Keefer Madness

Growing Number of Bike Cafés Gear Up to Serve Cyclists

// March 15th, 2011 // No Comments » // Cycling

While currently not able to bike commute, and not ever a fan of coffee, I still find these Bike Cafés popping up to be often. My friend Mike up in DC works at a bike shop that has hours friendly to commuters and has a great coffee shop/snack bar.

Growing Number of Bike Cafés Gear Up to Serve Cyclists

Signal Your Cycling Intentions Wirelessly

// June 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Cycling, Tech

Here’s a cool little product for all you fellow bike commuters. This little unit uses an accelerometer to signal when you’re slowing, and has a little touch set of buttons for turn signaling. It retails at just under $100. Why are these lighting products so freaking expensive? Regardless, seems like a cool little gadget, and it’s not half as pricey as some of the brightest rechargeable headlights.

Spooklight Signals Your Cycling Intentions With a Wireless Indicator and Brake Light

Notice the Lack of Cycling Posts?

// April 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Cycling, Personal Crap

Notice the lack of cycling posts? Make that, notice the lack of cycling? The biggest excuse is that currently, I’m working two jobs, bringing in the big bucks.. err bringing in some money. It’s been consisting of a fair number of hours away from the house. Besides missing my wife and little boy, the other huge thing that’s getting neglected are my bikes.

While my second part time job will get a reduction in hours after this first bit of training, I’m really missing my other training — on two wheels. So something’s going to change. Hours will go down, so that’s a plus in the available time. But I think especially on days with double shifts, I’m going to be looking at riding at lunch. I’ve always enjoyed the bike commute as well, so that’s another way (on non-two job days).

Regardless, missing the wife and kid with long hours is an obvious, but I’m missing my Specialized Tarmac and Allez hanging in the garage as well. In the end, the second job is going to help us pay off some stuff. Some short term discomfort, extra tiredness and lack of time for stuff at home should pay dividends. But here’s to making some changes and efforts to get regular rides in on as many days as possible, and hopefully ease back into the race calendar for 2011.

Love Bike Commuting

// July 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Cycling, Personal Crap

I don’t know what it is about bike commuting, but I love doing it. Today marked the second Thursday in a row that I did the full bike commute from home to work and back again. In the past, I’d been mainly doing a hybrid commute — driving part way and then biking the rest. But doing the commute door to door is so much better. It’s obviously more saddle time, burns more calories, etc., but it’s just a really cool to pull in and out of the garage on my Tarmac Expert, instead of in the 4Runner or Accord.

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The Most Expensive Drying Rack Around

// June 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // Cycling, Funny Stuff, Personal Crap

My ’09 Specialized Tarmac Expert, acting as a carbon drying rack near my work desk, after my morning bike commute from home in Durham to downtown Raleigh. Check out that new wheelset!

LightLane, the Bike Lane That Rides With You: Now a Reality

// June 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Cycling

I’m feeling like I’m not posting enough bike/cycling posts here at Keefer Madness, though two (not including this one) currently on the home page fall under the cycling category. Anyway, here’s a new gadget for those night time bike commutes to add a little safety, projecting a laser line on either side of you and your bicycle to encourage drivers to pass you with a little bit of distance, with a video to demonstrate.

LightLane, the Bike Lane That Rides With You: Now a Reality