Category Archives: Article

by | May 11, 2011 · 12:00 pm

No Bike For Me

I have come to understand in the last few weeks that I am an oddity in the bicycle community; among other areas of society. Do I like commuting on my bike? Yes. Do I want to go 20 to 25 miles an hour? You better believe it. Am I willing to ride 100+ miles in a weekend or possibly day? Hell yeah. So where is the bike for me?

I have been looking for a nice road bike for the past few weeks. I have come to understand a few things:

  1. Most road bikes are built for people who want the lightest bike possible. So braze-ons (mounts) for fenders, racks, and disc brakes are not really a priority.
  2. The bikes I want to ride (carbon) are not for my kind of riding.
  3. Choosing a bike over the internet is like buying a house that you can’t see the inside of. Without a test ride I am not buying a bicycle.
It’s not that I don’t have the money for an expensive bike. It’s that none of them suit my needs. So if anyone knows of a good bike here are my qualifications:
  1. Must have 700c wheels. This is not very hard to find so that’s not too bad.
  2. Must have braze-ons (mounts) for everything from fenders to racks.
  3. Preferably light and strong at the same time. Although I know that this is a pipe dream I’d like to find a balance between the two.
  4. Must be bent enough (H2 ?) to cut through the wind, but not too bent that I can’t ride it due to back fatigue.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think there are a lot of people out there like me, and we are not really well represented. If you want a bike that goes fast and far there is a bike for you. If you want one that can carry a lot of weight they have them. If you want a commuter that will get you where you need to go they sell them. If you want a bike for all three you are up a creek. In fact I am going to go as far as to categorize myself and all of the people like me. We will now be known as Super Commuters. People for whom just getting around is not enough, Rack Warriors.

So if you have any ideas for us Kings of Commuting leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you guys think.

Edit:

I was talking to Chris Gillham, one of the smartest people I know when it comes t bikes, last night at the bike rescue about my situation, and I came to the conclusion that I have four options:

  1. Get two bikes, one for commuting and one for speed. This does not really solve my problem because I still want to commute 40+ miles at a time. So septate bikes would just separate out my problems. I could use a backpack on a road bike. That way I get speed and at least some carrying capacity.
  2. Retrofit my current bike. I may be able to put drop handlebars on my current bike. That way at least I will be able to cut through the wind a little easier. The geometry for this though is still not optimal for that riding position.
  3. Get a nice frame and then outfit it with the parts I want to make it lighter. I figure I can buy the Surly LHT frame and outfit it with the right parts to make it “lighter.”
  4. Keep searching for the Shangri-La of bikes. It has to be out there somewhere.
What it all boiled down to is that I am looking for two separate bikes. One for going fast and far. The other for carrying and commuting. I would like to find one in between that can suit all of my needs. So I’ll keep on looking.
Written by Chris Belsole

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by | May 10, 2011 · 1:02 pm

Broadway Bicycle Co. Comes To Albany

So I have been sitting on this article for a while. I visited these guys last month on an errand pack carbohydrate fueled ride that took me from the state campus to Planet Fitness. Then from Planet Fitness over to Broadway Bicycle Co. Finally to Albany Medical Center. Don’t worry, it wasn’t for myself. Although yesterday a car cut in front of me, hit my wheel, and I almost went to Albany Med, but that’s another story.

So I pull up to Broadway Bicycle Co. bursting with victorious pride that I’d just canceled my Planet Fitness membership in favor of a more DIY (bike) solution to my weight problem. One of the guys who ran the store, Patrick, was sweeping up outside, saw me coming, and invited me in. Once inside I met the other manager, Matt, and we talked for a while about bikes and what their store is all about; which I’ll get to in a minute.

After we were done talking Patrick gave me the tour. Let me start out by saying this place is immense. The two story building was packed to the brim with bikes and apparel. Not counting the fitting room, the spinning room, and the VIP room for experimental bikes. Another neat area was the hang out section. Think coffee shop atmosphere meets bike store. With the free wi-fi and comfy couches it could be a nice place for people to meet and hang out. Bring your own coffee though.

When the tour was over I just started browsing, and man, I’ve never seen so many bike shorts in my life. In fact, I need a pair so I’ll probably stop down there in the next few days. That and a road bike, but that’s another article.

We got to talking again and I thought I’d throw them some questions. Now I don’t claim to be an expert on bicycles, but I know a thing or two. So I asked them a few questions and they answered them exceptionally. I even posed them a few problems and they gave me solutions that I would have not have thought of; so A+ on that part.

Now, you are probably thinking to yourself, “Alright Chris, you had a nice day looking around a bike shop. So what does that mean for me?” Well I’ll tell you exactly what it means, or rather what sets this shop apart from other shops in the area like the Downtube or CK’s cycles.

  1. Every Saturday morning they guys run a bike clinic where you can come in and learn how to repair bikes. The lessons vary based on how many people show up.
  2. They have a six month wellness program where if/when you buy a bike there they will do all the maintenance free for six months. Compared to the Downtube’s one repair a month after buying the bike that’s a great deal.
  3. They also sell used bikes there. So if you don’t have the money for a new bike that is a nice cheap alternative.
  4. Even nicer you can exchange a used bike for money off of a new one. So if you have a garbage bike sitting in your garage you might consider getting rid of it for some money off a better bike.
  5. They deal in Specialized, Redline, Origin–8, Kent, and We the People

There are other things, but I’ll let you discover them for yourself.

All in all I enjoyed my time at the store and I recommended everyone give it a visit to see what they have to offer.

Written by Chris Belsole

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by | May 8, 2011 · 12:00 pm

This And Next Week In Bike Month May 8th – 14th, May 15th – 21st

May 8th – 14th

What: Movie Night #2 – Ride the Divide
When: May 9 Mon. 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Where: Upstate Artists Guild, 247 Lark St.
 
What: Tune Up Your Bike Night
When: May 10 Tue. 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: 15 Trinity Place, Albany
 
What: ABC Community Bicycle Ride #2
When: May 11 Wed. 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: Albany Soldiers and Sailors Memorial – Washington Park
 
What: Bike to China Charity Dinner
When: May 14 Sat. 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Where: Midtown Tap and Tea Room
Comments: 
http://bikingtochina.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/8-5×11-brochure-e-version1.pdf
Must respond by May 10th.
$50 Donation Required
 

May 15th – 21st

What: Historic Mansion Tour
When: May 15 Sun. 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Where: Albany Heritage Area Visitor’s Center
 
What: Tune Up Your Bike Night
When: May 17 Tue. 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: 15 Trinity Place, Albany

What: Moonlight Ride (Full Moon – 5/17)
When: May 17 Tue. 8:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Where: Albany Soldiers and Sailors Memorial – Washington Park
 
What: Ride of Silence (National)
When: May 18 Wed. 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: Corning Preserve Boat Launch and NYSED
 
What: National Bike to Work Day
When: May 20 Fri.
Where: Everywhere
 
What: ABC Community Bicycle Ride #3
When: May 20 Fri. 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Where: Albany Soldiers and Sailors Memorial – Washington Park
 
What: PAL Bike Rodeo
When: May 21 Sat. 10:00 Am – 1:00 PM
Where: Corning Preserve Boat Launch
Written by Chris Belsole

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by | May 6, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Where No Pannier Has Gone Before

Do you think that your bike is loaded down with bags and you absolutely cannot fit one more bag on your bike? Well think again. This clever little device allows you to mount a single pannier or bike bag on any service with a pole; i.e. your headset or your seat tube. Check it out here over at CommuteByBike and be amazed by the extra amount you can carry.

Also I swear to God that I did not rip off that title from their blog. Great minds I guess.

Written by Chris Belsole

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by | May 5, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Why Didn’t I Think Of That

I find myself saying that a lot. Clever people come up with clever ideas and the rest of us are just left in the dust thinking inside the box. This might explain the lack of original content on this site, but that’s a topic for another day. These ideas usually come from BikeHacks.com, but today this one comes from a great blog called LovelyBicycle!.

[Image from Lovely Bicycle!]

So simple is this trick that it can be used by anyone with a rack. She does mention that you can also do this with reusable grocery bags, but if you remembered to bring bags in the first place you would not need this trick. Hop over to her blog to read more. Be careful with the eggs though.

Oh, and happy Cinco de Mayo.

Written by Chris Belsole

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