California vehicle code mandates that any bike operated in darkness is required to have a front headlight that emits a white beam visible from 300 feet and a red rear reflector that’s visible from 500 feet when illuminated by motor vehicle high beams. The law also mandates reflectors on both pedals or the rider’s ankles, and side reflectors or tires with reflective sidewalls. The headlight can be attached to either the bicycle or the rider. Check the vehicle code for the jurisdiction in which you ride to be sure you’re meeting at least the minimum requirements. More →

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Bryan Luce is the owner/operator of Renaissance Bicycles. Renaissance specializes in what they call “renaissanced bicycles” — individual creations that meld vintage frames with modern components. They also build-to-order complete bicycles on frames from Rivendell, Soma Fabrications, and Velo Orange. Bryan recently sat down with us to answer a few questions about his unique business. More →

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Well, not really (the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere falls on September 22 this year). But, we year-round bicycle commuters have our own way of gauging the seasons. We experience the ebb-and-flow of nature directly, in a way that can’t be discerned from behind the wheel of a car. More →

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New bike commuters tell us they have a hard time locating the basic information they need to get started among the more advanced and esoteric material on EcoVelo. I can’t imagine why; the site only contains 1,997 posts and 17,425 comments as of this morning… LOL.

All kidding aside, we take your feedback seriously. To address this issue, we’ll be doing an ongoing “Bike Commuting 101″ series that’ll consist of articles geared toward first time commuters. We’ll cover topics such as “Hot to Get Started”, “How to Carry Stuff”, “How to Fix a Flat”, “Maintenance Basics”, and so on and so forth. All of the articles will fall under the new “Bike Commuting 101″ category so they can be filtered and located quickly and easily. The articles will be short and sweet to leave room for input from our awesome community of regulars. More →

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Read our interview with bike designer, advocate, and founding father of mountain biking, Joe Breeze. More →

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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 or utility use. It’s constructed from tubular 6061 aluminum, with a maximum capacity of 55 lbs. and a retail price of $39.95. More →

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People often ask me what they need to get started bike commuting. The list may vary depending upon the circumstances surrounding their commute, but here’s my short list. More →

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There’s nothing more frustrating than getting stuck at an on-demand signal and having to wait for a car to come up from behind to trigger the light. In some jurisdictions, if you’re unable to trigger the light, it’s legal to proceed after stopping, but that doesn’t help when you’re at a cross street with heavy traffic moving in both directions. The good news is that in many cases it’s possible to trigger a light with your bicycle. More →

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Sometime over the past few years, almost imperceptibly and without fanfare, bicycle headlights and tail lights came down in price while improving in quality to the point where buying a lighting system for a commuter bicycle is now a no-brainer. This is a big deal to someone like myself who has been on the quest for the ultimate lighting system for decades. More →

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Wow, how time flies! Today marks two years to the day that we published our first blog entry. We wanted to take this opportunity to take a look back and reflect upon what has been an eminently enjoyable 24 months of serving up your daily dose of EcoVelo.

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I’m a big fan of versatile bikes that are ready for just about any challenge a year-round utility bicyclist might encounter. Bikes with strong frames, robust wheels, puncture-resistant tires, fenders, lights, racks, bells, and bags. Bikes that don’t provide any excuses for not using a bike instead of a car. I have a couple of bikes like this and I recommend them to friends. About 90% of my riding is done on all-purpose bikes.

While these “multi-tool” bikes see the most use, specialized bikes that fill the gaps not covered by more conventional designs can be an important part of a car-free or car-lite lifestyle. Cargo bikes and folding bikes are two of the niche bikes that serve specific purposes not covered by more versatile bikes.

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I’m having one of those days where my work plate is totally overflowing. Consequently, I’ve not found the usual cracks and crevices in my schedule to put together a real blog post. Since it’s cold and blustery outside, and I’ve been stuck under a sea of fluorescent lights since dark-thirty this morning, I thought I’d post this photo of a beautiful evening last summer. It was captured on the way home from a run to the grocery store and I can almost hear the crickets chirping and smell the aroma of dry grass wafting on the gentle breeze. I hope this brightens your day a little if you’re stuck in an office too.

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I receive quite a few inquiries about my daily commuter, how it’s outfitted, why types of bags I use, etc. Here’s my current set-up, subject to change at a moment’s notice…

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Today was the first day this year that I didn’t really need my headlights. Because I enjoy toying around with lights so much, I always feel a small tinge of disappointment when the sun breaks over the horizon during my commute for the first time in the spring. Oh well, before you know it, it’ll be fall again and I’ll be surprised by how quickly the summer flew by….

PS – For those of you who think I only ride on picturesque bike trails, here’s an empty lot and a little chain link fence for you… :-)

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This is Jack’s 650b Rivendell Saluki. It’s his bike for touring, camping and club rides.

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Recent developments in New York City and San Francisco have me thinking about Critical Mass, wondering what kind of future it has, wondering whether it’s run its course.

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My bike is my trusty 21-speed, 2001 Schwinn Frontier FS mountain bike. I added electric assist last summer, installing Currie’s kit. I had found that I wasn’t cycling that much because my knees would give me heck. (I retired to a beautiful forest west of Glacier National Park after spending most of my career working [...]

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From the Brompton website: The Philly Phlyer Collegiate and USA Cycling Race Weekend are pleased to host the first annual Brompton US Championship. Registration is now open; there are only 100 places available, these will be administered on a first come first served basis. The race is to be held on Saturday 20th March, 2010, [...]

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From the City of Lights Website: The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition created City of Lights to better help and nurture our Latin cyclist brothers and sisters to ride safer and create a more bike friendly community. What is City of Lights? The objective of City of Lights is to increase working-class Latino immigrant bicyclists’ [...]

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Background Topeak is primarily known as a manufacturer of high quality bicycle tools and accessories, the most well-known being their popular bicycle pumps and multi-tools. They also manufacture everything from bags and bottle cages to racks and repair stands. Theirs is one of the most complete lines of accessories on the market. Topeak is also [...]

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