5 Of the Best Cycling Rain Capes

November 3, 2017 by Sarah Lauzé

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. When it does you want to be prepared, there’s nothing worse than getting caught on your bike in a downpour, whether it be on your morning commute to work or out on a long ride. Cycling rain jackets are great for throwing on over a jersey, but fail to keep your legs (or backpack) dry. This is where rain capes come in.

When your hear the words rain cape or poncho, you may picture those cheap plastic capes you’d get on a water ride at Disneyland. However, there are cycling specific capes that are not only much more functional, but won’t make it look like you’re wearing a garbage bag.

Features of a cycling cape

Generally speaking, cycling capes will have an extra long tail that you sit on, both keeping your bottom dry and acting as an anchor so the cape doesn’t flap in the wind (you’re not trying to be a superhero). Many have little thumb holes or wrist straps in the front so the cape can sit right over your arms and handlebars, essentially creating a small tent over your legs and keeping your whole body dry. Finally, a cycling cape should have a drawstring that can be used to cinch tight around your waist and keep it in place.

Pros of a cycling cape

One of the main pros of a cycling cape over a jacket is its breathability. As the bottom of the poncho remains open and your arms unconstricted by sleeves, there is a lot more airflow, and therefore they are much more comfortable in hot weather. Capes are perfect for city commuters as they keep your legs dry, can be draped over your backpack so you arrive to work ready to go, and they’re quick to take on and off.

5 Of the best cycling rain capes

The weather can change quickly and without warning, so when it does be sure you’re prepared with a cycling cape at hand. Here are 5 of the best capes on the market to keep you dry no matter what mother nature decides to throw at you.

Electric Houndstooth rain cape

Price: $250

Cleverhood is top of the line when it comes to cycling capes. The Electric Houndstooth is carefully crafted to live up to the reputation of the brand with durable, waterproof polyester and tightly sealed seams to keep you dry. Featuring unique hidden reflective thread, the bright grid will make you stand out even on the darkest, wettest nights.

Brooks Saddles Cambridge Rain Cape

Price: $144

The Cambridge Cape is made of lightweight, waterproof nylon and is designed to be easy to carry with you or even attach to your bike when not in use. Featuring a carrying pouch, waterproof up to 10,000 mmH2O, and an adjustable hood to fit over or under your helmet, this is a great option for most cyclists.

Exped Daypack & Bike Ultralight Poncho

Price: $129

Exped really thought of everything with this lightweight and well designed rain cape. With reflective strips on the sides and back for visibility, large inner pockets doubling as a stuff sack, adjustable elastic hoops for the handlebars, and an adjustable inner elastic cord this is a great rain cape for cyclists. The hood has one hand operation cinch cords for the right fit without obstructing your peripheral vision.

Ferrino Dryride Cape

Price: $99

The Ferrino Dryride Cape has all the practical features you want in a rain cape with ripstop nylon, taped seams, a carry pouch, shaped hood, and a reflective band on the front and back for cycling on those dark, wet nights. There are loops for fastening to your wrist and anchoring the cape to the handlebars, and side openings for you hands if needed.

Happy Rainy Days Women’s Bike Cape

Price: $89

Featuring a long front panel to fit over the handlebars, the Happy Rainy Days is a great middle-of-the-road option. With a waterproof viscose outer shell and breathable fabric, it’s a great fit for the city commuter.

Are Cycling Shoes Worth The Leap?

June 13, 2017 by Andrew Funamoto

If you are thinking about buying cycling shoes, you may find yourself in the following circumstances:

Thinking of buying a bike and cycling shoes for exercise
Currently commuting to work
Riding on weekends with friends
Exploring the city & countryside

Seeing cyclists hobble around in cycling shoes is not pretty, so there must be a reason why people insist on wearing them.

What Do Cycling Shoes Do?

The first and most obvious aspect of a cycling shoe is that they clip into the pedals. With a distinctive “click,” cycling shoes with clipless pedals will encourage power through all portions of the pedal stroke. Think of a clock and how the second hand moves through all 360 degrees.

Secondly, cycling shoes provide a rigid platform that allow power to be transferred into the drivetrain with greater efficiency than running shoes, sneakers or high heels. When you apply power into the pedal with sneakers, the flexible sole that offers comfort when walking, deforms around the pedal. This means energy lost and sore feet.

Cycling in running shoes is like cutting veggies on a plate with a butter knife. Switch to cycling specific shoes and you’ll be cutting veggies with a proper chef’s knife on a wood cutting board. The combination of clipless pedal with cycling shoes will have you slicing and dicing your morning commute.

Types of Cycling Shoes

Mountain Bike Shoes

There are two main types of cycling shoes. For someone looking for an all-round cycling shoe, a mountain bike shoe will be a good primary option. Mountain bike shoes have thick tread that allow mountain bikers to navigate tricky terrain. It sounds counter-intuitive at first, but that same tread helps commuters and new cyclists navigate slippery tile floors and the stairs up to the office.

Contributor Morgan and her MTB shoes. They are more versatile than road shoes. (Photo by: David Gillam)

Road Bike Shoes

Road bike shoes are typically lighter and more breathable. But the weight comes at the expense of functionality. Road shoes don’t have robust tread like mountain bike shoes and they will often be completely smooth; this is by design. Road cyclists will sometimes ride hundreds of kilometers before un-clipping for a stop light or an esspresso. Hauling around a few extra grams is not efficient (yes roadies are that Type A)! The speed and efficiency comes at the expense of being awkward. The cleats that clip into the pedals protrude, and you’re left quacking around the supermarket during a quick grocery shop on the way home from your ride.

Even Blondie knows these road shoes are awkward to walk in!

So What Type of Cycling Shoe Should You Buy?

Are you doing a quick rip to the farmers market? Mountain bike shoes will likely be a good choice. The tread will be good for navigating mixed surfaces and the added strength of the nylon sole compared to your runners will make the ride home a lot less uncomfortable.

Are you doing a long commute to work and riding on the weekends? Road shoes might be a good option here! Check out these Shimano touring shoes. They can almost pass as your work shoes!

Are you riding a shorter distance but looking for more support? Brands like Chrome manufacture a happy medium between cycling shoes and runners. They add a stiff base plate in the heel and mid-shoe to help with power transfer, but still offer lots of comfort while walking around. These shoes last for years, they are extremely tough.

Taking the Leap: Cycling Shoes

New Bike Day

OK, so you’ve decided you want to give cycling shoes a go, now what? If you are new to riding and have just bought a brand new road bike, wait a few weeks before stepping into a pair of cycling shoes and clipless pedal. It takes a few weeks to get used to the handling of a new bike, and cycling shoes with clipless pedals can be one too many items for your brain to process. You might end up tumbling over at a stop sign– or maybe in your driveway. Take your new bike out a few times with flat pedals before leaping into clipless pedals.

Commitment

Now it’s time to commit to new shoes and clipless pedals in the parking lot. Practice clipping in and out with both feet.

Tip 1: When coming to a full stop, clip out one foot well before you know you need to and coast into the corner. Clipping out before you need to put your foot down sounds obvious, but tipping over happens to all of us!

Tip 2: When stopping, pick a side that you are more comfortable clipping out on, and stick to that side. Then, when you arrive at the stop gently lean you bike in that direction, using your un-clipped foot is your anchor. If you keep your bike verticle, a gust of wind can tip you over onto the side that you are still clipped in on! It’s happened before, and it will happen again!

Smash It With Cycling Shoes

Now get out there and start smashing your way commute back from the office, farmer’s market or apple orchard!

Best Urban Bikes Review

November 25, 2016 by Josh Friedman

Urban bikes are a special breed; built to stand up to neglect and knocks and still keep taking you from point A to point B. They are a lot like commuter bikes in this way, but need a bit more durability built in to handle the rough urban bikes environment.

Urban Bikes vs. Commuter Bikes

The two main differences between urban bikes and commuter bikes (you will want all the traits of a commuter bike) are:

the tire/tube combination
the security of the bike and components
the frame finish durability

Tire/Tube Combination

City streets can be a mess with debris everywhere including puncture inducing glass and metal. You will want especially tough tires and perhaps puncture resistant tubes too. On a standard commuter bike, especially one that you log long miles on, you may not want to compromise ride quality. For an urban bike, you will probably prefer a harsher riding bike to changing flats all the time.

Security of The Bike and Components

Pz Racing Cr5.3q Theft Proof Qr Skewers, Mtb, 60g, Red — Theft Proof Skewers

All of the components need to be secure on the frame. That is generally not a problem for bolted on parts like derailleurs and brakes, but you will want to replace quick release skewers with theft proof skewers if you are locking your bike up. In especially theft prone areas, you will want to take extra precautions, even with components. One trick is to glue ball bearings into bolt heads. A thief with a wrench will generally skip such a countermeasure.

You will also need a lock that is appropriate for where your bike is locked up. Do some research and see what you need for your area. It is likely you will need to remove lights and bags from your bike when it sits outside, otherwise they will disappear quickly.

Bike Frame Finish

Finally, the finish of your frame on your urban bike should resist scraping and banging around in city bike racks. This could mean a brushed or powder coated finish. It could also mean a non-steel frame, so if the paint is compromised the frame will not rust.

The Best Urban Bikes

It is likely that you will need to make some of the above additions to the bikes below. But they are a good starting place to build your ideal urban bike or city bike.

Trek Lync 5

The Trek Lync 5 is an integrated package designed to be as maintenance free as possible. Lights are integrated into the frame with a USB rechargeable battery. The drivetrain has an internally geared eight speed Shimano Alfine hub and belt drive in place of a chain. This will keep wear and tear from road grime down to a minimum. Disc brakes keep stopping power regardless of conditions. Fenders (do not forget to add mud flaps) and a rack are included, keeping you from shopping for any additional necessities. The rack does not have a top shelf, so a trunk bag will not work. You will have to hang a pannier off the side, but it is quite a minor point on this all inclusive package. It is a great choice for someone that will be commuting in all conditions, short distances as well as a little bit further with some hills.

Brompton

If you are short on space either at home or in your office and your commute is relatively short, a Brompton folding bike could be the bike for you. You can fold it if part of your commute involves a train or car too. They fold up quite small but also pride themselves on their ride quality. You can spec them with all of the features you need. They are great for urban mobility, with a tight wheelbase to maneuver nimbly and small wheels to accelerate quickly. There are other folding bikes out there, but Brompton is the benchmark. With this bike you will want your commute to be on the flatter side and not excessively long.

Jamis Renegade Exploit

The Jamis Renegade Exploit may not be the best commuter bike for the short trip across town but for longer rides with conditions that might not be ideal, and you should always be prepared for surprises from weather or terrain. This bike is top notch. While the bike does not come with racks or fenders, it does come with mounts for both should you need them (you do). Drop bars give you more hand positions for that longer commute, along with fatter than standard road tires – 36 millimeters. Hydraulic disc brakes in an integrated brake shift lever (a relatively recent innovation) gives you premium stopping power. Jamis is known for a nicer spec than most relative to price; you will get a very nice all around bike that can tackle almost anything.

Specialized Langster

Efficiency is what the Specialized Langster is all about. When bike couriers were common, a fixed gear bike is often what they rode for simplicity of maintenance and efficiency. There is little to wear out and little to cause drag in the drivetrain. If you are jetting to work in a city or relatively flat place, this is a fun way to go. Fenders will take some work to add, but that extra effort will be worth it. A rack will be a stretch too, but a messenger bag will complete the look anyway. For a quality complete bike, it is a bargain. Just make sure you put the brakes on; you will definitely not look cool after you need serious dental work.

Dahon Speed Uno

The Dahon Speed Uno is as basic as it gets for a folding bike. If you do not want to drop much money on a bike that is compact to get you to where you need to go, this is a great way to go. There is not much to complicate the package. Because it folds you will not have to leave it outside locked up in the elements, keeping it in better condition.

SE Draft

The SE Draft shares many of the benefits of the Langster in a less polished package. This is a great choice if you know the bike will take some abuse. It is an easier pill to swallow if your bike is not a top shelf item. It is still a solid city bike that will get you around town with efficiency and less weight on your conscience.

Make your own beater

Do you have an old bike laying around? This could be your chance to resurrect it and not worry about it, much like the SE Draft. It also gives you a chance to figure out your usage pattern and what works best. When it is time to spring for a new bike, you will have a better idea of what to look for.

Bike Share

If there is a bike share in your area, that is phenomenal transportation asset. You will not have to worry about maintenance. The bikes are overbuilt to handle city bike riding. They might not be the highest performing city bikes, but they are reliable and there are lots of them (if you live in the right place). A yearly membership gets you a lot of riding for cheap with no upkeep at all.

Urban Bikes and City Bikes

Navigating urban environments is best done with urban bikes. It is the most efficient way to travel because you do not sit in city congestion. You can also stop wherever you want but also move far faster than walking. Ride your city’s streets!

The Best Commuter Bike – Matching Your Needs to a Bike

November 13, 2016 by Josh Friedman

Getting to work under your own power and pace is liberating. There is no sitting in traffic jams, filling the tank or sedentary moment when you commute by bike. You will be energized when you get to work and relaxed on your way home. To add to the joy of commuting, you want the best commuter bike for you. A bike that suits your needs and makes your ride even better. There are a few things every commuter bike should have to keep you riding through all conditions. Beyond that you can choose what works best for you based on your style and route.

Requirements that Every Commuter Bike Should Have:

Lights: A highly visible light setup will keep you safe. If you plan on riding at night or close to dark, a light that allows you to see your route as well as alerts cars and other around you of your presence is essential. Lights can be hardwired into the bike and powered by a dynamo hub or they can be battery powered and added to the bike.
Fenders: You will be happy to have fenders to keep you dry. When it is actively precipitating you will get wet regardless of fenders, but they keep the dirty road spray off of you. On wet roads after the precipitation you will stay completely dry and it is a beautiful thing. Your fenders should be as close to the ground as possible at the trailing side of both wheels to ensure maximum protection. You can add flaps if your fenders do not already reach that low.
Rack Mounts: If you are going any significant distance, you will want a rack or basket to put your bag. A backpack on a longer commute will get you sweaty. You will also be more comfortable with a free back. Your bike will not complain about a few extra pounds on its frame, but you might.