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Tag: bicycles

  • Your Bike Tires Are Too Skinny. Riding on Fat, Supple Tires Is Just Better

    Your Bike Tires Are Too Skinny. Riding on Fat, Supple Tires Is Just Better

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    A few months back, my friend and fellow bicycle enthusiast Eric prepared for his first 100-mile bike ride. Concerned about how sore he’d be afterward, he wondered what he could do to improve his ride.

    As a convert to the Church of Fat Tires, I was excited to share with him an idea I’d learned from other cyclists: Cram on the fattest soft-sided tires that will fit on your bike, then inflate them to a pressure that will seem surprisingly low.

    I’ve been a volunteer bike mechanic in Seattle for almost 10 years and have gently modified my own midrange 1988 Peugeot into something modern and capable. Yet nothing prepared me for the impact of fat tires with pliable (aka “supple”) sidewalls and inflating them to a pressure much lower than what I was used to. I remember my amazement riding down a big hill, listening to the different sound my tires made and experiencing the sure and solid feeling the bike suddenly had. It felt grippier, more comfortable, less twitchy, and maybe even faster. In car terms, it was like going from a well-cared-for old Camry to a modern sport truck. It was exhilarating.

    “Tires are probably the single most important component on your bike and the only part that touches the ground,” says Russ Roca, who has 175,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, The Path Less Pedaled, which focuses on enjoyment over speed and typically spotlights bikes that can ride on both gravel and pavement. “A wider tire means more volume and built-in suspension. It makes the bike feel more stable.”

    Roca says wider tires are just more fun. “You’re not being jarred to death. You’re not bouncing off of every rock and pothole. They are the most noticeable upgrade you can make to your bike.”

    This made sense, and I’d learn that not having my wrists and keister being jarred helped keep them from getting sore on longer rides.

    Yet somehow, fat tires still feel like a bit of a secret. Us cyclists put pads in our shorts and buy heavy suspension systems for off-road bikes, but we’re somehow reluctant to experiment with the part of the bike that actually touches the road to help make for a nicer ride. Big, global bicycle brands still seem unsure about embracing the trend, perhaps trying to ensure that you buy a skinnier-tired road ride and wider-tired gravel bike instead of one “all-road” bike that can do both.

    “Cycling has a lot of tradition, and sometimes we do things because they’ve always been done that way,” says Roca. “The industry says lighter equals good, which is easy to explain and market, but selling on ride feel and supple tires is more amorphous.”

    Plus, wide tires are relatively new to the market. Models with supple sidewalls made with high-thread-count fabric and a coat of rubber thick enough to protect the weave but thin enough to let the tire be plenty flexible have become widely available only in the last decade. Throw a pandemic in there, and an industry that’s long on inventory, and you can understand why adoption has not been widespread.

    Hidden in the buyers’ reluctance is the belief that a wider, softer tire is slower than a high-pressure skinny one, that the fatter tire weighs more and has more rolling resistance. But that’s not always the case.

    Last year, I hit a, um, milestone birthday and bought myself a fancy new all-road bike from Rivendell Bicycle Works. It accommodates tires north of 40 millimeters wide. (I currently use 38s.) The frame is made of steel, and the bike is not particularly light, but I love how it feels and how it encourages me to ride as much as possible—and fast. A lot of that has to do with the tires.

    Toward the end of a summer when I rode a lot, I ended up at a stoplight next to a spandex-clad racer on a skinny-tire bike. When the light turned green he shot off, and I thought: What the hell.

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    Joe Ray

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  • Biden’s New Import Rules Will Hit Ebike Batteries Too

    Biden’s New Import Rules Will Hit Ebike Batteries Too

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    Last week, the Biden administration announced it would levy dramatic new tariffs on electric vehicles, electric vehicle batteries, and battery components imported into the United States from China. The move kicked off another round of global debate on how best to push the transportation industry toward an emissions-free future, and how global automotive manufacturers outside of China should compete with the Asian country’s well-engineered and low-cost car options.

    But what is an electric vehicle exactly? China has dominated bicycle manufacturing, too; it was responsible for some 80 percent of US bicycle imports in 2021, according to one report. In cycling circles, the US’s new trade policies have raised questions about how much bicycle companies will have to pay to get Chinese-made bicycles and components into the US, and whether any new costs will get passed on to US customers.

    On Wednesday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative—the US agency that creates trade policy—clarified that ebike batteries would be affected by the new policy, too.

    In a written statement, Angela Perez, a spokesperson for the USTR, said that ebike batteries imported from China on their own will be subject to new tariffs of 25 percent in 2026, up from 7.5 percent.

    But it’s unclear whether imported complete ebikes, as well as other cycling products including children’s bicycles and bicycle trailers, might be affected by new US trade policies. These products have technically been subject to 25 percent tariffs since the Trump administration. But US trade officials have consistently used exclusions to waive tariffs for many of those cycling products. The latest round of exclusions are set to expire at the end of this month.

    Perez, the USTR spokesperson, said the future of tariff exclusions related to bicycles would be “addressed in the coming days.”

    If the administration does not extend tariff exclusions for some Chinese-made bicycle products, “it will not help adoption” of ebikes, says Matt Moore, the head of policy at the bicycle advocacy group PeopleForBikes. Following the announcement of additional tariffs on Chinese products earlier this month, PeopleForBikes urged its members to contact local representatives and advocate for an extension of the tariff exclusions. The group estimates tariff exclusions have saved the bike industry more than $130 million since 2018. It’s hard to pinpoint how much this has saved bicycle buyers, but in general, Moore says, companies that pay higher “landed costs”—that is, the cost of the product to get from the factory floor to an owner’s home—raise prices to cover their margins.

    The tariff tussle comes as the US is in the midst of an extended electric bicycle boom. US sales of ebikes peaked in 2022 at $903 million, up from $240 million in 2019, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service. Sales spiked as Americans looked for ways to get active and take advantage of the pandemic era’s empty streets. Ebike sales fell last year, but have ticked up by 4 percent since the start of 2024, according to Circana.

    In the US, climate-conscious state and local governments have started to think more seriously about subsidizing electric bicycles in the way they have electric autos. States including Colorado and Hawaii give rebates to income-qualified residents. Ebike rebate programs in Denver and Connecticut were so popular among cyclists that they ran out of funding in days.

    A paper published last year by researchers with the University of California, Davis, suggests these sorts of programs might work. It found that people who used local and state rebate programs to buy ebikes reported bicycling more after their purchases. Almost 40 percent of respondents said they replaced at least one weekly car trip with their ebike in the long-term—the kind of shift that could put a noticeable dent in carbon emissions.

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    Aarian Marshall

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  • The Gazelle Eclipse Is a Luxury Dutch Long-Range Electric Bike

    The Gazelle Eclipse Is a Luxury Dutch Long-Range Electric Bike

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    If you’re looking at bikes online—or anything, really, whether it’s headphones or monitors—you have to consider price versus payoff. Gazelle has billed its newest ebike, the Eclipse, as a long-range comfort cruiser. It is basically the expensive Dutch version of the direct-to-consumer (DTC) Rad Power Bikes’ Radster Road (8/10, WIRED Recommends).

    I brooded over that price difference while I was riding, until I realized that I really was much more comfortable, and for a really dumb reason. The handlebars on the Eclipse are much narrower than the Radster’s, as well as the other DTC bikes that I have tested. Most bikes have smaller parts for smaller frames, but if you’re a smaller or newer bike company, you might standardize your handlebar sizes due to restricted supply or economies of scale. That’s just not something you would do if you’re Royal Dutch Gazelle, which has existed for more than 130 years and holds the royal warrant in the Netherlands as a distinction of high quality.

    You can swap out handlebars pretty easily on acoustic bikes, but doing so on an electric bike is a more complicated matter. Finding a narrower handlebar was such an unexpected comfort. It’s just … a really nice bike. Even the paint job is nicer than other bikes I have, with four hand-applied coats and dimensional shading to make it look slimmer. If you’re not trying to pinch pennies, there are a lot of really nice things about the Eclipse.

    So Much Information

    There are two different models of the Eclipse. Both have an aluminum frame, but the T11+ HMB has a Shimano Deore XT derailleur gear, while the version I tested is the C380+ version, which has the Enviolo CVT gear hub and a low-maintenance Gates belt drive. May I never have a chain drop out while crossing a busy street again!

    Both come in a step-over and step-through version with three different frame sizes, with the smallest being a 46 centimeters. I’m 5’2″ and was positively thrilled to find a Dutch bike that comes in a size this small as the Dutch are tall people and this is unusual. Of course, the bikes all have UL certification, which means that the bike has been certified to comply with Underwriters Laboratories safety standards and won’t inadvertently set your garage on fire.

    Photograph: Adrienne So

    Probably the first thing you’ll notice is the new Bosch system. It has a Bosch Performance Line motor with 85 nm of torque and a 750-Wh ginormous battery integrated into the downtube. After about 45 miles of biking up hills and hauling gear, I only got the battery down to 45 percent. It’s a class 3 ebike with a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour.

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    Adrienne So

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  • I Rode This ‘Holographic’ Bike and Things Got a Little Weird

    I Rode This ‘Holographic’ Bike and Things Got a Little Weird

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    Matson told me that he finds wearing a headset to be too cumbersome when you’re working out. In particular, parents told him that they can’t check out with VR because they need to know what’s going on around them. However, I prefer to not have any distractions, mainly because I’m horrible at exercise and will take any excuse not to do it.

    High-endurance athletes may find Saga’s offerings a bit slim, too. Matson says the company plans to ship the bikes with three to four trails in the system, each about 20 kilometers long. This is not very many rides, and those rides are not very long. By way of contrast, NordicTrack has an extensive library of rides of all lengths, levels, and programs, which also increase resistance and move up and down as you ride. Other bikes integrate with Zwift, the immensely popular online cycling platform, or collect intensely granular data that allows you to improve your fitness.

    Photograph: Saga Holographic

    As of yet, HoloBike doesn’t do any of those things. The augmented technology, however, certainly makes what you’re seeing seem more real. And in some circumstances, not being real is a bonus. If all the trails are virtually generated, I’d love to have the ability to safely traverse places I wouldn’t otherwise go, like the streets of Mumbai, or even something entirely fictional, like a delivery route from Paperboy, or Elliott’s big take-off from E.T.

    It would be cool if there were a possibility for users to design or contribute trails, too. I joked to Matson that they should make some version of a trail that goes all the way around the world, so you could circumnavigate the globe over the course of a year’s worth of rides, only to have him suggest creating a little onscreen pedal boat for when you’re crossing the Atlantic. With the HoloBike, the world really is entirely open and limitless. That’s enormously exciting.

    That being said, the bike’s starting price tag on Kickstarter is $2,599, with expected delivery in the winter of 2024-2025. That’s comparable to other video-enabled stationary exercise bikes, but a lot to shell out for potential. If I’m going to ride a bike, I need something that approximates the feeling of the open road a little more closely, and for a little bit longer.

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    Marah Eakin

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  • Richmond-San Rafael Bridge pedestrian lane may soon be removed after four-year pilot

    Richmond-San Rafael Bridge pedestrian lane may soon be removed after four-year pilot

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    RICHMOND — Bicycle advocates are bracing for a pedestrian and bike lane to be removed from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, a shift transportation officials hope will alleviate traffic as alternative changes are studied.

    This May, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission plans to seek approval from the Bay Conservation & Development Commission to remove the multipurpose lane Mondays through Thursdays, creating a shoulder for drivers to pull off to after collisions or breakdowns, said John Goodwin, MTC assistant director of communications.

    The lane would be reopened to cyclists and pedestrians Friday through Sunday, under the current plan. This comes about four years after the pedestrian lane opened as a pilot program.

    “It’s an attempt to balance legitimate competing interests,” Goodwin said.

    Officials broke the news to bike advocates in a meeting Thursday. Warren Wells, policy and planning director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, and Robert Prinz, advocacy director with Bike East Bay, said the update came as a surprise. Both organizations had expected the lane to remain as is until a final report on the pilot program could be finalized and released this summer.

    While Goodwin described use of the lane as “underwhelming,” the bicycle advocates have argued it serves as an important connector — especially for non-vehicle commuters who would otherwise have to rely on a bus — between the East Bay and North Bay. Wells said the lane can see between 80 and 250 users daily, depending on the day of the week and weather.

    Initial reports also indicate the lane hasn’t amplified vehicle traffic, which has been an issue along the corridor long before the lane was installed, Wells, Prinz and Goodwin agreed. All three also acknowledged that long-term remedies will take years to develop.

    “At the very least, we were expecting MTC to gather data on the cost and benefits of the pilot before making a decision,” Wells said.

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    Sierra Lopez

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  • Adams’ demand for more community input on Prospect Heights bike path leaves residents seething

    Adams’ demand for more community input on Prospect Heights bike path leaves residents seething

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    Outraged Prospect Heights residents are demanding to know why City Hall has thrown a curve at the long-debated Underhill Avenue redesign in Brooklyn and are demanding the project move forward without delay.

    Mayor Adams stunned proponents of the project — which would permanently install bikes lanes and traffic-slowing measures on the residential street — when he said last week that more community input was needed. The city Department of Transportation has conducted multiple meetings on the plan, with a 2021 survey showing overwhelming support for additional pedestrian and bike-friendly corridors.

    But Adams said he wanted his team to go “door-to-door” asking residents’ thoughts on the plan — because he believes “long term residents” still haven’t been given input.

    “I want a very healthy, hefty community engagement,” Adams said last week. “And to some, they believe community engagement is slowing up the process. I don’t. Residents of a community should have input in how their streets are going to be changed. When you change a street, you are changing the fabric of a community.”

    Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

    Mayor Eric Adams and senior administration officials hold an in-person media availability. City Hall. Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

    Angry residents and advocates counter the community has had extensive input on the project and that it has strong support. They’re worried that the Mayor’s push for another round of review may threaten the project on Underhill Ave, which is already near completion, and that it may join a potentially growing list of street redesign projects that have been scaled down by the city under the Adams administration.

    “I’m not really sure why he’s questioning the community outreach, or the sentiment among residents. It seems to be pretty clear,” said Gib Veconi, chair of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, or PHNDC.

    The Department of Transportation’s community outreach included seven workshops, several community board presentations, plus various town halls, surveys, stakeholder meetings and outreach events, according to DOT materials. A 2021 survey of nearby residents obtained by the News found that 86% of respondents wanted a permanent street redesign for Underhill and Vanderbilt Avenue a block over, which is slated to be turned into an open street.

    The PHNDC started a petition last month in response to the delay. It’s collected over 2,800 signatures to date. And last week, they sent a letter to the Mayor asking him to resume work on the project.

    “Having community members comment on a new street design before it has been completed is
    not a meaningful exercise, and delaying the completion of the work puts users of the
    street at risk,” the letter reads. “In short, we ask that you just let DOT finish the job. Any further delay makes no sense and is irresponsible.”

    The bike boulevard on Underhill Avenue, a mostly residential street in Prospect Heights, has already undergone most of the changes for the project. The redesign is aimed at slowing car traffic by making some sections one-way and placing traffic diverters and planters on the street.

    A spokesperson for the mayor pushed back against the idea that the project has been delayed.

    “There is no change to the plan for Underhill,” the spokesperson said. “… We are kicking off door-to-door outreach to hear from the community about the project.”

    Advocates and residents fear the city’s handling of Underhill Avenue will continue a pattern of projects — including McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn and Fordham Road in the Bronx — that have been scaled back by the city.

    “I can tell you firsthand that a significant majority of Underhill residents support the project,” Assembly member Robert Carroll wrote in a statement. “I understand the need for any street redesign to be perfected, but at this point the path is clear — the Underhill Bike Boulevard must go forward.”

    All of this is happening on a complicated backdrop of debate over how best to use shared spaces across the city. Post-COVID, bikes have become more popular as car spaces have become even more coveted, and delivery workers and e-bikes have exploded in use, crowding streets and even endangering pedestrians and fellow bikers more than ever.

    The redesign of Underhill Ave is part of a citywide effort to make permanent elements of open streets that were converted during the pandemic. This street was previously an open street.

    “Mayor Adams is facing a crisis on the streets, including one of the worst years for cyclists in history,” said Danny Harris, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “… We shouldn’t be rolling back projects and giving more space to cars.”

    Department of Transportation spokeswoman Mona Bruno referred the Daily News to a City Hall spokesman when asked Thursday why additional outreach was needed given the 2021 survey. The spokesman, Charles Lutvak, in turn, referred The News back to the mayor’s Tuesday remarks.

    All of this has sparked confusion among those who live and work along the street.

    “I think they finished the construction already, right? I haven’t seen those guys in a while,” said Mohammed Asla, 53, who works at a deli on Underhill and St. John’s Place, adding that, “personally, I like the changes.”

    Randi Lee, owner of Leland, a Mediterranean restaurant along the avenue, saw the changes on the street start and then stop outside his restaurant — but is still puzzled as to why the city seems to be, at least temporarily, pumping the brakes.

    “This is a small street, it’s not like Myrtle or Dekalb. It seems kind of like pocket change,” Lee said, wondering why the project has been thrown to more community outreach.

    There’s been the usual hubbub around the street changes, Lee and others said. Changing the status quo of a street remains tough to do in New York City. But many were happy to see the street lines repainted and planters set down on the street, slowing down car traffic.

    “All it takes is one big voice to halt what’s happening,” Lee said, “And that seems to be the case here.”

    — With Chris Sommerfeldt

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    Josephine Stratman, Evan Simko-Bednarski

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