Ok, okaaaaaaay. So Ghost Rider the Whip has tasked me with the year-end update to all ye mighty Bike Commuters!!! For all you non-daily readers (myself included, no excuses, just the truth yo) consider this the ultimate BikeCommuters.com Cliff Notes of 2011. Be sure to click the extra links, so many goodies embedded in this one. And since I love LISTS as much as tweens love Ryan Gosling and puppies, here is the Top 11 Bike Commuters Highlights (and then some) from the Year of the Rabbit … Let the countdown begin.
My expression of my love for LISTS can only be captured with this moment!
11. Helmet on a Diet: Among many products, including the O2 Rainwear’s Calhoun Jacket, Levis 511 Commuter Jeans, and others from Chrome, Planet Bike, Velo Orange, and Ergon, we reviewed this half-weight BMX/skater style melon protector – the Pryme V2 Lite! Removable pads allow for easy cleaning, adjustment, and with 13 vents will keep you less than sweaty. RL even said this Pryme helmet on a diet was so light he forgot he was wearing it!
10. How To’s and Ghetto-rigging: Several articles this year featured DIY and easy commuter tips like how to apply Stealthy 3M Reflective Tape to your bike frame! Check out the before and after shots in this follow up article. We wrote about how to make a Bike Train, last minute tips for carrying groceries home, and a friendly reminder on lubing your chain!
9. Winterize-Me! 2011, the year of the rabbit is also the year of the snow-bunny. All-year and all-weather rider Elizabeth has cranked out some popular tips and posts on layering, waterproofing your getup, and winterizing your manos for the harshest winter climate commutes. Two-wheeled transporting readers like yourselves named this article a top fave in our 2000th post giveaway contest! Check out Layering as Easy as 1 2 or 3! Elizabeth makes us warm-weather writers look like sissy lalas, she’s a BAMF commuter no doubt.
8. Hear Ye, Hear Ye: From you the readers, we had a handful of commuter profiles in the Year of the Rabbit including my posts from Hawaii, Arizona, California, and Illinois. Thanks to Willy Campbell, Karen Voyer-Caravona, Hermes Pagulayan, and Robert Guico for keeping it real. We love to hear from the readers themselves about their best rides, funny stories, tips, and setups…
Bike Commuter Profiles Rabbit Round-up, 2011 photocrap edition!!!
7. Travels & Adventuretimes: Jetsetting, touring, and leap-frogging through time and space, the BikeCommuters staff writers adventured far and wide including visits to Bike Shares in France, Interbike 2011 in Vegas, vacation commuting in Chicago, and historical Bike Museums in Ohio! I guess we could say we’re bunny-hopping through time and space. We hope to have more Bike Commuters staff travels and adventures next year; maybe we can meet up with you local readers for events or rides!
6. Five-O, Five-O! RL roped his friend, “Officer Ben” into chatting about the DOs and DON’Ts of bikes in the city. For more bike list-lust and Five-O insight, try this article titled “My Conversation witha Cop about Bike Traffic and Safety Tips.” As always with officers, remember your attitude makes a difference!
5. Commuter All-in-One Review -We Reviewed some non-commuter specific bikes this year (like the Xootr Swift and the Redline Urbis) but Jack pulled the lucky straw and got his heine on this Breezer Uptown 8 back in Spring (full-on Wabbit Season)! The Uptown 8 came fully-loaded with all kinds of commuter goodies: rear rack, chaincase, dyno-powered lights, full fenders, internal shifting, bell, high spoke count wheels, water bottle cage, and a kickstand! And all for $999.00 MSRP, a low maintenance sturdy steed for city riding requires only one stop at the LBS. Jack gave this all in one commuter a HIGH FIVE of awesomeness.
4. Planet Bike Superflashy-flash TURBO! Hoo-hoo, you caught me! My soft spot for all things blinky lights and hi-viz leads me to this post by Vince. The Planet Bike Superflash Turbo has 1-Watt a licious power of red LEDs and a attention-grabbing flashy pattern that earned an “A” from Bike Commuters! Read the full article here.
3. Nice Paint Job, oh and Nice Bike Too - RL reviewed some single speed and fixed gear rides this year like the Torker KB2 and the 2011 Redline 925. The KB2 is a fixie with a 2-speed kick back hub and a pearly green paint job. The Redline 925 is a single speed city slammer, excellent stopping power in the breaks, a smooth ride, clean lines, and commuter staples like fenders, chain guard, toe clips, and rack mounts! For those of you in the market for a single speed or fixie ride, put these mamas on your bike lust list and ride these velos non-stop like bunnies in springtime. Now for some bike p0rn with the Redline 925 in “Pearl Dark Brown”:
and in the KB2 Torker in “sparkly green”!
1. 2000th Post Giveaway! The countdown ends with a big-timey milestone, the 2000th post hit us in December 2011. Thanks to all our staff writers this year and in years past that made it possible! We celebrated with a giveaway of awesome stuff as readers posted their favorite articles on facebook and in the comments. It was really cool to dig up older articles and see feedback from readers who don’t usually post (without enticement of free bike goodies). Hopefully, our winnder John Leddy from Burlington, VT is enjoying his Banjo Brothers backpack, Planet Bike lights and accessories, a Bikecommuters.com tshirt and sticker pack and a Chainspirations zipper pull.Special thanks go to Banjo Brothers and Planet Bike for helping sponsor our prize giveaway. So here’s the part where we say goodbye to the Rabbit and hello to the dragon! Thanks for sticking with us Bike Commuters readers, Ride ALOHA!
Photocredit to Papajka on Flickr! Take that you toasty rabbit!
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