Bike Month: Bringing out the Bikeyness in Everyone

With May as Bike Month now being recognized in more and more places, I'm starting to see more companies and people doing little things here and there to celebrate it.  I have to admit, it's pretty awesome that all of the places that I frequently visit are now in bike mode, and even if it's only for a short while it at least gets people aware and might even get a few more out riding.  Here's some of what I've seen recently!

Mint, a fairly popular budgeting website, has finally caught on that biking can (surprise) save you money.  If you log in, you're given a financial tip about biking that will take you to an infographic, which you can check out here.  They talk about the cost of a bike vs. a car, and even though many of us still own vehicles, the cost of filling up multiple times a month compared to filling up every other month or so does add up.  And with all of the money you save using your bike instead of a car, you can spend it on more bike stuff!  

The health benefits of cycling are also mentioned, and with cyclists taking less sick days, getting exercise, and other benefits overall, it sure beats sitting in a gym on a spin bike!

Modcloth, a vintage themed clothing site, is also celebrating bike month with a whole section of cycling-inspired clothing and accessories.  Modcloth mostly caters to women (sorry guys), but looking at their featured bike gear shows a lot of fun stuff with even a few mens t-shirts included in the mix.  It might seem like a small thing, but I'm glad that Modcloth has chosen to promote cycling, especially in such a casual, welcoming way.  People don't need to be intimidated and think that you need a full kit and a bike that costs more than your soul to ride, and the more people feel comfortable riding casually on whatever bike they love, the better!  

Timbuk2 is also celebrating with some nifty new commuter bags, and they've started a Bikeshare program.  Plus they have a whole slew of bike related products all made in SF.  They're also having a Facebook giveaway - enter here!

And what better way to get people to ride by having them compete against each other?  Team Bike Challenege is a Bay Area competition where your company and your team can compete for points against others.  Points are based on miles and trips, with more rewarded for trips that would replace a car and frequency of riding.  There are some prizes from REI for the winners, though it looks like Apple is in the lead and is going to beat everyone...again.

REI of course is celebrating bike month with classes and events, depending on your area.  REI has always been a big advocate of cycling anyway, and also supports Bike to Work Day/Month in the Bay Area with incentives for those that pledge to ride (and do) for the first time.  Last year they sent me a $40 gift card just because I rode every day!  They have also expanded their commuter line quite a bit, so if you've been looking for good clothing to use on your rides to and from work, check them out.  

And, surprisingly, Walmart - yes, Walmart is having a Bike Month sale, with their bikes and bike accessories all marked down.  Now, I don't support box store bikes, but if it makes their customer base aware that Bike Month is a thing, and maybe gets a few more people out riding...then I might allow it.  

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great (and bike-full) Memorial Day Weekend!  Get out there and ride!

A Healthy Dose of Inspiration

Lately I've been consuming quite a bit of framebuilding related content.  I've been reading, watching, taking notes, and absorbing absolutely everything that I can, and what I've learned is that there are some killer builders out there who are awesome enough to share their work.  While there are many more that I've yet to discover, here are a couple of people that are pretty dang inspiring:

In the cycling world, Icarus has become synonymous with lovely, unique frames and beautifully crafted bikes, and I still maintain the bike below is one of the most stunning ever made.  On his Flickr, Ian shows off beautiful brazing and some of the coolest designs I've ever seen. 



Bishop has been crafting classic frames with a modern flair for quite some time now, and does a wonderful job of documenting most of the process.  I love the usage of vintage tubing and parts mixed in among the modern, such as a DI2 compatible fillet brazed stem.  The frame below is crafted with Columbus MS tubing...check out those chainstays!  



Though only recently introduced to me, I really dig the designs of A-Train Cycles.  Doing everything from road to fat bikes, A-Train photographs everything from the beginning to shots of bikes in the wild.  Beautiful frames with attention to detail, and every headbadge is carved by hand!




Continuing to be an inspiration to every aspiring framebuilder (and also an all around nice guy), Stanridge Speed consistently puts out drool worthy frames.  Amazing fillets and miters about as tight as you can get them are just some components of these frames - they also always come with a pretty great paint job.




These builders all worked hard to get to where they are, and it takes much, much more than just oogling over photos and reading The Paterek Manual to make someone a builder.  But I am glad that these builders chose to share their work an continue to inspire cyclists and other builders alike.  I've got a long way to go, but I'll get there!

Women's (And Men's) Cycling Jeans Now At REI!

Looks like they won't be in store until September, but they're online!  If they're the same as the capris from earlier this year then I assume sizes will transfer pretty well.  It's still too summery here to move to long pants just yet, but I've been wearing the Novara commuter shorts all summer long and really dig them.

The rest of the fall line is available too, with a plethora of jackets, long sleeved shirts, and what looks like some rain and snow resistant gear as well.  There's plenty more where that came from, and everything is available for both men and women - so go online or check your local REI if you're looking to snag some new gear this winter.

I feel like a hybrid commuter with my full kit and all out speed demonry in the mornings and my relaxed clothing and leisurely jaunts in the evenings.  I'm sure that breaks some rule somewhere.  Kind of like how I enjoy both the bay area and Los Angeles.  

Going back to the theme of seasons, summer brings out some awesome people.  

It's ultra absorbent.

Seeing a bit of wackiness brought to the peninsula is always refreshing.  Like the slew of yarn bombings that have hit San Mateo recently.

I'm all for this - it protects my frame!

And now I give you Chris Froome Looking At Stems.

Sunday Linkage

After testing out the new bottom bracket today, I have a new appreciation for bottom brackets in general.  It feels a million times better than the old one - much stiffer and more responsive.  

To share some of the cool bike related things I found this week...  

Trek is doing a fundraiser for the World Bicycle Relief where they'll match any amount that you donate. To make things even better, Fat Cyclist is having a contest where you get entered when you donate, and can win some awesome bike gear.  

If you're into trying out new gear for riding, check out Bike Loot.  For about ten bucks each month, you get a box full of goodies containing everything from "gels, bars, hydration, and maintenance."  Seems like a cool way to get exposed to a lot of products.

Bike Tinker is a great blog about, well, tinkering with bikes.  There are a lot of cool fixes and some really clever ideas to be found here.  

Combining two of my favorite things, Cupcake Ride is a blog dedicated to bicycles and cupcakes.  Lots of great photos about bicycle adventuring in Toronto, and of course organized rides that visit lots of cupcakeries.  

New Kit Day is making cycling kits right here in the Bay Area, and I dig the designs they have.  Also, much of the promotional material was shot at Hellyer!

And finally, Hipster Sled might be one of my new favorite terms.

That's all I got!