Don't Blame the Penguins January 10, 2012
Just in case you’ve been wondering about the beautiful weather we’ve been having this winter, here is why I have the front door open here at the store on January 10. You can call it climate change, or blame it on El Nino or La Nina or whatever, but really, it’s my fault:
My new winter commuter has been ready to go since Christmas - right around the time we saw our first blizzard last winter. Not that I wasn’t ready for it then with fenders and studded tires, but this year I decided to go for all the marbles; and as luck would have it we’ve had sunny skies and temps in the 40’s.
If we ever do get the icy weather New England promises between December and March, I will be riding this here Jamis Bossanova, which is a perfect commuter out of the box for several reasons. It is an “urban tourer” with a chromoly steel frame (Reynolds 520) and a carbon fiber fork. It has disc brakes (Avid BB5) - which should be ideal in the slushy slop we are used to seeing here - and there’s plenty of clearance for the 700x35 tires I like for the rough and tumble Providence streets.
The tires I currently have on there, however, are the Nokia Hakkapeliitta A10, which is primarily why there were a record number of penguins on Matunuk Beach last week.
The 700x32 are the only tires for icy urban streets because the roads here don’t stay icy for long and the 72 studs are minimal - just enough to keep you upright, but not so heavy to drag you down when the roads are dry.
And, to keep that burly winter tire tread from kicking the salty slurry up onto my Showers Pass rain gear, I installed a set of the Honjo fluted fenders. These full-wrap mud gaurds provide great coverage and they add a certain level of class to any road bike.
But the real reason your heat bills have been half of what they were this time last year is this:
The power plant of this polar beast lives in that front hub. That is the Schmidt SON 28 dynohub powering the front (B&M Lumotech LYT) and rear (B&M Toplight) lights. This is one of the most efficient lighting system available with minimal resistance and plenty of light for the darkest city streets.
So don't blame man's addiction to fossil fuels, global air currents, or even the penguins. I did this.
Darkness on the Edge of Town December 2, 2011
In case of emergency...
I have never been truly hungry in my life, nor have I been cold or afraid to close my eyes at night (except for this one time at band camp...); but from my perspective from behind the handlebars, its getting tough out there. It seems that some neighbors and those I see on the streets and sidewalks around town, are living a little more on the rough side of things. If you don’t have family or friends who are out of work right now you are lucky. I’m pretty sure if you are reading this on a computer in the comfort of your fleece-lined life, you probably have a few things to be thankful for.
As cyclists we should appreciate the dire situation of those individuals and families that are teetering on the edge of true need. You’ve all been out on that ride, still miles from home, maybe its getting dark and you’re’re out of food, the water bottle is bone dry and that sinking feeling that things are going to get harder before they get easier begins to creep its way forward in your mind. Up till now, you've managed to make it home. Somewhere between the pain and relief in the recovery process, perhaps you have gained some perspective on the indifference of the larger world around you.
We here at Legend have decided to make it a little easier to give a hand up to someone who needs a boost home. Come by our Open House Saturday December 3 and bring a non-perishable food item for the RI Community Food Bank. We’ll have the collection out until the end of the year (at least) in case you can’t make it.
On the Road Again November 15, 2011
Corndawg
I'm pretty sure that if Jonny Corndawg were a bicycle, he'd be a Surly Long Haul Trucker. The farmhands at Legend all turned out to see his show last night at the Met - and in case you missed it, you can always just come in and take a Long Haul Trucker down that lonesome highway for a test ride.
The LHT is a touring machine, a master at its craft, an individual that is interested in the process of moving about the world sharing what it does best more than the praise and accolades that go along with it. Simply put, The LHT is the vehicle for discovering something about the world that you didn't already know. Thank you for sharing Corndawg, we'll catch up on down the line.
Light Up the Night November 2, 2011
Planet Bike Blinky Safety
Until we can figure out how to make the Earth not tilt on its axis, we are doomed to spending more than half of our days in darkness for more than half the year (September to March). Its this tilt that causes the mercury to slip, the leaves to fall, the birds to split, the bears to sleep, and the street lights to come on at 4:00.
Last night the RI Bicycle Coalition installed 100 lightsets around town during it's annual Light Up the Night event in an effort to educate cyclists on the importance of being more visible out on the roads this time of year. Of course this also coincides with Daylight Savings (Nov. 6) which is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors (go figure).
Being more visible to other road users, when used with other good cycling habits such as riding with traffic and being courteous to our less enlightened friends, promotes unseasonal rays of sunshine on our most public of spaces.
So be seen out there folks. It's the safe thing to do and we need all the smart cyclists out there that we can get.
In The Fold October 12, 2011
Come check out our new line of folders from Brompton:
I'm not saying my folding/unfolding demonstration will be as smooth as this guy, who is the founder of the British-based company, but at least you can ride one of our demo bikes.
Don't Forget... September 6, 2011
Just a reminder, this past Monday was Labor day so this outfit will no longer be appropriate on your daily commute: 
With the shorter days and the cooler temperatures of fall, you might consider something more along these lines:
Of course, this fashion-forward young man is fueling up for the Woony River Ride. If you'd like to meet him and other local cyclists while supporting a great local organization, you might sign up to ride with Team Legend for this non competitive event which takes place Saturday September 24. Maybe you can't make it that day to ride...Donate here.
Most of us know the Woonasquatucket as the waterway that flows quietly through the concrete and asphalt of downtown, but there's a diverse and vibrant river out there that you might want to get to know. This ride explores the entire watershed from downtown Providence, through Olneyville, out along the Woonasquatucket River Bike Path, along roads in Johnston, Smithfield and North Smithfield, and back. This is the second time the Woonasquatucket Watershed Council has run this event to help fund the good work they have been doing for many years keeping the Woonasquatucket habitat clean and livable for all of us who live on it, in it, or near it.