My wife and I have been riding together for a number of years now. We’re at the point where we ebb-and-flow together on the road without even thinking about it. As long as we’re on our usual bikes (a pair of Rivendells), we can ride for hours without either of us needing to say a thing about the pace.

It’s always interesting though, to bring a new bike into the mix. Because she rides her trusty Betty Foy most of the time, and we ride together so much, she acts as a baseline against which I can gauge the relative efficiency of any new bike we have on hand.

My new Civia is a good example. I rode it alone on my commute for two weeks before riding it with her on a weekend for the first time. I had pretty well convinced myself that it was less efficient than my Rivendell. I’m not 100% sure why I came to that conclusion, but it probably had to do with the general consensus that internal gear hubs are less efficient than derailleurs, and that the internal gear hub concentrates weight at the rear of the bike, making it feel heavier than it actually is.

Much to my surprise, on that first ride she had some trouble keeping up with me (if anything it’s usually the other way around). I kept finding myself absent-mindedly cruising along at what felt like our normal pace, then looking back to see her falling behind. It finally dawned on me that it was the bike. Subsequent rides on those two bikes confirmed my suspicion; in their current configurations, the Civia is more efficient than the Rivendell.

After thinking it through, this all makes sense. As we all know, a large majority of the effort we expend propelling a bicycle goes toward overcoming wind resistance. In the case of these two bikes, the Rivendell is set-up to place me in a comfortable, upright position. The Civia, on the other hand, has lower bars and a longer reach to the grip area which places me in a slightly less comfortable, but more aerodynamic position. I believe this difference in rider position explains the Civia’s higher efficiency, even with its potentially greater rolling resistance due to the internal gear hub and heavier tires. I’m pretty sure that reversing the cockpit set-ups would make the Rivendell at least slightly more efficient than the Civia.

Of course, none of this is anything but totally subjective. But I suppose that’s the point. We can make all kinds of assumptions about the efficiency of a bike based upon our pre-conceived notions regarding drivetrain efficiency, weight, handlebar height, etc., but it’s all conjecture until we get out on the road and see how a bike actually rolls along in a familiar setting.

For those folding bike fanatics who are following the Dahon/Tern saga (more here, here, and here), as was expected, Dahon has filed a federal lawsuit against Tern. From the Dahon press release:

More at BikeBiz →

Now and again everything comes together to make a perfect commute: quiet roads, mild temperatures, no wind, good legs, and a beautiful sunrise to top it off. Today was one of those days. Experiencing a perfect commute always makes me pause to consider how lucky we bike commuters can be, not having to deal with traffic jams, road rage, and all of the other “stuff” that comes with commuting by car.

I hope you had a nice one too.

We replaced our helmets this week. We’ve been using a pair of old Bell Metros for the past 5-6 years and they were getting pretty banged up. According to the industry and other sources, it’s a good idea to replace a helmet every 3-8 years (it varies depending upon who’s talking), and if you take a spill and use the helmet, it should be replaced right away (this makes good sense). I understand the need to replace a helmet after its work is done, but I’m not quite convinced of the need to replace a well-cared-for helmet as frequently as every 3 years. You’ll want to come to your own conclusions on this based upon the available information.

Michael ended up going with the new Bell Muni. It’s a commuter-specific helmet with subdued graphics, a visor, attachments for front and rear lights, and a pair of rear blinkies built into the rear straps. She likes the fit and I think it looks great on her.

I tried the Bell, but I couldn’t get a good fit, so I ended up with a Giro Xar. The Xar is actually a mountain biking helmet designed for “all mountain” riding. I like the full coverage and the adjustable visor, but most of all I like the fact that it’s light and it fits me like a beanie. ;-)

By law, all helmets sold in the U.S. must pass the basic CPSC standard. Since there’s no way to know if, or by how much, a particular helmet surpasses the certification, I just look for helmets that are relatively smooth, provide good coverage, and fit snugly and comfortably. Those last two are probably the most important; the most well-designed helmet is not a good choice if it flops around or is so uncomfortable that it doesn’t get worn.

Beautiful! Makes me wish my kids were little again.

Along a Long Road →

Soma’s San Marcos framesets have arrived at shops. This is the new sport-ish road frame designed for Soma by Grant Petersen of Rivendell and built overseas using Rivendell lugs. Here’s an excerpt from Grant’s description:

The San Marcos is definitely not a touring bike, but it has a few touring-type details that we like so much for commuting:

• Good tire clearance
• Rack and fender braze-ons
• Kickstand plate
• Pump peg
• Longish wheelbase

This is a pretty frame that could be built up into a very nice, light sport tourer/commuter. It’s available in 5 sizes (see the geometry chart) and will retail for around $900 for frame and fork.

Soma →
Rivendell →