Finding Small Planet E Vehicles of Longmont

Often, Longmontians bemoan the reality that there are no good bicycle shops in town. We do have bike shops, but for various reasons they aren't what is typically thought of as the places to go to buy parts, accessories or even bikes, so many of us travel to other destinations (such as Boulder, Fort Collins, or Denver) to find what we need. This weekend, we happened upon a shop that I think could actually keep some bike business here in Longmont.

I have often passed Small Planet E Vehicles on the east side of Main Street between Longs Peak and 8th, but honestly have never stepped foot in the shop - or really even considered doing so - that is, until today. We happened in because Sam had discovered that the shop has Public Bikes in stock, and we thought we'd stop in to check things out. If you're a local and you've been searching for a place to find this brand, Small Planet E Bikes is the place to go. Although Public was what brought us in initially, little did we realize there were so many other fun things inside. I was like a kid in a candy shop and kept finding new fun items. They have the most amazingly fun Lazer helmets. I fell in love with the one pictured below... and for me, a generally helmetless riding individual, it was pretty incredible to find one that I might actually wear. It was cute (but not "cutsie"), simple, and actually didn't look or feel like a huge, bulbous mound on top of my already not-so-tiny head. Could it convert me to a helmet wearing gal? Possibly.

*Image from Lazer Helmets
Street Cycle Chic helmet - I think I'm in love!

Beyond my infatuation with the helmets, there were other wonderful discoveries such as a variety of tools and small items such as bells, bike tools, racks and tires/tubes. They also have a decent selection of baskets and bags/panniers for bicycles.

A small section of the available items at Small Planet E Vehicles
(Apologies for the bad photo, but you can get a small glimpse of what is in stock)

My favorites were handmade/woven selections from the African continent - Ghana, a bit more specifically. Although I prefer to buy local or at least nationally produced products when I can, I thought these were very interesting, especially the story behind how the baskets for bikes came to be. You can read about the story or view some of the available baskets online, if interested. Because the baskets are hand-woven from a type of elephant grass, there will never be two exactly the same... pretty cool, especially if you like some individuality on your ride (and of course, I personally do). The baskets even come with a small, handwritten name tag of the individual who made the specific basket. A nice touch, I thought.

*Image from Small Planet E Vehicles
The Yuba Mundo (non-electric version)

The shop also carries Yuba's longtail bikes - both an electric-assist model as well as a pedal-powered version. The stock photo of the Mundo above doesn't do the blue justice - it's a far richer color than is shown. While I didn't actually take up the accommodating and friendly owner Tom's suggestion to take the Yuba for a ride, I may just have to do so at some point in the future, as I've honestly been curious about these for quite some time.  Of course, in addition to all that has been stated, the shop is full of electric-assisted bicycles galore, and I think they are definitely worth a look as well.

I appreciated that they were so willing to allow me to test ride, and just wander around the store. We felt welcomed, but not annoyed by a pushy sales person, and I know we will be back in the future when we're looking for odds and ends... and who knows? Maybe a Yuba is in the future.

Follow-up Review: Longevity of the Chain Thong

In October 2010, I wrote about a tiny little recycled chain guard called the Chain Thong that I had purchased for the Hillborne. I had used it on the bike for about a month at that point, and it has remained in place since the post. I normally don't think much about it and often forget that it's even on the bike at all, which, I suppose in many ways is a good thing. While I would prefer something prettier, it does do what I need it to do, which is the most important piece of any tool.

After using this little contraption on the Hillborne for about 15 months, I've noticed a couple of things. First, the Chain Thong seems to work better on a double crank than a triple. For several months I had a double ring on the crank and the Chain Thong fit nicely over it, keeping me completely free of grease. When it was turned into a triple, I discovered a couple of things that make it slightly awkward to utilize. If you see close ups of the crank as a triple, the crank seems to push out just slightly farther than the Chain Thong can handle. Despite this, I will say that I still haven't found grease on my right leg, so, even with this slightly weird set up, it does seem to handle the job. The other item I have noticed is that on occasion my pant leg gets caught on the guard, which pulls the device off course causing some adjustment to pedaling until I can stop and remedy the issue.

The break/split of the Chain Thong from its attachment to the Hillborne

It does look a bit strange to see the Chain Thong positioned fairly high above the crank, rather than closer to the actual chain itself, as a regular chainguard would be. However, on the triple crank there had to be enough space to keep the teeth on the largest ring from grabbing the guard and turning it or pulling it completely off. Ironically, I started writing this follow up post just prior to a recent ride in which my pant leg got caught on the Chain Thong once again and it was sadly ripped apart. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a worthwhile purchase, considering the length of time I've had it. The cost to the date of breakage was less than $1/month, but of course, it is no longer usable since it is completely broken. Because it does seem to keep me clean, I can say that I am glad I made the purchase, but am not sure whether or not I would invest in it again. I think that rolling up my pant and wearing long socks in the winter is just as effective, quite honestly.

Overall, if you are a rider who wears clothing close to your skin (like skinny jeans), perhaps this would work out better for you, but because I generally wear looser leg pants, I don't think it was the best combination and it ended in the destruction of this small plastic device. Has anyone else had experience with this particular device, and if so, has it been effective for you?

Quick Ride on a Wednesday

Today, I was pretty much testing out the bike/camera equipment to see how things would play out. I couldn't stand being cooped up in the house any longer, so I went for a fairly short ride... nothing horribly exciting to report from the ride, but I did want to see how shaky the pics would be.

Ready to go for a ride!

Just getting started on the trip... so far, so good.

Taking the bike lane... so glad it's here to use.

Not thrilled that the city plows snow from the main part of the street, but not the bike lanes, so even two weeks after the big snow, the bike traffic must navigate around it. Fortunately, this is a residential area, so the traffic isn't too bad.

These people had more than a haul! I was impressed with the amount of stuff they were pulling down the street.

Back in the bike lane - and it's clear!

More folks out walking... love the purple on the skirt.

Car pulling out in front of me (she honestly didn't even look), but at least it wasn't too close a call.

Another car that shot out in front of me, just a block apart, actually.

A fellow cyclist passing - he smiled and said hello.

More un-plowed snow making for slick ice in the bike lane.

More people out walking and enjoying the beautiful day.

Another car pulling out in front of me (I never realized how often this happens).

Didn't get far in front of me though, as s/he hit the red light (which, by the way, was green when I got to it). :O)

And, the rest of the ride was green lights and smooth riding. The point & shoot didn't do too bad... next time, the DSLR! Hope your Wednesday was full of good bike times!

2012: Change is Good

Normally, I am not one to make New Year's resolutions. However, I do think that the beginning of the year is a good time to renew, refresh, and to re-evaluate the direction of life and goals in general. To be able to take the time to reflect and to have the opportunity to perhaps view things in a new way can be invaluable. To that end, I've had many thoughts over the last few months in regard to where things are going in this space, and while I don't want to stop writing entirely, I often feel uninspired or as though I'm entering into repetitive topics, causing me to avoid writing at all (which is not something I want to do). In addition, time constraints have made a regular schedule of putting information here more difficult, so I have been evaluating what to do and the direction I'd like to go, as well as whether or not I want to continue this at all.

Ultimately though, I started this space for myself as a means to kind of track things that were interesting to me at a particular point in time, and also to hopefully have something amusing to look back on at a later date. While sorting out the last boxes from our move (over 8 months ago), I came across a bicycle camera mount I purchased more than a year and a half ago. I had bought it with intention to immediately go home, mount it to the bike as a way of making photography easier while riding. When I found the camera mount, it was still attached to its original packaging.

It was more than a little disappointing to see something I was so excited about not so long ago, buried in a box of unused "stuff." Even more disappointing was the fact that I had never even taken the time to mount it to any bike, let alone making it a regular use accessory. It reminded me that change is sometimes a very good thing to go through though, and so my plans for 2012 for this space include using this tool much more often and perhaps shifting (at least somewhat) the type of posts here. I don't know if it will be something that sticks, but I'd like to give it a try because there are times when I really do think that photos can speak so much more than mere words. I am by no means a photography pro (or even amateur), but I think ride pictures could be an interesting way to share what I get to see while on the bike.

I do have the mount out of (most of) its packaging, so I am on my way to actually using this particular item in the near future. I'm sure there will still be rants about various items, or the occasional post regarding some life event, but I am excited about the opportunity to have a bit of a shift. Other plans for 2012 include figuring out my own herd of bicycles and where I need to be. I have all but put the Bella Ciao up on the chopping block, and I believe this is the direction I am headed. I'm sure in the next couple of weeks there will be a post up regarding it being for sale (if anyone is currently interested, please feel free to e-mail me - but I am fairly certain it will be for sale in the very near future). I want to whittle down the number of bicycles, spend less time worrying about the little specifics, and also have the right variations for my ride style, needs, and life. What that means exactly? Well, I'm still evaluating... but, I definitely don't want to have unused bicycles collecting dust.

So, I just want to thank you for bearing with me as I attempt to figure things out. I'm not entirely certain I even know where this is headed, but I'm excited about having a bit of change. In addition, I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and safe New Year's, and that 2012 will be full of positive growth, good health, and many enjoyable bike rides. Happy New Year, and thank you for continuing to read!

Chain Thong (the chainguard for multiple chainring bicycles)

A few weeks ago, discussion arose at home once again regarding finding a chainguard solution for Tony Stark (aka the Sam Hillborne bicycle). Because there are multiple chain rings on the bike, it makes it difficult to find a product that will actually work. While I always prefer something aesthetically pleasing, it doesn't seem that such things are made for 2 or 3 chainring bikes. In this seemingly impossible quest, a solution was discovered: the Chain Thong.

The Chain Thong is a small, eco-friendly (the materials are recycled from other products), locally made item that protects the leg from 'chainring tattoos.' While it's not the most exciting or shiny object available, the sucker really does its job.

Tony Stark with the newly installed Chain Thong

As you can see from the photo, it's difficult to even detect the Chain Thong, but it's there, doing its work to keep legs free from chain lube/grease. I went for a ride and was purposefully leaning my right leg up against the chain just to see what would happen, and I returned home grease-free. Pretty amazing for something that weighs less than 14 grams! That's less than half an ounce, for the metrically challenged, like me.

Close up of the Chain Thong on Tony Stark

The installation process is quite simple as well, and despite the fact that I had Sam put it on the bicycle, I think even I, the mechanically challenged gal of the house, could've made this work properly without too much hair loss. Very few parts are involved: the Chain Thong itself (the black portion that covers the chain), a couple of zip ties, a screw, and a nut.

View from above of the Chain Thong

What's nice about the product is that it's not overly obtrusive, but it still does its job well. It did take a little fiddling with to get it in just the right spot, but it was an easily fixed part of installation.

Zip ties come in black or clear-ish white color

Overall, it's actually a pretty impressive product for its low cost, and I would highly recommend checking it out if anyone's in the market for such a device. It definitely makes it a bit easier to wear nicer clothes, but I will say that it doesn't provide the complete coverage and protection of a full chainguard. Then again, this bicycle wasn't set up for me to use it as a city bike, but rather for longer rides. Regardless, now I can ride it with ease of mind, knowing that I won't get off the bike with loads of grease on my leg. Very nice indeed!