June 2009 Archives

The bike store Cyclesport in Park Ridge, NJ was devastated by fire in April. No one was hurt though it was a close call--one of the tenants in the residential part of the building rushed back in to save her cat and could have easily died if it were not for the heroic firefighter who carried her out. (The cat's safe too.) Because of the four-alarm blaze, the longstanding staple of the bike community was left homeless.

But that doesn't stop a good shop. While the landlord waits for the insurance rebuilding to begin, Cyclesport has relocated to a former TD Bank building. Thanks to the terrible economy, the space became available rather suddenly and the bike store temporarially moved into it. The great thing is that they've left up the bank's original structures. The owner of the bank building obviously will try to pick up another bank for the space, so they've still got the partition walls for the bank officer's offices (now filled with bikes) and the vault, as well as the full teller window.

This actually looks really neat, and it's spawned a desire in me to open a bike store with small rooms focusing on different product categories, much the same way that high-end stereo stores would create small listening rooms aimed at different budgets. I'm also thinking of opening up a shop in a former fast food building, and leave the drive-through window up. Imagine cycling up to a shop window and ordering a cappuccino and a Clif bar.

In this excellent VeloNews interview with Lance, Armstrong talks about the tour, and who is really the boss of Astana. Short answer, no one. In a scenario that's played out in the Tour before, Armstrong admits that the leadership isn't exactly certain, and that he needs to respect the Tour protocols and let Contador give it his all.

I sense, each time I hear one of these or read about this, some real angst about the issue of the leadership. At about 1:47 the interviewer pushes Lance on this sensing the same odd hesitation. His reply "I go out every day and ride with the thought that I'm going to show up as fit as I can, in order to win...." "Before number six and before number seven, I was confident... I don't have that confidence now." It's a far mellower Johnny than he's ever been, but I think that he's repressing some real conflict with the team dynamics.

He goes on to talk about how he doesn't know what's going to happen in the Tour. And I'm so happy to hear that, because wins number six and number seven were some of the dullest professional cycling I've ever seen. I can't wait to see a tour with so many champions fighting it out--can't wait.

National Geographic just released their list of "The Next Big Things," items that are "game changing redesigns" of classic icons of outdoor fun. Instead of picking a multi-thousand-dollar road bike (as is so often the case with glossy travel mags) Geo has gone with a Swobo fixed gear. It's a pretty bike and an even prettier photo shoot of outdoor goodies.

While the Livestrong campaign received several high-profile shots in the arm this week, another group was waging a bicycle campaign to end a disease. The races of Team Type 1 and Team Type 2 took off on the grueling Race Across America, or RAAM. TT1's made up of a mix of pros with and without Type 1 Diabetes (often called Juvenile Diabetes, due to the onset period) while TT2 is athletes with later onset diabetes.

Both teams made it across the country, and that feat hasn't been lost on the media. The New York Times just picked up the story in its Health section (registration required), and the piece is a nice look at the challenges faced when racing across the country while bravely managing a disease.

Uploaded by davidjschloss | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

From the "why didn't we do this" file, comes a bike pulling a car. Bonus that the video is a promo for belt-driven Simpel bikes. Cargonistas this is your calling to do a car pull at the next bike festival!

From the LIFE photo archive hosted by Google. "She's got legs, she knows how to use them," is what we thought and Velocouture never goes out of style.

Buy the framed image from LIFE.

Now that Versus has announced that Le Tour will be streamed to us in HDTV goodness, we at Hugga HQ are atwitter (not Twitter) about this year's tour. Who is going to win? Who will take the polka-dot jersey? How many times will we see the devil? Will Lance punch doping syringe guy again?

During the Tour we'll have a running commentary going in the new Hub section, conveniently found on the navigation bar above, or at hub.bikehugger.com.

We'll be using a new service called CoverItLive to bring you live, moderated chats through the live coverage of Stage 1 (not the prologue) and then other key stages. Moderated chat begins 8am EDT on the 5th.

Some days we'll have important people in the industry dropping by to chat as well. Best of all, you can follow from work and pretend you're kicking out your TPS Reports.

Expect polls on the least favorite ads, a "lance" drinking game (counting every time they say his name) and Phil and Paul bingo.

Bookmark hub.bikehugger.com for the action, which will start 8am on the 5th of July. (Regular comments are open now.) All we're missing is some dramatic fanfare music. Maybe I'll whip up something.

Matthew Watkins paints with his iPhone.

Some of his paintings include bicycles.

Photos: Matthew Watkins

A statue in honor of all those who have suffered up the Col du Tourmalet.

Uploaded by Marsouin2009 / Michael Peron | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

The Heavy Pedal Cyclecide Bike Rodeo is featured on MAKE: TV.

Well that's interesting . . . sure seen old timey, replica Penny Farthings at fairs and festivals, but not a modern, low one. Would cause much less head trauma when you endoed. There's a related BBC story from 2004 and they're available from HawkCycles in the UK.

Photo: Getty Images

Our Twitter followers ask us questions about gear, bikes, and sometimes their personal lives. We poll a team of experts and respond.

Nike's CTRS. WTF?

Hey that's great that Nike would like to sponsor designers with some level of street cred in order to appeal to a certain demographic and that demo is fixed. The shoes would benefit from more padding and scuff guard for use with toe clips, though. Why is it that designer shoes really just mean that they asked some dude to pick color, but there is little in the structure that says that some particular individual designed the shoe? It's like the Eddie Bauer edition of the Ford Explorer. Make a fixed shoe sure, but not just a trim level.

Any reco's on a good road bike? best place to buy online/bay area? -- TanyaNoel

We encourage you to buy from your local bike shops; especially in these economic times. Sure you can find a better price online, but that shop is there to help you fix a flat, explain fixies to you at length, and remember the days before Missy Giove was a suspected drug dealer. Get Bicycle's banal buyer's guide and then start checking your shops. Bikes are really, very good these days and mostly a good value. We'd need to know what type of riding you want to do to narrow it down.

Can you tell me best rim to get for a disc internal hub for a street bike? -- eduvauchelle

If you want disc specific 700C, try Mavic's or DT-Swiss' 29er rims. 23-24mm are wide and strong. If you want lighter weight, go for Hed Belgian-named rims (Ardennes, Bastognes, Kermesse), though they do have a machined brake track. If that doesn't work, go for Mavic Open Pro CD. They are hard anodized after machining, so they are uniform brownish grey. I don't like Velocity Deep-V; they are stylish but I now believe wider is better than tall unless the rim is taller than 35mm. Velocity does have some really wide AND tall rims coming out, but they are probably heavier than necessary. After spending 2 years on Hed's C2 platform, we highly recommend it.

My wife is pissed about the amount of time I spend on the bike!

There's an old bike shop joke about bike mechanics doing doubletime as marriage counselors. The bike breaks people up -- sometime brings them together, and it's a challenge if you start riding big miles mid-relationship. Suggest you explain you're doing this to get in shape, bettering yourself and aren't at a bar on the weekends getting fat. Also suggest you do more chores around the house to offset the bike time.

Looks fast to us.

Uploaded by Hufnagel Cycles | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

That's a Genius by Mobiky

Uploaded by phil_trokc | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

For cyclists looking for a getaway there's really few better spots than Martha's Vineyard. The popular tourist destination is actually a mecca for roadies, thanks to the countless miles of bike paths, numerous small farm shops and acres and acres of park land.

In four days of riding my wife and I have only really repeated the same stretch of road coming into and leaving Oak Bluffs, which is one of the more happening of the main towns on the island. (Edgartown is more upper-crust, Vineyard Haven is more working-class fishing-village and Gay Head is a cliff.) Thanks to the craptacular economy ,this week has been really deserted. We've been able to walk into just about any restaurant and sit down without reservations.

Yes, Philadelphia loves bikes, and it was apparent last night at the Moore College of Art and Design for the opening of their latest exhibition, Bicycle: people + ideas in motion. The opening brought out hundreds of people around the art and cycling community.

Valet bike parking and more

A free bike valet parking service was offered by Neighborhood Bike Works, a Philly non-profit that promotes youth development by offering educational, recreational, and career-building opportunities through bicycling. It also promotes cycling as a healthy, environment-friendly form of transportation.

See the slideshow below or check out the full Flickr set of the photos from the opening.

Old bikes, new bikes, BMX, racing, track, fixies, tandems, wooden, steel, cargo, folding, art, and toilet trikes--something for everyone--were on display at The Galleries at Moore. Local bike builder Stephen Bilenky of Bilenky Cycle Works was on hand to display his shop's handiwork and talk shop with those in attendance. They had several bikes on display that can frequently be seen on Philly streets showing just how beautiful and artistic these functional machines are.

Bicycle Film Festival

Last night was also the opening of the Bicycle Film Festival in Philadelphia, with film screenings all day today (Saturday June 27, 2009) from 2:00pm to 8:00pm with an after party at the Kyber. The festival is sponsored by 42BELOW Vodka with stops in 39 cities worldwide.

Check out the BFF trailer on YouTube and be sure to attend when it comes to your neighborhood!

I've been switching between DA7800 and SRAM Red bikes on a daily basis, and I think I prefer the ergonomics of Red's DoubleTap shifters in a race situation. In a sprint, I can very precisely run the chain into higher gears with just the minimal effort at the shifter, from the hoods or the drops. I still occasionally do double downshifts when I intended to make a single shift down, but otherwise the downshifts are almost as fast.

However for riding in traffic with hands on the hoods, you can't beat Shimano STI. With my middle finger overlapping both inner and outer blades of the STI, I can brake, upshift, or downshift instantly. Also, I can brake and downshift simultaneously, which is great for diving into a turn while choosing a gear to match your exit speed.

SRAM DoubleTap for combat on the open field and Shimano STI for the switchblade melee. I like both SRAM and Shimano shifters on road bikes. However, I just can't appreciate the ergonomics of SRAM mtb trigger shifters, not when Shimano's Rapidfire works so well. I'm not sure if I like Shimano's dual control mtb STI, but I'd take them over SRAM on my mtb.

Timbuk2 is a company that likes to change its product line often, frequently offering bags that are only available for one season. They also like their novelties too, which they sometimes give out as promotional items. Take this beer cozy that fits on on your bag strap. It actually holds a can quite securely; there is no chance that your beverage will fall out while riding. In fact, it would be difficult to remove a can without using both hands. That and the inherent spill factor of having an open beverage strapped to your chest means that the cozy isn't useful once you crack it open.

So here's my design advice: change the cozy so the can is perpendicular to the strap rather than parallel and then make it accommodate 4-5 cans. Now you have a beer BANDOLEER! Genius!

My god, why hasn't some company snapped me up as a product designer? I'd be such a can't-miss bargain; I practically work for ramen.

More from the SouthSea Fixed Gear Fight Club.

Uploaded by Subcrew Fai or Fhaione | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Michael Jackson records and Farah Fawcett posters -- vans shoes, cruiser bikes, skateboards, and long hair.

All part of my childhood and teen years. Just this week, Billy Jean played on the radio as I arrived at a bike race.

SRAM's XX 10-speed mtb group has had the top World Cup racers testing it, but what happens if you mix components with other manufacturers or different types of bikes. Like say, what would happen if you put XX drivetrain components on a road bike. People want to know.

Seriously, though, what would happen? I'm really hot to know if the new XX derailleur is compatible with a SRAM DoubleTap integrated shift/brake lever for road dropbars. The 11-36 10sp cassette on a compact double crank would be lower than a 1:1 ratio, which could be great for touring. One odd technical quirk of SRAM products is that the road rear derailleurs work a cable pull profile called "Exact Ratio" while all the previous mtb derailleurs worked on a "1:1 ratio" (though some SRAM mtb derailleurs are made to be used with Shimano's shifters). If you read the company marketing speak, you might at first think that these are the same thing, but you'd be wrong.

My girlfriend didn't metamorphose into a diehard cyclist after I gave her a bike, but she has fun on it. Her bike is the Kappa retro BMX frame that Jeremy Sycip modified to accept Schwinn Stingray banana seat and sissy bar. The bike is FREAKING cool, but it does have two drawbacks.

The first one has to do with my ignorance when I built the wheels; I chose chromed rims for the bling-factor, forgetting all about how crappy they are for braking. Those XTR v-brakes howl and shudder on that chrome surface no matter what brake pad I use, and if it rains those brakes don't stop at all. The second fault is that living in a hilly place like Seattle, multiple gears would be helpful. My girlfriend doesn't know this yet because she's never owned a bike with multiple gears.

After a lot of thought, I've come up with a solution for both issues: a Sturmey-Archer 3-sp internally geared hub with a drum-brake.

Spotted on Cyclelicious, photos from Fashion Week. Emporio Armani showed bare-chested, commuter men with "shiny shorts and colorful shoes." Result: total man crush here at Hugga HQ.

This hunk of burning cycling love is one badass. His name is Vittorio Brumotti and he does tricks on bikes while Go-Go girls dance.

Hat tip to @crosssports for the link to Vittorio.

Byron wanted to get the word out about trying to save the South Seatac venue from future development. It's one of the last close-by mtn bike/cyclocross trails that we have for racing purposes. The short story is show up tonight ~6pm and show your support - and be nice! More detail and the letter from Lisa Miller after the jump.

I've lost count of the number of bikes I've owned over the years, but I've only owned one floor pump ever: the Silca Super Pista. This is not say that I've never used anything else, but that Silca has never needed replacement at home. I know that there are plenty of other pumps that can achieve 100psi in fewer strokes or that have heads that effortlessly switch from Presta to Schrader valves, but they all seem to crap out after a few years and then you can't get replacement parts. By then, there will be an entirely new model promising to be better in every way to the former. Then you'll be forced to chuck your old pump unceremoniously into the landfill.

In contrast, the basic design of Silcas hasn't changed in decades, and the replacement parts are widely available. I've replaced the rubber washer in the head about 5 times and I just recently replaced the leather gasket in the cylinder for the first time. That's about 10 bucks total. Pumps from 30 years ago use the same pieces as new Silcas; I can't think of another cycling accessory that does that.

Finally, a place to bitch about Lance's black socks: Bike Hugger Hub launches -- moments ago

Our Hub isn't fixed, singled, flip-flop or even internal. Instead, it's a place for Huggas and fans of the race to talk about the Tour de France. We've got daily topics and a live chat for kvetching, applauding, cheering, and your pithy observations.

Read more about the Hub in our introduction post and joins us. We're starting to talk about the Tour today.

Seattle boy (well - Wenatchee, but whatever) Tyler Farrar got the nod for the Garmin Tour team. It's nice when good things happen to good people.

People ask why I bother with Twitter - it's because I get a direct feed from people I want to know about like Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters). When you follow a fringe sport, it's hard to get details on races from espn.com or other mainstream media. Twitter is targeted and immediate. Thanks Professor!

Premium fuel for the Nine to Five All Night Bicycle Scavenger Hunt.

Uploaded by Ray Tracing | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

We're back at Interbike for the 3rd year and bringing the Mobile Social with us. Last year we rode the Strip in an Urban peloton to the Crit races. This year, same thing, but we're changing the destination.

Details

• Event: Interbike 2009
• When: September 23, 2009, 6:00 to 11:00 PM
• Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
• Who: Interbike Attendees, Locals, Bike Huggers
• RSVP now at Upcoming or Facebook

Description

*Bike Hugger will bring the MoSo back to Interbike in 2009 with more Hugga than ever. We'll ride the Strip to a fun location.

Full details and more posts to follow.

The Garmin 705 has just gotten a big update, with the Firmware bumped to up to 2.8. This big update fixes lots of things, including the recent bug where the history folder became unreadable. The update is so large, in fact that it wipes all of the data off of the device, so be sure to back up your Garmin before giving the 2.8 update a whirl. Also be sure your batteries are fully charged--if the battery dies when the unit is rebooted after the install, you've got a nice paperweight on your hands.

Luckily the reboot only takes a moment, so it's not a big issue. They must have really tweaked the satellite lock as well, my 705 powered on and locked onto five satellites from inside my house in about ten seconds, after last being used 350 miles away from here.

Reader wingbatwu (not a real name, we guess) inquired about the Race Across America and I asked the twitterverse:

• ride559
• UltraRob
• MarthaVan
• JonofSMA
• Cycling_Chef
• Wuss912
• TeamOsprey
• nickgerlich

Photo: Vic Armijo.

Responded with links to

• Bent Rider Online
• Watch My Race
• Daily Peloton and RAAM's website

Also see RAAM on Twitter and @GregHendrickson

Reader Quinn, responded to the Bauhaus-influenced bike with a link to this big, square bike known simply as kitten.

I'd categorize this as brutalist or simply industrial and big (and it's got lights).

Reader Chris L tipped us to the BauBike

"inspired by Bauhaus design. It is constructed around the geometric shape of the square and the equilateral triangle. The design is stripped down to clean lines and raw material.

SpongeBob Squarebike jokes aside, we're always interested in pushing bike design, but would have concerns about the rideability of square shapes v. triangles. Especially when you add a passenger. This bike will make the design blog rounds, for it's looks. When a designer unifies art, craft, and technology, we hope that results in a good ride.

Recent Design Posts

• Bike Baskets and Basket Bikes
• Dramatic Bike Stand
• Valkyries on Bikes

Built for Jared Zimmerman with the help of Box Dog Bike and American Cyclery in SF

Uploaded by Jared Zimmerman | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

So the first batch of Campag 11-speed drivetrains are coming back in the shop for maintenance, and I have to say that chain life is underwhelming. People are getting 1500-2000 miles on these chains under relatively good conditions (not wet and gritty). I have yet to hear people clamoring for one more cog than 10, so I can't really say that this is a step forward. I like the ergonomics of the new levers but an $80 chain lasts as long as an 8-ball of coke split between Tom Boonen and Lindsay Lohan. And you don't want to let a bad chain ruin those cassettes, since those haven't gotten any cheaper either.

You readers out there with 11-speed, how much mileage are you getting out of your chains?

photo from Bike Radar

from Central City Brewing, Red Racer IPA.

Uploaded by mezzoblue | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Monica Guzman, intrepid Seattle PI reporter and blogger, is on a tandem with @jacobsayles for the ride -- she's not naked, but twittering the event.

"At naked Solstice cyclist painting party, the clothed onlookers look more uncomfortable than the riders. Announced: Ride starts in 5!"

Update

Monica posted her ride report and the predictable comments are in. It was just a few years ago, that police tried to arrest the cyclists.

The Incredibles showed up.

Photo: luchog_l

While on the topic of the dreaded TTMBL, also see these other stupid mounts.

The Reach Around

Also known as the "mothuckin cops," the Reach Round is used as a scofflaw setup for when the man keeps you down from your right to ride without brakes.

Stem Mount

This stupid brake mount is on the stem. Note the extra-long lever for leverage. That ensures under hard braking you'll endo for sure.

Photo: Fixed Gear Gallery.

Bottom Bracket

Arguably the stupidest or more likely born from genius, is this bottom-bracket disc brake mount.

In honor of BikeSnobNYC, we've created a new Stupid Brake Mount photoset.

But Wait There's More

Back in the early days of mountain biking, when those SoCal stoners we're building bikes and racing them down dirt hills, they tried U-brakes mounted underneath the chain stays. Sheldown Brown noted:

Although U-brakes were cool looking and powerful, the fad died quite abruptly when people actually started using the bikes that were sold with chainstay-mounted U-brakes. They had several serious drawbacks . . .

Ironically, the stupidest brake mount of all is NONE. Unless you're on a track or possess the hardasfuck skills of MASH SF. The photo that started this discussion is on Flickr.

Sometimes as a photographer and a writer, I get to watch something I've done grow into some sort of monster. Take this seemingly innocuous photo from the Globe bike launch we covered. This particular bike was set up with the brake on the top tube not in seriousness, but just to express the different things you can do with a fixie.

Since the shot ran, the image has been a big topic of conversation on Flickr, and BikeSnobNYC even picked it up as a post. That's a lot of chatter for a picture of a bike with a brake in a funny place.

Show a pic of a bike with no brake though and people will completely ignore it.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Note: Lance Armstrong responded to the WSJ article linked below on Livestrong.org and denies any feud between himself and Lemond.

So who thought that Greg Lemond and Trek would reach a settlement out of court? I sure as hell didn't. Lemond has a bone to pick with Trek and their posterboy, Lance Armstrong. For those of you who weren't following the cycling industry's biggest melodrama ever, the business association between the Trek company and Greg Lemond, namely the Lemond brand of road bikes produced by Trek, ended in unfriendly terms. According to 3-time Tour-winner Lemond, Trek gave him the shaft because he accused Lance Armstrong of doping, and that they marketed his brand of bikes poorly as retribution. Trek maintains that Lemond violated the terms of his contract by repeatedly damaging the reputation and marketability of the Trek Cycling Corporation and the Lemond brand. Now things are getting crazier with the news that Armstrong's ex-wife has been subpoenaed.

I don't pretend to be an insider to either side, nor am I a legal expert. But I have paid attention to the cycling industry, so I'll sling some dirt.

Lemond at the Atlanta Olympics

This cyclist was painted up for World Naked Bike Ride last weeked in Mexico City -- another ride was in Portland.

Photo: AP Photo.

This weekend, during the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade, more naked cyclists will ride.

Wet weather across the country, has many cyclists anticipating their next ride.

Uploaded by Ramin Hossaini | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Howdy folks, Joe Parkin, the author of A Dog in a Hat here, pleased to be playing guest-blogger guy for Bike Hugger. Publisher note: Joe wrote this after we sent him a link to the hammer it out video.

A few weeks ago I was visiting my friend Emily's hair salon. Camped under the hair dryer thingy was a woman of about my age.

"Hey, you know that book I told you to read? This is Joe, the author." Emily said.

We launched into a short conversation about the book and cycling and how I really look nothing like I used to look when I wasn't bitter and twisted and haggard, and had not yet been on the road with a band. One of the things the woman told me she enjoyed about my book was that she never knew competitive cycling existed before about 10 years ago. Interestingly enough, that's about exactly the time when a certain hyper-focused Texican began to teach people how to win 3-week stage races.

What do you think? Is Jenny Cyclelicious? We think so yes.

Update: no she is NOT. She's got a cancer stick in her hand.

Uploaded by richardmasoner | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Would hang a few of these in the office.

Uploaded by Timbuk2 Designs | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

'Ello, 'ello, 'ello.

The Guardian doht co doht uck, well known online entity of the UK's The Guardian has launched a bike blog, gov'nah. The new site will cover bikes, natch ,and will include a monthly podcast.

Riding back to Hugga HQ from a Novara photoshoot, Neighbor Tom stopped me to show off his new bike and what a bike it is -- a Tout Terrain Silkroad.

Watch now on YouTube or download and sync to iTunes, your iPod, iPhone. Subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.

iPhone

iPhone users can download and watch now and access our Huggacasts via the iTunes Store on a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

More

• Huggacast archives
• Bike Hugger YouTube Channel
• Huggacasts are also available in the iTunes podcast directory.

Sidi shoes. I adore them, but they're filthy expensive. But they are so well-made and durable. Do I really need $550 mtb shoes? Maybe not, but then I think about Sarah-Jessica-Parker-Bueller-whatsername's character from that one TV series where every episode she was dropping $800 bucks on some kind of heels. But unlike ridiculous dress shoes, my Sidi Dragon 2's are meant for some serious use.

The new Dragon 2 comes in either black or red microfibre, and both colours are shiny like patent leather. I thought it would be fun if I asked my girlfriend for her opinion on which colour to get, since she thinks all cycling clothing is retarded.

She said "Shiny red!" without a moment's hesitation.

"But you don't think that'd make me look like a slut, do you?"

"You are a slut," she said.

Wear you bike shorts to work on the Salli Saddle seat . . .

Every team has a short nazi and they'll have to do double duty if these office chairs become popular.

I know we've covered this before, but the New York Times, in their article on the French prisoner version of the Tour de France show just how batshit insane the French are.

we "I My Bike" too . . .

Uploaded by papahazama | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

That soundtrack is now stuck in my head while imagining myself hammering it out on the set of American Flyers.

Back in the day, the shifting was index, helmets looked like mini-coolers and the chamois were leather.

Designers Jess Neumann and Becky Heller recently launched a new line of stylish and functional bicycle clothing for women, Internal Construction.

Several pieces were shown on the runway at Revolution Cycles in Madison, Wisconsin on June 11th, 2009 in a bike shop fashion show, The Future of Transportation (we were in MPLS during the show).

In the full set, models show off outfits in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood on Madison's near eastside.

Uploaded by Olive Talique | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Asians are obsessed with American fast food (yes it's making them fatter). It's KFC, Papa Johns, Starbucks, and others. This franchise has got delivery bikes.

Uploaded by ZLL | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

We rode MPLS during the Globe Bikes Launch. The Mill Museum, One on One Bicycle Studio, around town, and more.

Watch now on YouTube or download and sync to iTunes, your iPod, iPhone. Subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.

iPhone

iPhone users can download and watch now and access our Huggacasts via the iTunes Store on a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

More

• Huggacast archives
• Bike Hugger YouTube Channel
• Huggacasts are also available in the iTunes podcast directory.

"Take your shitty bikes and get out of here before I peel your beard off!"

Amber Lucas, Engineer; Robin Sansom, Brand Director; Garret Chow, Creative Director talk to us about Globe Bikes in Huggacast 111.

Watch now on YouTube or download and sync to iTunes, your iPod, iPhone. Subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.

iPhone

iPhone users can download and watch now and access our Huggacasts via the iTunes Store on a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

More

• Huggacast archives
• Bike Hugger YouTube Channel
• Huggacasts are also available in the iTunes podcast directory.

Looking now for Tesla doing way better tricks on an electric bike before Edison had his henchman shut it down. The crazy-top-hat guy falling over is funny.

According to this site, the movie is not fake and the cyclist is Neidert. Would like to see a modern recreation and take note fixie kids: all your tricks are old!

Hat tip to @cfarnz.

Specialized's day-and-a-half press junket last week gave assembled urban-riding journalists a chance to get some hands on time with the new Globe lineup, a family of bikes with a ground-up overhaul designed to bring Specialized firmly into the urban riding scene.

It's not a big shock to anyone watch the usually-trendsetting company to hear that they missed a beat or two in the new urban riding song that's sweeping the nation--even their product managers admit as much when discussing the impetus behind the new Globe launch.

Many companies in Specialized's shoes would quickly bring to market a series of bikes without much thought to design or functionality. But that's not what happened with the Globe line (at least most of the line) and that's a pleasant surprise.

In Minneapolis, we met the new Globe Bikes. Rode around, powerpoint presentation for a while, and then back on the streets. Huggacast 111 and 112 will include more video from One on One Bicycle Studio and interviews with Garret Chow, Creative Director, and Robin Sansom, Brand Director.

Watch now on YouTube or download and sync to iTunes, your iPod, iPhone. Subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.

iPhone

iPhone users can download and watch now and access our Huggacasts via the iTunes Store on a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

More

• Huggacast archives
• Bike Hugger YouTube Channel
• Huggacasts are also available in the iTunes podcast directory.

You make the rockin world go round . . .

Uploaded by ettschioppa | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Hello there -- like to get to know you better . . .

Uploaded by antbike | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Artist Phil Hansen dripped paint from a tricycle onto a canvas, rode it around, and made a picture of Lance Armstrong.

Cirque du Cycling is Portland's bike culture, mashed all together on Mississippi Avenue. We missed the event this year, just back from MPLS, but of course Bike Portland and others were there blogging it all.

Oh and an estimated 5000 naked cyclists showed up.

Parade

Photo: Bike Portland

Race

Photo: Bike Portland

We visited Herriott Sports Performance, a facility for cyclists training for all types of events; a personal best commute, the big charity ride, or race.

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David assured me I wasn't signing something that'd get my ass kicked later.

Photo: ibikempls

That's "B" and "H" in sign language.

Check Your Head

We snuck away from the all-day Globe event to just ride MPLS. With the camera in front of us, we thought it was fish-eye. So What'cha Want seemed right at the time:

"See I'm The Long Leaner Vincent The Cleaner I'm The Illest Motherfucker From Here To Gardena"

On the plane back from MPLS with the NYT and the MASH SF dvd booklet. MASHSF pushed fixed towards the tipping point (about 2 years ago). Garrett Chow is a member of the world-famous Mash SF Crew and the creative director of the just-launched Globe Bikes.

The book and DVD tells the story of cyclists who ride track bikes on the hilly streets of San Francisco -- sometimes with no brakes.

More MASH SF

• Mashing the tour of California
• Lance on a Fixie
• NYC Trend of the Month

After my Mavic R-Sys wheels recently poo'd the bed, I decided it was the time not not only grab other wheels, but to go a whole new wheel-direction. This week we begin testing a set of Fulcrum Race Zero 2-Way with Hutchinson tubeless wheels. So far the ride has been fantastic. A day of climbing was plush and responsive. The setup is less stiff than the Mavic wheels, but less harsh as well (naturally) and the tubeless wheels feel a lot like tubulars.

And they make my bike look hot.

We're going to bang around on these wheels for a few weeks and have a full report.

Best...lane...painting...ever.

Seen while on a ride in Portland.

Find the Wookie Badge photo on the map and see where we rode in MPLS. We just spent a few days in town. Nature Valley is going on, MS 150, and more.

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Ms. Erin Nicole is riding around MPLS. We may have passed her on the paths and streets. MPSL has 2-way bike lanes in the middle of the street. Not sure how well those work. Read more at I Bike MPLS.

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Another set of shots up from day 2 of the Specialized Globe product line intro. Meet the sexy new Roll, Haul, Live and the rest of the versatile new line as we trundle around MSP. Stops included One on One bike shop, the Mill Museum, and one of the big open parks along the water. (Sorry, I have utterly no clue which.)

Below the One on One Bike Studio, in a dark, dank place is the bike pile. Not wanting to wake it, I took this snapshot.

It was like a Gordian Knot of bikes. Maybe someday they'll pull it apart and reassemble its mass in the ruins of this flour mill.

More photos from the Globe Bike Launch. Also here from ibikempls and more on MPLS.

After hearing the full pitch on Globe Bikes, we rode around the Mill Museum doing tricks, and power slides, and stuff. Some Cargo Bike Action.

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Byron's in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for the Globe Brand launch, but are they launching one of these? Seen on China.org.cn.

Bottle cap, billboard, big fonts, and red -- Globe is making a statement with the brand: "inspire everyone to a cycling lifestyle." Also, a particular attention to detail, serious about the product, and bringing something to market they believe in. This isn't some diluted idea and they did it in less than a year.

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We're on the train from MSP and dude just popped on in with his 925.

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This is Amber, she's the project engineer for the Globe line of bikes, which we're evaluating this week at a Specialized-sponsored press event. What I love about this shot is how much she's clearly glowing while she sits on a bike she designed from the bottom up.

There are a ton of great details on this bike (and you can check them out on my flickr site until we move them over to the Hugger page). Check out the hubs, grips,saddles and other standout details.

We're here in Minneapolis at a Specialized-sponsored media event for the unveiling of the new Globe Brand Bikes.

Globe is a new urban line from Specialized.

The Haul greeted us at the train stop and took our bags. More details as we ride and review the bikes. That's an Alfine class commuter with a bent-wood rack.

For some of us the bike is the religion. Others find religion on the bike, just as they're cresting a mountain pass, or finishing a long ride. This Hindu holy man uses his bike for pilgrimages. He's on his way to Vat Savitri Purnima festival in Allahabad, India.

Photo: AP Photos

The photo is haunting, like you'd see the holy man on a difficult day riding across the country. He'd hand a salty nut bar, sip of water, and say something like, "hold your line in the turns," while a didgeridoo played.

From the SJfixed Alleycat.

Uploaded by richardmasoner | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Also see La fissa è di gran moda.

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Now that's not something you see everyday . . . like a dunk tank, but punch-a-roadie? Lots of caption options here and I guess, karma for love-tapping? And note how Garmin gets it in the shorts in this photo.

It's actually the Sucker Punch wall from Wipeout's Road Trip, but I see lots of potential at bike events: Commuters one side and Roadies on the other. Cargonistas v. Bent. Folding v. Unicycle. Mail Order v. Bike Shops, and so on.

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Note: we are woefully inadequate in MTB coverage, only touching dirt on our Cross bikes, so we asked Robb Sutton from Mountain Biking by 198 to cover the new SRAM MTB group for us.

It's official. SRAM launched their new 2×10 mountain bike component group named SRAM XX. This 10 speed mountain bike group is targeted towards the racing elite as they continue the quest for that top podium spot. With the release of this component group from SRAM, the question remains...

Is there room in the mountain biking industry for a 10 speed setup?

We have already seen a move to 10 speed in the road biking world. Some would argue that 10 speed component groups, even in road biking, is un-needed. How many gears do you actually need? When you introduce an additional gear on the cassette of a bike, you have to space the cogs closer together and use a thinner chain to fit everything in a tight space. The nay-sayers are going to tell you that this creates an unsavory situation that will cause more mis-shifts and component issues as there is less room for mud and road dirt and less give room for adjustment issues.

David Byrne is on the cover of Fader's current issue and takes them on a tour of his office. At the end of clip 2, there's his bike, an unremarkable commuter -- fitting for riding around NYC.

Byrne is a long-time cyclist and advocate. We've covered Byrne previously on Bike Hugger and he's got a bike book out this Fall.

• Show us Your Rack
• David Byrne's Bike Stolen
• New York Bike Rides

Also read his review of Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities.

OMG am I in a dated Virginia Slims ad? "You've come a long way baby?"

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

I just saw this on Cyclingnews: "It's an atypical day when the women's peloton catches the men's peloton on a circuit race, something that happened for the first time in the history of the Liberty Classic/TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championships on Sunday."

Finally! The women raced so fast, they actually caught the men and neutralized the field. I can only imagine the response.

Why did reading this fill me with a sick sense of glee? I guess I was just thinking back to the number of races where the women's field was neutralized and even though you supposed to "hold your position" - no one did and often my great positioning went out the window.

It also means things are changing out there. Women are racing faster and this is a great thing for women's cycling. I know it's a long way to a mixed field in the TDF, but I'll be patient!

Also see Velonews.

Also see nearly canceled, Philadelphia bike race brings thrills

Spotted in Ipsofatso's photostream.

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The phenomena that is Zoobomb on parade. We'll see more of this in Portland during Pedalpalooza.

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You know that riding your bike instead of driving is good for the environment, but do you know how good it is? If you've got a bike and an iPhone, you can calculate just exactly how green you're being at any time with the REI Bike Your Drive iPhone application.

Ride a route and see how much carbon you've saved, how many calories you've burned and how much money is left in your pocket. You can upload the ride to EveryTrail.com to share it with other people as well.

The Spokesmen Podcast picks up the topic of Love Taps or car punching. I wrote about love-tapping a Lexus last year. A love tap is when a cyclists alerts a car to their presence by hitting the trunk, hood, or anywhere else. Love taps range from the "tap" to the cleat in the door.

Diesel Dusting

We're not advocating bike on car violence, of course, but it happens when road rage hits. Even the most Zen of us can get so pissed off we strike back. Just yesterday a diesel truck drove alongside, accelerated, and dusted me in a cloud of exhaust. Sure wanted to spray that cowboy's face with some sugar water from my bottle and my reaction was not a friendly wave.

Some of you may have seen me take a few laps on the Dahon Mu EX between races at the Ballard crit this weekend. While I was doing that, a real folding bike race was going on in London -- the annual Smithfield Nocturne.

Photo: Moff.

Also see the Brompton World Championships.

While Go Skateboarding Day is a few weeks off (June 21st), there were still dozens and dozens of longboarders in New York's Central Park on an astoundingly pretty late-spring day. Our group of 12 or so cyclists had to weave in and out of the menagerie, which took up quite a bit of the roadway. More longboarders here in our Huggcam video.

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Spotted at the Ballard Crit. First time I've seen a Rawland.

This past winter Mavic issued a voluntary recall for the front wheels in all sets of their R-Sys carbon-spoked wheelsets. As I packed my wheel up I opined to the local bike shop guys that it seemed odd that Mavic was only recalling the front wheels when the rear wheels utilized the same prone-to-fail spokes as the front.

Mavic had indicated that the composition of the spokes made them prone to failing if struck laterally by an object such as road debris. The rear spokes, they said, would be supported by the additional aluminum spokes on the drive side. Well sure, but they're still prone to failure, right?

I accidentally proved my point yesterday when something struck my rear wheel, instantly dissolving the spokes with a slight popping noise. In a fraction of a second I went from complete wheelset to strands of carbon. My wheel, now vastly out of true, began to strike the brakes and wobbled as if the tire had fallen off the bead. Had I been going at speed, I'd have been on the pavement in an instant.

To their credit, the aluminum driveside spokes held up enough that I was able to ride home very slowly for the remaining few miles, but this catastrophic level of failure shouldn't happen. The company knew the spokes are prone to this sort of collapse, and issued a recall for the front wheels based on that information. But recalling the front wheels alone doesn't do anything for the still-vulnerable rear spokes, as shown by this collapse.

Perhaps people will speak up and require that all of their spokes be replaced, or do we need to wait for the CPSC to issue a recall after someone is seriously injured?

Luke Elrath, Product Manager Breezer Bikes, shows us the award-winning Breezer Uptown 8 in Huggacast 106.

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Streetfilms video with Matthew Modine on the advocacy group Bicycle for a Day:

Velo-City: Vancouver & the Bicycle Revolution is

"an exploration of the city's cycling culture, in all its whacked-out glory. From June 4 until September 7, the museum's exhibition spaces are filled with all manner of bikes, from the purely functional to the outrageously whimsical."

The exhibit includes

• Park This! -- investigating solutions to bicycle parking from around the world.
• Bike In Movie -- a screening of the animated hit The Triplets of Belleville.
• Cycling Tour: Vancouverism -- Starting at the MOV, a guide and staff from the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition will take participants on a 10- to-15-kilometre ride.

Photo: carrett ben raver -- more in the Velo-City Exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver Group Pool

Working on what that bike is . . .

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Because it's not absurd enough to spend tens-of-thousands of dollars more than you need to spend on a Mercedez Benz, now you can spend hundreds-or-thousands of dollars more than you need on a Mercedez Benz branded bike.

The company is offering three models--mountain, road and folder--all considerably more expensive than they should be.

The limited-edition road bike has a limited production run of 100 units and features SRAM Red and... well it doesn't really matter what else is on the bike, the thing costs $7000.

Likewise, the mountain bike has a Fox front and rear fork, SRAM components,Time AtAc pedals and a price tag of just $5700.

Last, there's the folding bike, which weighs 16 lbs and "has a luggage rack" and costs just $2410.

Why not buy all three? You'll only be shelling out $15,000 for three bikes, seems like a great investment. And I'm sure that the local Mercedez dealer will keep the bikes running smoothly when your local bike shop kicks you out for buying such overpriced gear from a bike dealer.

Maybe if bicycle helmets didn't look like they came from the movie Tron or were fashioned from an ice cooler, more people would wear them. Yakkay is disguising them as hats, while Les Ateliers Ruby makes luxury helmets for motorcycles.

Spotted in Soma Magazine. Also see

• Tigerkustoms
• Amsterdam.unlike
• Borsalino

and Trendhunter on helmets.

Roadies, fixed, commuters, e-bikes, all seen on yesterday's ride. I was back on the bike after 5 days off and it was a good day to ride.

Note: An aside from the bike posts for some humor and thanks to long-time, good friend Zeldman for the link. I've been chuckling all morning.

From Boston.com Love Letters section comes Allergic to "grilled cheese", a euphemism for ya know . . .

"I am a 30 Year old male. I have been dating a wonderful woman for 2.5 years. I would describe everything about her as perfect except for one thing. She absolutely refuses to make me a grilled cheese sandwich."

"I absolutely detest making grilled cheese. My husband enjoys it, so from time to time, I put his needs first and make him the best darn grilled cheese I can - no halfhearted 'are we there yet'"

"or else you end up in a Hugh Grant situation and nobody wants that."

"I, on the other hand, got used to having grilled cheese sandwiches made for me on a daily basis for over five years. Then I married the cook and it became a special occasion treat for the first year."

"Are you serving her grilled cheese sandwiches? I dated a guy who loved my grilled cheese sandwiches but would never serve one to me."

Photo: adwriter

Maybe we'll see the start of a new catchphrase here, "Doesn't Grill My Cheese" as the new "Needs more cowbell." Also note that bonking, a euphemism we use here in the States, means something totally different elsewhere. A former boss of mine used to call it, "going to Tukwila" (a Seattle suburb), which still cracks me up.

Helmets. You all probably have heard and read how wearing a helmet can reduce the chance of a serious head injury while riding a bicycle. You're probably aware that some states, including Washington, legally require the use of a helmet while riding on public roads and trails. And yet many riders refuse to wear a helmet while riding. Yep, those arguments have all been covered. Verily, one cannot escape them in magazines and the web. So if I'm not wearing a helmet while riding, why do you feel it necessary to tell me to wear one when you are riding toward me in the oncoming direction?

Here's an entry about 15 years late. The Rock Shox Paris-Roubaix SL fork, created to contest the legendary professional road race across the aged and treacherous country roads of cobbles in northern France. The fork was developed from the venerable Mag21 cross-country mtb fork; the main differences being modified internals and a taller bolt-on fork brace to accommodate a caliper road brake.

Tanning. It just struck me that there is a curious comparison of tanning beds and hypobaric sleeping chambers, if you present tanned skin and cycling fitness as being parallels.

Growing up in Florida and being of Filipino descent, I always figured that I was destined to sport a deep tan. Then I moved to Seattle, the "Emerald City", which the tourism brochures often fail to reveal is actually the "Grey City" for most of the year. By the time April rolls around around, I'm downright pale, but now I'm finally getting some colour. Occasionally I toy with the idea of going to a tanning salon during the winter, but now that it's warm I can save money by just riding my bike to get tan. Thankfully there are other benefits to riding, as it would be difficult to justify a $5K carbon road bike as a pragmatic alternative to a tanning bed. But even so, wouldn't it be advantageous to use a tanning bed occasionally during the winter? That way my tan would be more even and I'd have a comparative advantage.

I mean, people who live in sunny winter climates have a tanning advantage, kinda like Tour de France riders who have a fitness advantage from naturally high hemocrit levels because they live at high altitude locales like Columbia or Colorado. Just thinking of all those smug, tanned bastards in California makes the cost of tanning salons look trivial. Couldn't I use a tanning bed like well-funded pro cyclists use hypobaric (low air pressure) chambers to simulate living at high-altitudes? Unless I'm wrong, the UCI and WADA haven't banned hypobaric chambers since their use isn't technically a performance-enhancing substance. And a tanning bed is a lot cheaper than a sleeping chamber, and they're everywhere here in Seattle.

From the Bicycle Roadside Finds group on Flickr, serious bike security.

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About four years ago I suffered from a surplus of pedaling platforms. My road bikes had one system, my mountain and cross bikes another--things were getting out of hand (or out of foot, I suppose). I decided to switch to Crank Brothers and put their excellent road pedal the Quattro on my road bikes, Candy SLs on 'fixed gear bikes and mountain bikes.

For the next few years I became quite the Quattro evangelist, spreading the pedal gospel amongst the members of my bike club like some modern day Matthew or John. I've seen a lot of people adopt the egg-beater based system and love it as much as I do. One cleat on all of my shoes, one system on all of my bikes.

The Quattro isn't as stiff as something like a Look Keo or Shimano SPD-R system, but in my neck of the woods, where clipping out to stop at a traffic light is as important as powering up a hill at full steam, the pedals are an excellent balance between performance and functionality.

So naturally, Crank Brothers has discontinued the Quattro, and will only focus on mountain bike products. I realized this a few nights ago while checking weight specs on their site and couldn't find the Quattro listed anywhere. A quick Google search and I discovered that the plug had been pulled.

Rather than mourn the loss though I've been cornering the market on rebuild kits and cleats, the two things I'll need to keep using my Quattro pedals for the next few years. I've hit eBay rather heavily recently and picked up a few more sets of the pedals, as well as more kits to keep going.

I'm sad though, when the gear all wears out eventually I'll possibly move to some other system--if I'm going to use a different cleat for road and mountain I'm going to re-evaluate the pedal systems from scratch and I'm sure they'll be other products out there.

I guess sales of the Quattro weren't as good as Crank Brothers wanted, but it's a shame to see such a nice product move off to the bike criterium in the sky.

To (almost) quote the Pixies * "And if man if five and the pedal is six, and the pedal is six and the pedal is six then bikes are seven, then bikes are seven, then bikes are seven.... this pedal's gone to heaven..." *

Pulse Jet powered bicycle inventor was interviewed today on KUOW.

Talk about a Commuter Challenge -- this guy could blast past you on his way to work.

Also noticed on Wired. Dig that it's retro style with the Brooks Saddle.

While searching for Jan's Tour TT crash, I found this textportrait by German artist Ralph Ueltzhoeffer. The portraits are assembled from a photo, wikipedia, and mashed together:

Textportrait as visual display is inseparably assembled out of text (internet) and photos and is therewith bound to a readable portrait. The typeface white on black relates to the DOS input mode (visually).

Also see Barack Obama's textportrait from a current exhibition.

Art, at times, takes a pause to think about. The word drugs appears twice in Jan's textportrait.

T-shirt graphic for Ben's, Pedaling Against Poverty Tour. Ben, a cellist, is biking to Bonnaroo through the Hills Of Kentucky. More details on Ben's ride. Follow the tour on Twitter @bensollee.

Reminds us of the Ditty Bops and their tour across the States. We rode with them for part of it.

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The Adventure Cycling Association and others have teamed up with the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials to develop a U.S. Bicycle Route System.

U.S. Bicycle Routes must connect two or more states, a State and an international border, or other U.S. Bicycle Routes. U.S. Bicycle Routes are intended to link urban, suburban, and rural areas using a variety of appropriate facilities

Well that's cool and I'm thinking of what routes would connect here in Washington State . . . readers?

Besides the Mobile Socials we do, we're going to ride across the country one day.

You know that was on his mind the whole time -- don't crash -- keep the bike upright. The fall reminded me of the time Jan crashed in the TT at the 2003 Tour, when he had to take risks to gain time. He lost 11 seconds.

Photo: Reuters

The recovery was amazing. Doubtful the mechanics train like Formula one pit crew. I think he was just anticipating a crash and reacted without thinking.

See more in the BikingToronto Style group.

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The Bike in Style Challenge winner was announced yesterday at an awards ceremony in NYC. Now, we'd have asked the actress to step aside so we could see what bikes those were.

Actress Marion Cotillard. Photo: Getty Images

They've got Louis Vuitton Luggage on them. LVMH Partnered with FIT and the New York City Department of Transportation on the contest and the challenge was to create a "a poncho, a jacket and a travel bag which were both functional and stylish." FIT student Jessica Velasquez won with a Tech-Chick/Envelope bag.

Huh How'd that Happen? Dérailleur broke apart at the elbow. No crashes or big hits. Just failed. I've never seen anything like it. This is Pam's Travel bike, so it could've been damaged in transit, but nothing noticeable.

The only other epic fail I've seen is a chain ring.

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I just stumbled across this in the Performance catalog, and I think it's possible that I might have to go to confession now as a result. Or therapy.

Is it just me, or does this appear to anyone else like the Michelin man is sort of, you know, playing with his junk?

I'll add this my list of "Jerseys to Inflict on People"

Schwalbe Bike Tube Vending maching -- for 6 euros.

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Spotted on Facebook.

Just over 3 years ago, we started Bike Hugger because I noticed a change in the air, a definite uptick in the amount of cyclists on the road for bike to work and wherever I ride. I had no idea at the time that the world would change so much since then. This week GM filed bankruptcy, Americans are saving more money, and quitting the new car habit. Pondering this, I tweeted:

Sure, seemingly way more complicated than in the wake of GM's bankruptcy to tell America to buy a bike, but that's what I'm thinking. -- 8:05 AM Jun 1st from web

Readers,

Could Bike Shops fill those vacant GM dealerships? Fitness centers even with massive spin classes? When the spending comes back will it arrive in the bike shop for a commuter bike?

I don't know, but maybe a new urbanism focused on bikes will result from these economic times.

I sell a lot of bikes on craigslist. It's usually a very positive experience - a little trust can go a long way to making sure everyone gets what's best. In this case - I got a great note from the guy who bought a Trek Madone:

Hey Andrew. I am the guy that bought your Madone last November. I wanted to thank you for helping me get started in cycling. I just wanted to give you an update as to how I am progressing. I have ridden over 1500 miles on this bike. My strength and endurance has improved dramatically. I absolutely love getting out and riding. I am averaging about 80 miles per week and with the better weather feel like I can do even more if I have the time. I have lost 30 pounds and hope to keep going.

THANKS for trusting me enough to ship the bike down. It has changed my life.

Hope all is well with you.

Best regards, Jeff

That's some inspiring stuff! 30lbs and a new rider for life. I love to hear these sorts of results. Keep riding Jeff!

Rock the Bike et al. was at Maker Faire representin' cargo bikes. They set up a Bike Bar, pedaled and powered Cello Joe's set.

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