Posted: July 4, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Hi everyone, despite the lack of posts in the past month, Velobration is not dead. It’s just on a bit of a hiatus.
On June 1st I moved to Austin TX only to find the apartment was not going to be ready for another month, so June was spent living in a hotel with limited internet access.
We are finally moved into the apartment (and in case you were wondering, it was indeed worth waiting for). I still don’t have steady internet access or even my pc setup yet as we are still getting situated. I hope to resume regular posting again within the week, so keep your rss readers tuned in… whatever that means.
Last Thursday I finally got to go on my first ride since moving here, it’s called Texas hill country for a reason, that was tough! Looking forward to seeing more of the city from the saddle of my Schwinn soon.
Any other Austin folks out there?
Posted: May 28, 2010 at 9:47 am
Three bikes parked at the office. I bet you can’t guess which one is mine.
Posted: May 28, 2010 at 8:37 am
May isn’t quite over, but I’m moving this weekend, so this will be the final tip… and this one is easy. Just get out and ride!
It’s often too easy to get information overload on a subject and overthink it. Bike commuting can be one of these. When I first started commuting 2 years ago, I read up on the subject a lot before I took the plunge. I assumed the more I knew, the better off I would be. What I didn’t realize is that experience counts for just as much, your bike, your route, your city, your weather, and you are all unique. No source of information will prepare you to ride like riding itself. So get out there, make mistakes, wear the wrong clothes, get your pants caught in a chain, get a pinchflat halfway to work with no spare… learn from the ride itself!
Posted: May 24, 2010 at 12:27 pm
The nominations are in and it’s now time to go vote for your favorite cycling blog in each category. Velobration did’t make the list but did get a few nominations, so thanks to those who submitted the site!
Posted: May 24, 2010 at 10:18 am
I was surprised when a non-cyclist friend of mine asked me about the Floyd Landis controversy. As I suspected, this was big news not because of the fact that Landis was doping, but because he has accused Lance Armstrong of doing the same.
I personally don’t buy it, and I think a lot of people feel the same. This certainly isn’t the first time someone has accused Armstrong of using performance enhancing drugs, and to be honest, I didn’t really think much of it when the allegations were made. I think that with the UCI trying their damndest to catch Lance in the act with test after test, that if he had used drugs, he would not have been able to hide it this long.
That said, many people have had to deal with believing their favorite rider didn’t use drugs, and later finding out that they did. So how do you would affect Lance’s legacy if he did admit to doping? Would you completely write-off his career, including his TDF wins? Or would that be a minor mark on what has been a stellar career? Keep in mind that Eddy Merckx has tested positive before and is still considered by most to be the greatest ever?
So how would you react if Lance admitted to doping?
Posted: May 21, 2010 at 10:49 pm
No matter how enthusiastic we are about riding bikes, there are days you wish you could just take a car to work. Riding alone can be a bit boring at times, so try and ride with someone else.
If you have a co-worker who lives nearby, encourage them to ride to work so you will have someone to share the ride with. I have a couple co-workers who ride occasionally and riding with them breaks up the everyday routine quite well.
Posted: May 20, 2010 at 5:23 pm
When you first ride a bike to work, chances are you will take the same route you would normally drive. Many times this will not be the best route by bike.
Take the time to explore other routes, you might find that a slightly longer route will help you avoid traffic or certain inclines. Thanks to Google Maps, finding a good bike route is easy, just put in your source and destination address and use the bike directions. When I first used this feature it showed me a route that I didn’t previously know. The new route had less traffic and more shade, score!
Google maps is a great place to start, but by all means explore other routes yourself. I have a few different ways I can go and I’ll pick one depending on how I feel that morning. Mixing up your route is a good way to keep your commute from getting boring.
Posted: May 20, 2010 at 8:41 am
We all know that riding a bike instead of taking a car will save you some cash, but how much?
This handy calculator will help you estimate your savings. With a short ride (5 miles one way), no parking fees or tolls, I end up saving $2 a day.
Posted: May 19, 2010 at 4:31 pm
In the excitement of starting to commute by bike, you might be tempted try riding every single day. While it might be possible, you could bite off more than you can chew and end up not enjoying yourself as much as you could.
To start out, pick one day of the week to ride your bike. This is an easy commitment and will probably leave you wanting to ride more often. By only commuting to one day per week, you also have the opportunity to pick the best day to ride based on weather or other factors.
It doesn’t take long before people at work refer to you as “that nut who rides to work in the rain”, but there’s no need to earn that title too quickly. Take it slow and have fun!
Posted: May 18, 2010 at 11:25 am
Sorry for the lack of posts the past few days, I was out of town for a job interview.
This tip is about a polarizing issue in the cycling community, wearing a helmet. I still don’t wear one all the time, but I know that I should.
The fact is, even if you ride safely, accidents can still happen. Even at slow speeds, falling from your bike down to the concrete is enough to put a hurt’n on your noggin. A crash which would normally give you a little road rash with which to impress others could turn into a serious head injury. Sure they make look nerdy, but they could save your life or at the very least prevent a really bad headache.
I used to argue that people in Europe didn’t wear helmets and they have a lower injury rate than in America. I finally came to the realization that this isn’t Europe and riding here is not as safe in most cities. This is due both to lack of cycling infrastructure and the awareness of motorists towards bikes on the road. So now I’m a helmet convert (mostly) and you should be too!
