The Simplicity of Cycling
Just You and the Road
photo by Noize Photography
One of the things I love about cycling is its simplicity.
Sure, there are some concerns you have to take into account. They are, however, mostly secondary.
Cycling gives you a chance to unwind, a chance to actually take in your surroundings. It is only as demanding as you want it to be.
It doesn’t matter what kind of gear you have. It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you ride.
Do you ride a road bike? Good. A mountain bike? Good. Do you have a utility bike? Good.
Cheap, expensive, new, old. It doesn’t matter.
What matters, is that you’re out riding and for a brief moment in time, it’s just you and the road.
How Can We Make Cycling Safer For Everyone?
by Frank on October 25, 2009
in Riding the Road, Safety, lifestyle
I very often go cycling by myself, or with a small group. I also bike very frequently pulling my son in a trailer, and this always brings my most safety-conscious self to the forefront. I find myself thinking “what is this car going to do?” “are they going to see us?”
Bicycle Safety
That being said, the trailer actually makes me more visible, and I have had very few bad experiences. I have, however, had a few close calls that made me think twice.
I think that it’s safe to say that many more people would ride if they thought riding a bike was safer. How, then, can we make cycling safer for everyone? How can we do away with the machismo attitude that claims that cars own the road? Here are just a few thoughts:
Our streets would be more bicycle friendly if. . .
5 Cycling Books That Aren’t Just Training and Maintenance
It’s a fact: for all intensive purposes, books on cycling can be boring.
You’re constantly bombarded with fitness and training advice. The others are all about maintenance.
While these things are important, it’s sometimes good to step away from the technicalities and enjoy a book about cycling as much as we enjoy cycling itself.
(disclaimer: at least one of these books fits the fitness/maintenance category. . )
Here are 5 picks:
Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne
12 Bicycle Photos You Just Can’t Miss
Maybe you ride every day, or maybe you haven’t ridden years. Do you ride with your kids, competitively, for fun? Everybody rides for different reasons, which only lends beauty to cycling.
Take a moment and remember the times you’ve ridden; remember the people you’ve ridden with; motivate yourself to ride more or ride again. Let these photos remind and reinforce the beauty in cycling.
Enjoy.
Bicycle Punk
Why Your Business Should Use Bicycle Couriers
by Frank on September 13, 2009
in Bicycle Couriers, Bike Messengers, Cycling Business and Industry, lifestyle
Whether you’re a legal firm, coffee shop, pizza place or other business, you’re sure to run into the need to make deliveries, send messages and paperwork, or just order out lunch. Here are a few reasons why your business should use a Bicycle Courier.
5 Cycling Blogs You Should Start Reading Today
I’m constantly on the lookout for cycling blogs that are both informative, genuine, down-to-earth, and easy to read. Unfortunately I often have trouble sifting through the muck. Here’s a list of 5 blogs I enjoy reading and think you should too:
Bike Hugger
Bike Hugger refers themselves to being “like the Boing Boing of bikes” and I’d have to agree! The cover a huge amount of topics, all bike related. They are definitely a top spot for anything and everything involving the cycling lifestyle.
Bike Hugger
5 Reasons You Should Ditch Your Car and Ride a Bike
by Frank on August 29, 2009
in Riding the Road, lifestyle
Ditch Your Car - Ride a Bike!
Ask yourself the question: Why do I ride my bike? or Why do I not ride my bike? Do you know the answer? Maybe it’s a simple. Maybe it’s not. Must you ride your bike, due to lack of vehicle? Or is riding a bike a conscious choice? Maybe you don’t ride a bike. Why not?
In any event, I believe it’s important to know why exactly you do what you do. In this case, why do you ride a bike? Why don’t you ride a bike? If you don’t spend much time on a bike, I challenge you (yes you) to ditch your car and ride a bike! If you do spend time on a bike, i challenge you to spend more time on it. I’ll even give you 5 reasons why:
From Bicycle Couriers to Coffee Delivery: The World of Every Day Cycling
by Frank on August 6, 2009
in Cycling Business and Industry, lifestyle
Bicycle Courier
In my recent post about the comeback of Bicycle Couriers, I wrote about Oklahoma City’s Ecotrack Bicycle Couriers. This got me thinking about what other ways bicycle’s are being used in every day business and industry. After doing some research I found a few company’s using bicycles in innovative ways, as well as some food for thought in how they can be used to make our city’s more bicycle friendly.
Here’s what I found:
Bicycle Couriers: Are They Making a Comeback?
by Frank on July 17, 2009
in Cycling Business and Industry, lifestyle
Have you ever seen a bicycle courier? I’ve seen a few trolling around larger cities like NYC, but even then not too many.
Enter: Ecotrack Cycle Couriers. These guys have brought the cycling courier back to Oklahoma and at the moment, provide the only totally eco-friendly courier service in Oklahoma. They deliver with no emissions, and on sweet rides at that. Here’s why they say you should use a cycling courier:
Benefits of using bicycle messengers versus car couriers for deliveries include:
- Reduced pollution
- Reduced traffic congestion
- Save on-street parking for more necessary activities and emergencies
- Faster
- Cheaper
Bicycle couriers provide solutions to the environmental problems related to many forms of pollution such as air, noise and smell. The more couriers on bikes there are, the fewer cars there are and therefore the less carbon dioxide emissions. More bikes mean less noise and stench. Bike messengers take up less space on the road and do less damage to the roads than cars. More bike couriers mean less gridlock and fewer road repairs.
As a result more bike couriers mean better conditions and streets for all road users including motorists.
And I couldn’t agree more. In cities clogged more and more with cumbersome, polluting automobiles, cyclists CAN be faster, and because of that be cheaper. Furthermore, if all couriers rode bikes, how much clearer would the roads be for you? I dig what these guys are doing and hope to see it spread.
Do your cities have bicycle couriers? Are you one? Let us know in the comments!
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Riding the Road: What to Bring on Your Ride
by Frank on July 16, 2009
in Basics, Riding the Road, lifestyle
I mentioned in my previous post Riding the Road: Simple Rules and Common Sense to be prepared on your ride, but didn’t go too far into what being prepared actually entails. If you’re new to the road (or getting back in the saddle), you may ask: “What should I bring with me?” How do you know what’s too much, and what exactly to bring to be prepared for what may happen? The list is actually quite small but full of things that can save you a lot of headaches when you’re 20+ miles away from home (or civilization).
