Rob D's Bike Blog

Honk

2008-10-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Typography Bike T-Shirt

2008-09-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Came across this T-Shirt today, I think it's pretty cool. I might get one for myself!

Find out more about this design: Type Bike

So a cheese grater is riding an old timey bike...

2008-09-11T18:50:00.001-07:00

rallando voy, rallando vengo
Originally uploaded by casetamagica

I don't get it but I like it!

Bike vs. Bear

2008-09-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just came across this on Yahoo... "Teacher OK after striking bear while riding bike." That's one hell of a headline.

MISSOULA, Mont. - A middle school teacher suffered some bruising and a big scratch on his back after he struck a bear while riding his bicycle to school.

Jim Litz said he was traveling about 25 mph Monday morning when he came upon a rise and spotted a black bear about 10 feet in front of him. He didn't have time to stop and T-boned the bruin.

Luckily he came out ok, I can only image how tripped out the bear was... it's not everyday you get hit by a guy on a bike! Amazingly this is entirely possible here in SLO County. I know a guy that totaled a new Tacoma truck on a bear out on Los Osos Valley Road. Best he could tell the bear was fine, it was his truck that needed replacing. I always used to think the Los Osos part of LOVR (the bears) was just a random name... apparently not.

You can read the rest of the post here.

Think This Would Fit in a Bike Lane?

2008-09-09T22:11:00.001-07:00

I don't know what this is necessarily but I want one.

Charges Dropped Against Cyclist in NY Critical Mass Ride

2008-09-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Christopher Long, the guy that was tackled by an NYPD officer during a Critical Mass ride that was, luckily for him, caught on video and posted on YouTube had all the charges against him dropped. The fact that they bothered to let it go this far in the first place blows my mind. He was charged with assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct... one quick review of the video shows otherwise. The cop had his gun and badge stripped and was put on desk duty, no word yet on whether Mr. Long is going to file charges against him.

You can read more about this story here.

Feel the Balance

2008-09-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

see more posters by this artist here

Who Needs Spokes Anyways Right?

2008-08-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

I'm no engineer so I don't know how feasible this design actually is, but aesthetically I think it is pretty awesome. Read more about it here

Trying to Find a Parking Spot at the Gym

2008-08-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

This was kind of unexpected... I hit the gym this afternoon and there was no where to park in the bike rack! Usually there's maybe one other bike in the rack when I go. Looks like more people at the gym are mixing in biking with their car commuting instead of driving to the gym and riding a stationary bike. Yay! Only downside, I had to lock my bike up to the stairs.

Yo! Bike Mike!

2008-08-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

Not sure what the poster is for, I tried to get more info but didn't come up with anything. Regardless, I dig the look. You can check out more stuff by the artist at Flickr.

I Finally Bought a New Bike!!!

2008-08-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after lots of research, looking and general velo-confusion I finally picked up a new bike. And not just a new to me bike but an actual zero previous owners bike. I got a Specialized Tricross Sport from Ira's Bike Shop in the Village. They helped me figure out what I wanted and were even cool enough to stay a little late and put a rack on the bike for me. I rode it straight home, it's pretty awesome and it feels a whole lot lighter than my daily commuter. I'll write more about it as we get acquainted, we're taking a ride out to Pismo tomorrow so I can get more of a chance to get adjusted.

Ain't That the Truth...

2008-08-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

My I'm Reflective

2008-08-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

I was doing a little late night riding between my apartment and my office and I had to take a picture to commemorate how much of a dork I looked like. The upside to looking like a dork is that everyone can see me. I've got the neon yellow Novara bike jacket with reflective accents, reflective gloves, reflective strap on my ankle, shiny crap all over my bike and some super sweet yellow and green Van's that aren't reflective but they are ugly.

On my ride I passed two other riders that didn't even have lights on their bikes. It's amazing how much a little bit of reflective gear can make you stand out on the road at night. If you don't have some reflective clothes at least find yourself a reflective velcro armband or something similar that you can throw on in a hurry. It might look lame but it beats getting run over!

It's OK to Use Your Blinkers - Honest

2008-08-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

Just a brief reminder to my automotively inclined friends... please use your damn blinkers and look in your mirror before you turn!!!

I almost got right hooked in downtown Pismo today by a pickup truck. I was in the bike lane when this guy just decided to turn for a parking space without signaling... inches in front of me. Luckily I was paying attention, I wasn't moving too fast, and it was at the beginning of my slow uphill section on my way to the gym. I managed to stop abruptly without actually hitting the truck and took a moment to share some *pleasantries* with the driver who almost turned me into a pancake. To his credit he knew he was wrong and had that I'm kinda sorry/I'm glad you didn't scratch my paint sort of look and he didn't try to blame me for his extreme parking maneuver. If I had been going Southbound on my way home (this section of my ride is very fast even without pedaling) I don't think this would have ended quite as nicely. Best case scenario I would have ended up in his truck bed; worst case hospital bed.

Basically people, I encourage you to pay attention when you're wielding your giant metal death machines and take pity on us tiny bike riders who lack your crumple-zone-tastic exoskeletons. If nothing else remember that your insurance deductible is more than the dollar it's going to cost you if you miss that sweet free street parking spot.

Suction Cup Wheels... Genius...

2008-08-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

How To Create Suction Tires

Genius or horribly painful when you figure out that it doesn't work like that?

If it wouldn't screw up my rolling resistance and quintuple my commute time it might be a good experiment for my project bike :)Still trying to figure out what it is supposed to be a commercial for.

Five Cities Bike Lane Maps

2008-08-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest gripes as a bike commuter here in the Five Cities is the lack of good safe bike lanes. In Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande they just start and disappear at random, it's ridiculous sometimes. Grand Avenue in particular is not ideal. There is no bike lane from Highway One until about 8th street and then it disappears again at about 11th street and then reappears when you get a quarter of a block past Oak Park. This kind of inconsistency is a good way to get people run over especially when tourists are in town with their RVs and huge trailers. With as many people as I've been seeing that have started to ride to work you would hope some of these problems will start to be alleviated.

I found a web site today that has bike maps for the whole of San Luis Obispo County broken down city by city to help you plan your trip. At first glance I think they're not perfect... not sure how old they are, but still helpful.

Grover Beach Bike Map
Arroyo Grande Bike Map
Pismo Beach Bike Map
Shell Beach Bike Map
San Luis Obispo Bike Map

Map Legend, just because it's not actually on any of the maps.

If you're looking for other SLO County cities go to the rideshare.org bike map page.

$0.00 9/10 per gallon... it's how I roll

2008-08-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share... I got my stickers and a sweet patch from Zero Per Gallon. I haven't figured out quite what to do with all of them but I knew one was going to end up right there on my rear fender :)

Not that I want to provoke the 6000 pound death machines that line my commute... but it doesn't take a Suburban to move one person from one side of the mall to the other. I'll admit my vehicle isn't particularly small but I've only driven it about 4 times since the first of June.

The fun part about ordering from Zero Per Gallon is that it is incredibly Goat free. Have no doubt about it, there will never be any goat-age in their fine products. Not that I am particularly worried about the presence of goat in my purchases, but I appreciate the effort put forth.

Don't tell them that I consort with goats... I want to make sure that I can make future purchases without being discriminated against as a goat lover!

Bike Threat Number 1.... Bears!!!

2008-08-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

click on the comic to see the whole thing...

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Why Does NYPD Hate Bicyclists?

2008-08-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

By now I would think that a lot of you have seen the assault of a bike rider in New York by a Cop for what looks like no reason other than to try to tackle someone for fun and get away with it. If you missed it I embedded it below and you can read more about it here .

If that weren't enough to get your blood boiling check out this new video I found today that is inline with the first but more egregious and better documented.

Luckily in SLO County I can't really see this happening seeing as half the spandex clad guys on bikes around here are lawyers, but I can't believe this kind of crap goes on at all. I'm glad everything comes with a camera or a video recorder in it these days to make sure innocent bystanders don't get convicted of imaginary crimes. Make sure you learn the laws in your city regarding bikes and your rights as a citizen. Also I think I would avoid biking through New York...

When Far Away Isn't Really All That Far

2008-08-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

Recently I joined a new gym that seemed kind of far away from my house and my office. My girlfriend thought I was nuts for wanting to ride that far on a regular basis. I knew it wasn't really that far at all, but even I was a little concerned with how much time it would take me going back and forth. Sure I could take my truck but as a general rule I only break out an automobile if I'm going somewhere that is more than 10 miles away. Plus if I drive to the gym I would have to make up the time I wasn't pedaling for real on an exercise bike... kinda stupid if you ask me.

A few weeks later it's turned into no big deal. It takes me around 20-25 minutes to get where I'm going each way. I ride out that way about 3 times a week now on top of my regular bike commute and I look forward to it because I get to cruise through Pismo Beach and my ride has some pretty nice ocean views.

If you're thinking about commuting by bike but you're worried that it's too far, try it for a week. Things may turn out to be closer than you think, especially here in the Five Cities. The daunting feeling you have on Monday might not match the ease of your commute by Friday. Just make sure you do some advanced planning to make sure that your commute is fun and uneventful. Plan out your preferred route keeping in mind hills, traffic, and available bike lanes. And don't forget to have clothes ready for you at the office or with you if you think you're going to get kind of sweaty on your ride.

You'll be amazed at how far you can get on a bike without being in tip top shape!

Benedict Radcliffe X Fixedgearlondon

2008-08-02T22:00:00.001-07:00

Benedict Radcliffe X Fixedgearlondon
Originally uploaded by fixedgearlondon.com

How awesome is this? If AC Slater rode a fixed gear this would be it. I'd love to get some sweet color like this on my bike... maybe not neon pink, but I'm digging the bright green!

If Riding a Bike is Good Enough for Obama...

2008-08-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Then it's good enough for me. Click through on the picture for an article about how the Wall Street Journal thinks Obama might be to physically fit to be president... oh how horrible a skinny American, sheesh. I want to be skinny when I grow up.

Cool Bike Poster

2008-07-31T18:44:00.001-07:00

illustratedbikeposter
Originally uploaded by robbied462

Not sure where this originated from... the place I found it had it hosted on imageshack. Anybody know what's up here?

*update 5AUG08*
Figured out who made this poster, they're called Screens 'N' Spokes. You can check out their blog here or buy their work over at etsy

The Goose is Loose

2008-07-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

Meet the Goose. This is my Mongoose Switchback from back when I was l2-13ish. I think it's of a 94 vintage... not sure though. I like that it has some stickers on it still that I thought were awesome about 15 years ago :) I dug it out of my folk's attic this afternoon and I have the ambitious plan of making it not suck. Not sure how this is gonna go but we'll see.

Best I can tell the frame is still good it's just everything else that's broke. I'm thinking that I'm going to try and build it into a single speed that I can use to go back and forth from the office.

I'll keep posting as I figure out what I'm going to do with this beast. BTW I have no idea how to do any of the things I'm setting out to do here. This is kind of a learn by doing type of operation. I'm hoping to come out of this with a working bike and all my fingers.

Kids, lock up your bikes

2008-07-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Looks like Santa has gone rogue and is repossessing pink tasseled kid's bikes...

pic via Break.com

Let's Go Ride a Bike... How to Get Started Again

2008-07-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

I originally wrote this post for my personal blog over at RobDumouchel.com and it served as the inspiration for putting together a bike blog!

I’ve always made an effort to get to work either by foot or by bike... and recently I’ve had a little company on my commute. I’ve been seeing more people on the sidewalks and more bikes cruising Grand Avenue. This makes me very happy on the inside. Apparently $4.65 a gallon is enough to get some other people in town out of their cars and onto their bikes.

Now that commuter biking is turning into the cool thing to do I figured I would impart a little advice to my new two wheeled friends.

Find Yourself a Bike!

Ok, so that’s kind of a given. But seriously do you have a bike already or do you need to go out and buy one? Think about your needs and do a little research. Think about comfort, the distance you’re going to go, the terrain you’ll be riding on and other factors. There is an insane number of different types of bikes out there, make sure you find one that fits your needs before you plunk down the cash for one. (If you’re going to buy a new ride make sure it has the commuter bike modifications from a little later in this post already on it!)

My bike is a 1996ish Giant Mountain Bike that I have been slowly updating a part at a time. Not that I don’t lust after a newer bike... I have at least 5 different bikes picked out in my head that I am in severe danger of buying... but this bike has treated me pretty well over the years. Plus I think it is too ugly to steal which is a definite bonus.

Tune Up Your Bike, Trust Me

If you’re dusting off a 15 year old bike that hasn’t seen the light of day in a lot of years the first order of business is making sure your bike is going to be up to the task. Take your bike to a good bike mechanic and shell out a few bucks for a tune up. And before you start bitching about spending $30 on a bike tune up... remember that it takes $125 to fill up an SUV and it’s not going to get any better anytime soon.

I’ve been riding my bike pretty consistently, but I finally took my bike in for a long overdue tune up and a little bit of a face lift this last week. I’m useless with a wrench and prefer to leave these things in the hands of professionals. Plus after an afternoon in the shop it feels like a whole new bike. Totally worth the dough.

Commuter Bike Modifications

Now chances are the bike you have isn’t really commuter friendly. Most people either have some kind of over muscled mountain bike or an incredibly expensive road bike purchased with the best of intentions that never really worked out. These can be made much more commuter friendly with just a few easy modifications.

Write these down: Fenders, Rear Rack, Panniers, Smooth Tires, Chain Guard and front and rear lights... You want all that stuff.

Fenders

Rear Rack

Panniers

Smooth Tires

Chain Guard

Lights

Plan Your Route

Make sure you think out how you’re going to go to work. Take into account hills, traffic, and the availability of bike lanes. I ride one way to the office and a different way home to take advantage of local geography. I also only make right hand turns which are a lot easier than left hand turns in traffic. Another thing you may want to do is try out your commute on a day off to make sure you can get that far! Riding a bike is pretty easy, but if it’s been a while you might want to work up to it!

Be Safe and Know the Rules of the Road

This just in – you are a car. Try to keep that in mind. You need to follow the same rules as if you were driving you car. Stop signs apply to you, signal when you turn, and stay off the sidewalk!!! The sidewalk can be tempting but it is a great place to get hit by a car. Drivers don’t pay any attention to sidewalks, they’re looking for other cars so the best place for you to be is in the street. The other big automotive danger is getting doored. Beware the suddenly flung open car door, it is not good for your health. Otherwise keep your eyes open, listen to the traffic around you, wear bright colors, and make sure you have lights on at night.

Have Fun

My favorite part about bike commuting is that it’s fun. It helps wake me up in the morning and it’s a good stress reliever on the way home in the evening. If you live close enough to work to make this a feasible solution I recommend you give it a shot. It will make you happier and healthier and save you a ton of money in the process.