Winter riding takes a toll on your bike, leading to mechanical problems and can result in you becoming stranded at the roadside in the cold and wet. Ollie runs through an essential bike maintenance checklist, to help save you cash and keep your rides hassle-free!
From NYMag.com
By
As a city-based cyclist, I know how hard it can be to find a safe and functional bike helmet that doesn’t look totally dorky. Luckily, on the safety front, all bike helmets sold in the United States must meet the same strict Consumer Product Safety Commissionstandard. Which means “the protection offered by most helmets is pretty similar,” says Randy Swart, the executive director of the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. “And it’s a good level of protection.”
With that knowledge, you can pretty much just pick a helmet according to your personal riding habits and how much you’re willing to spend in the name of comfort and aesthetics. And you’ll definitely want to make sure your new helmet fits properly. It should sit level on your head with the chin strap drawn so the helmet moves slightly downward as you open your mouth. The fit should be snug enough that you’re significantly loosening and tightening the rear adjustment dial (or equivalent mechanism) in order to take the helmet on and off. A well-fitted helmet should feel comfortable and relatively weightless. “It’s like a seatbelt,” says Swart. “Once you put it on and buckle it, you should pretty much forget it’s there.”
Find the best bike helmets for different kinds of riders below, as tested out by myself, fellow Strategist staffers, and a wide range of experienced cycling experts — including a budget pick that should work for both road racers and casual commuters, helmets for large and small heads, and a collapsible helmet approved by the Citi Bike crowd. While you’re here, I’ve also written guides to buying kids’ helmets and cruiser bikes.
From Redfin.com
California, a state renowned for its stunning coastlines, towering redwoods, and vibrant cities, offers more than just picturesque views. It’s also a haven for cycling enthusiasts, with numerous cities that prioritize bike-friendly infrastructure.
In this Redfin article, we delve into the top bikeable cities in the Golden State, exploring everything from the tech-savvy streets of Mountain View to the sun-drenched paths of Santa Monica. Join us as we pedal through the most bike-friendly cities in California.
Bike Score: 92
Median Sale Price: $1,850,000
Median Rent Price: $3,280
Mountain View, a suburb of San Jose, is the most bikeable city in California with a bike score of 92. One of the most bikeable cities in the country, the region boasts several cyclist-friendly neighborhoods, like Old Mountain View and Monta Loma. These areas contain bike lanes and numerous attractions accessible by bike.
Photo by Jack Finnigan on Unsplash
Alex is back from the Tour Down Under, and joins Ollie to ask ‘are all-rounder bikes like the Specialized Tarmac SL8 slower than racing on specific climbing, or aero bikes’? There’s the usual look through the latest news stories from the world of cycling technology, and make sure to check out which of your bikes are supernice this week
From Firecracker10k.org
From LATimes.com
MICHAEL CHARBONEAU
In our car-choked, freeway-stitched metropolis, this might sound strange or possibly absurd, but it’s something I believe to be true: Los Angeles is an amazing place to ride a bike.
Yes, there’s lots of evidence to the contrary. In 2022, L.A. reached a grim milestone — 312 people died in traffic collisions, including 20 cyclists. Wide arterial roads filled with speeding vehicles crisscross the city, creating a dangerous environment for people on bikes. And despite much fanfare, L.A.’s proposed citywide network of bike lanes and paths remains largely just an idea on paper (though a proposed ballot measurecould change that).
L.A. is far from perfect. But if you look beyond the bad news, the City of Angels has so much to offer cyclists. From nearly ideal year-round weather to an abundance of terrain options for riding, the city stands out for many reasons, but none is more important than the incredible community of cyclists who live and pedal in L.A.
Don’t believe me? Spend some time in the city’s bike shops.
“I’ve been riding bikes in Los Angeles for almost 20 years now,” says Kyle Kelley, co-owner of Allez LA bike shop in Highland Park. “I’ve never gone anywhere and felt the love that I feel with the bicycle community here.”
Jonas Vingegaard and Sepp Kuss. Grand Tour winners and two of the biggest names in professional cycling. They are amongst the fittest men on the planet, with legs and minds of steel. No one can beat them. Or can they? We have the perfect athlete to challenge the Visma Lease-A-Bike’s lead riders. Dan Lloyd. Can the pull-up king push Kuss and Vingegaard out of Zone 2?
From CnTraveler.com
Cycling in New York can be intimidating, but with a bit of research and planning you can glide through iconic spots like Coney Island and Central Park on two wheels.
By FRANCESCA CARINGTON
I began my exploration of the countless bike paths in New York City as soon as I arrived. As a longtime cyclist in London, I knew that cycling is a satisfying way to get to know a city as a newcomer, and it’s no different in New York: you whip through neighborhoods, witnessing the landscape changing character dramatically between blocks. (My first ever bike ride took me past the copper-colored mansions of Brooklyn Heights, along the tourist-crowded cobbled streets of Dumbo, through Hasidic South Williamsburg and ended outside a crummy dive bar on Grand.) Riding a bike also requires a certain mindset, a kind of calm hyper awareness as you assess your surroundings. It means that you really notice things on a bike: potholes and perfectly flattened rats that need dodging, but also scraps of conversations, or the gauzy silhouette of the Empire State Building peeking out behind skyscrapers to signpost where you are.
While biking through Manhattan has its chaotic charms, I love to cycle around Brooklyn most of all, past elaborately named churches and along brownstone-lined streets, getting splashed by the water from hydrants as children play in the water on scorching summer days, wheeling my bike down streets closed for block parties, or pausing to admire families’ dramatic Halloween decorations. And when you puff uphill over the bridges from Brooklyn to Manhattan on a bright winter morning, the saturated colors of the city etched onto a clear sky, New York can literally take your breath away.
Navigating the bike paths in New York City can be intimidating, even for locals, but with a bit of research and planning you can take advantage of both official bike lanes and quieter backstreets. There are also riverside bike lanes running up both the east and west sides of Manhattan (with a thirty-block gap around the United Nations on the east side), as well as cycle paths contouring the key routes through Brooklyn. Whatever your style, on a bike, the city reveals itself to you.
Here are some of my favorite routes through New York‘s various boroughs.
From Road.cc
You might have seen our recent article on how to boost your fitness when aged over 50, but then asked, “what about us cyclists who’ve had a few more birthdays?” One of those people was no other than road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, who at the age of 61 has set himself a goal to improve his fitness in 2024.
To help Tony out and defog the mysterious world of fitness as you age, we’ve drafted in the help of Jason Streather of PDQ Cycle Coaching(link is external). Jason works with plenty of aged 60+ athletes, and even coaches cyclists in their 80s who are still racing.
Don’t worry though! We realise that not everyone wants to race or even be fast. Tony, for example, is now far less interested in his wattage output and simply cycles because that’s what he loves doing, and finds it a good way of keeping fit. In this feature and video (at the top if you prefer to watch), we’ll cover changing motivations as you get older, how you might want to modify your training, plus tips and advice on how to avoid injury.
Other than the fact that most sports are good for you no matter your age, Streather explained to us that cycling is particularly attractive because of its low-impact nature.
We know that bike technology has changed a lot in the last 50 years, but how much? And beyond the tech, how does a modern bike with the latest wireless Campagnolo Super Record compare to the iconic Nuovo Record, ridden by the legend Eddy Merckx? Does it have the same soul? Si takes out two bikes to compare them.
