Category Archives: BIKE

Bicycle Related

Yehuda is Here

Posted on February 23, 2012 | 1 comment

I received my Yehuda Moon & The Kickstand Cyclery comic books in the mail today. They had great success with the Kickstarter Campaign that raised money to get volumes 3, 4, and 5 printed, as well as help Rick and Brian bring the comic back from a long hiatus. Rick Smith and Brian Griggs have been working hard to keep the comic going. Right now they offer the comic as a $1 a month paid membership, with the occasional free comic for the public.

Like I said, I received volume 3, 4, and 5 along with the patch today in the mail (a great addition to my collection). I bought volume 1 a while back. I also got the burnt piece of the Kickstand Cyclery (yes, a burnt piece of a fictional building) along with a signed drawing of Yehuda from a previous offering by Rick. I’m not a big comic geek, but I really like these comics. Obviously because they are bike related, and I really like the style and storyline of the comic. Even if you are an occasional bicyclist or don’t ride bikes at all they are still great comics and great stories. You can still buy all 4 volumes and some other merchandise in the Kickstand Cyclery Shop.

Top Left: Patch and Books
Top Right: Books, Patch, Burnt piece of the Kickstand, and a drawing a Yehuda
Bottom Left: Inside Covers of Books
Bottom Right: Drawing of Yehuda that came with burnt piece of the Kickstand, and the all books signed, newest 3 have drawings.

And again, just like my previous post about Yehuda Moon: If you haven’t heard of Yehuda Moon you can still get started reading them; they are all online still. Here is a link to the first strip. Yehuda Moon 01-22-2008

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Posted in BIKE, News, Reviews

Tagged bicycle, bike, bike commute, Kickstarter, Yehuda Moon

Video & Photo: Skinner Butte Climb

Posted on February 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Skinner Butte is located just north of downtown Eugene, and everyone here knows it and has probably a ridden their bike up it a couple times. It’s not a hard ride really, just slow going. Last week I rode up and down it 10 times (making it a little tiring) just to make this 2min video for fun. It allowed me to try the camera out in different angles and views, and ended up being quite fun climbing it that many times in a row.

I got some nice photo on the ride that I like.

I ended up taking over an hour of footage for this 2min video, 10 rides up and down. I did it to try out all the different angles I might be able to do with my GoPro.
Each Ride and What I did that Time
1. Front facing from helmet
2. Pointed at my face (not used)
3. Pointed at gears
4. From rear facing pedals
5. Front wheel
6. Handlebars facing downtube
7. Scenery
8. Map My Ride route mapping (pictured at the bottom)
9. Photos
10. Fun for good measure

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Posted in BIKE, Day Ride, Videos

Tagged bicycle, bike, camera, eugene, GoPro, LHT, Long Haul Trucker, Oregon, Surly, video

So Many Bike Lights, What Bike Lights Do You Like?

Posted on February 18, 2012 | 5 comments

Over my years of cycling I have accumulated many different bicycle lights. Everything from the small little blinkies to some heavy duty, from wheel side lights to rechargeable lights. I would recommend almost all of these, especially the Planet Bike Superflash and Turbo rear lights. Angel has recently gotten a new front light to replace her clunky Light & Motion Vega 120. She got the CygoLite Expilion 400. First thoughts: it looks to be really well built and extremely powerful, I might get one myself. Everyone needs a good bicycle light if they plan to ride at night. It’s nice to have extras to pair lights for the best setup, or as backups and lend them to friends. Stay safe when you ride your bike, use good lights. These are the bicycle lights I have, but there are many more lights out there to choose from.

What bicycle lights do you have, like, or would like to use?

I will write review for most of these coming soon.

List of My Current Bike Lights:
Cateye HL-EL120 (discontinued, came in set with TL-LD170)
Cateye TL-LD170 (discontinued, came in set with HL-EL120)
Cateye Loop SL-LD110 Set (bounge mounted front and rear lights)
Cateye Orbit SL-LD120 Set (spoke mounted orange lights for side viability)
Knog Frog – first gen (great helmet, it works well in rear facing helmet vents)
VistaLite 300 Series (unknown manufacturer)
*Light & Motion Stella 200 (discontinued, replaced by new Multi-Sport models)
*Light & Motion Vega 120 (discontinued, replaced by smaller Commuter models)
Planet Bike Superflash Stealth (best rear light, highly recommended)
Planet Bike Superflash Turbo (if the SF is the best, this is even better)
*CygoLite Expilion 400 (Angel’s newest light)

* Indicates the lights are to help you see the roadway, not just to be seen.

5 Comments

Posted in BIKE, Reviews

Tagged bicycle, bike, review

Movie: Ride The Divide

Posted on February 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ride the Divide is a movie that documents a group of riders racing from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA (Mexican border) on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route – 2745 miles. It greatly shows the riders struggles emotionally, physically and mechanically along the way. It’s hard enough for the film crew to catch up and find the cyclists.

It’s a great movie and if you like any sort of cycling you would probably enjoy watching this movie.
It’s on Netflix Streaming right now, or you can request a screening or buy the DVD on the Ride the Divide Site.

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Posted in BIKE, Videos

Tagged bicycle, bike, bike race, bike tour, mountain bike, movie, Netflix, video

PSA: “Sonic Sez” to Check Your Bike

Posted on February 9, 2012 | 4 comments

Don’t let your bicycle fall in disrepair like Grounder and Scratch. Check your bike over before every ride and keep it well maintained like our good friends Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles “Tails” Prower.

Update:
Here is a great resource for bicycle safety checks and other information at League of American Bicyclists. – Thanks Shane of Eugene Safe Routes to School for the link!

PSA from the 1993 TV series The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

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Posted in BIKE, News, PSA, Videos

Tagged bicycle, bike, commercial, PSA, TV, video

Traffic Signal PDF

Posted on February 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

While perusing the City of Eugene today I was looking at the Traffic Safety Devices Page and found in the PDF for Bike Traffic Signal a photo I took of the signal on 18th and Alder. The city had asked to use it, but I just hadn’t looked at what they ending up using it for. It was nice to see that I had photo in there. 🙂

Original photo they used here.

I really like how the city has set up the Traffic Safety Devices, it also includes information about: bike boxes, buffer lanes, sharrows, back-in diagonal parking, stutter flashes in crosswalks, and green bike lanes.

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Posted in BIKE

Tagged bicycle, bike, bike commute, eugene, Oregon, photo

Angel and I Are Featured For Our Bike Style

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 1 comment

A photo of Angel and I is featured across the Atlantic on the Kitesurf Bike Rambling Blog in their Monday Bike Style Section. Angel wearing her favorite green jacket and watermelon helmet atop her blue haired head. And I am wearing my wonderful reflective vest. (What great style I have.)

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Posted in BIKE, News

Tagged bicycle, bike, news, photo

Ride the City iPhone App

Posted on February 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

I was given the opportunity test out the Ride the City iPhone App and have a couple extra copies to share with my followers. (~~More about how to receive a free copy below the page break~~)** These are my first thoughts and initial write up for the app. I will write an in depth review on the app after I get to use it a little more. Some of you might be familiar with the Ride the City bicycle route map site. The iPhone app allows you to do the same thing, on the go from your phone. The RTC app has been out since April of 2010. They just recently came out with Version 1.5 which has a lot of great new features.
Weather:
• Check in app before your ride
• Fully featured weather forecast for the day
Layers:
• City bike routes, lanes, and paths
• Bike shops
• Bike share stations
Easy Drop Markers:
• Touch screen to drop start/end markers
• Great if you don’t know the exact address

The map and routing for the site and app is based on Open Street Map. Ride the City bike path and lane distinctions are a lot nicer than the ones Google’s Bike Routing feature does. Google uses light green for bike lanes, light green dashes for safer recommended routes, and dark green for off road bike paths and trails. So it tends to be a lot of green. The Ride the City maps use blue for bike lanes, blue dash for safe routes, and green for for off road bike paths and trails. Currently, the App only works for 38 cities, the same as the Ride the City site, which are all listed out after the page break.

The Ride the City iPhone App can be purchased for $1.99.
The Ride the City website itself is free to use.
Both are only currently available for 38 cities.

~~Chance to get the app for free below the page break~~.**

Continue reading →

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Posted in BIKE, Reviews

Tagged app, Apple, bicycle, bike, bike commute, iPhone

Sunset Bike Ride

Posted on February 2, 2012 | 2 comments

Today was a great day for riding. Earlier in the day I went out for a ride with Kori from GreenCycle Services on a Christmas tree pick up in North Eugene. It was nice to get to know him more. Then I met up with Angel after she was done with all her classes for the day at school. We went for a ride around the river paths, then went home to eat, where I had a stupendous peanut butter sandwich on toasted Dave’s Killer Bread heels (I LOVE heel sandwiches). Then went out for a solo ride into the South Hills of Eugene. I went down Willamette to Fox Hollow to McBeth. This was the first time I went that way. Normally I take Fox Hollow back into town. Going toward McBeth this time was fun. I found Bill’s Bench (if you know anything more about it, I am interested), it’s a nice little bench right off Fox Hollow Rd set aside to watch sunset right on the road. On the plaque it reads:

“Bill’s Bench
Bill Sloat, a long-time Fox
Hollow Resident, loved this
spot and dreamed of a bench
here so cyclists and others
could enjoy it too.
Placed by family and friends
of William R. Sloat with
permission of the Dale Smith
Family, owners of this land.
1991”

After that I saw a flock turkeys, a sheep/goat with large straight up horns, and three American bison. Sadly the turkeys ran when I got closer, and the sheep/goat and bison were too far away to get a good photo. It was a great sunset ride, with some well deserved pasta when I got home.

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Posted in BIKE, Day Ride

Tagged bicycle, bike, camera, eugene, LHT, Long Haul Trucker, Oregon, Surly

New Friends Ride

Posted on January 30, 2012 | 3 comments

Yesterday was a bike group bike ride organized by Eugene Bicyclist. It was a great ride even though there was some rain. There were 16 people who showed up, plus 6 kids in tow. We had a great ride around the bike paths around the Willamette River. It was about a 10 mile ride from EWEB Plaza, to the Autzen Footbridge past the Delta Ponds, then on to Ninkasi Brewing for drinks, where we had a nice time talking. It was great to meet all these people and make new friends.

Thank you to all who came. It was a wonderful time; hopefully we can have another meet up.

All the photos are also on my Flickr.

A little distorted post ride panorama.

More photos from others there
EugeneSRTS – Flickr
Eugene Bicyclist – Post: A little rain never hurt anyone

We made a nice video of the time. Sadly I forgot my GoPro at home, but Angel still got some good footage. Enjoy.

Special thanks to fellow bloggers:
Eugene Bicyclist
EugeneSRTS
Eugene Doom Bike
And businesses:
Ninkasi Brewing for being so kind after the ride.
GreenCycle Services for joining us on our ride.