Get a Bike

People for Bikes

2010-09-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

I've gotta give a little plug for People for Bikes. The have a little pledge that you can "sign" on their website. Their goals is to collect 1 million "signatures" to prove that people are committed to cycling and government should take that into account. Check it out, sign the pledge, it wont cost you anything but you time:

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/page/s/pledge

So long and get a better world for bikes.

Thank you YouTube

2010-07-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

I know its been a crazy long time since I posted anything here, but I just had to share this:

I haven't really had any cycle related news lately, or any rants that I haven't already posted. There might be something soon but don't hold your breath.

New depths of ineptitude.

2009-09-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

People who have a bike and know how to make it go, but somehow missed the basic rules of the road confuse me. A couple of days ago I witnessed an absolute gem. There was this guy peddling along on the wrong side of the street on the sidewalk. Which by itself isn't that strange, hardly anyone understands that bicycles are vehicles and therefore are not allowed on sidewalks.

The really strange thing is that this gentleman failed to use either of the two generously wide, well marked bike paths along this particular section of, residential, low speed, well maintained roadway. In fact he could have still been on the wrong side of the road and in the bike lane and I would have no qualms, because the bike lanes on this road are so generously wide that someone cycling in the correct direction could easily and safely pass him without even leaving the bike lane.

So what the fuck was this guy doing on the sidewalk? I suppose I should have stopped him and asked, if I really wanted to know.

Anyhow, rant over, I just had to write this one down. Get a bike, just try to be cognizant when riding it.

Super neat bike light!

2009-08-10T01:07:00.000-07:00

Just saw this video on Earth First and had to share:

I figure this is way cooler that your ordinary bike light, and when can I get one?

Thats What I Get for Signaling

2009-07-07T01:43:00.000-07:00

[caption id="attachment_56" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Man falling off bike in the rain."][/caption]

I wish I had a picture of myself last night. If I did it would probably be as comical as this one. I ride my bike nearly every day, so I should be quite good at it. However, last night I was distracted, thinking of other things, and not paying enough attention to the road.

I was signaling to turn left which took my left hand off my handlebars. Then I noticed that with traffic coming from the other direction I would have to slow down and wait before turning. So I applied my rear brakes with my right hand. Just then I got that "something's not right" feeling. I'm still not entirely sure why exactly I lost control but it was probably due to a combination of factors.

I ended up quite embarrassed and lying in the gutter. I quickly checked to see that nothing was broken and then got to my feet, wile dragging my bike to the curb. After looking around and getting ready to assure people that I was O.K. I realized that no one had stopped, to see if I was alright, much less glance my way. I didn't know weather to be glad that I had avoided embarrassment, or outraged at the lack of compassion from my fellow humans.

Instead of dwell on these thoughts overmuch, I opted to do a more trough check of my person and my transportation for signs of damage. I got away with a scrape on my elbow, a bit of a scratch on my knee as well as a bruise on my ribs. The bruise on my ribs must have been where I cushioned the fall of my bike, since its roughly the right shape and other than my bike light being knocked out of alignment my bike seems fine.

So all in all it was a quite harmless lesson. Just as when operating an automobile, it is important to pay attention to the road at all times. So don't ride/drive while distracted. That or, signaling is dangerous. Take you pick.

Remember accidents can happen to anyone no matter their skill level or amount of practice. If you're riding a bike you're only likely to hurt yourself but if your driving a car there is the very real possibility of killing someone. So ditch the car and... Get a Bike!

Ridiculoustastic

2009-07-05T03:58:00.000-07:00

I just got linked to "The Conference Bike" you have to check it out.

Helmets Are For Your Head!

2009-05-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

Now I don't care if you wear a helmet when you ride your bike. Its your head protect it or don't as you will. I like my head, it's where I keep my brains. If you are a parent, you'll probably want your kids to wear their helmets so why don't you set a good example and wear yours? Which brings me what inspired this rant. I see way too many young people riding their bikes with their helmet hanging off their handle bars.

I can only imagine that this comes from concerned (and rightly so) parents telling their kids "if your going to ride your bike you have to wear a helmet". The kids either think they are too cool for a helmet, or think it's uncomfortable or something. The probably leave the house dutifully wearing their brain protection, but quickly remove it once out of site of their parents.

This is a real shame, like I've told a few of these errant youngsters, "That helmet doesn't do you any good hanging on you handlebars!". I've worn a helmet since I was 8 or so and my parents were still making sure I wore one. One day I was riding down the street "poping wheelies" as kids do, and I came down off of one of my better ones with the handle bars turned. This propeled me head first over the handlebars and onto the pavement. I was sure glad my parents made me wear that helmet. Other than a few scrapes I was fine even though I landed on my head.

So if you ride a bike, wear a helmet. The more people that do it, the more normal it will be, and the less kids will shy away from it. Especially you parents, you cannot just tell you kids to wear one "because I said so", you have to lead by example.

So, get a Helmet! ...and wear it.

Cheap Solution for Repairing Bikes

2009-02-10T03:18:00.000-08:00

One thing that I learned this weekend is that a bike stand is an invaluable tool in bike repair. I'm too cheap to buy a nice repair stand so I opted for a cheap bike rack from Harbor Freight Tools. Don't get me wrong the cheap bike rack is not a decent replacement for a real bike repair stand. However it is a whole world of awesome when compared to nothing.

One major disadvantage of the bike rack is that it just has Velcro straps for holding the bike in place. Where as a real repair stand would have an adjustable clamp that can alternately clamp onto the top tube or the seat tube. Another disadvantage of the bike rack is that the height is not adjustable. I'll probably break down an get a real repair stand one day, but until then the bike rack will at least hold my bikes off the ground while I try to work on them.

Bike Repair @ Home

2009-02-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

After going over many video tutorials from bicycletutor.com I've finally got one on the old bikes that was cluttering up my backyard reconditioned. One of my old roommates left this Giant ATX 760 mountain bike with me, so I called him up and asked if I could fix it up and sell it on Craigs List for a portion of the proceeds.

[gallery]

When he gave the OK I started working on it. First the chain and chain rings came off and got soaked in mineral spirits to clean them off from years worth of gunk and grime. I wanted to tear the bike down even further but I soon realized that I was missing a lot of specialized tools such as crank pullers. I settled on buying a chain breaker for 20 bucks so that I could at least remove and repair the chain.

Once I got the chain rings back on in the right position and put the chain back together. I moved on to lubing the chain and adjusting the front and rear derailleurs. The rear derailleur was pretty easy and I had it in good enough shape in no time. The front however, took me all after noon tinkering with it until I went back over the tutorials and realized that I was doing a couple of steps out of order.

After the transmission was working again I tightened up the brakes and now the bike is totally ride-able again. I've got a few responses from my Craigs List ad and I should have it sold in the next couple of days. It was a great experience and now I know all about how bikes work. Especially the damned transmission.

If you've got a old bike laying arround, Repair Your Bike! Then get out there and Ride Your Bike!

Repair Your Bike!

2009-01-26T03:11:00.000-08:00

I just found a great site for learing how to repair your bike. BicycleTutor.com has how-to videos for repairing most anything on your bike. From how to adjust your brakes, to how to overhaul your bottom bracket. The videos are consise and well narated. They also come with the text of the video so you don't have to watch the whole thing again to pick out a detail that you might have missed. If you want to learn how to repair your bicycle I reccomend checking out Bicycle Tutor's video tutorial series.

"Stupidest Bike Lane Ever" Campaign

2009-01-22T03:30:00.000-08:00

Fortunately Chico has petty good bike lanes, if not as many as I would like. However, some cities have really ridiculously unhelpful bike lanes. Instead of re-hashing posts I've see elsewhere on this topic here's a link:

http://earthfirst.com/stupidest-bike-lane-ever-campaign-pointing-out-useless-token-bike-lanes/

radfahrer@getabicycle.com sent this using ShareThis

Best bike accessory yet.

2008-12-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased the best bicycle accesory I've ever bought. It's a pannier that clips onto by rear cargo rack, by means of hooks and a clever bungee. I can now bike to the store, suff my pannier full of groceries, checkout, clip my pannier back onto my bike, and ride home. It's also great for carrying my laptop when I commute to work.

[gallery]

One of the great advantages of panniers when compared to backpacks or front baskets or even milk crates strapped to the top of the cargo rack, is that the pannier puts the weight down low and in the center of the rear wheel. This makes for a very balanced ride even if you are only using one pannier. It looks like the weight would of-center the bike but because of how low and directly over the wheel the pannier sits, my bike now has better balance than it did before when I would carry my laptop in a backpack.

If your serious about cyceling get your self a pannier! Or better yet two!

Another Upgrade?

2008-10-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

So I went back to my bike shop of choice for a couple of additions to my bike. I had them install a cargo rack and after market fenders. Check it out:

Look pretty nice, huh? Well I'm not all that pleased. The cargo rack is great. I can now strap stuff that woln't fit in my camelbak backpack onto the back of my bike. However I've decided that after market fenders suck. They're made out of polycarbonate plastic and thus are durable and flexible. Durable is nice but flexible sucks. They have a tendancy to "bounce" and rub on my tires. This is anoying and inconvienient since it slows me down.

On the upside I'll be glad I have them when it starts raining again. Inconvienient fenders have to beat "track marks" up and down my back when its raining. But for now sunny, windy autum days are making me wish I had opted for clip on fenders which would have been even cheaper and I wouldn't have to deal with them when its not raining. So it goes.

Get a bike, with fenders!

First upgrade for my Trek 7.2 FX

2008-09-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

So its been something like 4 months now since I got my Trek 7.2 FX and I finally got around to the first upgrade. The one thing that was really bugging me was the stock saddle wasn't all that comfortable. I mentioned it in my review of the bike. Yesterday I finally got around to doing something about it. I've upgraded to this saddle:

It's not a top of the line saddle but its a big improvement over the stock saddle. I picked it up for about $35 and its working out well so far.

New record for bicycle stupidity.

2008-09-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

I've ranted here before about people ignoring traffic laws just because they're on a bike. However, yesterday I saw a new record for disregard for laws and general saftey. I witnessed a female cycelist riding the wrong way down a one way street, through a red light, while jamming to tunes on her iPod (or possible other listinging device). So two counts of illegal and an additional count of stupid.

Not that I haven't lisned to music while on my bike before, but ear buds do tend to limit your awareness of your surrondings. If you can't hear cars coming at you that's proabably bad, especially if your running a red light going the wrong way!

Anyway just had to rant about that. Get a bike! But try not to make cyclists look like morons.

Exercise

2008-08-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

I've been commuting to work almost exclusively by bike for two years now and I've notice a few things along the way. One thing is that you almost never see fat people on bikes:

In this case thats a very good thing. In general I think this illustrates a very good point. Either fat people don't ride bikes, or they do and they just don't stay fat. I'm not an expert nor have I done any studies to back up my claims so don't take my advice. But, I say if your fat and don't want to be, get a bike! Then commit to riding it regularly. If you don't slim down after a while then your doing it wrong.

Better Lubrication

2008-08-08T04:36:00.000-07:00

My roomate turned me on to this one. Specifically formulated chain lube. If you're still using grease, wd40, or FSM forbid not lubricating your bike chain at all. Then you should make the switch to a lube intended for bike chains.

Grease works great and lasts a long time. You probably only need to re-aply it once every 6 months or so. But its really a general purpose lubricant and it can rub off the chain and onto your pants even if you are a big of a dork as me and have those velcro cuffs that keep your pants from getting caught in the chain. I've got ugly black greese stains on every pair of pants I own. But lubes like Rock N' Roll Lubrication is designed for your bike chain and it stays on the chain.

RNR lube cleans your chain as well as coating it in a hard weather resistant protective layer. So you chain ends up quiet and clean! I've been really happy with RNR so far but its still summer and I'm not wearing pants so its real test will come this fall.

Cyceling Community

2008-07-24T03:08:00.000-07:00

While I don't own a motorcycle, I know a few people who do, or have at some point. One thing they can all agree on is that bikers have a better sense of community than cycelists do. Regardless of wether they are riding a hog or a crotch-rocket bikers will wave to other bikers. When was the last time a complete stranger waved to you on your bike?

So what do I plan to do about it? Start waving! Its not hard to do and it makes people feel good about what they're doing. I think those of us willing to get some excersize instead of burning fossil fuels to get where we're going deserve some recogintion. Who better than other cycleists.

So.... Get a bike! Ride your bike! AND Wave at other people riding their bikes!

Windy Weather

2008-05-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

I know I'm supposed to be promoting cycling here, but its just easier to get worked up about things that tick me off than things I enjoy on a daily basis. I love riding my bike but I get to do it every day. On the other hand most days the weather is pretty calm here in Chico.

Today was not one of those days with winds gusting up to 35 km/h and sustained winds of 20 km/h it blew hard. At one point on my way from my day job to my office for my start-up company (All Your Green) I was nearly at a standstill and pedaling just about as hard as I can. I had to down shift quite a bit just to keep moving. I felt like this:

On the upside the windy weather means it wasn't schorching hot it only got up to 26 C which isn't bad for Chico in the summer. I still don't like the wind when I'm cycling, hopefully it will be at my back on the way home.

Don't forget even when its windy you should still ride your bike!

Home Decor

2008-05-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

So when my mother bugs me about how I decorate (or don't in my case) my room, she's always telling me I should buy something nice to hang on my walls. She thinks the uncluttered expanses of white paint are too stark. Somehow I don't think this is what she had in mind.

I like it thought. The 7.2fx is a frantic commuter bike. Priced somewhere around $400 its more affordable than a carbon fiber touring bike. Its also a smoother ride than a somewhat less expensive mountain bike would be. The wheels and tires are a cross between mountain bike and street bike giving a somewhat more comfortable ride than a street bike and a more streamlined ride than a mountain bike.

I haven't gotten baskets or fenders yet but I will soon. Baskets first so I can go grocery shopping more efficiently and then fenders this fall when it starts raining.

Shorts weather!

2008-03-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

It just got warm enough to start riding to work wearing shorts again! I'm so excited, after a dreary winder of riding to work in rain pants, shorts are a welcomed change. I almost forgot how much nicer riding in shorts is. No more stupid leg straps to keep my pants out of the chain. Plus it just feels better, I don't know if its actually more work to ride in pants vs shorts but it certainly feels better in shorts.

So enjoy the spring weather, ride your bike!

Day job has to go...

2008-02-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

Its days like this, with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, that make me want to have complete control of my work week. I'd much rather be out riding, than trapped in a office banging out code. I need to pay the bills though, so here I am taking a break from writing lines of code to post my frustrations to my blog. Waiting for the client to show up so we can go over the latest set of changes to the website. So for those of you lucky enough to not be tied to a day job, get a bike! And get out there to enjoy the wonderful spring weather.

New Website

2008-01-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I've posted here but its with good reason. Along with a couple of my friends, I just launched a new website allyourgreen.com. We sell environmentally friendly product such as the pocket-able, reusable, ChicoBag and the stainless steel, Klean Kanteen water bottle.

All Your Green in some ways is a spin off of getabicycle.com the original concept was dreamed up when I was musing to my friends that it would be neat if I could make some money by blogging about bicycle riding. The suggested that I sell bike related gear such as the Camel Back that I wrote about a while ago.

Well the concept evolved and the three of us decided that we all could use a little extra cash, outside of our day jobs. We all liked the environmentally friendly spin originally induced by my dedication to riding my bike instead of driving to work. So selling green product with an attitude became our goal.

Unfortunately none of our product are bike related yet, but we've got an order out for recycled messenger bags and wallets made out of reclaimed inter-tubes. I'll post again when we start selling them. Don't forget to checkout the Outdoors category for products that you might like if you read this site.

Just because its not illegal...

2007-11-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

I've ranted about people breaking bicycle related law in the past. Yet most of the things I get ticked off about are stupid and not just illegal. Such as riding the wrong way down a one way street.

Well heres something thats not illegal (nor should it be) just stupid. People who ride their bikes on major streets. I'm talking about multi-lane roads that are intended to get motorists from one side of town to the other.

I live in bike friendly Chico California and many major streets even have bike lanes. Which is fantastic, its the roads that don't have bike lanes that worry me. When there's not a designated bike lane, there's not really room for cyclists. Motorists make way for cyclists by moving partially into the next lane which is dangerous for other motorists.

There are several options open to cyclists to avoid these heavily trafficked streets but people don't seem to use them. Firstly there bike paths which cross town in much the same way as above mentioned thoroughfares. Secondly there are designated bike routes, which are often on less busy streets running parallel to the busy streets in question. Thirdly there are streets with bike lanes, which I mentioned before. Finally if none of the routes laid out by the city for cyclists take you where you need to go, theres always maps and a little planning.

Its dangerous and stupid to drive at less than half the flow of traffic and its more dangerous and just as stupid to ride a bike at less than half the flow of traffic. Even when I'm cruising along in my highest gear I top out around 15mph and the streets I'm talking about have speed limits of 35mph which means that people drive at 40mph. Going 15 in a 35 will get you pulled over in a car and you shouldn't do it on a bike either.

So if you have a bike. Get a bike route!

Get a Camel Back

2007-11-20T04:26:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed I've started a new category of posts. I don't have any thing to rant about right now, so I thought I'd post something useful. Here's a hint to those of you just getting into cycling or anyone still using old fashioned sports bottles.

If you're going to do any serious cycling you need to bring water with you. Otherwise you will get dehydrated, which I guess is up to you. If you like your body and dislike dehydration headachs I suggest you get a Camel Back.

For those of you wondering why I'm suggesting that you graft a dromedary to your back, I have an explanation. When I say 'camel back' I'm referring to a type of backpack with a watter pouch and drinking tube. Think beer helmet only useful. The company CamelBak was one of the first manufactures to sell this type of hydration system. Hence the name I'm using for them. Plenty of other companies make similar products but CamelBak is the most popular I know of.

Whatever brand you go with its a great idea. You have a backpack with water in it and a tube with that runs out to a mouth piece so that you can sip water whenever you need it, hands free. I use one whenever I go riding or snowboarding.

The one I use when cycling is a backpack that happens to have a pouch for a hydration system and holes for the tube. I also use the backpack to carry a laptop or small products when I go shopping downtown by bike. When I'm snowboarding and don't want a full day pack to get in my way and hamper my movement I have a smaller pack that is just large enough to hold a two liter pouch of water and my wallet (for lunch at the lodge). Either way I have water with me all day so I can sip on it whenever I get thirsty.

Weather you bike, board, hike, camp, or kayak you need a source of water. So get a Camel Back!