August 31st, 2008
Summer Streets in NYC
Photo © Bill Cunningham, New York Times
On the Street with New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, covering New York City’s “Summer Streets” street-closure event.
View the slideshow (with audio) →
August 31st, 2008
Gallery: Regis’ Pedersen
I’ve seen many various and interesting bicycles submitted since I submitted my Hirondelle, but a concept was missing, so I decided to share with you one of the jewels of my humble collection. It is a Pedersen from the early 80’s, equipped with a 3-speed Sturmey-Archer hub, front V-brake and back-pedaling (coaster) rear brake (I am fond of such a combination!), and mudguards and grips in exotic wood. I really love this bicycle!
Here is a resume of Pedersen history, from the Pedersen website:
“The Dane Mikael Pedersen (1855-1929) made his fortune inventing, and subsequently marketing an improved cream seperator, which he named “Alexandra”. His business contacts led him to England, where he met the Lister Company, which produced agricultural equipment in Dursley in England (and still continues to do so). Mikael loved cycling, but was unhappy with the comfort of bicycle saddles. Therefore he invented the hammock saddle and built the frame around the saddle. He obtained a patent for his bicycle in 1893, but since he was laughed at in Denmark, he moved to England and built his bicycle with the help of the Listers company. Overall less than 8,000 Pedersen bikes were produced; the diamond frame could be produced much cheaper and became the bicycle frame of the day. Mikael died as a poor men 1929 in Denmark. His invention was forgotten. No more Pedersen bikes were produced since 1922. However, in 1979 the Danish blacksmith Jesper Sølling saw a picture of the bike and asked for further information from a British museum. Jesper was one of the founding fathers of Christiania, formerly a military quarter in Copenhagen.”
My Pedersen is one of these first “re-built” of these marvelous bicycles.
Sincerely yours,
Regis
[This is one of the prettiest bikes I've ever seen. —ed.]
August 30th, 2008
Stop and Roll (more on stop signs)
Photo © Adobemac
As a follow up to my post the other day [Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs], I wanted to point out that the SF Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission is currently looking at the feasibility of a “stop and roll” law for California cyclists, similar to the one in Idaho. If it eventually goes through, cyclists would be able to treat stop signs as yield signs, and red lights as stop signs.
Of course, many cyclists are already using the so called “stop and roll” approach; the new law would only change the legality of the practice.
In some cases, stop signs are used more to calm traffic and control speed than as safety devices. In the Netherlands, there is an experiment underway in which stop lights have been completely removed from an entire city. It’s an interesting concept, but somehow I can’t quite see it in California, with our 50mph parkways and battalions of oversized SUVs (there’s nothing like a good ol’ red light to tame a herd of 3-ton steel beasts).
Maybe, just maybe, a “stop and roll” law would be a good compromise.
August 30th, 2008
Robotic Bike Parking in Tokyo
In Tokyo, robotic arms park bicycles, speeding commuters to the office.
August 30th, 2008
Gallery: Jeremy’s Snow Bike
Okay, okay, I’ve got a bike problem. I know, but I will not seek help for it. Here is a bike I purchased from Dave Nice this spring. Kona HUMUHUMU-NUKUNUKU-APUA’A frame, with a Pugsly front fork. The frame was modified by generic cycles in Denver and just barely gets the job done. The wheels are made up of Phil hubs (rear being a fixed/fixed – 18/20) and the rims of course are the Large Marge Rims and I don’t know about the spokes. The from chain ring is a 22 tooth, with a beat up set of 4 bolt crank arms. Come to think of it, the whole bike is pretty beat up. I guess that’s why I got such a deal on it.
Anyway, I’ve taken the bike camping, and it’s a blast in the mud. Works great for hauling my sons on the front rack as well as beer. I’ve even used it to haul jerry cans of gas to power my lawn mower. The true test for this bike, and the reason I bought it, is for the snow. I can’t report on how it performs in that realm right now, but the season shall soon enough be here. This bike is huge. I’m 6’2” and my road fixie is a 62cm frame and fits like a glove. This bike feels big to me. There’s almost 13” clearance from the ground to the bottom bracket!!! Yup, get out of the way, snow bike is coming through. —Jeremy
[Visit Jeremy's blog at http://www.jeromes-bikes.blogspot.com —ed.]
August 29th, 2008
Denver Messenger Portraits
Photo © Tim De Frisco
Denver photographer Tim De Frisco is in the process of shooting a portrait project featuring Denver’s bike messengers. Very cool.
Have a look →
August 29th, 2008
Gallery: Jeff’s Bikes
I’m the kind of guy that believes in specificity, a bike for every purpose…
The Commuter/beater bike is an early 90’s Specialized hardrock, built up from a $30.00 frame and fork, with parts from upgraded recumbents. I don’t have racks, but prefer a small backpack to carry things in. My commute to work is less than 5 mi, so I barely break a sweat most mornings. Features/ upgrades include Downhill platform pedals, Nashbar touring saddle, planet bike fenders and light set, upgraded linear pull brakes. If needed, I also have a kids trailer I can haul stuff in, like groceries etc, since my 10 yr old has long outgrown it.
The Bacchetta Giro 26/24, is my go fast and long bike, for rides longer than 10 miles. Features include 24″ Uriel front wheel, Velocity rear wheel, CF compact cranks, Euromesh seat, X9 Sram drivetrain.
Lastly, my Specialized Enduro is for mostly hardcore Mountain biking, I recently traded a recumbent for it. I had a Mtn bike, but sold it last year, and missed trail riding. I rebuilt the rear wheel, added a new chain and cassette, and new BB, but other than that is stock.
Enjoy your website, see you on the road! —Jeff
August 29th, 2008
Gallery: Jeremy’s Volae Expedition
This is my recumbent. Nothing special, just a stock 2006 Volae Expedition. I bought this bike for my 26 mile one way commute. It works well for that. I can carry what I need, and after spending 3 hrs in the saddle, I am not at all sore at the end of a day.
This bike is also fast! I’ve got a set of 1” tires I run when I’m feeling sporty. I made the 26 mile trip home in 1hr 6 minutes a few months ago. That’s an average speed of over 25 miles per hour. All that while laying down on an “old guy bike”? Yeah, recumbents do certainly have a place in the cycling world. Something you never really know until you try.
This bike doesn’t have character like some of my others, and I’m somehow not really attached to it, but when I ride it, I always have a huge grin on my face. —Jeremy
[Visit Jeremy's blog at http://www.jeromes-bikes.blogspot.com —ed.]
August 28th, 2008
Gallery: David’s Lightning P-38
The photo shows my 2008 Lightning P-38XT with my 1984 Mercedes. The Mercedes has been converted to run on waste vegetable oil. I live 20+ miles from work so I drive the Mercedes about 8 miles in and then bike the remaining 12 to work. Coming home is the reverse but by the time I slide home I have an inexplicable craving for french fries. —David
August 28th, 2008
Why Cyclists Hate Stop Signs
Cyclists are notorious for running stop signs and there’s probably nothing else we do that raises as much ire among motorists and provides as much fuel for the anti-bike contingent. It can be extremely dangerous, and it undoubtedly breeds an environment of mistrust between motorists and cyclists. Given the fact that most cyclists are law abiding citizens in every other regard, why do so many choose to roll through stop signs and red lights (myself included)?
Joel Fajans (bicycle commuter and physics professor at UC Berkeley) and Melanie Curry (bicycle commuter and managing editor of ACCESS Magazine) think they know why. In their essay Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs, they point to the excess energy required to make frequent stops and starts as the culprit:
With only 100 watts’ worth (compared to 100,000 watts generated by a 150-horsepower car engine), bicyclists must husband their power. Accelerating from stops is strenuous, particularly since most cyclists feel a compulsion to regain their former speed quickly. They also have to pedal hard to get the bike moving forward fast enough to avoid falling down while rapidly upshifting to get back up to speed.
For example, on a street with a stop sign every 300 feet, calculations predict that the average speed of a 150-pound rider putting out 100 watts of power will diminish by about forty percent. If the bicyclist wants to maintain her average speed of 12.5 mph while still coming to a complete stop at each sign, she has to increase her output power to almost 500 watts. This is well beyond the ability of all but the most fit cyclists.
Fajans and Curry put their theory to the test on California Street in Berkeley, one of the city’s designated “bicycle boulevards” that has 21 stop signs (!) over a 2.25 mile stretch. By comparing California Street with nearby Sacramento Street—which has few stop signs—they were able to measure a 30-39% difference in average speed due to the required frequent stopping and starting on California Street:
One of us (Joel Fajans) found that keeping exertion constant, he could ride on Sacramento at an average speed of 14.2 miles per hour without straining. At the same level of exertion, his speed fell to 10.9 mph on California if he stopped completely at every sign. Thus Sacramento was about 30 percent faster than California. By increasing his exertion to a fairly high level, his average speeds increased to 19 mph on Sacramento and 13.7 mph on California, so Sacramento was then 39 percent faster. While a drop of a few miles per hour may not seem like much to a car driver, think of it this way: the equivalent in a car would be a drop from 60 to 45 mph. Because the extra effort required on California is so frustrating, both physically and psychologically, many cyclists prefer Sacramento to California, despite safety concerns. They ride California, the official bike route, only when traffic on Sacramento gets too scary.
I observed this exact thing when I was in Berkeley last year. During the rush hour commute, I counted far more bicycles on the busier, more dangerous thoroughfares than on the designated bicycle boulevards. I can only imagine it’s because of the large number of stop signs on the quieter BBs.
Fajans and Curry suggest that the issue is mostly a result of car-centric traffic planners not truly understanding the needs of cyclists:
Car drivers say they are confused by the presence of bicycles on the road, and some wish the two-wheelers would just go away. Bicyclists know that cars cause most of their safety concerns . Traffic planners need to find ways to help bikes and cars coexist safely. A good place to begin is by taking the special concerns of bicyclists seriously, and not assuming that they will be served by a system designed for cars. Reducing the number of stop signs on designated bike routes would make bicycle commuting considerably more attractive to potential and current riders. Allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, as some states do, could solve the problems in a different way.
Perhaps cities should buy bikes for their traffic engineers and require that they ride them to work periodically. There ’s probably no better way for them to learn what it’s like to ride a bike in traffic than actually to experience its joys and hazards.
I have to agree with the authors; their call for more sophisticated traffic planning, that takes into account the true issues cyclists face on the road, is right on the money.
Read the full article (PDF) →
August 28th, 2008
Gallery: Jeremy’s Raleigh Record Fixie
Here is bike #2 of my quiver.
Old Raleigh Record Frame (70’S???) that I originally bought at a church sale for 5 bucks. After it hanging in my garage for 6 months, I figured I would send it off and put it at the leave it or take it rack at the local recycling facility. The next day, the bike was gone (I can see the yard from my office window).
Fast forward 4 months and the incredible urge to build my first fixie was upon me. I headed to the recycling yard to see if I could find a frame suitable. Low and behold, that old Raleigh Record was sitting there again. Only this time, it had been tuned and had new rubber. Don’t know what happened to it while I was away, but I liked it.
I stripped everything, rattle-canned the frame and built it up with a decent set of wheels (Paul hubs, Alex rims, and DT Swiss 16ga Stainless Spokes) chopped and flopped the bars, and a cheapo 45 tooth chain ring and cranks with a Surly 17 tooth track cog on back. Added a new WTB saddle and FSA seat post to clean it up a little. Finally I had to add a Surly tug-nut so I could open my beer. Just kidding, that’s for keeping a tight chain. However it has served well for the former.
After two years of riding this bike and being forced to wear a back pack to carry anything, I decided I’d try my hand at brazing, and built the minimalist rear rack that’s on it now. The rack works great, plenty of clearance between the panniers and my big feet and is holding up just fine. I figured I could go light, being as it’s a skinny tired fixed gear with no brakes. It’s not like I’d ever really load this bike up with anything, just enough to get me clean and fed at work.
This bike is my favorite and is like an old faithful friend to me. Never let me down. Rain or Shine, Snow or Dust. —Jeremy
[Visit Jeremy's blog at http://www.jeromes-bikes.blogspot.com —ed.]
August 27th, 2008
Bicyclog: Found, Used and Interesting
Photo © fontef
I just discovered Bicyclog: Found, Used and Interesting. The site has only been active since July of this year, but Yanek (the site owner) is already doing a good job of giving us a feel for bike culture in Tel Aviv. His “found” bikes include a Tino Sana wooden bicycle (pictured above), an old Raleigh, a Gazelle, a Mercedes bike, an Indian Rickshaw, and a number of other unusual bikes. I’m looking forward to watching the site grow.
August 27th, 2008
Gallery: Jeremy’s Specialized Sequoia
I’ve attached some photos of my recently acquired Specialized Sequoia. I believe it to be a 1996 model made with Specialized Double-butted tubing. Specs are not too spectacular, just good quality older stuff. I added the B-17 for obvious reasons as well as the Nitto Technomic quill and a set of Vintage Nitto bars I found. Literally found in a recycling yard. The ½ step gearing is kind of weird and something that I will definitely change. The bike is border line too small for me, but with the help of the tall Nitto, I’m making it work for now. Drive train is Shimano 600, and the brakes are Dia-comp Royal Gran Compe 500.
This bike is one in my rotation of cycles that I use to commute to work and back, which is 26 miles each way. Usually I ride there, drive home, and visa versa. This bike is most noted for its incredibly smooth ride. This is by far the smoothest riding bike I’ve ever been on. I think the next step for this bike is some nicer, classic racks and some classier panniers or a nice seat bag. —Jeremy
[Visit Jeremy's blog at http://www.jeromes-bikes.blogspot.com —ed.]
August 27th, 2008
Gallery: Derek’s Electra Rat Rod w/Xtracycle Conversion
Our Electra Rat Rod with Xtracycle conversion. This bike was originally acquired for use as a guest bike. Whenever we had company over, people always wanted to try our cruisers and then didn’t want to get off. It was very cool to see people getting excited about riding bikes, but we wanted to ride too!
This was one of the bikes we bought so everybody could ride. It was too much fun to just sit when we didn’t have guests, so it gets pulled into regular rotations for grocery runs, hot dates and the occasional longboarder tow. —Derek
Extras (as pictured)
Neversummer Eclipse Pintail Longboard
Xtracycle trailer attachment
Serfas TL 1000 taillights(4)
[Derek is a professional photographer living and working in the Pacific Northwest. You can see his tricked-out, Xtracycled cruisers and other cool bikes at his gorgeous blog, BikeRubbish.com. —ed.]
August 27th, 2008
NPR’s TOTN Disappoints
Rob Anderson
I was disappointed by the piece on NPR’s Talk of the Nation titled Cyclists And Drivers Vie For Space On The Road. What could have been an enlightening and intelligent discussion on the subject was doomed by the choice of *Rob Anderson and Daisuke Wakabayashi as guests. Their lack of expertise, combined with guest host Lynn Neary’s thinly veiled bias, made for a piece that was not up to TOTN’s usual standards. Thankfully Noah Budnick from Transportation Alternatives was given a few minutes of air time to inject some real data and expertise into the discussion.
Take a listen, but be ready to be annoyed. And if you’re not happy with the coverage, you can state your opinion here.
*Rob Anderson, if you’re not familiar with him, is the anti-bike activist known for filing the lawsuit that successfully halted San Francisco’s ambitious bike plan. You can read more about him in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. Daisuke Wakabayashi is a Reuters correspondent.
August 26th, 2008
Gallery: Ian and Jonas’ Bikes
I’m overjoyed to see the great mix of bikes on your new blog. As you can see, I’m a recumbent rider, but I’ve always wanted them to simply be mixed in with everything else — a goal you have achieved admirably!
The first shots are my Rocket, which I purchased from Basically Bicycles here in Western Mass a few years ago — I believe it’s a 2006. The only part that wasn’t stock when I bought it was the Zephyr seat. I love the bike, but I wasn’t riding enough, and my main opportunity is to ride to work, which is a little too far for me to go on a regular basis. I found myself in the typical catch-22 — not enough time to ride in order to get into better shape so that the ride wouldn’t be so long…
So I called Dave back at Basically Bicycles, and he was happy to fit my bike with a Bionx system (250 watt, Li-Ion battery). It has been *great*, meaning I still get a heck of a work-out (no throttle except my own output) while reducing my riding time by approximately 25%. You will notice that I have the bike on my car, because I have found that the best choice is to go “multi-modal”, driving a mile or so past a really dangerous mountain road, then parking at a state park and riding the rest of the way (about 13.5 miles). Now that the semester is starting again, there should be a bus from Hampshire College to Mt Holyoke College that will accomplish what I’ve been using my car for, with a “rack and roll” setup for the bike (on the front of the bus). I’ve gotten the total time down to the point where it’s only about 20 minutes longer than my drive, each way. I can do that about three times a week, which has increased my exercise time immensely, and decreased my stress level in proportion.
The other shots are of the bike we bought from Dave for my son Jonas’ 6th birthday, which is today. As you can see, it is a kids semi-recumbent from CCM, which I couldn’t find any pictures of on the web (a fact that makes my son even more proud of it). His first question — “Can we go recumbent riding with grandma?” (she also rides a rocket). His second question, “Can I get an electric assist?” :-)
Thanks for launching another fantastic blog! —Ian
[Happy Birthday Jonas! —Alan]
August 26th, 2008
Gallery: Zach Kaplan’s HP Velotechnik Scorpion
This is my 2006 HP Velotechnik Scorpion which has replaced my Earth Cycles Sunset as my commute vehicle. I’ve ridden it 5662 kilometres so far, mostly commuting and errand running. —Zach
The specifications are as follows:
- Frame: HP Velotechnik Scorpion 7075 aluminium, orange
- Size: one size fits most
- Seat: HP Velotechnik BodyLink
- Rear shock absorber: DT Swiss SSD 225
- Brake levers: Magura Marta hydraulic
- Brakes: Magura Marta hydraulic with 160 mm rotors
- Headsets: TH Industries
- Shifter: Rohloff
- Chain tensioner: Rohloff
- Crank: Tracer 155 mm with Rotor Q-Ring 53 tooth chainring and double guard rings
- BB: Shimano UN-72 68 x 107 mm
- Cog: Rohloff 17 tooth
- Chain: SRAM PC-991 Hollow Pin
- Front wheels: Alex X-101 406 mm 36-hole rims, DT 2.0 mm SS spokes with brass nipples, HP Velotechnik tricycle hubs
- Rear wheel: Alex X-101406 mm 32-hole rim, DT 2.0 mm SS spokes with brass nipples, Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 CC EX, silver
- Tyres: Greenspeed Scorcher 40-406
- Skewer: Delta Axelrodz bolt type
- Grips: Johar high density foam
- Pedals: Bebop SL
- Rack: HP Velotechnik custom tubular aluminium
- Front mudguards: SKS on HP Velotechnik mounts with 3M yellow reflective tape
- Rear mudguard: SKS with 3M yellow reflective tape
- Headlights: Busch & Müller Ixon IQ Speed
- Taillight: Dual Vetta TSL-C taillights running off single 4xAA battery pack, Busch & Müller DToplight XS Permanent
- Cyclecomputer: CatEye Mity 3, orange
- Bags: Arkel Tail Rider black rack top bag, FastBack System LS hydration pack, Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic orange panniers
[Zach is the proprietor of Zach Kaplan Cycles in Alameda, California. —ed.]
August 25th, 2008
700C Stratus LE
Gold Country Cyclery just took delivery of the new Stratus LE XL with 700C rear wheel. From the Gold Country Blog:
The first of the newly designed Stratus LE XL’s has arrived at our shop. This new model sports the same silver/blue paint scheme as the standard size models, but has a redesigned rear triangle to accommodate it’s 700c rear wheel. With that design includes IS disc brake mount for future upgrades. Wheelset has proven Sun CR18 406/700c rims and Shimano Deore hubs. New Continental SportContact slicks (406-28 /700-28) are quite a departure from the Primo Comets.
Brief test riding reveals the new Stratus to be stable and fast! For the moment our retail price is $1490
In my opinion, the Stratus LE is one of the best all-around recumbents on the market and a super value. The 700C rear wheel puts it head-to-head with the Tour Easy.
August 25th, 2008
Bar-Ends with Alfine Hub
Hiawatha Cyclery has managed to make an 8-speed indexed bar-end shifter work with a Shimano Alfine hub by installing a Travel Agent at the downtube shifter boss. Pretty cool.
More here →
[via The Lazy Randonneur]
