Carrying Cargo With Topeak BeamRack MTX System of Bags and Racks

One thing that needs to be considered when outfitting your bike for commuting or errand running  (or even longer recreational rides) is how you’ll carry your cargo.  Whether it’s groceries, work clothes, your laptop or just lunch and a blanket to sit on, you need to find a way to transport those items with you.

Many folks use a backpack, or courier bag, but in general, I think it’s more pleasant, especially on longer rides, to get the weight off of your back and onto the bike.  It’s both cooler when the weather is hot, and more comfortable for your back.   Think about it: cowboys don’t carry their gear on their backs – it goes in saddlebags on the horses! … Read more

Recreational vehicles, or RVs for short, are a great way to see the country.  

In July 2015, I hopped on a plane in Argentina, and after a pretty exhausting overnight flight, I landed in Los Angeles. The plan: a 4-week RV tour of the West Coast.

After visiting Los Angeles, Vegas, San Francisco, Monterrey, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica and a handful of other jaw dropping places, I can say that RV’ing is a fantastic experience. You can soak in the continent’s best sights while enjoying the comforts of home. You don’t have to worry about finding a hotel room, and if for some reason, you can’t make it to your destination for the day, you can always stop short when you need to and rest as you need to.

… Read more

This post was originally posted on Electric Bike Report on August 19, 2015. 

One of the great things about a bike, especially an electric bike, is how you can combine exercise and fun with the daily tasks you need to get done. … Read more

One of the great things about a bike is the ease with which you can make it “yours”.   Customization to make it fit your exact needs is both inexpensive, and simple to do yourself.   One of the best ways to do this is to swap the tires for ones that are the best match for your riding style and terrain. … Read more

Modern smart phones have made our everyday lives easier in so many ways that it’s often hard to remember what it was like before they were commonplace.

One of the places they can really be useful is on our bikes.   We can track our speed and distance, run various apps that will show our heart rate and cadence (with appropriate accessories) , provide music to listen to, and of course, the big one: give us directions and help when we get lost! … Read more

This is more of a set of thoughts and stories and not a review of a particular product, so bear with me.

When I first started riding as a kid, I never thought much about mirrors.  My bikes didn’t have them.   And the few that I’d seen on adult bikes were big, ugly metal things that I would never want on my bike.   How uncool!  Besides, they wouldn’t have lasted a week, or even a day, given how many times I crashed!  Such are the joys of growing up as a kid in what was then still the countryside and not quite the suburbs 🙂 … Read more

This article was originally posted on Electric Bike Report on June 20, 2015

One of the many things people consider when making a lifestyle change is how to make their commute to work simpler and less of a hassle.

They think: wouldn’t it be great to eliminate the pain of being stuck in traffic and then parking your car. The expense of gas, maintenance, tolls and parking.

Or waiting for public transit and making connections that slow them down. … Read more

One of the things that can ruin a great day of riding is getting caught in an unexpected rainstorm or sudden drop in temperature.  And it’s not just unpleasant – it can even be unsafe.  Hypothermia is something to take seriously if you spend time in the outdoors, whether riding or going for a day hike in the country. … Read more

This article was originally posted on Electric Bike Report. 

Many of us entertain dreams of someday taking off on that big bike tour.   The one down the coast or across the country. Or maybe Europe. France would be nice, wouldn’t it? … Read more

The modern information age of the internet has brought a lot of convenience to our daily lives. For cyclists, the availability of information has taken a lot of guesswork out of one of the most perplexing questions faced by many people looking to get on a bike: where to ride bikes! … Read more