So What is a NYC Bicycle Rider? - Part 1

I am a New York City bicycle rider and I own 3 bikes. I own my old, trusty Trek 1000 that still gets comments `cause its so nice (not). I mean, it's a good quality bike and it's been well maintained so it runs great but it is past its prime. I've had that thing since the 80's and it is all I knew of bikes (except for my old BMX and assorted kid tricycles) until I borrowed a friend's mountain bike here and there.

Fast forward 20 years later and all I've ridden day in and day out is my road bike. It is very fast and very nimble which makes it a great racing bike. Unfortunately I never race (unless some other dude tries to pass me on one of my leisurely rides). Then it is a race I usually lose.

Still, I loved my bike and I loved riding it, except when it rained because my back got all wet and the brakes didn't work so well on a wet rim. Oh and I hated to ride it in rough pavement for fear of damaging a rim or popping a tire. Oh and I didn't like it off road for obvious reasons. I also felt unsafe bent don't near my brakes, but I felt unsafe sitting upright unable to quickly hit my brakes. And the road bike handlebars were not good for carrying groceries so going to the supermarket meant bringing a backpack. Last but surely not least, even though I loved and still love my Trek road bike, I never liked the fact I was going to get chain grease on my leg.

My girlfriend gave me a mountain bike about 5 years ago. That bike was very similar to my road bike (since I don't race) except it was slower and could go off road (duh). The handlebars were better for groceries but I still really needed a book bag. Another positive was that it got flats much less then my Trek.

I spent my days mostly on my Trek probably out of habit or because Dr. K would yell at me for riding my mountain bike. Only if I was bike riding with The Diva would I take my mountain bike. Even with all the negatives I loved and still love that Trek. Then something changed my life for ever...

Copenhagenize.com - Building Better Bicycle Cultures: Copenhagen in Madrid

Copenhagenize.com - Building Better Bicycle Cultures: Copenhagen in Madrid

MTA Vehicles the Way They Should Be!

This little gem was submitted by my friend at http://fishthenet.info. Even the tag line is hers but I agree - these are what the MTA vehicles look like in my dreams!

In all seriousness, this guy has pretty much guaranteed his bike will NEVER be stolen. EVER! Good job buddy and nice bike.

The Continuing Saga of Bro Bro and His Bicycle

An emergency phone call was placed on Saturday afternoon by Bro Bro to E. He found the perfect bike (rides great, 3 speed, comfortable, full covered chain case, rear fender and rack) for $75 at the local flea market- you couldn't go wrong. Until you realized it had no FRONT fender. I told him to pass but he wanted that bike. I said dude - pass.

The way I see it if that bike doesn't have a front fender that bike is no better then the $25 derailleur equipped 10 speed you can find on Craigslist any day of the week. Sure Bro Bro won't get grease on his pants and sure he can carry a girl or groceries on the back rack, but let us face reality - the first time he goes over a puddle too fast he will rue the day he purchased that bike. Why you ask? Because he will be covered in stagnant city water or mud or worse, DOG POO! And why will Bro Bro be covered in dog poo? Because he choose to ride without a front mud guard.

Thankfully for my blog, this saga continues. I did find what is being advertised as a $100 dollar dutch style bike. Here is a link - http://times-up.org/index.php?page=bike-co-op#TimesUpBikeRecyclingProgram. It is a single speed with a coaster brake but for a $100 it seems perfect as a beater bike. Me and Bro Bro might head out to check this place out on Wednesday. I will try to post some pics and add some links if we actually go.

The Hunt for Bro Bro's Bike.

In an effort to move Bro Bro into more civilized transportation methods I have been enlisted to find him a bike. Of course, not just any bike – he wants a fully loaded and functional commuter bike for $150 or under. He wants a fully encased chain, fenders front and back, a carrying rack in the back, and a comfortable riding position.

Considering we live in the US and not in Holland or Belgium, his requests are not going to be easy to make come true. Not many bike shops will sell a commuter bike for under $600 new with most pricing these fine beasts upwards of $1000.

If he were looking for a new bike and money was no object my first recommendation would be the Mercedes of bikes, a Gazelle. Built at the same factory in Holland for over 100 years, their quality is so phenomenal that they have been given the title of "Royal" bike company by the Royals of the Netherlands.

In a close second would be a beautiful Batavus which is also assembled in Holland. If Gazelle's are Mercedes then Batavus is the BMW of Dutch bikes. Much like Americans in this country tend to gravitate around Chevy or Ford (but not both), Dutch kids often group into Gazelle followers and Batavus followers. One could only dream that in New York City people would be so passionate about their bikes that they would form rival groups in competition for "coolest" bike in town.

My third option, were money no object in acquiring Bro Bro's bike, would be a Pashley. I own a Pashley and the bike is a dream - it's fast, relatively light for a roadster, and with all the bells and whistles of the Dutch bikes. In fact, the Dutch bikes copied the English roadsters of yore and then, in typical Dutch fashion, improved upon the idea and made it their own. Unfortunately Pashley's are really, really expensive which makes one sad to ride it in the rain or snow. Well, it makes me sad to ride it in the snow and the rain. That is a sadness I don't want Bro Bro to feel.

Thus we move to our fourth option - Craigslist, eBay, and other assorted second hand bike sellers. One could go crazy jumping from eBay to various geographically local Craigslists or one could could to this great site I found. I'm almost hesitant to give the link because I know it will increase my competition in find that perfect commuter bike but since Mr. E rocks the house...

Here is the link:
http://bike.jaxed.com

This site will allow you to search for hundreds, nay thousands of bikes, in a clean interface. It searches eBay, Craigslist, and various other parts of the cloud for specific key words. You can filter by brand, or as I am doing for Bro Bro, "Three Speed" or "3 Speed" with no manufacturer listed. I'm not getting any Pashelys, Gazelles, or Batavus for $150 and under but I have found some descent deals. Now it's up to Bro Bro to get off his ass and make some phone calls.