Anything related to human-powered wheeled transport...except skateboards and scooters. "Cycles" because "bicycles", "biking", "bicycling", and "cycling" have all been taken.
Looking for bike trips to take for next summer. Upper New York State is a possible venue. A loop of 150-300 km would be the ideal -- preferably bike trails not roads. Any suggestions?
The North County Trailway covers sections of the old Putnam rail line in Westchester county. Lots of good smooth riding....but you'll be going back and forth a bunch of times to get to 300km. http://www.westchestergov.com/parks...
- Bill Scherer
Another possibility is a one way trip where some bike/person/luggage transportation back to the origin is offered (like the service on Le P'tit Train du Nord route in Quebec).
- Brian Sullivan
Welded steel, throwback jack-of-all trades for $400 (frame/fork): runs canti brakes, 650b wheels, short horizontal drop-outs to allow for SS and internal hubs, dual bosses on front and rear for fenders and racks. Will take up to 44mm tires. Been considering this to do a new townie build, but am stuck on the idea of getting a lugged frame.
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
"Thompson was accused of assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving causing specified bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury and mayhem. The most serious charges stem from a July 4, 2008, incident on Mandeville Canyon Road, the road where Thompson lives, where he was accused of abruptly stopping his car in front of two cyclists. Other charges relate to a similar incident on the same road that did not result in injuries."
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
Cool animation using still photographs that also shows how dangerous dooring is. If you're a driver, please look before you open. And if you're a cyclist, stay out of that door zone...
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
"There were boxes upon boxes, parts upon parts, and bikes upon bikes. It was like accidentally stumbling upon a gold mine. Bob Jackson's, Mercian's, Rivendell's, etc, etc... I've always heard of stories like this but I never expected to be lucky enough to be the one telling it."
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
If pictures of bikes is "bike porn," then this story is Penthouse Letters.
- Chester
Close to what I'd picture as ideal. If I spec'd it, I'd go with more traditional frame geometry, a different handlebar, and would figure out a more elegant shifting mechanism than the stock Alfine shifter.
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
I consider the whole "cyclists who don't stop at Stop signs" thing to be a red herring. Cyclists who blow Stop signs when they don't have right of way are assholes and deserve to be ticketed, at least. Cyclists who blow Stop signs after checking to make sure they aren't getting in anyone's way...don't get in anyone's way. The "Idaho Stop" rule for cyclists is something we and all states should have and cyclists who break the letter and spirit of the law should be punished. That's that. The rest is just noise.
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
I get very angry at cyclists who blow through stop signs, stop lights and the like. Because they definitely do make citizens mad at cyclists. I fully admit that I go up to the stop sign and look and listen well. If there is no traffic, I won't stop. But if there's any traffic, I stop. And if I were to get ticketed for not stopping, I'd take my medicine. I would deserve it. I know what the law says.
- Spidra Webster
What people need to bear in mind is that an asshole remains an asshole whether they're driving, riding a motorcycle, walking, biking, etc. What makes car drivers more observant of laws is not that they're inherently better people than cyclists (and let's remember that plenty of car drivers bike, too), it's that they're more likely to be ticketed and/or arrested if they disobey the law....
more...
- Spidra Webster
To me, the point is that it's perfectly reasonable for a cyclist to treat a Stop sign as a Yield sign. But, yeah, if I got ticketed for blowing through a Stop sign with no other traffic in sight, I'd accept the ticket without argument -- the law is the law. Of course, in my head, I'd also think about all the cars that double-park in the bike lane, joggers who run in the bike lane,...
more...
- Chester
Thanks for the link...I had wondered how this case would turn out. So glad that there was a conviction. It will be interesting to see what the sentence will be. Hope this and similar cases get publicized...as much as careless drivers are a hazard, what scares the crap out of me are the out-and-out attacks by local yokels who live along popular cycling routes.
- Chester
Mini Cooper is now selling their own branded bikes. I guess, since Benz did, BMW has to as well, but...if they're using their Mini brand, shouldn't they be folders? Or BMXes? Or, at least, have 650b tires?
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
Every car should come with a bicycle and instructions that say to only use the car when absolutely necessary.
- Tim Keneipp
Picycle -- latimes.com First electric bike combo that has caught my attention. None of my current bikes have suspension so that is a non-issue for me. - http://www.latimes.com/videobe...
New "folding" helmet from Dahon. Not sure if it looks weird-cool or just weird. Looks like it would be the perfect helmet for playing Rollerball in the year 2100. The folding (sides pivot up) doesn't make it *dramatically* packable, but maybe allows it to more closely hug the outside contour of a bag...or more easily allow for the dead space "inside" to be occupied by other objects inside a bag. Side, folded view here: http://www.flickr.com/photos... [Via Bikehugger]
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
Doesn't really make sense to me to make the jacket out of water-resistant material and then make the sleeve cuffs out of water-absorbent ribbing. As with all Rapha kit, the price tag is the hardest thing to swallow.
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
This is an interesting case. What to call it? Mini-velo MTB? Eccentric BMX cruiser? So weird. Also: so ugly. But maybe in an endearing way. This would be fun to rip around town on...
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
Ugh! I ride a older Cannondale hybrid as a commuter and love it after all these years. This is just plain ugly and with tiny wheels and no folding mech. it just seems silly. All of which means some damn hipster will feel so cool riding on the damn ugly things.
- Tim Keneipp
Yep, ugly as sin. It's a "mini velo," which I think are mostly popular in Japan, where there is enough of a market for bikes that ride more or less like full-size bikes, but are more compact and more easily stored in very small apartments. A very specific niche market. For some reason, I find them interesting and find the road mini velos kind of cool looking in an "ugly-cute" way.
- Chester
Interesting from an engineering perspective, but it doesn't add much to existing folders. And the tires...what would they be? Solid pieces of sectional rubber? That's going to ride like shit because of the seams and the lack of inflation. Or maybe one has to remove tire and tube each time it's broken down, which totally reduces utility for any purpose other than it being a travel bike.
- Chester
@Chester I agree at the lack of potential utility, but then most folding bikes lack some level of potential. I think you buy a folding bike to either get it out of the way or to be cool. If you want a bike to do everything and deliver comfort and style, personally I do not think you are going to be buying a folding bike. They are a series of compromises.
- Tim Keneipp
Yeah, I see the advantages as being: 1) compact storage and travel-ability, and 2) stowability on trains/buses/etc. for multi-modal commuting. And, yeah, there are compromises; from what I've seen, other folders balance compromises way better than this concept.
- Chester
Not that it isn't cool to make bike accessories easily recyclable, but...honestly...if there were an issue with bike waste, I don't think we'd really have a waste problem in general.
- Chester
from Bookmarklet
"his weekend, I celebrated the fourth month of my month-long experiment in carfree living by jumping on a bike and paying the rent in person. My landlord happens to live in the next state — a 50 mile round trip. It was a beautiful early autumn morning, and while I was businesslike while actually riding, I took time to look around, explore the world’s worst shortcut, and take a bunch of pictures..."
- Kol Tregaskes
from Bookmarklet
"The Colnago Super, a singlespeed with plenty of vintage appeal, is a new model Colnago is doing for 2010. The Super features a steel frame with chrome lugs, horizontal dropout handlebars, a flip-flop rear wheel, front and rear Tektro brakes, a Sugino 48 tooth crankset, and an 18T cog. The beautiful Colnago branding on the down tube, seat tube, and head tube match the Super’s leather saddle and handlebar tap. Colnago will offer its Super as a complete bike in a cream color (shown above), and a metallic black for $1,800. The bike will also be available as a frameset for $999."
- Chester
from Bookmarklet