December 23, 2012 at 6:00 am (safety, Technique)
LAB calls this the quick-stop and we do gentle practice on pavement usually with one or two spotters, but if you really want to master it, you’ll want to follow these steps.–Corrie
You’re riding down the street when a giant SUV suddenly pulls out from a stop sign. The shocked driver sees you and slams on the brakes. Now the road is blocked. Swerving won’t help. What can you do to avoid running headlong into a sheet-metal wall?
via Issue No. 556: What’s on Tap for 2013 | Road Bike Rider.
December 22, 2012 at 6:00 am (Commuting, equipment)
Marilyn showed up for a Saturday ride with these ungainly looking bar mits on her handlebars. My hands got cold; for Marilyn, it was her feet. Decide for yourself.–corrie
Bar Mitts a Great Alternative to Thick Gloves
When temperatures drop below freezing, it can take a mighty thick pair of gloves or mittens to keep your hands warm. Thick hand coverings make it difficult to shift and almost impossible to reach and grasp objects in jersey pockets or your gear bag.
via Issue No. 556: What’s on Tap for 2013 | Road Bike Rider.
December 21, 2012 at 6:00 am (advocacy, Cycling Rights, safety)
Linda and I were driving up 13th after 10pm Saturday night. It is a wide avenue with a parking lane on each side. In addition there are street lights on each corner. But the blocks are long and darkneess fills the middle. What I saw was the reflective pedals on a cruiser bike riding in the gutter.
An older man rode the bike wearing dark clothes and no helmet. He was in the gutter/parking lane rather than on the sidewalk but he was traveling at sidewalk speed.
Probably the sidewalk would have been a safer place to ride but then he didn’t have a headlight either so sidewalks which tend to have mailboxes and driveway cuts at irregular intervals would have been unmanageable.
If he came upon a parked car, I’m sure he’d have looked carefully behind him before riding around it. But if your bike is your transportation, why wouldn’t you light it up?
The law doesn’t require you to have a helmet, but it does require a bright white front light and a red reflector in the rear. He had neither.–Corrie
The days are short and the nights are long. (Global darkening?) As I was bicycling in to work this morning – in almost-dark – I caught an occasional glimpse up ahead of a red light. I assumed it was a taillight on another bicycle. And I was right.
December 20, 2012 at 6:00 am (advocacy, Cycling Rights)
Here’s a nice readable summary of each state law regarding bicycles. It is not the actual law, however, so you might want to visit each state’s own website to read the original code. For most purposes this should be more than adequaste. Easy to use and read. –Corrie
Riding a bike is a healthy, fun and safe activity. However, it isn’t without some risk. The following information highlights areas of law that may minimize that risk and have the potential to reduce conflicts between bikes and cars (and other traffic).
via League of American Bicyclists * Legal Program/Bike Laws.
December 19, 2012 at 6:00 am (equipment, safety)
As a guy who went down and lost a few minutes of memory, you don’t have to sell me on the necessity of a helmet. But there are helmets out there that are old or have never been certified. Does that matter?–Corrie
The non-certified helmet being tested is an extremely popular helmet amongst the skatepark and BMX set. Heck, many of my close friends, riding buddies, and loved ones choose to wear the non-certified Bucky Lasek Classic ProTec helmet shown in the video. Many of my other riding buddies also wear non-certified but retro cool helmets and the bottom line is they aren’t safe.
via Watch This: Certified Versus Non Certified Helmet Impact Testing – Bike Rumor.
December 18, 2012 at 6:00 am (equipment, repair)
You don’t have to be a bike mechanic to need a repair stand. The stand makes regular maintenance, cleaning the chain, changing a tire, washing your bike, easier. If you are handy, you can likely make a serviceable repair stand. For the rest of us a couple of hundred bucks is not too much to spend.–Corrie
Repair stands are a common search term on Bike Hacks and we have seen our fair share of sweet DIY submissions. Ideas include bike stands that are:
December 16, 2012 at 6:00 am (bike culture)
Take this, you 40 year olds.–Corrie
Perhaps their best known is a fellow named Ken Bonner, who has a lifetime of accomplishments on the bike. He regularly turns in some of the fastest times on the club’s randonnees. But it was only recently I learned that he’s just turned 70 years of age.
December 16, 2012 at 6:00 am (Bike lore)
Well maybe not today, but ove 150 years, what’s a couple of days.–corrie
The bike is simply one of the most brilliant inventions of the past 150 years. And today is the birthday of the man who created the modern cloth from which all bike are cut.
via Bikeleague.org Blog » Blog Archive » Happy Birthday, JK Starley: Inventor of the Modern Bicycle.
December 15, 2012 at 6:00 am (Cycling Rights, safety)
Mostly we don’t ride streets with many parked cars, but when we do, TRC members too often error on the side of staying to the right which puts them directly in the Door Zone. The laws in both Idaho and Washington do not require you to ride in a hazardous position nor to share a lane that is too narrow to allow for safe passing. Cyclists are often guilty of rude behavior but in this case we are more likely to be excessively courteous with potentially devasting results. –Corrie
You’ve just parked, turned off your car, and given a sigh of relief that you’re no longer stuck in traffic. You reach for your things, kick open your door and CRASH!
December 14, 2012 at 6:00 am (advocacy)
The National Bike Summit is coming up. 2012 gave us MAPI-21, reduced funding for trails and facilities. What will 2013 bring for cycling?–Corrie
. . .the keynote speaker for the 2013 National Bike Summit in Washington DC will be Yolanda Cade, national public relations and strategic communications director for the AAA.
via Surprising keynote speaker for 2013 National Bike Summit » Biking Bis.
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