Weird Bike - The Bomb

A recumbent trike with an unusual outer shell

Last week at Interbike I ran across an odd bike. It is a three-wheeled recumbent with an exterior shell that makes it look like a bomb. It's part of a fleet of bikes for Forgotten Not Gone. This group helps veterans, especially those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, by getting them involved in cycling. They are trying to reduce the 22 veteran suicides that occur each day. 

Friday Photo - Bike with Styrofoam Boxes

There's a rider on a bicycle rickshaw in there\

This week's photo comes from an Internet article called Weird Shanghai: Lumbering Styrofoam Fortresses. The cyclist is transporting styrofoam boxes, which are not heavy, but take up a lot space. I hope he isn't claustrophobic.

Thursday Video - Carbon Wheel Explosion

When the front wheel explodes, the captain heads up the track to slow down

This week's video shows a couple track cyclists riding a tandem when their carbon front wheel lets go. You can hear it snap when they are entering the turn on the left end. The tandem captain immediately takes it up the track. As they come around to the front stretch, you can see tire and tube flying off. and they finally go down and slide to the inside of the track.


Here's the video:

Weird Bike Wednesday - Punching Bike

New attachment for clearing your way through a crowd

Here's one of the more unusual bicycles I have seen. Riders on the Tour de France might want to use something like this to clear a path through the spectators that clog the road on major climbs. I just found this out on Flickr without any explanation.

6 Cycling Tips for Anyone and Everyone

These Tips Are For You! Especially if it has Been A While!

1. Get out there and ride!

Don't make any excuses. The best way to get yourself in the mood to ride your bike is to DO IT! The more you do it, the more you'll want to!

If you find it difficult to find enough time during the day, start easy with a 15 minute ride. Once you start, you will want to ride more and more! Try to increase that until you are riding 30-60 minutes 2-3 times per week.

2. Don't want to ride alone? Find a group!

Sometimes riding by yourself can be less fun, and make you feel like staying home. Find a couple friends to ride with or look for an existing cycling group to get encouraged!

3. Invest in some gear

Throw away that old helmet from 1999. Its time to get yourself a new helmet, some cycling appropriate apparel, and some lights for night riding. You will also want to get some cycling tools like a pump, tire lever and a waterbottle. You will feel more confident on the road and investing money into the hobby will make you want to ride more!

4. Safety first!

This one may seem obvious, but make sure you are following all the rules of the road and paying very close attention to pedestrians, other cyclists and motorists. You never know what can happen out there on the road, so stay vigilant!

5. Lock it or lose it

Doesn't matter where you are. The trail, the city, somewhere secluded or packed... Don't leave your bike unattended or unlocked. Thieves are everywhere, and you don't want to make your bike an easy target!

6. Get regular tune ups

Make sure your bike is in proper working order before each ride. There are checklists available online that give you timetables for how often you should check various aspects of the bike's mechanics. Bring your bike to us at Circle City Bicycles so we can make sure everything is working and in good shape!!

Stay tuned to our blog for more cycling tips!

Touring Tuesday - Cyprus

Visiting a church in Cyprus

Cyprus is an island located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient times, it was a major source of copper, which may have been the origin of its name. A British gentleman name Phil Prosser posted A Brief Bummel in Cyprus on the Crazy Guy on a Bike website. If you're like me, you're wondering "What the heck is a bummel"? It's a journey with no specific destination.

Phil and his companion took a leisurely pace, covering only 136 miles in six days. They toured the island in late February / early March. After completing the trip, they decided they would go a little later in the year if they visited again, since it was a little cool (You see them wearing jackets in their photos). Humans have inhabited Cyprus since 10,000 B.C., so there were a number of historical sites to visit.

Apple Cider Century

Happy riders on the 2015 Apple Cider Century

Some of the Circle City Bicycles staff will be in the vendor area at the Apple Cider Century on Sunday, September 25. It starts in Three Oaks Michigan, which is just across the Michigan-Indiana state line. The ride was first held in 1974, and has become the Midwest's largest one-day ride, with over 5,000 cyclists. Riders have their choice of 15, 25, 37, 50, 62, 75 or 100 miles routes, so there is something for everyone. Here's a 31-second video that shows some images from previous events: