Monthly Archives: February 2011

by Christopher | February 10, 2011 · 1:00 pm

Let’s Talk Belt Drives

Here at ABC we try as best we can to be on the cutting edge of bicycles. So let’s talk about something that is relatively new to bikes, the belt drive.

If you don’t know what a belt drive think of it as a new kind of chain, but instead of links that the teeth of the gears fit in there are little groves that work almost the same.

There are certain advantages and disadvantages to chain drives so you have to decide for yourself it they are worth it.

Firstly, and probably for most people this is the biggest one, they are a lot lower maintenance. They don’t need grease and dirt, mud, and snow don’t affect them. Let me give you a few moments to absorb that. … … Alright, moving on. They are also lighter and quieter, but to me, the typical commuter, that is not something that I care too much about.

Okay so it sounds good right? So here is the downside. If you choose this wonder drive the first thing you are going to realize is that a lot of the parts are specially made so you might not be able to up-convert your old bike. Secondly as of now you are going to be limited to one “belt ring” in the front because there are no derailers for this yet. Which also means that in the back you are limited if you do not have an internal geared hub.

So there are up sides and down sides. If you want to learn more check out these websites for more info:

Gates Carbon Drives

Belt Bikes

Written by Chris Belsole

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by Toni | February 9, 2011 · 1:00 pm

To replace or not to replace?

The object in question would be my car. It is dying, painfully. So, I am at those crossroads where I am trying to decide to replace the hunk of metal which costs me so much each year in repairs, gas, insurance, and all that stuff.

Road One – Don’t replace

The pros of not replacing my car, are huge. One, I wouldn’t have to buy a new car and spend all that money. Plus, I wouldn’t have to feed it gas, oil and all that stuff you need to do when you buy a car. I also would be free to look at housing options that do not include parking. I would also become a better cyclist and lose some weight which would be very nice. I would also buy a new bike sooner than otherwise.

The cons of not replacing my car are also pretty big. My family lives about three hours away by bus. I don’t mind taking the bus. The problem is when I get home. Public transportation doesn’t exist and the biking between family members would make the trip almost worthless. So, here is what would happen when I go back home. I might have to rent or borrow a car. I would have to become a better cyclist and actually ride my bike to work all the time. My commute, by bike, to work isn’t the best, and it isn’t the ten miles that bothers me. I have to cross a few dangerous roads, and traffic is horrible when I leave. I would also have to get better at taking care of my bike, which currently isn’t in the best condition.

Road Two – Replace my car

The pros are that I get a new to me car, and I wouldn’t to worry about getting places. The cons are that I have to pay a lot of money, cars tend to make you fatter, and I would be limiting my mobility in looking for cheap housing.

I am very undecided about this issue and have been looking for a used car for the last month or so. That’s when I seriously began to think about not replacing my car. What do you guys think? Is anyone here carless? What would you do in this situation?

Written by Toni Cameron

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by Toni | February 8, 2011 · 1:03 pm

1st Friday Ride – Great Weather

Last Friday was a great 1st Friday ride. The streets were rather clear of snow, it wasn’t too cold in the beginning and the weather was great for the beginning of February. The meetup started at the monument at 6pm, which is normal, but the snow banks around the monument we not. Then again if your always downtown and see the massive piles of snow bigger than cars, it might be normal.

Three of us, Claire, Ken and I (Toni), hung around talking and we were joined by Jim. We stayed there till 6:30 getting cold and waiting to see if anyone else was going to join. At that point we decided to head to Broadway Arts Center, which meant going down the ‘hill’. The hill is State street which normally isn’t bad, but for one I hate that hill and two the slush on the road just sucked on State. We all made it safely to the bottom and checked out some very nice pieces at BAC. I particularly enjoyed the painting in the back room that had a cyclist in it. It caused a lot of where is waldo jokes around around for the night, except waldo in this case is a cyclist in the any kind of artwork.

After BAC we went to the Albany Center Gallery. The show was rather interesting with a mix of cute paintings and artwork by Radical. From there were headed up to Lark and picked up a cyclist who was heading home. After the ride down Lark we headed to Davey Jones Locker which had a great showing. The fish are always really cool, and I love looking at the sea horses. The art show was really great. I actually saw a few pieces that I might decide to purchase.

Once, everyone was ready to head out we went to the Wine-n-Diner for dinner and the show. Dinner was awesome. It was my third time there and I have it down what to get. I recommend the hummus appetizer and the Hawaiian burger. Both are great. Dinner was the last stop on the ride and from there we all went home, by that point it had gotten rather cold out. So, yeah it was an awesome 1st Friday ride. Good art, good conversation, great riding and great food. I hope to see ya’ll next month.

Written by Toni Cameron

Why would someone ride in the rain?

“Mommy, why would someone ride a bike in the rain?”

The little girls voice was behind me, still walking up to the door of the Pines Hills branch of the Albany Public Library. The mom hushed her and they hurried inside out of the weather. It was an interesting question, even more so since a little kid asked it. I was standing there under the roof taking a moment to catch my breath, sheltered from the rain, before I locked my bike up.

It caught me off guard.

Why did I ride out in the rain today? I am not a hardcore cyclist. I tend to not ride in the rain, cold, or snow. That weather, goodness, is not really my thing. I tend to go for the sun streaming down on hot roads and tank tops.

I really don’t know the answer to why I rode out today in horrible weather. Maybe it could be because I went on a ride last night for Friday Friday. Or, maybe the library is so close that I didn’t want to drive. A better answer would be there are rarely parking spots on Saturdays and several cars did the loop around the building before leaving. Those all would have been good answers for today, but why would someone normally just ride in the rain?

I rode in the rain today because I wanted to. I missed being on my bike and it felt good to get back in the groove. There really isn’t a reason that the weather should hold me back. Winter is way too long in the northeast to stop riding. Or at least for me it is.

Why do you ride in the rain?