What kind bike do you ride?

Hey, I'd love to hear from you.  What kind of bike(s) do you ride?  I would love to know.

Do you have any feed back, what kind of info would you like to see, of any questions that you want answered?  Let me know by commenting on this post.

Let me know what you want, and think.

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Abbey Bike Pictures

These are the pictures of that Abbey bike i was talking about in my last post:

these are the original colours, black and antique cream.  

Enjoy.

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Trying out a winter bike

I have talked about in the past posts about an "Abbey" 3-Speed Women's bike that came to the bike shop.  Well i got it painted today, i kept the original colors.  Black and Antique Cream, it's a beautiful bike now.  I am going to use it for my winter bike.  Diane Pittman (Owner of Shifting Gears), was helping me to decide what bike to use for the winter, and she said that three speed bikes are the best because all the gears are internal, and all the salt from the roads don't eat it away, as compared to a multi-speed bike, with the gears exposed.

Come next spring, I am going to tare it apart and clean it intensely.  Especially after winter, I have basically brought that bike from the dead.  It started out as a rust bucket, the rims wouldn't even move, the rubber was half gone, and the 3-speed hub was also rusted shut.  I took it apart and soaked all the rusted parts in Tri-Flo oil, it is the best stuff for loosening up old rusted parts, or even keeping you chain lubed   But anyway, i had gotten it working, but the fenders and the chain guard are rusted to the frame, and that's OK, i'll get them to come off in the spring.  I would put up before and after pictures, but i didn't take before pictures, but i will post an after picture, so you all know what it looks like, and if anyone has heard of "Abbey" bikes, please email me @ bikeinfoquestion@gmail.com, i would love to know some info on this bike.  If you have any good ideas about winter biking/commuting, please leave a comment, or email me or both. Thanks,

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Old Bike Drop off times

We will be open this coming Saturday, from 10 to 3pm, for you to be able drop off your old bicycles to don't wish to have anymore, so please stop by even to just have a look.  Diane will be there from 10 to around 1:30 or so, and i will be there from 11:30 to 3 pm so stop by and say Hi and see what we're all about, and what we can do for you.

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How to Live Without a Car

1. Determine why you are going car-less. For some people, it's about social responsibility (i.e. minimizing fossil fuel consumption). For others, it's about health or to save money. For still others, it's because, for whatever reason, they don't have a driver's license. And for a few, it's simply about freedom — not being tied down to the responsibilities of owning and maintaining a car. Your reason behind living without a car will affect how far you're willing to go with this lifestyle choice. But no matter what your motivation is, one thing's for sure: there will be tremendous cost savings.
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   Keep your car as backup during a transition period. While you're testing out your car-free lifestyle and working out the kinks, you should hold on to your car until you can rely on alternative means. Once you can go for 1 to 2 months without touching the car, you're ready to let it go. Then, donate your car to charity for a tax write-off or sell it and get some of your hard earned money back.
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    Use public transportation.
   Use public transportation. If you live in an area with public transportation, take advantage of it. Research routes, find out about special fares and programs, bookmark the local trip planner on your computer, and save the customer service number on your cell phone.
4. 4
   Consider moving to a location that is within biking or walking range to all the important places, such as grocery stores and bus or train stops or public transportation hubs. Get a map of the city's transit system or use an online trip planner, and find out how quickly you can reach a variety of destinations from your prospective home. It's always good to have at least a small grocery store within easy walking distance for quick trips. If you're looking for a big change, move to a city with a good public transit system, such as Chicago, New York, or Portland, Oregon. Alternatively, relocate to a small, yet still sizable city like Madison, Wisconsin, where you can cross the whole city by bike in a reasonable time. If you're worried about the expense of moving and living in a different neighborhood (e.g. higher rents), weigh the additional costs with the savings you can achieve by not having a car.
5. 5
   Get a more conveniently located job. People most often choose housing that is near their place of business, but if you like a particular neighborhood or house, you can do the opposite. Make sure that your workplace is located within walking or biking range to a bus stop or train station. Also find out how difficult it is to reach your workplace from your house; if you can only get there by taking three different buses over two hours, it's not really accessible. If possible, avoid the commute altogether by working near (or from) your home. Look into the possibility of telecommuting a few days a week or staggering hours to avoid sitting in traffic.
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   Buy a bicycle. The cheapest ones at discount stores may go as low as $45 and high quality commute bikes range from $500 to $1200. Garage sales and online classifieds like www.craigslist.com frequently offer additional low cost or even free bicycles. Police departments often have annual sales of bicycles they've recovered. Remember—besides being free, environmentally friendly, and usually immune to traffic congestion, bikes also give you a free daily workout. If your day to day life is going to depend on the bicycle, look into the climate and other factors as described in the Tips below.
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   Buy an electric bike or an electric scooter. Remember all the hype over the Segway? This is a simpler solution. These bikes are rapidly spreading in China, Japan, and many other countries of the world. They put out very little CO2 relative to a car, they are incredibly cheap to "fuel," and they are a fun and familiar ride. A typical electric bike costs $500 to $1500, and will go 8-20 miles on a charge. You can pedal assist or go with all electric, but the bikes are great if you want to wear your work clothes and avoid a shower (less sweat, faster to work). They are actually pretty fast (14 - 20 mph), don't require insurance, and are low maintenance. Batteries can be lead acid (reliable and cheap, but heavy), nickel metal hydride (long lasting and lighter, but more expensive), and lithium ion (very light and long lasting, but expensive and still somewhat untested in bikes).
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   Join forces with other commuters.
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   Buy a moped, scooter, or small motorcycle. These small two-wheelers are relatively inexpensive to purchase, insure, maintain, and operate, and are fun to ride. In many cities of the world, two-wheeled vehicles outnumber cars.
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    Consider participating in car sharing programs, such as City Car-Share, i-Go, FlexCar, ZipCar or VanPoolHawaii. There are a variety of programs that enable you to use a vehicle when you need one. If you just need to get to work, you might be able to arrange a vanpool from your local transit service.
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    If you need to take a trip outside of the range of inexpensive public transportation, try to get a rideshare. You simply find a driver who's going your way and give them gas money or help them out with the driving. You can find rideshares on the Internet.
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    Take a taxi or rent or borrow a car. For those times when a bus simply will not do (picking up 42 potted begonias), you might well need a car. But even renting a car several times a year usually makes more sense than owning a car for just those few times you might absolutely need one.
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    If possible, get a job that allows you to use a corporate vehicle, thereby eliminating the need for a personal vehicle.

 TIPS:

• Buy a shopping cart or foldable wheeled tote so you can haul hefty loads from the grocery store to your home without breaking a sweat.
• Make friends. Sometimes, such as when you're moving or need to pick up a piece of furniture, it really helps to drive a car. In these situations, it really helps to have a friend with a car or truck.
• Trade products or services for use of a car or truck. Try exchanging babysitting or yard work for car-assisted trips to the supermarket, etc.
• Take advantage of the internet. Do some shopping online instead of spending time and money getting to and from store locations. Many retailers even offer free shipping on orders over a set price which can save you even more money.
• If you plan on riding your bike everywhere, research the climate of the area in which you plan to live. Even bitter cold winters can be fun to ride in, if prepared with the proper cold weather gear. Snow skiing apparel will make you stylish and comfortable too.
• Be sure to check out the bike accessibility of the area: does the city or neighborhood have well marked bike lanes, or will you be brushing up against cars on a narrow shoulder? In some places, you're allowed to take your bike along on the train or bus, but double check to make sure. And if you have trouble biking, consider an electric bike.
• With the bike, get some bicycle panniers! They will allow you to bring lots of stuff home (grocery's, work bags, books, anything that will fit!) without much effort.
• If absolutely necessary, don't hesitate to flag down a taxicab, or rent a car or truck. After all, you're probably saving at least $6000 a year by not having a car.
• If you live in the USA, check out your address at WalkScore. This website is a great mapping tool for locating the nearest services near almost any location. The higher the score, the easier it will be for you to live without a car.

WARNINGS:

• Don't take advantage of friends who have cars. You should try to be as self-sufficient as possible, and try to reciprocate favors, or they'll quickly get annoyed with you.
• Buses and trains do sometimes have trouble staying on schedule. If you have to be somewhere important at a certain time, give yourself plenty of time in case something goes wrong. You'd do the same even if you had a car.
• Be wary of carpooling with strangers, especially if you're alone.
• If you're using a corporate vehicle, be aware that your employer may be keeping close tabs on usage, mileage, and fuel consumption. Also, they may have strict rules against using corporate vehicles for personal use, so be careful.
• Be aware that if you give up your current car, you may also be giving up your insurance history. If you ever decide to drive a car again, and you've not been continuously insured, you will be treated like a brand new 16-year old driver, with rates to match.
• If you will be driving at all (e.g. in a borrowed or rented car), look into "non-owner" car insurance. It's cheap, but be aware that the "non-owner" car insurance only covers liability. You still have to buy comprehensive and collision coverage for the rental or borrowed car. Many believe "non-owner" insurance covers the rental or borrowed car, but in reality, it only covers the other guy if you are at fault while driving a rental or borrowed car. It would be a rude awakening if you made that mistake and ended up paying for the damage or theft of the rental car out of pocket or your buddy's insurance paid the vehicle theft or damage and then hiked your friend's insurance rates.
• Don't panic over things; if you are extremely unhappy, start saving up for a car again.

from WikiHow: 

Link: http://www.wikihow.com/Live-Without-a-Car.   

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Night Biking Tips

If you plan on riding at night say for fun, you like riding in the dark, or your coming home from work, there are a few things that you will need to know and have to keep you safe:

1. Lights  (Sets can range from $20.00 to $45.00 for basic lights.  LED's are the best for making batteries last longer.)
2. Reflectors (you can get them at your local bike shop for very cheap, if your bike is not come with them, say you bought it used or they broke.)
1. white on the front
2. red on the rear
3. White reflectors in your spokes
4. reflectors on the side of the bike (optional if you don't want to gum up your bike)
3. Reflective vest  (you can buy vests and jackets at you local home improvement store or anywhere that  deals with construction.  They can range from $15.00 on up to $30.00, depending on the style.)
4. Reflective strips  (you can get reflective strips at bike shops, and hardware stores, for putting them on you helmet/bike.

If you use these tips for being visible, cars will be able to see you more, and you'll be less likely to end up as a hood ornament on a car.  I have had a city bus run into me a year and a half ago, and that was not fun.  If you bike safely and be visible to others, you will be happier, and so will everyone else.

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Bike Commuting

Are you someone that commutes back and forth say to work, school, etc., here's a website that covers everything from dealing with dogs to riding in the rain.
http://www.commutebybike.com/cats/commuting-101/

I recommend this to everyone, even if you just ride for enjoyment or your a commuter, it has everything.


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