My favorite biking gear I’ve tested this year, from locks to helmets and more

From Elektrek.co

By

At Electrek, we cover plenty of new electric cars and other EVs as part of an overarching goal of shifting transportation towards a more sustainable future. But it’s important to keep in mind that electric cars aren’t the only answer – sometimes a vehicle much smaller than a car is an even better tool for the job.

But to use that tool to its fullest, it can help to have a few other tools along the way. As someone who gets around almost entirely on two-wheels, here’s my list of the coolest gear I’ve tested on my e-bikes so far this year.

As a point of housekeeping, let me note that some of this gear was purchased and some was given to me by companies hoping I’d say something nice about their product. Throughout the year several things show up on my desk that never make it to these lists because frankly they aren’t good enough. So in summary, if I say I bought something here, I bought it. Anything else was given to me as a media sample and was truly good enough for me to want to honestly write about it.

Woowind electric bike pump

I’ve used a few electric pumps over the years, but this is one I bought a few months ago to have as a spare and I’ve been super happy with it.

It claims to go up to 120 PSI, though I never run my tires that high so I’ve only used it up to around 40 PSI. But I can confirm that the battery lasts a long time, it feels well made with an aluminum case, and it’s even bright red so it doesn’t get lost in a pile of black bike gear.

I’ve never actually run it empty, but I tend to charge it every ten uses or so and it’s never made me feel like it was about to run out of battery.

 

 

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

f Wider Road Bike Tires Are Better, Why Not Go SUPER Wide?!

How wide is too wide for road bike tires? We know that wider tires are faster, but how wide can you go until this stops being true? Hank and Alex are back with more GCN Does Science to test out three different tire widths: standard 26mm, chunky 35mm and super-size 50mm. How much does tire width really affect comfort, confidence, bike handling and speed?

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

Metro unveils plan for walking, bicycling or rolling to a train station or bus stop

From SGVTribune.com

By

LA Metro laid out a plan on Tuesday to create a chain of paths, regional bikeways and pedestrian crossings to connect passengers who are walking, rolling or bicycling to and from the transit agency’s train lines, bus stops and depots.

The release of the agency’s Active Transportation Strategic Plan is the first update in seven years to a plan from 2016, but it comes with a hefty price tag, no concrete funding sources and plenty of pushback.

Metro, during a virtual public meeting Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 29, outlined three areas for improvement, identifying 602 “first and last mile” areas located near transit, 81 pedestrian districts and 1,433 miles of regional bikeways.

Just completing the list of regional bikeways, which would connect to existing ones, would cost about $36 billion, which is four times the entire LA Metro annual budget.

Metro narrowed down the ambitious plan by prioritizing all the projects by need. For example, many projects would be in areas where many people do not own cars, including mostly Black and Latino neighborhoods in L.A. County, in an effort to give potential passengers a driverless way to reach transit.

Completing just 2.5% of the projects would cost about $1.86 billion, and breaks down as follows, Metro reported:

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

10 Types Of Cyclist We All Know!

Cycling is full of interesting characters and big personalities. There are cyclists who seem to puncture every time they go out on their bike, ones who will not stop talking on group rides, the fair weather cyclists who always find excuses to avoid riding in the rain, and many more! Hank and Conor go through ten of their favourite cycling stereotypes!

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

The Best Road Bike Pedals of 2023

From BikeRumor.com

Written by Bennett Shane

We tested 10 of the best road bike pedals available in 2023 to help you find the right pair to suit your needs, preferences, and budget, and improve your ride.

If you are a road cyclist, finding the right pair of road bike pedals can enhance your efficiency and comfort on the bike. This seemingly simple component is a critical workhorse on your bike as it is subject to many thousands of revolutions and all the pedaling forces applied from your legs.

Along with your road bike shoes, your road bike pedals form one of only three contact points between you and your machine, and it is particularly important when it comes to efficiency. Creating a mechanical connection between the sole of your shoe and the pedal, clipless road pedals help to maximize your pedaling effort throughout the pedal stroke while keeping your foot in the optimal position for transferring your power into the drivetrain. With stiff axles, lightweight bodies, and broad platforms, road bike pedals also provide stability, comfort, and control, while adjustments to cleat positioning, float, and entry/release tension allow you to optimize their fit, feel, and performance to your specific needs.

With so many options to choose from, finding the right pair of road bike pedals can be a challenge. To help, we rounded up a diverse selection of models from Shimano, Look, Time, and Speedplay to test and compare side by side. Whether you’re new to clipless road pedals or are upgrading from an old pair, there are great options to suit all riding styles, performance needs, and budgets.

After months of testing, we’ve chosen our favorite models which are listed below followed by the best of the rest that are all worthy contenders as well. To see the specs of the models we tested at a glance, check out our handy comparison chart. If you need help deciding what to buy or simply want to learn more about road bike pedals, our buying advice and FAQ section have the info you need.

 

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments