Crate for the front rack

June 19th, 2010 § 0

After some serious searching online, digging through trash (there’s never enough of that around here), and generally keeping an eye out for appropriate items for the last few months, the crate of my dreams is attached to the front “beer rack” on my Opa.

The “half-crate” from filmtools.com really suits my needs: it’s sturdy, wide enough to carry some serious good, but not so high that it looks weird or interferes with steering. The plain grey is OK, though if there were colors that would have been fine by me.

So far it’s stayed on the bike almost all of the time; it’s attached to the beer rack with black zip ties so it can’t rattle, and the rack itself is easy to detach. There’s some wind resistance with the crate on the front of the bike, but in this case it’s well worth it. We won’t be able to use it with the Bobike Mini child seat, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to switch between the two. I hope I won’t need to pick up cat litter and Finn at the same time…

CYCLE MAYnia in Santa Barbara

May 10th, 2010 § 0

Three more weeks of bicycle-related events in Santa Barbara! Looks like a lot of great stuff, though I’m sad to say we’ve missed the fashion show. Still, if I can find the time out of my new-dad schedule, I’ll be sure to hit a few of these. The Tweed Ride is appealing — I wonder if they’ll let you ride in twill?

If you’re looking for something to do on your bike this month, drop by Cycle MAYnia’s website for some suggestions.

Bicycle Paths in Santa Barbara

March 10th, 2010 § 0

Bike Paths in Santa Barbara

Google Maps has bicycle paths!

I’ve been living in S.B. for just over a year, which handily co-incided with my renewed interest in cycling (bought my Opa in Chicago before moving out here, just a few months before Wheelhouse opened their local shop), and during that time I’ve probably ridden 3,000 miles. The experience has been great, in large part due to the bike lanes and cycling paths in the area; aside from the exceptionally hilly areas to the north, there isn’t any part of Santa Barbara/Goleta that feels inaccessible via bicycle. The weather  and the other folks riding around have helped make my rides enjoyable, but the biggest change for me has been the paths and lanes set aside for bicycles.

Now that Google has added Bicycle Paths to their display options it will be even easier to determine a safe and speedy route through town. Very cool! I’d created a few hand-made collections of paths using Google Maps but they just weren’t as precise. It was also a pain creating them — and I missed lots of good routes, too.

(quick – compare Chicago’s disjointed bicycle paths with Santa Barbara’s linked routes)

Crate

March 3rd, 2010 § 4

Looking for a crate/basket to sit on top of the front rack of my Azor Opa — the saddlebags are good, but they don’t always hold enough, and the rack by itself isn’t ideal for loose items (though it’s great for big bags of cat litter, and that sort of thing).

So far I’ve seen regular milk crates (plastic or wire), half-crates, and wire-mesh baskets that don’t look too bad… but the most appealing milk crate by far was this DIY lidded crate.

Milk Crate with Lid

Anyone got another suggestion?

Chicago bicycle shops

January 13th, 2010 § 0

Specifically, Dutch/Danish/English commuter-style bikes!

Gazelle - nice lettering

Picture 1 of 14

Looks almost as though Chris Ware did the lettering on this seat tube.

On a visit to Chicago for a wedding, fellow-attendee and good friend Denny and I went on a bit of a bike-shop crawl; We visited Dutch Bike Company Chicago, De Fietsfabriek, and Cøpenhagen Cyclery. I’ve waited too long to post this, so many of the details are lost, but suffice to say we had three very good conversations — just happened to catch the proprietor of the De Feitsfabriek before he went on a West coast delivery tour, even!

Linus Bikes

November 2nd, 2009 § 0

Discovered a new bicycle manufacturer yesterday: Linus Bikes.

The guys at Wheelhouse were able to get a few of the utilitarian and handsome bikes from this small shop, and I’ve got to say, the look is great and they’ve got a very nice build quality for the price. I’ve been by twice in the last two weeks (a friend looking at the Swan, and a brother looking for other stuff) and each time I’ve found myself pedaling one of these around the parking lot.

Linus BikesThey’re quite light, and the length is less than that of my Opa, but the ones I rode still had a satisfying feel — steady, not delicate, and comfortable. They strike me as ideal for a 3 mi. ride downtown, or to the grocery store if you need a half-gallon of milk. A little more nimble and a little more delicate than a full-on dutch bike. But you’ll pay a bit less, too, I think they’re under $600 for the models with gears.

Though their website doesn’t show them yet, the Linus folk also make panniers and other accessories that are quite fetching; Will bought a couple of rigid canvas bags for his Secret Service bike, and they’re pretty spiffy. Clean and well made, without a lot of un-necessary stuff is how I’d describe them — and I will, in more detail, after I’ve got some pictures to show.

Lastly, how could you not like a company with this logo?

linus-logo

Kogswell

October 20th, 2009 § 0

It’s not like anyone needs more than a single bicycle — particularly more than one of a particular style — but these Kogswell bicycles are just beautiful. I like the fact that they sell the frame and fork, and you (or a builder) adds the rest of the parts to complete your ride. It may not be any cheaper, but it’s bound to be an interesting experience.

However, I’m reminded of my co-worker who started to work on a custom-built PC today; he’s going to spend hours and in the end will have something useful, but a bit finicky, and will have lost hours (perhaps days) to an unnecessary process. I prefer to purchase a computer in finished form, and while I may admire a bicycle assembled from ideal parts, the fact remains: I’ll never build one for myself.

(I’d include a picture, but all the images in their gallery are copyrighted, it seems.)

Damn straight!

October 14th, 2009 § 0

“the person in the most dangerous vehicle has the most responsibility.”

Riding for all

October 6th, 2009 § 0

88Bikes.org endows orphanages, ashrams, centers and schools sheltering children rescued from human trafficking with bicycles — bikes that are magical vessels of freedom and fun, tools as useful as they are enjoyable.

A donation of $88 buys a child a bike; all of your donation goes toward a bike, as the organization has no office or staff, and the founders take no salaries. Plus they’re a registered 501(c)3 organization so your donation is tax deductible.

Wish I spoke Dutch

September 23rd, 2009 § 0

Great looking Transportfiets

Great looking Transportfiets