Enginerve : Bikes

10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain…a 100% reason to remember the name

  • A German electronics store has devised a clever kind of DIY bike parking

  • The New York Road Runners has created 83 free instructional videos that teach the fundamentals of running to coaches, teachers, parents and kids.

    The videos, called “A Running Start,” include a variety of drills and activities with easy-to-grasp demonstrations. They are aimed mostly as elementary and middle-school children, but can be used by coaches to help them teach their athletes.

    The six hours of videos took three years to produce, and can be viewed on the Road Runners’ Web site.

  • Cyclists have a joke about “racing in cat 6,” which, despite the name, is not exactly a race nor does it refer to an official category of cyclists. Cat 6 refers to commuter cyclists, and racing each other to work is their sport. Also called “the great commuter race” and “hipster racing,” cat-6 racing is the unspoken urban tradition of trying to go faster than, and not get passed by, a stranger on your bike.

  • Off to the shop this weekend to check my bike chain for wear.  It seems slightly odd that given my mechanical aptitude and background with so many things, that I haven’t actually learned much about bike maintenance beyond the obvious.

    Karma from this summer delivered a short review of BicycleTutor.com which had this video and information on “How to Check for Chain Wear“.  Give them a look and buy them a cup of coffee if you use the video and it makes a difference.  As soon as I finish, I will.

  • I just found the website Icebike and I am reminded that others bike through worse winters than I do.  I think I like the “Why” page the best of all.  In any event, I don’t ride much on the ice, but a lot in the cold and a lot in the rain and after so many years of doing it, I don’t really mind.  I do wish I could keep the bike cleaner with less effort and I am pondering setting up a bike stand outside near a hose to wash off my rims to save them, otherwise I enjoy being out there and find it only takes me a little longer to dress and dry off than during the year.  Outdoors and winter, great fun!