Queercents

I’ve recently moved to a big city, and not just a big city, but one notorious for bike theft. I consider myself pretty good at locking bikes, but after hearing reports of how bad the theft problem is, I’ve had to up the ante, particularly since I don’t own a car and on a student budget I won’t be replacing my bike any time soon. Fortunately, I was able to substantially increase my bike’s security for under five bucks and very little extra time. Here’s how you can make your bike more theft proof.

I picked up this idea from a bike I saw chained up one day. Your bike may be well locked, but some accessories can still be vulnerable. A simple hose clamp works wonders to fix this. At the local hardware store I was able to pick up a handful for $1.49 a piece. In the picture, the rack is clamped to the seat stay, or the thin, down-slopping tube. I used them to clamp my rack as well as my frame pump to the frame. This makes the frame pump a little less convenient to use but I also don’t worry about having to replace it if it’s stolen. BikeHacks also suggests that once you find your idea seat post height, you affix a clamp flush to the tube so that you can easily slid the seat in and out when you park. This makes it more convenient to return your seat to it’s original height if you own a quick release and are constantly taking your seat out and putting it back in.

If constantly removing and replacing your seat is too much of a hassle, I simply asked the local bike co-op for an old chain and tube. Snake the chain through the tube to prevent the chain from scratching your bike or spreading grease everywhere. Run the tube/chain through the bottom of your seat and part of the frame. Using your chain tool, remove the extra links and join the chain back together. Now you don’t have to worry about locking up your saddle or removing it whenever you enter a building.

Photo Credit: Murray Corp

This post comes courtesy of a friend of mine who runs an organic, vegan, raw food restaurant. We got to talking about biking one day and he mentioned that when he’s putting in a lot of miles he likes to make his own energy gels rather than shell out for highly processed  gels. The result is a tasty and nutritious snack when you’re racking up the miles on the weekend.

Vegan Energy Gels
About 40 dates, pitted
1-2 stalks of celery
A banana
Water

In a food processor, puree dates with just enough water to create gel-like consistency. Add the celery for electrolytes and the banana for flavor and potassium to keep your muscles from getting sore. Divide the gel among whatever pouches you have that are convenient and eco-friendly. Enjoy the amazingly delicious combination of good dates and a banana.

Photo Credit: Stock Xchng

Locking your bike well is the most important practice you can develop, even more so than maintenance (after all, what’s a well maintained bike if it’s been stolen). I have to admit that I’ve had two bikes stolen, so I’ve certainly learned my lesson. Now I can’t walk down the street and see a bike without evaluating what could be taken from it and how quickly. It’s a somewhat off putting practice, but thinking in those terms is great preventative medicine because it means that I’m well prepared to prevent potential thievery.
For this post, I think pictures speak louder than words though, so here are some cautionary tales. Read the rest of this entry »

So last week I gave a basic overview of how to fix up a bike, but if you need a little more here are some additional resources for curing what ails your bike. As one DIY repair shop pointed out, “Since it’s your hide that will get injured when the bike falls apart, learn how to repair and maintain the exposed parts yourself. After all, the bike shop won’t be there when your brakes fail in the middle of the Slickrock Trail.”

Sheldon Brown is basically the Kevin Bacon of internet bike info: if you’re searching online for information, you’ll find your way back to his sit usually in fewer than four clicks. Though occasionally confusing to navigate (Sheldon Brown passed away a few years back and the site hasn’t been updated since) it’s a got most things covered.

Park Tool is a manufacturer of bike tools so they have a vested interest in providing you with know-how that serves as incentive to buy their tools. The have awesome tools to back it up (I’m not a spokesperson for them or anything, but their multi-tool and pedal wrench have proved massively useful. The site is designed for the amateur mechanic who has a little bit of technical know-how. Fortunately, there are diagrams.

Though geared towards mountain bikes, Utah Mountain Biking generally has something for everything. Geared towards a novice mechanic, they are the owners of the motto quoted above. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking to tackle the more advanced stuff in order to keep your ride preforming well, don’t be scared. It’s actually pretty easy. The cool thing about bikes, is that they fall within my DIY rule: I was going to pay to fix it anyway and it won’t cost me any more if I make it worse, so there’s no reason for me to not try and fix it myself. With a little time and patience even I can keep things in good running order on my bike and I was a liberal arts major in college. For the non-engineers like me, here’s a basic intro on how to deal with more challenging bike parts.

Derailleur:
This is the technical term for the mechanism that changes the gears on your bike. The one controlling the crank set–the gears attached to your pedals– is the front derailleur. The one on the cassette–the gears on your back tire– is, not surprisingly, the rear derailleur.  (They may also be referred to as the front and rear mech in online tutorials.) If the gear doesn’t shift right away or you’re shifting off of the chain ring or doesn’t shift with the clicks if you have index shifters, chances are you’re going to want to tune your derailleur. Unless you’re seriously out of alignment, this is actually not terribly hard to do.
The first thing you’ll want to do is check your cable for rust and wear. You’ll also want to clean your chain and all the gears. This maintenance is easiest if you can set up your bike somewhere you can spin the pedals and change the gears. I lock my bike into a trainer, though hanging it from a stand or the ceiling works too. It’s a little hard to hold the rear wheel off the ground, shift gears and spin the pedals at the same time, so being able to suspend the back wheel is key. Read the rest of this entry »

Probably one of the most important parts of an enjoyable commute is having a well-tuned bike. There’s nothing more enjoyable than speeding along with every part of your bike working in unison and there’s nothing more frustrating that hearing gears crunch or feeling the drag of a misaligned brake. All bikes are different and have different components to them, but there are several basic things you can do that require little in the way of time or experience to improve and will keep your bike from looking like the one in the picture.

Clean Your Bike
As a primer to tuning your bike, one of the most important things you can do is actually one of the easiest: clean your bike. Sometimes, this can make all the difference. One day, I was having a tough time shifting my front gear and was about to get my tools out to fix the cable tension (don’t worry if that sounds intimidating) but it turned out that the only problem I had was a massive amount of mud gumming up the works. Picking out most of it was enough to solve the problem and it was here I realized that keeping your bike clean is more than just aesthetics. Having a clean bike also helps you pinpoint what the problem is. (Admittedly, most commuters won’t be riding through six inch puddles of mud on a regular basis but it’s still a good practice.)
I clean my bike with a cheap dish soap that won’t damage the finish and a low pressure hose. Be sure to not use anything high pressure that will force water any tubes or hosing where it can cause damage. I also have a special wash cloth for drying my bike after it’s bath.

Check Your Tires
The next step I take is to check tire pressure. I’m sure many of you have heard people touting tire pressure as a way to improve gas milage, but it goes for bikes as well. If my bike drops ten PSI, I feel it because I have to work harder to go the same speed. Bike tires typically start at around the same tire pressure as cars (35 PSI for cruisers) and can go to 65 PSI on a mountain bike and 120 PSI on a road bike. That’s more than three times the tire pressure in the average car. And unlike cars, many bikes don’t have a suspension system that softens bumps, so it’s easy for air to get pushed out of the tubes. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re going to bike to work and you work at even a relatively professional place, you’re probably going to be at least somewhat concerned with keeping clean. Working at a bank, I know I do. But if you’re biking up and down hills on hot or rainy days (again, me), you’re probably going to be a little sweaty. For some readers, this may be TMI but it only becomes worse as I share more of my daily keeping clean tricks.

Clothes:
Dress appropriately for the ride- I like to wear clothes that are light and breathable- and then bring clothes to change into. Make sure that the bag they are in is water-resistant or water-proof. That’s a mistake you only make once. Thanks to the marvel of wrinkle-free shirts, it’s easy enough for me to fold my pants along the creases and then just shove a shirt in. If you’re worried about the appearance of your clothes on arrival, there are other options like this nifty bag.

Weather:
Like I mentioned the other week, having a jacket is great to protect you from the weather is convenient for remaining relatively dry as well as dirt free if, like me, you ride on paths rather than roads. I’ve also found that on wet or muddy days, long spandex pants (is there a special name for those? tights just sound too wimpy) work well for keeping the elements off your legs. Read the rest of this entry »

While on the road, it’s important to stay safe. Yes, cycling can be dangerous but so can just about everything else. (I somehow managed to wind up in the hospital when my hand was mauled by a drum kit. Life’s just crazy like that.) Fortunately, by knowing how to ride safe you decrease your chances of getting injured. As a courier friend once quipped “Blood doesn’t go with my outfit.”

To Reiterate
Helmets are good. So are lights and reflectors and being just about as conspicuous as possible. I’m too cheap to shell out for a bike jersey, but my almost painfully bright yellow “I <3 Techno” shirt fills in nicely and my rear light is so bright I’m a little concerned it’ll burn my retinas. By their powers combined, I’m pretty darn visible. Just in case, mirrors also help you know where cars are around you.

Signals
Learn your hand signals and then use them. Unless you want to put indicators on your bike or jacket.

Take a course
As Regan noted, you can check out the availability of a bike safety training course around you. Or, join a training ride through your LBS. Mine offers a ride every Tuesday to get people on the road and comfortable riding. Check your LBS for details. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve got your bike and you’ve planned your route, but before you head out you want to make sure you’re ready for everything the road can throw at you. At the advent of summer, Trek started a “Go By Bike” campaign that included a handy little diagram of things you needed for your bike. Good idea, but dumb campaign because they included things you should have that are painfully obvious (such as a seat) but neglected things like a rack or wedge pack. You probably don’t need to go as crazy as the guy in the photo but you should have the stuff you need to get you to and from your destination safely and with confidence.

A Handy Dandy Check List of Must-Haves

• A helmet: I think Roland covers this one pretty well.
• A Mirror: Whether you rock the handlebar or helmet kind, get a mirror and use it well. it’s key for knowing where cars are and riding safely.  If you’re really into tech, this is pretty dope.
• Wedge-pack: Ok, this doesn’t sound like a must have, but trust me, it’s key. This is a little pack that you fit under your saddle (bike speak for seat) and use to store tire levers, a spare tube or patch kit, and a multi-tool. With this simple pack you can take on anything. And for those thinking “I don’t really need that stuff”, getting a flat with no way to repair it can really put a damper on your day. Working for Equality Maine, we exceeded our expectations, getting triple the number of signatures we expected but my most poignant memory is getting in a fight with a curb and walking home.
• Frame-pump: That spare tube isn’t going to help if you can’t put air in it.
• Lights: Front and rear.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before we get started, a little disclosure. I commute about fifteen miles a day round trip and about three quarters of it is off road. As such, I rock a used Trek WSD mountain bike that several of my friends will tell me I have an unusually strong attachment to (no, it’s totally not weird how much I love my bike…). For me, a mountain bike best suites my purposes. But what about for you?

Mountain, Road or…Other?
Since bikes first became commercial available the types of bikes available has increased dramatically. You have your mountain bikes, your road bikes, your single speeds, your fixies, track bikes, cross bikes, cruiser bikes, touring bikes, hybrid bikes, and the the list goes on. It’s pretty overwhelming trying to decide.

If you have a bike already and are looking to start commuting, the Simple Dollar offers the sage advice that buying something in order to force the development of new behavior doesn’t work. Ok, there are exceptions to the rule but as a general note, if you’ve got a bike make it yours. Fix it, mod it, and outfit it (we’ll cover that next week) to make it your dream bike and not only will you have a gorgeous bike that you’re invested in, you’ll also have saved some cash in the process. Bike enthusiasts are well known for their DIY ethic in making their bikes unique and awesome. If you don’t have a bike on hand, keep reading. Read the rest of this entry »