If you’ve never ridden an Amtrak train, this is what a typical platform looks like (click the zoom to see the panoramic image at full size). On a typical morning, the platform is jam packed with people. This pano was taken in the afternoon, just a few minutes after the train left the depot.

When on a railroad platform, always stand behind the yellow line, and hold onto your hat when the train comes in. If you have a lightweight folding bike, don’t ever leave it sitting on the edge of the platform or this might happen (ouch).

Our friends over at Rowdy Kittens published a super article on bike camping today (have a look here). The only thing I’d add is that it’s possible to combine bike camping with a train trip if you’re wanting to cover more ground in less time. Along those lines, I (very briefly) touched upon the idea of Amtrak getaways here.

The New York Daily News recently published an op-ed by Colin Beavan, the famous blogger known as “No Impact Man“, in which he accuses Americans of being “oiloholics”. Consider these facts from his piece:

He goes on to suggest that we all take some personal responsibility in the matter:

I 100% agree with Mr. Beavan, and riding a bike for transportation is one of the most effective things we can do to contribute to the solution.

NY Daily →
No Impact Man →

I had a hard time getting going this morning, but, as always, once I was on the road it was all good. There’s nothing like bike commuting to get your day headed in the right direction.

Planet Bike recently sent me a copy of their K.O.K.O. (Keep On Keepin’ On) rack to try out. The K.O.K.O. is a heavy-duty cargo rack designed for touring and utility use. It’s constructed from tubular 6061 aluminum, with a maximum capacity of 55 lbs. and a retail price of $39.95. It comes supplied with stainless steel mounting hardware and a second set of struts for use on small frames.

I tested the K.O.K.O. with all of my regular commuting and utility loads. I found the rack to be perfectly stiff and solid for loads up to 40 lbs. (I only tested up to 40 lbs.). It’s a beefy rack that I’m sure will handle loads up to and beyond the stated maximum capacity without issue.

The pannier mounting points on the K.O.K.O. are well-placed and I was able to attach a wide range of bags from various manufacturers.

The tail light mounting plate accepts Euro-style lights as well as the Planet Bike light bracket for mounting the popular Superflash tail light.

It’s only natural to compare the K.O.K.O. to the Tubus Cargo since it appears the K.O.K.O. drew inspiration from that industry-standard carrier. I’ve been running the Cargo for a number of years on various bikes, so I’m quite familiar with its characteristics. The K.O.K.O. feels nearly as stiff, though the Tubus, being made from tubular steel, has a higher maximum capacity of 88 lbs. Unlike the Cargo, the K.O.K.O. tapers in at the front; this keeps the weight closer to the center of the bike, but it may also cause clearance issues on bikes with cantilever brakes. The K.O.K.O. also carries the load slightly further forward, which contributes to its solid feel, but heel strike may be an issue with some bag/bike combinations. If you can, check these clearance points when purchasing this rack.

The K.O.K.O. is the most well-constructed rack I’ve seen at its price point. It’s unlikely to have the extreme long-term durability of a much more expensive steel rack like the Tubus, but at $39.95 it’s a great value and should serve most people very well for a number of years.

Planet Bike →

Disclaimer: Planet Bike is a sponsor of this site.

Jack of Many Trades

The diversity of specialized bikes available today may be greater than at any other time in history. Just think, you can go out today and purchase a cargo bike to carry 400 lbs., a folding bike that’s small enough to fit in the trunk of a sub-compact car, or a fully-suspended mountain bike to blast down a dirt road at over 40 miles per hour.

Bikes such as those listed above are highly specialized, while others are designed to be used for a wider variety of purposes. These jack-of-all-trades bikes have been somewhat pushed aside by specialized machines over the past couple of decades, but with a growing interest in using bikes for utility and transportation, versatile bikes are making a big comeback.

Every bike, even those that are designed for a narrow use, can be ridden in at least a small range of circumstances outside of its comfort zone. For example, a fair number of people use their racing bikes for commuting, and while these bikes don’t have facility for hauling cargo, riders work around the limitations of their bikes by using backpacks and messenger bags. And while a mountain bike may not be ideal for road riding, I’ve seen plenty of people ride long distances on the road on mountain bikes outfitted with street tires.

We tend to like bikes that are designed from the start with versatility in mind. Sure, we have specialized bikes like folders, and they’re wonderful for solving very specific problems, but our everyday, go-to bikes are those that help us accomplish a variety of tasks with minimal effort.

A bike that fits our personal conception of “versatile” will, at minimum:

• be able to haul a week’s worth of groceries for one;
• roll well enough to cover 30+ miles on the road with minimal effort;
• handle well on a dirt path;
• fit standard bike facilities such as bus racks and bike lockers;
• have sufficiently wide gearing within a range that’s suitable for local terrain; and
• be set-up to handle changing weather and lighting conditions.

Each person’s list is going to be different depending upon their needs, but the wider the range of tasks any one bike can help a person accomplish, the more it’s likely to be used for everyday utility and transportation, and the more satisfying it’s likely to be to the utility/transpo bicyclist.

In the follow-up discussion to yesterday’s post about Bob Mionske’s article on bicycle infrastructure, there was a question about whether our readers prefer to ride in areas with bicycle infrastructure such as bike lanes, sharrows, and separated bikeways, or whether they prefer to ride in areas with no bicycle-specific infrastructure at all. The feedback I’ve received seems to indicate the majority of our readers prefer riding in areas where there is well-developed infrastructure, but in all honesty, I don’t really know. So, I ask the question: Given the choice, do you prefer to ride in areas with well-developed bicycle infrastructure, or do you prefer to ride in areas with only legacy roads and no bicycle-specific infrastructure?

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