It feels so good to say that! Bike locks annoy me: they are HEAVY, expensive, bulky— but for the scum-sucking bike thieves in our world, they are totally unnecessary to enjoying bicycle travel.
RANT: I HATE BIKE LOCKS!
Month: February 2015
A February Bike Ride on the Cedar River Trail
I gave my wife a ride to a conference in Renton Washington yesterday (2/11/15) and took the bike along. We haven’t traveled any of the rail trails south of Seattle and this was a good opportunity with little extra gas used. I had the southern section of the Interurban Trail in mind, but I checked for other trails in the area and found the Cedar River Trail that started a mile from the conference site.
Bell Stoker helmet
I have a big head and finding a helmet that fits is a challenge. I’ve been using a Bell XLV XL size that has worked for me, but I was at the annual Seattle Bike Swap last weekend and found a used Bell Stoker model helmet for $20. It fits like a glove, no pressure points at all. It has good coverage in the rear and is rounded rather than having an “aerodynamic” tail sticking out; the side coverage is good as well. It has a wheel-style adjuster and excellent ventilation. I took it for a long ride yesterday and I think it’s a keeper. The only thing I would change is to have a white one for visibility and direct sun. The color on this one is “matte titanium”— that’s dark gray. The headlamp is an addition and discussed below.
Dirtbag Fingerless Cycling Gloves from Home Depot
I was at Home Depot tonight on a “mission” and found these Grease Monkey fingerless gloves for $10. My summer biking gloves have a big hole and I’ve been waiting for a good deal. IMHO, the construction and design are better than my Cannondale gloves that have big holes after one season.
DIY Dirtbag Bikepacking Stuff Sack Mount and Bag Support
I’m spending the cold rainy days assembling a bikepacking rig. I’m thinking out loud with this setup but I think it has merit.
I ran across an Ikea VARIERA plastic bag dispenser for $2. The core section struck me as a perfect support to use with a stuff/dry bag for a bikepacking handlebar or cargo rack pack.
Dale's Journal 