Monthly Archives: June 2009

Riding on Electric Bikes

Treehugger founder Graham Hill shares his thoughts on riding around San Francisco on an electric assist bike. His experience matches my own when Pacific let me try the Schwinn Tailwind for an extended period. It’s heavy, but you usually don’t really notice the weight even with the motor off. These are not ‘go fast’ bikes read more »

Conferences and bike promotion

Sun Microsystems (my employer) actively encourages non-car transportation to the annual JavaOne conference by offering shuttle service to hotels not within walking distance and to the 4th & King Caltrain station. Most conference websites give driving directions and parking information, while JavaOne only gave information on public transportation options to the Moscone, with an interactive read more »

SRAM Torpedo?

What do you all think of SRAM’s Torpedo SS/fixed hub? This is like a flip flop hub, except there’s not flipping or flopping. To convert from singlespeed to fixed mode, you give seven full twists of a screw on the hub. Brad @ Urban Velo has a unit on test, but I’m curious if anybody read more »

Kicks

Model Agyness Deyn out shopping for a new bicycle in central London.

California may take gas tax

While the U.S. Federal Government contemplates supplementing the Highway Trust Fund from the general fund, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes raiding the state gas tax to pay into the general state budget. This move would take $750 million from local transportation budgets statewide each year. For cities that rely heavily on state funds to repair read more »

First comes love, then comes marriage and the baby carriage

Long ago, I suggested a bicycle honeymoon to Husband, covering a route from central New York, where we then lived, to the Capital Region, where I had relatives. More in “Bicyclists bring business“. Bike Commute Tips: Pregnancy and bicycling? Constitutional… Citizen Rider: Cycling is a civil right. Bob Mionske: Is cycling a right or a read more »