Let’s say you’ve had it with high gasoline prices, are not happy with riding buses and trains, and you want to try something new for your health.  You are a candidate for commuting by bike!  This may be to your job, school, or running errands.  The health and environmental benefits of commuting by bike are well known and these new incentives may just push you to take action and try it out.  It may take some experimenting to develop a new routine, but the following six tips will help to get you started.    

One third of the 109th edition of the Tour de France (tDF)  is now in the books.  Even though this is an event steeped in history, the race organizers were not afraid to mix things up starting in the first week.  Deviations from the norm included starting the race on a Friday, instead of the usual Saturday, the first three stages held in the Scandinavian country of Denmark for the first time ever instead of France, an early stage on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, and the first ever mountain finish at La Planche des belle Filles.  

​Cycling is an excellent activity for all ages, especially  seniors.  Riding a bike involves smooth motions with low impact that puts little strain on a body for all ages.  It is an activity that enables seniors to move and be active even as they get older.  If you are new to cycling, returning after a break, or currently a bike rider debating whether to continue cycling as you age, there are some things you need to know to be comfortable and safe riding a bike as you age.

Let me make it clear I have no intention of riding across the country or the world on a bike if there isn’t a support vehicle or a warm bed and flush toilet involved.  But it is a guilty pleasure of mine that I like to read about others who have.  I can’t really explain my fascination with long distance cycling because it is a hard, uncomfortable way to see the world with a few moments of wonder from the landscape or encounters with kind people interspersed with lots of drudgery, hardship, danger, and bad weather. But learning about those moments of wonder and figuring out the motivation and perseverance of those who take on the challenge of a multiday long distance bike trip is an opportunity to live vicariously.   

​It happens to everyone who rides a bike—you’re rolling along and all of a sudden it becomes hard to pedal, maybe you hear the hissing of air leaving your tires, maybe it’s the loud boom of a blowout.  Or you go to get on your bike and discover that a tire is flat because somehow the air leaked out during the night.   The result ranges from an inconvenience or it could be dangerous but it is always trouble.   Not all flat tires can be prevented but there are simple steps you can take to reduce the likelihood.

The 108th version of the Tour de France (TDF) is now in the history books and as usual, it was filled with memorable moments.  Whether you root for the overall winner of the Yellow jersey, winners of the other specialty jerseys, such as the White, Green, or Polka Dot, riders of a particular nationality, such as Americans, Columbians, Slovenians, or French, or the records broken, such as the number of stage wins, there was plenty to keep us interested this year in the world’s greatest cycling event.  

At Earth Rider we like to sell basic black bikes.  It is a nice neutral color and no customer ever walked away from buying a bike because it was black.  But with something as important to your well-being and transportation as a bike, it is nice to express your personality with it, just like you do with your clothing and hair style.  So, whether you start with a canvas of all black or your bike has some color you want to highlight or compliment there are several options to customize your bike so it looks like all yours and is easy to pick out among others at a bike rack.  We are going to suggest what you can easily swap out and add and what you should avoid doing without careful thought. 

Unless you ride a bicycle built for two or carry a child on a bike, it is one person one bike.  But cycling is a social activity and sometimes bikes travel near other bikes.  When you and your bike join a group of riders, it is a way to meet new people or spend time with old friends who share your love of cycling, follow a leader and learn about new destinations and routes, and sharpen your cycling skills by modeling the behavior of more experienced cyclists.  But riding in a group is different than riding solo so what are some of the dos and don’ts of group riding etiquette?