It was just a matter of time before the longtail concept showed up in the custom bike market. This Blacksheep cargo bike is on exhibit this weekend at the North American Hand Built Bicycle Show in Indianapolis Indiana.
Uploaded by pedals | more from the Dapper Lad Cycles Photostream.
Nearing a week after launching Hugga 2.0, we've worked out most of the bugs and issues.
Yesterday we got the Huggacasts back working, 404s resolved, and will keep making the site even huggier.
Readers are reporting some issues when logging in to comment and creating accounts. We're checking those and note that there are like 17 ways to get into the site. If one doesn't work, we've got another and Typepad authentication seems the most reliable. If you're having issues, please contact us.
There are some transitory issues and periodic strangeness you may have seen. We don't know either, that's just how it goes on the Interwebs.
I'll talk more about Hugga 2.0 during the Try Making Yourself More Interesting panel at SXSW and our Mobile Social.
The site launched with the work and help of
Thank you readers for your comments and for reading our blog.
The convo at Hugga HQ went like this:
I think our readers will want to really express that they too are a Bike Hugger with 'lots of hugga' style.
No. They'll want it more subtle.
Fine. One logo then, sheesh.
The brand new bamboo will debut at SXSW this year. This is a sample, but I'm going to wear it around the house. The actual shirts have just one logo and we've got womens too.
Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is sponsoring a design-a-rack contest, following the New York's CityRacks competition last year. We've blogged about designer racks before and often wonder why they're either after thoughts attached to a building, brutalist, or nonfunctioning.
A fav is this bike bench
also see David Byrne's art racks
and secure bike racks built for cities with thieves. There's one with a pump in it as well.
Readers,
What good racks have you seen or what would you design?
Hat tip to reader jacobawhite and Wired.
A Northwest cycling tradition marked the beginning of the season on Sunday, as more than 3,500 people rode around Bainbridge Island for the 2009 installment of Chilly Hilly.
Though I wasn't out getting wet with all the other hard-core folk out there, I was happy (and warm) keeping up via Cascade's twitter feed and following the many photos.
And so we officially kick off this year's line-up of Cascade's events. Clip in, folks.
Few cities consider themselves as progressive as San Francisco, so it's only slightly surprising to find out that officials there are considering limiting the use of "private cars" on Market Street in order to increase the flow of busses, pedestrians and cyclists.
While I don't live in San Fran, I spend more time there than any other big city, and I've done more riding there than any other metropolis, and I can scarcely count the number of times I've been almost struck and killed by vehicles on Market. I'm a pretty savvy urban cyclist but I go out of my way to avoid that thoroughfare while in the area.
Even suggesting that Market Street be made off-limits to cars is a massive move, it's akin to the idea of converting part of Manhattan's Broadway into a pedestrian mall and it's not likely to happen quickly. Still, the city is looking at plans to take the busiest two-mile stretch of roadway (from Van Ness to the Embarcadero) into a car-free zone.
Tilly Chang, deputy director of planning for the S.F. County Transportation Authority says of the project "having been a great street, Market Street has the scale, the social and historical significance, the architectural profile and the infrastructure, and hence the potential, to be great once again." Run-on sentences aside, that's a sweeping statement about a street that goes from posh shopping to porn-theater in under two blocks but it indicates San Francisco's desire to reclaim the streets from cars, and with that action reclaim the grandeur of the heart of the city.
For the next few months Ms. Chang's authority will look at problems that the restrictions would cause on nearby streets, (personally I think it would cause calamity for tons of motorists, which is exactly what author Tom Vanderbilt says is needed to move people to mass transit in his book Traffic, so I'm all for it.
While the plan, first suggested by mayor Willie Brown, died in its original incarnation, this time it seems to have (ahem) legs and might actually move forward as the mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom says he'd approve the changes if studies show that they wouldn't hurt businesses in the area. (You don't want to hurt the business at Market Street Cinemas after all.)
Wired picks up our post on the Air-Bongo Water Bike and adds their own Freak Bike finds, including the Treadmill Bike. Our all-time favs are the Turkey Bike Rotisserie and Bucking 4 Glory shown here with the optional camera rigging.
Here at Bike Hugger, we're constantly riding and blogging about Barney and Bettie the Bike Hugger Big Dummy's. If you've been on the fence about getting your own Dummy, this might be your opportunity. From now through Friday at midnight Xtracycle is collecting entries for the grand finale of their Month of Love promotion. One lucky winner will have the opportunity to purchase a Big Dummy Frame and Xtracycle will have it powder coated in any color you can dream up! Check it out after the jump.
Uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles | more from the Dapper Lad Cycles Photostream.
While at Frostbike, I got to see the production version of Knog's glueless tire patch kit, called Porn Patches, that I saw at Interbike last September. I can't enough of these things.
The 25Seven blog goes on a magical odyssey of funk and frame materials, when a Seven got all burned up in a house fire. Too bad Fire Marshall Bill didn't pop his head into the frame there, but here ya go bike geeks: more ammo for the ongoing best frame material evar debate.
Let's just say for the sake of argument, that a bike catches on fire. Who's bike would best survive the flames?
Quick Funk lesson: Before,"The Roof! The Roof! The Roof is on fire!" entered the public lexicon, it was a Rock Master Scott single. Sampled into eternity and in live performances, the chant was later further popularized by the Bloodhound Gang.
Bike Hugger attended the Major Taylor Project kickoff last night.
The Major Taylor Project is dedicated to creating a multicultural community where teenagers have equal opportunity to spend time outdoors and on a bicycle.
The teenagers selected for the program will form a racing squad and ride Redline Bicycles. We'll feature the MTP with a podcast and more of the back story next month.
Marshall Walter (Major) Taylor, the 1899 world cycling champion, was known as "the Worcester Whirlwind." He broke through the color line half a century before baseball player Jackie Robinson. An international phenoeman, Major promoted the value of "clean living." Years ago during a trip to DC, I saw the Major Taylor display at the Smithsonian and was impressed to this day.
As a former mallrat, I feel a little hypocritical when I criticize Minneapolis' Mall of America. But it is so bizarre. I mean, there's a freaking amusement park in the middle of it, and three enormous levels of stores around. Mainly I was there to eat, because I never eat sBarro's or Panda Express except when I'm traveling. Call it comfort food for the mallrat in my heart.
Nostalgia aside, I saw this display at the Columbia Sportswear store. It's Bernard Eisel's Team Columbia Giant from the 2008 TdF. What I thought was cool and authentic were the wires at the bottom bracket for an SRM crank that had been removed. Why would the team mechanic leave the pricey SRM Dura Ace crank on the bike if it was just going to sit in a mall in the middle of America?
While visiting Hed Cycling's headquarters in MN, I glimpsed what I thought might be a prototype for a new time trial base bar, based on their Black Dog Flat Bar. Not exactly. Turns out that they were slapping sections of carbon skin from the Jet series aero wheels to the base bar to make it conform to the 3:1 aspect ratio rule in case the UCI technical committee decided to move up the date of enforcement. 
On the eve of the Tour of California, team mechanics and riders nearly had a heart attack when rumors spread that the UCI would enforce a rule that requires that the sections of bicycle components not exceed 3:1 for depth to length. A simplified version of this rule has been applied to bicycle frames and forks for years, but the UCI now intends to apply a more stringent definition that would effectively ban many existing time trial handlebars and even frames. Riders and teams spend a lot of time and money choosing the best equipment and dialing in the riders position; the new rule could have negated all of that work. Riders were afraid that they could roll up to the start of the time trial only to be told that they couldn't ride the very same bike they used the previous time trial last year.
... Read more »
ArtBike! is a street art/sculpture/installation art exhibition, that is open to all and brings creative progressive people together through community, bikes and art!
ArtBike! is on now, debuting at the NAHBS, and then with us at the Mobile Social SXSW.
Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Our Saturday ride ended up in Kent and we noticed that it looked like Belgium. This farm road is part of the Legendary REI lunch ride route, just below the Graveyard Berg. Shot with a crappy camera phone.
Download now for iTunes, your iPod, iPhone, and subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.
There's a new idea for fixed gear riders that's just so devastatingly simple, I can't figure out why this isn't a standard already. Instead of relying on the traditional thread-on fixed cog and lefthand thread lockring, why not use a 6-bolt disc brake mount for the fixed cog? Of course the old style is faster for swapping gearing in between races at the velodrome, but the vast majority of street fixie riders hardly ever change their cog tooth count. For them, the greater worries are either the cog loosening during frequent skids or seizing to the hub after long term use, or the threads of the hub being stripped out. A 6-bolt, using good quality hardened steel bolts (allen head; forget about torx head) eliminates those worries.
Click through, view the largest size, and see that the hub is still connected to the fork. I switched carbon bars after one got doored and I saw how thin the material was and how it catastrophically failed. It was just a few mils thick.
Uploaded by Subcrew Fai or Fhaione | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
What is Frostbike?Â
Well, chances are that you won't read much about it in Cyclingnews.com,
and the fixed gear kids have never heard of it either. Frostbike is essentially an open house
held each year by one of the giants of wholesale distribution, Bloomington MN's
Quality Bicycle Products. Held on a weekend in February, Frostbike is chance for retailers to see exciting and
hopefully profitable new products away from the crazed and desperate atmosphere
of Interbike, and yet well-timed before spring kicks off the retail
season. QBP also offers bike shop
owners seminars covering a broad range of issues including merchandise
strategy, human resource management, and technical training. And Frostbike is a swell event where
shop buyers and owners can meet select manufacturers and learn how to present
their products. Â
In just over two weeks, Bike Hugger lands in Austin, TX for SXSW and our Mobile Social on March 14th. In addition to the Urban Ride and BBQ, this year we're also co-hosting an after party with 
Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop at their location at 400 Nueces.
But, we need some help: six hardy souls to help us co-host, manage the crowd, and keep things orderly.
If you can work a computer, ride a bike, wield authority, and/or keep out the riff-raff, you might have what it takes for this assignment. The party happens on March 14 from 10:00 PM - Midnight. We'll need you for the full four hours plus 30 minutes beforehand. You might be called on to watch the door, ride around with a bikeload of beer, help us manage our guest list, or adjust Byron's saddle. You'll be paid in schwag, good times, and new friends--you'll also get preferred access to the BBQ.
Interested? Post a comment here or email us and tell us why you're uniquely suited to this mission. Our panel of expert judges will make their decision and let everyone know within a week or so.
Bon chance!
Well, hey, there’s something totally new today at Bike Hugger. We’ve rolled out our Hugga 2.0 design and architecture. Like a bike shop handing someone a new bike, we want you to try it out for a while. Tell us what you think. We’ll make adjustments and fine tune everything, after a few miles.
One immediate change for our commenters is a login. It’s fast, non-intrusive and also opens up more community features.
By logging in, you’re a member of our community with
Note: Robert Jolly wrote this post for us. Robert is Happy Cog's Client Relations Director based out of their Philadelphia office. He will be riding in the SXSW Mobile Social this year, and may very well be found singing off-key at OK! Happy Cog'aoke after the event.
Attention cyclists and South By Southwest attendees, the Bike Hugger Mobile Social SXSW on March 14th just keeps getting better and better. This is quickly becoming one of the premier official SXSW events, with the amount bike culture (awesomeness) multiplying as the event grows near.
Even the Buyers were selling today. Seen at the annual Seattle Bike Swap.
Uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles | more from the Dapper Lad Cycles Photostream.
In this edition of That’s Totally Euro, we’ve got anodized pulleys with matching skewers.
It’s late Friday, and you get a phone call from some guy named Alberto. He wants 2 of your new specialty, for to be delivered. To Spain. What do you do?
What was that were you saying about being humble? A sprinter, winning at 40+ mph, pointing at his thighs, ain’t humble or well-grounded. He’s a sprinter and that’s what they do. It’s machismo and no fear to ride into a hole in a pack, bang elbows, and fly out the other side, and across the finish line.
Don’t get this whole he’s arrogant, no he’s not thing. He’s a sprinter! He should wear a cape like Gorgeous George, prance around before the stage, pointing to the finish line, and mouthing how many bike lengths he’ll have on his competitors at the end.
... Read more »Been working all week on our new blog (Hugga 2.0, it’s a coming), watching the Tour of California, and organizing the Mobile Social SXSW; so it’s time for a bike culture break with some time-wasting links from the wonderful internets
Skip the complicated Rube Goldberg mechanism, put a bongo on the front of that contraption, and let the man play!
I don’t know enough about Anime to tell if this is a happy or sad song about a bicycle.
Having watched glimpses of the sport for years on ESPN, ABC, and then finally full-coverage on OLN then Vs, it’s great to see more fans on the roads embracing the Euro tradition of crazy outfits.
Hook’em horns guy, superheroes, the Pope, Grim Reaper, and so on. It also wasn’t too long ago, that police tackled fans during the San Francisco Grand Prix cause they didn’t get the whole, “run and cheer them on” thing.
... Read more »Kris Krug, whose into Change, Culture, Creativity, Communication, is shooting Fashion Week and occasionally a bike photo will flow into his photostream.
This one is from a 2005 series and here’s another from 08. Watching for more.
FreakBike Chopper style. Cool.
Uploaded by Randy Richmond Photography | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
It’s that time of year when team kits (describes matching team gear: shorts, jerseys, socks, arm warmers) have arrived or are arriving and I’m reminded of Kits of Old. Like the year we had smurf blue legs warmers shown here in this flattering photo.
One year we had arm coolers that actually made your arms colder. There was a curiously hot and cold jacket. Good and warm, but didn’t wick the sweat and would get freezing cold when the wind whipped up.
Worst ever was the Blik skin suit that was like a sauna suit — you sweated profusely in it. Good for losing weight, bad for staying hydrated. To add to the suffering, the pad was little more than a sponge.
I think we’ve all probably had clear rain coats that were wetter inside than out.
What’s been your worst kit or gear that sucked?
Details at Cyclelicious. Also on CNN.
Uploaded by richardmasoner | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Readers may remember Vs. contacted us for input on the Tour de France this year and you responded with lots of comments. How do you think they’re doing so far at the Tour of California? Me
As always, we are ever thankful for the coverage. One request: put a bubble with an arrow on the riders occasionally so we know who they are. Like they do in NASCAR.
I found this mini velo bike on a Japanese page. This has got be the nuttiest thing ever, just crazy amounts of carbon. The first time you see a photo of this bike, you might be tempted to assume that the frame was adapted from a BMX bike or something because of the really tall steerer. However, I have seen several different designs all with this set-up, and the details of the frame suggest that the bike was intended solely for this application.
If you pan down their page, you see some other inexplicably bling equipment, like 20” carbon clincher rims and 3-spoke aero wheels.
Apparently, a pilot on the way to the terminal at Memphis International Airport saw a bicycle with a “This Bike is a Pipebomb” sticker at the rack and reported it to the police, who in turn closed down the airport until a K-9 unit could sweep for explosives. Of course, none were found. Because the sticker is from a band named This Bike is a Pipebomb from Pensacola FL. I’ve seen them a few times in concert too.
If this story sounds familiar, that’s because it’s played out a few times already on some college campuses. The band has been around for over a decade, but since 2001 people take bomb threats a lot more seriously. For instance, when I was a messenger in DC in 1999, I delivered a letter to White House Staff at the East Wing with a “This Bike is a Pipebomb” sticker on my bike. Now, I bet messengers can’t get anywhere near the East Wing, sticker or no.
Not sure where my opinion falls on this issue. On one hand, it’s funny, but I’m sure it wasn’t funny to the people missed their flights because of it. Can’t blame the police, because it’s their job to investigate and maintain public safety.
For myself, I don’t have a sticker like that on my Sycip fixie, because it’s also my travel bike. The last thing I need is for the TSA to haul me off when I want to get on a plane for SxSW. Instead, I prefer to keep non-threatening stickers on my bike, like “KILL WHITEY”.
Keeping their word, MASH is riding the TOC fixed. Oh and in the rain, without fenders, and Garrett with an aerobar.
Walton has no front brake. How that works on a mountainous descent in monsoon rains? Well, lets find out!
From the Tour of California and of note because it’s not everyday you see a peloton riding across the Golden Gate Bridge. Wondering how the town liked that bridge shut down? Reports are they loved it.
Uploaded by limegreeney | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Further searching through Japanese cycling pages led me to this guy’s site that seems to have a lot of retro bikes, if by “retro” you mean 1992. Because I don’t find any bike much older than that pretty or fun to ride. Give me index shifting or give me death! I’d rather revert to chamber pots and Crosby, Stills, and Nash than centre-pull brakes. Which is not to say that all things that are from that time period are better. Take the Specialized tires on this otherwise tasty Honjo Cycleworks road bike.
While I was searching for a particular steel frame fitting that is apparently only available in Japan nowadays, I came across this mini velo…and I do mean mini. 
This particular bike is a hot-rod version of the Handybike, which is re-branded by several companies for sale in Japan and other parts of Asian. As easy as it would be to just dismiss this item as a silly fad, you can tell the guy takes this thing pretty seriously. Still, I’m not sure how much I’d want to ride the bike on sidewalks that aren’t handicap-accessible since a curb would surely cause a faceplant.
Bike taxis shuttle spectators from parking lots to the Amgen Tour of California start in Davis, California
Uploaded by richardmasoner | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Think what you will about Twitter (what Social Media dreams are made of or the marginalia of the blogosphere), but its impact is ever more apparent at the Tour of California. Carlton Reid said it best
“Twitter is amazing! I’m in UK but at times I’m better informed than race commentators. They need to hook into Twitter.”
In the car driving back from an early season race in Oregon, I read Johan Bruyneel’s in-the-team-car postings as the raced finished.
For the hopelessly vain among SRAM users, the company offers replacement hoods in a variety of colours for their Double Tap levers. Unlike some other aftermarket hood manufacturers, these candied lever cozies are genuine issue, identical in every way but hue to the originals. Unfortunately, the more interesting colours are only available with SRAM’s own soft foam bar tape (“Super Cork”), and since my vanity is only exceeded by bar tape snobbery, I’ll probably toss the tape. Or not. I’m still waiting for the SRAM Rival to put on my mini velo Gios, so I have plenty of time to flip flop on the decision.
SRAM replacement hoods and Super Cork tape retail as a set for $40, and will fit Rival, Force, and Red levers. Current colours available are white, red, black, yellow, and pink. 
If SRAM asked you to decide the next colour, what would your choice be? I’m thinking Astana blue would be good.
If we had a cable access show, I’d include a segment called, That’s Totally Euro!, and feature photos like this with a discussion of what makes that Euro. A Lamborghini with a Pinarello on top, going to a Gran Fondo. Yep that’s as Euro as it gets. Anodized derailleur pulleys with matching skewers, uh huh, we’ve got photos of that next week.
For now, we’ll just do the feature here on the blog and for some background see the Euro code of Conduct. With the Tour of California starting and lots of Euros racing and fans posing in the crowd, we’re on the watch. Please send us your Euro spottings.
Photo Credit: Dave W, Sydney Cyclist.
A Gran Fondo (Italian for Big Ride) is coming to the States, to San Diego on March 1, 2009. A Gran Fondo is a long distance, mass-participation cycling event. While not a race and encouraging cylists of all types, you can bet there’s a fast group. They’re usually kitted up retro, with classic bikes ready to drop your 15 lb new, Dura-Ace lightness with their 25-pound steel, wooden-wheeled, Nuovo Record-equipped steel Colnago. Oh and these dudes with the varicose-veined, roadmap legs are likely wearing wool kits with leather chamois. I’ve spotlighted one of them in the photo below.
The Tour of California is starting and we’re watching it online here
and wherever else it pops up.
Adding to the fun, the badasses at MASHSF have promised to ride the entire 750 miles of the TOC on fixed gear bikes.
Livestrong has meetups planned after every stage and I’m sure each host city is teeming with bike culture.
Our brohams at Road BIke Action are there with a Solvang Ride on 2/20.
Please add your where your watching the TOC in the comments below.
Ken Conley is getting ready for the 2009 Tour of California (and yes, I’m bursting with jealousy), and posted a couple of shots in preparation. Above is a beautiful shot of the Astana team training along the coast. It’s a cycling photography staple, but one thing immediately caught my eye: There’s one guy who, visually, doesn’t belong.
I’m talking, of course, about 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who is riding here in his Livestrong kit (possibly on his Livestrong Madone), while everybody else flies the Astana flag of the team sponsor.
... Read more »
In another example of a-holes ruining it for everyone else, and another dent in my Euro Bike Utopia fantasy, the Velib bike share program is in jeopardy.
While millions of trips we’re ridden, Velib Extreme also emerged with vandals riding the bikes down steps, into metro stations, and on BMX tracks.
I remember YellowBike efforts being derailed by theft as well, even after they painted the bikes bright yellow.
... Read more »Note: Robert Jolly wrote this post for us. Robert is Happy Cog's Client Relations Director based out of their Philadelphia office. He can frequently be found cycling, doing triathlons, and hugging bikes during his spare time.
South By Southwest Interactive is a little over a month away, and I'm filled with the giddiness my daughter gets around the release of a High School Musical movie. This year's Bike Hugger Mobile Social and BBQ is one of the events I'm most looking forward to. It's on Saturday, March 14 (in case you haven't sharpied that into your iBerry, yet) from 2-4pm for the ride, 4-6pm for the BBQ. It's an official SXSW party, and that means it's programmed right into the event schedule. How cool is that?
Seattle area Olympian Jennie Reed has a cool new bike for ‘09. She’s a track sprinter, so stout is of prime importance. It’s all super-aero’d out and the back end is so stiff I couldn’t even squeeze the rear drops at all. Her $800 Carbon track-bend bars were pretty darn cool too. I love swinging by my Local Bike Shop - you never know what you’ll see!
BTW - this thing isn’t so svelte. That much carbon gets a little hefty. Oh, and there are aparently only 50 of these bad boys being made. “No comment” was the response on how much the frame/fork cost.
I stopped into my Local Bike Shop, uBRDO, to get a new wheel built up, and stumbled upon the new Alfine HOTNESS!
It’s a Gunnar Fastlane with the fancy Waterford paintjob. It’s built out with Shimano Alfine in black and trim includes a nice Brooks saddle and Ritchey stem/bars. My wife was certain that she needed a Bianchi Milano, but this thing is so much nicer. I want!
... Read more »I was complaining about selling a saddle on eBay
“You would not believe the amount of questions selling a saddle generates on Ebay. Prolly 4 different Japanese fetishes wrapped up in them.”
and all the strange questions I was getting and Carlton Reid sent me a photo of this weird Hamoc saddle he got on test and eventually sold on eBay. You can just imagine the comments that listing got.
Below is Carlton’s Hamoc story. I think it looks less like a saddle and more like a medieval hammer for beating skulls or mashing grain.
Forbes - MetaData: High-End Bikes As Economic Indicator?
“Scott Montgomery spent most of January on the road talking to bicycle dealers. He runs the biking division for Scott Sports, which sells some of the most popular, technologically advanced—and expensive (think thousands, not hundreds of dollars)—road and mountain bikes.”
Interesting little read. For the first time in ~8 years my components will not be the “top end”. I’m running the completely capable SRAM Rival groupset for my racebike. I think the comment about the shift to the mid-grade (~$3500 vs. ~$6000) bikes is going to be a good trend. Trickle-down technology is the cornerstone of the road groupsets and makes for some great deals.
There’s a reason we asked Dapper Lad to blog with us and this is it.
White Industries Eno Cranks on Barney Big Dummy with Down Low Glow.
Uploaded by Dapper Lad Cycles | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Cleaning up the tool room at Hugga HQ, we found some really old gum. So, time for a dare with the kids.
Download now for iTunes, your iPod, iPhone, and subscribe to the Huggacast Feed for more episodes.
I was trying to be frugal. You know, I’ve got some big bike projects that are just about to reach fruition and ruin my cash flow. Why not save some money and bring lunch to the bike shop rather than blow money on a deli sandwich? A buck-fifty frozen dinner would fit the bill, Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes! Not too many calories and even less pennies. Oh yeah, I was actually looking forward to it, or rather I had psyched myself up to eat it. It’s such a meager portion that you need to savor every mouthful lest it disappear while you were thinking about the weather or bills that need to be paid.
The bike shop was languishing in the mid-winter retail doldrums, adrift in the tides of the economic recession. The bell above the entrance hadn’t made its tinkling tone in a half hour, and the register’s bell had barely made any music all day. What a perfect moment to sneak in a quick eat. Bring the cardboard vessel of frozen sustenance out of the back refrigerator, nestle it into the sad, sad little microwave beside the timeclock. Five minutes to bliss!
David J Schloss wrote this post for us. David is the Director of Aperture Users Network. Photographer. Writer. Cyclist. Find him on Twitter.
Like many things we now take for granted, the Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed for the military—the ability to determine precise location down (with military systems) to inches is a crucial advantage in combat. Early commercial GPS units included a bit of scrambling in the hopes that civilians wouldn’t use the systems for terrorist purposes, but that intentional scrambling was ended during the Clinton administration, paving the way for generations of more accurate GPS devices, including Garmin’s latest foray into bicycling-specific computers, the Edge 705.
While Bike Hugger tested out the iBike system on the roads of Kona, we’ve been using the Edge 705 since its release, and it’s revolutionized training and group rides thanks to several key features—routing, training planning, wireless data transfer and data mining.
Plop your toddler on it (helmet of course) and the CycleSleeper 2000 does the rest.
Uploaded by whymcycles | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Like other iPhone users I’ve got a selection of apps
I’m a GU guy. When they first came out with the alternative to the PowerBar I was hooked. For a race, when there’s just no chance to choke down “human food”, gels work pretty darn well. GU is now bringing their response to the popular Clif Shot Blocs product - GU Chomps.
The Chomps are pretty similar in taste to my kids fruit-snacks, but with complex carbohydrates and not High-Fructose Corn Syrup. I like these because they are a little bigger than the other offerings on the market - half the battle is fishing the sticky buggers out of the package which seems easier with their larger size.
GU makes my favorite “Flask” for their gels. If I had an ask here, it would be to build a pop-top Chomp case that I could pre-load before races. Maybe dust them with powdered sugar so they don’t stick together, and I can just flip open the lid with my teeth and shake a few out. Eating during a race can be tough. Add full fingered gloves and cold hands and good luck! Solve that problem and I think they really have something.
GU Chomps will show up at retail stores in March (Flavors: Blueberry Pomegranate, Cran Apple, Orange, and Strawberry), or if you see me on the road hit me up - I’ll probably be carrying some.
Having a full frame shop in the back of the retail shop, it’s pretty common for us to get referrals for frame repairs. Even though I don’t work in the frame shop often, I have become pretty adept at some tasks. You’d be surprised what you can accomplish with a rubber mallet, a cheater bar, and a few fixtures to hold a frame. These are often jobs that I don’t allow a customer to see, since I like to have proper concentration when applying controlled violence. There are other people who handle welding and brazing.
One has to be careful when quoting estimates, because these jobs eat up labour hours. Sometimes I have to tell a customer straight to their face that repairing their old frame will exceed the cost of replacement several times over, which is a concept that some people find hard to accept.
... Read more »A couple of cold ones for Kevin.
Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.
Svein put Seattle locals in the hurt locker before going Pro and races without a typical cyclists’ physique, which is even more remarkable and motivating
“It was by far the most content I’ve ever been,” he said. “My bike was a piece of junk. I had nowhere to go, no place to be. Didn’t have anyone telling me what to do. If I felt like lying on the side of the road, I did.”
On the commute home the other night, I followed this father/son duo for the last few miles of Burke Gilman Trail. The kid has his arms splayed out because of his fat jacket (in yellow), and his little bobble-head helmet bounced as they rode down the trail. I caught up with them at the light in Lake Forest Park - they seemed to be enjoying the night ride.
Oh - and they were holding 20mph most of the way - Movin’!
The other day I got an email from Byron asking about why “hipsters ride fixies with stub straight bars”, so I’ve been thinking about trends in fixed gear handlebars. Setting aside cultural relevance of the term “hipster” as either praise or pejorative, let me share a few perspectives.
Photo Credit: carltonreid
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New Rudys in black matte with ImpactX clear, photochromatic lenses. In Seattle, it’s often gray with varying light conditions and these lenses cut the glare, adjust to the sun or lack theroeof, and yes they do it fast.
We’ve got the Noyz on test with the Exowinds and taking them with us to Austin, during the Mobile Social SXSW.
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Val was visiting Hugga HQ, working on the Bettie, and Cappy the Pug was crazy-sniffing his bike. I wondered if Val had ridden through a swamp recently or maybe feral cats had mated near his bike?
Nope there were pecan sandies in the oyster bucket.
The Astana Cycling Team had to deal with some aggressive driver, just like the rest of us. I’m a fan of the smile and a wave method of handling that stuff. It either disarms them…or makes them even more angy. Not much can be done that’s constructive in those cases. Some cagers are just born ass holes.
(Article from www.pressdemocrat.com)
(photo from Cyclingnews.com)
Carlos Sastre’s new ride may be equipped with dusty old DA7800, but he’s got his favourite Rotor elliptical chainrings mounted. But that’s not what grabs my attention. It’s the prototype Rotor cranks that has been drilled out for light weight.
Mark V says no thank you!
Alki-Rubicon posted the details of the memorial ride.
There will be a public service this Saturday, February 7th, at 2:00pm at The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church located at 5041 9th Avenue NE. All are welcome.
The Black family and Alki Rubicon Racing would like to encourage anyone and everyone who knew Kevin to take part in a short procession and dinner/potluck/celebration to follow at Golden Gardens.
The group will be departing from the corner of 65th and 24th NW in Ballard this Sunday, February 8 at 2:15pm, heading to the Golden Gardens Bath House. In a effort to include multiple circles of Kevin’s life and provide the opportunity for celebration and reflection of Kevin we encourage cyclists and non cyclists to bring their wheels for the precession. Our hope is that Sunday will an outward facing event to heal ourselves, each other, and the community.
Kevin loved Mexican food, and had a favorite enchilada recipe. In memory of this, the food theme for his wake will be Mexican. Please bring appropriate food and drink and be prepared to come hang with us and Kevin’s family from 3-8pm. An indoor, outdoor, Northwest beach experience to help friends and family heal from the loss of our awesome friend, dad, son, and teammate.
On the lighter side, Hugga HQ is divided down party lines over the fate of Bikini Girl on American Idol. This poll isn’t helping us make our case with the opposing side that her and her hotness were wronged.
We meet up with Brad Hawkins, a Seattle Writer, for a quick Intersection Conversation. Read one of Brad’s bike stories on Kent’s Bike Blog.
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A few photos of a somber event with Kevin’s teammates, friends, family, and lots of toddlers. The Seattle Times reported on the vigil.
A weekend ride is planned and we’ll post the details.
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I confess, the connection between facial hair and fixies is a complete mystery to me. But fixies and tweed? That I get.
Dashing Tweeds & Huntsman originally uploaded by booksnake
Rob Nicholas aka spagettihoops originally uploaded by adam_scott
More from the London Fixed-gear and Single-speed Tweed Run on Adam Scott Photography and on Flickr.
Alki-Rubicon Racing notified us about the Kevin Black Vigil tonight and Memorial ride being planned for this weekend. Meet at 5:30, 24th and 65th in Ballard.
A candlelight vigil will be held for Kevin Black tonight at 5:30, not a memorial ride A memorial ride will be organized. Details will be posted soon on alkirubiconracing.com
The Skycycle, a pedal-powered rollercoaster, is perched precariously on a hill in Okayama and offers fitness and thrills …
Note the hand brakes and pink baskets.
Also see this attempt for man to fly with a bike; especially the photo series from 1975.
... Read more »Pam broke a spoke and required some roadside assistance.
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Kevin Black, an Alki-Rubicon team member, was killed today in an accident. My Ballard has an eye-witness account; the Seattle Times and SeattlePI both reported the incident.
Sadness and our thoughts to the family and Seattle cycling community.
The SeattlePI updates it coverage with more details about the accident and Kevin. There was an impromptu memorial last night and it made the local TV news.
New reports and comments indicate that Kevin was possibly right-hooked while passing a van. The van driver was not identified and reportedly distraught. The local community rushed to help Kevin.
Kevin previously raced on Wines of Washington, the team Bike Hugger races with, and will be greatly missed. Bike Hugger received many reports on Twitter and in email about the accident and heard the Seattle-area racing community’s distress.
A fellow cyclist and racer leaving behind 2 daughters is especially difficult and we’re all feeling it and sharing condolences with the family.
Being Planned for this weekend — check Alki-Rubicon Racing’s site for updates.
02.05.09 — Meet at 5:30, 24th and 65th in Ballard.
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From the Stick Figures in Peril group on Flickr, and a good warning for those of us riding in Austin, during SXSW.
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Lance posted his fixed SRM-equipped bike and asked, “why not?” Indeed.
Hat tip to reader Sirio.
It’s the 20th Anniversary of Paul’s Boutique and I’ve been musing about the album and its influence on pop culture and bike culture.
Where were you when it came out? Did you hate it at first or have been coveting it since it hit the record shops?
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I think the messenger backpack rules; I’m always on the lookout for cool designs. Here a bag by SAG (don’t forget umlaut) from Japan (which generally doesn’t use umlauts). This is the first I’ve seen in the states with my own eyes. After the jump, see how the bag reflects in the dark
I had a problem with my Sidi Ergo shoes. It’s not that they’re just too bling (no empirical evidence suggests that such a state exists). No, rather the cleats keep working themselves loose on the smooth carbon sole. Most irritating. A lot of carbon shoes nowadays have a high-friction surface in the cleat area to combat this problem, but if your shoes lack this, then I’ll show you how to solve this.
From MASH SF’s blog. And here’s a German version. That’s Lame and Lamer.
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These are two of my favorite things. Photo taken in Belize by Flickr contributor Sweendo.
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After posting the toilet I found once during a ride (and Pam refused to let me bring it home), I’m inventorying the other objects I’ve found. A Baby Croc and a Garden Gnome are included
On test is an Abio Verdion, a folding bike with a belt drive. Interestingly, this bike was spec’d with parts I’ve never seen before from Shimano, including a thumb/button shifter and 4-speed Nexus.
In this ad, CSX is telling the story of how you need big trains to move lots of cargo. Well, I was wondering who made all those cargo bikes!
Back in the day, in 1905, this woman decorated her bicycle and rode it proudly around town.
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