Cheeky Transport

Now Stocking – Power Grips

Update: January 18th 2010 – Powergrips back in stock!

Update: December 20th 2009 - We’re sold out of Power Grips, the wholesaler is sold out of Power Grips, and the manufacturer is sold out of Power Grips – Should be back in stock in the New Year, fingers crossed for soon.

I’m stoked that we’ve got some stock of Power Grip pedal straps available. I’ve been using them on my bike for a few years and think they’re a great option if you’re looking for an alternative to cleats or toe-cages. They’re $60 a pair for the standard length.

Powergrips are so brilliant, so sublime in their simplicity and economy of material, so superior in function and practicality, that it is a crime they are not standard equipment on all new mid and entry level mountain bikes, hybrids and city bikes. – Practical Pedal

Powergrips are durable, cheap, and effective. The inch-wide webbing straps won’t scratch up your Manolo Blahniks’ the way regular toeclips will; they let you move your foot around on the pedal as comfort demands, and a twist of the foot instantly binds or releases them. They have all the advantages of both toe clips and clipless pedals with none of the downsides. – Momentum Magazine

The most underrated bicycle accessory on this or any other planet. – Rivendell

Ride to Work Day is this wednesday

We believe that every day is ride to work and school and uni and the shops day, but 14 October 2009 is the official, compulsory Ride to Work Day. There’s breakfasts and events all over, including at RPA, and a biggun at Hyde Park

What are you doing??

cycling courses

paddy and jo in helmet free engalaaaaaaaaaaand

Our friends paddy and jo with assorted assistants are providing some cycling skills courses. You can check their website or link below.

The City of Sydney has recently started a program for cyclists who want to gain confidence to ride in the City.

The City strongly supports cycling as a preferred sustainable method of transport and we feel that by providing these courses we will encourage more people to buy and use a bicycle and feel confident about riding in the City of Sydney.

Cycling in the City course

The Cycling in the City course is a free course available to any individual over 18 years old who is not a beginner.

The course teaches low risk and responsible riding and is designed for people who can already ride but want confidence to ride on city streets.

For more information go to:

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/ParkingAndTransport/Cycling/CyclingCourses.asp

Inner West Greenway Submissions

We’re big supporters of the Inner West Greenway project – it’s a plan to connect Cooks River and Iron Cove with a bike path/park/transport corridor along the old Dulwich Hill freight rail line.

The plans are currently on exhibition with Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield council, and they’re inviting public comments. We’d really encourage everyone to write a letter or an email to say how much you would like it to be a cycleway. There is a movement to make it an exclusive lightrail route, which will mean NO BIKES at all on this sweet, flat scenic ride from the cooks river into the city Via Rozelle.

So, yeah, vote bikes!

a bit of light advice

Yes, it’s dark out there… so lighten up people!

We have dynamo lights from Shimano, Schmidt and Busch and Muller. Dynamo are THE best commuting lights. A front hub generates the power to run a super bright LED front and rear light. They put out enough light (up to 60 lumens)to see where you are going and to make you very visible. No need to recharge batteries, lights are fixed onto the bike ready to go at all times. Some lights even turn themselves on when it’s dark. Also very hard to nick. $400+

Rechargable front lights from NiteFlux and NiteRider (includiing one that charges via USB on your computer) put out heaps of light. If you need to really light up the road, these are the go. The tiny Niterider MiNewt (110 Lumens) charges a very small Lithium battery which mounts on your stem and can recharge via USB or wall outlets. Very useful. Or The Niteflux Commuter 4 (270 Lumens) is a bit bigger and clunkier, but cheaper and brighter. $200 plus

Everyone needs at least a front white and a rear red blinky light. We have tiny little baby ones, rack mounted rear, helmet mounted, basket mounted , valve cap and super bright ones for handlebar and seatposts. $50 for a pair

Jennifer’s white bike has an IQ fly schmicko Dynamo light. Antonette’s blue Gofa has a front basket mounted flasher.

And we have stick-on reflective tape, refelctive anklets and vests by Ron D Swan and Netti.

please contact us if you would like any more light advice..

Big Dummy

One of these is a super heavy duty urban transport load carrying machine.. The other is a SUV..

We had the pleasure of building up our first Surly Big Dummy recently. It’s a new frame from Surly that’s built to work with the Xtracycle long-tail cargobike set up. Alex went for a Rohloff to give him the gear range to haul all the cargo that an Xtracycle can carry, a Brooks B17 and a Bobike Maxi child seat.

Have a look at all the photos here.

Brompton Bling

After taking a Brompton out for a spin on Ride to Work day, I can’t seem to get that bike out of my mind. There was something cheeky about the bike that made me feel like a teenager again (well we can all dream!). Then to make matters worse i found this flickr group. It looks like they are having fun over in Europe, customizing their bikes with the same passion and detail as the fixie scene.

here is one of my favorites:

Last night’s BikeSydney meeting

Well I went to my first BikeSydney meeting in a long while last night. BikeSydney is the local advocacy group for the City Of Sydney Council area, a small group of hard workers getting things done. Andrew, Elaena, Lester and Cole ran thru a bunch of things which BikeSydney is involved in. I’ll just run thru them briefly. If you want more info, and especially if you want to get involved, check out the Bike Sydney website

Jones st Ultimo near the school, there is a proposal for a pinch point for the kids to cross the road easier

Huntley St Alexandria, lights are going in to allow further progress along the Alexandria canal route, tempoarily using a back lane behind some of the woolsheds.

A proposal to drop the speedlimit on Wilson St from 50 to 40

The Bike Lanes on Park st (the only ones in the cbd) have been removed for the pope visit. Apparently assurances have been given that they will be replaced after the event. But when?

A couple of grant applications have been submitted, one for cultural themed bike maps around town, and another for Bike Film Festival funding.

Tshirts are getting made

There is a proposal for the greenway linking cooks river to lilyfiel, to become a tramway. Will there be enough room for bikes and pedestrians?

Bike Valet parking is been offered as a commmercial venture to venues and event managers

Sydney Olympic park is keen for events for their Cycling festival in October., like films and art, maybe a tie in with the BFF

There will be a cool BFF promo event at the Mori Gallery in day st mid july, showing detoour de tour and triplets of bellville. BYO wine, baguettes and blankies. July 16

BFF happenings will include a parade, art installations and art thmed bike rides, a party and a picnic, and parking on the street in front of the dendy newtown

Contested Streets film – ideas tossed around to have a screening of this film in order to inspire decisionmakers, like Councillors, candidates

What questions do we want to put to ou propective councillors before their september elections

I need to get more involved, especially in the organisation of the picnic

Next Massbug meeting (our other excellent local advocacy group) is the first wednesday of the month

Alexandria Canal cycleway

There has been some progress on the cycleway along the alexandria canal. Check it out and get involved at the new website

http://alexcanal.com 

XMAS Trading

These are a few of the bikes we have built for these cool people lately. More pics here 

Our last day of trading this year will be Saturday December 22 (10-4pm) and we will reopen Monday January 7 (10am).

Have a top holiday