Cycling
For any vintage bike enthusiast/restorer, having access to old catalogs is a must. Over years of researching, I’ve amassed quite a collection of vintage brochures. Since they are all available online, I decided to create a cheat sheet of sorts so…
Hydration is an essential part of cycling, especially during the summer months. Although there have been many advancements in the way we carry water like hydration bladders and plastic bottles, many riders, including myself, still use good old stainless steel…
If a book has the word cycling in its title or a bicycle on its cover, you can bet it’s on my reading list. I’ve heard of Jeff Mapes's book from many different people over the years and decided to get a copy. Somehow my excitement wained and it ended up sitting on my bookshelf waiting for the right time. That time finally came after…
The bicycle was invented over one-hundred years and is still one of the most efficient and healthy ways to get around. Over the years, the bike has been praised for its carbon-free usage, simplicity, and even aesthetics. For me though, nothing can trump…
With many great State Parks and trails to choose from, Washington State is a great place to get outside and enjoy all that nature has to offer. So when a couple of buddies and I wanted to do some gravel riding, we immediately thought of…
The Bianchi brand has a long established reputation in building great bicycles and are in fact, one of the oldest bike companies still in existence today. So when I found…
There is no such thing as one bike fits all. Different people like different types of bikes for different reasons. The Surly brand is no exception. For me, I really enjoy their philosophy on what a bike should be - a workhorse.
Wald makes some great baskets and their models 137 & 139 are very popular with bike commuters and tourers. I’ve used both basket models on multiple bikes and love the ability it gives me to haul extra stuff on my bike. While the build construction is solid…
If you are looking for replacement hoods for Shimano N105-1050 aero brake levers, these will work just fine. They look pretty darn good too.
This bike has a lot of nostalgia for me. It’s the original bike my dad purchased new in 1985 for his touring trips in the late ’80s. This is also the bike that got me back into cycling. About five years ago, I re-discovered this bike in my parent's attic and immediately fell in love with it. I put it through…
The bicycle is one of the greatest inventions of our time, and its roots have been strongly established in our transportation history. As an avid cyclist and aficionado, Bike Battles by James Longhurst, was a no-brainer read for me. This book is…
2016 was a great year of travel for me. I explored many different places, but the highlight was touring down a large portion of the Pacific Coast. The Pacific Coast Bicycle Route follows highway 101 from Washington, through Oregon and part of…
If you own bikes chances are you’ve seen and used quite a few different storage solutions - and there are a lot of great ones out there. For me though, it was always hard to find one that fit my needs exactly. My wish…
There is no better way to see the world than by bicycle and ever since its invention, riders have been pushing the limits on what can be done on it. Bike touring is a wonderful example of this. Whether it’s a weekend adventurer or touring pro gone for months at a time, we all…
Bike commuting is a very rewarding experience with many great benefits. It also comes with its challenges which can be pretty easily overcome with some knowledge & planning.
I have been living pretty much car free for the last three years or so. What started out as a personal challenge has turned into a new way of thinking about transportation. I’d like to outline a few of the pros & cons I’ve picked up through my car free journey.
I had just turned sixteen. Ipod nanos were all the rage and cell phones still had physical buttons. Over the last year I had been putting in a ton of hours preparing for my drivers test. I had enrolled in drivers Ed, took the written test, admittedly more than once, and braved my way through the maze of Christmas shoppers at our mall parking lot while driving a stick which included quite a few stalling sessions and some angry motorists.
History has a way of repeating itself, or in my case revealing hidden passions and for me that passion was cycling. I would say for the most part, I had a pretty normal childhood filled with many little boy activities including playing in the mud, running everywhere and riding bikes. I don’t remember to much of learning to ride but I sure do remember my first real bike.
I originally got this bike from craigslist a few years ago. It started out as an original 1992 trek 400 complete with Suntour blaze components. This was trek’s only full steel road bike offering…