Bike Commuters

Commuter Profile: Skipton Skiba

Apr 10th 2012

By: Elizabeth

13 comments

Today’s commuter profile comes from a fellow Chicagoan, whose bike – BlueX – I admired one day last fall. Skipton Skiba works at Trader Joe’s and has shared with us his love of bikes and bike building.

Name:

Skipton Skiba

How long have you been a bike commuter?

I started commuting July of 2008.
I commute all year long.

Why did you start riding your bike to work and how long is your commute?

I have always been into bicycles and bicycling. One of my best memories when I was 10 years old and my Uncle helped me build a 5 speed racing bike out of parts that I got out of the neighbor’s trash. In the mid 80’s I was a big road bike guy. Greg Lemond and Bernard Hainault were my heroes. But once I got a car, I got fat and lazy and didn’t do much biking for 15-20 years.

Then, in 2008, I was looking to do some stuff with bikes again. I had been an at-home dad for 7 years, and soon my youngest son would be in full-day kindergarten. I would have time to build some bikes. One night I stumbled on the web site RATRODBIKES.com and I saw the kind of bikes I had been dreaming about in my head.

Then in April 2008 my wife was laid off. So I needed to get a job.
I got a job at Trader Joe’s in July of 2008. I decided to ride to work for my work-out using my homemade cruiser. I had done two triathlons and I was burned out on road bikes and trying to stay fit by going to the gym.

My ride is 5 to 8 miles one way depending on what route I take. I usually take the Lake Front Path which makes for a very pleasant 8 mile ride. Riding the lake path is a great way to go. No car traffic and nice scenery.

What do you do for a living and in what city do you bike commute?

I’m a crew member at Trader Joe’s in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

How does Bike Commuting help you with your lifestyle (economics, health, relationships)?

Bike commuting helps me with my lifestyle in so many ways. I always look forward to my ride no matter what the weather. I feel great when I get to work. It helps me stay as healthy as possible. It gives me more patience. Also I feel that riding every day is good message for my kids who are nine and ten. I want them to see that you don’t have to drive everywhere and they see their old man doing something healthy. Because I commute everyday I have a reason to work on and build bicycles that I enjoy. I’m not sure what I like the most, riding bikes or building them.

What kind(s) of bike do you have?

I ride bikes that I like to call Rat Rods.

These are bikes that I have built using an assortment of parts from all different kinds of bikes -some are old cruisers, some are just older “undesirable” types of bikes and I build what I want.

Building these kinds of bikes also satisfies my inner hot rodder. It is much cheaper and environmentally friendly to build a bunch of different Rat Rod bikes instead of spending lots of time and money on one tricked out car.

My main winter bike is a 1960 something Schwinn with a tank and 1950’s fenders.
This bike is what I would call a classic example of a Rat Rod. It has vintage and modern parts mixed together. Most of the bike is vintage parts with a Nexus 4 speed rear hub and roller bearing brakes on both wheels.

The bike I probably put the most miles on is the one I call BlueX. BlueX started life out as an 80’s Schwinn three-speed. Then my friend, Gary, helped me weld up the super laid back seat post.

I put two old tanks from girl’s 1950 bicycles on it. I also added the 1930s tractor light and a giant speedometer from a 1940s pickup on it. The idea was for the bike to look like an old Boardtracker racing motorcycle. I really like how it turned out. I just love they way it looks and the reaction people have to it. I could ride all day long!

Build journal….. http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=26173&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Another bike I built that I love to ride is one my 9 year old son named
Bellowing Yellow!

I made this with a 1980s three-speed Sears bike a friend gave me for free. I made the 180 degree front fender just to see if it would work. And it does! The bright yellow really makes it pop!

Any funny or interesting commuting story that you may want to share?

I think the main thing I want to share is how much I enjoy commuting. Even a supposed “bad weather day” on the commute is a great ride.

One day on my way to work, riding down the lake front path, on Bluex, a guy on a high dollar road bike rode up next to me and said his girlfriend in California sent him photos of my bike. He said it wasn’t ride able. Now he knows it is.

Also I just love it when someone ask where I got that bike or where they can get one and I tell them I built it.

What do people (coworkers, friends) say when you tell them that you are a bike commuter?

Lots of my coworkers are bike commuters also. They do get a kick out of the bikes I ride but wonder when I am going to turn my handlebars right side up.

Do you have an ‘advanced commuter tip’?

Just get out and ride! You don’t need lots of fancy equipment, even a department store bike. Or a garage sale bike is enough to get started. You don’t need to be “Lance” to do this. But be safe – always wear a helmet. .

How about bicycling advocacy? Are you active in any local or regional advocacy groups?

Nothing really yet. I always try and be a courteous bicyclist, and follow the rules of the road.

Anything else that you want to share with us?

I do love to ride with my wife and kids, when the weather is nice we will ride to school, the beach, etc.

I also take the boys on the monthly TailDraggers Leisure Bike Club rides I have been organizing.
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50821
A bunch of people get together and we ride our bikes to a cool restaurant or coffee shop and talk about bikes-our next big build, swap commuter stories, things like that. It is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I know my kids have a blast and it’s fun to watch them ride around on the cool vintage cruisers.

Random pics of other bikes and my kids

If you ever see a bike like this “displayed” at the Trader Joe’s (on Clybourn ) bike rack come in and say:

Thanks, Skip, for sharing your story and your bikes with us! If you’re interested in being profiled, drop us a line at: info[at]bikecommuters[dot]com

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Cycle Ladies and Gents… time to get PROFILED!

Apr 10th 2012

By: Mir.I.Am

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Hear Ye: Cycle Ladies and Gents!

Good day, my bicycle commuting ladies and gentlepeoples… As a follow up to Elizabeth’s post today, Bike Commuters is still on the look out for more Commuter Profiles! We want to hear from YOU. Want to tell the world about your awesome two-wheeled steed, your beautiful commuting scenery, and how you are an all-around badass Cycle Lady or Cycle Gent? Well, my friends, it’s time to sharpen up your quills and refill your ink wells – send us an email if you want to show some photos of your mug, your bike, and tell us about who YOU are. We even have a lovely questionnaire template for each of you looking for your 15 seconds of bike soapbox fame! Email info[at]bikecommuters[dot]com if that’s what you’re into!

Commuter Profile Series - Show us your mug!

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EcoBicis & the Mexico City “Bike Revolution”

Apr 5th 2012

By: Mir.I.Am

3 comments

We’ve all heard plenty about the diamond-crusted bike lanes of Copenhagen and Amsterdam, but there are Bike Commuters in every country: from Krygyzstan, France, Japan, Portugal, to Mexico! Ever since last year’s renegade DIY bike lane campaign in Mexico, Mr. Blue Jay on my shoulder has been hinting at a full-scale “Bike Revolution” for our southerly neighbors. The quotation marks in the title and opening sentence of this post are mos DEF finger quotes, in case you were wondering.

Hipster Globalization - image from Chihuahua en Bicicleta.

Anyhoo-hoo, as I am the self-crowned hyperbolic exaggeration queen among BikeCommuters staff writers, I thought it would be fun to dive into some articles and investigate these predictions – Will Mexican Cyclists rally together carrying AK’s and demanding a ban on cars forever!? Will they fill the capitol city with Guerrilla bike lanes, painting over anyone who stands in their way?! Depende de que…

Sometimes, us Norteamericanas just can't help from grabbing some weapons before jumping on our bikes!

Since the closest I’ve ever been to Mexico City is this Del Taco in San Diego, I will rely on the BBC to relay the ¿Que Paso? (yay for upside-down punctuation!) with their article titled Mexico City’s Bike Revolution.

Sunday Fundays in Mexico City: no cars allowed! The strategy is to get 'em hooked on Sundays, so they'll want to commute M-F!

Families riding bikes, children on roller skates and barely a car in sight; it’s hard to believe this is usually one of the busiest roads in Mexico City.

It’s an eerily calm Sunday morning on the city’s Avenida Reforma, an avenue which is grid-locked on weekdays by tens of thousands of cars sitting bumper-to-bumper.

The Reforma’s closure to car traffic on Sundays in 2007 kickstarted the capital’s attempts to make life easier for cyclists. In 2010 a 17km-long bike lane through the city opened – and more efforts to promote pedal power are being unveiled in the coming few months.

DF officials have proclaimed that kilome-miles of bike lanes are on the books for Mexico, accompanying their successful weekly car-traffic shut downs. On top of piles of bike lanes, Mexico City’s bike share program called “EcoBici” has been a huge hit in the heart of the city – expect expansions, cycle peoples! Let’s hope all those rollerblading fun-having Sunday joyriders easily transition into sweaty weekday bike commuters as the government continues to support transportation cycling. Here’s a video clip from Metro Planning Chicago showing EcoBicis cruising in a separated bike lane along Avenida de la Reforma:

Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council had a chance to visit this year to discover the successes of Mexico City’s transit and cycling initiatives; see details of the encounter comparing Mexico City’s transit plans to Chicago’s in this post from The Connector. The popularity of the EcoBici system is unfounded in Mexico… could this be the “Bike Revolution” bloggers have been predicting?

Mexico City’s system, EcoBici, debuted in 2010 in the trendy Condesa neighborhood. It was quickly expanded down the wide, skyscraper-lined Avenida de la Reforma to connect Condesa with the Zocalo (main square) and the historic center of the city. The system was instantly popular, not only in the morning and evening rush hours, but also at midday, when many office workers now elect to ride to lunch. For a short time, demand exceeded supply and there was a waiting list to become a member. EcoBici now has 90 stations and 1,200 bikes, plenty to meet the current demand from its 24,000 members (who take some 9,000 trips every day). It will soon expand to cover two more neighborhoods, with 275 total stations and nearly 4,000 bikes. When that expansion is completed later this year, EcoBici expects to serve 73,000 users and 27,500 trips every day.

Writers from Streetsblog also toured Mexico City to observe the so-called “Bike Revolution.” The cycle-loving mayor of the Captiol, Mayor Ebrard, promised over 300 kilometers of bike lanes for the city by the end of his term. The promise has not been kept, but the Mayor is making a concerted effort to quell the angry fists of cyclists with EcoBici bike share and the legislature:

Ecobicis in demand - image from Streetsblog.org

In 2010, the city passed a package of bike-friendly laws. Most prominently, Mexico City repealed its mandatory helmet law on the grounds that it was discouraging cycling and leaving everyone in greater danger. “It’s safer for them to cycle, whether they have a helmet or not,” argued Montiel.

At the same time, Mexico City reduced speed limits in areas with traffic calming or heavy pedestrian traffic and hiked up the penalty for driving or parking in a bike lane.

Though cycling has made significant strides over the last five years, its position in Mexico City is hardly assured. Last year, a prominent radio host, Angel Verdugo, called on his afternoon listeners to “crush” the “red plague” of cyclists — to literally run them over. Verdugo was fired, but the moment revealed the ferocity of anti-cycling sentiment that seems to persist in some quarters of the city.

The political winds could shift after Mayor Ebrard leaves office this year. “It’s an election year,” he said, “so we have to complete every project in the city, for Ecobici, for the bike lanes.” Some of the candidates for mayor this year, he implied, might not be so bike-friendly.

I guess the traffic-congested “mean streets” of Mexico City, and A-hole radio personalities will just add fuel to the flames as transportation cycling continues to pick up in Mexico. Full blown Bike Revolution? Maybe… in the meantime, the progress is commendable! I want Sunday traffic shutdowns in my city! Pedal forward… Cycle Ladies & Gents. Adios!

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The social and economic gains of cycling (and losses of driving a car)

Apr 4th 2012

By: Jack "Ghost Rider" Sweeney

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Widely reported in the bike-news media is the recent Bicycle Account, a bi-annual report produced by the City of Copenhagen, Denmark. Inside this report is an interesting and somewhat startling set of numbers regarding the social and economic benefits of cycling:

When all these factors are added together the net social gain is DKK 1.22 per cycled kilometer. For purposes of comparison there is a net social loss of DKK 0.69 per kilometer driven by car.

Take a look at the League of American Bicyclists account by clicking here, where they discuss some of the particulars, or the Grist article that delves into what these numbers actually mean for the city.

Business Insider did a little math, and came up with some figures for the U.S. —

If the same rate of Americans commuted by bike as our friends in Copenhagen (35 percent), we’d have more than 109 million cyclists on the road.

At $0.42 earned for every mile biked, that means we’d contribute $46 million to the economy each day and nearly $17 billion in a year, most of which would be funneled back into the health industry.

Take a look at their full report by clicking here.

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Review: Monkeylectric’s M210 “Mini Monkey Light”

Apr 3rd 2012

By: Jack "Ghost Rider" Sweeney

2 comments

As many of you may know, we here at Bikecommuters.com are huge fans of the creative geniuses behind Monkeylectric. We’ve been lucky enough to test out their original M132/133 wheel lights, and we’ve visited with the Monkeylectric crew at Interbike over the past few years.

When they announced the new M210 “Mini Monkey”, we clamored for a chance to get a review sample. Lo and behold, about a month after Interbike 2011, one appeared on my doorstep. I’ve been running this thing ever since and am ready to share my thoughts and photos with you.

First off, a bit about the new M210:

- 10 Ultra-bright color LEDs
- Hub-mounted battery pack
- Stainless steel anti-theft strap
- Waterproof!
- Up to 40 hours runtime

The M210 comes in simple packaging — a bag for the light head and battery canister, a smaller bag for the hardware and a simple header card that unfolds to reveal complete instructions in a variety of languages. While the light head is smaller than the original M132/M133 (10 LEDs — 5 on each side — down from the 32 LEDs on the original model), it still packs a nighttime punch. This new model addresses most of the concerns some of us had over the original model — particularly waterproofing, balance, and theft prevention.

Here’s the light head — covered in a thick, rubbery waterproofing material that seals all those chips and circuits from the elements. The switches are beefy and easy to manipulate:

Here’s the battery pack — a canister that straps to the hub with zipties and a soft rubber cradle. The battery canister holds a cartridge of 3 AA batteries (alkaline or rechargeable) and seals up tight:

One cord travels from the light head to the dongle on the battery canister, and the connection between the two is waterproof. And this connection is TIGHT — it is quite difficult to separate the two parts once they’ve been connected.

Splitting the light head and battery compartment into two components over the original’s “all on one” approach has greatly helped with the overall balance of the light. With the original M133 installed, I was able to discern some faint high-speed wobble on lightweight wheels (that wobble was mitigated when I installed the unit on some heavy disc wheels on my Xtracycle. With the new unit, I didn’t notice any wobble, even at relatively high speeds. Score a win for the folks at Monkeylectric!

Another plus of the split configuration is this: back in Florida, I was forced to traverse some DEEP rain puddles from time to time. Old streets, heavy rains and a substandard drainage system meant that some of the roads on my commuting route were flooded. Some of those flooded areas were nearly hub-deep, and my old unit would get submerged. I had to be diligent about cleaning the battery contacts to keep them from rusting. I don’t have to worry about that anymore — the truly sensitive parts are encased in waterproof materials and the contacts are inside the sealed canister at the hub.

The light can be programmed to display up to 15 different 8-bit patterns (skulls, hearts, and many more) in a choice of colors, or you can do as I did and skip the button-pressing and let the light cycle itself through all the choices. As with the original M132/M133, the M210 has two intensity modes — regular and “turbo”. The “turbo” setting blows through batteries much more quickly and is eye-searing in brightness, but the regular setting is bright enough on its own to spill out a pool of light to either side of the wheel. I took some still shots so you can see just how intense and colorful the M210 is when spinning:

And, as is my style, here is an unedited and rather crappy video of the Monkeylectric light in action — believe me, the “real life” effect is vastly more stunning. It doesn’t help that my neighborhood is lit up like an airstrip (streetlights every 50 feet or so):

Mounting the light head is a breeze — it sits between spokes and is held in place by rubber pads and zipties. Getting the battery canister mounted on the hub is somewhat more difficult…the more spokes one has, the more difficult it can be. Even with my long fingers, getting everything set and cinched up took a few tense moments. Once the canister is mounted, you will only have to worry about changing the batteries from time to time, and that isn’t as difficult…screw off the cap and replace the cells. Here’s the canister mounted to my front hub:

I was happy to see the addition of the stainless steel “anti-theft” strap — basically a metal ziptie — in the package. While I’ve never had a Monkeylectric light stolen, I am sure others in more urban areas might have to worry about such things. The steel strap is surprisingly difficult to cut with wire cutters (I sacrificed mine in the name of science), so it really does provide a measure of theft deterrence.

As I mentioned earlier, the instruction sheet foldout is detailed and easy to follow. And, it comes in several languages:

As we’ve discussed over and over again here, there are not enough products on the market to help with that crucial “side visibility” — while many front and rear lights spill to the sides, additional safety for nighttime commuters is always a good thing. And this is where Monkeylectric’s products really shine (pun intended). The M210 provides an incredibly effective means to get you noticed out on the darkened streets where you live, all the while having fun with patterns and colors! The Monkeylectric M210 retails for around $50.00, and is worth the price of admission. Another hit from a great bunch of creative folks!

Now, if we can only get the crew to let us borrow one of their “PRO Series” models….

Visit Monkeylectric for more details, images and video of their lights in action.

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

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