The removable tire & inner tube

Michelin patented the removable rubber tire and inner tube, replacing use of tubular tires that were glued to the rim (and much more time consuming to repair).

There are many good Flickr sets . . .

For example, this one. With photos such as this ~

Bike racks, parts

Rivendell Bicycle Works has an blog with an interesting page about racks - I have been thinking that my commuter bikes rear rack set-up might be more to my liking if I switched to a front rack set up, but it will bear some further investigation.

Another interesting parts site is bicycleclassics.com even if the web site development work is awful.

Exercise and music (NYTimes article)

The NYTimes has an article about benefits of listening to music during exercise, including cycling. (Article includes an absurd-ish photo of a woman on a bike in a bikini.)

In a typical study, from 2008, cyclists who rode in time to music used 7 percent less oxygen to pedal at the same pace as when they didn’t align themselves to the songs.

Visit to Davidson Bicycles in Seattle

I dropped off a check to subscribe to Davidson Bicycles in downtown Seattle (near the Pike Place Market) and spent about a half hour talking to Bill Davidson, the owner. It was a great pleasure. Amazing bikes.

An example of some of their work ~


There is a Flickr group with photos of Davidson bikes for further perusal.

Epic bicycle journeys - books

Am reading "The Lost Cyclist," a history of an American, Frank Lenz, who disappeared in Turkey during a ride "around the world" in the early 1890s. Two other young Americans were also riding around the world at roughly the same time and eventually one of them went searching for Lenz. These two Americans published a book describing their travels that is available full text.

Philadelphia Bike Exposition

The Philadelphia Bike Exposition, October 30-31 2010 looks quite interesting and worth the drive (from DC).