Interbike is fast approaching and I keep forgetting to mention this. A while back I mentioned that we’d be attending Interbike this year, and we had every intention of doing so (going so far as obtaining press passes and making travel arrangements), but as so often happens, real life intruded and disrupted our best laid plans. I won’t go into the details, but just know that other, more pressing responsibilities require we stay close to home at this particular juncture. We’ll be there next year come heck or high water! In the meantime, this year we’ll do our usual best to cover the show from EcoVelo headquarters here in NorCal.

OK, OK, it’s true; I have a little bike-crush goin’ on, so I posted this photo these photos just because it’s my blog and I felt like it. So there. :) I also figured I’d better hurry up and post a few more Sam H. pics before y’all get tired of looking at orange.

Don’t forget; if you have a pretty bike you’d like to see featured on EcoVelo, just send your pics and we’ll post ‘em here for you and the world to enjoy. Find out how right here.

Speaking of, we’re getting ready to host another EcoVelo Photo Contest. Keep your eyes peeled – we’ll be announcing the details here within the next 2-3 weeks. The prize list will be even bigger and better this time around.

A Glorius, but not the exact bike in question

The following announcement was posted on the Rivendell website today:

Grant Petersen is the owner of Rivendell Bicycle Works. If you have any information about the stolen bikes, you can contact Rivendell here.

Bob Mionske, author of the excellent book Bicycling and the Law, posted a story on his blog yesterday about a terrible incident in Ontario, Canada in which a driver ran down 5 law abiding cyclists riding single file in a marked bike lane. If the collision in-and-of-itself wasn’t bad enough, Mionske describes the Ottawa Police Service’s response to the incident:

Mionske goes on to suggest that a more appropriate response would have been a stepped-up enforcement action against reckless, drunk, and aggressive automobile drivers:

I wholeheartedly agree.

Read the full article at bicyclelaw.com →

I’m very fortunate to have a steady job that I enjoy. My heart goes out to the folks who have suffered through lay-offs, furloughs, and the other symptoms of this terrible economy. I’ve seen it up close and personal with good friends and family being affected. I’ve also seen the stress that it puts on the people who are left to pick up the pieces after companies are “down-sized”. Whether it’s a bike commute or just a simple joy ride, I hope you’re able to take the time to get out on your bike and experience a little respite from it all. I know for myself, there’s nothing quite like a slow ride in the country to reset the psyche and recharge the batteries after a stressful day.

OK, this is the kind of stuff I thrive on. What you’re looking at is four bikes with four distinctly different handlebars. From left to right we have a Surly Long Haul Trucker with a Nitto North Road bar, a Rivendell Sam Hillborne with a Nitto Moustache bar, an Independent Fabrications Club Racer with a Nitto Noodle (drop) bar, and a Civia Hyland with a Civia 17° bend flat bar. I’m currently rotating through the bikes to solidify in my mind the differences between the bars. I haven’t stumbled upon any Earth-shattering revelations yet, but here are a few random thoughts anyway…

North Road / Albatross
North Roads provide the most rise among the group. They’re great for getting a more upright position on bikes that are too small for the rider. They sweep back and shorten the reach to the grip area. They place the hands in a comfortable, ergonomic position. A disadvantage is that with grips and mountain bike levers they really only provide one hand position. The Albatross is a similar bar also made by Nitto.

Moustache
I’ve only been riding these for a week, so I can only give you a first impression. They’re a lot like North Roads, but with multiple hand positions and no rise. The lever position is similar to the lever position on a flat bar. Because they have a deep forward bend and long reach to the brake levers, they require a short, high rise stem such as a DirtDrop. I really like the variety of positions this bar provides, though some people might miss the drop bar brake hood position for climbing.

Noodle
The brake hood position on any drop bar is super for climbing out of the saddle and the multiple hand positions are hard to beat for long rides. The Noodle bar is a unique version of the standard drop bar with a flare in the drops, a slight rearward bend at the tops, and a nice, level platform (see comfy) behind the brake lever. The unusual rearward bend at the tops makes that position more ergonomically correct and more useful as an all-purpose position. Until recently, I hadn’t ridden drops for years, but this bar has me wanting drops on at least one of my bikes.

Flat
Flat bars provide a ton of control for dodging taxi cabs or hopping logs. They’re light and stiff, and they’re the best bar out there for short, intense rides in urban traffic. They’re a simple bar that intuitively appeals to novices, but they’re the least comfortable among this group. Because of their not-so-ergonomically-correct position and lack of multiple hand positions, they make my wrists hurt on long rides.

Of course, there is a myriad of other bars out there. The On-One Mary is a popular, semi-swept bar that falls somewhere between a typical flat bar and a North Road or Albatross. Wald, best known for their excellent utility baskets, also makes a number of interesting handlebars; Mike Flanigan at A.N.T. specs Wald bars on some of his bikes. There’s no right or wrong here. Handlebars, like bikes, each offer advantages and disadvantages. The trick is not so much to determine which is “best”, but to figure out which one is best for your bike and how you ride it.

From the City of Chicago’s Bike Program comes this excellent training video for Chicago police officers. This is a great training video for bicyclists as well.

Chicago Bicycle Program →

[via Streetsblog]