Last December, I replaced the stock Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires on my Trek Valencia after 2,000+ miles.  With the Valencia playing the role of both my commuter and touring bicycle,  it was critical for me to find a pair of tires that would be extremely durable, highly flat-resistant and competent in inclement weather. If the first 350 miles are any [...]

On Saturday morning, I left my parent’s house in Hollywood Park for an 80-mile roundtrip bicycle tour from north central San Antonio to Castroville, Texas.  I was joined by Kim, a coworker and friend who wanted to experience her first bicycle tour and having another rider with me was a welcome change from my previous two solo tours.  I’m very [...]

Google recently announced that Google Maps now supports bicycling as a method of transportation when requesting directions to a location.  Google says the system will generate a bicycle-friendly route by considering factors like traffic levels, hills, existing bicycle facilities and more. I used the feature to see what route it would generate between my house and workplace.  I was impressed [...]

This one is just too good not to share. It does a great job of capturing the essence and allure of using your bicycle as a true method of transportation. Ryan Leech, Bicycle Commuter If you’re on the fence about bicycle commuting or using your bicycle for errands and short trips, click on the “bicycle commuting” category on the right [...]

Rumors of my abduction by aliens were greatly exaggerated. In all seriousness, the lack of blog updates has been a combination of an aggressive work schedule with associated travel, a bout of “the crud” which seems to be a vicious cold virus and a decent number of inclement weather days. A “perfect storm” that has put a big dent in [...]

I enjoy using my bicycle for small grocery store visits so when I noticed the Topeak Trolleytote I was instantly intrigued.  On the outside it looks like nothing more than an egg crate strapped to my bicycle’s rear rack but in this case, looks are quite deceiving. As I put the Trolleytote through its paces for a full review, here [...]

As a continuation of Part One, let’s take a look at two more powerful bicycle tail lights that I’m convinced will improve your visibility and contribute to your safety on the road. CatEye TL-LD1100 The TL-LD1100 is Cateye’s top-of-the-line bicycle tail light with 10 super bright LEDs – six that point rearward (aligned in two rows of three) and two [...]

At 9am on Wednesday, December 30th I rolled out of my driveway on my Trek Valencia and embarked on my second bicycle tour.  My destination, Wimberley, TX, was about 50 miles northeast of my home. I planned the route using Garmin’s Mapsource program on my PC and downloaded the route to my Garmin Edge 705 so I’d have the benefit [...]

Happy New Year! Time to reflect on my year-end total mileage and key milestones for 2009 (thanks to Garmin Connect which lets me track all of this).  It has been an incredible year for my cycling!  Here are some mileage totals and some key events that made 2009 an amazing journey on two wheels. Mileage Totals: Commuting: 2,118  (biking to [...]

I purchased a Trek Soho S this past weekend and have managed a few short rides on it.  I plan to do a comprehensive review similar to my series on the Trek Valencia. The Trek Soho S is a single-speed bicycle which shares an almost identical frame to the Valencia – this means you’re getting a stable ride and a [...]