Spokes and Words

...in which our kids start getting used to their new bikes! Keeping joints warm - with wrestling knee pads! Taking pictures of moving bicycles - and from moving bicycles. Mike couldn't remember the Fly6 combination tail light & camera (possibly useful for monitoring children in trailers). Kids learning to shift gears for the first time! Drawing pictures on Strava: Randy cleaned out his shed.  He had a few extra wheels and tires: You'll have to listen to hear the stories of Randy's series of clipless-pedal crashes, the deadly railroad bridge, and the need for mudflaps.

...in which we acquire new bikes for growing boys. Mounting fenders on a fat bike -- because it's not fun to get sprayed in the face. Why we hate quick release hubs. Randy's giant ninja bike attracts too much attention from drivers. Fitting tires that are just a bit too big for the frame... A fantastic new way to make your child crash on his bike: Minibrake! Mike does a bunch of research on lightweight kids' bikes: Cube Bikes Islabikes (UK/US ONLY!) Opus Bikes Fuji Ace Spawn Cycles Frog Bikes Randy does the sensible thing, and gets a normal bike at a local shop.  Importantly, the Trek Superfly is Red! Kids have trouble shifting...

...in which a Christmas movie is filmed in Mike's neighborhood, and Randy discovers an unexpected benefit of portaging a fatbike! Fixing flats, and other broken bicycle parts.  How not to extract a sheared-off bolt from a nut! We discuss that old saw, "When your seatpost clamp is busted, take the bus." Attempted shopping for kids' bikes. Randy's broken frame gets replaced...with Darth Vader!  (It's got a nice beat, but you can't dance to it.) We mentioned that there is a confusing panoply of tire sizes, all explained best by Sheldon Brown in his article on the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization standards. Large (balanced) tires can spin for a long, long time on a stand. A video of Nik Wallenda riding a bicycle on a high wire! If you want to know what Randy discovered about his Pugsley, you'll have to listen to the show.

...in which we debate the finer points of the by-laws of Mudwater.  And also a brief discussion of cycling! Mike has some trouble with ice caused by spring freeze-thaw cycles in alleys that haven't been cleared of snow. Randy goes on an adventure in the woods, and invents some new trick moves on ice, with a brief stop near Chernobyl. Mike mentioned an advantage of a tricycle in climbing hills, and made reference to an article about Sheldon Brown's Greenspeed. We discuss a bicycle drivetrain puzzle that you can try out on your own bike(s)! We talk about cycling promotion events in general, and the upcoming 30 Days of Biking, in which we pledge to ride our bikes every day in April to benefit Free Bikes 4 Kidz. Randy and his wife are both riding in the Pan Mass Challenge.  As a result, Another New (used) Bike! Should one buy a Princess Bike from Toys'R'Us?  (Hint: Try to find one at a real bike shop...)

...in which we wish for a device to adjust tire pressure without dismounting. We learn why Mike keeps referring to Winnipeg as "Mudwater". Randy's adventures on the ice banks with his Pugsley! What does Mike's family do when they have visitors from out of town? Letting children sleep in bike trailers - while grocery shopping, or just sitting in the driveway. A discussion of the relative costs of cars and bicycles, with absolutely no numbers (we just make stuff up). The new WorkCycles Kr8 bakfiets!  (And also the WorkCycles Cargobike Extra Extra Long...)

...in which the weather in Manitoba warms up so much that it snows!  Also, the trails in Massachusetts get dangerous! We talk about the remarkable record set in the Iditarod Trail Invitational bicycle race, and the documentary A Thin White Line. Randy's bike falls out of the sky, but apparently it's not as sturdy as his head, so he has to get a new one! A brief discussion of the important difference between aluminium and steel: fatigue limit. An interesting article on the history of pogies & the various ones that are available today.

...in which Mike fails to go to the International Winter Cycling Congress, and Randy gets heckled for his bad taste in duct tape-covered pants. More on winter storms and deep snow. For some reason, Mike starts talking about Little House on the Prairie. We both want fat bikes. We mentioned a documentary on the Iditasport Impossible race called A Thin White Line. High-quality bikes for kids: Islabikes! Maybe even fatbikes that fit kids, from the extra-small 9:Zero:7 or the Baby Fatty. More on balance bikes, training wheels, and growing kids. Freezing cables and ice chunks that want to disable our brakes.

...in which we discuss aggressive behaviour of motorists, and related exchanges of expletives, gestures, and intimidation tactics.  Then we tell stories about teaching kids to ride bikes! Mike referred to the story of a man who was run over for touching a car. We discuss being recognized by strangers. Are walls of snow by driveways inconvenient or fun? Randy mentioned an article in the Boston Globe about cycling in the winter. Mike might get a chance to visit the International Winter Cycling Congress in Winnipeg. Randy mentioned Sheldon Brown's essay on teaching kids to ride (with training wheels). Mike talked about Henry Cutler's essay on Bakfiets en Meer on the same topic.

...in which we discuss pogies, goggles, injuries, and blinking lights!

...in which Randy and Mike both re-discover the value of studded tires. We each experimentally verify our hypothesis that slick tires on ice do not provide significant lateral traction when descending, and bruises are likely to result. Somehow this leads to a discussion of the physics of turning and stability of bicycles (and motorcycles!).  Mike referred to research done on bicycle dynamics a few years ago, published in the journal Science, showing that neither trail nor gyroscopes are necessary to make a bicycle stable.  There are some good video demonstrations of it, and explanations of the research by both Arend Schwab and Andy Ruina. Randy explains the best method of using training wheels. We discuss the importance of anticipating inattentive drivers about to start their journeys.

...in which Randy's goggles don't just fog up, they get coated in ice, and Mike is schooled in the theory of curb-jumping. On New Year's Eve, Winnipeg was colder than Mars. What's worse in a balaclava -- boogers or peanut butter? Randy hits a milestone for the year 2013 with carefully recorded data; Mike makes a rough estimate wild guess, and comes up with the same number. We make a brief reference to Freddie Hoffman, who has ridden a distance equivalent to not one, but two round trips to the moon. Mike rescues a minivan with his new portable shovel. Randy tries to convince Mike to have more fun in the snow. We theorize that wheelies are impossible on bakfietsen, but it turns out that it can be done! Randy finally gets to try riding a fat bike in the snow!

...in which Randy finds a new route to work after a snowstorm, and Mike makes up plausible-sounding theories about why his bike is faster when the temperature goes up: We talk about sidewalk snowblowers, and the snow-clearing equipment used in Winnipeg. Randy confesses his crimes against the bike storage room at his office, and anticipates the disintegration of his precious, precious bicycle; Mike brags about how easy it is to keep bikes from deteriorating on the frozen tundra. We follow up on the story of Ben Watson from an earlier episode, and discuss a column from the Daily Mail. We go on to discuss an op-ed from the New York Times about American attitudes toward collisions involving cyclists.  A nice counterpoint to this article can be found from a post by BikeSnobNYC. We debate the merits [amazon text=bicycle bells&asin=B001QSWLW0] versus [amazon text=air horns&asin=B000ACAMJC], and talk about why drivers shouldn't use their car horns to say "hello" to cyclists. Next time: historical tidbits and a debate on the merits of blinking lights!

...in which Randy survives encounters with wildlife, Mike's toes get cold, and we talk about how our tires and boots are holding up in the cold and snow, among other things: Randy finds a reason to like the dog-walkers in the woods, then nearly passes out on his way home. Mike's tires go very, very slow in the cold.  We both use Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tires.  For more than you ever wanted to know about studded bicycle tires, see Peter White's website. We talk a little bit too much about tire sizes.  For more information, see Sheldon Brown's article on tire and rim sizes. Randy has a stand-off with the local fauna in a parking lot, and we talk about awareness of our environs, riding with the wind, and....urban bow hunting? Mike referred to John Forester's book, [amazon text=Effective Cycling&asin=0262516942].

Mike explains what makes a Dutch bike.  For an even better explanation, try reading one of these articles from Clever Cycles and A View From the Cycle Path. Randy almost drove to work because he was sick and it was raining, but didn't! When it's raining, freezing, melting, freezing, raining, it's hard to decide on tires. Cleaning your chain is more important than lubing it.  But perhaps the lube cleans it?  Mike referred to some research on the efficiency of bicycle chains done at Johns Hopkins, which had some surprising findings regarding chain lube.  And no discussion of bicycle chains would be complete without referring to Sheldon Brown's exhaustive article (heavily annotated by John Allen), which features such techniques as cleaning a chain in a soda bottle and boiling it in soap. What's in our tool bags? (Hint: mostly spare tubes and a pump). Randy is excited to try out his new (Canadian) boots! Kamik - Canucks.

Topics Repair ripped pants with duck tape. Repair old boots with old inner tubes and glue. Repair your bakfiets canopy with packing tape. How to keep your riding goggles from fogging/icing over.  (Mike's balaclava) Turn your Chariot Trailer into a dog sled for kids (and snow shoeing). Hub Dynamos (generator hubs) A good-quality bottle dynamo. Buyer's Remorse Bicycle Belle - Shop in Cambridge, MA. The "girls"/"utility" bike, a Workcycles FR8 (note: this is not a "girls' bike") Fat Tire Bikes - Randy wants a Moonlander, if you'd like to buy one for him. An article in the London Evening Standard about a cargo bike being stopped by a police officer for no apparent reason.