Another 8 Kickstarter inventions for year's end

It's almost Christmas, year's end and winter has started as well. But before we sit at the Christmas table let's take a quick look at the newest Kickstarter bike projects.

OttoLock

I will start with the first ever Kickstarter invention that I would actually buy. In fact, I'll probably preorder one.

OttoLock is a bicycle lock but it seems to solve the eternal problem of all bike locks - they can either be lightweight or secure. A thin cable lock is very light, but can be cut with pretty much anything. U-locks on the other hand, are very secure but weigh a ton. OttoLock, thanks to its smart construction, is supposed to be much more secure than cable locks (although it will likely not beat the best u-locks anyway) and much, much lighter than an u-lock - just 120g for the 18" OttoLock.

The only feature I'm not very fond of is the 3-digit combination lock, instead of a key. Yes, it's technically 1000 combinations but most of these type of locks I've seen were not high quality. I just hope that the locking mechanism is not the weakest link of OttoLock.

My verdict: Very nice. Interesting offering for someone looking for a lightweight and secure bike lock, which is pretty much every cyclist, I think.

Moskito

This thing is pretty weird. Or maybe it's smart? Moskito is a "precision chronograph and smart bike computer in one". Basically it's a cycling computer (Strava-connected, of course) in a form of a classic, analog Swiss watch that also talks to your smartphone. If you don't think that's weird you probably already have one.

I like it's design as a watch but it seems to over-complicate things too much when used as a cycling computer. Tiny analog dials are much harder to read than large digital display. Not to mention that I would love to see the expression on someone's face when they ask you for time and you show them that beautiful leather strap with the empty stainless ring on your wrist, because you have just realized that you left the watch on your bike.

My verdict: It's a completely unnecessary bicycle jewelry that is supposed to do two things well but in reality messes up both.

PoleProtectr

If Moskito was weird than PoleProtectr is just stupid. It's an "unobtrusive aero-design 3D silicone rubber" that will protect the frame of your bike when you lean it against a street sign, fence or anything like.

The biggest problem with PoleProtectr (except it's ridiculous name) is that there is no innovation in it! You can buy a piece of adhesive silicone in your local hardware store for a few bucks. Why even bother with Kickstarter?

My verdict: Clearly, some inventions should be never invented.

Dyna-Snap

Another little gizmo that looks very useful! Dyna-Snap is a connector system for your dynamo-wired bike lights that uses magnets to keep the plugs together - just like Apple MagSafe.

Not many people use dynamo-powered lights but those who do, would appreciate this quick-disconnect feature. It makes wheel swaps easier and safer.

My verdict: Simple, straightforward and does exactly what is supposed to do. Smart without trying to be Internet-smart.

Nexo Tires

Nexo is an airless tire system. Just like all other systems of this kind it promises no more punctures and... that's about it. Unfortunately, like all other such systems it comes with the same issues. Want a specific tire on your bike? Not a chance. Only several limited options are offered by Nexo. Want a cushy ride? Err... though luck. You have to rely on softness (or hardness) of rubber because the best thing about pneumatic tires - air, has been eliminated here.

My verdict: Not for me. Might be good for someone who has one bike and uses it twice a year. Then he/she doesn't have to worry about inflating tires anymore. Or someone with one bike who is too cheap to buy good tires and a pump. For any serious cyclists Nexo is not a solution.

Kwiggle

Kwiggle is just an uglier version of Brompton. This "most compact bicycle in the world" folds into a tiny package so you can hide it in your back pocket. Well, almost.

Yes, it's ugly but it seems to do what is supposed to - be small yet still usable. The one problem that I see with Kwiggle is that due to its size, it can be only either single or dual speed. Brompton (although not great in that regard) offers more drivetrain options.

My verdict: It may work but it's ugly. Would you want to be seen on one?

Air Lever

Air Lever is an attempt to combine two bike tools into one - a CO2 inflator and a tire lever. It's not bad, I think, it's just... completely pointless. Yes, you have those two tools together but then every cyclist knows that to change a tire effectively you need two levers (And that's why Air Level comes with an extra one). So that's two separate tools already. Then add one more, because you need to take a CO2 cartridge with you as well. Without it Air Lever is useless.

My verdict: Is it really worth paying extra for something that minimizes number of tools you carry with you from 4 to 3? I don't think so.

Chirp

Chirp, despite its name, doesn't emit any sounds. It's a bar end plug with integrated LED lighting. Again, the execution is sound (with no sound in it), but what's the point of it? There is a reason any red lights (especially those blinking ones) are mounted on the rear end of a bike. I don't think I would enjoy any lights blinking into my face. What Chirp reminds me are those marker/clearance lights you find on semi trailers. It's just that bicycle is much smaller than a trailer and doesn't need any clearance lights.

My verdict: Another unnecessary gadget for those who have everything. Need good lights for your bike? Buy something bright that mounts to the rear rack or the seatpost.

That's it folks. I'm taking a brief Christmas break. Enjoy your holidays!

Cultural learnings of Switzerland for make benefit glorious nation of America

Earlier this week I had to spend a few days in Switzerland. It's certainly not the best time of the year to go there - too early for snow and skiing season, yet too late to enjoy good weather. But since the primary reason for my trip was business, I wasn't there to enjoy the weather anyway. Nevertheless, I took a long walk through Zurich trying to get a feeling how different a cyclist's life there is, compared to what we experience here in the United States.

First of all, given the number of old, narrow, cobblestone streets, Zurich is more walkable than any large city in America, but that's certainly not surprising. What struck me more though, was apparent lack of on-street parking nearly everywhere in the center. Instead, motorists are asked to park in either multi-level garages or designated bays such as the one in the picture below. (But there is also less reason to even drive into the downtown, as Zurich's public transport system is quite impressive.)

It doesn't mean that on-street parking doesn't exist. It does, but it's not a norm. At least I didn't have that feeling while walking around the center.

The lack of on-street parking means that there is more space for bike lanes. There are many bike lanes in the center but don't think that Zurich is Copenhagen. Things are clearly better there than on our side of the pond, but infrastructure is far from perfect. Most bike lanes are simply painted with yellow lines, right next to traffic lanes.

I didn't notice any properly constructed protected bike lanes, expect this one - separated with a simple curb.

 Unfortunately, in some places where such a curb would be most needed, bicyclists are "protected" by just a strip of yellow paint.

All this left me feeling a bit disappointed. I was hoping for more exemplary bicycling infrastructure. On the other hand, drivers seem to drive more cautiously than here in Boston and be more aware of pedestrians and bicyclists. Maybe that's why, despite lacking infrastructure, bicycles were everywhere and seemed to be a popular form of transportation. That included mostly city (or similar) bikes, but cargo bikes could be seen as well. I also noticed a large number of electric bicycles, which may be understandable considering hilly terrain. Interestingly, electric bikes in Switzerland are registered (!), with a small license plate attached to the rear rack. I think this comes from European regulations, where e-bikes are considered more of a mini motorcycles and for example, their speed and motor power must be limited.

Because of a large number of bicycles in Zurich bike racks were plentiful. They often had a form of a single bar with multiple hooks where bicycles could be hung up by handlebars. An included steel cable was then used to secure bike in place.

Overall, even though I was expecting a bit more, I would still feel more comfortable riding a bike through Zurich than doing it in Boston. Yes, there are more bike lanes there but since they are very basic, it's not the bike infrastructure that would make me feel safer. I think it's because of calmer traffic in general. They simply don't seem to have that many cars in the center of the city. If that's the case, we could do the same in Boston. Even without heavy investment in bike lanes, simply slowing down and limiting traffic would benefit both pedestrians and cyclists.

Buying a bicycle - your options or the lack thereof

It just happened so that I was near a bicycle store recently and decided to peek in purely for entertainment reasons. I'm not interested in buying a new bike at the moment, but the store in question advertised on its front that Trek, Specialized, Surly and Salsa bikes were sold there. I figured it would be good to see if the newest 2017 offerings by Surly and Salsa already arrived and check them out in real life.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. In fact, after carefully checking the on-the-floor inventory, it turned out that not a single bicycle showcased was different than either Trek or Specialized. That made me think that I have seen similar situation in many other stores previously. The Two Big Guys (Trek and Specialized) sell their products in essentially every single bike store around. However, if you wish to purchase a bicycle from a bit lesser-known brand, such as Surly, Salsa or let's say, Kona, you're out of luck.

 

Specialized Roubaix - sold in every single bike store near you...

  

... but if you prefer Salsa Colossal instead, good luck finding one.

Why is that the case?

Could it be that Two Big Guys have such a strong marketing power (Or is something else?) that they require bike shop owners to present their products (nearly) exclusively?

Could it be that other brands are not showcased that often, because "they don't sell well"? But then I could argue that they would sell better if they were actually available in store.

Could it be that those niche brands offer bicycles that are too expensive for an average mortal? Unlikely. You can have a Salsa bike for not more than $1000. That's well in the same ballpark as majority of bikes from the Two Big Guys.

So what is it? Why a store that advertises to sell other brands doesn't have a single bike available for a test ride? When asked, owner's response is usually - "We can order it for you", but that's not the point! I can order it online myself, but I would be much, much happier to try it out at a local bike store, buy it there and likely spend even more money on some extras too.

I would think that a bike store offering those "different" brands could have a marketing advantage. After all, why should I buy this particular Trek bike in "my" store if 5 other stores nearby offer it too?

If you are a bike store owner, please help me understand this.

It's still November so go helmet yourself

There are only four weeks left until this year is over, which means that very soon we will have a new president who is going to make our country great again.

These last few weeks flew by too quickly. I didn't even had a chance to do much bicycling even though weather was favorable, as I was out sick for over a week. That's what happens when you decide to grow little human children of your own. They go to preschool and bring back home viruses you have never heard of before. In no time, everyone in your household gets sick.

Nevertheless, there's been some interesting news circulating recently. First of all, our roads still suck. Their outdated design is killing us and lately we can also add Driving and Using Phone Applications (DUPA, which means ass in Polish), to the list of main reasons why we drop like flies on U.S. roads.

Don't think the situation will improve in 2017. We just love driving too much. Driving is safe, right? It doesn't require those stupid foam hats. Well, they don't have to be made out of styrofoam actually. Apparently, helmets could be made out of paper too. This folding blue banana won even an international award:

Not sure why this origami was awarded at all, since according to the inventor it's not sure whether "you can make a helmet cool" (No, you can't.), but apparently, "you can design it so it's not embarrassing". Unfortunately, this paper pasta strainer is:

Interestingly, this funky device was invented by an American, even though I would think that Australians would be the first to develop it. The good thing is that they finally start asking themselves the question that should've been so trivial to answer decades ago - should cyclists be forced to wear helmets? Results are promising:

On the other hand, who knows - maybe there are just 645 cyclists in Australia who don't feel like wearing one?

Finally, because it's the end of the year, let's talk about the future. You may find various different reports forecasting what new "standards" and "must haves" we will see introduced in the cycling world in 2017. For me, the most interesting one predicts the rise of sub-compact - or simply-speaking, road cranksets made for an average Joe who never uses a 53/11T combo because he's not a superhuman on steroids. Sub-compact crankset may let him use more than just 3 largest cogs of his cassette. Too bad this "novelty" is still up to come. A few years too late but better late than never, I guess.

My sub-compact crankset. No need to wait until 2017.

Alright, it's getting late. That's it for now. I'm going to bed but I will put my paper strainer on first, because "it absolutely makes sense to wear one—always".

Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving - a holiday also known as The Mass Turkey Slaughterfest To Thank All Indigenous People Of America For Showing Us How To Grow Corn, By Giving Them Smallpox.

Anyway, the bird is in the oven so let the celebration begin. Provided that you are able to reach the table first and this might be difficult, as many others got the same idea. This is that time of the year when Americans travel more than usual, which results in a huge clusterfuck at airports and on highways, such as this one in Los Angeles:

#MannequinChallenge? Traffic nearly at a standstill on the 405 Freeway https://t.co/yfahcIv8AR pic.twitter.com/ZQndXJwEA3

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 23, 2016

Not sure if this was intentional but if citizens of Los Angeles wanted to honor Poland's Independence Day (of November 11th), they are late by nearly 2 weeks. If they had Indonesia in mind, they should've planned for such gridlock on August 17th. On the other hand, there is always huge traffic on 405 so red and white ribbon must be a common sighting there.

My number one rule for going back home from work, prior to any major holiday or summer weekend, is simply not to drive. When roads are clogged with hundreds of vehicles, a bicycle is the only sure way to be home on time. This way no matter how bad the situation is, I know I'll be home at the same time as usual.

Of course, I realize that not everybody is in such a comfortable situation to be able to ride a bicycle to work, which is why we should definitely invest in public transportation and high speed rail. But we somehow know better, so we would rather spend millions on the extra lane on Interstate that will get clogged shortly after cutting the ribbon. And it doesn't seem that 2017 will bring any changes here. Apparently, "making America great again" means simply "greatly clogged". I wish our government introduced a radical prune juice policy ASAP.

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Paint protects only from corrosion

You might have sensed some disturbance in the Force recently and that's likely because we have elected the President of The Divided States. This resulted in a series of unforeseen events - stock market went downhill, Canadian immigration site crashed and cows stopped giving milk. One thing is sure though - the next year America will be so Great, we won't even recognize it.

I'm sure that the new President will put us on path to Greatness by building thousands of new bike lanes in American cities. Yes, bike lanes! (And no, sharrows won't cut it, since we all know that sharrows are shit). The new bike lanes should be obviously protected to avoid situations like these:

(I stole those pictures from Jonathan Fertig's Twitter feed. You know him as the guy who "fertiged" half of Boston with orange cones.)

The lanes in pictures above are not protected, i.e. there is no buffer separating them from the traffic lane with fast moving cars. Bicycling advocates have been calling for protected bicycle lanes in Boston for a long time and not too long ago, they finally started popping up. Unfortunately, when that happened, we all learned one important lesson - paint protects only from corrosion:

Apparently, the city of Boston left the job halfway done and didn't bother to install any real protective barrier between the lanes and the street. This made hundreds of drivers think those lanes are some kind of fancy new on-street parking, even though they had proper parking spots painted right next to them (see picture above).

Clearly we need a bit more than a bucket of paint. It turns out that a few orange cones take care of this problem:

No cone at new buffered bike lane, 19th St and Harrison, Oakland pic.twitter.com/58Q88n84Ah

— FTFYOakland (@FtfyOakland) November 6, 2016

After placement of single cone, lower speeds & zero encroachment into new buffered bike lane at Madison/Harrison/19th Street in Oakland pic.twitter.com/Jjg8FWrVlQ

— FTFYOakland (@FtfyOakland) November 6, 2016

I don't have an answer why cones or other barriers were not immediately added to the new lanes. Some people pointed out that the city may be reluctant to do so, as it would make snow clearing in winter difficult.

With a physical barrier from the street side a full-size plow can't be used to clear the bike lane. Other equipment needs to be employed. (By @sadbikelane)

It essentially all comes down to willpower. Many cities manage this problem well because they want to. In fact, they give clearing sidewalks and bike lanes in winter a priority. In Boston though... well, let's just hope that we reach Greatness by a vast network of connected and protected bicycle lanes very soon. Fortunately, things are getting better:

Bicycle Use and Cyclist Safety Following Boston’s Bicycle Infrastructure Expansion, 2009–2012 F.E. Pedroso, F. Angriman, A.L. Bellows, K. Taylor, 12/2016, Vol.106, No.12 AJPH

Seven and a half allroad bikes for $2000 or less

It's Halloween - the only time in the year we let our kids accept candies from random strangers. But that's not what I wanted to write about. Let's talk about candies for big boys - bicycles.

We all know that unless you are into racing, Strava and the general Fredness, road bikes are boring. They really are! How long can you keep riding on a straight, smooth road after all? On the other hand, mountain bikes are fun... as long as you ride them in right places. Often, this means that first you would have to ride your mountain bike several miles to the trail. Ideally, you would want to own both of those bicycles but if your mother, girlfriend or wife keeps reminding you "One more bike and you're moving out!", it may be the right moment to forget about the n+1 rule and look for a single bicycle that would do it all.

Several years ago we've seen the arrival of "gravel bikes" - "designed" for riding on all types of roads, especially those unpaved ones. And even though in the recent years we slowly stopped calling them "gravel bikes" (which was a pretty stupid name to begin with) and now prefer adjectives such as "adventure", "allroad" or "anyroad", their design is actually not dramatically different from the bicycles that have already existed on the market for a long, long time - cyclocross bikes. In this sense, many modern "gravel bikes" are sadly not designed from ground up to serve as lean and mean unpaved road vehicles. Instead, they just seem to be race-oriented, re-purposed cyclocross bikes. Essentially, if you are looking at an adventure bike that comes with a low stack (frame height from the bottom bracket to the top of head tube), high bottom bracket and space for max. 35mm tires - it's not a modern adventure bicycle (even though it could serve you quite well as one!).

Anyway, I figured that it may be fun to put together a list of interesting adventure bicycles available now. My main selection criteria were: relaxed geometry, clearance for 40mm+ tires and multiple water bottle, rack and fender mounts. The point is to find bikes that can be decent on paved and unpaved roads, work well for touring in your summer adventures and commuting in winter time. For the sake of budget sanity I decided to cap prices at $2000 (-ish).

(All pictures come from either manufacturer's websites or related reviews. Used here as examples only.)

Salsa Vaya GX ($1800)

Let's start with Salsa Vaya - the bike that started it all years ago. In its newest incarnation, the Vaya GX comes with a steel frame of relaxed geometry with high stack (>600mm for size 55cm), slacker head tube angle (71.5deg) and lower bottom bracket (75mm drop). It's also adventure-ready with 3 water bottle mounts and rack mounts. Vaya's frame will easily fit tires up to 50mm wide if you don't use fenders. The only thing I'm not particularly fond of is the gearing. The bike comes with a road crankset with 50/34T chainrings, which means the gearing will be too high for off-road riding. Fortunately, the wide-range cassette (11-36T) helps here quite a bit.

All of this can be had for $1800 but if you don't want to spend that much, Salsa offers two other flavors for $1400 and $1100 so there's plenty to choose from. Overall, Vaya is a great bike for someone who would stay on pavement most of the time but doesn't want to be limited to it. I can tell you that it works great and is fun to ride, as I had a chance to test the previous X9 model recently.

+ well-thought-out geometry - relaxed and comfortable

+ plenty of clearance for large 50mm tires

- road crankset with 50/34T chainrings

Salsa Fargo GX 2X10 ($1700)

Salsa Fargo is a bit different animal. While Vaya was still more of a road bike, or an off-road bike showing its road heritage, Fargo is more of a mountain bike wearing road bike's clothes. It's essentially a 29er MTB designed to be used with drop bars. As such, Fargo's frame has a very high stack (>640mm for size M) and slack head tube angle (69deg). This will work well off-road but makes it less suitable for fast riding on pavement. On top of that, the frame is suspension fork-ready, the bike comes with a MTB-specific 38/24T crankset and beefy 29"x2.0" tires.

Clearly, Salsa wants you to choose between Vaya and Fargo depending on your riding style. If you spend more time on pavement and once a while venture off the beaten path, Vaya will be a better bicycle for you. But if you think pavement is boring and those unknown trails are your true call - pick Fargo and it won't disappoint.

+ a true off-road vehicle with suitable geometry and components

+ fits very wide tires (2.0"+)

+ convertible dropouts mean you can use any drivetrain you like - even a belt-driven Rohloff hub

- not as fast on pavement as other bikes shown here

Specialized Sequoia Elite ($2000)

After adventure bikes were introduced on the US market and generated enough interest, big players entered the game. Sequoia is Specialized's answer to Vaya and generally it does the job well. For two grand we get a bicycle with Shimano 105 groupset mixed with hydraulic brakes, wide-range cassette and 48/32T crankset. Add wide 42mm tires, a bunch of accessory mounts and attractive design to this mix and you may get a perfect on/off road machine. However, frame stack is only 584mm (for size 56cm) and bottom bracket sits high (66mm drop), which tells me that Specialized started well, but then forgot it's not a cyclocross bike after all.

+ wide tires

+ hydraulic brakes

- low stack (584mm for 56cm size), targeted more towards sporty, fast riding

- high bottom bracket showing its cyclocross heritage

Specialized AWOL Comp ($2100)

If Sequoia is what Vaya would be if Specialized made it, then AWOL Comp is their (late) answer to Fargo. Similarly to Fargo, AWOL comes with 1.9" wide tires and higher stack for more relaxed riding. There are some key differences though. AWOL does not have a suspension-corrected frame so you can't put a suspension fork on it (which actually makes it look better than Fargo) and it has a much steeper head angle (72 vs. 69 on Fargo). All this means that unlike Fargo, AWOL is not a mountain bike dressed in a road bike uniform but rather a separate, purpose-designed solution. All of which is nice for a total of $2100. Yes, it's the most expensive bike shown here but I thought that the extra $100 was worth it.

+ hydraulic brakes

+ wide 1.9" tires

- steep head angle - 72deg

- expensive at over $2k

- some might complain it's not Salsa

Masi Giramondo 700C ($1050)

If it happens that you would really like to own a shiny allroad bike, but your budget is severely limited, it may be worth to take a look at Masi Giramondo. The 700C version shown here is a budget version of Vaya (or Sequoia). No integrated shifters, triple crankset, cheaper brakes - you get what you pay for. Still, it should be a fun bike to ride thanks to smart geometry and wide 40mm tires.

+ simple and reliable components (bar end shifters, mechanical disc brakes)

+ wide gearing range with triple crankset

+ inexpensive

- steep head angle - 72deg

- I'm guessing it's certainly heavier than Vaya

Masi Giramondo 27.5 ($1050)

For the half of money you need to spend on AWOL, you could have this Giramondo 27.5 instead. It's essentially exactly the same bike as Giramondo 700C except the wheels. By going with smaller 27.5" wheels Massi managed to fit wide, 2.1" tires in the fork and frame. It makes this bicycle very similar to what AWOL offers, in terms of geometry (identical!) and tire width. Of course, Giramondo doesn't have a fancy 1x11 drivetrain nor hydraulic disc brakes, but that's where those savings come from.

+ simple and reliable components (bar end shifters, mechanical disc brakes)

+ wide gearing range with triple crankset

+ inexpensive

- steep head angle - 72deg

- I'm guessing it's likely heavier than AWOL

Kona Sutra LTD ($2000)

Kona bikes often had some fun Hawaiian names. Sutra may not follow this tradition but looks like a fun bike nevertheless. Geometry is appropriate - high stack, low-ish bottom bracket, slacker head angle and longer chainstays for better stability. On top of that, we get hydraulic brakes, 45mm tires and a well-tuned 1x11 setup with good range (36T chainring with 10-42T cassette). What's not to like? Honestly, it's hard to find anything wrong with this bike unless you don't like color orange.

+ good, comfortable geometry

+ hydraulic brakes

+ 45mm wide tires

Soma Wolverine ($630 frame+fork)

And now for something a bit different. Wolverine by Soma is a frameset that had gained lots of popularity since its release a few years ago. You can see why - stable geometry, adjustable dropouts, capability of running a belt drive, plenty of accessory mounts and clearance for wide tires. All this comes with the Wolverine. Unfortunately, it's only offered as a frameset, which means you would have to build it on your own or let your local bike store do it for you. In any case, you should have lots of fun riding this thing.

+ great start to an awesome bike

+ lots of drivetrain options thanks to adjustable dropouts

+ fits wide 45mm+ tires

- not offered as a complete bike

There are probably several other models I missed here. Let me know about them in comments. No matter what you choose, an allroad bicycle should quickly become your new best friend - capable of taking you everywhere, whether it's a trek across Sonoran Desert or just a ride to work.

Make America bike again

As I mentioned over a year ago, Americans rarely ride their bikes. This means that what could be the simplest form of exercise or an effective way to avoid traffic is largely ignored by most of people in this country. There are many reasons of this status quo and I'm sure everyone will be able to find own good excuse, but in general, unless you are very lucky and can commute to work through a deep forest or some other uninhabited place, you will end up on road with cars. This road space is supposed to be shared equally between all users but we all know how it works, when we try riding bicycles there.

A friendly reminder for Mr. Motorist who forgets that passing a bicyclist inches away is not "sharing the road".

You may say - that's OK because you're not supposed to ride your bike to work in America. You should drive instead. So you move away from the downtown, into suburbs, far from your daily job and now you have to commute to your office every day. But because there are no other options, you need to drive, which means that you sit in traffic you helped creating and you will likely die there. Not to mention that when you finally get to your office, you have to park somewhere and since space in densely populated city centers is limited, there is no way to provide parking for everyone. This means parking wars, where apparently "even the elimination of four spots has a significant impact on the quality of life". Well, if the quality of your life depends on 4 parking spots, it's a miserable life you're having.

Essentially, if you notice a problem here and decide it's time to fix it, you will quickly see that "the system us actually rigged in favor of cars".

Those who try change it often face some serious opposition of those, who think they will solve the issue by approaching the problem, the way I like to say it - "from the ass's end". They will tell you that it's not the crappy street design but the scofflaw pedestrians who don't play well with the system and that they should wear hi-viz clothing to stay safe. Is then the best way to stay safe simply being on the inside of a car? Over 30,000 deaths per year mean the answer is no. Our current car-focused policy is killing us, but if you think that self-driving cars will change that, you're wrong. They may help reducing the number of distracted driving situations (By the way - phone makers could help here... except they won't), but it will still fill roads with single-occupancy vehicles. You can't just solve this problem by putting everyone in a car.

Changes come slowly. Perhaps they best is still ahead of us as it turns out that younger generations generally care about public transportation more than their parents and want to live in cities. Those who do, don't drive to work because they don't have to - over 55% of citizens of Longwood (Boston's district) walk or bike to work and it takes them less than 30min. to get there. Unfortunately, at the same time nearly 80% of people living in West Roxbury choose to drive, even though they are only 9 miles away from Boston's downtown. With some protected bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes and better light rail, they could easily leave their cars at home.

That's nothing revolutionary. We were ready to adopt the best standards 40 years ago but we messed it up big time (and sadly bicycling activists were involved). Now we are trying (or actually begging city governors to do it) to install bike lanes and we face some unexpected obstacles once a while. Like this lane in D.C. that is getting axed because it "infringes upon the constitutional right of religious freedom". If that's not clearly rigged in favor of cars then I don't know what is.

The first step to solving any problem is recognizing there is one. I'm still waiting for the moment when U.S. government announces that the current transportation policy is shit, it's time to focus on public transport instead and make America bike again.

Century ride - how (not) to do it

Century ride - every cyclist's milestone to "serious riding". That transitional step when you advance from "baby steps" cycling to the "seriously committed" level.

Yet for most of us, a simple century ride means completely different things. First, the distance. Century indicates a length of 100 units. For me, being a metric person, it's 100km. For most Americans it's 100 miles and I will stick with this "American century" definition for the rest of this page.

Next, there is a question of how you would ride that distance. If you have never tried riding that many miles in one day, perhaps you tried to learn more about the coming challenge from the internet. And that might have been a mistake, because apparently, lots of advice out there is targeted to competitive cyclists who ride a century for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Take this article from Bicycling magazine. Turns out that you should expect pain, suffering, hunger, thirst and a heatstroke. Their list of thoughts you may have on such a ride includes:

"I should have a snack." 

"Why am I out of snacks?"

"I’m in hell. All you people in your cars, with your air conditioning... You have no idea how lucky you are."

"I was crazy to think I could do this."

"I hate my gloves/jersey/helmet/socks/bike. I hate that tree. I hate everything."

It gets better. This video suggests that in order to ride 100 miles you should enter an organized event. On top of that, you will need a special training session to prepare you for the ride.

Fortunately, this is not true. It's doesn't have to be rocket science, especially if you're not planning on finishing the ride in 5 hours, that is - racing. As long as you take it easy, you don't need to worry too much about suffering, thirst or nutrition. Ah yes, nutrition. You can follow the advice from this video if you want to become a drug addict:

... or you can just eat regular food like the rest of us.

The point is - all of these advice may apply to people who want to race over 100 mile distance but are completely unsuitable for the rest of us. As long as you ride regularly and did a few 30, 50, 70-mile rides before, you are ready for a century. Just pick a relatively flat route for the first attempt and a day with pleasant weather. For some of you 90F and humid is pleasant, while for others (myself included) it would be a torture. Pack the basic toolkit, water and a few snacks but don't worry about food - you will stop for lunch anyway.

The most important thing is - take it easy and don't rush. Seems like the how-to showed above applies to competitive cyclists who expect to complete a century before lunch. If you don't race, there is little point in that. It takes me about 11-12 hours to finish a 100 mile ride. That's the whole day of riding,

 but instead of staring at the front tire the whole time, I enjoy the view...

 ... and the open road.

I also take numerous stops to take pictures and eat my lunch. No pills and "products" can replace a juicy burger with good beer.

Then, you can treat yourself with another one after the ride.