I kind of slacked off with the Dahon D7HG Vitesse reporting thing toward the end of last week. It's been an interesting ride. For what it's worth, here's my overall assessment. But first, little bit of context here that probably won't surprise most people: I don't know a ton about bicycle mechanics. It is entirely possible that I am not giving enough weight to the marvel of engineering that is a folding bike, or the quality of the gear hub, or some other mechanical component...
There were a lot of pros for this on...
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Yesterday I went over to check out the new bike shop in my neighborhood, Halcyon Bike Shop. Pinkie's chain had started sounding like a flock of birds, so I stopped by thinking I'd pick up some chain grease, and ended up bringing her back over for a quick overhaul (I had been running errands in the car and didn't have my bike the first time around).
Poor Pinkie felt a bit out of place as we squeaked our way through the crowd of hipsters on well-maintained, customized bikes out front...but I told her not to worry, t...
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I saw this on EcoVelo and had to make one of my own. Fun procrastination when I'm supposed to be working! You can make your own here, thanks to the ever-cool Paste Magazine.
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I recently saw this Bike Commuter Kit at Fleet Feet. Contents: reflective ankle strap, reflective vest, reflective stickers, blinky lights, body wipes. Okay, there's nothing wrong with this kit if that's what you're into. Certainly, wearing a reflective vest does no harm. I never wear them because I do not see value in them in the well-lit city. I'm sure others would disagree and that's fine. But wearing this stuff does not mean you will be safe. Neon yellow is not a magic safety bubble. Twice in...
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In response to my question whether decisions not to ride were supported by reasons or excuses, the Village Scribe said that the answer lies in what you do the next day and the day after that and so on. I like that! This week I biked to work all 5 days, plus a 6th day to the theatre. So missing a week of riding due to extreme cold and traveling out of town for work does not make me any less of a "cyclist," whatever that means. Cylicing is always my first choice when circumstances permit. That's enough for me.
T...
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Three weeks ago a great tragedy befell my household - two bikes were stolen from my garage, my sister's Specialized Globe and my Jamis Commuter. One might think that keeping bikes in a locked garage would be safe and that locking the bike with a cable in the garage would be super safe. If in Chicago, one would be wrong. The theives broke in through the back door of my neighbor's attached garage, through which they could access my garage. Those two bikes, my car bike carrier, and my floor pump were stolen. As my luc...
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If you're in Nashville, I hope you did, too.
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This morning was one of those mornings. I woke up late, and it got worse from there. I could go on about my United customer service call woes, or my lost credit card, or the fact that I spent 30 minutes looking for the gloves that I wore home yesterday night, but I'll spare you. All you need to know is that I left the house almost an hour after I'd planned to wearing socks on my hands. At least I didn't have to wait for my car to warm up.
My commute put me in a much better mood, though. It was a beautif...
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Today was my first day of riding the Dahon Vitesse D7HG, reputed to be one of the best folding bikes out there. I picked it up from my friend P on Friday and had all weekend to practice folding it. Luckily, it wasn't that difficult! I was impressed by how well the parts fit together and most of all, that it fit in the trunk of my Mustang convertible.
They claim it folds/unfolds in 15 seconds; on a cold day, with two pairs of gloves on, I can tell you it takes more like 30. But once it's open, it looks like this:
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So much good stuff in one day! First, of course, is Obama as our new president!! I'm still pinching myself, it seems almost too wonderful. (Hey, shocker, we at Let's Go Ride a Bike are liberals!) On November 4, 2008, I had a ticket to Grant Park and it was a magical night. After Obama's speech, my bike and I joined an impromptu parade down Michigan Avenue, a street I never ride on due to the high speeds and heavy traffic. Tonight on my way home I stopped to take a picture of the pretty city lights over the park and...
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