Go Clipless

Planning your bike commute - part one

Commuting by bike is a bitch!

Once you're out there it's cool, but mustering up the energy to do it everyday ain't easy. There is a ton of planning that you have to do before biking to work for the first time.

Once I decided (or learned) that I would be biking to work - at least some of the time - I started to think about all that I would need in order to make the process as simple as possible. I'll recount the steps I followed in the event that you find yourself wanting or needing to commute by bike. This first part in the series will be about assessing the workplace facilities and policies regarding bicycles.

Top 100 retailer drops the ball

Have you ever gone to a store with money burning a hole in your pocket, just itching to buy the product you have had your eyes on for weeks? You have painstakingly researched this product on the Internet; settled on the brand you want, but need to see the color choices and sizes in person, before buying. The product is hard to find. If a store has it and its even close to the color you want, you will be buying that day!

That was me this past sunday as I attempted to buy a messenger bag to help with my bike commute. The only problem was that the Top 100 Bike Retailer I visited had other plans for me on this day.

CamelBak Blowfish

Flexibility.  That's what you are getting with the CamelBak Blowfish.  Keep it zipped and you have a relatively low profile 100oz (3 L) hydration pack with plenty of pockets for a multi-tool, spare tube, Gu, wallet, cell phone, tire levers, extra socks, gloves, car keys, sun glasses, you get the picture...its got plenty of storage.  Unzip the Blowfish, and all of the sudden you've got a a cavernous 482 cubic inches of  space that can easily accommodate something as large as a windbreaker and long sleeve shirt.  Granted this is much more than most of us would like to carry on a run of the mill ride, personally I can't stand lugging around all that crap, but here are a few good reasons why this CamelBak is a good buy.

Trek Top Fuel 98

Stiff, nimble, light, and fast...all are good antonyms for me on a bike.  However, they are great words for describing the Trek Top Fuel 98.  Weighing in at 26 lbs with all XT components, this full suspension carbon fiber bike has only a few flaws.  If you are ready to drop $3,500 on your next bike, you need to consider the Top Fuel.

Crank Brothers Egg Beater SL

Slowly but surely the GC clan has been switching to Crank Brothers pedals.

Ever the trendsetter, J-Vicious was the first in the group to ride with the Egg Beater.

Next, I switched after test riding the pedals at Interbike this past fall.

And finally, Dr. P got himself a pair because...well, everyone else did!

Actually, the fact that a few of us regular riding buddies are now riding the same pedals has considerable group benefits. Interchanging bikes during a ride just to give a new obstacle a try with a different bike is now possible. Also, it makes borrowing bikes a lot easier and has led to an extension beyond ones own bike stable to having a group stable (although, Dr. P may not see this as a benefit as we all seem to be borrowing his bikes).

I've been riding the Crank Brothers Egg Beater SL for a few months and provide you with the following review:

The creatively impulsive cyclist

I've been a viewer of Des Green's Vlog CreativelyImpulsive.com since it started several months ago. I can't remember how I stumbled upon the site back then, but it was via a cycling link of some sort. Des is a cyclist, but most of the videos she produces and stars in have not been cycling related. I stuck with the site anyway, because I enjoy her unique sense of humor and personality that comes out in the videos. Her videos are just the right length and are posted only a few times a week...just enough content to keep you interested, but not inundated.

Now Des is preparing for the Aids/Lifecycle ride, a a 7-day, 585-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to help people living with HIV and AIDS. In her quirky, yet lovable style she has produced a couple of videos to illustrate the preparation she is doing.

Here she is eating healthy and warming up:

Now embarking on a ride from San Francisco to Sausalito:

Consider donating through Des's Aids/Lifecycle page if you think the cause is worthy.

Booth Babes Last Chance

The clock is a-tickin', so If you haven't voted for your favorite Booth Babe do it soon.  Polling will be open for one more day and officially end at COB tomorrow.  It's a close race between the leaders and any last minute votes may be enough to push your loveliest pick into the top spot.  Read on for the current results....

The Biking Hub is now open

If, like me, you are a fan of the Making it Easier blog you have probably wondered why posts have been so sporadic these last few weeks. Well it seems that MIE's editor has been hard at work with a new project. Today Cory Hemminger of British Columbia has launched his new venture called The Biking Hub.

Cory has ambitious goals for the site, producing original content several times a week. Unlike with Making it Easier, this time he will have some help with a roster of contributors that have complementary talents and knowledge in cycling. The roster includes a couple of freeriders from Cory's own neck of the woods, a "bike freak" from Ontario, and Ashwinearl - cross-country rider from Virginia and Team MWC, FTJ, NGT fame.

One thing that I really liked about MIE was the product reviews. The reviews were written from the point of view a genuine rider yet included the detail that one expects from an in-depth magazine review. A brief look at some of the new content up at "the Hub" proves that this type of review continues (check out new contributor Dan's first look at the Cannondale Rush).

I've got high expectations for the new site as there will be a ton of new mountain bike information out there to mull over. And finally the ability to add comments. You'll notice, however, that the name is The Biking Hub and not The Mountain Biking Hub. Could this be a harbinger of things to come?

Kona steps up

If you're not checking the "Recent Comments" list on the sidebar of this site you may have missed this exchange that took place on a post I wrote about Kona's bike lineup for kids back in November. The post itself isn't particularly special. I simply paraphrased Kona's press release. I have kids...many of my readers have kids...so I thought it was a cool thing to post. The exchange itself is special, however, as it demonstrates several key points about the role blogs can play in information exchange between companies and their customers.

Ok...I don't want to oversell this thing, but allow me to explain what I mean below.

Can you guess what these cyclists are doing?

Find out at the Fat Cyclist blog. He's outdone himself today!