Celebrating EXPERIENTIAL Bicycling for 25 Years
As much as I like skiing, I have to admit that sunny weather at the end of February has me thinking of riding my bike. And as soon as start riding, my skate skis will not likely see the light of day until winter comes again.…
The 2013 North American Handbuilt Bicycle show took place in Denver, Colorado February 22-24. Featuring the work of custom bicycle builders, the NAHBS showcases the skills of the individual. Collected under one roof are bikes built from any material imaginable. From hand carved ridable wooden art through to classic steel fabrications, the unique blends with the practical at NAHBS.…
Actually, the original 29ers were multi-geared hard tails. It seemed like, however, that the single-speed riders were among the first to really take advantage of the larger wheels. Riding a single-speed is all about carrying momentum, and that is one of the main benefits of the 29 inch wheel. Now, 15 years into their current form, the big wheel is gaining favor among all categories of riders including all-mountain and elite cross-country racers.…
The first chapter discussed a bike tour through Philadelphia, up to Trenton and then returning via Camden. Having lived, worked, visited or attended school in all three of these locales, I was immediately interested in the book. Mr. Pinsky delved into the history, culture and politics of the cities he passed through along with a description of his ride.…
The great thing about bicycles is that they can last a long time. Old bikes come into the shop all the time that look like they haven't had a day of maintenance, chains rusty, wheel bearings dry and grips falling off that are being ridden every day. On the opposite end of the spectrum, race bikes are replaced once or twice a year, get washed and tuned after every race and have their cables and chains replaced each week. Now as much as we'd all like to, most of us are not going to get a new bike every year; probably not even every other. There is, however, something we can do to get our trusty steed riding like new again: an overhaul.…
Imagine if you can, being an air traffic controller landing planes in a busy airport. Imagine now that the airport director decides that hang gliders are now going to be landing in the same airport. Why hang gliders? Because they are non-polluting, good exercise, relatively low cost, super fun and take up less space. Air traffic controllers are now in charge of landing these new intruders onto the runway and trying to come up with new designs of landing strips to accommodate the hang gliders. Substitute city streets for the airport runways and bikes for the hang gliders and you have the basis of what Joyride is all about.…
I am seeing more cyclists using headlamps (the proper name for a front light), but I am still seeing a lot of riders without lights or inadequate lights. You wouldn’t drive a car without lights so why do so with a bike? The most common “explanation” I hear is that lights are “too expensive”. Have you checked out hospital rates lately? With new lights from long-time providers of bike lights, NiteRider and Light & Motion, expense shouldn’t be an excuse. Prices have dropped for high-lumen lights by more than 60%.…
When I was approached to review the movie, “The Levi Effect: The untold story of Levi Leipheimer”, directed by Frank Matson (Race Across the Sky) and brought to us by Bikemonkey, I thought to myself, “…what effect?”…
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the sport of cyclocross; so much so that is my 9th year officiating the Utah Cyclocross Series. People may not know that I love the history of the sport of cycling as much as I enjoy watching the sport in current times.…
New is good. Everyone should get a new bike every few years. And tradition is good. Everyone should have an Italian bike. And colorful is good. Everyone should have a bike in his favorite color. And new components are good. So this year, I got a new red Italian bike. A Bianchi Sempre, to be exact, to which I had mounted the SRAM Red gruppo.…
In the beginning there was one mountain bike wheel size, 26 inch. In the late 1990's the 29 inch wheel was introduced. It promised to be faster, smoother, more efficient. One thing it did do is start a debate about what is the best wheel size for the mountain bike.…
I had the opportunity to try out the GoPro Hero2 camera this summer. For those of you who don’t know about the new generation of mini-video cameras, it’s time to get outside and have a look.…
