The Residence Hall Association is renting these bicycles to students for $15 per semester (including a cable lock). What a deal!

Where did these come from? Well, many of them were abandoned on university bicycle racks. Thanks for the donation!

Technorati Tags: bicycle, bicycle advocacy, bicycle equipment, cycling

Everything on this bicycle looked ancient except for the new fork, the rack, and the milk crate. It’s a B.F. Goodrich.

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That’s the Kona “Bike” — a 3-speed something-or-other that appears to fit my needs. I’ll know more as soon as I test ride one later this week (I think).

I’ve given away my Marin hybrid to a worthy person in need.

But what do I need?

My Redline R530 (apparently no longer made) is my perfect bicycle for transportation. And my Brompton takes care of my travel needs. The Marin was doing two main jobs: 1) a smooth and quiet (my lock on the Redline rattles) platform for shooting bicycle videos, and 2) trail/fun riding with the family. Add a third thing: utility back-up.

I’m not interested in road bikes because I’m not interested in either speed or exercise (of a kind associated with road bikes). I’m not interested in mountain bikes because I don’t ride the kind of trails they are made for. I’m not interested in unicycles because I’m too old to learn new tricks.

So what kind of a bicycle fits my three needs? A hybrid? Yeah, but, well, hmmmm… I’ve done did the hybrid thing (although I’m still wondering if I ought to get the newest version of the Marin Pioneer Trails). And I’m now officially enamored of the Nexus hubs. The 7-speed on my Redline is sooooo smooth and nice. It makes me not want to mess with the whole derailleur thing.

Hmmmmm…

I’m open for suggestions

Technorati Tags: bicycle, cycling

Prediction (and I hope I’m wrong): The winning design will be a mountain bike hybrid of some sort with an aggressive seating posture. No fenders. No chain case. And difficult to ride dressed like the young woman pictured above.

Here are some photos of the designs. Here’s a digest of continuing coverage by Bike Portland. Here are two different reports — a positive report from OregonLive.com and a critical report from Austin on Two Wheels. Here’s the winner.

OK, I was wrong. But not by much. It isn’t a hybrid; the winning design is a racer with a front rack stuck on it. Notice the aggressive posture. The lack of a chain guard. Can you imagine the young woman pictured below riding this thing dressed as she is, i.e. like a normal person. The winner is a sport bicycle that’s been forced into domestic duty.

What we have here is an excellent example of sport cycling hegemony.

Take a good look at the picture above. Here’s a real design challenge: Do better than that (without screwing it up).

Technorati Tags: bicycle, bicycle commuting, bicycle culture, bicycle design, bicycle equipment, cycling, utility cycling

I understand why a sport cyclist doesn’t want fenders on a road bike. But for utility bicycles fenders are nice to have because they keep road gunk off your clothes.

Some fenders, however, are better than others. Take a look at these two cruisers parked on the MSU campus this morning.

Both the front and rear fenders on these bicycles fail to cover enough of the tires to be effective in stopping avenue splatter. I assume these fenders are, instead, decorations. And as long as the owners avoid puddles, grime, slop, and avoid riding in wet weather, these fenders will do the job intended, i.e. look good (I suppose).

I’ve drawn arrows on the photo to indicate the coverage of a proper fender.

Now take a look at my Redline R530.

The fenders cover enough of the wheel to prevent the spewing of street slime.

The propelling of pike poop by bicycle tires is no laughing matter. Really.

Technorati Tags: bicycle, bicycle equipment, cycling