Have you seen this sticker? Its a program spread-headed by SLC’s Bicycle Collective. In their own words:

“Bicycle Benefits is a year-round sustainable bicycle commuter program designed to reward cyclists for their commitment to clean air, personal health, and use of pedaling energy.  The program also intends to decrease parking demand, promote helmet use, and increase cyclist’s safety by increasing the number bikes on our roads.  Drive Less, Feel More, Save Money.  Get your helmet stickers or become a Business Member today and start feeling and experiencing  Bicycle Benefits!”

The short and dirty: buy a sticker, get discounts, support local advocacy, ride your bike!

Click here for a list of Bicycle Benefits Businesses in Salt Lake. Cyclesmith is proud to be a part of the Bicycle Benefits Program.

Four Wheels Bad, Two Wheels Good!

If you’re wondering who you’re going to run into when you drop by our store look no further than to your right. Click on About Cyclesmith to get an idea of who we are, why on earth we’re working in a bike shop (hello, we love bikes!), and what each of us is good at.

For instance, take John (he’s in the middle) :

John is a most excellent commuter. He knows single speeds, fixies, and weird bikes inside and out. He knows normal bikes too, but that’s not what makes him special. Call on him for all of your needs for he is a man of phil wood, chris king, surly, and velocity. Any man with that kind of taste cannot be wrong!

No matter if you’re a cyclist or not, if you look around Salt Lake City lately you will see many more bikes than you used to. They are becoming a very popular mode of transportation as residents discover the well defined bike lanes and bicycle-friendly roads of Salt Lake City, not to mention the added benefit of losing a few extra pounds. (and I’m not talking about making your bike lighter…) It is likely that a good number of the bicycles that you see are fixed gear bikes, commonly called track bikes. People choose these types of bikes for a number of reasons: less maintenance, no dérailleurs to break or go out of tune (and thus no griding gears), extra leg strength from riding only one gear… the list goes on. Most importantly, they’re a lot of fun to ride and people have compared it to almost “walking” on your bike because when you pedal forward, you go forward. Pedal backward, and you go backward. Pedal slow, you go slow. Pedal fast… you get the idea.

Ahhh, the Raleigh One-Way, mmmmm (yes we sell it, need I say more?!)

Now, if you’re looking for more fun on your commute than you normally have eating that “footlong” and coffee from Maverick in your car while stuck in traffic (probably on Foothill Drive), then commuting on a fixed gear bicycle is for you. Believe it or not, you’ll actually have fun getting from point A to point B! (not to worry all you “geared-bicycle commuters,” there will be a post in the near future for you too)

As mentioned previously, Salsa’s new line-up also includes a pre-built fixie that would make a great commuter bicycle that is somewhat “on-the-cheap.” If you’re truly looking for a fixie to commute with, pay special attention to the rear drop-out area to look for eyelets that will allow you to mount fenders. (see photo at left, eyelets are the little round loops on top) Because having a nice “pin-stripe” up the back on a rainy day may be considered cool while you’re actually ON the bike, when you’re off the bike it doesn’t do so much for attracting the opposite … well, for attracting much of anything or anybody really, except flies. So get those fenders on for a rainy (or snowy) day and ride worry free.

Written by the big, bold, and beautiful Brad Duncan