edafe.org » cycling

Bicycle weight and commuting time: randomised trial

edafe — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:11:13 +0000

“Evidence based cycling is not high on the bicycle salesman’s agenda. No one will tell you how much more efficient one bicycle is over another; they just say it is better.” Steel or carbon? Jeremy Groves buys a new bike in the hope of saving up to five minutes on his daily commute…
www.bmj.com
With thanks to Lutz Meißner.

Cycling’s mystery man shows his face

edafe — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:07:30 +0000

“Over his nearly three years of obsessing over, satirizing and deftly puncturing the sport of cycling, the anonymous blogger Bike Snob has made his worldview clear. He loves to ride his bike. He wants you to ride, too. Just maybe not on those florescent wheel rims.” The identity of the Bike Snob NYC has been revealed, solving one of cycling’s last great mysteries.
online.wsj.com

If the bike fits…

edafe — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:32:31 +0000

“Following on from last week’s show on well-being, we look at the importance of getting a good fit between rider and machine.” Scherritt Knoesen and Jack Thurston talk about finding the right position on your bike.
thebikeshow.net

Cannondale Cross XR 7

edafe — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:42:23 +0000

Cannondale Cross XR 7 08, wheels Mavic C29ssmax, fork Trigon XC06A, front brake Avid Juicy Ultimate 160 mm, rear brake Avid Juicy Ultimate 140 mm, chainset SRAM Rival 180 mm, chain SRAM PC1090, pedals Crankbrothers Egg Beater SL, seat post Easton EC90, saddle Selle Italia SLR, bar Easton EC90, tyres Schwalbe Kojak 28 x 1.35, weight 8.5 kg

Whodunnit?

edafe — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:30:25 +0000

“Clearly, somebody in this room murdered Lord Smythe.”
youtube.com

The skills of Danny MacAskill

edafe — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:20:12 +0000

“Holy crap.”
BikeSnob NYC
dannymacaskill.co.uk

Carbon posts for comfort

edafe — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:42:24 +0000

If you are a cyclist and would like a more comfortable ride, you might want to consider switching to a seat post made from carbon fibre. At a diameter of 27.2 mm, the Easton EC90 is the most compliant seat post that I have used to date. With enough of the post exposed, it offers a much more comfortable ride. If you require a larger diameter seat post, the theoretical advantages of carbon over other materials are much less likely to be realised in practice. At a diameter of 30.9 mm or greater, I’d stick with aluminium. Use a torque wrench and carbon assembly paste.

Attitude of an Empire State Courier

edafe — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:32:16 +0000

“Like most cyclists, when I acquire a bicycle I will spend some time and money to ‘dial it in’. However, this bicycle was the equivalent of an unplanned pregnancy, and I was damned if I was going to spend a single red cent on my new bastard child.” Bike Snob NYC, father of the PistaDex, evaluates the Scattante Empire State Courier in terms of its associated acceptance scores.
bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com

Best cycling gloves ever?

edafe — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:36:16 +0000

This is a picture of my Roeckl 3104 803 MTB gloves, which I picked up towards the end of the summer. In certain ways, these really are the best cycling gloves that I have used. Feel, grip as well as comfort are outstanding. But while I am aware that light gloves such as these cannot reasonably be expected to last forever, the amount of use I got out of this pair is disappointing at best.

About that helmet

edafe — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:26:50 +0000

This is a picture I took of today’s newspaper. You can usually pick me out from a group of cyclists because I am the one wearing the full-face helmet. Comments I get from other cyclists are mostly positive. But somebody, somewhere is always telling me that I must be really scared to be wearing that helmet—before proceeding to tell me everything about injuries and treatments that they had to endure as a consequence of having had a serious crash.
royalgazette.com

In other news this week, current World Downhill Champion Rachel Atherton was involved in a head-on collision with a car.

Race report

edafe — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:25:53 +0000

Image of Norbert Meyer, who came a close second in today’s mountain bike race at Ferry Reach. For the first time ever, I was regretting the fact that my bike is set up for the road. Because watching these guys, I was really tempted to give it a go.

Seattle bike messengers

edafe — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:21:00 +0000

“It is a challenge, I guess, at the same time. Because when you’re busy, you’re busy. You work pretty hard. And it goes back to the whole working class thing. A job well done, you can be proud of it.” Chris Jewell talks about his work as a bicycle messenger in downtown Seattle, providing some of the commentary to photographer Mike Kane’s excellent audio slideshow on the same subject.
seattlepi.nwsource.com

Where was my bike made?

edafe — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:16:49 +0000

“Some bike companies have a few secrets. And one of those secrets is where your bike is made or who actually made it.” Kerry Roberts spills the beans on who makes what and where.
allanti.com

How to ride a bike forever

edafe — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:03:52 +0000

The following article by Grant Peterson was first published in the 1994 Bridgestone Bicycle Catalogue.

Ride when you like

Don’t ride out of guilt over last night’s meal. Don’t be a slave to your bike, or else you’ll resent it, and feel guilty whenever you think about it or look at it. Soon you’ll be avoiding it altogether. If all your rides are like a swimmer’s workout, you’ll burn out on bikes as fast as swimmers burn out on laps. Ride when you want to ride.

Go slowly

Don’t push yourself too hard, physically or mentally. Don’t ride with racers or obsessive aerobicizers. (If you’re a racer, don’t race with riders, let them be.) Learn to relax on your bike. Of course your bike can be a tremendous tool to build cardiovascular fitness, but why let that get in the way? Unless you race, you can rely on something else, like running, to get fit and lose weight. Running is more efficient for this anyway.

Go short

A ten-minute ride is always worth it, even though it won’t elevate your heart rate to your ‘target training level’ and keep it there for twelve minutes. (Or is it supposed to be eleven? Or fourteen?)

Don’t keep track

If you never use an on-board computer or a heart rate monitor, you can ride with us any time. Avoid ‘logs’. Forget the graphs and the home computer programs. Keep your bicycle free of extraneous wires and LEDs. You don’t need them.

Own more than one bike

This is not a commercial message! Runners have learned that nothing improves a run as much as a new pair of shoes, or shorts, or socks, or something. Bikes, unfortunately, cost a lot more, but the effect is the same. Make your bicycles so different that your experience on one is unlike the other—a mountain bike and a road bike, a multispeed and an single speed, or a clunker, or a recumbent. For some people, even different handlebars are enough of a change, It’s worth a try.

Learn how to fix your bike

Learn to fix a flat. Learn how to install a wheel. Learn how to adjust derailleurs. It’s all easy, and you’ll never feel at ease on a bike if you’re at its mercy. Being able to fix your bike will give you enormous confidence and satisfaction, not to mention self-sufficiency.

Don’t chase technology

You will never catch it, and if you pursue it year after year it will break your wallet in half. Some wonderful things have happened to bicycles in the last fifteen years, but so have a lot of dumb things. You don’t need a fancy machine with the latest equipment to enjoy something that is so joyous and simple. A simple, reliable bike will do.
www.sheldonbrown.com

The spectral memorials that haunt our roads

edafe — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:21:08 +0000

“It would be unfortunate if the proliferation of ghost bikes frightened off nervous waverers, because there is quite a lot of evidence that the more cyclists there are, the safer cycling becomes. But if white bikes grab the attention of motorists, give them pause and remind them to take care, they will mark the past and help safeguard the future.” Geraldine Bedell reports on the phenomenon of the white bike reaching the UK.
www.guardian.co.uk

Street smarts

edafe — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:06:55 +0000

“The only things that will keep you alive in traffic are your skills, your awareness of your environment, and always having a tremendous respect for the danger involved.” Richard Katz outlines his approach to riding in traffic.
www.urbanvelo.org

Moment designs

edafe — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:28:51 +0000

“Even though they are serious competitors I try to make this feel like you are watching a local buddies video.”
Andrew Tonkery
vimeo.com

Bike commuting: a better way to travel

edafe — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:29:06 +0000

“Nothing has enhanced my life as much as the decision to start bike commuting. I’ve stopped smoking, I don’t drink any more, and I’m always outdoors. I’m saving money, I feel all self-righteous about not polluting, and I can eat plenty without worrying about getting fat. And I arrive at just about any city destination faster than if I’d driven.” Paul Dorn enjoys his ride.
www.runmuki.com

Cycling bookmarks

edafe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:50:40 +0000

Tools & Reference Bicycle Tutor, Fiets Beraad, Sheldon Brown, Ritzelrechner,

Blogs & Magazines Amsterdamize, Bicycle Design, Bicycle Fixation, Bicycle Retailer, Bike198, Bike Hugger, Bike Radar, Bike Rumor, The Bike Show, Bike Snob NYC, Bike Sport News, Bikeboard, Bikes And The City, Copenhagen Cycle Chic, Copenhagenize, Cozy Beehive, Critical Mass London, Cycling News, Cycling WMD, Cyclocross Magazine, Dirt Rag, EcoVelo, Fat Cyclist, The Folding Society, Internet Bike Community, K-Wall, Light Bikes, MountainBike, Mountainbike Forum, Pedaliéro, Roadbike, Road.cc, Sammlung Embacher, Singletrack, SlowTwitch, Urban Velo, VeloNews, Weight Weenies,

Dealers & Distributors Action Sports, Bike Components, Bike Discount, Bike24, BikeDock, Chain Reaction, Competitive Cyclist, Dr Cannondale, Evans, Merlin, Paul Lange, Profirad, Singlespeedshop, Sid’s Bikes NYC, Toms Bike Corner, TNC-Hamburg, UK Bikes Store, Universal Cycles, Whizz-Wheels, Wiggle,

Manufacturers Aarios, Airnimal, American Classic, Assos, AX-Lightness, BBB, Bernds, Bike Friday, Bikebag, Biomega, Bionicon, Bionx, BMC, Boardman, Bontrager, Busch & Müller, Brooks, Brothers, Camelbak, Campagnolo, Cane Creek, Cannondale, Canyon, Carbon Sports, Carbon Ti, Carbonice, Casco, Cervélo, Challenge, Charge, Chrome, Cinelli, Civia, Control Tech, Colnago, Commencal, Continental, Corratec, Corsair, Crank Brothers, Chris King, Cube, Dahon, Dakine, Deda Elementi, Deuter, DiNotte, DT Swiss, Easton, Electra, Elite, Ellsworth, Endorfin, Endura, Ergon, Evoc, Exposure, Felt, Fixie Inc, Fi′zi:k, Focus, Formula, Fox, Fuji, Orange, FRM, FSA, Fulcrum, Fuji, Gary Fisher, Gear Up, Gebhardt, Genesis, Ghost, Giant, Giro, GoBike, Gore, Grammo, GT, Hayes, Hebie, HED, Hinde, The Hive, Hope, Independent Fabrication, Industry Nine, Intense, Kansi, Kinesis, KMC, Knog Koga-Miyata, Kona, Kore, Kraftstoff, KTM, Lapierre, Larry vs Harry, Lezyne, Litespeed, Look, Lumicycle, Magura, Marin, Mavic, Marzocchi, Masi, Maxxis, Merida, Miche, Michelin, Middleburn, Minoura, Moots, Moulton, Mountain Cycle, Nicolai, Niner, ODI, Orange, Orbea, Ortlieb, Pac Designs, Pace, Pacific, Park Tool, Parlee, Pearl, Phil Wood, Pletscher, Princeton Tec, Principia, Procraft, Profile Design, Profile Racing, Race Face, Rapha, Redline, Ritchey, Rocky Mountain, Rohloff, Rotor, Rotwild, Royal Purple, Salsa, Santos, Satori, Schindelhauer, Schlupf, Schmolke, Schwalbe, Scott, SDG, Selle Italia, Seven, Shimano, SIDI, Simpel, Simplon, SKS, Six Six One, Smart, Soma, SON, Specialized, Spécialités TA, Speed One, Speedway, SR Suntour, SRAM, Steppenwolf, Stevens, Storck, Strida, Stronglight, Sturmey Archer, Sugino, Sunn, Supreme, Surly, Syncros, Syntace, Tacx, Thompson, Thorn, Time, Topeak, Trek, Tr!ckstuff, Trigon, Troy Lee, Truvativ, Tune, Tyrell, USE, Van Dessel, Velocity, Velotraum, Velowerk, Veltec, Vicious Cycles, Viner, Vittoria, Vredestein, White Industries, Whyte, WTB, Winwood, Workcycles, Xlab, Yamaguchi, Yeti, Zinn, Zipp, Zonenschein,

Sheldon Brown

edafe — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:00:30 +0000

“If Sheldon Brown had been only an excellent bicycle mechanic, the esteem in which he was held, while great, could not have extended much beyond his native Massachusetts.” Instead, Sheldon Brown used the Internet to become the most widely read bicycle mechanic in the world. He died on February 3, 2008.
www.timesonline.co.uk

Riding advice for urban cyclists

edafe — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:46:32 +0000

“Understand the principles and then apply them to develop a style that suits your needs and personality.” Read Patrick Field’s excellent guide to riding in traffic.
www.leedscyclists.org.uk

How to fit a bicycle

edafe — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:28:03 +0000

“Bicycle fitting is a subject most people find quite mysterious. Fitting systems with charts and graphs, computer software, measuring devices and ‘rules of thumb’ make for a lot of confusion. But I believe it’s really quite simple”, writes Peter Jon … Continue reading →

Make your bike time count

edafe — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:01:34 +0000

“Simply riding your bike will help improve your fitness and your handling skills, but there are training techniques you can adopt to make sure you get a decent workout.” Joe Beer with a few tips on how to spend your time in the saddle more effectively.
www.bikeradar.com

That’s me: radical superhero of the streets

edafe — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:48:48 +0000

“Cycling in London is an extreme sport, little safer than base jumping. A journey begins with trepidation and ends with me slightly high that I’m still alive.” Janice Turner does not depend on timetables or traffic. On two wheels, she enjoys the pleasure of knowing exactly what time she’ll arrive.
www.timesonline.co.uk

Metabolic fatigue

edafe — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:53:07 +0000

“Every cyclist loves to eat, and half of the fun of cycling is in having a built-in excuse to eat in large quantities.” Yesterday I “bonked big-time” for not having eaten enough. Stephen Cheung explains the factors that come into play.
www.pezcyclingnews.com

News from Tester Tim—aka Tim ‘Fingers’

edafe — Sat, 12 May 2007 18:59:08 +0000

“Just a quick piece of advice for you fellow bikers. Be careful when your messing with disc brakes, even if you have done it 100’s of times like me. I now have 9.8 digits!”
www.on-one.co.uk

Cannondale Bad Boy Rohloff

edafe — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:46:30 +0000

Cannondale Bad Boy Rohloff 06, front hub Hope Pro II, front brake Avid Juicy Carbon 203 mm, rear brake Avid Juicy Carbon 160 mm, chainset Truvativ Stylo SS 180 mm, chainring Gebhard CNC, chain SRAM PC991 Cross Step, pedals Crankbrothers Egg Beater Ti, seat post Easton EC70, saddle SDG Formula FXR, bar Ritchey WCS Carbon Flat, tyres Schwalbe Kojak 26 x 1.35, weight 11.2 kg

Bicycle crash statistics

edafe — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:51:24 +0000

“Contrary to intuition, cyclists riding on bicycle paths have a higher crash rate than cyclists riding on roads, although not as high a crash rate as cyclists riding on sidewalks.” The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition looks at crash data for cyclists and reaches valuable and often surprising conclusions.
www.massbike.org

The door zone project

edafe — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:27:31 +0000

“Many cyclists make the mistake of riding too close to parked cars. This is extremely dangerous. Many cyclists have been seriously injured or even killed because they were riding in the door zone.” On her bike, Riin Gill never gets closer than 1.5 m.
www.riinsrants.info

Road positioning

edafe — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:09:39 +0000

“Cyclists are being told that road positioning is a critical part of riding safely—but are there any rules, or does it require some kind of two-wheeled sixth sense that you can only gain from experience?” Richard Peace answers some of the most commonly asked questions.
www.bikeradar.com

Secrets of pedaling

edafe — Tue, 30 May 2006 07:23:42 +0000

“Pro cyclists pedal differently from ordinary mortals. When you’re on the road, you can always tell the well-trained cyclists by the way they pedal.” Brief guide to pedaling more effectively.
www.cyclingreviews.com

Danger? What danger?

edafe — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:18:26 +0000

“But what I hear all the time from people is that they would ride a bike but don’t because they feel it’s too dangerous. I completely sympathise, but, of course, I disagree.” Matt Seaton compares cycling in traffic to a peculiar kind of ballet on wheels.
www.guardian.co.uk

Critical Mass London

edafe — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 13:46:35 +0000

“Critical Mass London is a mass cycle around central London. Anyone can get involved, just bring yourself and your bike down to the South Bank on the last Friday of each month, between 6.00 pm–6.45 pm under Waterloo Bridge.” I took this picture on 29 July 2005. Thanks to Doug, you can also watch a video of what it was like to be there. Great fun.
criticalmasslondon.org.uk

Life expectancy

edafe — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:07:14 +0000

Fact: A regular London cyclist enjoys a longer life expectancy than a Londoner who takes no exercise.

BMX tricks

edafe — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 03:12:08 +0000

What a monumental waste of time. You have been warned…
www.cbc.ca

How to not get hit by cars

edafe — Sun, 21 Nov 2004 21:02:29 +0000

“Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car.” Only a small proportion of accidents involve the collison with a motor vehicle, yet they account for the vast majority of fatalities among cyclists. Michael Bluejay explains how to avoid getting hit.
www.bicyclesafe.com

Marin Point Reyes

edafe — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 18:45:13 +0000

Frame Marin Point Reyes 18.5", fork Pace RC31 XC, wheels Mavic CrossMax XL, front brake Hope Mono M4 180 mm, rear brake Hope Mono M4 160mm, chainset Shimano XT 180 mm, pedals Crankbrothers Egg Beater SL, mechs and shifters Shimano XT, tyres Continental Sport Contact 26 x 1.3, weight 9.8 kg

Bicycle helmet safety institute

edafe — Sun, 07 Nov 2004 16:42:20 +0000

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association provides information on buying a helmet and fitting it properly. There also is a long list of product reviews to help with your choices.
www.helmets.org

The Exploratorium’s Science of Cycling

edafe — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 03:11:22 +0000

Did you know that bicycle wheels are among the strongest man-made structures ever invented? Find out more by visiting this interesting and informative site.
www.exploratorium.edu

Day after the crash

edafe — Fri, 15 Oct 2004 20:54:59 +0000

Yesterday evening I had a massive accident with my bicycle. A car pulled out in front of me and I crashed into it at about 40 km/h. I went over the car like a torpedo and then hit the ground face first. Any injuries, however, are confined to my right shoulder.

Use pen… to unlock bike

edafe — Sun, 26 Sep 2004 18:02:59 +0000

Kryptonite, makers of ‘Tough Locks for a Tough World’, are now known to have been selling bicycle locks which are not only more expensive, but can also be opened with a ball point pen. Apparently, this keyless mechanism was first documented in 1992.