bits and bikes

While there’s a growing range of interest in and options for commute-oriented bicycles (e.g. the $900 Novara Fusion, the $1100 Breezer Uptown, $1600+ Civia Hyland, etc.), if you’re considering bicycle commuting, I would recommend against purchasing one these. Instead, I’d suggest borrowing a lesson from Agile software development: iterate.

[Read more →]

Let me start by saying that I believe in visibility. And not in the dim-red-blinky kind of way. A healthy dose of LEDs and reflective tape cover both me and my bicycle when I ride after dark. But while my 4-AA front Cateye is quite bright, and my PlanetBike SuperFlash on back is nearly unmissable, my side visibility falls short. So a few years ago I picked up a pair of Hokey Spokes, and attached one to each wheel. (These battery-powered units attach to a spoke and fill the wheel with light from 16 yellow LEDs when it is spinning.) Last week, I took off the Hokey Spokes to try out something new: the Monkeylectric m132s. I’ll start with a few videos…

[Read more →]

An assortment of pointers that may be of interest to the multi-modal commuter, including the CharlieCard Mitten for transit smart cards, the upcoming pay-as-you-go car insurance from Milemeter, a thought on new directions for Zipcar, a Dahon folding bicycle that is now backed by the REI Guarantee, and a bit of solace to those waiting for a late bus.

[Read more →]

I’ve seen several web-based tools for cyclists to keep track of their rides, but rarely see one designed specifically for commuting. A recent post by Noah at Commute by Bike described the spreadsheet that he uses to keep track of his bicycle commuting. … Add a bit of code, and your spreadsheet can email you when it’s time to recharge the batteries in your lights and sound system.

[Read more →]

The dual topics of interest here on Bits and Bikes — bicycle commuting and daily computing — seem to be on the rise in India, according to a BBC News article published today: India’s techies take to cycling.

[Read more →]

I want my bicycle commute to be as safe, practical, and as enjoyable as possible. This is, and will continue to be, the underlying theme of the bikes portion of Bits and Bikes. And this is also the criteria I use when deciding what to bring along while commuting. If the result weighs 70 lbs, so be it.

[Read more →]