BikeStuff

This page is a collection of notes/links based on my experiences using a bike instead of a car as my transportation (see CarFree).

Bicycles in this country are thought of as toys, and a look through a bike shop will only bear this out. Almost none of them are made for daily transportation: No fenders, no racks, no lights, uncomfortable seats, high gears, &c. And the accessories in these shops are rarely suitable for serious transportation use. Thankfully, the internet has made it possible to find useful products, and here is a list of the links I have accumulated.

Recumbents

• [Catrike] -- I thought about getting one of these and almost did had the dealer been interested in selling me one.
• [HP Velotechnik] -- my newest recumbent, GrassHopper

Lights

• [Laseredge lights] -- Cheap and powerful headlights.
• http://adafruit.com -- some neat LED lights that could be used for visibility and sending messages to others.
• [DiNotte] has some very bright, though expensive, LED lights. Get them cheaper from [Geomangear]

Flags

If you're on a recumbent it's a good idea to have a safety flag, since many drivers are unable to see anything that low, though it's a mystery as to how they see the lane markers. But a flag isn't as visible as one of these: http://www.catchthewind.com/

And put this on your flag-pole: http://www.techflex.com/

Cargo Hauling

Most bike trailers are fair-weather canvas and pipe things made for hauling kids. Most paniers aren't any better. Here are the exceptions:

• [BicycleR Evolution]
• [Cobbworks bike buckets]
• [Bikes At Work] has some great bike trailers
• http://www.extrawheelus.com/

Locks

Kryptonite locks are a given, but given the amount of money I have spent on my bike, I've been looking at other things:

http://www.bikeguardlocks.com/extras/bikealarm.php http://www.greenspeed.us/bike_alarm_lock.htm http://www.ducharmealarm.com/ http://www.kiramek.com/english/products/bikewatch/index.html http://www.nervouscyclist.org/bike_alarm_v2.htm