Researching for this post, I discovered the very helpful Copenhagenize Index 2013, which has chosen cities based on several factors contributing to the well being of the urban citizen. The last Index ranked 80 cities and this time around, they’ve rounded up 150 cities. They were graded in 13 categories and for each, they were given a score between 0 and 4. There are an extra 12 bonus points that could be won depending on how impressive the initiative for biking was, the politics implemented and the actual implementation.

Biking to work is a good and healthy way to get some exercise in and helping out the environment. Air pollution is a crap thing to live in, believe me, so we could all do with giving the planet a hand. Seeing as that Bike-to-Work Day/Week/Month just passed by, I’ve decided to hook all of you urban dwellers up with some tips on how to make your commute to work a safe and easy one.

1. Know the lay of the land. Choose a route and figure out if it’s a relatively easy or complex way of getting to work. By complex, I mean hills, chasing dogs, construction sites, etc. A weekend before, try out the route and see how comfortable you feel. Don’t forget to time yourself.

In the vast universe of the mobile human, there is that never-ending question of where to go. People are always on the move and it is just a question of “how am I going to get there?” The introduction of the car has made things a lot easier and, truth be told, the majority prefer it. With a recent upsurge of the bicycle, however, whether it is due to health, rising gas prices or just plain convenience, you’ve got more people riding bikes.  

So that brings us to the topic of this post: is biking more dangerous than driving?

The answer depends on one factor alone: stupidity.

I like my bikes sexy. They’ve got to say something to me and that’s usually “Come hither.” And I am such a sucker for that kind of bike. I won’t lie: love at first sight is a pretty convincing way to start. You just have to look at me and bat an eyelash; I’m really that easy.

So looking for a candidate to write about, I come across this and I just would never say, “no.” Tri bikes always do something to me and the Cube Aerium Super HPC SLT is singing to me. 

For those of you who like the idea of a bike but can also imagine the look on people’s faces when you arrive sweaty, there is a solution: the electric bike.

There are several e-bike options available on Kickstarter (all were completely funded), as well as commercially produced ones. A choice does exist and here is a selection of what you can find out there.

Let’s start with the Kickstarter projects. In alphabetical order:

If you are a bike nerd like me, you have probably already seen the variety of pedals that are available. There are a number of brands that make pedals for all sorts of biking: road, triathlon, mountain, downhill and xc. So I’ve compiled a list of the more popular clipless pedals that exist. There were a couple of brands I didn’t include because they were not producing new models this year, they only offered one model of pedal or they didn’t have much information nor wide-spread distribution.

I've added some downhiller, bmx and freestyler options even though they aren't clipless to show the range of each company. Plus some of these look pretty badass. 

Gas prices are hiking and maybe as a cost cutting option, you’ve turned to your trusty bike to get to work. Our European friends laugh because gas prices are still cheaper in the States, in comparison with their astronomical prices.

Anyone who has tried to ride with a bag that is not a tight-fitting backpack knows how hard it is to get around without having the pack roll around and throw off your balance, having you eating a big chunk of pavement. So the safest thing to do is to get panniers. There are all sorts of brands out there (believe me; I’ve checked EVERY SINGLE ONE) and so I’ve put together a list with their main particulars and what kind of products they put out.

Unless you have a foldie, bike parking at home (especially in an apartment) can royally suck and if you have more than one, you are assed out. You’ve been there: rolling your bike into a room and then another, making sure that the pedal don’t catch in the spokes and the handlebars are facing away from the other bike. You have to practically stack them because they take up so much space. You risk scratching up your bikes and the hassle of getting one out is a pain. You almost have to ask yourself is it worth it?

With all the bike racks out there, it most certainly is.

So I’ve put together a list of options for all you bikers with very limited space and who don’t want to end up sleeping with their bikes (and I know some of you already do). The list is in alphabetical order so let’s start from the top.

Cycloc

Here we’ve got mountain bike component group at the entry level. Even so, the Alivio is down to a 9-speed cassette while the X5 on a 10-speed. No nonsense, not flashy and functional, the differences in the groups reflect on what is necessary for your biking needs. The three chainrings of the Alivio crankset as opposed to the two of the X5 offer a gamma of options of whether you need mountain-climbing abilities or just an all-rounder.

Sram still proudly waves the tech flag with the 1:1 Actuation (which means pulling the cable and the derailleur moves the same amount), Exact Actuation (for exact cable tension) and the X-Glide (chainring technology, paired to perform to perfection with the chain itself). Shimano’s Alivio 9-Speed offers quality to the recreational mountain biker.

If you are looking for components for your leisure bike, the Alivio and the X5 are great options. Accessible and practical, choose from either for the bang for your buck.

On to the lower tiers of the mountain bike component group hierarchy, we’ve got the Shimano Deore and the Sram X7. Reliability and sturdiness of the components that are synonymous with these two companies, the Deore is sitting at the 10-speed mark with the Sram also on the 10-speed option with titanium sprockets, which you can also pair with a 9-speed option, if you should so choose. Chainrings come in two- and three-ring versions in both brands for those of you looking for climbing capabilities in your components group.