Do you grind your way up climbs in hard gears? Or are you more of a high-cadence rider? Alex and Ollie are in Mallorca testing out which gearing set-up is faster. Will harder and lower gearing ratios make for a quicker ascent? Or is it as simple as spin to win?
From Road.cc
With the current cost of fuel and the omnipresent risk of wasting time sitting in rush hour traffic, you might be considering commuting to work by bike. We’ll presume you’ve already got the job to commute to, so now you need the bike for the job! That can be a bit of a minefield, so with the help of Trek’s FX range(link is external), here’s a look at some typical steeds that are ideal for the commute, and some top tips to get you on your way.
For many of us, with the right preparation commuting by bike is not only pretty easy, but also a more enjoyable and sustainable way to travel to work. It offers numerous benefits for your health and finances, and may even mean you can stay in bed a little bit longer.
Commuting by bike is a great way to get out in the fresh air and maybe even contribute to maintaining your fitness. Another positive of commuting by bike is that you can generally get closer to the office than in a car. There’s not many people who like sitting in traffic and trying to find parking spaces in tight town centre car parks, not to mention that parking isn’t free for most of us.
The growing network of cycling infrastructure that’s popping up in cities is also making it easier than ever to commute by bike. To help you find the best bike for your commuting duties, we’ve got our hands on Trek’s FX range. This also happens to be the American brand’s best-selling range.
Photo by Mark Stosberg on Unsplash
From PasadenaStarNews.com
The 110 Freeway from Pasadena to Los Angeles was crowded the morning of Sunday, Oct. 29, not with car traffic but rather with a steady flow of everything people-powered.
From folks riding bicycles, scooters, rollerblades, skateboards or just putting one foot in front of the other, more than 50,000 descended on the six-mile closed-off stretch of the Arroyo Seco Parkway just to experience Los Angeles’ oldest freeway without cars from 7 a.m. to a little after 11 a.m.
It marked the second time the same the freeway was closed to vehicles. The first time took place in June 2003, when two professors from Occidental College and several environmental and cycling groups pulled off the inaugural ArroyoFest — drawing about 8,000 people who traversed the lanes of the emptied freeway.
“A new generation will revive the magic,” said Tim Hepburn, mayor of La Verne and president of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments at the starting line of the second ArroyoFest on Mission Street and Orange Grove Avenue in South Pasadena.
Some walked the first Arroyofest with their young children who are now grown and experienced it a second time. Others came from all parts of Southern California to take part in the phenomenon.
“When you are driving it, you’re going like 70 mph. Now it is cool to take it easy and see all the sites. You see the things you don’t see (when driving),” said Heather Rothenay, 39 of Lake Elsinore. She’s taken part in other open streets events in San Diego and Riverside.
Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash
What tools and spares do you actually need to take on your bike rides? And how do you even store them all? Spare inner tubes, a multi tool, a pump, puncture repair kit, quick links for your chain, tyre levers… there’s a lot to consider! Manon goes through what you really need for every ride, then compares bike bags, pockets and other tricks to carry everything!
TWO Community Open Houses are coming up. City staff will share a draft bike plan map, the first time the public can see where they anticipate bike lanes, bike routes, bike parking, and more. Please attend one of these meetings to learn more about the plan, share your feedback, and get engaged in the process.
Please do spread the word. One easy way to do that is to share our Facebook events for each one.
Saturday Nov 11 Facebook event here (Sparr Heights Community Center – in north Glendale)
Sunday Nov 12 Facebook event here (Glendale Adult Rec Center – next to Central Library)
For more information you can visit the city’s Bike Plan website.
From PasadenaNow.com
Pasadena is gearing up for a historic and festive event on Sunday, Oct. 29, when the Arroyo Seco Parkway, also known as the 110 Freeway, will be closed to vehicle traffic and opened to people walking, biking, or on any form of active transportation, for six hours.
The fun event, called ArroyoFest 2023, marks the 20th anniversary of the first time that the parkway was transformed into a car-free zone for biking, walking, and exploring.
If you’re into running, you can sign up and arrive early for the “Run the 110” event, a chip-timed 10K point-to-point run. This starts promptly at 7 a.m. at the north end of the route in South Pasadena. Runners need to arrive at the starting line by 6:30 or 6:45 a.m.
Nothing is worse than being out on your bike enjoying your ride when suddenly disaster strikes and you’re left by the roadside with your bike broken and needing an emergency roadside fix, else you face making the call of shame to get rescued! Fortunately Alex has some great tips and tricks to get you back on your bike quickly and easily and enjoying your ride!
From Bicycling.com
By Micah Ling
Durango, Colorado turned out for “GC Kuss” Thursday afternoon, with a speech from the 2023 Vuelta a España winner, a question and answer session, a bike parade, and an all out party for the hometown hero.
The Durango Herald estimated that at least 2,225 people were in attendance at Buckley Park ahead of the bike parade, and that fans traveled from as far as Houston, Texas just for the celebration. Durango community events administrator Ellen Babers said that there were so many cyclists participating in the bike parade, which made a small loop around town, that Babers and her colleagues were worried the front of the parade would get back to the park before the back of the parade had left.
Legendary cycling announcer Dave Towle facilitated the question/answer session, bringing lots of characters from Kuss’ past up on stage. Mayor Melissa Youssef read a letter congratulating Kuss from Governor Jared Polis. Part of the letter said, “Your humility, outstanding character and championship spirit have brought the Colorado cycling community together and brought great joy to both the city of Durango and the state of Colorado. We all share in Sepp’s victory.”
From TheAtlantic.com
Today’s happiness and personal-finance gurus have no shortage of advice for living a good life. Meditate daily. Sleep for eight hours a night. Don’t forget to save for retirement. They’re not wrong, but few of these experts will tell you one of the best ways to improve your life: Ditch your car.
A year ago, my wife and I sold one of our cars and replaced it with an e-bike. As someone who writes about climate change, I knew that I was doing something good for the planet. I knew that passenger vehicles are responsible for much of our greenhouse-gas emissions—16 percent in the U.S., to be exact—and that the pollution spewing from gas-powered cars doesn’t just heat up the planet; it could increase the risk of premature death. I also knew that electric cars were an imperfect fix: Though they’re responsible for less carbon pollution than gas cars, even when powered by today’s dirty electric grid, their supply chain is carbon intensive, and many of the materials needed to produce their batteries are, in some cases, mined via a process that brutally exploits workers and harms ecosystems and sacred Indigenous lands. An e-bike’s comparatively tiny battery means less electricity, fewer emissions, fewer resources. They are clearly better for the planet than cars of any kind.
I knew all of this. But I also viewed getting rid of my car as a sacrifice—something for the militant and reckless, something that Greenpeace volunteers did to make the world better. I live in Colorado; e-biking would mean freezing in the winter and sweating in the summer. It was the right thing to do, I thought, but it was not going to be fun.
Should you travel with your bike or rent at your destination? This week on the GCN Tech Show, Ollie and Manon break down the logistics of bringing your bike abroad, weighing up the costings and the hassle of bike boxes! We also bring you the latest Hot Tech and an update on the Shimano crank recall….
