Bike Hugger

Delta Ad Cyclist

2010-03-18T16:58:36Z

Delta is running an airport kiosk ad with a happy cyclist who rides through the country, arrives at home, and books a flight. He’s in a good mood and the well-produced ad exemplifies how easy it is too fly with Delta.

The ad doesn’t show the shock that cyclist will get when he checks that bike at the airport — his beeming smile will quickly dissolve to a pissed-off grimace. I know many good people at Delta (well the NWA peeps), and the marketing group that produced this ad is totally unaware of how mad cyclists are at airlines.

During the talk with Livestrong CEO Doug Ulman at SXSW, I was asked about traveling with bikes and many in the room had stories of airlines ripping them off. Doug tweeted a request to Southwest, Lance Armstrong retweeted it, and lots more tweeting ocurred.

Following up with Doug today, he told me in email:

SWA says they do ship bikes for free but the problem is that their size limits don’t fit most bikes. If the bike is too big they charge 50.00. I think they could change their policy with enough pressure.

Oversize is a reason I travel with folders or coupled bikes. I agree with Doug. We should put the pressure on. Event to the point of reasonable fees. $175.00 one way is inexusable.

Hey Delta, us cyclists want to ride happy and book flights like your kiosk ad. Fix your fees and keep us happy.

SRAM introduces X7 group: mid-level mtb 2x10

2010-03-18T15:07:59Z

Introduced at the Taipei Bike Show, SRAM’s new X7 mtb group is “aimed at mid-level XC to entry-level downhillers and freeriders.” No pricing announced yet, though. The group has many of the features of the vaunted XX group, SRAM’s pricey pro-level XC group. Both groups use a double chainring crank coupled with wide-ratio 10sp cassettes, including choices with 36tooth cogs.

Much like with the XX group, most of the components are branded SRAM instead of the cranks being labeled Truvativ. The hydraulic brakes still bear the Avid logo, but all the components are stylistically integrated with a dark, matte finish. Also interesting is the matching hubset, since SRAM hasn’t in the past marketed hubs.

From the Bike Shop: The Mystery Tool

2010-03-18T14:47:32Z

I work in a shop that is more than a quarter century old, housed within a building that is more than a century old. The nooks and crannies are teeming with mice and forgotten things. I lost a Rock Shox SID fork for about 7 months, and my favourite crankpuller went MIA last year and has yet to be heard from again.

Then I found this tool: I have no idea what it is. Readers? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

(Oh, I just know I’m gonna get a lot of off-colour hypotheses.)

Mix Talk [Flickr]

2010-03-17T14:15:25-07:00

Hugger Industries posted a photo:

Presenting "design the ordinary, like this fixie" at Mix 10 Event with Kevin Tamura.

Design the Ordinary, Like this Fixie

2010-03-17T18:06:18Z

I presented Design the Ordinary, Like this Fixie with @ktamura @mixevent today.

A fixie is used as a prop in the talk because it represents a simple, ordinary bike that serves a specific function. Fixies were made from parts bin by cyclists and I asked what if websites were like that? What if we made them as simple as possible to just deliver content like a messenger with packages.

Specialized provided us Globe Rolls for the talk. I’m riding one of them around Vegas later today.

OEM seatpost: weight/cost at the entry level

2010-03-17T16:57:56Z

The two most common questions from new road bike buyers is “what does it weigh?” and “how much does it cost?” And really, these two questions are inter-related, but the function isn’t linear. Moving upmarket from the entry-level to mid-level, bikes get a lot lighter, but weight reduction gets much more expensive after that.

Why?

Well, at the entry level, product managers are fighting to keep costs down to meet target retail price points, and that means that they have to compromise on weight. At the high-end, engineers run into the limits of materials and manufacturing to reduce weight, forcing the use of more costly alternatives.

Take for instance this alloy seatpost from a $1100 bike. It is a BRICK at 409gr. For a post more than 200gr lighter, it would be carbon fibre and cost at least $190 alone. But post 100gr lighter would have added $5-20 to the cost of the bike, which might be just enough to turn-off the price-conscience consumer, who only sees the bottom line.

From the Bike Shop: Tips for Gluing Tubular Tires

2010-03-17T15:43:11Z

Road racing season is almost here, and another round of gluing tubular race tires begins. Here are some of tips for making the operation less messy.

1) A truing stand allows you to layer glue on the rim easily. You can do it without one, but you’re making your life more difficult.

2) The fingertips from latex gloves. I can’t get a really good grip on a tubular with gloves on and often get the gloves pinched between the rim and tire. But I’ll cut the fingertips off and use them to apply the glue. You get good control, and the clean up is quick. I usually use a new fingertip for each glue layer as the tips get fouled with clumped glue.

3) Hand lotion. Since I don’t have good luck wrestling stubborn tubulars with latex gloves on, I apply a liberal amount of lotion on my hands, especially to the backs, before I go for it. Allow lotion to dry so that it won’t rub off on the work pieces. The lotion helps prevent the glue from sticking to the skin, easing with post-job handwashing. Actually, I usually wear gloves for the first half of mounting the tire, then I pull them off for the final bit. It depends on how many gloves I have and if they are snug enough.

Oldest and Tallest

2010-03-16T21:45:52Z

Here we have the oldest bike on the Mobile Social and the tallest. Bikinis too.

Uploaded by kk+ | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Random Bike Pile

2010-03-16T12:44:48Z

See this outside of bars all over Austin.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Talking with Doug Ulman today

2010-03-16T11:43:08Z

I’m talking today with @livestrongCEO Doug Ulman @SXSW about Changing the World and Lives with Bikes:

This core conversation will talk about how cycling, the bike, and social media are changing the world and lives. You’ll learn about Livestrong’s community and Bike Hugger’s blog, events like the Mobile Social, and the millions who follow Lance Armstrong on Twitter. It’s a discussion of bike and pop culture and socializing the good with these Interweb tools.

A core conversation is just Doug and no audio/visuals discussing the topic with the audience. It’s at 11:00 AM in Room 7. We’re both looking forward to it and seeing you there.

Last night Doug and I met, over a few beers, at the Livestrong party

also met Chris Sacca who told me a very funny fat-boy rides bike story — fat boy being him.

We’ll post on that one soon.

Cyclefilms the Mobile Social SXSW 2010

2010-03-15T12:49:07Z

By all accounts, this was our best Mobile Social so far and we’ve got more coming with dates being announced soon in Toronto and Portland. This year, Cyclefilm made this film for us

and wow, what fun. Social Cycling ATX led a well-organizied ride of 700 to 100 cyclists with a marching band sending them off. Google slingshotted shirts and joined our other partners in providing quality schwag, beer, and good times for the attendees at Mellow Johnnys.

We’ll have more wrapups, photos, and videos in the next few days. After the Bike Expo, I’m en route to Austin for a talk with @livestrongCEO Doug Ulman about Bikes and Changing the World.

Our partners

Riding with the Google Bike Map Makers

2010-03-14T19:50:43Z

Rode over this morning from Fremont to the Bike Expo — whole time talking about mapping, directions, routes, and bike safety. On the left is Andy Schwerin. He coded the Rev 1 bike directions algorithm. To the right is Andrew Gove. He’s an engineer on the project.

Andy told me his original idea was to help cyclists get from point a to b. Much later, Google released Bike Maps.

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Dahon with Burley Travoy

2010-03-14T18:47:00Z

An Urban Commuter Trailer that rethinks urban cargo. Or as we like to say it, “in your face cargonista!”

Uploaded by Hugger Industries | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

Thanks to the Mobile Social Attendees

2010-03-14T04:43:22Z

I’m honestly too exhausted to write a big post (it was a long day). I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who came to our SXSW Mobile Social today. Here’s just a chunk of the people who showed up.

And here are some photos from my gallery, more coming from our other Huggers soon.

Setting up the Sweet Kits

2010-03-13T16:26:30Z

Here at the Seattle Bicycle Expo James is bringing out all the Bike Hugger gear you could possibly want, and it’s all for sale. Swing by our Blogger Lounge upstairs and check out our gear.

Google Maps in DA House

2010-03-13T15:24:54Z

Rocking the Google Maps t-shirt for the Mobile Socia SXSW. See you there

Links for 2010-01-14 [del.icio.us]

2010-01-15T00:00:00-08:00

Bike Geek: From cotton mills to Mona Lisa
The Times very own bike geek.
This is India - rivertext's gallery
Of all the places we've traveled, India had the biggest impact on our perspective of bikes in the world. See the gallery for more photos.

Links for 2010-01-13 [del.icio.us]

2010-01-14T00:00:00-08:00

Bicyclist shot and killed while riding on Vegas Valley Drive
early reports are of a random act

Links for 2010-01-12 [del.icio.us]

2010-01-13T00:00:00-08:00

Movement seeks to establish pedestrian, bicycle lanes - DominicanToday.com

Links for 2010-01-08 [del.icio.us]

2010-01-09T00:00:00-08:00

Cycling hits top gear as Aussie riders help propel economic cycle | The Courier-Mail

Links for 2010-01-04 [del.icio.us]

2010-01-05T00:00:00-08:00

Minivan's Driver Forces Bicyclist Off Highway
Likely a texting driver

Links for 2009-12-31 [del.icio.us]

2010-01-01T00:00:00-08:00

Back in Racing Form After Dropping the Fork
Talk about being genetically qualified! Quit pro racing get fat then come back.

Links for 2009-12-29 [del.icio.us]

2009-12-30T00:00:00-08:00

Lily Cole left saddened - and on foot - after her bicycle is stolen from near her university campus | Mail Online
Celeb bikes