janothercyclist-blog

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VeloReviews has moved!

VeloReviews has moved! Check it out at https://news.justanothercyclist.com

VeloReviews.com has now moved to news.justanothercyclist.com. Same great industry and sport news updates, now with a new name.

[janothercyclist-blog]

Review: Cache Lifestyle Backpack by Lizard Skins

Review: Cache Lifestyle Backpack by Lizard��Skins

Cache Lifestyle Backpack by Lizard Skins

Lizard Skins introduced a new backpack in September of 2017 – the Cache Lifestyle Backpack. This bag combines all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a modern commuter or all-around backpack into a remarkably usable product. If you are looking for a new backpack for daily use, this is well worth considering.

We like to use the Ortlieb Velocityas…

[janothercyclist-blog]

What is a cycling journalist to do?

What is a cycling journalist to do?

Scene from “The Program.” Armstrong and Landis in hotel room.

I miss bike races. I miss watching them. I miss following them. I miss enjoying them without needing to be cynical constantly. But mostly I miss the constant feed of interesting things to write about.

As a cycling journalist bloggerhack, finding something interesting to write about on a regular basis is the food that feeds the soul. It…

[janothercyclist-blog]

Sacramento Bike Trails: The promise and challenges

Sacramento Bike Trails: The promise and challenges

American River Bike Trail, Sacramento, CA

When you mention Sacramento bike trails, many area residents immediately think of the American River Bike trail. Also known as Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, the 32 mile mixed use path winds along the American River between Sacramento and Folsom, CA. The trail is regarded as one of the longest paved purpose-built bike trails in the country. Not surprising…

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Freedom Cycle System, showing both regular and aero bottles

Adding to a running list of bicycle related Kickstarter projects is Australian effort Freedom Cycle System. We’ve seen numerous bicycle related products get the “kickstarter improvement – everything from helmets to pedals to lights. Usually these projects revolve around making something “smarter” – or, cramming a bunch of electronics into them and somehow linking them to a phone app. It would be hard to imagine a way to make the lowly bicycle water bottle cage smarter. I don’t need an app to tell me if there is bottle there after all. But Freedom Cycle Systems is focused on making it better. Which is what “smarter” used to mean. 

The innovation here is replacing the standard “finger” style water bottle cage that we all have with a pin type system that fits into purpose built bottles and other accessories. Or, in the words of the creator Steve Serpell:

Our water bottle sits on, not in.

  One of the advantages of the design is much more flexible range of motion when removing the bottle from the holder. This not only provides ease of use, it also address the very real space problems inherent in compact frames.

The current project will be shipping the mounting pin, a round “toolbox” (basically an empty bottle with no squirty top) and both round and aero water bottles. We had to have aero, right? Oh, and they’ve got the wind tunnel testing data to go with it.

Other future products are hinted at on the Kickstarter page.

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It is this interchangeability that, for me, is perhaps most attractive. I can easily have my aero bottles on race day, a regular bottle and a packed lunch for the weekend ride, a tool kit and water for club rides, and a bag full of goodies for the family ride. And I will be able to carry all of this on the same bike, from the same two mounts.

But big ideas start small when someone has to physically make the stuff. Currently it is only the translucent bottles that are available – including round, aero and the tool box.

The design won Steve Serpell the Bendigo Inventor Award in 2012, and runner up in the DRIVENxDESIGN Sydney Design Awards the same year.

Some may balk a bit at needing to purchase system specific bottles for this system however. Kickstarter pricing is AU$ 25 for the round bottle, and AU$ 35 for the aero (about $20 and $24 US) so we can expect eventual retail prices to be somewhat higher than that. That puts it about middle of the road for other aero bottles, but more than the branded cheapy round water bottles that bike shops practically give away. I haven’t yet found details on exactly how the nozzle is to be constructed for the water bottles, but it appears to be rubber in the videos.

Water bottle with removable top and bottom, pictured with mounting pin assembly

The Kickstarter campaign offers a rather flexible contribution plan, allowing you to pick and choose various parts of the system that will be offered at launch. It is projected that Kickstarter orders will ship by the end of 2018.

Freedom Cycle System reimagines the water bottle Adding to a running list of bicycle related Kickstarter projects is Australian effort Freedom Cycle System. We've seen numerous bicycle related products get the "kickstarter improvement - everything from…

[janothercyclist-blog]

Ford Motor Company Bike Rack Patent

Ford Motor Company Bike Rack Patent

Ford Motor Company has notably been in the bicycle news lately as the title sponsor of the San Francisco bike share program Ford GoBike. But a recent patent application by the company is geared towards those that own both cars and bikes with a Retractable Bicycle Carrier. (more…)

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There, and back again...

There, and back again…

…a cyclists tale.

Way back when, I started riding a bike as an easy way to make the monumental commute from Sacramento, CA to Palo Alto. It was a 7 mile bike ride, to the Amtrak Capitol Corridor train, to a bus, to another train. I did it 3 days a week on average. The bike was a very practical thing, and I had a very practical bike.

(more…)

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Chicago balks at contra-flow bike lane, while SF rejects paint-only treatment

Chicago balks at contra-flow bike lane, while SF rejects paint-only treatment

Some folks in Chicago are a little confused about why city engineers would actually want to make cyclists ride against traffic. In infrastructure terms this is known as a “contra-flow bike lane.” At first glance, it takes the norm of bikes riding the same direction of travel as cars and intentionally turns it on it’s head.

Photo by Dianne Yee. Used with permission. https://www.flickr.com/photos/2…

[janothercyclist-blog]

NAHBS won't be coming back to Salt Lake City, Utah

NAHBS won’t be coming back to Salt Lake City, Utah

Official press release from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS):

  Portland, OR, 2/19/17 –  NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) releases their official statement regarding the state of Utah and land policy that is affecting the outdoor and cycling industry.

http://www.2017.handmadebicycleshow.com

  Aligning with the recent actions taken by other brands that exhibit at…

[janothercyclist-blog]

The winter of my discontent

The winter of my discontent

“Oh c’mon. Work can wait an hour. Ride across me! You’ll love it!” — Golden Gate Bridge Siren Song

It has been a tough month. Well, tough couple of months. Many of the readers can understand the impact a lack of bike riding can have on an avid cyclist. When I should have been basking in my new bike glory, I’ve instead struggled against a series of both planned and unplanned events that seem like…

[janothercyclist-blog]

2017 North American Handmade Bicycle Show

2017 North American Handmade Bicycle Show

Tickets are now on sale for the 2017 North American Handmade Bicycle Show. The event is scheduled for the weekend of March 10-12, in Salt Lake City.

The event has a strong following, with 117 exhibitors currently listed on the NAHBS website.

Returning this year is the University of Iowa. You may recall all the attention generated by them in past years. In fact, we featured a bike from UoI…

[janothercyclist-blog]

Happy Holidays! #lifebehindbars

[janothercyclist-blog]

"Can I ride again yet doc???"

[janothercyclist-blog]

2016 Seattle To Portland Ride Report

2016 Seattle To Portland Ride Report

While I’ve talked a lot about the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride in the past, I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it this year. Luckily David Bussey did – and completed it in one day. David is a long time friend of JustAnotherCyclist.com, and was also one of the core members of the VeloReviews online cycling community. I’m excited that David agreed to share his experiences at the 2016 STP.

STP…

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Far End Gear XDU stereo earbud

Far End Gear XDU stereo earbud

Far End Gear XDU stereo earbud

I avoided riding with headphones for a long time. I simply wasn’t that comfortable with my ears covered – especially in busy San Francisco traffic. I had experimented a couple of times with riding with one earbud in. But this invariably lead to me either hearing only half of the music, or switching back and forth between stereo and mono settings on my iPhone.…

[janothercyclist-blog]

Salsa Vaya Adventure Touring Bike

Salsa Vaya Adventure Touring Bike

2017 Salsa Vaya Claris with Tubus Cosmo rear rack and Ortlieb Backpacker plus

The 2017 Salsa Vaya has some updates over previous model years, and one of those is the introduction of a Claris 8 speed build. The bike is being sold as a “road adventure and light touring bike.” I started looking to build up my own touring bike out or Eloise – my vintage Motobecane. As the price point for the SRAM…

[janothercyclist-blog]

Coros LINX Smart Cycling Helmet safely delivers audio

Coros LINX Smart Cycling Helmet safely delivers audio

Redmond, WA company Coros Wearables is launching a new helmet that comes with more than the usual bells and whistles. The product, launched on KickStarter, has been dubbed the Coros LINX Smart Cycling Helmet. In a nutshell, it is a bunch of useful technology stuck into a bicycle helmet. If you are going to wear a helmet, you might as well use one that comes with a smartphone app.

(more…)