I know how to patch a tube. I know how to pump up a tire. Neither is very hard to do, so it's not like I'm bragging. And I've been known to dismiss the idea that one should learn these or any other mechanical skills before they take up cycling. I'll say something like, "If mechanical cluelessness is not a barrier to driving a car, why should it be a barrier to riding a bike?" It's easy for me to say, because I speak from a somewhat confident position: I know how to patch a tube. I know how to pump up a tire. In fact, it's easier for me to do these two things than it is to put myself in the ...

Karen Voyer-Caravona is a some-time city cyclist living in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a founding member of Phoenix Spokes People, which is dedicated to promoting bicycling as a viable transportation option in the city of Phoenix. When she is not conspiring socialist plots against her city's infamous car-centric culture, she is studying for her masters degree in social work at Arizona State University. Being car-lite in Phoenix, Arizona brings many challenges, but the great cycling weather is usually and easy trade off. Except during the summer when temperatures soar well above 100 degree. “But it’s a dry heat,” is the refrain commonly heard during the height of the summer’s scorching temperatures. Entering my second summer in Phoenix, I now understand this catch-phrase ...

A new book by Crissy Trask is a "practical guide that details the money-saving side of greener, healthier, and simpler living." I haven't read "Go Green, Spend Less, Live Better" yet, but I flipped as fast as I could to Chapter 4 -- "Getting from Here to There without Breaking the Bank." The chapter begins with talk of "human powered transportation," moves into some basic demystification of using a bike instead of a car (learn the law, practice, be prepared, be patient). And then on page 127, the book reaches a thrilling climax in a sidebar named "Resources for Easier Biking."

=== SPOILER ALERT ===

A link to our very own Commuting 101 Section. Yay. The book doesn't pretend to thoroughly cover the topic of ...

Should you use a pannier or a backpack? It's one of the great, dumb, debates between cyclists. There advantages to each mode, so why can't the answer just be yes? I own panniers as well as several backpacks. Some mornings I'm like a socialite trying to decide what shoes to wear. Is today a pannier day or a backpack day? Should I wear the green one or the black one with the laptop sleeve? Why can't you get a pannier that is also a backpack, or a backpack that is also a pannier? It's a great idea, in principle. So has anyone yet nailed the backpack-pannier concept? Until recently I was hauling everything on my back around Tucson, which not only limited my carrying capacity, ...

You probably carry a cell phone with you when you commute. And on your commute, you probably don't use your phone for GPS navigation, because you are going to work and you already know how to get there -- unless it's your first day at a new job. What I'm getting at is that you probably keep your phone in your pocket. So what do you do when it rings? Do you ignore it, or do you stop and pull it out of your pocket to see who is calling? I could never decide on a personal policy. A Quivver arrived for me to review. I put one over my shoulder and modeled it for my co-workers. One of them said, "That's the ...

Hey new bike commuters! Are you fixing to ride to work? Maybe for the first time ever? Congratulations! If you're prepared, you have been listening to lots of advice, and maybe you've read our entire Commuting 101 section. Here's one last thing that will make a world of difference: Properly adjust your dang seat height. If it's too low, you will be making yourself more tired than you otherwise would be. If it's too high, you will put stress on your knees and lower back. Here is our article on the topic. I have few pet peeves about my fellow cyclists. I don't care what kind of bike you ride, whether you are in street clothes, Lycra, or nude. Helmet or no helmet. I ...