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Importance of Noise

Posted by KristinG in BikeAhead - (Comments Off)

I ride the ferry every day to get to work. I usually see at least three or four cyclists who take the boat from Staten Island to Manhattan on each boat. Today, I was looking at their bikes to see what kind of bike accessories they had. It was interesting to me that while some of them had bicycle taillights and some had baskets and panniers, ALL of them had bells or horns of some kind.

I thought about this and it makes absolute sense. New York drivers are not exactly known for paying the closest of attention to what’s going on around them (actually, this extends to all New Yorkers, but I digress…) so it sometimes unfortunately falls to the cyclist to make sure that cars on the road don’t hit them. This is where the horns come in.

Bells and horns are used to make others around you aware of your presence. It can mean, “I’m getting close to you so please get out of my lane, pedestrians,” or “Car, you are swerving into my lane and I happen to be in your blind spot.” It can also be helpful when you are pulling out of a street onto a main road or in conditions of poor visibility. Regardless of how you use it, it is an important tool in a bicyclists arsenal of safety tools.

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Carrying Cargo

Posted by KristinG in BikeAhead - (Comments Off)

When you’re biking in the city, exercise and getting yourself from place to place isn’t the only goal. A lot of the time, you’ve got other things with you, bags, groceries, dogs, or any number of items that you need to get from point A to point B. This isn’t always easy without the right bike accessories.

Sure, you can always use a backpack that you can strap on to make sure you always have everything that you need, but over time that can cause issues with your riding posture, especially if you overfill the bag or carry something that is far too heavy. If you’re going to be using your bike to go to the grocery store or carry your books and such to school, check out some bicycle accessories that can help you get all of your stuff there safely. There are handlebar baskets which are great for well behaved, older pets. These baskets can also hold light groceries and some books. If you’re going to be carrying some heavier things, check out panniers. These are baskets that ride one either side of your bike. Make sure you load them evenly so your ride is smooth and you aren’t veering off to one direction.

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Foggy Glasses and Winter Biking

Posted by KristinG in BikeAhead - (Comments Off)

With all of this ridiculously cold weather FINALLY hitting the north east, cyclists are winterizing for the first time. This means they’re running into problems they haven’t had all season, like foggy glasses. While many riders consider a balaclava one of the indispensable bike accessories for winter, it causes problems for those who wear glasses. If you’d rather give up your onguard bicycle lock than your balaclava, there are several solutions to this issue.

Ivory bar soap, when rubbed on the glasses and then buffed with a soft towel, will prevent your glasses from fogging up. You can also purchase a commercial anti-fogging agent but they’re actually less effective then the soap.

A lot of people say that their glasses fog mostly when they’re slowed or stopped. This is because the exhaled air is moving upward instead of outward. When you are stopped at a light, consider taking off your glasses or sliding them down your nose until you begin moving again.

As a joke, someone once said they wore a snorkel to redirect the air they were exhaling away from their glasses. I’m pretty sure this would make breathing while heavy pedaling difficult and also make you look absolutely ridiculous.

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Back to Basics

Posted by KristinG in BikeAhead - (Comments Off)

Cycling is becoming more and more popular around the country. Bike shops are popping up everywhere from Portland to Prospect Park (maybe especially in Prospect Park.) As more and more novices to the riding community hit the internet for advice, now might be a good time to go back to the basics of biking and catch them up.

First of all, welcome to cycling. It’s a great sport or alternate transportation and I promise you’re going to love it. Now, onto the tips. When you’re just starting out you’re not going to need something as advanced as a cycling computer but there are key cycling accessories that you should get when just starting out.

Assuming you’ve already got yourself a bike helmet which should be your first priority, get yourself a good onguard bicycle lock. This will prevent your bike from being, well, stolen, and ruining this great new thing you’ve got going on. Don’t skimp on the lock. As with any hobby, the nicer your equipment the easier your ride (forgive the pun.) A good bike lock will last you a very long time whereas a cheaper bike lock will be susceptible to bolt cutters.

You should then equip your bike with LED lights and taillights so that you are safe and visible to all around you.

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