From Peet’s Coffee & Tea’s Notes on Facebook:

More about Gas-Free Fridays →
Peet’s Notes @ Facebook →

I’m not sure whether it’s cutbacks in road maintenance because of the tough economy, or if it’s just the wear-and-tear of a long summer combined with litter from restless teenage drivers, but the road conditions in my neck of the woods have been terrible lately. The gutters are filled with broken glass and nails, and it seems as if there’s a pothole around every blind corner. Thank goodness for 36-spoke wheels and beefy tires!

We usually try to focus on the positive aspects of riding bicycles for transportation, but once in a while it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves about the hefty price the U.S. continues to pay for our addiction to fossil fuel (and the automobile).

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group (CDC)
• In 2008, 37,261 motor vehicle occupants and nonoccupants were killed in crashes. In the same year, 2,346,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes. (NHTSA)
• Mobile sources are the largest contributors to air toxics (pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health or environmental effects) and they also contribute significantly to greenhouse emissions. (USEPA)
• In 2000, the 75 largest metropolitan areas experienced 3.6 billion vehicle-hours of delay, resulting in 5.7 billion gallons in wasted fuel and $67.5 billion in lost productivity, or about 0.7% of the nation’s GDP. The congestion cost for the Los Angeles area alone was estimated at $9.325 billion. (TTI)
• In 2008, the U.S. imported 3,580,694,000 barrels of crude oil, with 1,981,725,000 coming from OPEC sources. For that year, the U.S. imported $439 billion worth of energy-related petroleum products. (EIA, NCSE)

Feel free to post additional factoids in the comments below.

Peter Eland of Velo Vision has written a new book on the basics of transportational cycling called the Practical Bike Buyer’s Guide. From the Velo Vision website:

I haven’t had an opportunity to read the book yet, but a friend has a copy and he says it’s excellent. I hope to obtain a copy and provide a review here at some point.

Full chapter preview at Issuu →
Velo Vision →

The American Automobile Association is now offering roadside service for bicyclists in Oregon and Idaho. No actual mechanical assistance will be provided, but a stranded bicyclist will be entitled to a lift to anywhere within a 25-mile radius.

• Bicycle transportation service is provided for the rider whose bicycle is disabled.
• Service will be provided to any point of safety within a 25-mile radius of the bicycle breakdown.
• Service applies to all bicycles and tandems, including rental bicycles.
• Service is only available within the AAA Oregon/Idaho coverage area, which includes Oregon and the southern 34 counties of Idaho.

The program is a first for AAA, and if successful, it may be extended to other areas in the country. The Better World Club has offered nationwide roadside assistance for bicyclists since 2003.

AAA Oregon →

Those of you who follow the cycling blogs are probably aware of Russ Roca, the “Eco-Friendly Bicycling Photographer“. Russ is a professional photographer who has worked car-free in Southern California for a number of years, “living outside the lines” and getting to-and-from his photo sessions on his Bilenky cargo bike. This year, Russ and his partner Laura Crawford decided to give up most of their worldly possessions and hit the road on their touring bikes hoping to connect with like-minded individuals and document their experiences on their blog, The Path Less Pedaled:

Russ and Laura are presently leaving their home of Long Beach, CA for Portland, OR where they’ll kick-off their adventure with an event sponsored by Bike Portland (read about it here). If you’re in the area on Monday 8/3, drop by the event and give them a grand send-off.

The Path Less Pedaled →

As you’ve probably already figured out, we’re pretty high on Civia bikes around here. The Hyland we reviewed earlier this year was such a hit that we made one a permanent part of our stable. Plus, the Loring we reviewed a couple of months ago is currently on our short list for when we get around to adding another dedicated cargo hauler. We love the fact that Civia has done so much to lift production utility bikes out of the realm of the mundane with their innovative thinking and gorgeous designs. We’re starting to see other manufacturers move in this direction, but Civia was ahead of the curve and they continue to lead.

Speaking of Civia, we were just informed that the retail price on some Hyland models was reduced; this is good news if you were thinking about one of these beauties but you were on the fence due to the price. From PJ @ Civia:

Civia Cycles →

Our IF Club Racer is starting to take shape. Many thanks to Rick at Gold Country for the effort, the pic, and the progress report.

From Wikipedia:

Bicycles contribute to the “long-term maintenance of wellbeing” in that their use creates no pollution and improves the health of those who use them. We believe they are an extremely important part of a sustainable future.

Another important aspect of sustainability is each person’s ability to participate in sustainable practices. In the case of bicyclists, that means keeping our bodies healthy and strong so we can “sustain” our ability to ride a bicycle for transportation over the bulk of our lives.

Dedicated transportational bicyclists need to be particularly careful to keep an eye on the long-term sustainability of their riding habits. It’s tempting to push through injury and illness in the short term, only to end up with more serious problems that keep you off the bike for long stretches (if not permanently). We need to allow ourselves guilt-free days off when the weather is unreasonably harsh, work schedules create conflicts, or our bodies are just telling us “enough”. We need to aim for participating at the highest level that still enables us to sustain our green transportation practices over the long-term without causing injury or diminished morale, both of which may lead to giving up bicycling for transportation altogether.

New York City’s Bicycle Access Bill is poised to pass in the City Council this week. Intro 871 will amend the City’s administrative code, requiring building owners to provide reasonable ways in which employees may access their building with a bicycle.

More and more businesses are encouraging their employees to bike to work, but frequently, building owners are a major obstacle because they don’t allow bicycles in their buildings, inexplicably citing potential property damage and liability as issues.

Lack of secure bike storage during the workday is frequently cited as a reason for not bike commuting; it’s hoped the new law will eliminate this major deterrent. Now if we can only get similar laws enacted in every city across the country…

[via Streetsblog]

Jared Souney profiled custom builder Jordan Hufnagel for Level Magazine.

Hufnagel @ Level.com →
Hufnagel Cycles →
Jared Souney →

[via Urban Velo]

Chain guards are a must-have component on bicycles that are ridden primarily for transportation. Chain guards keep clothing from getting caught in the drivetrain, keep grease off of street clothes, and in some cases, protect the chain from the elements. There are three general types of chain guards, each with their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Full Chain Cases
Advantages — Full chain cases completely enclose the chain, front chainring, and rear cog. They fully protect the rider’s clothing from the drivetrain while also offering the major advantage of protecting the drivetrain from rain and road grime.

Full Chain Case — Breezer Uptown 8

Disdvantages — Full chain cases are relatively heavy, they’re not compatible with front derailleurs, and some designs can make repairing flats on the roadside difficult. The best insurance against being stranded because of a full chain case is running highly puncture-resistant tires and tubes combined with liquid sealant.

Chain cases are commonly spec’d on European utility bikes, but they’re rarely seen in the U.S. One of the few bikes from a U.S. supplier that comes outfitted with a full chain case is the Breezer Uptown 8 shown in the above photo.

Partial Chain Guards
Advantages — Partial chain guards cover the upper run of the chain from approximately 3 o’clock on the front chainring back to the seat stay. When most people in the U.S. think of a “chain guard”, this is what they’re thinking of. Like full chain cases, partial chain guards protect the rider’s clothing from being soiled or caught in the drivetrain. Partial chain guards typically weigh less than full chain cases and they provide unrestricted access to the rear wheel for roadside repairs.

Partial Chain Guard — Civia Hyland

Disdvantages — Partial chain guards are not compatible with front derailleurs and they don’t protect the drivetrain from the elements.

Chainwheel Discs
Advantages — Chainwheel discs are essentially chainrings without teeth that take the place of a second or third chainring on a double or triple crank. They provide a fair amount of protection, they’re lighter than either partial chain guards or full chain cases, and they provide unrestricted access to the rear wheel for roadside repairs. Their greatest advantage is that they allow the use of a front derailleur. The chainwheel disc shown in the photo replaces the third chainring on a triple crank, providing some protection while still enabling shifting between the inner and middle chainrings.

Chainwheel Disc — Sugino Triple Crank on a Surly LHT

Disdvantages — Chainwheel discs don’t protect the drivetrain from the elements and they only partially protect the rider’s clothing from the drivetrain.

My new ride is something you might like, a Surly Travelers Check with S&S Machine couplers. I have kitted the bike out with pounded Honjo Fenders, Chris King headset and bottom bracket, Velo Orange front rack with VO bag, Shimano Ultegra components (soon to be changed to down tube shifters for simplicity), and a Selle An-Atomica leather saddle and matching leather bar tape. To say that this is a comfortable ride is an understatement, this thing rivals some recumbents! I not going to kick the race bike to the curb just yet, but for 90% of the riding here on Oahu this bike is perfect. I would venture to say that this bike would be perfect for 90% of the people I see on race bikes!

Just so you know, My place of employment is a VO distributor for Velo Orange products as well as Selle An-Atomica here on the Island of Oahu. The shop is called Momentum MultiSport, and is located in the Kaimuki area. OK, sorry for the shameless plug, but I want to see some Hawaiian Randonneuring! —John

Headin’ to Work

“When I go biking, I repeat a mantra of the day’s sensations: bright sun, blue sky, warm breeze, blue jay’s call, ice melting and so on. This helps me transcend the traffic, ignore the clamorings of work, leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on nature instead. I still must abide by the rules of the road, of biking, of gravity. But I am mentally far away from civilization. The world is breaking someone else’s heart.” —Diane Ackerman

I admit it; I have a real soft spot for beautiful bike parts. Phil hubs, Brooks saddles, cork grips, Nitto bottle cages, Japanese brass bells, TA cranks, bamboo racks, and so on. Among them all, probably my favorite are fluted Honjo fenders. There’s just something about the lines, the polish, the precise fit and finish. These will be put to good use on our upcoming IF build.

We’ve been invaded. After being flat-free for nearly a year, I’ve suddenly had two in one week. The second was quite a doozy with six punctures in one tire, all from the dreaded goathead. I love my off-street bike paths, but they’re a bit like mine fields for bike tires this time of year.

One of the main thoroughfares on my commute was repaved a couple of weeks ago, but they just got around to re-striping the bike lane the other day. It’s been interesting, observing how motorists behaved after the removal of the bike lane, and how they position themselves now that the lane is back in place.

The road is unusual in that it’s nearly wide enough for two full lanes going either direction, but it’s only ever been one extra wide traffic lane and a narrow bike lane in either direction. Traffic on this road averages 40-50 mph.

Prior to the repaving, motorists never seemed to know quite where to drive in the overly wide traffic lane. Some would hug the center line, while others drifted clear over to the right, brushing up against the bike lane. Some even treated the main traffic lane as if it was two lanes; this probably explains the centerline and bike lane huggers.

After the repaving and subsequent lack of lane striping, things got even hairier, with cars spread all over the road. Since the speeds were too high to take the lane, I often found myself hugging the road’s edge, keeping one eye on my rearview mirror in case I needed to make a quick evasive maneuver.

The new, re-striped bike lane is now double to triple wide and the main traffic lane is closer to what is normal for a 40 mph road. The difference in how motorists position themselves on the road is dramatically better. The traffic lane is now clearly a single lane, so there’s no incentive to push toward either edge as if it’s a double lane. The bike lane doesn’t need to be as wide as it is, but the decision to clearly define the main traffic lane as a single lane was a good decision.

The point of all of this is to illustrate the power of a white line on the ground to affect road users’ behavior. Obviously, a white line will not protect a bicyclist from an out of control vehicle, but it will communicate to responsible, coherent drivers where they should be on the road, and what portion of the road should be allocated strictly to bicyclists.

The number one complaint about bicycles in a 2005 consumer survey was uncomfortable saddles. 57% surveyed wanted better saddles, and an astonishing 79% said they would ride more often if saddles were more comfortable. Many saddles are overstuffed and designed to feel comfortable on the sales floor, which is good only in that it helps to sell bicycles, but on the road they are less than adequate and may contribute to discouraging people from riding their bikes. On the other end of the spectrum, saddles designed primarily for racing are fine for their purposes but may be too inflexible and narrow for less aggressive riders.

Selle An-Atomica is a relatively young saddle company that has garnered a lot of attention with their Titanico LD Watershed leather saddles. S-A saddles are acknowledged as being some of the most comfortable saddles available, especially among randonneurs and ultra-distance cyclists who ride very long distances and spend long hours in the saddle. S-A spent fours years researching saddle issues, building prototypes, and doing a significant amount of real-world testing before introducing their product. The result is a uniquely comfortable saddle with hammock-like qualities that conforms to a person’s physique more than any other saddle I’ve ridden.

I’ve been riding S-A saddles for about a year now, and on any bike with handlebars at or below saddle height, they’re my saddle of choice. The shape and contour are similar to the Brooks B17, but the leather is much more flexible, and the patented slot relieves pressure on the sensitive tissues between the sit bones. Unlike the Brooks, the S-A doesn’t require a break-in period and is comfortable right out of the box. Construction is excellent with long, straight rails for generous fore-aft adjustment, attractive copper rivets, and maintenance-free, waterproof leather. This last bit is especially important for year-round commuters.

The S-A website is loaded with interesting information related to saddles, from sit bone measurements, to saddle height, to anatomical issues related to poor saddle design/fit. The site also has a video showing the underside of a Titanico while being ridden.

I have to throw in the caveat that each person’s physique is unique, and no one saddle will work for every person and every bike build. But if you’ve found average to slightly wider than average saddles workable in the past, you’re likely to love the Selle An-Atomica Titanico.

Selle An-Atomica →

A new report commissioned by the Convergence Partnership demonstrates how healthy, equitable transportation policies can improve the quality of life for everyone, and in particular for vulnerable communities. The report is co-authored by Judith Bell of PolicyLink and Larry Cohen of Prevention Institute, with a forward by James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Here’s an excerpt:

Download the Report [PDF] →