Bicycling

December 4, 2015December 4, 2015

1 Couple + 2 Bikes + 2 Kids + 5 Continents + 7 Years = Wow

Few things will lighten your life like living on a bike. As the veteran of several long distance bike tours, I can attest how you quickly realize how little stuff you really need when you’re carrying it up a mountain pass. But living on a bike is not typically something you associate with raising children. It’s hard enough carrying your own crap, much less another human and theirs. But that’s exactly what Belgian couple Alice Goffart and Andoni Rodelgo did for seven years, traversing five continents by bike while raising two children.

In an interview with Icebike.org, Alice describes how it all started. They set out from Belgium in 2004 en route to Berlin. After a couple months, they realized they weren’t done. They kept trucking until Alice was seven months pregnant in 2007 with their daughter Maia. They took a break, spending a few years in Belgium, saving money and getting restless. They hit the road again in 2010. Alice said this of their motivation to leave with child:

We knew we just wanted to go now. By bicycle there is no need to plan anything, that’s the beauty of that transportation (maybe it’s the beauty of being unemployed and ‘homeless’ too)…You just leave, and that’s it, you are gone. 5 km from your home you are in a totally different reality, not knowing where you will sleep, with no destination, no role in society, no-one to prove anything to, no agenda and no timetable.

Shortly after their second leg, Alice became pregnant. When she was seven months pregnant, they camped out in Bolivia until the baby was big enough to stash in a hammock in the trailer. They continued for a couple more years, returning to Belgium in 2013 when Maia started school.

The couple was able to afford the trip through a combination of savings and extreme thrift. They said they only spent €20K in their first three and a half years. Even with the kids, they only spent €700-800/month, which they came up with through savings and various means like selling stuff and speaking engagements. She said this about the expenses in general:

I think as soon as you give yourself a budget you adapt yourself to it. We could have spent a lot less if we needed too. We treated ourselves here and there with a hotel room in south-America where it is not too expensive…I think the best way to save money is just to really have the need to do so. Then you will find the way. We spent the same amount of money in Norway as in China. The difference was that in China we went to a restaurant here and there or a guest-room, and in Norway we bought pasta and oats in an Aldy.

While Alice is pretty gung ho about her experience, she is quick to point out that you needn’t travel to have the freewheeling traveler’s mindset, and that everyone–and their family–must do what’s right for them. For now, they’re camped out in Belgium, but they plan they to hit the road before too long.

Alice made a movie about the journey, which is showing around Europe (head to their site for more info). To read the whole interview, which goes into greater detail about the journey, head over to Icebike.org.

May 13, 2014

Designing the Perfect City Bike

What would the perfect city bike look like? It’d be compact to fit into small apartments. It’d be thief proof. It’d have electric assist for longer commutes or when you might be too lazy to pedal after a day’s work or evening drink. It’d be relatively upright and grease free so as not to ruin your freshly pressed Men’s Warehouse suit. Well you can stop waiting for this mythical, two-wheeled wonder. The Gi-Bike has all of those things and more.

Here are some of the Gi-Bike’s features:

Folds from 6′ 6″ L x 3′ 4″ H into 3′ L x 3.4′ H in three seconds.
Wheels that lock up if your smartphone is more than ten feet away from bike; you can also give friends access to the bike via its smartphone app.
Electric assist with a lithium-ion battery that can go 40 miles between charges.
Available in manual (pedal-powered) version.
Gates Carbon belt drive for greaseless operation.
Smartphone holster and USB port to charge on the go.
Weighs 17 kg (37.4 lb) for the electric version and 12 kg (26.5 lb) for the manual.
Integrated rear LED light and LED front wheel lights.
26″ wheels that quell typical folding bike squirreliness.
A mudguard and briefcase holders are in the works.

What could make it a better city bike? (Note: we have not seen or ridden a Gi-Bike in person).

Fenders. Hard to have serious commuter outside the dessert without em.
Why no LED headlight?
A little flashy. Thieves might be prevented from stealing by its locking wheels, but they’ll probably sniff around before being deterred.
They might consider handlebars that turn like the Schindelhauer ThinBike of pivot down for better storage.
The one-available-size, in this 6′ 3″ author’s opinion, will likely not fit all.

Like most interesting products nowadays, the Gi-Bike is launching through Kickstarter. Their campaign starts today. A pledge of $2590 gets you a manual Gi-Bike and a pledge of $2990 gets you the e-bike (only 10 available at that price. Normally $3390). We realize many people can’t wrap their heads around spending more than $75 for a bike, but as we’ve noted here before, making a bike that legitimately replaces a car or other motorized transport might cost some coin. If the Gi-Bike serves your transport needs–and we think it might do so for many–we can think of much worse ways of spending $3K.

February 13, 2014February 14, 2014

Bike Lanes in the Sky

Across the world, bicycles are quickly gaining ground as the transportation of choice–if they weren’t already. The reasons are clear: they’re exceedingly efficient and green, quick and keep you healthy. Their one big drawback is that some folks are (justifiably) skittish about sharing the roads with multi-ton masses of steel moving at great velocities. While bike lanes that skirt normal roadways are better than nothing, they still leave cyclists pretty exposed. What if there were separate, elevated lanes just for bikes? This is an idea many are considering.

Architizer recently did a roundup of some of these lanes, both existing and proposed, that keep bikes high and away from the dangers of cars.

Of course, leading the way are the Dutch, who have built a floating bike lane in Eindhoven called the Hovenring (in video above). Not exactly an extended lane, the Hovenring is a 236 ft elevated ring floating above a highway, bridging other bike lanes that skirt the highway.

London SkyCycle by Foster + Partners (pictured above) is an ambitious plan that proposes a 136 mile network lofted above existing suburban rail lines. There would be 200 entry points, serving 2M people that live in the area it’d cover. According to F + P, following railways is ideal because the tracks were originally built for steam engines, who had to find the easiest, flattest route around the city.

Velo-City in Toronto, Ontario by Chris Hardwicke proposes a similarly extensive network of bike lanes as SkyCycle. Unlike that latter project, Velo-City has a covered bikeway, protecting cyclists from the elements–probably the second biggest deterrent to bike riding next to safety. Unfortunately, Velo-City was proposed in 2006 and seems to have met its fate that year as well.

If all of this sounds a bit fantastic, consider that building an elevated bikelane is a far smaller engineering challenge than building an elevated road–or maybe even a terrestrial one. Without the abuse of heavy cars and semis, their upkeep would be far cheaper than normal roads. If only we had a bicycle lobby in Washington….

Check out more on Architizer

October 30, 2013

Living in a Bicyclists Paradise

We don’t hide our ardor for bicycles. They are the most efficient form of transportation known to humans. They don’t take up a lot of room. They are relatively affordable and make us fit and happy. But we admit, they simply aren’t practical in a lot of places. Amsterdam is not one of those places. As this short movie called “Bicycle Anecdotes from Amsterdam” attests, bike culture is simply culture to Amsterdamers.

One thing we learned watching the movie is the city’s history with the car. In the 50s and 60s, regulation and urban planning were supportive of cars. But a subsequent increase in congestion and automotive fatalities–coupled with the 1973 oil embargo–led to the car’s decline and the bicycle’s ascent.

There are many reasons bicycle culture flourishes in Amsterdam. The pancake flat city has vast networks of bike lanes, bike parking and bike-friendly laws. The scenes from the movie make cars look anomalous. Dutch bikes are very utilitarian, lacking the fanfare they do in the States; they are heavy, somewhat anonymous and have an upright position that prohibits high speed. Amsterdamer children begin riding young and by adulthood are very competent riders.

There’s the suggestion in the movie that the Dutch’s adoption and subsequent rejection of the car might influence Americans, who are still pretty tethered to their cars. We think this parallel holds up to a certain extent. Amsterdam is a historic city, whose core was conceived long before cars or even bicycles. For older American cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco, which were planned prior to the advent of the car, a widespread adoption of the bicycle as primary transport seems feasible. But for other cities like Houston and Los Angeles, who came about in the age of the automobile, this adoption might prove more challenging. Like most things, necessity will be the key factor–when gas becomes prohibitively expensive, many people will discover a love of the bicycle as deep as the Dutch.

Via Treehugger

October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

Electrify Your Bike with these Revolutionary Wheels

If your commute is too far for a bike ride, but too short for a drive, you may have considered an electric bike. E-bikes promise less carbon, effort, hassle and expense than a car. But buying another bike, particularly one of the ungainly e-bikes that seem to be popular, might not be so appealing. A couple new products are offering the perfect solution: by slipping in a special wheel, they turn your existing bike into an e-bike.

The Copenhagen Wheel by Superpedestrian actually measures your power output and automatically determines when you need an extra jolt. Power is derived in the same way hybrid cars get theirs. The wheel “captures the energy dissipated when you brake or go downhill, storing it in a lightweight and high-capacity lithium battery,” according to SP’s website. The company reports that the battery has a 15 mile range when fully charged (it’s not clear why it can’t be continuously charging).

The wheel also feature a Software Development Kit (SDK), which enables app developers to hack the wheel to make it do things like pollution monitoring and navigating.

The wheel was invented at MIT’s SENSEable City Laboratory and unveiled at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Talks. The team behind the wheel decided to form a company late last year. The NY Times reported the other day that the company just received $2.1M in funding. The wheel is set to be released in late November. Pricing unavailable at this point.

The other wheel is called the FlyKly. The wheel’s development is being funded through a Kickstarter campaign (it has long since passed its $100K goal). It is packed with bells and whistles (figuratively speaking). It is available in 26″ and 29″ varieties and weighs 9 lbs. You can plug in the FlyKly for additional power and achieve a 30 mile range. You can lock the wheel remotely. They have their own SDK for hackability. It also has an available light that is charged via a dynamo, which also has a USB port where you can plug and charge your phone. FlyKly is projected to ship in April or May of next year, and you can buy one with a $590 pledge.

These wheels look and perform remarkably similar to one another, and one (we won’t say which) might be derivative of the other. That’s okay with us. Just as there are Toyota Prius’ and Honda Insights, the world can probably stand to have more than one ultra-efficient, bicycle-based mode of transportation.

Via Fast Company

July 30, 2013

A Case for Buying the Bike You Want

We don’t do–or at least haven’t done–car reviews on this site. One reason is that car companies aren’t exactly eager to have us dole out opinions about their new turbo-charged super-sleds to a bunch of design-oriented minimalists who err on the thrifty side. But another reason is that we don’t like cars very much. Sure, they get us around. Some of us even have them (this author shares a well-used Honda Element with his wife). But our relationship with them is one of tolerance and necessity, not adoration. Cars are expensive, dirty, promote sprawl and have many moving pieces that tend to complicate life. We appreciate that many of our lives cannot function without owning a car, but if workable with your lifestyle, we recommend selling your car and picking up a car-sharing membership instead.

Bikes, on the other hand, are a different matter. Maybe it’s because they are the world’s most efficient form of transportation, or because they condition our bodies as they get us to our destination, or because we need somewhere to place the fetishism we had for cars in our youths–whatever the reason, we love bikes.

When we test drove the Schindelhauer ThinBike last week, we received a few comments about its $1500 price tag. We notice people tend to balk when a bike’s price goes north of $1000–a figure that seems orders of magnitude greater than the $60 Murray of our youths. While we won’t deign to say how much you should or should not spend on a bike, we will make this recommendation: Don’t be afraid to buy the bike you like and will ride…even if it cost more than $1000.

There are some technical reasons why you should consider an upgraded bike. Cheap bikes tend to be cheaply made; they often have crappy bearings and seals, stamped (not forged) metal parts that bend, steel rims that rust, brakes that barely stop, frames that weigh a ton. And before you say you can’t tell one bike from another, test ride an expensive bike against a cheap one. See if it doesn’t ride better and is not easier to pedal, shift and brake.

There are also intangible reasons why you should consider an upgraded bike. In an edited life, one where most everything you have is necessary, it’s important that the stuff you have is the stuff you love and will use. Every item you have needs to be a starter, not a second-string player.

This longwinded preamble was really just an excuse for this author to show off his new bike.

Before I put it together, I had two bikes: A well-worn road bike with a slightly buckled headtube and a mountain bike I was always planning on (but never) riding. I decided to trade both in and get the one bike I wanted and would match my riding needs. BikeEdited, if you will.

The bike is built around a very basic chomoly-tubed frame by a company called Murphy Himself (I think it’s one guy actually). I chose it because it has multiple eyelets where I could install fenders and a bike rack for a baby seat or touring. I like it’s clean, decal-less look. It’s not particularly light, but I’m not riding competitively so why should I care?

(As an aside, if you are overly concerned about bike weight, specialized equipment or having the latest and greatest equipment, you must read Grand Petersen’s “Just Ride.” Petersen is the founder of Rivendell Bicycle Works and debunks many commonly held myths amongst ‘serious’ cyclists, such as the necessity for clipless pedals, padded shorts and carbon frames.)

Like I mentioned, a big priority was having full fenders. Even light rain on a fenderless bike can create a huge stripe up your back. I wanted to make sure I was fully protected. Clip-on fenders tend to rattle off and provide incomplete protection, so I purchased a set of Velo Orange hammered-alloy full fenders that fit and look great and provide ample coverage.

Next, I wanted a bike that was almost maintenance free, so I decided to use a Shimano Alfine internal 8 speed rear hub instead of a derailleur-based drivetrain. It’s a bit heavy, but it shifts flawlessly and 8 speeds is enough (don’t ask Petersen what he thinks of 33 speed drivetrains). Because I wanted to use drop bars, I purchased a bar-end shifter from a company called JTek Engineering.

The rest of the bike is a smattering of new and old parts stripped from my previous bike: A Dura-Ace crank, Mavic front hub, Velocity Deep V rims, Panaracer tires, Ritchey seatpost, Selle San Marco saddle, Cinelli bar, Kore stem, Tektro brakes. When all was said and done, the bike cost around $1400 (I saved a little money using old parts).

I love the way the bike rides, fits and–I’ll admit it–looks. I make up excuses to ride it. And therein lies my point: When we get the stuff we want–whether it’s a bike or a frying pan–we use it, cherish it and take good care of it. A bike just happens to be an important piece of stuff in our estimation. And while this cherished stuff might be a little more expensive (or not), as we like to say around here, “If something costs twice a much, but lasts four times as long [or is used four times as much] it’s effectively half price.”

None of this is an excuse to spend money needlessly. Nor is an excuse for a superfluous upgrade. And many may find a cheap bike they can safely lock outside serves their needs better. Likewise, there are many great bikes under $1000; if you know a thing or two about bikes, buying used can be a sound idea. We’d also be remiss not to mention bike sharing. For many city-dwelling bike commuters, systems like NYC’s Citi Bike effectively eliminate the need to own a bike at all.

For the rest of us who don’t live near a bike sharing system or have long distance commutes where a personalized bike makes a difference or just like riding our own bikes, we think making an investment on a bike you love and will ride is a good one.

[Full disclosure: In my previous life, I worked at five bike shops, crossed the US and a few other countries by bike and have generally been an advocate of bicycles.]

May 29, 2013May 31, 2013

CitiBike + ThinBike = Less Space for Same Bikes

You might put this in the “who asked you” file, but we imagine some of the brouhaha that erupted over the recent release of the CitiBike bike share program might have been minimized had the bikes taken a cue from the ThinBike that founder Graham Hill designed with the help of Schindelhauer. The ThinBike has a quick release on its stem that easily allows its handlebar to turn and lock so it’s parallel with the rest of bike, rather than perpendicular. This set up cuts width in half or more, making storage far easier.

The CitiBike’s controversy stems (pun intended) from the girth of its docking stations, which people have complained are eyesores on New York’s historic streets. People have also complained that the stations hog up the city’s few parking spots (of course, some might consider this a bonus). If the overall width of a CitiBike could be cut in half or more, there would be a commensurate space savings in the overall docking station’s length. You could fit 60 bikes where 30 once were. More important, you could fit 30 in a space that might have only held 15. This smaller footprint on city streets might allay some of the complaints of CitiBike critics. If you think the extra step will invite the lawyers, know that when you straighten the bar on the ThinBike, there’s a bolt that makes a very positive engagement so you know the bar is locked.

Whether it’s fitting more bikes on a block or chairs in a closet, at LifeEdited, we’re always asking how can things be done smaller, better and using less space.

May 16, 2013May 16, 2013

Put Your Bike on Diet with ThinBike

Way back in LifeEdited history (like a year ago), we told you about the super-rad ThinBike that LifeEdited founder Graham Hill helped design with German bike manufacturer Schindelhauer. The one-speed wonder went from a reasonable 21″ width with handlebars in normal position to a mere six with the help of special hardware. The ThinBike addresses one of the biggest bike storage issues, where width can be as problematic as length.

Now Schindelhauer has released a production version of the ThinBike. The bike has evolved quite a bit from Graham’s steed. There is now a front disk brake for superior stopping. It has 24″ inch wheels like those on a cruiser BMX that are stronger and quicker than the previous model’s 700c wheels. It has a two-speed SRAM Automatix shifting system in the event you encounter a hill or bridge. There is a LightSKIN seatpost with integrated LED lights. And it comes with its own proprietary bike rack. Carried over from the previous version are a lightweight aluminum frame (though in different geometry) and a Gates Carbon Drive drivetrain. With its smaller wheels, improved braking, greaseless drivetrain and ease of storage, the new ThinBike will undoubtably make an awesome urban bomber.

And more good news: You can get the bike in the US through Belt Drive Bikes for $1488.00. We look forward to riding ours in the near future. We’ll let you know how it goes.

October 31, 2012August 28, 2013

The Bicycle is the Official Vehicle of the Edited Life

We know there are many parts of the world where driving is extremely impractical, and we are not here to begrudge the multitudes for whom that is a reality. But make no mistake about it, no mode of transportation gets you around more effectively, efficiently and with minimal overhead than bicyling.

Consider the passenger mile per gallon of various modes of transport as a function of caloric energy expended over distance:

Nothing beside subways comes even close to a bicycle’s efficiency. But not everyone has a subway system in their area. And, as recent events are showing, even those who have great subway systems can be left at the mercy of repairs.

Then consider the sheer area consumed by bikes versus other modes of transport. The picture at top shows 50 people and 50 cars at left, 50 people and a bus in the center and 50 people standing by 50 bicycles at right. It’s a great illustration how cars make cities more crowded and cast suburbs further afield.

Biking may even reduce your personal area as a 150 lb bicycle commuters riding at 12-14 mph for 30 minutes burns 297 calories during his or her commute.

And even though walking takes the minimal volume prize, the 250% increase of efficiency compared to a slight increase in volume make bicycling a no-brainer for commutes longer than a mile.

Other benefits of ditching your car for a bike include avoiding costly car registration, repairs, insurance and fuel. An added bonus is that traffic becomes a thing of the past. Ridding yourself of managing these annoying details makes life simpler and happier.

So maybe you are considering commuting to work or doing more errands on your bike, but something is stopping you. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

Get a bike you will ride. Some people think the Salvation Army is a bike shop. It’s not. Consider how much you will save by driving less, go to an actual bike shop, find something that fits your body and riding style and invest accordingly.
Get some bike friendly clothes. We talk about Outlier a lot here, but there are many other commuter-friendly clothes out there such as Betabrand and even Levi’s that work too. It’s best to have clothes that are both durable and permit movement necessary to pedal.
Get full fenders. Unless you live in the desert, you will deal with rain at some point. Few things are as gross as dealing with road grime all over your clothes after a light shower. Nothing helps avoid that like a set of wraparound fenders. Clip-on versions will work in some cases, but often leave you unprotected. When buying a new bike, make sure the frame is compatible with fenders.
Learn how to take care of your bike. Get regular tuneups. Have a good floor pump. Get some decent chain lube (i.e. not WD40). Learn how to fix a flat (it’s not that hard). Many people avoid riding because they are afraid something will go wrong–it might! Learn how to deal with the situation rather than avoid it.
Be flexible. Riding three out of five days is better than not riding at all. If there’s a blizzard, it’s okay to take public transport or drive. Going from two cars to one makes a big difference too. The key is just start riding!

Graph statistics by James Strickland, 2009

July 17, 2012July 3, 2013

Reinventing the Dress Shirt with NASA Technology

In a certain way, men’s business suits are pretty great. They have barely changed in the last 100 years. A man can get away with wearing a decent suit over and over, washing it a few times a year.

Men’s dress shirts are different story. They wrinkle in moments. The nice ones tear like tissue. They stain easily–either getting the ring around the collar, pit stains or showing the slightest splash of coffee.

A company called Ministry of Supply is seeing if they can improve upon this fickle article of clothing. The company, which started as a Kickstarter project, has already raised $430K of its $30K goal–leading us to think that guys are looking for superior dress shirts.

The shirts use a “phase change material” similar to that used in NASA space suits. The material stretches, has an anti-microbial coating to cut the stink, resists stains, breathes and wicks moisture and is wrinkle free. The shirts are 100% made in the USA. They look pretty good to boot.

As they have exceeded their Kickstarter goal, Ministry of Supply is taking orders for August and September deliveries. Available are two dress shirts: the Apollo for $105 and the Agent, at $85. There is a t-shirt and base layer available as well; $40 and $30 respectively.

Like the Outlier dress pants we looked at a while ago, Ministry of Supply is bringing smart design and technology to products we all need and regularly replace. While both companies’ prices might seem expensive to some (Outlier pants range from $135-240), consider that their products will last much longer, can be worn more than once, will be more versatile and comfortable than traditional models. A little extra dough up front seems like a good investment to us.