There’s an article in yesterday’s NYT City Room about the so-called “Bike Commuter Benefit”. The author points out that commuters can only choose one benefit per month, meaning multi-modal commuters like myself are left to choose between the higher transit benefit or the bicycling benefit. Here’s an excerpt:

I agree with Mr. Budnick; as much as I’d like to take the bike benefit as a matter of principal, for now I’ll be sticking with the higher transit benefit as a matter of practicality.

To address this dilemma in the law, Rep. Blumenauer of Oregon has introduced a bill called the “Multimodal Commuter Credit” which would “amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employees to receive transportation fringe benefits for the same month both in the form of transit passes and reimbursement of bicycle commuting expenses.“

Kudos to Rep. Blumenauer!

Read the full article in the NYT →

One of our local riders had his Bacchetta Ti Aero stolen from his garage. Info as follows:

• Ti Aero 3K w/ Euromesh seat
• Serial Number: RB0258
• RED Bacchetta stickers (as opposed to yellow or white) on bare frame
• FSA carbon cranks with “Q-ring” chainrings
• GOLD bar-end shifter holders/pods
• Zero Gravity brakes

The bike was stolen on Friday, 4/10, out of a residential garage in Walnut Creek. Reward of $250 for information leading to the successful retrieval of the bike. Contact David DeRose, djderose@astound.net or 925-988-0990.

View photos of the bike here →

Bicycles, Rolling Stops, and the Idaho Stop from Spencer Boomhower on Vimeo.

The recent addition of a Civia Hyland to my permanent stable started me thinking about bicycle prices versus automobile prices and what constitutes an “expensive” commuter bike. Many people seem to feel commuter bicycles should be cheap and semi-disposable, based on the assumption that they’re going to be abused and possibly stolen. For those who live in high crime areas where bicycle theft is a daily occurrance, I can certainly understand this thinking. Also, for those who suffer through long, harsh winters, it makes sense to have a “winter” bike for riding in icy/snowy conditions where road salt and grime will take their inevitable toll on a bike.

But for those who live in mild climates and low crime areas, is there really any reason to avoid riding a nice commuter bike? Is it really a badge of honor to ride a beater? I would argue that—budget and personal aesthetic sensibilities permitting—there’s no reason a commuter bike should be any less attractive or appealing than a racing or touring bike.

People routinely spend many thousands of dollars on high end racing bikes. A small percentage race, but many ride purely for recreation and fitness. There’s nothing at all wrong with this, and as I’ve stated many times before, I’m always glad to see a fellow bicyclist on the road, whatever their riding style and bike preference. But if a person is willing to spend thousands on a bicycle used only for recreation, the same should hold true for a bicycle used as a replacement for a car. Unfortunately, because of the reasons stated above, there seems to be a bias against expensive commuter bikes, a sort of commuter bike “glass ceiling” if you will.

A Honda Civic today costs something in the vicinity of $15,000-$20,000. A Honda Civic is a nice car, but it’s not what most people in the U.S. would consider a luxury item. On the other hand, a $2,000 bicycle used to replace a $15,000 automobile is likely to be considered expensive, even extravagant. So a $10,000-$15,000 car is “cheap”, yet a $2,000 bicycle is “expensive”, even though they both serve the same purpose. How is that? I believe it stems from our complete immersion in car culture here in the U.S. From the time we’re little kids, we look forward to that rite of passage that is obtaining a driver’s license. The message is clear: bicycles are for children, cars are for grownups.

None of this is to say a person needs a $2,000 commuting bike — certainly almost any bike will do in a pinch. But if your situation allows it, there’s also no reason a person shouldn’t spend whatever they’d like on a commuter bike, particularly if they can justify the expense as a replacement for an automobile.

Many, many people have asked about the tweed bags on my Pashley. They’re from Rivendell and they’ve been next to impossible to get for quite some time. I’m happy to say they’re coming available again in June, though only in limited numbers. If you’ve been looking for these bags, now’s your chance. Rivendell is currently accepting pre-orders.

Rivendell Nigel Smythe Bags →

This is my Rivendell Betty Foy from the first batch released. She is for commuting to work and pretty much everywhere else I go when I don’t want to ride my heavy Dutch bike, as I don’t own a car. I hope to take her on a couple of short tours soon. Some of my favorite components are the Nitto front rack, Nitto albatross bars, Portuguese cork grips, Honjo hammered fenders, 650b wheels, bar end Silver Shifters, pretty Japanese brass bell, Brooks honey B17S saddle, and MKS sneaker pedals. A joy to ride! —Dottie

[Lovely bike! —ed.]

Rivendell Betty Foy @ Rivendell →