The need to look professional is an excuse I hear often for not bike commuting. Please. Don't try that one with me! As a lawyer, I often wear business suits to work and - yes - I ride my bike dressed up. Riding a bike in a suit is quite easy, especially if the weather is mild and the distance is not very great. I have only a few tips:
If the weather is hot, leave your tie, hosiery, jacket at work.
If the weather is freezing, layer sensibly as I discuss here.
If you wear pants, secure your cuff from hung...
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Technically, this should have been categorized as a DIWYF -- do it with your family! Without my dad and my brother, there's no way these Velo Orange Fluted Fenders would have made it onto Le Peug. I had read about fender installations before purchasing mine, and the one thing that all the stories had in common was the potential to get into something difficult--something that required special tools or customization. As luck would have it, mine required both.
Twas the week after Christmas, and we wheeled Le Peug int...
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I embarked on a new adventure this year by enrolling in a guitar class. I was worried about transporting the guitar for two miles, but turns out it's easy peasy.
Cycling with a guitar on your back is the kind of simple trick that only looks difficult. The case fits on like a backpack and the guitar is pretty light. The bottom of the guitar stops at the top of my saddle, so there's no interference. The top of the guitar is slim, so it does not obstruct my view looking back.
I already get looks simply for bein...
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Check this helmet out - what an idea! The author of Oh Joy!, a top style-lifestyle inspiration blog, happens to be a very chic cyclist. When she couldn't find a polka dotted helmet to suit her needs, she made one out of a Bern Muse helmet and sticky decals.
She is also the proud owner of a Velorbis Victoria. Classy!
Read about her project direct from the source HERE, including the link to buy the polka dot decals.
I'm tempted to get a red helmet and attach black dots. I have a thing for ladybugs! 
Coul...
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It's that time of year again: legions of bike commuters are gearing up for winter and considering whether to buy studded tires. Well, okay, maybe just five or six of you.
So should you get studded tires?
I asked myself that question for weeks last year. My dithering abruptly ended on the morning my bike slipped from under me and I landed on my butt.
Many winter cyclists in Chicago seem to go without studs, sticking to the major routes that are well-plowed, but I prefer side street and the Lakefront Trail, whic...
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The time has come to talk about winter. Winter cycling is a wonderful experience because I enjoy the outdoors and all of its snowy beauty every day while most people hibernate. I'm really excited about my second winter cycling. Last winter was all about learning the ropes and testing my limits. (See my photo synopsis of winter 2008-09 here.) Now I know what to expect.
Here I share my wisdom on how to dress for winter bike commuting. This advice is based on my personal experience: riding 7 miles in snow ...
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Everyone's been talking about riding in the rain lately. It's easy to cycle in fair weather, but dealing with rain is more of a challenge, and one I have been reluctant to embrace, to be honest. Like Tim of Car Free Days, I try to play the weather radar game, but sometimes—like on my way home last week—getting wet is unavoidable. It took a while, but I've finally come to appreciate the exhilarating effect of riding in the rain. Most of the time.
Let's start with basics: when it's raining, it's even more import...
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Our posts about group rides nearly always draw comments like "I wish we had one of these in my city" or "I've been wanting to organize something like this, but . . . ." I used to be one of those commenters, until the Garden Party Ride here in Nashville showed me that yes, Virginia, we could host our own cycling event.
You can, too! And you should. Group rides like these are a lot of fun, and in my opinion they're even better than Critical Mass for raising community awareness of city cycling. Here'...
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I've never posted about grocery shopping on my bike before, because I live very close to a grocery store and simply walk. In these tough economic times (tm) I decided to head up the road a bit and see what good stuff (i.e. beer and wine) I could find cheaper at Trader Joe's.
As expected, all my purchases fit with no special panniers. For the weight she was carrying, Oma rode smoothly. There was a barely perceptible squirrely-ness to her front handling - a slight but constant shift side to side in the handlebars...
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Attentive readers might remember Dottie's passing mention of us filming a how-to video when I was in Chicago two weeks ago. We decided to start with the basics and demonstrate how to start and stop properly. As befits a LGRAB production, it's a little goofy and definitely unscripted, but we think we shared some useful information -- and hey, if nothing else, you get to see Dottie's beautiful bikes in motion! This is just the beginning of our YouTube adventures, so stay tuned: we've got a channel to fill. And now, w...
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