My goal in these weekly round ups are not only to highlight what was talked about here, on Commute By Bike, but across the newswire, blogosphere and maybe even in my shop.  As long as it is about commuting, it may find its way here.

• Elly Blue of BikePortland.org hits upon staying dry and warm this winter, on a budget.
• There is the first bike box, or green box in Columbus.  Bike Columbus isn’t sold on the idea it seems.
• One of my favorite component manufactures, and all around good guys to work with, Velo Orange, recently took a trip to Tiawan to visit the factories that make their fine goods.  Read up on Chris and his stories.
• EcoVelo has an amazing contest going on right now tagged “The Endless Summer Photo Contest.” With great prizes up to win there are some beautiful and inspiring photographs coming in everyday.
• Did you know that Americans spend 90% of their times indoors? So says RJ.
• Manpris are stylish and functional for cyclist, but one guy has his manhood questioned due to wearing this capri styled pants.  Read more at OregonLive.com.
• People are encouraged to “Bike the Strike” during the transportation strike in Philadelphia. If you live in Philly, let us know how it is going there.
• The SunTimes in Chicago has a great Pro’s & Con’s list for year round bike commuting.
• BikeCarson is following our lead on Flickr.  Join CommuteByBike on Flickr, as well as the new Bike Carson Flickr group.

Right here on Commute By Bike there were many things talked about :

• Continuing our Group Build of the Perfect Commuter Bike (for Me) we first started with a background of the rider, their needs and what they wanted to be doing with the bike.  We also polled you on what type of bike you think will suit the Group Build best.
• Be reflective and warm this winter with these Reflective Knit Scarves and Hats.
• A small preview of the 2010 Felt Bicycles, from their cool fixie line, to the smart Cafe line and everything in between.
• There are a lot of opinions going around about the new Washington D.C BikeStation.  Do you have an opinion, have you used it or seen something like it? Let us know.
• We finished the week up with our first real review of the Civia Loring I-Motion 9 speed.

Having ridden the Civia Loring for a little over two weeks as my daily commuter I’m ready to give all of you my initial thoughts about this little green machine.  For background on parts or build questions, check out our Introduction article from last week.

Brilliant Badges

Riding the Civia Loring

Getting on the Loring I quickly thought of the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz. A very swept back handlebar called the Loring Swept 80º is the focus point when you are riding the bike.  Teaching your hands and arms a different bar style takes a few moments until your hands realize they are comfortable, and your arms realize they can still steer in that position.

Side View

This bike has a true city riding feel to it.  Getting out the saddle with the front end loaded takes some practice and I still haven’t mastered track standing with a load up front.  When riding you utilize your gears and spin instead of mashing.  Due to the geometry I don’t believe the bike was meant to be a very quick ride.  Saying that, after 2 weeks of constant use I have relearned my pedaling technique and I’m getting to work much faster than the first few days I was commuting with the Loring.

The basket is very different for me as I’ve never had a true front load bicycle.  I’ve put front baskets or handlebars on the bike, but never something this large, nor something that is designed for the bike.  I really enjoy having my belongs and laptop in front of me during the commute.  The ability to quickly stash my scarf or gloves in my bag up front instead of my pockets is help ful as well.

Since installing the front basket I haven’t been utilizing the rear rack for panniers or any type of bag.  The few times I used my Minnehaha basic pannier it clipped my heels and I couldn’t push the bag back far enough due to the tabs on the pannier.

One last thing to mention is the Brooks saddle that came with the bike.  I still haven’t narrowed down how the saddle will suit me, or the exact placement it should be at.  Part of that is the fact I am a female and the front of a Brooks can be very painful if hitting the wrong spot.   It is said to take months to break in a Brooks saddle, as this is a review bike I don’t have that ability.

Overall Look and Personality of the Civia Loring

When you go look at the Civia website, you are wow’d by the look and function that the website offers and that translates into their bikes as well.  As you can see on each of their pages of bike description and prices, these bikes aren’t going to be on the low end.  Every detail and function has been thought through, with some extra “flair” and personality added to the bike.

Some of the functional pieces of the bike include :

The front light mount under the rack.  I really like this feature as it shines the light across the road compared to how it shines down at the road when on your handlebars.

A U-Lock holder built into the front basket. This weekend I plan on trying this out when I ride down to a neighboring town for coffee on Sunday.

Bamboo Fenders and Rack Inlays are very eye catching.  But I think they also add a decent $ to the cost of the bike.

A Few Final Thoughts on the Civia Loring

The cost of this bike is daunting to many, $1400 is a large chunk of change, but I think this bike could easily replace a car if you are living in the right area.  I wouldn’t want to commute on the bike 20+ miles a day due to the positioning, but I think the bike is very comfortable and steady to zip around town and run errands.  Soon, I will ride it greater distances to test out what is doable.  Many people are caught by this bike and its features as they should be.  This bike is a looker and a small piece of artwork.

Right now I’m giving this:
3.5 out of 5 points

There is still a few more weeks of riding this bike before I decide one way or another on my final thoughts, but for now I do enjoy riding the bike back and forth.  I’m not sure I would want to encounter strong traffic or heavy hills with the ride.

If you are just stopping in on our Group Build of the perfect commuter bike let’s catch you up. We had an introduction post, a follow up about what type of person will be riding this bike it is now time to move on to what type or style of bike we will be going with.

Remember that we can adapt each type of bike to go one way or another with the style, but what would be the easiest and most affordable to start off with.

It is exciting to see the Bikestation program spreading their fingers across the United States.  This facility has not only storage, but bike service, parts, accessories and a changing room.

Bikestation Washington, D.C., which houses over 100 bicycles in 1,600 sq. ft. of free-standing ultra-modern glass and steel design, is part of a growing network of Bikestations and related transit centers springing up in cities across the U.S. that are planned, implemented and often operated by Mobis Transportation/Bikestation. As a completely secure facility available by membership, Bikestation Washington, D.C. represents this new approach to alternative transportation. The facility will be staffed 66 hours per week and available to members 24/7. In addition to secure bike parking, the facility also provides a changing room, lockers, bike rental, bike repair and retail sales. The Bikestation location at Union Station allows commuters to take public transportation to the station, pick up their bicycles and go to work, shopping or entertainment.

Do you have your own story about a Bikestation?  If you have used, or visited any of the Bikestations let us know or show us your pictures.

Felt Bicycles have been turning heads for the past couple years and for 2010 it seems like they have been learning as they go.

They seem to have many different categories that really hammer the cycling culture and using your bike for everyday travels or to simply Commute By Bike.

Fixie

The fixie group is separated from the true track specific group, which helps for less confusion and better focus on each category.

Cafe

Unique, a wide spectrum of bikes that come very basic 1 speeds all the way up to 24 speeds with a rear rack, cup holder and little key holder under your saddle.

X-City

This category is called a variety of things in the bicycle industry right now.  It seems to be the target commuter audience for mainstream companies.  Room for fenders, a rear rack and often disc brakes for all condition riding.

Cyclo-X

Personally, I feel cyclocross bikes make many of the best commuter oriented bikes.  Because of this I have added 2 of their cyclo-x category.

Cruiser

Be funky, be unique.  So many bikes to list, go check out their site for more.

We’ve all seen reflective jackets, pants, and we love it as commuters.  It is also nice when you are walking around in the day time to not look like a commuter or utility bike rider.  Lost Values have some products using this Lflect technology, including a scarf and belt that are highly reflective.  It is one more thing I can utilize for a cold ride as I love scarves and get off the bike to walk into the office with out packing up all my lycra or Gore-Tex.

As many people have stated in the Introduction to this series, if you were to ask 100 people what their perfect commuter bike is or would be, then you would have 100 different bikes.  The purpose of this build is to get you, the commuter, to ask yourself different questions about the bike, its uses and what the person needs.  To realize that the perfect commuter is the one you make yourself and it will be different as you ride more, change your commute or needs change.

Background

Here is the background of myself, and what I would like out of a commuter bike so that you all can aid me in your suggestions and opinions.  If there are questions you would like answered that aren’t in the brief description below please ask and I will add them.

• Athletic mid 20’s female
• Enjoys being able to wear non-cycling clothes for my 4 mile – 14 mile commute
• Mostly on road, with the ability to hit gravel or hard packed dirt
• Mild weather in the South East, the worst is fog and rain from October through March.  Very rare snow dustings
• Commute is all times of the day and night
• Normally carrying clothes, computer and spare tools
• Would like to be able to ride the bike for longer distances, or Sub 24-48 hour camping trips
• I prefer to get to work faster than a gentle pace, but want the ability to go slower if needed (rain, etc)

Your Turn

Here are some questions to ask yourself about your perfect commuter bike:

• What do you want out of your bike?
• What are your longer term goals?
• What are your plans a year from now, are you moving, changing commuting habits or jobs?
• What do wear or want to wear?
• What is your goal speed?

Sorry for the delay, yesterday was Halloween in the States and I was busy giving out candy!

Photo Credit: MNBicycleCommuter

My goal in these weekly round ups are not only to highlight what was talked about here, on Commute By Bike, but across the newswire, blogosphere and maybe even in my shop.  As long as it is about commuting, it may find its way here.

• MNBicycleCommuter & I Bike NZ talk about their daily bikes.
• The Blackburn Flea Light is reviewed at Red Kite Prayer.
• Bike path on Manhattan Bridge will be closed for up to 8 months.
• Copenehagenize comes to States and BikePortland reports on their talk in Portland, OR.
• The LATimes aren’t sure that bikes and cars can come together.
• Up in the land of Salsa Cycles, GnatLikesBikes has some amazing photos of his Fargo.
• Reaching Generation X & Y on bikes, found on Streetsblog.
• Ebikes are growing, and Bike Columbus has a great run through of what he originally thought of them, to where he is now.
• Girls and Bicycles took delivery of a Madsen lately, read about her first ride.

Right here on Commute By Bike there were many things talked about :

• Dottie and Her Mystery Flat – a huge cut through the tire, but with a lack of evidence what might of caused it.
• Civia Loring Review : Introduction -  A true transportation style bike, great lines, a very nice basket but will be okay for the long haul?
• A Quick Nod to Zigo, one of our sponsors has a very cool video showing the advantages of their stroller, trailer and bike all in one.
• Contraflow Bike Lane in Washington, DC. – Many people are against this enclosed bike lane. Is it going to be dangerous or helpful for bike riders in DC?
• Top 5 Budget Friendly Rain Jackets – If you need a rain jacket, check out this list.  If you are willing to spend more money for a more technical jacket, wait for next weeks edition.
• The Impossible Journey - A great video about John Booner commuting, in North Shore, MA, that keeps you laughing along the way.

John Booner created a humourus video about his commute from the North Shore of MA to Boston, MA. For more information about the route, visit his website.

Rain jackets are one of those pieces that many companies haven’t figured out yet.  Some companies, like Gore or Showers Pass, have the jackets nailed down but you’ll also have a hard time finding them in your local store it seems.

Here is a list of my top 5 budget friendly rain jackets and why.  Take note that you can get by with one of the cheap <$40 rain jackets. They are made out of plastic and you will end up wet from all the sweat that forms inside of the jacket.

J & G Waterproof $45

J & G Waterproof

• This jacket is waterproof, not breathable and water proo
• Basic but right on target for the price
• Reflective parts all over the jacket

Novara Stowable $60

Novara Stowable

• Packs small for your pannier or back jersey pocket
• Only water resistant so mainly used for those “just incase” situations
• Reflective parts all over jacket

Carradice Pro Route Cap $65

• Reflective
• One size fits all
• Great coverage, even over upper legs

Showers Pass Club $80

• Reflective arms
• Venting
• Multiple color options
• Drop down tail to go over your saddle or backside

Marmot PreCip Jacket $99

Marmot PreCip

• Packable (they claim you can put this jacket into a water bottle)
• Ventilation
• Cut well for free movement
• Breathable material
• A lot of options and pluses. Also one why this is at the top of the price list.