Nite Ize Spokelit Bicycle Light, $7-8 

Simple and bright, these lights attach to your spokes and light your wheels green or red. They come in a strobe or solid function, are easy to install and increase your side visibility.

Monkey Light Bike Light, $59.99

You might have heard of these guys from their Kickstarter project. These 23 LED lights and display full color 8-bit graphics on your spinning bike wheel. They are programmable and allow for you to select different colors and patterns. Looks for a product review coming soon!

LED Flash Tyre Wheel Valve Cap, $4-5

These LEDs which screw into your bicycle valves are the most economical choice. They come in blue, pink, yellow and green. Be sure you have Schrader valves or the won’t attach. They are cheap and the accelerometer can be spotty at times.

You will want to think about speed, cost and durability when looking for a new city tire. Most people complain about rolling resistance with durable tires but in a city full of potholes, I personally am not so concerned with speed on my commuter bike. Durability and cost however are my top priorities.

Specialized Armadillos and Continental Gatorskins are always at the top of the urban tire recommendations but are a bit overpriced as you pay for the brand name in my opinion. I turned to the #bikenyc Twitter community once again for recommendations to see what else they had to say.

1. Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Supreme $37.11-51.65/tire – (pictured above) The other most commonly recommended city tire. I currently run the green-guard version on my commuter bike and have been loving them for the past month. I know the Paris Velib bike share uses these as well.

“Schwalbe used to make Stelvio Plus, my faves. Now it’s their Marathon Plus.” @jimdyer

“Loving Schw. Marathon Supremes. Far better than regular Marathon.” @bespokecycles

2. Continental Grand Prix 4000 or Four Seasons – $58-74.99

“Conti GP 4000 or 4 seasons….Armadillos for maximum puncture resistance, but bear to change if you do flat.@billytall

3. Michelin Krylions and Pilot City -$36.45-59.99

“I still stick w/ my Michelin Krylions, haven’t had a flat on them in 2 years & they have much better road feel than contis” @jefflegasa

“Michelin Pilot City. Not the lightest; but no flats since I installed in October. Pick 1/4″ glass shards out regularly.” @marcuswoollen

4. Vittoria Randonneur Pro - $31.99

“Vittoria randoneur w/reflective sidewalls. they are quite tough and very visible at night” @danaflops

5. Maxxis Refuse - $28.42-53.18

“ would say maxxis refuse are the toughest i’ve used. not great on skids if you ride fixed though.” @dpatrick1a

Did I miss your recommendation? Add it in the comments below!

 

Suppose you read on a blog somewhere that Urban Outfitters is now selling these highly customizable single-speed rides, made by Republic, for $399 (roughly the cost of an entry-level hybrid or cruiser). Suppose you found yourself experiencing deep longing for the machine, which lets you choose the color of the frame, seat, handle grips, chain and wheel rims, and even reverse the back wheel so you can actually coast, which you can’t do on a proper fixed-gear bike.

Catch the rest of it over at Brokelyn.

Did you know they were riding fixed gear in Jamaica back in the 70s?

Perforated uppers give ventilation and subtle reflective accents surround the shoes’ base and highlight the embossed heel logo. To prevent laces from getting stuck in the gears, Zeitfreis provide a neoprene pocket marked with each brand’s logo. A stiffer outsole and treaded forefoot ensure improved pedal feel and grip, while retaining enough comfort for wear during those non-cycling moments. [via Coolhunting]

Directed by Daniel Leeb of Cinecycle Productions.
This short film features Alfred Bobe Jr. and Fatimah Durkee. The film spins a visual ballad between the two cyclists experiencing the city in their own unique ways. Both cyclists are city dwellers who amidst the chaos of the concrete jungle have created a private and peaceful psychological space as they traverse the streets. They are both alone and yet they are both very much aware of each others presence. The film speaks to the harmony with one’s environment that can be found while riding a bicycle in a city and the synchronistic connection we can have with those we have not even met. The short was commissioned by Hutchinson tires.

And speaking of bike films, Bike Short Films is having a call for submissions. Pull out that camera and go film something together.

In its six months of existence, this unassuming building on DeKalb Avenue has been called “Brooklyn Bikes,” “Bike Shop,” and most recently, “Velo Brooklyn.” With nothing but a hanging canvas sign to mark its place, this one-room, woman-owned bike shop is evolving as rapidly as the neighborhood it occupies. [...BushwickBK]

In the meantime I present to you possibly the best designed bike site out there, Hufnagel Cycles. Straight out of where else but Portland, OR and run by guy named Jordan Hufnagel, we feel in love with his clean and simple website.

Our favorite designs include Tessa’s 650 Single Speeder and Chris’ Blue Baby. We can’t direct link to the posts so maybe its not the most perfect site, but it’s still pretty to look at. I encourage you to peruse the site or check out more of their designs via Fickr.

[via Hufnagel Cycles]

In bike polo, the front wheel of the bike is protected so that a the mallet doesn’t get stuck in the spokes while the mallet itself is usually homemade with some plastic and a ski pole. The bike of choice is the fixed gear for its control. The sport has gained quite a bit of popularity in the last few years, and I imagine that is will continue skyrocket as bike popularity itself takes off. Being a displaced Midwesterner, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Wisconsin has some of the best polo teams in the country!

To learn more check out Hardcourt Bike Polo and NYC Bike Polo. A lovely video of the sport shot in Paris is below and of course one in NYC as well.