , Of The Morning Call 12:55 p.m. EDT ,  April 4, 2012 One of the Lehigh Valley's leading bicycling safety advocates became the region's first victim under a new law meant to protect cyclists from passing vehicles when a car struck him from behind on the Fahy Bridge in Bethlehem Monday. The law allows motorists to drive over double yello...

Plank is a natural alternative to it’s injection-molded ancestors. We fabricate our fenders from natural bamboo laminate into a stiff arc. Treated with an organic penetrating oil, they are then waterproofed with two coats of shellac. The fittings are composed of stainless steel, machine at a shop right here in Steel City. Our design fits into the rear brake assembly of most 26” and 700c based bicycles. We’re happy to work with the fit on your bicycle to ensure that Plank is in no way interfering with the quality of your ride.

Ryan Lane/Getty Images Researchers are studying whether cycling poses risks to women’s sexual health. Spending time on a bicycle seat, which has been linked to erectile dysfunction in men, may also be a hazard to a woman’s sexual health, a new study shows. Many women who cycle or take spin classes are familiar with the numbness that sometimes can occur from sitting on a traditional bike seat. Bike seats are designed in such a way that body weight typically rests on the nose of the seat, which can compress nerves and blood vessels in the genital area. In men, this raises the risk of erectile dysfunction, something that has been  documented in studies of male police officers on bicycle patrol . [Keep reading at NY Times]

Binary Transition TR250 stop motion build from Binary Bike on Vimeo .

On February 4, 2012 Governor Tom Corbett signed HB-170.    The new law amends the Vehicle Code in several ways to define how bicyclist must ride on the roads as well as how drivers of motor vehicles must drive when they encounter a bicycle. This article will review the new amendments and offer my interpretations. Title 75 (Vehicles) Section 3301(c)(1) is amended to read: Pedalcycles: Upon all roadways, any pedalcycle operating in accordance with Chapter 35 proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway.              (2) This secti...

About me: Riding bikes to get places I ride bikes to get places. Sometimes those places are far away, and sometimes encrusted with snow and ice. I rest for the winter– living, cycling, working– in Anchorage, AK awaiting the next chapter. To ensure capable and safe transport in all conditions, I currently ride two bikes, which I refer to as my snow bike and my ice bike. This summer and fall I rode from Annapolis, MD to northern New York, then westward to Banff, Alberta to hook up with the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Any and all of it was great fun, and is recommended. Rather, I’ve never been on a bike trip I didn’t like. Even that time when it rained for two months. Or when travelling north, into the wind, on the Pacific Coast. I condone any and all travel by bike or on foot, by ski or snow shoe or regular shoe or no shoe; or by air, in a balloon; or by water, swimming or by kayak, sailboat or board. Disregard them (naysayers), you can transport yourself! I am momen...