If you live on the Palouse, you may want one of these independent shops to build you a snow bike. Most will be at the Homemade Bike Show in Portland
Alaska snow bicycles
By Fritz
I think we’re all familiar with the Surly Pugsley and it’s well know that Moots custom builds snow bikes. Plenty of other options are available for fat tire bicycles for snow and sand riding.
So, I’m going to make the leap to modest touring. Linda’s been after me to do some touring near Vancouver and I’ve been thinking of ways to do a bit of credit card camping–but that still means I’ve got to find a way to carry some gear. And then Doug comes along with his little self-contained tour tour to Death Valley in the middle of February. A trailer seems like the solution to my problem. The BOB is a single wheel trailer that would be great for single-track. But its a bit pricey and I lilke the fact that the Burley stands up by itself. Should work out well for quick runs to the grocery, too. It’s in the mail as t hey say. –Corrie
Bicycle Trailers Child, Cargo, Bike Carriers, Piggyback bikes and Misc.
Okay, I admit it, I can compete with any woman who carries a huge purse when it comes to carrying stuff around with me. Wallet, keys, ChapStick, gum, MP3 player, camera, phone, etc. When I first started bike commuting one of the most frustrating things for me was having to repack all of my stuff everyday. For a while I just tossed it all into a backpack and that works, but is not really convenient. There are devices like the Cage Rocket which I wrote about a few entries ago, but it is not large enough to carry all that I want. Here’s a sample of what I pretty much carry with me everywhere when I ride.
We’ll probably have to start adding this attachment after this weekend’s storm. –Corrie
By Fritz
I posted a couple of pages a while back, one covering cycling logs and the other about mapping tools. Most of the maps sites listed in the following article are on that page. I made an attempt to create a feature comparison chart but I’m not sure it is complete.
I mentioned that the palm device I’ve been using has gotten old–not me, the device. I think I’ve found the right way to keep my cycling log. I like both BikeJournal and Mapmyride and have been entering the few rides I’ve done this winter on both since the first of the year.
Looking around I began to see GPS devices everywhere. With Garmin introducing a new line, the 305 Edge dropped down to $240 on Ebay and I bit. I’ve only used it twice but it seems to work flawlessly and best of all, plugging in the USB pulls the day’s ride right into Training Center software. I can import it just as easily to Mapmyride. Bike Journal doesn’t provide for that. MapMyRide has lots of reports. I like its compatibility with my Garmin though it doesn’t pull in heart rate information. I may continue to enter data by hand since it avoids the extra step of creating a map which I do not want for every ride.
–Anyway, Bike Hacks has a long list of sites that provide cycling maps online. –Corrie
55 Free Bike Route Mapping Tools
January 25th, 2008 by Bren · 3 Comments
Crickey, there are a lot of ways to map your bike route! This list focuses on freely available versions. I’ve caught a lot of them, but I’m sure there are more. If you notice that I missed your favorite free bike route mapping tool, drop it in the comments!
There are plenty of places that’ll sell you a bike map, but I’m mainly interested in maps that are offered for free. And, amazingly, these aren’t all variations on (the excellent) Google Maps. This list is broken into two sections, with only the vaguest notions of organization. The first section are resources that are more global in nature. The second section are more location-specific maps.
Read More and see the list
Cold, wet, damp, dark days got you down? Worried about losing your fitness just sitting there on the Lazy Boy? Here’s your solution.
I love all the uses people come up with for the energy created by bikes.
The idea of pedal powered television is killer. It’s the opposite of couch potato, since you’re literally paying for the TV you watch with your own sweat.
Be sure to check out the video linked at the top of that page. It is so nerdy you can hardly believe it. In my bones, I believe that something important is going on there. Too bad my brain can’t understand what it is.
Minneapolis Bikes: Video of folks explaining how and why they bike to work in the snow.
Ultrafit: A two-wheel winter commute
With the right gear, riding your bike to and from work in the winter can be a lot more enjoyable than it sounds. Here are some tips on doing it right.
By Stephen Regenold, Special to the Star Tribune
How to dress for winter riding.
Tom Sweeney, Star Tribune
Play
Video: Winter biking just part of the year-round commute
* The Gear: What to wear while winter riding
Bike tires hum on snow, and they buzz on ice. But they rarely slip when you’re going straight. Gears click and shift the same in almost any weather. Just remember the lube. And the cold wind? With the right clothing it’s not an issue, according to regular wintertime riders.
We seldom leave our bikes for longer than an hour and then only where we can see them. But if you bike in town, doing errands, you can lock your bike but what about your tools? Take ‘em with you with the Cage Rocket.–Corrie
When you commute or run around town you often lock up and run in and out of places. You still face the threat of that minor mechanical problem or flat tire so tools are a necessity. A variety of small bags for tools are designed to fit under your seat or possibly connect to your frame, but they are not easy to remove and if left on your bike can be appealing to others.
When doing some online searches I ran across the “Cage Rocket.” It’s a dumb name for sure, but it’s a great product. It fits in any standard water bottle cage and you can store all the major tools you might need on the road. The great thing is that when you leave your bike locked up, the bottle slips right out and you can easily take it with you. Get more info on cage rocket specs from their site.
Thanks to Jim McCracken for this piece. Now back to work, Jim. Quit wasting your time surfing the web.
Seattle Times staff reporter
KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Bob Barrett pedals two miles across Puget Sound from Ketron Island to Steilacoom. “Here, you’re part of the Sound itself,” he says.
“I don’t have a death wish. I’m not here to drown and I’m not risking my life,” says Bob Barrett, who’s been making his water-bike commute for nearly seven years.
Related
Nat Hong and Bob Barrett commute on Puget Sound by bike — water bike, that is — to their jobs in Bremerton and Steilacoom.
“This is pretty hard to beat in terms of a pleasant commute,” said Hong, who lives on Bainbridge Island and teaches at Olympic College in Bremerton.
The drive would be 80 miles round trip. But with his water bike, the trip to work is just 12 miles — including one mile on the water.
Here’s a site for all things bike commuter. BikeCommuters.com
I expect Doug to have this rig up and running tomorrow.–Corrie
January 19th, 2008 by Jack “Ghost Rider” Sweeney · 7 Comments
Our buddy Quinn sent in the following cool cargo trick — a detachable carrying system:
Don’t feel like carrying the extra weight of panniers and a rack when you don’t need it? Do you feel the need for streamlining and speed? Well, Quinn devised a method using a spare seatpost and saddle, an Axiom Odyssee seatpost rack and a pair of Cannondale panniers.
By Fritz I’ve been sitting on this story since September and now Bike Europe has broken the news: Bicycle production costs are going up significantly in China. The Bike Europe article notes that labor costs are increasing in China, along with other costs of doing business such as new pension requirements and new taxes.
Bike Europe mentions a six to seven percent increase in the cost of bike components, which just happens to match the seven percent drop of the value of the dollar against the Chinese yuan. Bike Europe also fails to mention the skyrocketing cost of raw materials used to build bikes, fuel shortages in China that make it increasingly difficult to manufacture product there, along with rapidly rising costs of energy and fuel. While the cost of transporting product from China to the rest of the world is still negligible, this is also increasing.
I expect more demand for bikes in the USA, Canada and Europe, especially for the low end bikes that are typically produced in mainland China. Some of these cost increases will be passed along to consumers, but the increased production cost of bikes will eat somewhat into profit margins.
Wonder why this never caught on? –Corrie
Inverse recumbent - Cycle-Licious
The text of the article from 1936 about this bike says:
Natural streamlining is accomplished in a new type of bicycle designed in England for use on speedways. Aware of the discomfort suffered by racers who must remain humped up over their machines for long periods due to air resistance, the designer has placed the drive pedals behind the rear wheels. The handlebars are lowered almost to the level of the front axle.
In this posture the rider is almost horizontal to the ground and in a naturally streamlined position. It is believed the new machine will produce speeds far in excess of anything yet accomplished.
Davic Fiedler’s tips for commuting gear.
Essential Gear for Bike Commuters
If you plan to ride your bike regularly to work or school, certain things make it a safe, comfortable, convenient ride. Having the right gear for bike commuting certainly makes its more fun and easier to sustain for the long run. You’ll need things like:
Find out about these and other necessities in our complete guide to basic gear for bike commuting to help you get to work or school on-time, comfortable and safely.
Linda worries that I don’t get enough exercise in retirement when the weather keeps me off my bike. She wants me to walk. Walk. Imagine. So, I’ve hiked the mile or so over to the grocery a couple of times, but hiking or biking, you can’t bring home many groceries–Unless you live in Cambridge. –Corrie
The eco-friendly way of shopping
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Jenny Bailey with one of the new bicycle trailers.
SHOPPERS at a Cambridge supermarket are being asked to saddle up for a new green initiative.
Waitrose in Hauxton Road, Trumpington, has teamed up with the city council to provide special trailers to allow cyclists to transport their shopping home using pedal power.
Shoppers will be able to fill up a trailer as they walk around the store and simply hitch it onto the back of their bikes when they have paid.
The free-of-charge trailer will then have to be returned within three days.
These are bit more mainline than shopping cart attachments. –Corrie
Bike commuters know about traffic. You know about potholes and rain. You know about the joy of a traffic jam because it lets you actually beat the cars to work. You have the satisfaction of waving a dollar bill at Exxon and shouting “Can’t have it!” But why should the ability to enjoy a hot cup of coffee or take an important phone call on the way to work be limited to those unfortunate people still stuck in cars? That’s why we offer you the top accessories to cushify your daily commute.
For those of you on the Palouse unable to get out, try dressing up your ride for that cycling thrill.
Products-Road Bike Bar Plugs
All barplugs listed are priced PER PAIR. Plugs are chrome-plated, plastic, will not rust, made to fit snugly inside of almost all road bike handlebar ends, will not work loose and become lost. Designs are secured with heat-treated laminate, then finished with a semi- gloss acrylic clearcoat to keep design clear and secure through most weather conditions. To view entertaining (hopefully) and enlightening descriptions and options click on the bar plug title you are staring at.
 Chrome Bar Plugs $4.00
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I don’t ride at night not because I can’t be visible, but because I can’t see. Shoot, I can scarcely see in the day time. See Mike and Lance about headlights. –Corrie
Visibility while cycling is important. Unfortunately motorists have a lot of things competing for their attention. The more visible cyclists are the better the chance is that drivers will see them. During the day being visible is not hard. Wearing bright colors and following the rules of the road will help you be seen. At night things are more involved. The state of Colorado requires that bicycles ridden at night have a white headlight, a red rear reflector and reflectors visible from both sides. Meeting these requirements isn’t difficult but many cyclists ignore these basic safety measures. Maybe they don’t realize the problems they are creating for themselves. Maybe they don’t know that they are hard to see. Whatever the excuse there’s no reason for not being visible.
Last summer I learned this lesson. The click wouldn’t go away. I had Scott true and glue but I didn’t let the glue set long enough. The click was back and all the twisting I did just made things worse almost to the point of being unrideable. Once I figured out I’d do a better job of adjusting the spokes by looking straight down on them, I got home alright. But it is still a good idea to perform a spoke check when you are cleaning your bike. –Corrie
The way I’ve got it figured, your spokes are kind of like the doorknobs at your place. You know they’re there. You see them all the time and they get used all the time, but you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about them. Most they ever get noticed is when there’s a problem. Like if one is really loose or falls off.But spokes do play a really important part in your bike’s smooth functioning. They bear your weight and the weight of your bike plus any cargo you may be carrying. They are an essential step in the transfer of power in your legs out through your wheels to make your bike go. So, it’s definitely worthwhile to pay attention to your spokes and understand how they work.
Austin bicycle helmet study completedResults of a year-long hospital emergency-room survey in Austin find that bicyclists are 65% to 88% less likely to get a head injury if they’re wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle.The full report from 7 area hospitals run by Brackenridge Hospital and St. David’s HealthCare will be issued in a couple of weeks.The study was designed to put some hard information into the debate that ensued when a mandatory helmet law for adults was put before the Austin City Council. Opponents charged, among other things, that the law diverts attention away from the need for bicycle lanes and more training for cyclists and motorists.Read the rest of the story.
Fixed-gear bicycle sales ride high among admirers
BY DON MAYHEW MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Posted on Monday, November 19, 2007
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For a growing number of avid cyclists, the fixie is in.“Fixies” are fixed-gear bicycles. One gear. No freewheel to allow coasting. You pedal, the bike moves. You stop, it stops. Some don’t even have brakes.While such a machine might seem to have limited appeal, the popularity of fixed-gear bikes has expanded beyond the bigcity messenger subculture that spawned them somewhere during the past decade.
