Are you wasting your money on overpriced and overhyped cycling tech? Alex and Ollie run through the bike parts and components they think are most overrated. Of course oversized pulley wheels are on the list, but what else? There’s also some hot and spicy tyre tech from Pirelli and Hutchinson, plus the new Pinarello Dogma X and details of Shimano’s big product recall.
From CNN.com
By
popular take on the longtail cargo bike design, with an overbuilt frame that integrates a supersized rack that provides support for almost anything you might want to carry, from double-length panniers to a pair of child seats to an adult passenger. A longtail can easily hold a full week’s worth of groceries plus extra heavy items you might want to pick up along the way, say a couple of 5-gallon jugs of water (we did this a few times), a few chairs, a kid’s bike — whatever you can imagine.
If you’re motivated, a cargo bike really can replace a car for a whole lot of things, and it’s one of the disciplines of cycling where an electric bike makes the most sense, making the huge carrying capacity far more practical for riders who don’t have thighs like tree trunks. We put the RadWagon 4 into rotation for several months to figure out if it was up to the task.
Image courtesy of RadPower.com
From LA.Streetsblog.org
Prioritizing true first mile/last mile infrastructure isn’t somehow optional; it’s how your customers get to and from the transit stations.
Like many people around Los Angeles, I was excited about the opening of the Regional Connector. Like those of us who still drive sometimes (this is L.A., after all), but look for opportunities to do it less, the prospect of a better transit experience is an enticing one. I was driving one day from the Arts District to Union Station and noticed something odd. Construction was wrapping up around the new Little Tokyo Station, and with the barriers removed the basic geometry of the streets around it seemed the same as it was years ago. Remembering the walk across Alameda from the old station to Little Tokyo, I couldn’t understand why nothing was done in anticipation of the many new Metro riders who will surely be walking, biking, or connecting to buses at the new station.
In fact, things were supposed to be done: the $30 million Eastside Access Improvement Project, a package of bicycle and pedestrian improvements around Little Tokyo. At the 2021 groundbreaking ceremony, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins promised that the project would provide “more access, more connectivity, and a safer pedestrian environment than when we started Regional Connector construction so many years ago.”
Soon after I saw Streetsblog L.A. coverage that the bike lanes and other improvements that were promised, approved, and funded were severely cut back or not built at all, without any justification or apology. Think about all the steps that go into a typical public construction project: years of planning, approvals by various agencies, scoping, public outreach, bidding on construction contracts, procurement, clearances, construction, inspections, and final project acceptance. How can half of a $30 million project just vanish?
Photo by Jamshed Khedri on Unsplash
From BikeRadar.com
By Jack Luke
Shimano’s worldwide recall of 11-speed Ultegra and Dura-Ace cranksets now affects 2.8 million units globally.
The original recall was issued after a reported 4,519 incidents of cranksets delaminating in the US and Canada alone, resulting in six injuries.
The recall is set to have an enormous impact on riders, shops and Shimano itself – and it’s not off to a good start.
Muddled communications and unanswered questions have fostered an environment of confusion that Shimano will need to resolve. Bike shops are also frustrated by the expectation they will mop up the mess of an issue that’s been in the public eye for years.
BikeRadar first reported on this issue in April 2020. In that piece, we outlined the possible causes of the failure, which sees the two-part Hollowtech cranksets split in two, sometimes catastrophically.
Here, we analyse what happened in the hours following the announcement and what impact the recall will have on shops and riders.
We also examine the questions left unanswered by Shimano and speak to the man who has arguably done more than anyone else to bring this issue to light.
From BeverlyPress.com
West Hollywood will soon add a component to support its bicycle sharing program, which the council hopes will improve conditions for riders. Bike repair stations will be installed in the city, meaning flat tires, broken spokes and other bicycle malfunctions can be solved with a basic repair kit.
“People commuting through the city by bike should have access to stations where they can make minor bike repairs when necessary,” Councilman John Heilman said. “Installing these repair stations is important to address the needs of cyclists, in the same way we’ve installed electric charging stations for those driving electric cars.”
A similar program has already been implemented in Beverly Hills, with stations equipped with screwdrivers, various types of wrenches, tire levers and a bike pump.
“The city has installed two bike repair stations in Beverly Hills: one in the Third Street parking structure near the Farmers’ Market entrance and one in Beverly Gardens Park adjacent to the North Santa Monica Boulevard high-visibility bike lanes,” Beverly Hills transportation planner Jessie Holzer Carpenter said. “The bike repair stations provide publicly accessible tools for cyclists to make minor repairs to their bicycles, such as pumping tires and adjusting brakes. The feedback we have received from cyclists has all been positive – they have told the city that the tools make it easier to choose to bike instead of drive since they know they will have access to them if they need them.”
There would be two bicycle repair stations total in West Hollywood.
The program was spearheaded by Mayor Pro Tempore John Erickson, who tries to use green transportation options whenever possible.
Photo by Yaw Afari on Unsplash
From PRWeb.com
Select findings from Bike Boom or Bust? Metro & Statewide U.S. Bicycle Activity Trends, include:
National Trends
State Trends
Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash
Top-level bikes, fancy kit and all sorts of accessories mean cycling can become very expensive. But it doesn’t need to be! Manon and Conor have 9 top tips and tricks for you to make cycling more budget friendly without losing any of the enjoyment. So, here’s how to stop wasting your money and have a great time riding your bike!
LA Bike Fest is BikeLA’s 2nd annual fundraiser and celebration of bike-minded people from daily commuters to weekend warriors and everyone in between.
As a Pedal-Powered Party, we encourage our attendees to ride to and from LA Bike Fest via the healthiest, happiest, most sustainable, and equitable transportation available – THE BICYCLE. Of course, we will provide a free bike valet, and the event is a hop, skip, and a roll away from the Chinatown Station for those who plan to ride first and last miles via Metro.
The event is open to all ages, but you must be 21+ to be served beer. Speaking of beer, the first one is on us! Highland Park Brewery will have a bar in our designated area where additional beer can be purchased. For food, our friends at Highland Park Brewery will have a special menu (including a vegan option) also available for purchase. We’ll have music, a 360° photo booth, and our biggest online auction ever stacked with unique experiences, premium subscriptions, fabulous bike accessories, and much more donated by bike-friendly Angelenos and businesses. You could even win one of several brand-new e-bikes! Mark your calendars for when our online auction goes live the week of September 25th!
Check out LA Bike Fest 2022, where we successfully raised vital funds to CREATE a more Bikeable Los Angeles for everyone.
A community engagement meeting on the extension of the Ballona Creek Bike Path will be held at the Culver City Senior Center on Sept. 26 from 7 to 9 pm.
The Ballona Creek Bike Path (Bike Path) currently runs from National Blvd at Syd Kronenthal Park in Culver City to the Santa Monica Bay. The “Streets for All” organization has proposed the Ballona Creek Bike Path Extension Project (Project) to extend the path. The Project would lengthen the Bike Path north-east of Syd Kronenthal Park to where Ballona Creek begins at Cochran Ave and Venice Blvd in the City of Los Angeles.
Approximately 30%, 0.8 miles, of the proposed extension would run through the City of Culver City across public land and private property owned by Red Car Properties and impact the public right of way in multiple locations. The extension would then continue into the City of Los Angeles for an addition 1.5 miles, crossing beneath the 1-10 Freeway along the way.
In addition to the pathway extension along Ballona Creek, the Project concept plans include a bridge over Ballona Creek at Smiley Dr, a freeway underpass, and street crossings at Washington Blvd, La Cienega Blvd, and Fairfax Blvd. The Project would also involve landscaping and beautification efforts along the route and could include creation of public green spaces and opportunities for art installations.
Sepp Kuss explains his journey from Durango, Colorado, to the top of the 2023 Vuelta a España podium in Madrid, sharing the podium Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic.
