October 2022

Bicycle Storage Solutions

A beginner’s guide to indoor, outdoor, small-space, garage, stylish, and DIY bicycle storage ideas.

Anyone who owns a bike will at some point need to think about bicycle storage. As much as we’d love to, we unfortunately can’t be riding our bikes every minute of the day, so where do we put them when we’re not using them?

With dirty wheels, wide handlebars, and the seemingly unpreventable tendency to scuff up the walls, bicycles don’t exactly invite themselves inside – most especially at work or in small apartments. But as they’re attractive to thieves and susceptible to weather damage, most people don’t want to simply leave their bikes outside either. Fortunately, the bike industry understands the dilemma. There are numerous bike storage solutions for all manner of circumstances and all different types of bikes – storing your bicycle in a secure and convenient fashion has never been easier. This guide will show you how to show store your bike at home, at work, in a large house, or in a small apartment.

Though there is considerable usage overlap between products and methods, we’ve loosely broken down the options into the following five categories:

Outdoor Bicycle Storage

If you’re lucky enough to have available outdoor space, storing your bicycle is going to be a much easier process. Numerous options exist for outdoor bike storage that range from high-security setups to methods that simply protect your bike from the elements, but which won’t add much security against theft. Deciding which one to go with just requires assessing your needs from a security and aesthetic standpoint, then deciding how much you’re able to spend. Here are the best options for keeping your steed safe and sound in the yard:

Images courtesy of HANOVER

Healthy Streets LA is on the 2024 Ballot!

What is the Healthy Streets LA ballot measure?

The ballot measure will require the City of Los Angeles to implement its Mobility Plan 2035 whenever the City repaves or otherwise works on a street. Doing so will save money, reduce traffic, make the streets safer, and give people more options to get around town, helping to clean our air. You can read the full text of the measure here. Here is a Google Slides Overview.

Why is the measure needed?

Since the passage of the Mobility Plan in 2015, Los Angeles has only implemented 95 miles out of 3,137 miles planned (about 3% in 7 years). Our city is ignoring its own plan, and even worse, sometimes working against it. A legal mandate is needed to get the city to do what they have already said they want to do, and to give us, its residents, cleaner air, safer streets, less traffic, and options on how we get around town.

If it passed, what changes would I see in the city?

The change would be dramatic. You would see a city that is inviting to walk in, safer to bike in, faster to take the bus in, and easier to get around, all while saving lives, reducing traffic, and improving air quality.

What needs to happen to get the measure on the ballot?

We need to collect approximately 93,000 signatures from registered voters in the City of Los Angeles in 100 days, starting around mid February. While that may sound like a lot, it’s doable! Our goal is to have 250 volunteers collecting signatures for about four hours per week.

Learn More

in Featured by Forsyth 20 Oct 2022 0 comments

If you’ve been cycling for a while, you may have heard of unlocking the perfect pedalling technique to eke out those extra watts. But does souplesse even matter? Conor takes a deep-dive into the science of pedalling style, to see whether you should be working on your technique.

in Featured by Forsyth 17 Oct 2022 0 comments

Endurance Bikes vs Gravel Bikes – What are the differences and which is best for you?

From Road.cc

by LIAM CAHILL

Tyre clearance, geometry, gearing and more. There’s a lot that separates an endurance bike from a gravel bike

We made a video explaining the differences between a road race bike and an endurance bike and the comments section was littered with literally a few of you asking us to make a similar video comparing endurance bikes and gravel bikes. Well, ask and you shall receive.

But before we start delving into the details, it may well be helpful for some of you if we have a look at what gravel bikes and endurance bikes actually are.

An endurance bike sits in the road category. It is generally considered to be something that is designed for comfort and efficiency over longer rides and for this reason, these bikes are very popular with recreational and club road riders.

A gravel bike, meanwhile, is a bike that is designed primarily to be capable on unpaved gravel tracks. ‘Gravel bike’ is, to be honest, a bit of a null and void term these days because, like the term ‘road bike’, it encompasses too many niches. There are gravel bikes for super-keen racers, people that want to go cycle camping and there’s even a gravel bike type called monster gravel bikes. They’re for ridiculously gnarly stuff.

In fact, there are often rather large overlaps in real-world user cases when it comes to gravel and endurance bikes. This is most commonly seen when you take the more relaxed end of the endurance bike market and the more road-orientated end of the gravel bike market. And it is also well worth mentioning that both bike types are very popular with commuters.

But the basic premise is that an endurance road bike goes a long way on the road in comfort and a gravel bike opens up the stuff that you can’t do on a road bike.

Photo by Viktor Bystrov on Unsplash

Here’s What You Need to Start E-Bike Commuting

From Bicycling.com

By Laura McCamy

My family has been car-free for 15 years, and during that time, my Bay Area commute has never been more than a couple of miles. Riding to work is my morning cup of coffee, but in recent years, I’ve found myself taking the bus or asking for a ride more often. I realized an e-bike was the solution to keep me rolling on two wheels.

An electric bike, like a classic bike, is a fabulous tool. It makes biking a viable choice for people who have long commutes, need to transport kids or cargo, or live in hilly places that might otherwise be hard to bike around. And, when you feel that extra boost from the electric motor, you might just get hooked.

One of my favorite things about getting around by e-bike is that, other than charging the battery, there’s not much to worry about. Instead of clipless-ready cycling shoes, I can ride in my favorite platform sandals without sacrificing speed or performance, and I don’t have to worry about sweating through my work clothes. My bike, like most e-bikes, has built-in lights powered by the battery, so I never ride home in the dark because I forgot to charge my lights.

All you really need to start e-bike commuting is the bike itself. However, there are a few essential considerations that can make your transition easier.

First, get an e-bike with a built-in motor rather than adding after-market power to your current ride. The performance and safety of a bike designed to be electric far surpasses a DIY add-on. To help offset the cost, check whether you qualify for a local rebate or purchase incentive. Government agencies are slowly waking up to the fact that e-bikes are an excellent way to replace car trips and protect the environment, so they deserve subsidies similar to what’s already available for electric vehicles.

We Tried To Drink 10 Coffees On One Ride & This Is What Happened!

We at GCN love coffee and we love adventure, so we planned a 200km ride to combine the two. The idea: visit 11 cafes in a single ride to fill out a coffee loyalty card and get the 11th one free. Si, Hank, Conor and Ollie tried out the new Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM to make sure they didn’t get lost on the way. It’s the ultimate cafe ride… what could possibly go wrong?

in Featured by Forsyth 10 Oct 2022 0 comments

Move over Provence, Napa Valley could become cycling destination with new trail

From momentummag.com

Written by: Robert Isenberg

Picture it: a 47-mile bike trail, smooth and flat, cutting through bucolic farmland. A full 260 sunny days per year, and four seasons of rideable weather. A string of quaint little towns nestled among rolling hills and rows of grape vines. And more than 300 wineries to sample.

What is this heavenly place? Tuscany? Catalonia? Provence? Good guesses.

How about Napa Valley, California.

What is it?

The project is called the Vine Trail, a non-motorized route that will snake its way across this viticultural mecca. The Vine Trail won’t be finished until at least 2027, but 12.5 continuous miles already exist between the towns of Napa and Yountville, and 15 more miles should be paved and ready within the year.

Napa trail history

The idea for the Vine Trail dates back to the early 1990s, when a local vintner named Tom Shelton started brainstorming a multi-use trail. Napa felt like fertile ground, with its pleasant climate and many sporty residents. But to create an unbroken system, trail builders might have to contend with private property; residents assumed that landowners — mostly farmers — would resist. Shelton hit gridlock for more than a decade, but he never gave up on his idea.

Then came Chuck McMinn, a veteran entrepreneur who had helped establish a dozen businesses in Silicon Valley between 1978 and 2000. McMinn and his wife came to own a winery called Vineyard 29, and they settled permanently in Napa in 2004. From there, the couple became invested in the valley’s quality of life. They were avid travelers and liked to explore new places on rented bicycles.

Photo by Ugi K. on Unsplash

CSUN BikeFest – Sunday, October 23, 2022

Family Fun for Everyone!

The CSUN College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is pleased to present the 1st Annual CSUN BikeFest event! Whether you ride for fun, health, transportation, or anything in-between, biking offers something for everyone.

Join CSBS for a day of fun with vendors, safety and skill demonstrations, music, food, job fair and even an outdoor spin class! We’ll cap off the day with a costume group ride appropriate for beginner, casual & experienced riders.

Don’t have a bike? Don’t worry, you can still walk and roll with us! All abilities are welcome.

Campus Parking

The closest parking lots to our event are:

F-5 Surface lot
G-4 Surface lot
G-3 Structure
G-3 surface lot.

View a campus map (.pdf).

Parking permits are required at all times in all areas of campus. Parking permits must be properly displayed to avoid parking citations.

All-day parking permits cost $9.50. Visit the Parking and Transportation Services website for more information and purchasing options.

in Featured by Forsyth 10 Oct 2022 0 comments

How To Avoid These 8 Gravel Riding Mistakes

Gravel riding is becoming ever more popular, and all of the GCN presenters have now taken part in at least one gravel event – except Dan Lloyd! We’ve made all the mistakes, and learnt a thing or two in how to avoid them, so here is a list of all the basic mistakes you could be making, and how you can make sure they don’t happen to you!

in Featured by Forsyth 06 Oct 202206 Oct 2022 0 comments

CicLAvia–Heart of LA – October 09

CicLAvia–Heart of LA

On Sunday, October 9, we’re opening up streets in in downtown Los Angeles so you can jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate, and enjoy the route however you want. Our routes are welcoming to people of all ages and abilities! This CicLAvia is presented by Metro.

Be sure to join our email list so you don’t miss any event news and updates. And check out our article on Local Gems so you don’t miss anything on or off the route!

New to CicLAvia?

Here are some things to know before you go:

CicLAvia is FREE!
CicLAvia lasts from 9am to 4pm.
CicLAvia closes streets to car traffic and opens them for people to walk, skate, bike, play, and explore parts of Los Angeles County.
CicLAvia is not a race! There’s no starting point or finish line—begin where you like and enjoy the day your way.
CicLAvia traffic flows in two directions, just like regular traffic. Check out more rules of the route.
As a general rule of thumb, only people-powered vehicles are allowed, with exceptions for persons with disabilities. That means we do not allow electric scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, unicycles, motorcycles and other non-people-powered vehicles, but we do allow motorized wheelchairs and related vehicles for people with disabilities. We want to make sure that everyone can enjoy our route.