Tips
Winter commuting tips from Tim
There are many challenges facing you when deciding to keep on riding when the weather gets cold, snowy and icy. You can make more excuses to add to Detroit specific problems of huge potholes, stop sign running drivers and the amount of broken glass and scrap metal that litter our streets. But, it’s still so much more fun getting where you’re going by bike, you just have to prepare for it.
Cone Suck
After encountering this peculiar form of bicycle malady a few times over the past couple of weeks, I feel compelled to devote some thought to the rather particular phenomenon known as Cone Suck. Cone Suck, defined as the condition wherein the drive-side cone on the rear hub gets “sucked” into the center of the hub [...]
Hot Patching
Hot patching, better known as the practice of setting the rubber cement on fire when patching an inner tube, occupies a special place in the folk bicycle wisdom of Detroit. While it lends a touch of magic to the most basic and common form of bicycle repair, instructions for hot patching “properly” are notoriously hard to come by and advice on the subject varies widely depending upon whom one relies for information.
Vise Grips
The ubiquity of vise grip pliers as the most essential bicycle repair tool is certainly not unique to Detroit, though its prevalence in the Motor City can hardly be overlooked after even a few days’ casual observation on city streets. Many honest and legitimate bicycle mechanics have frequently been at some pains to explain its [...]
Lighting Theory
From The Professor, Jacob VanDyke:
Many folks have told me over the years about the necessity of being lit from behind to avoid being hit by a car. While I don’t dispute the practicality and safety of a rear light, some of these same people will happily cycle after dark with naught but a blinking rear, [...]
Commuter tip: Keep your feet free from freeze with a petroleum-derived waste product
From Jack Van Dyke:
Protecting one’s feet against the wind on a cold day can make even a short commute a good deal more pleasant. Plastic grocery bags, applied over one’s socks before putting on shoes, present a simple and effective solution in this regard. In many cases, these can be acquired from almost any local [...]
Upcoming Events
Categories
