tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84589939088811910692011-12-14T09:09:59.458-05:00News and knowledge from the vast repository of cyclo-trivia that is Urbane Cyclist. A mouthpiece for Urbane Cyclist Workers Co-op, a bike shop in downtown Toronto.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-67742904632787803192011-12-13T17:19:00.001-05:002011-12-14T09:09:59.471-05:00

Last Friday evening, about fifty-odd people converged to celebrate together whatever year-end holiday they observe. Under cover of darkness we met, descended a short staircase at 720 Bathurst, and proceeded to eat, drink, be merry, and pedal our butts off. Our friend Navid brought GoldSprints, a stationary fixed-gear bicycle race using Urbanite track frames; our friend James from the Bicycle

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-53614894890538806842011-11-17T08:06:00.001-05:002011-11-17T12:14:36.697-05:00

Serial number on BB shell One of the most important pieces of information to have about your bicycle is the serial number. Typically found on the underside of the bottom bracket shell, a serial number is a unique identifier which, when submitted to the police database, can help reunite you with your bike should it ever be stolen and subsequently recovered. Serial numbers consist of strings of

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-42081994148934584362011-10-18T14:51:00.002-04:002011-10-19T11:12:20.488-04:00

Jeremy selects a winner for one of our giveaways Tweed and tea, a match made in England The inaugural edition of Toronto's Tweed Ride, which occurred this past Saturday the 15th, was a great success. Urbane Cyclist hosted a tea service in nearby Grange Park, with refreshments, treats and support provided by Merchants of Green Coffee, ING Direct, Ontario Natural Food Co-op and Sweets

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-21598780153690355342011-09-27T14:40:00.000-04:002011-09-27T14:40:02.824-04:00

Andrea Meneghelli, Michael Firn and our own Nancy Kendrew We here at Urbane are proud to annonce that we have been designated by Brooks England as one of their Supreme Dealers. This honour is bestowed upon only one hundred shops worldwide and we are ecstatic to have been chosen to be among this select group which includes such renowned shops as Condor Cycles and Harris Cyclery, former home of

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-89504378120092744812011-09-15T18:41:00.000-04:002011-10-18T14:10:32.442-04:00

Amy Walker and our own Kathleen Once again its Interbike time, a time when bike shops all over North America send a lucky few to observe, report and drool over all the new toys being introduced for the next year. Our contingent is there spotting trends and running into friends. Pictured is our own Kathleen next to Amy Walker. We know Amy through Momentum Magazine and now she has written a book

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-78188533218760546922011-09-10T15:25:00.001-04:002011-10-18T12:04:49.108-04:00

The judges  The winners from this year's Eugene Yao Urbane Cyclist Bicycle Design Award have been chosen. The award was set up in honour of Eugene Yao, one of the founders of Urbane Cyclist, who sadly passed away in 2008. Judged by a panel of four including Carey Chen and Nancy Kendrew of Urbane Cyclist, the award goes to the OCAD student who comes up with the most innovative bicycle design

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-30908694580091661982011-09-09T13:13:00.001-04:002011-09-09T13:13:43.415-04:00

Michael with our very own Nancy. Urbane Cyclist was proud to host Michael Schratter's Toronto press conference for his round-the-world-trip raising funds for the Canadian Mental Health Association. Michael is cycling to increase awareness and shatter the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. His solo voyage began August 1st 2010 and since then he has ridden 32

Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02310692098796675906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-45156024116099872992011-06-17T15:13:00.000-04:002011-06-17T15:13:07.786-04:00

The other morning in front of our store, the 3 bikes parked all happened to be staff-owned Urbanite's.  It looks like we can safely say we practice what we preach here.  (FYI, we design and import our own frames and can build them up in numerous ways). 

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-78381635513146859322011-02-02T15:01:00.002-05:002011-02-09T09:20:19.079-05:00

Brothers Dressler are participating in the Sibling Rivalry exhibit at the Interior Design Show 2011. They employ reclaimed materials throughout their work, and have used rims and old wheel assemblies supplied by Urbane Cyclist to build lamps. The lamps are built using a barrel-stave design and the light is routed through and secured to the hub. The rims are single-walled box section rims and

Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07695600492421299705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-42346231182872110872010-11-11T14:39:00.001-05:002010-11-12T10:49:39.486-05:00

Bikes are becoming fashionable. Before they become strictly "fashion" let's remember to keep some function in there too! Here's some pics from all over the web. What do you think is fashion over function? What about function over fashion? Feel free to email us your pics too or tweet them at us! This is a VIVA bike and Po Campo handlebar bag        Bern helmet and Fabric Horse superhero

Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07695600492421299705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-67969149024731773882010-08-17T10:10:00.003-04:002010-08-17T10:44:49.841-04:00

Visitors for Bike!Bike!2010 rode these original Dahon folding bikes from the Buffalo airport. We snapped a few photos of their bikes and improvised racks (made of handlebars!) when they dropped by our shop on Thursday.We had a bunch of Bike!Bike! participants visiting our store over the weekend. Some got special tours even behind the scenes! Thanks to Bike Pirates for putting us in the program

Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07695600492421299705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-13378431372519851362010-08-08T15:10:00.007-04:002010-08-08T16:48:06.115-04:00

Hello all, the latest and greatest of pedal-assist cycling systems will be on display at the front of the store today, come in and take a Canadian made BionX outfitted bike out for a test ride.If you're interested in any of the various BionX systems, visit their website here. A select few BionX packages are usually in stock here, or we can put in a special order for you if you know what you want

hpfixienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-61935619309278702852010-08-04T21:30:00.007-04:002010-08-13T14:19:00.511-04:00

Securing your bike is about more than just picking a good lock. Here are two videos demonstrating how you should secure your bike.

hpfixienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-10153657096829633832010-07-31T13:30:00.006-04:002010-08-08T15:16:25.915-04:00

We need 1000 members to bring the BIXI program to Toronto! Yesterday we did our part by hosting the mobile sign-up unit outside the store.Those tempted by the BIXI service may choose between the $95/year membership or a $5 credit charge for each use, but the service is meant for trips of 30 minutes or less (which are included with the membership).As for the bikes themselves, I don't see anyone

hpfixienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-75332232740238842552010-07-28T11:31:00.000-04:002010-07-28T11:31:28.240-04:00

Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring. –Desmond Tutu

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-10556781852879533662010-07-15T13:54:00.007-04:002010-07-15T22:18:32.433-04:00

The age old question : "Why does it hurt my butt when i ride a bike?"Answers could be:riding a bike thats too small or too bigriding a bike thats not properly fitted to the you(saddle height, rake and lateral positioning)riding a saddle thats not suited to your riding position (too wide or thin)But once those areas have been addressed, some still have that nagging question on their "mind"...as

hpfixienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-62745653198749361672010-03-08T16:24:00.004-05:002010-03-08T16:27:43.310-05:00

We decided to pedal-power our display to the Toronto International Bike Show this year. Here's Reba's set up as she prepared to bike from our location at 180 John St down to the CNE.

Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07695600492421299705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-36004733787319319032010-01-27T15:43:00.004-05:002010-01-27T16:39:18.876-05:00

A crew of us went to the Forest City Velodrome in London on the weekend for the Track 1 course. Check out our pics!!The most common bike in their rental fleet is the KHS Flite 100 that we sell at the shop. If you're just looking for the track feel but riding in the city, check out the Masi Speciale Fixed on sale for $600 or the Jamie Beanik also on sale for $600.

Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07695600492421299705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-14440015054209240452009-11-19T09:41:00.005-05:002009-11-21T12:40:27.861-05:00

Carradice bags have arrived at Urbane! Have a bike that can't fit a rack but want to actually carry a little something with you? Maybe want to do a little light touring, or perhaps a lengthy day trip? A classic British saddlebag might be the answer. Carradice of Nelson have been handcrafting saddlebags at their workshop in Lancashire for almost 80 years. The bags are made of tough and

Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-56880256920747070762009-10-19T19:08:00.001-04:002009-10-19T19:09:49.525-04:00

Good article about traveling with your bicycle from the New York Times.Read it here.

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-4823076961468223432009-09-01T16:21:00.006-04:002009-09-02T15:12:54.004-04:00

Tragedy. Whenever someone dies on the street, whether it be a motorist, pedestrian or cyclist it's a tragedy. Too many times has this happened and is forgotten by the next day. Perhaps not this time. Not when the former Attorney General of Ontario is at the centre of it all. We'll wait and see.

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-91683218274227802722009-07-27T19:19:00.009-04:002009-07-27T22:40:24.365-04:00

At Urbane, we've done the best job we can to help people get to and from where they need to go, for the most part on basic commuter-friendly city bikes fitted out with racks, fenders, bells and lights. A very different machine than the ultra light weight, speedy racing bikes pro racers use.Plenty of us who work here are also huge fans of this beautiful sport. Bike racing is one of the oldest

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-10911597651277865172009-07-08T13:56:00.003-04:002009-07-08T14:53:33.511-04:00

Can a mini-van even fit 8 family members inside? This family stopped by the shop and showed us how it's done. What we've got here is 2 adult tandems connected together with metal tubes (essentially a quadricycle), which is pulling a children's tandem trail-a-bike, which is itself pulling a 2 seat Chariot kid's trailer. Now for the details: The left side tandem has a Bionx electric assist

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-7069552072236781762009-05-22T10:38:00.005-04:002009-05-22T11:21:01.398-04:00

The Toronto Association for Democracy in China & The Federation for a Democratic China in co-operation with Majorie Chan and UNITE-HERE Local 75 present Madness in the Square.On Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 12PM at Nathan Phillips Square ride your bike, wear white and participate in a die-in to help commemorate students and workers massacred in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.- With

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-6811714772819080392009-02-23T15:31:00.008-05:002009-04-22T13:48:44.452-04:00

Unless you live close enough to be able to walk to work, or the grocery store for example, everyone needs to budget money to get around. There are different ways of getting around over the course of 12 months. You can drive, take public transit, ride a bicycle or combine a few of these methods. In this post, we're gonna break down some of the costs for each method.CAR Maintenance & Repairs

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-14280383624901168502009-02-11T14:34:00.007-05:002009-02-11T15:40:55.120-05:00

It's been a year already and we still dearly miss our founder, Eugene. His hard work, honesty, and willingness to help all was an inspiration to us. If you would like to share any stories or memories, please do so.

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-70904935546816374862009-02-07T14:46:00.005-05:002009-02-18T17:13:03.415-05:00

If you're not familiar with Spacing magazine you should make it a habit to check out their blog. They have great coverage of urban issues and a real passion for our city, and cities in general. A couple of weeks ago they had a great post about cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands. Inspiring stuff.

Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-18482811155201377212009-01-21T09:38:00.005-05:002009-01-23T11:27:35.270-05:00

Gil Penalosa from Walk & Bike For Life purchased a Bike Friday Tikit through us earlier this month. Gil is also well known for developing Bogota's new bicycle infrastructure plan.

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-25236799188177391172009-01-21T08:54:00.005-05:002009-01-23T11:34:08.664-05:00

After a brief stop back home in Toronto, the gang headed out to Las Vegas for Interbike 2008.Notice the handles on the cabinet doors. These guys are recycling quick release levers as door handles. At our shop we try to do the same. Whether it's using old tubes as straps in our stock room to used cables to hang displays on the floor to making bike art with old parts. It's a tent! It's a

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-86272419957969059942009-01-20T13:03:00.003-05:002009-01-20T13:19:53.035-05:00

After Germany, our trio of Urbanite's went directly to Montreal for the Canadian bicycle show and took a few pictures of some new stuff coming to our shores in 2009.The new KHS Flite 100. This has been one of our best selling fixie's over the years and we're sure it will continue... and we love the white.Oooohhhh! Nice fixie.Who says anyone needs an SUV to transport bikes around.

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-52126871066135431252009-01-19T15:36:00.008-05:002009-01-19T22:05:44.944-05:00

In September 2008, Nancy, Carey and Reba embarked on a world wide tour to find out what's new in the wonderful world of the bicycle (and other things). Here are just some of their pictures from the first stop on the trip, Germany.This is great! In Europe they encourage the use of public transit and bikes. Maybe one day...At this train station in Germany they're are hundreds of bikes locked up (

Martynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8458993908881191069.post-18573038951699331652009-01-13T17:52:00.006-05:002009-01-14T15:24:46.085-05:00

Welcome to the Urbane Cyclist's blog where you can find out about all the fun stuff the people who power themselves are doing. Stay tuned for more exciting news from Toronto's #1 bike shop!

Martynoreply@blogger.com