Commuting Gear

Surly Big Dummy Update: Carrying Loads and Living by Bike

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

After a couple months of daily riding the Surly Big Dummy for everything possible (including a 42 mile, over night camping trip), I’m ready to give my thoughts on how the bike fairs in carrying big loads and whether this is truly a car replacement.
If you haven’t read my first two installments of this review, [...]

Turn signal cycling jacket

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

Here’s something just for Sue, who keeps asking for turn signals for her bike.
Michael Chen of Middlesex University in the UK designed his “Reactiv” responsive cycling jacket. The jacket uses an accelerometer that senses movement to change the color of the LEDs in the back from green (accelerating) to red (braking). It has amber [...]

Basil bags now available at YOUR local bike shop

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

I and many of you have gone ga ga over the beautiful panniers and bags available from Basil Bags in the Netherlands. I loved them so much I bought for my wife last year from Clever Cycles of Portland, OR, which had arranged their own import deal.
I learned just today that the big bike parts [...]

New Pedros Trixie tool

Friday, April 18th, 2008

Pedros is well known for their bike care products and for being a very environmentally minded company. They’ve recently picked up some new investors and gotten a new infusion of cash. During the press conference yesterday I asked what they would be doing with their new found money and they said:
We’re very interested [...]

Product Review: Cannondale Doubletrack shorts

Thursday, March 27th, 2008

I bought a pair of Cannondale Doubletrack mountain bike shorts on March 24, 2007. The Cannondale Doubletrack mountain bike shorts consist of a mesh inner short with a padded chamois and a separate durable outer short. Last Monday (exactly a year after I bought them), the fabric finally wore through in the crotchal [...]

First Impression: SKS Commuter Full Fenders

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

Photo: My Trek 1200 with SKS Commuter Fenders (click to Zoom)

Fritz told us about fenders late last year. I’ve always been on the fence when it comes to fenders. It does rain quite a bit out here in the great plains of the United States, but at the same time, I have [...]

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