I’ve been using SwissStop all-weather pads on my road bike for a while, but this morning, they started grinding.  As it turns out, the temperatures here are still below freezing, and that made the brake pads harder and harsher.  Little by little, they started to scour aluminum off of my rims.  This made a horrible [...]

At the beginning of November, I put together a very thorough review of the DiNotte 200L-AA-S headlight. DiNotte’s lights have been praised by commuters, tourers and randoneers alike because of their long run time, ample light output and intuitive and flexible battery solutions. I’ve now been using the DiNotte 200L for about three and a [...]

One word: Friction! I just posted an article about friction shifting over on Blue Collar Mountain Biking, another Crooked Cog Network site. If you are commuting through snowy, slushy, or just plain cold weather, it might help you out. You can check it out here.

Maintenance is key to prolonging the life of your bike and your safety.  Last night on my way home I had a close call because of my lack of maintenance. I was riding home on kept hearing a weird rattling soun.  coming from my rear wheel/drivetrain.  Not sure what was causing it and nothing really [...]

Most of use who regularly commute by bike have put up with flat tires. To avoid flats, a number of aftermarket products are available that promise to reduce or eliminate flats. They add weight to the outside of the rotating tire, but any time and energy lost while cycling is more than made up for [...]

From BikePortland comes an idea for a cheap substitute for tire chains or studded tires for those of you who don’t normally bike on snowy roads. Use zip ties on your tires for extra traction on snowy roads. These will interfere with the brakes, of course, so it’s suitable only if you have a fixed [...]