Category Archives: Bikes & Cycling

Everything to do with bikes and cycling.

The Other Side of the Mountain: Chris Boardman’s Six Fundamental Rules for Descending by Tamia Nelson

Some cyclists like to go downhill hell for leather. Others would rather walk. Farwell falls into the latter category. He’s in his element when climbing, but he often finds himself wishing he could deploy a drag chute when the road slopes downward. He’s not alone. Even professional bike racers get spooked by fast descents. FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot abandoned the 2013 Tour de France in tears because he feared descending. “Some people are afraid of spiders or snakes,” he explained. “I’m afraid of speed. It’s a phobia.” But Thibaut has now mastered his fear, and he’ll most likely be standing on the podium on Sunday — this after many grueling mountain stages with plenty of technical, high-speed descents.

Of course, Thibaut’s fears were well-founded. Descending is dangerous, and it’s no less so for everyday cyclists whose bikes are heavily loaded, whether the load is camping gear or groceries. Which is why I touched on the topic in another article titled Going Downhill and Liking It. I wasn’t foolish enough to think I’d written the last word on … Continue reading »

TNO Southern Hemisphere Correspondent Marcos Netto Makes the Case for Bicycles

You don’t often hear the phrase “Renaissance man” these days, but it’s a pretty fair description of Marcos Netto, TNO‘s Southern Hemisphere Correspondent. His is an enviable CV: corporate executive — he’s a director of Itati, a Brazilian mineral water company — linguist, professional photographer, and Rotarian. But Marcos is also an avid cyclist who regularly saddles up to commute to work. In fact, he’s become a sort of evangelist for cycling, never missing a chance to draw attention to the bicycle’s role in reducing urban pollution, easing traffic congestion, and promoting public health.

Here’s an example: Not long ago, Marcos was asked to take part in a television program on cycling. I could try to summarize what he had to say, but it’s Marcos’ story, so why not let him tell it in his own words?

I was invited by TV Unisinos for a live interview on the Conexão Unisinos 12 O’Clock News to discuss the topic “Bicycling for a Less Polluted World.” The other guest was Professor Felipe Brum de Brito Sousa. Both of us are “regular people”

… Continue reading »

Don’t BUY Upgrades. Ride. Up. Grades. by Tamia Nelson

We’d all like to be stronger and faster. But none of us—at least no one I know, notwithstanding the appeal of 50 Shades of Grey—really gets off on pain. Which is why cyclists are always suckers for the newest New Big Thing. The implicit contract between seller and cyclist is simple: Buy this [saddle, crankset, brifter, wheel, bike] and you’ll go farther and faster than you’ve ever gone before, without having to work any harder. And the argument is almost impossible to resist. That’s probably a good thing. After all, bicycles last just about forever, are easy to maintain, and require little in the way of costly consumables. (For instance, I can outfit my bike with enough chains, tires, and brake blocks for several years and many thousands of miles, all for less than the cost of a single fill-up for an SUV.) So local bike shops often depend on component upgrades to pay the bills, and the world would be a much poorer place without those shops.

Nonetheless, the promise implicit in … Continue reading »

Feeling a Little Flat Lately? Then Eyeball the Place Where Your Rubber Meets the Road

Are your tires letting you down more often than you think they should? Then you’ll want to read this.
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by Tamia Nelson | August 17, 2013

The bicycle started out as a rich man’s toy. Before too many years had passed, however, it evolved into efficient and economical transport for the working man. The pneumatic tire was one of the innovations that made this transformation possible. A very good thing, in other words. (Then again, it also helped to pave the way for the automobile. The jury’s still out on that.) Of course, everything comes at price. The pneumatic tire gave us low rolling resistance and an easier, less jarring ride on broken pavement. But it also gave us flats. And that problem is still with us today, more than a century after Michelin began selling the first practical pneumatic bicycle tires. Despite the recent proliferation of sealants, puncture guards, and tire liners, the diminuendo PPPFFFFFTTTT of a rapidly deflating tire remains a recurring coda in the music of the road.

Sometimes, however, a … Continue reading »