Progress on the Berkley bike racks

Some of you may recall that my town of Berkley has been attempting to do something about bike parking and bike racks.  While we still don't have any bike racks, things are getting closer!

This past March I put together a plan for installing installing 9 upside-down "U" style racks along 12 Mile road (a major portion of our downtown area) within the city.  The Berkley Environmental Advisory Committee (BEAC) approved it and we sent it to the city manager. In May, the City Council approved the funding for the racks.  So, all that's left is sign off on the locations and quantity by the public safety (police), city planner, and the city manager, who then sends the final plan sent to council for approval (there may be others players, but those are key players).  After that, assuming council approval, the racks get ordered, installed, and we have somewhere to lock up our bikes safely.  In theory, this is all going to happen by the end of July.

More biking - Less driving

This weekend, I was asked whether I bike more than drive.  My gut response was, "Oh no.  I ride a lot, but I still drive more."  But my wife thought otherwise, and I started thinking about it...

• I don't commute to work anymore (work at home)
• I don't drive to the grocery store (bike 90%-95% of the time)
• I bike for most errands and some business meetings
• My wife and I have started biking to dinners much more often in Royal Oak because its such an easy ride and we can split a bottle of wine without having to worry about a designated driver*

Hmm, maybe I do bike more than I drive?

2010 Felt Bikes

Since the mountain bike I ride is a Felt Q720 (from 2007), I was interested to see that Felt is offering quite a few rides for commuting as well from commutebybike.com.

Of course, reading about all these new commuters makes me think I need a bike for commuting and errands.  After all, I ride an old beater GT Karakoram mountain bike for my commuter/city bike with a rack, lights, lock, lots of "stuff" making it heavy and not very, um, attractive... (but then neither are my intensely pasty white legs in this photo).  And, as I'm sure my wife will point out to me, I work at home, so my commute is actually a 10 foot walk from the bedroom to the office.  But that's not the point at all.  AT ALL.

Anyway, I did find that Felt is offering several bikes that would be great commuters (sorry, I mean "City" bikes).

However, the two I really like are the Hot Wheels Sixty 8 and the TIP.  Though, I suppose neither of those would be commuters for most people.  Perfect for my commute though!

Handmade Bicycle Show - Part 2

Ok, so it took me a little bit longer than a day or two to write part 2... But no worries, I haven't forgotten.

I'm going to kick off this post with a review of an oft overlooked part from many mainstream bikes: fenders. Wood fenders were all the rage at the Handmade Bicycle Show this year, and its easy to see why. They are beautiful and stylish


These photos are of Inglis Cycles (from Napa, CA), Keith Anderson Cycles (from Grants Pass, OR), and DeSalvo Custom Cycles (from Ashland, OR), respectively. All have a slightly different style to their wood with graphic designs, inlays and custom stains. There were several others as well, including from Naked Bicycles and Design and Rich Adams.

Continuing down the component path, I talked last time about the slick new electronic shifter from Shimano. Well, SRAM's not about to be outdone by Shimano and they were showing off a slick new HammerSchmidt internal front gear from their Truvativ group. There's only one chainring on the front and the internal gears give you the feel of a higher gear. On the lower gear, the gear spins with a ratio of 1:1, shift it and the gear spins 1:1.6 (you pedal around once and the gear goes around 1.6 times). They had a demo bike set up and I can tell you, this was a really smooth gear and it would be GREAT in muddy or snowy environs.

The rep was explaining that once a year you do have to take the thing apart and regrease the gears (depending on how much much your ride through, I'm guessing), which seems like a lot of maintenance to me. But I suppose your shop could probably do this for you without too much of an extra charge. I'd hope, anyway. At about $700, this won't be cheap, but it was so slick that for a tour or race where flawless operation was required, I think this definitely could be worth the money.

Another cool bike/component combo (note the sequey back to bikes...) comes from Kimori from Japan, with their very unusual suspension system.


The bikes themselves don't have 26" wheels, so they look a little, um, delicate for someone of my, um, stature (I'm not a diminutive guy). But they are definitely interesting.



Finally, let's get back to those bikes with a few of my other favorites from the show:



Bilenky Bicycles who does a lot of tandems and tandem recumbents was showing a very slick long-wheel base utility bicycles. I'm partial to these to begin with, so its no surprised I liked it. KirkLee had a road bike that they had incorporated hand painted canvas onto the top layer of the carbon fiber. Up close it was easy to tell that it was canvas and it made for a very unusual and stylish appearance on the bike. It was really not like anything else at the show (in a very good way). And finally on the track bike side of things, Vanilla Bicycles was showing a couple of very cool Speedvagen track bikes that were so light, you would think they were carbon (but they weren't).

Again, lots more to see from show on my flickr.

2009 Handmade Bicycle Show - Part 1

I enjoyed the Handmade Bicycle Show in Indianapolis this past weekend. I was relieved to hear from almost everyone that the recession has only been a minor blip in the world of cycling. Most builders that I talked to were positive about their year so far and were looking forward to the spring. As Lon Kennedy's wife at Nova Bicycle Supply said, "This spring will be our stimulus package."

I was unable to connect to WIFI at the convention center (didn't feel like paying the extra charge for it). So, here's a rundown on the highlights, post event...

Mark Nobilette of Nobilette Bicycles used to live here in Ann Arbor, MI, but now resides and builds in Longmont, CO. He has been building for about 30 years. His bikes were very well put together. He was showing steel bikes, mostly road/racing bikes.



I spent a lot of time talking with the production manager, Lloyd, of Independent Fabricators from Boston. IF has been building since the mid 90's They were showing a wide range of bikes including this very stylish “Year of the Ox" Track Bike.


IF was showing the only stainless steel mountain bike that I saw at the show with some very cool etchings. There were several titanium bikes that were polished with no paint so they had a similar appearance, but this was the only stainless steel that I saw. Lloyd told me that one of the great features of stainless steel is its durability. It won't rust and it won't dent in a crash.

My next visit was to Alchemy Bicycles from Austin.

I spoke at length with builder James about his bikes and learned that he launched Alchemy about 3 months ago and he’s been have some pretty good success. You can see why, his design is well thought out with some very small but important unique touches - like how he has inverted the stabilizing bars using “holes” on the chainstays instead.

I was looking forward to talking to Calfee Designs about his bikes. I was not disappointed. He has developed a program of building bamboo bikes in Africa and selling them here to fund more bike building education in Africa. A very ambitious program to improve the conditions in the third world. The program is called "Bamboosero". The bike he was showing was built in Ghana (buyers will eventually be able to request which country their bikes come from).
One of my favorites (who also won a People's Choice award at the show) was Naked Bicycles and Design from Guadra Isl, BC Canada (north of Vancouver). Builder Sam Whittingham talked for quite a while about how successful he's been. He said that he's facing a happy problem - his sales have grown to the point where he's needing to expand, but expansion at his level is big and expensive. He wants to make sure he's still able to build, and doesn't want to be relagated to "managing" other builders. That's a problem that a lot of entrepreneurs would love to have. But unfortunately for Sam, it's a real problem too. Hopefully he can get that balancing act worked out, because his bikes are very creative and interesting. One touch that I found particularly brilliant is that he uses headsets (where your handlebars attach to your bike) as the hinges on the rear suspension. Makes them easy to maintain/replace, and they are durable. Pretty ingenious.


Serotta had a huge display at the show. Ben Serotta has been building since the 1970's and has built a successful business through contract frame building. Currently, Serotta is partnered with the Carmichael Training Systems to provide carbon fiber bikes for their training program. Serotta was showing several carbon fiber and steel racing bikes.




ANT (Alternative Needs Transportation) builds bikes for urban riding and commuting. Their bikes featured built in racks and generator hubs for powering lights. The philosophy behind how Mike builds his bikes is fantastic (again a builder since the 70's), but I found the designs to be a little too utilitarian for my taste. Don't get me wrong, utility is great, but if I'm going to spend that much on a bike I want it to stand out... dramatically. But that's just me.












I also got my opportunity to try out the newest tech from Shimano and SRAM. Shimano's new Dura Ace Di2 is basically an electronic shifter for road biking. It is very quick shifting and requires almost no effort to make the shift. It's basically like pushing a button, rather than pushing/pulling a lever that pulls a cable. I got to test it out and for me, it was good, but not worth the extra $750 or so extra that it will add to the price. I suppose if I were racing I'd be more interested.




There's plenty more to see on my flickr set from the show. I'll have more details on the show tomorrow as well.

ThisWay

I've neglected to mention my new favorite blog for funtime reading (not that it's a new blog, I'm just new to the party). Bicycle Design is essentially exactly what it sounds like - a blog about Bicycle Design. It is written by James T, "an industrial designer who has a slight (but I think healthy) obsession with bicycling and cycling." It's entertaining in part because of his clear passion for the bicycle, but also because there are so many others that share that passion, but not necessarily his opinions about bicycles and their design.

Anyway, he held a design competition recently for a "commuter bicycle for the masses" that concluded in late January crowning the "ThisWay" bike design by Torkel Dohmer the winner.

©Bicycle Design

It was considered controversial by several who left comments in the blog because they felt that not only will the roof make it heavy, expensive, and difficult to use with public transit, but also because of the recumbant (sitting back, not on) positioning. However, there were many who liked it and felt it was more likely to draw interest from non-cyclists for its more car-like shape, style, seating, and roof. But as with all things, it's often difficult to project yourself into someone else's shoes.

As James said:

"Many of the people who work in the bike industry are in those positions because they are really passionate about bicycles. They absolutely love cycling, and that is great, but it also means that sometimes they have a hard time looking at the product line that they offer from the point of view of an average person. "

My personal thoughts are that it's a beautiful design and would be fun to own, but I don't see it as driving masses of people to give up their cars for it (not as I sit here in a 14 degree, windy, February in Detroit, anyway). However, I do think there's a niche for it. And that's where our marketing thoughts for today come in...

As someone who has dealt with automobile manufacturer vehicle teams in the past, I've seen a wide variety of vehicle designs, good and bad (um, some very bad), that get marketed and sold. How? It almost always comes down to finding the niche. A lot of the complaints about the design from the comments seemed to be focused on the bike not being "right" for all commuters (which may be justified since that was goal of the original competition). As James said, the bike industry needs to think about "reaching the people who currently have no interest in the products that they already make." Big manufacturers have got this (literally) down to a science. Identify a niche, develop a complex profile of that niche, and develop products that fit that niche or answer issues raised by the research.

In this case (and this is just off the top of my head without any real research into the niche at all and no mechanical background at all), I could see ThisWay being a great start to the development of a design for new parents. Some tweaking and I could see a child's car seat fitting in front of mom or dad, facing them. Add the storage on the back, and you have a fun little run-about for neighborhood errands with very easy access to babies (which parent's need), with the added security of a child's seat.

Ok, so that's not really the point of James original competition (and sure the width of the child seat may offer some additional design problems) but the point is to think about the niche first, then develop a bike to fit it. There is an outstanding video of Trek Bikes development of the Lime bike using this process: http://www.solidworksmedia.com/Trek/screencast/trek-screencast.html (click on the "Non-expert" video for an example of how to develop a bike to fit a niche).

Portland Design Group

A new company launched in Portland (of course) featuring new high-design bike products, called Portland Design Works. They don't have many products listed yet, but based on what they do have now, I'm eager to see what they come up with. It will be interesting to see how their national distribution works out (if at all). I think they would not be doing too poorly, though to start with web and mail-order sales and build that first.

Oh, and I'm partial to their "Panda Treat Grips"... that's good stuff.

Here's the press release from them:

Portland, OR- January 19, 2009-

Industry veterans Erik Olson and Dan Powell have launched Portland Design Works (PDW), a new brand of urban bicycle accessories with a focus on simple, beautiful design. The first two categories of product, grips and inflation, will begin shipping in mid-February and can be viewed on the new PDW website, www.ridepdw.com. Cargo racks, tools, mini-pumps and fenders will be available by late spring.

PDW is still finalizing their national distribution lineup, but hopes to have their goods available nationwide by summer. Products will be available direct to bicycle shops in the city of Portland, and Powell and Olson will deliver the orders by bicycle.

“We want to be a part of the community, to have a connection,” says Olson, “plus making deliveries by bike is a great excuse to get out and ride.”

Olson and Powell last collaborated as the general manager and sales/marketing guy, respectively, for Planet Bike. The new venture is a dream come true for the native Midwesterners, who are excited to be living in Portland.

“You’d start a surf company near great waves, or a wind farm on an enormous plain. Likewise, we moved to Portland because its bike-friendly culture allows so many folks to get around easily by bike,” says Powell. “We wanted to design and test our gear in that great urban cycling atmosphere.”

PDW is a member of 1% For the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide.

Let's Get Visible!

Momentum Magazine did a fun (read as: cheesy & goofy) video that was entirely lighted by bicycle lights to draw attention to the need for cyclists to have lights at night.

My friend Todd over at M-Bike.org also noted that:

MDOT recently issued a related press release:

“Drivers should always pay close attention and look out for other users of our roadways,” said MDOT Director Kirk T. Steudle. “In addition, pedestrians and bicyclists should wear bright and/or reflective clothing to significantly improve the likelihood of being noticed by motorists.”

Increasing ones visibility doesn’t have to be all that expensive. Wearing brighter clothes with reflective strips and adding bike lights are a good start. Those rear red LED blinky lights are almost a necessity.

Anyway, here's the video for your enjoyment:



Presented by: VACC, B:C:Clettes and Momentum Magazine
Videography by Gwendal Castellan and Dave Niddrie

Visibility accessories generously donated by:

• Halolux - Halolight Bicycle Helmets and Haloracer Bike Illumination Light
• Monkeylectric - Monkeylectric Monkey Light
• Rock the Bike- Down Low Glow Lights
• Sweetskinz - Reflective Coloured Tires
• Knog - Frog, Gecko and Gator Lights
• Hutchinson - Reflex Reflective Tires
• Lazer -Urbanize Helmets

Bailing out bicycling

This weekend I was catching up on the variety of things that have made their way into the bailout package, and I found one very interesting little tidbit: Congressman Earl Blumenauer had a tax incentive for bike commuting that got included in the overall end package. This unrelated addition was presumably to get Congressman Blumenauer to vote for the overall package (which he did not end up doing).

This added provision provides a tax incentive to employers to provide bikes and cover expenses related to riding to work. This new bike commuting incentive joins incentives that employers currently have for encouraging carpooling or using public transit. This is potentially a boon for commuting by bike, as it means that now employers have an incentive to provide the facilities to bike to work.

So, what's the challenge? Awareness. There ended up being so much in this new bailout bill, that its highly unlikely that employers (particularly smaller employers) are going to know all the different aspects of the bill or take advantage of some of the cycling incentives. The best bet is for bike shops to make sure that their staff is well educated on this incentive. When individuals are shopping for bikes that they could use to run errands or use in some transportation form, then pass along the incentive information.

Building awareness of policy changes like this are often left up to the community organizers and enthusiasts, which is why I'm writing about this here, and hopefully, you'll talk to your employers about it as well.