If You've Never Ridden a Bike in the Winter

Miller High Life - Alternative Fuels

Miller High Life — Alternative Fuels from Michael Williams on Vimeo.

Biking in Cold Weather: Tips for Toasty Toes

If you’ve been riding in a Wisconsin winter, you likely have experience with how much insulation you need to layer on in order to retain body heat generated from pedaling. However, cold feet can be a surprisingly pesky problem on a longer commute, but don’t let them keep you from biking in the winter.  Here’s what I’ve come up with to stay comfortable:

Printing a Bicycle with a 3D Printer

Bicyclist Gift Guide

Here are some ideas for the cyclist on your list.

You can never have too many pairs of wool socks.

Thoughts on the Ladies Swift Bike

Photo from dbccitybikedesign.com

At first glance there doesn’t appear to be anything extraordinary about the Ladies Swift bike. It seems to have the loop frame and upright design of a typical Dutch bike, but without a chain case and skirt guards. DBC City Bike Design Owner Dan Sorger pointed out the discreet features that go a long way in improving the classic upright bike design. Using the only Ladies Swift in the shop, his wife Maria’s, as a model, he elaborated on what makes the bike both different and better:

Cycling for Everyone

Cycling For Everyone from Dutch Cycling Embassy on Vimeo.

It's Your Ride

It's Your Ride from Cinecycle on Vimeo.

Izhar Cardboard Bike Project

Izhar cardboard bike project from Giora Kariv on Vimeo.

DBC City Bike Design

Image from dbccitybikedesign.com

On a recent trip to Boston, Peter and I visited DBC City Bike Design downtown. We stood on the corner of Pearl and Purchase streets for a moment, unsure if we were at the right address, before we realized we were standing just outside the door leading to the basement level shop. The shop’s interior was about as inconspicuous as its entrance. There was a handful of various types of bikes, mainly Dutch in origin, but the shop was lacking in retail accessories. It felt more like a workspace and that’s because it is – there are no bikes for sale, only orders for custom builds.

PLAYGROUND

PLAYGROUND from Bicycle Store on Vimeo.

Bicycle Typogram

Here's a cool typogram by Arron Kuehn to help you learn the parts of your bike:

Bikes about Boston

I recently took a trip to Boston. As I walked around the city, I noticed these bikes:

Handmade Portraits: Chain Reaction

Handmade Portraits: Chain Reaction from Etsy on Vimeo.

GHOSTRIDERS II

GHOSTRIDERS II from Bicycle Store on Vimeo.

Take Them on a Bike Picnic

A fun bicycle outing can get even your most cold-averse friends back in the saddle. Once I begin to hear talk of how it's too cold for biking or that I'm too extreme for continuing to ride, I know a good way to demonstrate my counterpoints: organize an autumn bike picnic. 

Urban Biking: Overcoming Your Fears

URBAN BIKING: Overcoming Your Fears from Laura J. Lukitsch on Vimeo.

The Bicycle Cap

The Bicycle Cap by peSeta for the New Museum from casa peSeta on Vimeo.

Cool Weather Bike Commuting Accessories

Many year-round bike commuters, myself included, look forward to the arrival of cooler weather in autumn. It’s the time of year when the morning chill makes me shiver a little as I exit the door, but I know that biking at a brisk pace will quickly warm me up. Soon my face and ears become warm and rosy and the cool air works to sweep away any excess 
heat. The rising sun is once again a welcome source of light, warmth, and good cheer, unlike during those scorching hot summer days just a couple of months back.  

Cycle Slang: Bike Ninja

Today's bike slang definition comes from urbandictionary.com:

Bike Ninja: Someone who is riding their bicycle in dark/low visibility conditions, without a headlight or taillight. So-called because they are invisible, like a ninja.

How a Bicycle is Made (1945)

How a Bicycle is Made (1945) from British Council Film on Vimeo.

Fall Colors: Off the Bike and into the Woods

Bike Slang: Grasshopper

Today's bike slang comes from bikehacks.com.

Grasshopper: This rider's seat is as far down as it can go and when pedaling the knees achieve chin level, mimicking the bend seen in the rear legs of grasshoppers.

Bike ♥

bike ♥ from Rick Darge on Vimeo.

Stay Warm in Cool Weather - Keep Biking!

As cooler weather rolls in, it can be tempting to roll your bike into the garage where it will not be seen again till spring. Don't do it! Here's why I think the fall is a great time of year for biking:

Crashing into Love

BIKES - Crashing into love from Raoul Paulet on Vimeo.

Featured Bike Ride Route: New Glarus

The 60-mile round trip route to New Glarus is doable as a day trip, but with camping available at New Glarus Woods State Park, it can also be an overnight destination. The ride along the Badger and Sugar River state trails provides an opportunity to take in the fall colors.

DIY Skirt Guards

Skirt guards, also known as dress or coat guards, are useful to have on a transportation bicycle. They protect your clothing from getting caught in the spokes and protect you from a resulting wreck. Velouria at Lovely Bicycle! sums up the merits of skirt guards well, and her post is a good read if you are unsure if skirt guards are for you.

Dos Ciclos

Dos Ciclos Short Film from SakeGroup on Vimeo.

Review: Brooks B67s

I had heard people rave about their Brooks saddle, but I didn't realize how much more comfortable a saddle for an upright bike could be until I tried a Brooks. The WorkCycles Oma I rented in Portland was outfitted with the B67s and I immediately loved it.

Best Practices for Riding in a Group

Group bike rides are a great way to socialize, whether you are meandering or have a destination in mind. Chatting with a friend along the way is easy, but communicating with the group requires an understanding of group biking norms.

Bicycle Sounds

Bicycle Sounds from Stephen Meierding on Vimeo.

Bike Ride Route: Eplegaarden

I love the fall and everything that comes with it: cozy sweaters, crisp air, beautiful colors, baking, and apple picking.  Eplegaarden in Fitchburg is conveniently located off the Badger trail, making it my orchard of choice. The 10-mile route from the Capitol Square makes for a fun autumnal outing. I recommend bringing a picnic.

Cycle Slang: MAMIL

Today's cycle slang comes from Urban Dictionary.

MAMIL: Middle aged men in lycra.

The Man Who Lived on His Bike

THE MAN WHO LIVED ON HIS BIKE from Guillaume Blanchet on Vimeo.

Pick Me up at the Border

When my alarm went off at 11pm waking me from a brief nap, I admit to thinking, "That ride sounds fun, but it feels so good to be sleeping." Soon my sleepiness was replaced by a caffeinated anticipation for that night's ride to the Illinois border on the Badger Trail.

How to Change a Bicycle Tire

Spare tube? Check. Tire levers? Check. Small pump? Check. Knowledge of how to actually change a tire? Nope. I went touring for years without really knowing how to fix a flat. Luckily, I never had to.

A few months ago I was determined to install new Schwalbe cream colored tires on my Dutch bike. With the help of YouTube, I learned how. This tutorial will take you through the process and in less than five minutes you'll be ready to fix your next flat.

Tomorrow(s)

Google by Bike

Google, Mozilla, Foursquare, and others are implementing a variety of programs to encourage employees to bike. In her story, "Techies on the Cutting Edge... of Bike Commuting" for Marketplace, Andrea Bernstein writes, "[Tech] companies are in a race to outdo each other in bike friendliness."

Google's campus in Mountain View, CA

Cycle Slang: The Hasselhoff

This definition is from bikehacks.com:

Hasselhoff, or simply "Hoff": A male rider that chooses to go shirtless, also see Pool Boy. A "Hoff" is set apart from a simple pool boy because of copious chest hair.

Shit Cyclists Say