Albany Bicycle Coalition

One of the things I want to do in my life is take a trip on my bike somewhere. I am always looking into package tours and things of that nature and planning where I want to go.

One of the things I haven’t decided on is what to do about a bicycle. Do I pack my bike up and ship it to where it needs to go or check it on the plane, or do I rent/buy a bike at my destination and ride that around Europe or wherever I end up?

Fortunately I found a great article that if I did decide to pack my bike and go it would not be as much of a hassle and I might not have to pay someone to do it. So for all of you would-be travelers here is a helpful tip:

How to Pack a Bike in a Box

Written by Chris Belsole

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

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