Commuting Calculators

Just wanted to share a few car commuting "cost computers."

This one lets you plug in information to compare to bicycle commuting - which I do most days, except today, when I hauled a 30" TV into the office... Calories burned by riding and all car costs (except parking for some reason - easily enough added) are included:

http://www.ativsolutions.com/calculator/

The real overall costs associated with driving your car to work are more than gas+parking. Both of these calculators help you see depreciation and other costs.

This one shows the difference of using public transit - which here in Cleveland is $4 per round trip:

http://www.commuterpage.com/Userweb/CostCommuting/CostCommuting.htm

Vote for Change - promote bicycle transportation!

Please take a moment to click the widget below and let the incoming Obama administration know that promotion of bicycle transportation is one way we can reduce our dependency on oil, improve the environment and begin to increase the health of Americans!

Condo Ridin'

I picked up my new (2008) Kona Ute today. Wouldn't you know that it was the first heavy snow we had on the west side of Cleveland? The Ute rode like a dream through about 2" of snow.

My son, Gus, and I like to ride our bikes around the duplex. He has a Specialized Hot Walk and mine is the B.U.S.S. (Big Urban Single Speed). I wasn't sure how the Ute's extra-long wheelbase would go in our tight space, but it really was quite agile. Don't try this with a kid trailer...

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

Giant TCR ADVANCED SL TEAM (ISP)

Not to be outdone by the bike of two weeks ago (Specialized SL2) - Giant's top-of-the-line TCR ADVANCED SL TEAM is every bit the high end competitor.

Again, ultra-light carbon fiber frame, Dura-Ace 7900 and Shimano handlebar system, excellent use of aerodynamics and specific weight-saving parts, one of the finest wheelsets available, and so it goes.

The Giant is $500 cheaper (at $8000) than the Specialized - plenty of wiggle room for pedals and a computer. Enjoy:

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

SPECIALIZED S-WORKS TARMAC SL2

This sweet baby is crazy light and loaded for bear. Zipp 404 wheels; über carbon frame, crank, handlebar, stem and seatpost; and the remaining components are 2009 Dura-Ace 7900! This configuration makes the SL2 about the most amazing stock bike available.

The LBS scale barely tipped 15lb for the standard build. I can't think of any improvements - for $8500 you ought not have to think very hard about improvements. Feast on the beauty and "hors pro" racing utility.

Oh, BTW, if you have a spare eight-large, I can come up with the five-small...

Awesome bikes

Found these links on the excellent bikecommuters.com site:

The Picnic Table Bike



The Drum Bike (long, but catch the first dance scene at the art gallery!)

A virtuous cycle

A great story about bicycle commuter advocacy in the Washington, D.C., area. Includes interesting perspectives from advocates, commuters, government and those who see the problems of too many bicycles on the road.

Video profiles from bicycle commuters in various communities would make a great project... Please send me your link if you've already created one!

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

SPECIALIZED HOTWALK

This commercial version of a balance bicycle is the bomb! There are other options - including super expensive Finnish wooden ones and super cheap toddler bikes with the training wheels and cranks removed - but this was at the LBS and Boy really liked it.

We bought a Giro "Mike and the Bike" helmet for him as well. Great fun - he wanted to wear his helmet to the pizza shop and to bed. That's my Boy!

It is on order and should be here by Christmas. LBS is really loving our family right now...

Kona ... Moan-a

I'm moaning right now.

I called by local bike shop (LBS) manager today and he informed me that he has the Kona Africabike Threes coming, but they won't be here until March/April 2009. For a measly $50 he'll reserve one for me. I think it is a done deal.

Wife will have her dream: a step-through, basket in the front, rack in the back, bicycle when the snow stops melting.

The big moan however is that he also has a 2008 Ute in the window that he is selling for an insanely cheap price. Its specifications are basically the same as the 2009, just a different color and one set of bags instead of the HUGE bags.

The price is so low (and he said he'd even go lower if I bought an Africabike Three), it is basically the same as the conversion cost for an ExtraCycle... I can buy this bike, a set of big bags, add a child seat to the deck and still pocket a few Benjamins for beer money with the difference.

Moan. Groan. Temptation.

Cold...

OK, I had some big "suit" type meetings early this week and the weather was Cleveland pre-winter slushy-snow-freezing-rain crap. I drove the car two days but slogged out in it today. I stayed really dry thanks to my Performance "Ultra" rain jacket and seam sealed pants.

The temp when I took off this morning was 34 Fahrenheit with a 20+ MPH wind at my side along with the freezing rain. I guess it is sort of like jumping into cold water - the first time is the hardest.

Also picked up some sweet new Ergon grips. Nummy (oh yeah, so my hands don't get numb-ey):

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

KONA AFRICABIKE

OK, this consumerism desire has a "noble" purpose - providing bikes to African home health care workers. Bicycles allow these workers to reach many more patients in a given day - helping give care and comfort to those who don't have access to a hospital.

The project is especially important for HIV/AIDS patients who are stigmatized for being in public...

Plus it is a really nice looking around-town bike. Kona will donate one bicycle to the project for every two purchased through standard retail outlets. Or/and you can adopt a bicycle (below the production cost) for just $100!

Coaster brake in three speed for $449 USD or single speed for $375 USD - includes fenders, rear rack, front basket, and rear wheel lock.

The MOST IMPORTANT bicycle you may ever buy!

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

I missed last week while I was moving to Cleveland. Saw the Kona Ute 2008 in the window of a local bike shop. Really cool. Then went online and saw the 2009. Holy ****! That is a lot of bike for $899.

Cargo capacity, disk brake, sittin' deck, upright setup, KICKSTAND! I'm in love...

Dang - one awesome urban assault ve-hicle!

My Cleveland Commute

I've been in Cleveland now for almost two weeks and have gotten my bicycle commute down pretty well. It is 7mi each direction and mostly flat except for the bridge shown below. My main streets are Madison, Grace and Detroit - Detroit being a main thoroughfare between the city of Cleveland and the western lakeside suburbs.

Because I need a little Grace every day I take a left on it:


Then a right onto Detroit - here is my view heading east at the stop at 117th Ave, the dividing line between Cleveland and Lakewood (my fair city...)


As friend Warren Waldron noted - "when you live on the west side of Cleveland your commute is into the sun both directions." How true!

One of the curious things you get to think about when bicycle commuting - restaurant names. Please say with me three times quickly, "pho que, pho que, pho que..." ;)


After 6 miles comes the prize - the Detroit-Superior (Veterans Memorial) Bridge. Not steep but fairly long:


After that it is a quick shot through Tower City and onto Prospect Ave for my arrival at the UCC Headquarters.

The B.U.S.S. (big urban single speed) needed some professional wheel attention but other than that has held up well.

That's it for now, more sights later...
Peace!

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

My wife has indicated she might like to move away from her mountain bike and toward a more urban/commute friendly setup.

Looking at what it would take to transform her MTB into the same it is probably going to be a better idea to replace it. The frame is something like an 11" MTB frame with a very short wheelbase - no room for racks and not really given to an upright riding style.

Enter the Giant Suede Coasting DX rig. Pretty cool specs and cool looking:


Seems to have a similar auto-shift mechanism as the Trek Lime. If you added fenders and a rack to the Lime I'm guessing these would be fairly similar machines.

Taco Time

Not one of my finer moments.

In a fit of unmitigated anger/stupidity I chucked the B.U.S.S. (Blue Urban Single Speed - sorry Bianchi...) into the trees alongside a paved path. There was a silly crash and I lost my cool.

I also lost a few bucks as the B.U.S.S. came down hard on the rear rim and tacoed it pretty well. Not only did I have to suffer the indignation of loosing my cool in a major and public way, but I had to undo my rear brake to even get back to the car. Thawup, thawup, thawup it went for about four miles.

Evidence of my silliness:


Found a compatibly sized rim and re-laced it myself. I'll probably have a shop check my true/dish but it is pretty close.

Why Campagnolo is SO HIGH!

Uh, OK Campagnolo... I've been a fan for a very long time. I put Nuevo Record derailleurs and shifters on my first race bike - a 1984 Kabuki. (Sorry, but Modolo D-brakes were all the rage back then...)

I have two current bikes with your gear on them: a Litespeed Ghisalo with full 10 speed Record (except the FSA Carbon Crank) and a GT cyclocross frame with full 10 speed Chorus. I love your stuff, no doubt.

But seriously, $1100 for your 11 speed crank? $625 for ergopower levers? $550 for a rear derailleur? $250 for a front derailleur? Come on - I know this is your top of the line "Super Record" setup but it makes my blood boil!

For the price of your crank, levers and rear derailleur we can buy any other pro-level kit in its entirety! (Dura-Ace & SRAM Red)

I'm all for R&D. I'm all for saving weight. But when your kit price DOUBLES IN PRICE with one revision - something is wrong.

You can be sure that as I purchase new bikes and/or replace groupos on old frames I'll be looking elsewhere.

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

Bianchi Commuters - single speed and fixed gear.

This sweet 2009 Bianchi Pista mod has flat bars and brakes. Available in blue or chrome!



So cool. Must have.

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes

Trek Lime



I understand that new for 2009 will be a belt drive. Super Sweet!

More Kudos for XtraCycle - Salon.com

Nice article by Mark Benjamin of Salon.com on carless living in Washington DC. 200lbs on the XtraCycle - you da man! Here is the accompanying video:

Four Sin Friday

lust, avarice, gluttony, envy = sweet bikes


Surly Big Dummy by XtraCycle




My goal of carless living is much closer pending a move to the urban Cleveland, Ohio suburb of Lakewood. The Big Dummy is the perfect companion for shopping, kid hauling and commuting with a load.

The build provided by XtraCycle looks pretty good. Not sure you could do any better piecing it together on your own.

An alternative would be to convert my already SS converted Gary Fisher Paragon with the XtraCycle Free Radical Kit. Staying with a SS would be a fun exercise for an XtraCycle...