Author William Fotheringham gained wide acclaim for his biography of legendary British racer Tom Simpson in Put Me Back on My Bike, and has quite the list of cycle-related “palmares”: cycling correspondent at the Guardian, launch editor of Cycle Sport, founder of procycling magazine, writer at Rouler Magazine. The man lives and breathes cycling history…so I was eager to read Cyclopedia.

I was NOT disappointed…this book is a treasure trove of cycling/bicycle racing facts and anecdotes — including many things I had not heard of. From Uzbek sensation Djamolidin Abduzhaparov to “The Flying Yankee” Arthur Zimmerman, the book simply blew me away. As Fotheringham is a UK-based writer, the content leans a bit heavily toward British racing legends, but rest assured, there is something for everyone here. But, it’s not an exhaustive encyclopedia — it focuses on the highlights (and some lowlights), as a true encyclopedia of bike racing would take several volumes. Throughout the book, there are diagrams, maps, timelines and tables to help illustrate some of the subject matter. My favorite? French drug slang…a colorful glimpse into the sordid past of professional racing.

I consider myself a fairly well-read amateur bike historian, and I welcomed learning new tidbits along the way. Best of all, Cyclopedia got me interested in tracking down additional bike history books to read further on some of the subjects Fotheringham touched on. For anyone interested in learning more bicycle and racing history, this is a great jumping-off point. Cyclopedia deserves a place on any bike fan’s bookshelf.

I also got a copy of Fotheringham’s Fallen Angel: The Passion of Fausto Coppi for Christmas, and so far I am enthralled. Stay tuned for a review on that and some other bikey book goodness in the coming weeks.

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Let’s recap a bit with a list of the details of the jacket, straight from O2′s website:

Product Details
100% 2.5Layer Rip-Stop Nylon
Waterproof, fully taped internal seam
Waterproof, Breathable, Lightweight, Compact
Supreme Wind & Water Protection
Waterproof, full length front zipper with garage
Reflective elements for low light visibility
Welded waterproof front Napoleon pocket
Form Fit
Pit Zips for additional ventilation
Breathability: W/R; MVP: 10,000g/m2/D
Waterproof: W/P: 10,000mmH2O;
Weight: Avg. 13 ounces depending on size

Normally, I wear a size small in cycling wear…as I mentioned in our sneak peek, Adam Ziskin, the owner of O2, sent me a medium based on my dimensions. As it turns out, the medium is just right — roomy enough to fit over an insulating layer on truly cold days. Thermal cycling jerseys/baselayers or even a fleece jacket fit under the Calhoun with no problems. Of course, like any self-respecting cycling jacket, the Calhoun has an extended tail to keep your butt dry in the rain. Off the bike, the jacket feels boxy…not particularly form-fitting and with gorilla-length arms. Once I got onto my bike, the genius of this jacket’s “cut” was immediately apparent: the jacket’s arms are long so that your arms are still covered when in the drops of a road bike, and there is no bunching or restriction as you stretch out into riding position. It’s still not a body-hugging fit and there is some flapping of the jacket’s material in the wind, but nothing I couldn’t live with.

The fit can be tailored somewhat using the hidden drawcords at the waist and neck:

The sleeve cuffs have simple hook-and-loop fasteners with enough adjustability to fit over heavy gloves or mittens…and help seal in the warmth.

Because extra visibilty is key when the weather turns nasty, the Calhoun comes in neon yellow, and it has effective reflective accents on front, back, and sides. For those of you who don’t want that screamingly bright color, the Calhoun also comes in blue. Seriously, though, being seen by motorists when the rain is blowing sideways trumps fashion any day…yet it’s nice that O2 offers a choice.

One thing that surprised me is that the Calhoun jacket doesn’t feel clammy when I put it on. I’ve worn some inexpensive rainwear over the years — you know, the stuff with the thick polyurethane lining or the rubberized fabric ponchos popular with campers. The Calhoun simply feels like a quality jacket. The interior of the jacket has a slick look to it, but it feels good against the skin, for what that’s worth. I can’t tell you how breathable the 3Flow Performance fabric is with any concrete quantifiers, but I never felt like sweat was bottling up inside the jacket. Granted, my rides have been in the teens to the low 40s and I just don’t sweat at those temps. When I did feel like I was starting to get a bit too warm, the pit zips did the trick to cool me down a bit. Simply unzip them, pull the main zipper down a bit and flush out the excess warmth before zipping it all back up. Worked like a charm!

One of my favorite features is that the Calhoun packs up small…about the size of a big burrito (but perhaps a bit lighter). When the weather is iffy, the jacket can be rolled up and carried along in a jersey pocket, pannier or bag. A more practiced hand could probably roll this thing up even smaller!

After all this, you’re probably wondering, “well, how does it work in the rain?” Rest assured, this jacket is waterproof to a fault. I still hate riding in the cold rain, but the Calhoun makes it substantially less miserable. And, the jacket’s fantastic windproof ability also makes it my go-to choice when it is clear and chilly. Take a look at the picture below — the coldest bike ride I’ve been on in 25 years or more, with starting temps in the low teens and highs in the low 20s. I was rocking a thermal jersey and baselayer, fleece-lined bibtights, wool balaclava, shoe covers and lobster gloves. I was afraid I looked like Randy from the classic “A Christmas Story”. What can I say? I ain’t designed for cold weather. Anyhow, the jacket accommodated all those layers and kept the heat in where I needed it. Thumbs up all the way!

Perhaps my only gripe with the Calhoun is that the one chest pocket is nice, but I prefer to carry things in a pocket on my back. Perhaps I am just used to having jersey pockets for long rides, but a heavy smartphone just felt weird in that chest pocket. After a short time, I transferred the phone to my saddlebag. Luckily, O2 has other jackets to choose from that have other features you may desire. Also, I must say that at first, I was thinking, “gee, I really wish there was a hood on this jacket”, but I understand that hoods can be more trouble than they’re worth. I DO need to figure out a decent technique for keeping the rain out of my helmet, though.

The Calhoun jacket has an MSRP of $119.00. That’s pricey, but I feel you get what you pay for — this is a quality jacket that performs admirably when the weather turns sour. It looks nice, it has good features and visibility, and it is packable enough that there’s really no excuse not to bring it with you when you ride. Check out O2′s full product line by clicking here.

Please click here to read our review disclaimer as required by the Federal Trade Commission.

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3M Scotchlite tape - what a stealthy reflective cheap trick!

Okay Midnight Riders… it is wintery and darker than usual at the end of our work days this time of year.  In the spirit of digging up things in our past like you all have been posting for our Bike Commuters 2000th post Giveaway, here’s the follow-up to our article on Reflective DIY Tape! So: for Raiyn & his stealth reflector bling power and all the other Bike Commuters out there, I finally got ahold of a photomaker and snapped some photos!  I also got ahold of a magic wand. Check out the the effectiveness of the easy bibbity-bobbity-boo Scotchlite 3M reflective tape Makeover:

Version 1: No flash, living room lights on.

Dayman.

Version 2: With flash, living room lights off, awesome magic sparkle power ON.

Fighter of the Nightman! aAAAaaaa!

ShaBAM:  bright at night, but the 3M reflective tape blends in during the day too!  For more archive digging, check out my favorite BikeCommuters.com gateway articles, Moe’s Rear Blinky Comparo or Jack “Ghost Rider” Sweeney’s Planet Bike 1W Blaze Review. Stay bright, night commuters!

Hasbro... maybe they will make a "Lite-Brite" movie since they already made "Transformers"

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Ooh, the Xootie is lookin muy caliente with this Glamour Shots photo filter!

Hola Bike Commuters!  The Xootr Swift and me, (or as I refer to him as the “Xootie” because it rhymes with “cootie”) and I go way back: to August of 2011!  Xootie arrived at my sister’s place in L.A. by ground shipping in a shorter than average cardboard companion.  Just in time to liberate me from the four-wheeled nonsense of my vehicluar-obsessed family in L.A.  Digression: Last year, they insisted that they drive me seven blocks from Grandma’s house in Santa Monica to Auntie’s house in Santa Monica. I took my jugular hostage with a plastic Taco Bell spork in order to escape a 3-minute trip in an oversized SUV driven by my crazy half blind aunt and took off on the Xootie.

Okay, back to the REVIEW: So what does Xootr have to say about the Swift?  For a company that usually makes scooters, I was impressed!  For $749, you get a good commuter bang for your buck.   Here is the obligatory spec list with bullet-points, because they do it better than I can on the website:

Xootr Swift Fold Bicycle Features

• A folder that rides just like a regular bike
• Nearly all parts are industry standard…no weird and incompatible stuff.
• One of the lightest folders out there (25lbs.)
• Ready to go out of the box. We’ve made the hard choices for you.
• Super stable, rigid TrusFold frame system
• Available as either an 8 speed or single speed (black only)Note:Single speed version is sold out.

Some things I’d like to +1 include extra-sturdy frame, solid as a rock!  As the seat post is the pin that locks the rigid frame, it’s a larger diameter than normal.  So, I often locked it with a cable knowing that if some lolo decided to steal it, I’d be SOL.  Another +1 for the fact that it has similar geometry to a “regular” bike with full-size wheels.  Even though it has 20″ wheels, it doesn’t feel crunchy or cramped up like you’d think.  In fact, here’s a craptastic photo of the Xootr next to my Bumblebee Scott road-monster at home:

Due to lack of photo-taking skills, I had to edit in pink. Handlebars and seat height real close to the road bike set up.

Also, in as well as, in addition to, the Xootr Swift folding bike proved a worthy travel companion, as I have stuffed him into everything except the overhead compartment for carry-ons: the back of a Toyota Corolla trunk, large rolly wheeled suitcases, under the tables at a booth in a craft fair, the back of an eight-passenger State vehicle, tiny apartment elevators, and a dingo.  The trick with this folder is that the seat post acts as the locking mechanism for the bike, making it as easy to collapse as fainting baby goats.  The handle bars also have a quick release pin making the bike even midgier for the back of my co-worker’s Subaru.

No need to fold down the seats with this spectacular Xootie nugget!

The Xootie Swift has been tons of fun around town!  I’ve used it for every commute day and even lent it to a visiting friend (who complainted of taintal discomfort, but I blame that more on a weak sack than the engineering of the bike).  With it’s BMX-sized “bulletproof” wheels, it is a whippy mo-fo.  I’ve casually bunny hopped some spam musubis and quickly detoured from road to sidewalk to bike path in order to avoid traffic congestion during rush hour.  With the 8-speeds it’s golden for cruising on errands or commutes up to 12 miles and taking Diamondhead uphill! Hook me up with an easy gear ratio any day: I’ve got nothing to prove!

Curbs or Spam musubis, nothing stands in the way of Xootie Swift's BMX wheels.

I have had all kinds of comments shouted to me in downtown while waiting at lights or turning corners, “Nice blue on your bike” or “Cute, your bike!” or “Fancy bike, where’d you get dat?”  Confessional Digression: I have grown fond of the Xootie, but due to it’s small size  I felt like a clown on the way to a kid’s brthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese the first couple of weeks. I have always wanted to commute on a folding bike but never had a small enough apartment that it didn’t make sense to get the big kid wheels for the same price.  I’d been eyeballing origami cheap $200 single speed or 3-speed suckers since the original purchase of the Kona Dew back in 2007.  Claiming no technical expertise on the subject of bikes but lightyears of experience in good old-fashioned bikey fun, I was won over by the Xootie as it’s a mini-wheels are nostalgic of childhood, and it’s a very practical commuter choice.  Oh, the SHAME.  It’s like hanging out with my dorky little brother who is actually a lot of fun and more like me than I’d like to admit.

Spark Notes: The Xootr Swift comes in S,M,L and XL sizes, and looks more like a scooter than a bike.  Surprisingly, it’s a quick commuter considering the size of the wheels.  Eight speeds makes tackling hills a no brainer! Three months of commuting through Chinatown, with it’s streets shimmering with crushed glass vials, and no flats is a good sign for the stock tires!  I give it five thumbs up for portability, easy to fold, assemble, and carry, flashy blue color, and whippy maneuverability like Willow Smith.  I give it one big toe down for initial dork factor of riding a bike that looks like a scooter, and grip-shifters (yucky to fix when they get stuck!).  If you like rooting for the underdog, go for the Xootr Swift!  For a more tech-savvy review, check out this one from Velo Bike Parts in October 2011.

Xootie in the sky with diamonds.

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Don’t forget about yourselves as you shop…with all that gas and parking money you’re saving, you deserve some bikey treats, too!

Bikes:

– Redline 9-2-5…one of the staff favorites around here. Reviewed here. Get ‘em while they’re hot, as Redline drops them from the lineup for 2012.

— Jamis Commuter 4 — Vince’s favorite, and on special if you’re in the Portland area. Swing on over to River City Bicycles Outlet for a screaming deal on this machine.

— Urbana Bikes — Reviewed here, and the electric version here.

– Torker Graduate. Or, if you prefer a sensible drop-bar bike, check out our review of the Interurban.

Lights:

Lots of lights to choose from…many that we have reviewed and others that simply caught our fancy.

— Portland Design Works Spaceship/Radbot light set. Reviewed here.

— PDW Cosmic Dreadnought headlight.

– Supernova Lighting Systems…both battery- and dynohub-powered.

– Blackburn USB/Solar Flea Lights. Reviewed here.

– Niterider MiNewt 600.

– Revolights wheel lights…one of the many Kickstarter projects.

– MonkeyLectric M210. Review coming soon.

– LED By LITE directional lights…shown here.

– Flashbak safety light. We reviewed this in 2009 but it is one of those products that’s worth a second look.

Clothing:

– O2 Rainwear’s Calhoun jacket…review coming up soon now that the rainy season is in full swing.

– Chrome Vanya knickers. Reviewed here.

– Pryme Trailhands gloves. Reviewed here.

– Pryme V2 Helmet. Reviewed here.

– Nutcase Gen 2 helmets.

– DZR shoes. Reviewed here.

Accessories and Stocking Stuffers:

– Anything by Banjo Brothers…it’s no secret that we have an unabashed “bromance” going on with Eric and Mike of Banjo Brothers, and we’ve been extremely pleased by everything we’ve tried from the cargo-carrying offerings there. Rather than overwhelm you with a string of links, simply type in “banjo brothers” in the search box at the top right of our site and you’ll see just how much we love their products.

Planet Bike “Captain Safety” reflective stickers…so much fun!

– Bags by Po Campo — made in Chicago. Yay! We reviewed their rack tote and Po Campo offers a ton of other choices.

– Onetwothreespeed’s Reflective Helmet Bows.

– Planet Bike Superflash/Superflash Turbo…a perennial favorite here at Bikecommuters.com, and a perfect stocking stuffer. You can never have too many of these (disclosure: I have about ten of them).

– Gift Certificates to your local bike shop. Yeah, you should support your local shops.

– Chainspirations Bicycle Jewelry…. review coming soon, and here is a sneak peak at a necklace.

– Resource Revival’s recycled bicycle picture frames, bottle openers, clocks and keychains. So cool!

– Cobra Tire Tool — reviewed here. Naysayers be damned; this is a useful tool and one that fits nicely in your sweetie’s stocking (or saddlebag)!

Got a gift idea for the cyclists in YOUR life? We’d love to hear about them…drop them in the comments below.

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First, a little about the cranks themselves, straight from VO’s description:

The wide range Polyvalent crank has 46/30 rings and comes with a high polish alloy chain ring guard. The 46/30 rings give almost the range of a triple when used with a wide cassette, while the chain ring guard helps keep your pants clean. This is a great crank for city bikes and utility bikes.

The crankset is a standard JIS square taper interface and takes a 118mm bottom bracket spindle. I wound up using a 122mm spindle on my test platform, a salvaged Puch road bike-turned-dedicated-commuter. That extra spindle length helped clear the splayed chainstays of the Puch. The crankset is finished in VO’s signature “high polish”, which I always refer to as “high satin” when I try to describe the finish to someone who has never seen it. The cranks/chainrings have small and tasteful laser logos etched onto them. This crankset comes with nicely-made domed dustcovers and the spindle fixing bolts. The chainrings are lightly ramped and pinned for smooth shifting, and the included chainguard should keep many commuters happy as it negates having to roll up a pant leg to stay grease-free.

For those of you familiar with compact cranks on traditional road bikes, this crankset operates in much the same way. With a 16-tooth jump between large and small chainrings, this provides most of the range of a triple crankset without the extra complexity and fussiness of shifting that come with three rings. My test platform was set up as a 1×7 prior to installing the Polyvalent crank (44T chainring, 13-26 7-speed freewheel). That gearing setup was ok for Florida, even with a largish load in my panniers. Once I got to Ohio, though, I was simply outgunned…while the hills aren’t high here, there are a lot of them and many of them are quite steep. The Polyvalent crank solved my hill problem quite satisfactorily…cruising around the flats on the 46T ring and dumping the chain to the 30T when the road tilts upward. In fact, I enjoy this range so much that the Polyvalent crankset is in the process of migrating to a touring bike that I am building…one with a true “wide range” cassette (11-34 9-speed). I should be able to conquer mountains with that gearing range, even with a full camping/grocery load.

There have been a number of reports of compact cranksets having problems with overshifting inward past the inner ring — after all, a 16-tooth jump is a bit extreme. The Polyvalent has the same 16-tooth jump between outer and inner rings, and things are further complicated by the need to place the front derailleur above the chainguard to avoid interference. Nevertheless, I experienced no overshifting with this crankset. Careful setup of the limit screws on one’s front derailleur helps, and those users still concerned with overshifting can install a simple chainwatcher inboard of the inner ring. Avoiding abrupt “panic shifting” from outer to inner probably helps, too.

Although VO doesn’t mention it anywhere in their description of the Polyvalent cranks, one of the tabs on the chainguard makes a handy bottle opener. Take a look at the 12 o’clock position in the photo below, and rest assured this crankset has you covered if you’re itching for a post-ride beverage.

Velo Orange makes a lot of really nice, reasonably priced components…all with classic lines and great finishes. The Polyvalent cranks are no exception, and they are well worth the retail price of $105.00. And, if you’re not in the market for a crankset but really like the idea of a chainguard, VO sells a similar chainguard separately.

Visit the Velo Orange online store page for other components and accessories, and take a look at their blog for some interesting reading about product development and classic bike design.

Please click here to read our review disclaimer as required by the Federal Trade Commission.

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Now that you get the idea on how its supposed to work, I decided to test it out on my Soma Double Cross. The video shows it being used on side pull brakes, but my CX bike has canti-lever brakes. Here’s a photo of the tire brand/model that I used.

I flipped the bike upside down and went to work.

I had to undo my brakes to gain extra clearance.

It even worked on the rear triangle of the bike.

I was genuinely impressed on how well the Cobra Tire Tool worked! Basically it uses the wheel as leverage to get the tire off quickly. So why would anyone need the Cobra Tire Tool over a traditional tire lever set? For one its far more convenient. You only need one Cobra Tire Tool than the 2-3 standard levers. Secondly, I also believe its quicker to use the Cobra Tire Tool over standard levers. Overall I think they’ve taken a great idea (the standard tire lever) and made it better. Kudos to Cobra Tire Tool for doing so!

FTC Disclaimer

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One of the things I wanted to accomplish with it was to bridge a generation gap between teens, 20′s, 30′s and 40 year old riders. We chose to do this with the Redline Urbis. At first glance, some may think this bike could be labeled as a “hipster” or a “fixed gear” bike that couldn’t be used for bike commuting. The goal with this review was to see if a single bicycle model from a large manufacturer could reach out to 4 age groups. With that in mind I recruited additional riders to help me with the review.

The first is my nephew Ethan A. of Southern California. He’s a 15 year old high school student and has been riding fixed gear bikes for over a year. I figured he’d be perfect person to review this bike from a teen’s perspective. By the way, Ethan is a bike commuter who rides his bike to and from school every day.

Here’s his take on the Redline Urbis:

Most fixed and or singlespeed bikes that I’ve ridden come with the standard [rim] brakes. However, the Urbis does not; one reason this bike is unique is because it comes with a front disc brake that allows a rider to do tricks such as bar spins and stoppies. Not only does the disc brake make this bike unique, it comes with deep V rims which fit 35mm tires; this design makes the wheelset more durable than standard wheels. The solid chromoly frame and fork with these tires makes the bike almost impenetrable.

The things I loved most about this bike are its standard fat tires. Obviously there are fixed gears with fatter, but most of those bikes are customized. Unlike customized bikes this one comes with some pretty fat tires. I also enjoyed the BMX cranks and low gear ratio; it made the bike run smooth and easier to perform tricks on.

This bike is probably one of my favorites to ride. However, there are a few things I didn’t like about it. Probably one of the more exciting components of the bike disappointed me the most. The disc brake in the front was neat, but because of the geometry of the bike you can’t get full clearance when doing bar spins.

I’m giving the Redline Urbis 8 out of 10. A few things could be changed to the bike, like making the bars out of steel instead of aluminum. It’s light, but can break easily especially if you’re tricking on the bike. Overall this bike is great; I would recommend it for any
fixed gear newcomer that is serious about tricking.

Next up is Corey Pond of Costa Mesa, Ca. He’s in his mid 20′s and is a member of the MtnBikeRiders.com Race Team and is an Expert Downhill Racer who is also a bike commuter. Sorry for the bad photo, camera wasn’t working all that great…

I’ve never been one for fixie bikes. They always just struck me as the next weird trend; one which I never cared to wrap my head around. Here is a brief walk-through of my mindset.

RL wants me to ride a fixie objectively? I’ll do what I can to help…but I’m not going to like it. OK so I don’t like fixed bikes but that one’s pretty cool looking. It’s some awesomely burly combination of a road bike and a BMX bike, and it looks like it could handle a North Shore drop.

Dang, this thing feels as solid as it looks. I bet it’s obnoxious to ride though. I’ll probably run into a parked car or something. Haha, I’m doing a track stand like all those tightly-pantalooned, bearded fellows do at stoplights. Oooh, these things wheelie quite nicelyyahhgeezhowdoyastop!?!

I’m just gonna use the hand brakes until I get used to this thing. So this thing sure is fun to ride. I wonder how much I can use it before one of my friends see me on it.

Well, I can’t really hold out any longer because this thing was pretty fun for short stints at a time. I think the first thing that really drew me to the bike was how awesome it looks. The deep rims, the crossbar handlebars, the BMX stem, all these things made this bike look like it could rival the skills of a cockroach when it comes to surviving a nuclear bomb. The front brake line is routed right through the stem for some limitless barspin action, and guess what’s connected to the end of that brake line? Yup, it’s a rotor.

Maybe in the hipster world you lose a few cool points for having that, but I don’t know because I never read the rulebook. In my opinion, the disc brake is a much needed supplement to the back-pedal braking and it accents the aesthetics of the bike really well…not to mention, it makes for some good stoppies. This bike was undoubtedly built to throw-down on some rough freestyle sessions. I had a lot of fun riding the Urbis and I can’t wait to get my hands on another one soon to work on some new fixie skills.

The next person to review was yours truly. My name is RL Policar, of Southern California. I am 34 years old and I too am part of the MtnBikeRiders.com DH Race team, by the way, I’m am a Bike Commuter.

Much like Corey, when I first laid eyes on the Urbis, I was genuinely impressed on how well this bike was put together. From the wheels to the BMX parts and even down to the tires, the Urbis looked rugged. To my surprise, the bike rode exceptionally well. It has to be one of the smoothest fixed gear bikes I’ve ever ridden. The gearing on it is great for snapping out of a dead stop and getting across a busy intersection. However, I found my self spinning out and couldn’t maintain a speed faster than 20 mph. Then again, on my commute, I rarely get over 15mph on the streets. But I’m guessing that a smaller cog in the back would have fixed this issue.

The geometry of the Urbis was very comfortable. It wasn’t too aggressive nor too much like a comfort bike. I found that it was just right for my work commute or even short trips around town. Stopping power was pretty powerful considering you’re on a 4″ rotor using mechanical Tektro disc brakes. Though I’m not that great at it, I was able to easily execute stoppies (apply front brake, lift up rear wheel).

I wish I had a photo of this, but one of the things I did to test out the durability of the Urbis was to take it down some stairs at a local park that had an amphitheater. On a regular single- or multi-speed bike this task wouldn’t be too hard. But on a fixed gear, it was down right scary! I couldn’t level out my legs so it could absorb the bumps, instead I had to pedal as I hit each step. A total of 30 steps I rode and once I hit the bottom, I checked the wheels if they were still true…sure enough, they were.

For bike commuting, one of my favorite bikes to ride is my Redline 925; I simply love that bike. But when I was testing the Urbis, the 925 never left my garage. Not only was I having a blast riding the Urbis, but I tried to find any excuse to go out with it….”What hunny? You need some eggs from the grocery store?” Before she could even respond, I was already on the Urbis riding towards the market. It really is a fun bike to ride. My only gripe would be the saddle. From what I can tell, the Redline Pivotal saddle that comes with the Urbis is something that you’d traditionally see on their BMX bikes, thus less comfort since BMX riders seldom “sit” on their saddle. Other than that, its a FUN bike that I’ve used to commute with.

Our last review is Art Aguilar, of Costa Mesa, Ca. Art is in his 40′s, an Expert DH Racer for MtnBikeRiders.com. He too is a bike commuter. We wanted to get his perspective on the Urbis since he was the older of the product testers. We weren’t sure if this genre of a bike would fit well with a more mature rider.

Well I was once again asked for my expertise on testing our next bike, and thought “alright, what will it be: a new kick butt DH bike, some new 6 inch all mountain bikes, or a ultra lite XC bike?”

Team rider Corey and I were asked to meet RL at this ultra cool coffee house in the OC where he was to give us the bike for testing, but what was presented to us was a single speed bike. I’m like thinking to myself “Ok this is no cool DH, AM, or XC bike — this is a single speed fixie for crying out loud! I don’t ride these things; they’re for kids that wear Capri cut offs or jeans so tight the boys can’t breathe!”

Ok, I like all things bikes and fixies as they call them; they are kind of cool if they are on a oval track doing pursuit.

I am NOT wearing tight jeans and a super tight shirt to look the part for this test — no way, no how. I have spoken!!!

THE TEST LAY OUT

This is what RL wanted for the test: one from a teen guy, one from a guy in his twenties, another in his thirties and one from the “OLD GUY” — gee, thanks buddy. Why an old guy? Does anyone my age ride these things, oh and by the way RL thanks for giving me the age of 42, it made me feel good ( I’m 46).

I always told myself secretly I will never ride one of these things, I mean come on these guys ride a bike where its all about cutting down the bars to where there is none and personally I think its a fad ( A 4 or 5 year fad so far.)

As I said the bike is cool looking and it has a front disc, cool paint job, and I like the parts that are spec’d with it. The ride was very smooth and it accelerates out of track stands. I really liked the way it sprinted, and when I got it up to speed it cruised well, climbing was pretty decent thanks to the gearing. Stopping was adequate, the front disc had to break in a little and it doesn’t have that great full stopping power of a hydraulic brake, but it works and for around town I say they’re great. The riding position is an upright one and this is good for commuting especially with the mini BMX bars for those riding attacks between cars.

What I didn’t like about this bike (Well it’s not the bike, it’s me): I don’t ride fixies! I almost killed myself coming to a couple of stops forgetting there was no freewheel and nearly threw myself off the bike. SCARY.

The thing I had to do was install a freewheel cog, seeing that the Urbis comes with a flip flop hub ( $12 buck investment); I then went on another ride on the same route and felt way better on the ride.

There are only two things I would change on the Redline Urbis: one I did (freewheel) and the other is a more comfortable seat for commuting and general riding.

All in all do I like this bike? Well, yes I do. Would I buy one? Well, maybe. It’s still the last type of bike I would put in my quiver, but I do have a better liking for bikes of this genre now and I do like the Redline Urbis.

“YOU WILL NOT SEE ME IN SKINNY JEANS!!!”

Well, there you have it — a unique take on a unique bike. We figured having four age groups of bike commuters who have different riding styles could ultimately enjoy the same genre of bike. I think there’s a possibility. Don’t get us wrong, fixies or singlespeed bikes for that matter aren’t for everyone. Bikes without fenders cause such a stir with some of our readers, let alone a fixed gear bike. To make this simpler, we’ve broken it down to bullet points on the highs and lows of the bike.

Why would you get the Redline Urbis?
Durable wheels
Great styling
Flip Flop hub, ride fixed or single speed
Simple, no nonsense bike
Conservative color doesn’t scream “LOOK AT ME!”
Smooth ride
Price-within “affordable range” of $549.

Why you wouldn’t get the Redline Urbis?
Not your genre/style of bike
Doesn’t have fenders or racks
You don’t like to ride single speed or fixed

As you read from all riders, they all took in something different. Some observations were almost identical such as the great gearing for coming out of a stopped intersection. The saddle was a universal complaint, but the wheelset was one of the biggest plus factors for the bike. Between the four riders testing the Urbis, not a single mechanical issue arose during the testing period. The wheels are still true, none of the bolts came undone, bearings are still spinning nice and smooth, no drive train issues. The Urbis is pretty bombproof for a “commutable bike” and don’t forget, it’s super fun. We understand that there’s not a single bike type made for every rider out there. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying that a fixed gear bike is the right one for a 50 year old woman nor is a cargo bike the best choice for a teenager. It all comes down to personal preferences. Go with what you like, but keep your mind open to other genres of bikes, you never know, you may end up liking something totally different from what you’re used to.

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First up is the Borealis winter glove system:

From PB’s website:

-Windproof back panel and forchettes
-Removable liner for quick dry time
-Ultra-soft Fleece thumb and index finger
-Reflective piping for night visibility
-Water resistant, reinforced Serino palm
-3-in-1 design allows flexible temperature range by using liners, outer shells only, or outer shells with liners
-Neoprene cuff/pull tab with hook and loop closure

Next up, the Blitzen shoe covers:

-Windproof fabric with microfleece lining
-Neoprene front panel for added warmth around the toe box
-Durable bottom with open design for a variety of pedal platforms and cleats
-Full Velcro back closure for greater adjustability and sizing
-Toe box retention strap keeps front of cover in place
-Reflective side logos

We’ll be putting these goodies through their paces over the next couple months…it’s already gotten quite chilly here, with low temps in the 20s and highs of only the mid-50s. Having lived in Florida for the past two decades, I was woefully underprepared for truly cold-weather riding, so these Planet Bike items will hopefully keep me toasty as I test them out. Stay tuned for reviews — I am hoping to try these items out in the snow, if possible.

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Now if (…err… when) Chicago gets the snow this year, I’ll be ready to rumble to work, even over unplowed streets – with the Slipnot Bicycle Traction System.

Slipnot made a video of riders enjoying winter snow riding without any slippage.

I’m hoping my winter here isn’t that bad, but when the snow falls, at least I can say I’m ready. Heck – maybe I’ll just have to take my bike out for some off-roading fun with these chains. Usually the city streets I use to commute are pretty well-plowed. (Note: this traction system is not intended for use on bare pavement.)

Tire chains come in a mesh bag for washing and should work with any braking system.

I’ll let you know if installation goes as smoothly as advertised:

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