Posts Tagged: bike gear
Posted by Anthony | January 23rd, 2012 | 3 Comments »
With our mild winters here in Vancouver, we don’t have the same winter riding conditions that others face. Last week was the exception as we got multiple hits of snow, freezing rain, and frigid temperatures. For many commuters, it was just the one week a year that cycling isn’t in the cards. For others, it was just a week that needed a different approach.
There are two things that a cyclist can control when it comes to riding in snow and ice: gear and riding technique.
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Posted by Anthony | December 12th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Christmas is approaching fast. Are you stuck for ideas on what to get your bike-commuter friends? Yeah, me too. Lucky for you, I’ve done some research. Here’s my top 5 list of handy gifts for cyclists.
Five gift ideas for cyclists
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Lights
You can never have enough lights. No matter how bright your clothing is, no matter how covered in Scotchlite™ your body is, nothing beats the visibility of lights. LED lights are cheap, durable, small, and light-weight. White ones for the front, red ones for the back. You can get handlebar mounted lights, seat-post lights, helmet lights (front & back), safety-vests with integrated lights, fender-mounted lights, and rear-rack mounted lights. You can get lights that go on to your valve stems. A personal favourite of mine are lights that get mounted in your spokes. Particularly in Vancouver’s dark, rainy winters, being visible to motorists and pedestrians from all angles is crucial. A recent trend in bike lights is the ability to charge them via mini-usb. It’s a convenient way to keep your lights charged, but it also means you’re hosed if you the battery runs out in the middle of a ride. Unless, of course, you have a dynamo with a usb port on it… read more »
Posted by Anthony | November 20th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
It’s a situation you see more and more often: an adult heading along the bike-way with one or more kids along for the ride. Getting the kids to school, daycare, or the babysitter’s by bike is becoming a more frequent activity for many. The introduction of the dedicated bike lanes downtown has led at least one person I know to sell their car, and she now takes her child to daycare via bike.
There are several options to get your kids from point A to point B with a bike. There are additional seats you can attach to your bike, front-mounted or rear-mounted, there are trailers, and finally there are so-called “tag-alongs.” read more »
Posted by Anthony | November 8th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Bike commuting in winter in Vancouver is a bit of a different experience than the rest of Canada. The weather’s usually dark, rainy, and mostly mild with the occasional week or two of “Arctic outflow” that causes frigid temperatures and icy roads.
Commuting in this weather involves more gear than riding in the warmer, dryer months. Chances are pretty good that you’re not going to be able to ride in your work clothes. There are two ways to get your stuff back and forth: backpacks or panniers. It boils down to a personal choice, but having gone to panniers years ago, I can’t imagine using a sweaty backpack again. read more »
