It’s that time of year, when friends, families, and loved ones of cyclists face the inevitable question: What the heck do I get this person? For the non-cyclist, and even some cyclists, the options can be bewildering, so I’m going to try to help you sort through them and pick out a good gift or gifts for that cyclist on your list. Let’s start with accessories, which can make the bike more fun or more practical, or even safer for your cycling friend. One good place to start is with the huge array of bags, baskets, and racks that allow a rider to carry things on their bike. Is your cyclist a …

I've written a fair amount about traveling with your bicycle, bringing a bike on your trips, whether by car, plane, bus, train or even on a cruise. I'm a firm believer a bike can be a great addition to almost any trip. I'm about to depart for a bicycle trade show, and I'm bringing my Brompton folding bike (in part because of the annual Folder Frolic ride at the show). But I'm also a big fan of traveling BY bicycle, or what is commonly referred to as bicycle touring.  There's quite a range of options when it comes to bike touring. To many, the term conjures up images of gritty individuals …

We all mark the change of the seasons in different ways, but two things tell me the end of summer is drawing near. First, my "summer help" lets me know they'll soon be going off to college. Then we are visited by a number of college students and their parents, wanting to get a bike ready to go away to school. And I have to say, I think it's a great idea to bring a bike with you to college, but there are a few things you should bear in mind. First, why bring a bike to college? Well, they are a wonderful, practical, affordable way to get around. Most college campuses have limited and often …

Trikes, you say?  Trust me, these aren’t your kids’ tricycles. And they’re not the type of upright, “grocery getter” trike you’ve probably seen around retirement communities, with a big basket, being pedaled slowly to the store. No, a recumbent trike is typically a high performance, lightweight human powered vehicle. And they are a heck of a lot of fun. The recumbent tricycle is probably the newest, fastest-growing segment of the recumbent market. I’ve seen more new trike buyers come through our store every year, and the ratio of trike to bike buyers has steadily tilted toward the trike side …

You’ve probably seen them out there, on the trail or on the road — those low-slung bikes that look like a lawn chair on wheels. So what’s the story? Why are they like that? Why do people ride them? To start with, the correct name for them is “recumbent bicycles” (or tricycles, but we’ll get to that another time), or “recumbents” for short. I’ve heard folks call them by all kinds  of names, including “those lay-down bicycles," “freaky bikes” and “recombinant bikes”, but the simplest and most correct term is “recumbent.” And therein lies our first hint to the question: “Why?” If you look it up …

As regular readers of this column probably know, I’m a big fan of folding bikes. With the right bicycle, you can combine your riding with various other forms of transportation, for both practical riding and recreation. I’ve carried my folding bikes on buses, cars, planes, trains and subways ... and now, on a ship!On May 25th, most of my family, four generations worth, boarded the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Enchantment of the Seas in the port of Baltimore. The occasion was my mother’s 85th birthday, and the destination was Bermuda. I’d never been on a cruise before, nor had I been to Bermuda…

I’ve been writing for the Patch now for almost two years, and one thing is clear: the articles that get the most attention, that produce the greatest number of comments are the ones about how cyclists interact with others, whether on the road or the trail. And there’s a common theme to many of the comments as well as many comments on other blogs, websites, news columns, etc. and that is that cyclists must learn to behave better, and follow the laws more fully. I’ve said it myself, and it’s absolutely true. Scofflaw cyclists put themselves and others at risk, and foster animosity toward …

I wasn’t planning to re-visit the W&OD and folks’ behavior out there so soon, but given the feedback I’ve gotten on my articles, and some recent experiences of my own and others, I feel I need to say a bit more about it.The most upsetting news I heard in this regard came from one of our W&OD Trail Patrol members who came by the shop the other day. He told me that a long-time member of the Patrol, who patrols on foot in the Vienna area, has decided to quit the Patrol after having been hit TWICE by speeding cyclists. Not passed too closely, but actually hit, while wearing a high visibility …

Maybe you’ve seen them out there on the trail; those men and women in the yellow vests proclaiming they are members of the W&OD Trail Patrol. But who are these people, and what do they do? How did they end up doing this and why? Well, I’m fortunate that several members of the Trail Patrol are customers of mine, and two are even seasonal employees at bikes@vienna, so I know a bit of their stories. Let’s start though with the basics. The Trail Patrol is sponsored by the Friends of the W&OD, a citizen group that works to support and improve the W&OD. It reports to, in an advisory capacity, the …

The early spring we seem to be having means we’ve suddenly got a lot more cyclists out and about. My last column was meant as a “refresher” for folks riding the trails, so today we follow up with a similar reminder for sharing the roads with automobiles. Even a mild winter like the one we had typically means a lot fewer folks riding, so drivers and cyclists are out of practice in dealing with one another. Let’s see if we can ease the transition a bit. First, remember that as a cyclist on the road, you are generally expected to obey the same rules and regulations as a motorist. That means you …

Well, spring is certainly in the air. This being March in the mid-Atlantic region, we might still get some cold, messy weather, but the overall trend is toward warmer, sunnier days. Just this past Thursday, I was surprised to hear choruses of spring peepers and wood frogs along the W&OD on my morning ride. After a remarkably mild winter, we seem to be headed into an early spring, so it’s time to start getting out there for some rides. Many of you will no doubt be venturing forth on the local trails ... in fact, last Thursday I saw many more folks out than I have on a weekday morning in quite …

Spring will be upon us before you know it, and it’s time to start thinking about riding your bike again. This year, many of you might have kept riding through this unusually warm winter, but I’m guessing most folks have left their bikes in the garage or shed most of this season. Well, it’s time to get ready for the warmer, longer days of spring!To start with, now is the time to make sure your bike is ready to roll. I can’t tell you how many people walk into their local bike shop on the first warm, sunny weekend in April, asking to get their bikes “tuned up” for the season. Many are surprised …

If you’re relatively new to cycling, or perhaps even if you’re not, you no doubt have found yourself wondering “What the heck do I do with all these gears? And do I really need that many?” Well, let’s see if we can take some of the mystery out of gearing for you. First, there are two general types of gearing systems on bicycles today. The most common is a “derailleur” system, which has multiple toothed sprockets on the rear wheel, and also often on the front “crankset” (the thing your pedals are attached to). Don’t let the French name intimidate you... basically all a derailleur does is move …

It’s midwinter now, and some folks are still out riding, in part due to the remarkably warm weather we’ve had on and off so far. But while the weather may be warmer than typical this time of year, the days are still as short as ever. This time of year, as I’ve mentioned in other articles, it’s important to make sure you have what you need to see and be seen when out on your bike. Before I give you my thoughts and advice though, what is the law regarding bicycles and lights? Well, VDOT has this to say: “Every bicycle ridden between sunset and sunrise must have at least one white headlamp with …

Happy New Year!I’m not one to take on a bunch of New Year’s resolutions, but the start of a year is a good time to assess and make plans. What sort of goals can we set for the year, cycling-wise?Well, many of us, all manner of riders with all levels of experience, start with the simple goal to “ride more."  Okay, that’s a good goal. But what exactly does that mean? How do you manage to achieve it?If you’re an experienced cyclist, the kind of person who has all the gear, all the clothes, and tracks your mileage on a cyclecomputer or GPS system, there’s probably not a lot of advice I can offer …

So, Christmas has come and gone, and your youngster just gotten their first “two-wheeler” on the big day. Now comes the fun and challenge of teaching them to ride. It takes some work and patience, but the payoff is the feeling of elation and freedom your child will feel, and you will witness, when they first take off on their own. There are a number of approaches and variations on approaches to teaching a kid to ride, so you might want to do a little research after reading what I have to say on the subject. Like many things, there is no ONE “right way” for a child to learn to ride. You may …

So, the holidays are approaching, and there’s a cyclist or two on your shopping list. What can you get them, even if you don’t know much about cycling yourself? Accessories: Your local bike shop is bound to have a wide assortment of cool toys to “trick out” your special someone’s bike (or trike). Options range from little “stocking stuffers” to ... well, the sky’s the limit I suppose. Lights: One of the best gifts you can give someone you care about is a set of lights for their bike. I believe every rider should have lights for their bike, even if they “never ride at night.” You never know …

I’ve focused mostly on cycling as an individual endeavor, but truth be told, cycling can be fun for the whole family. Adults of all ages can enjoy riding, as can children, even those too young to ride a bike on their own. This week, I’d like to address some options for the little ones.First and foremost, no matter how you choose to include the youngest members of your family in cycling, please make sure you do everything possible to ensure their safety and comfort. That means only use equipment that was specifically designed for use with small children and by all means, have the child wear a …

It used to be when you used the word “bicycle” it was a pretty safe bet that anyone you were speaking to would picture more or less the same thing. In the 60s and 70s, a drop bar road bike was the iconic design that most of us associated with the word. In the 80s, the mantle shifted to the mountain bike, as more and more folks found these rugged bikes to be both comfortable and fun. Later still, the hybrid, a cross between mountain and road bikes, became the dominant design. So most people, even today, when they hear the word “bicycle," they envision one of these primary types.But the times …

In my last column, I addressed protecting your upper body from rain. While that’s the first and most basic step toward riding comfortably in the rain, there’s more you can do to improve the whole situation.Picking up where we left off: Aside from a rain jacket or cape, any additional pieces of clothing depend in large part upon your own personal comfort threshold and the temperature. You can buy water repellent pants, shoe covers, gloves, and even helmet covers, but you may not need all or any of those options. I generally find rain pants are too hot in all but really cold weather, and they …