Columbus Rides Bikes!

There is a major problem that needs to be addressed when two competing forces fight for the same turf. I have no problem with bicyclists on safe roadways or paths, but I do have a problem with groups of unyielding bicyclists on roads that are not made for them.  I'm talking about roads barely wide enough for two cars. An example is Lithopolis Winchester Road, in Franklin and Fairfield counties. It’s not that safe for two cars to pass (with many blind spots), let alone cars and bicyclists, yet it was made a bicycle path.  Are you kidding me?  I have lost count of the times I have seen cars pass bicyclists in an unsafe manner or have seen large groups of bicyclists stop the flow of traffic, especially on weekends, because they have no place to go when cars are lining up behind them.  There are roads that have appropriate width and flatness to allow both parties a certain amount of safety, but not roads like Lithopolis Winchester. I would suggest the powers that be sta...

From their blog -  We constantly get asked what size tires fit in our  fatbike  frames. The easy answer is four-inch tires on 82mm rims. This is what the  Mukluk  and  Beargrease  frames are designed around. Usually the next follow-up question is: What is the biggest tire I can run? The answer to that is: It depends. The Beargrease and Mukluk frames are designed around a 170mm-wide rear hub to facilitate fitting the wider rims and tires that make fatbikes… well…fat. The 170mm hub spacing isn't an accident. It has roots in the original Surly   Pugsley  frame design. When Surly was designing the Pugsley, they knew they had to design a frame that would allow the chain to pass by a  Surly Endomorph tire  on a Large Marge rim. This combination of rim and tire measured out to about 91mm at the widest point. Surly also knew that they were using a MTB Triple crankset mounted on a 100mm bottom bracket, which has roughly a 65mm chainline...

BIUS1 from BioConform GmbH on Vimeo .

Just when we get a little downcast about disrespect for bike lanes and  the NYPD’s seemingly lackadaisical approach to prosecuting drivers who kill and maim cyclists (and pedestrians!) , now feels like an opportune moment to play a little game of “hey, at least things are better than they used to be.” Even if we have to look all the way back to 1897! [Keep reading at Brooklyn Magazine]

The average American family spends about $10,000 a year for transportation, according to Author Elly Blue’s new book  Bikenomics . By biking , walking, and riding public transportation, a great deal of money could be saved by consumers.  Blue’s insight rings true: I had a co-worker who had not owned a car for many years, and she said she saved about $10,000 a year each year of being carless. In other words, she saved over $50,000 during that time. Since most of us are in the habit of driving cars, we may assume that is the thing to do and overlook the costs due to the extra convenience. If a family in an urban area could save $100,000 in ten years of not driving a car, however, that money could be used on education for the children. Today, one of the major costs and concerns for parents is how they are going to pay for higher education. (Typically, it is through loans, some with high interest rates, and today’s economy is not making it easy at all for young college gradua...

Increase in maintenance, insurance and fuel drive up average cost for sedans to $9,122 yearly, 60.8 cents per mile ORLANDO, Fla., (April 16, 2013) –  AAA  released the results of its annual ‘Your Driving Costs’ study today, revealing a 1.96 percent increase in the cost to own and operate a sedan in the U.S. The average cost rose 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving. “Many factors go into the cost calculation of owning and operating a vehicle,” said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “This year, changes in maintenance, fuel and insurance costs resulted in the increase to just over 60 cents a mile.” [See more at AAA]

UPDATE: SRAM Road Hydraulic Brake Recall – STOP USE IMMEDIATELY On November 4 th  SRAM identified and announced a technical issue with respect to a narrow production range of its RED 22 and S-700 Hydraulic Road Brakes. At that time, it was described as a performance and safety concern with no reported failures in the field. It has recently come to our attention that during last weekend’s Cyclocross racing in the US, in sub freezing temperatures, several failures were reported. In these conditions the master cylinder seals failed to hold pressure resulting in abrupt loss of brake power, and an inability to stop the bike. These failures are related to product that is outside the originally stated date code range and unrelated to the original failure mode. No injuries have been reported to date. As a result of this new finding, SRAM requests that anyone who has a bike equipped with SRAM Hydraulic Disc or Hydraulic Rim Brakes stop using the bike immediately. All products shipped...

The Friendly Cat's Paw $49.95 Motorists and Cyclists alike, As you already know: most states require a three foot buffer for a motorist to pass a cyclist. How far is three feet? Well, it's pretty impractical to hang a measuring tape out of your window. So what is the solution? The KaleCoAuto Friendly Cat's Paw. Simply attach the clamp side to your bicycle and extend the telescoping Cat's Paw. This extends to exactly 2ft 11 and 7/8ths inches. If a motorist passes too close, the spring-loaded Cat's Paw will gently brush the paint of the vehicle and emit a high pitched squealing sound as the (user replaceable!) friendship-blades run across the paint! The motorist will know immediately they are too close, and give you a friendly wave. Whew! Accident avoided. Another KaleCoAuto product that makes sharing the road safer and more fun!* Weight Weenies: Only 113 grams! *Not for use with pedestrians. http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14...

Keep all of your essential gear locked in your trunk, safe from the elements and hit and run thieves. Water resistant rubber-seal lid keeps contents safe from the elements Heavy-duty latch keeps lid tightly shut and can be securely locked. Flashing light mounted on back provides increased safety in low light conditions. Panniers or other bags easily mount on side rails Weighs only 2 lbs. Padded interior protect contents and provides quiet riding. Must be mounted to an existing rack by drilling holes through trunk and then bolting to rack. [See more at Stone Cold Outdoor]

Movers and Makers Vol. 1 - Christopher Igleheart from Swobo on Vimeo .

The sleek, minimal design, with your child in front, ensures there is nothing between you and your greatest family adventures. Mac Ride relaxing at the beach WHAT IS MAC RIDE?                  Mac Ride is a unique seat for children that goes on your bike between you and your handlebars. Mac Ride is about you taking your child with you to explore the streets, the paths and off-road terrain. Mac Ride is strong, lightweight, ergonomic, easy to install, interactive and - perhaps most important of all - FUN! Big smiles on the trails! THE NEED  There is a particular age at which children begin to want to do everything that their parents do , and yet they are not always physically capable. For our kids it began somewhere around the age of 2, and has carried on for years afterward, depending on the activity. As a mountain biker and general outdoor enthusiast,  I wanted to share my love...

“Roll-on" bicycle service and “Amtrak” are two buzz words that we’ve been hearing a lot lately, and we’re excited about the recent progress to make multi-modal travel more convenient and accessible for cyclists across the country. In this post we'll give you an update on the formation of an Amtrak task force to develop more bicycle services on trains, and tell you about the new spreadsheet that we’ve created to help facilitate bicycle travel on Amtrak lines. [Keep reading at Adventure Cycling]

Stop down to celebrate a great year of biking and wrap-up the "12 Days of Yay" with an evening of food, drink and camaraderie.  • Food and drink specials. • Pickup your 12 Days of Yay prize if you are a winner. • Enter the raffle for some great biking prizes. • Join Yay Bikes! and support bicycle advocacy in Columbus. • Pickup a set of pint glasses to support Yay Bikes! courtesy of  Hal & Al's . Not sure what Yay Bikes! is all about? Look for members in our red shirts and find out what we are doing to get people on bikes here in Columbus. RSVP here

The new Linden Avenue in Seattle, our pick for No. 5 nationally. Photo:  SDOT . Two years ago, PeopleForBikes launched the  Green Lane Project  to help focus attention and expertise around something that we decided was going to be the next big thing in city biking: the protected bike lane. It's always nice to be right. As the thermoplastic dries on this year's round of terrific protected bike lane projects, we decided to scour the country for a comprehensive (and subjective) ranking of the best of the best. We talked to experts and advocates around the country, looked at technical photos and schemes and read the news reports to understand not just how these bike lanes were designed, but why. Though the word "complete" can be hard to define for something as malleable as a city street, every project on this page has been in some clear sense finished during this year. [Keep reading at peopleforbikes.org]

The two wheel version of the Dutch ‘Bakfiets’ Amazing modern design Galvanized Steel frame High Quality German Birch wood Bench seats for maximum 2 children 7 internal gears (low maintenance) Stable because of low positioned box Built for maximum safety Easy to drive All weather proof; mudguards, enclosed  chain case and internal hub brakes. [Babboe]

A piece that aired on KRON Channel 2 in 1992. From the comments, many think the footage is from the mid-80s.

THE BICYCLE from Adam Neustadter on Vimeo .

WE ARE YOUNG While staying at the Y in Banff readying myself for the Divide I’ll never forget when these two  kids  came in.  They were half my age, wearing matching  Whiskey Parts t-shirts  and were bright, peppy and did I mention young?  I honestly thought it was some kids that were coming out to root us Tour Divide Racers as we left Banff.  These kids were Kristen and Taylor and for a month I raced against and rode with them over the spine of the Divide. I can’t say enough good about them and admired them for always keeping upbeat, pragmatic and positive in a race that wanted to shred you of all three of those things.  Taylor was a fellow single speeder and was unbelievably talented on the one gear and taught me a few things on how to be rather speedy myself on one. I was able to nab Taylor’s attention for a few moments and get his take on the Divide, here’s how it went: Name:  Taylor Kruse Occupation:  “User Experienc...