Archive for the 'News & Views' Category

Last year I reviewed the Boombotix BB1 portable amplified speaker system. The fun little gadget attracted plenty of attention anytime I rode with it, and it’s been pleasant riding to work while listening to music (and not having to worry about the negative aspects of riding with headphones). The one thing that proved less than ideal with the BB1 was the need for a speaker cable, which limited the available mounting options and was generally inconvenient. Enter the BB2, the Bluetooth wireless equipped model.

In addition to being wireless, the BB2 features volume controls, which admittedly would have been nice on the BB1, as well. Like the original it’s lithium ion battery charges via USB and is claimed to run nearly eight hours on a one hour charge. Combined with the optional handlebar mount, the BB2 can be positioned on your handlebar so that it faces you, while your music player remains safely tucked away.

In real-world testing I’ve found the BB2 is very cool, but there’s room for improvement. While the wireless functionality worked flawlessly throughout the test, it’s a fact of the matter that the wireless BB2 is about 15% less audible than the cable-bound BB1 (both are cable-compatible, however, and provide the same 3 to 5 W output). And the 15% figure is from Boombotix, not an arbitrary number I came up with. In practical terms, I simply wish the system was louder. I don’t have the most spectacular hearing to begin with (blame that on 10 years of playing in punk rock bands) so when the wind starts whipping through my helmet, or I pull up beside a diesel truck, I can barely make out what old Joe Strummer is singing.

Of course I encourage you to take my opinion with a grain of salt, and if you’re interested in the BB2, try to find one to demo in person. It’s definitely a convenient gadget and a slick piece of industrial design.

The BB2 retails for $75, the handlebar mount kit ($17) is sold seperately. Check out www.boombotix.com

Like him or not, George W Bush is a cyclist.

20 wounded servicemen and women join 65-year-old George W. Bush for a 3 day, 100 km mountain bike ride through Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo Texas.

The former president led these Wounded Warriors and 50 others — journalists, secret service, sponsor guests — through 13 miles of trails on what one marathon running journalist described as a “two-hour 50-minute ordeal complete with skinned legs and elbows and sore ribs.”

Via Cyclelicio.us

Remember when the Critical Mass ride during the 2004 Republican National Convention brought out around 5000 – 6000 people on bikes? We thought that was HUGE, but that wasn’t even about bikes as it was about using them to take over the streets.

In London this past Saturday 10,000 CYCLISTS (not just people on bikes) took to the streets in a show of force to convince the mayoral candidates (who also rode along) in the next election to put safe streets for cyclists at the top of their agenda.

The Green candidate for mayor was quoted as saying, “…cycling is the future.” Damn, can we get some of what their drinking over to our city’s politicians?

Oh, and did we mention it was rainy that day? And they STILL brought out 10,000 riders? You go London, you go.

Today kicks off the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Month, so to celebrate we bring you a really cool series of videos created by BikeWise, a bike advocacy group from New Zealand. The videos follow a rider from points A to B around the area, noting dangerous intersections, advising proper signaling and offering other important information to get you to the destination safely. This would be a great resource to create for new riders in any area.

I remember when I was giving “commute reports” in my zine back before the expansion of the web and such easy access to videography, which amounted to crappy, photocopied photos taken with a disposable camera and placed next to typewriter copy (now get off my lawn kids!). Oh how far we’ve come. These videos are much more practical and helpful, of course.

Plug similar videos for your area in the comments and enjoy National Bike Month! Bike To Work Day will be here on the 18th.

Loung Ung, the subject of Riding With The Dragon in issue #25, has just published her third book entitled Lulu in the Sky.

As promised, the book proclaims her mother’s love for bicycles:

“And she loved to ride her bike down hills very fast!” Auntie Takea chuckled…

“And all the young men would stare at her naked legs!” Second aunt cackled. “She would throw her arms up in the air and fly, steering the bicycle with her knees.”

Check out www.loungung.com

The Onion has just released it’s Transit Issue here in Indianapolis and posted some bicycle safety tips on the website from an old installment. In typical Onion fashion, the tips are as hilarious as they are impractical. My two favorites are the following:

Visibility is crucial when biking. Ride with a lit highway flare in each hand.

Does your city have adequate bike paths? If not, consider bitching about it to your local government for the next 40 years.

This article was written back in ’01 and sorely needs some updating. Add your own Onion-esque bicycle safety tips in the comments.

A month back I wrote a post about the Nike Vapor Flash jacket with it’s 360 degree reflective material. Originally designed for runners I think it is more practical with cyclists who need to be seen by car traffic more than anyone else. This reader sent us their flickr stream with the above video of the jacket in use. This gives you a much greater understanding of how awesome this thing is and how effective it would be for commuting purposes, specifically in the morning hours or shortened winter days. The other reflective adornments in the video are pretty cool too.