Category: Cycling

Bottle Lock It

For many urban dwellers there is only one bike lock they trust, which is none, as in they never leave their bike and never lock it up. However, there are times when there is no choice and the bike has to be left unguarded. Few would dare leave a nice bike unlocked for even a few minutes, and in those occasions it means brining a lock and chain along for the ride. The problem is how to carry the lock and chain.

It is generally agreed that riders shouldn’t wear the chain as a sash or even as a belt. Messengers and commuters may do it, but this can be a problem should there be an accident as it can limit access, or even cause a rider to be pinned under a vehicle. On the flip side, many riders simple wouldn’t dream of putting a chain around the bike frame. In other words there has to be a better way, and thanks to the Küat Racks Bottle Lock there is one! Continue reading Bottle Lock It

Toyota Prius X Parlee Concept Bike

httpv://youtu.be/lWzdWMapJ-c

I can honestly say, never thought I’d see the day that you could move something with just your mind. You can, and this isn’t just something out of Star Wars. Toyota and bicycle manufacturer Parlee have teamed up to create a concept bicycle that is as cutting edge and trend setting as the Prius. The video above shows how this could be a game changer for cyclists.  And in a related story the BBC takes its own look at mind control. Mind over matter indeed!

 

GM Mis-Shifts With “Reality Sucks” Ad – Giant Bicycles Responds

We’ve been following the story of GM’s unfortunate ad campaign (above), which is aimed at college students. As the ad suggests bicycles, and biking to class (or apparently anywhere) is uncool – and students should instead put themselves in debt to buy a GM car. The Los Angeles Times reported that GM didn’t consider the ad to be “anti-bike,” and quoted Tom Henderson, a GM spokesman: “The content of the ad was developed with college students and was meant to be a bit cheeky and humorous and not meant to offend anybody.”

The ad caught the attention of numerous bike blogs, and GM has since apologized via Twitter. And that could have been the end of the story. Giant Bicycles offered its own take on the ad (image after the jump). Continue reading GM Mis-Shifts With “Reality Sucks” Ad – Giant Bicycles Responds

Fitness Journal: FSA Warns – Buyer Beware

Anyone who knows me is aware of my bike obsession. Riding and building them with an occasional race in mind is what I like to do. As the seasons change and fall arrives, I begin my yearly bike audit. This includes assessing the bikes that I have, and then determining what major service needs to be performed on them, as well as which bike I would like to replace. This year is no different, or so it seemed. With plans in the works to build a new tandem for my wife and me, along with the consideration of a full-suspension cross country bike, the possibility of building a snow bike and the desire to replace my 26-inch wheeled single speed mountain bike with a 29er version, all of these bikes have left me considering quite a few options with regards to components. Additionally, when I assemble a new bike it is often from the frame up. Rarely do I ever buy a complete bike. While I have nothing against complete bikes, I am pretty particular about the components.

Thus, fall is also a good time for me to start gathering parts since this is also the time that others are shedding parts. I should add that it has been years since I have worked in a bike shop, which afforded me the privilege of deep discounts. As I’ve found sometimes buying outside of a retailer can be necessary if the budget is limited and deals are needed to complete a project. The VeloSwap and other bike shows are full of goodies,  as is the online world that includes eBay and Craiglist. However, a recent post on Full Speed Ahead’s (FSA) website might make me rethink my plans. The company isn’t cracking down on sale of used products, but instead is addressing a far more ominous menace.

It appears that an issue once thought to only plague large corporations including Apple, Oakley and Nike is now making its way to smaller brands as well – counterfeits. If you have bought anything through online auctions such as eBay, you are aware of how difficult it is to determine if a seller is legitimate. Along with the anxiety of waiting to see if a part for your bike even shows up, you might now have to worry if the item that you purchased is even authentic. Once an item is purchased from a non-retail sellers (meaning auctions, forums or even discount sites), there often is no warranty from the manufacturer. This is usually not an issue due to the substantial savings off of the suggested retail price; but if it is not even authentic, that can be a bigger issue – especially for your own safety. If a fake pair of Oakley glasses or Nike shoes fail, a major injury is not likely to occur; but if a fake FSA stem breaks while riding a downhill run at 30 miles per hour, death is possible. This is certainly not good.

(Video after the jump)

 

Continue reading Fitness Journal: FSA Warns – Buyer Beware

A Speedy Vest for Commuting

Commuting on a bicycle can be a great way to start the day and for many people it is also the only time to get some exercise. Unfortunately, commuting can also be a sketchy proposition depending on the route that  is used to get to work. When my wife and I lived in California I had a 50 mile round trip commute that took me over the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco. Fortunately for me, there were very few incidents that occurred, but occasionally there was the run-in with an inattentive driver or bus operator. Since those days, I have always been alert to new ideas regarding commuting. Recently one in particular caught my eye – the Speed Vest, which was profiled recently in Make magazine.

(Video after the jump)

Continue reading A Speedy Vest for Commuting

Hands On: Rock and Roll Trainer First Impressions

At last month’s Interbike we saw a number of products that were designed to help riders train through the winter season. These trainers came in a many varieties including stationary bikes, rollers and the basic rear-wheel trainer. The latter category has plenty of basic devices, a few even seem quite similar, but one in particular caught our eye at the show – the Kinetic Rock and Roll by Kurt. At first glance this trainer resembles the basic rear-wheel configuration where the back end of the bike is attached by clamps while the rear wheel is allowed to spin freely, rolling against metal drum that is attached to a resistance device, but the Kinetic Rock and Roll has more to offer.

It is a simple device, and has the benefit of being easy to transport, easy to store and easy to set up. Unlike a stationary bike it is compact, and lets users actually ride their own bike. Rear-wheel trainers tend not to offer the road-like feel that rollers provide, but unlike rollers there is virtually no chance of riding off of a rear-wheel trainer. This style of trainer is good in that it allows riders to mount their own bike easily and has the resistance device that rollers often lack, but a rear-wheel trainer does not have the road-like feel of rollers (especially while out of the saddle) or allow the rider to have the opportunity to ‘train’ their bike handling skills while getting a workout. Continue reading Hands On: Rock and Roll Trainer First Impressions

The Best of Both Worlds?

(Click Image for Closer Look)

On a bicycle built for two, either your partner and you work together or not at all. There really is no in-between on a tandem. It is a team effort, not only requiring both of you to pedal together to get over a mountain pass, but also work as ‘one’ negotiating turns and technical sections. Usually couples either ride on the road or on dirt trails, but seldom both due to limitations of the bike or rider comfort level. A road tandem, with its 700c wheels and larger gearing, is much faster on the road than a mountain bike tandem. A mountain bike tandem, with its 26-inch wheels and smaller gearing, is much stronger and is geared to make it easier to climb – especially while riding trails. My wife and I are in-between… we want the speed of a road tandem, but be able to ride some trails on a whim. Our 1998 Cannondale MT1000 mountain tandem has served us well for five Triple Bypass tours, but we both are looking for something that will roll faster on the road and yet still handle the trails. We just do not want to own two different tandems. Enter the 2012 Java from Co-Motion.

Continue reading The Best of Both Worlds?

Tri, Tri Again With New Bontrager Aftermarket Upgrades

Just in time for this past weekend’s Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, Bontrager unveiled a collection of new aftermarket upgrades to its wheel, handlebar, and brake lever triathlon lines. The new products are the result of lengthy testing with the highly successful Trek/K•Swiss triathlon team and allow triathletes of any ability level to improve their bike split with unparalleled componentry, regardless of what bike they’re riding.

(Video after the jump)

Continue reading Tri, Tri Again With New Bontrager Aftermarket Upgrades

Lose Your Nuts

httpv://youtu.be/8EH-5Ss3R8g

Are you tired of having to grab a wrench each time you need to remove the wheels from your bike since it does not have quick release levers? Would you ride more often if only you could get your bike in the car to take to the park, but it is so inconvenient due to bolt-on wheels? Is your kid’s bike sitting in the garage with a flat tire due to you not being able to remove the wheel?

Coombs Cycling Technologies of Heber, Utah now offers a quick-release option for solid axle wheels: the Axle Release.

(More video after the jump)
Continue reading Lose Your Nuts

[UPDATE] Moots FrosTi Titanium Snow Bike Frame

 

[UPDATE] Moots extended the order deadline on the Moots FrosTi Titanium Snow Bike Frame to November 1, 2011 to accommodate more orders.

While on the subject of snow bikes, it should be mentioned that Moots of Steamboat Springs, Colorado is producing a very limited production run of their own snow bike frame, the FrosTi.

The FrosTi is a titanium frame specifically designed for snow riding. The rear spacing is 170mm, the bottom bracket is 100mm, the cable guides are designed for the shifter cables to be fully enclosed and the frame is made to accommodate a 3.7-inch tire. The geometry of the frame is designed to handle a Salsa Enabler fork and even an 80mm travel 29er fork for use in the summer. Unlike other frames from Moots, the FrosTi has very few custom options. No slider dropouts, no YBB rear suspension and no couplers for traveling… just an additional water bottle mount, rack mounts and different color decals are available. But heck, with only 20 or less being produced how likely is it that you will ever see another FrosTi?

Continue reading [UPDATE] Moots FrosTi Titanium Snow Bike Frame

University of Virginia Adds Bike Fixit Station

In an effort to encourage travel by bicycle on campus, the University of Virginia has installed Dero Bike Fix-It stations, which are equipped with basic tools and a hand-pump. These tools, which include various wrenches and screwdrivers, are tethered to the Fix-It stations, ensuring that these will be there for when the next user needs them.

Andrew Greene, sustainability planner in the Office of the Architect at UVA, has said he hopes that students and faculty will have easy access to specialized tools and that this will increase use of bikes on the UVA campus. So far Stanford University and University of Utah have similar Fix-It Stations, while Fresno State also has experimented with its own Bike Repair Station. The concept of remote bike repair is also taking off, as we noted earlier this year with the Bike Fixtation in Minneapolis.

[Via PSFK: Bike Repair Station At University Encourages Students To Go Green]

Hands on: ACROS AG-E Hydraulic Shifting

German engineering. For most people, those two words conjure an image of precision and utmost craftsmanship especially in the automotive world. The Germans are known for their attention to detail and quality products, but at a price. This tradition is carried on by A-GE hydraulic shifting system manufactured by ACROS of Germany.

With so much focus on the new electric shifting options from Shimano which are being adapted to mountain bikes, it is easy to overlook this hydraulic option which has actually been available since 2006. We had a chance to take a Storck carbon fiber bike equipped with the AG-E system out on the trails of Bootleg Canyon at the Interbike Outdoor Demo this year.

Continue reading Hands on: ACROS AG-E Hydraulic Shifting

Hands On: Surly Moonlander

The leaves are changing colors and the days are becoming shorter; this means that winter is not too far behind and neither is the prospect of snow. For some cyclists this means hanging up the bikes for the winter and doing the grind at the gym. For those who want to brave the elements, there is another option – the Surly Moonlander.

Continue reading Hands On: Surly Moonlander