Please forgive two bicycle-related posts in a row, but today is National Bike to Work Day, and I just couldn’t help myself. For regular bike commuters like myself, the value in the actual riding today is perhaps outweighed by the attention today’s event might bring to a the idea of transportation by bicycle, and the potential for it to convince someone new to give it a try - whether to work, errands, the gym, or wherever.
Not me, but I’ve definitely felt like this guy on more than a few rides.
It was great to see the event get some publicity from the mainstream media, including a mention on my local (Boston) morning news this morning, as part of Bay State Bike Week. It was also great to see an article today in the WIRED Magazine’s popular blog… 5 Ways To Make Bike Commuting Easy. I enjoyed the article, as well as its terrific images (example above), and thought the author did a great job of blending the simple joys & practicalities of cycling with some fun & useful new technology, managing to bring the topic of bike commuting to its many gadget-oriented readers.
Speaking of bikes and gadgets, I’d like to take this opportunity to share one of my favorite new pieces of work-related equipment. For my last birthday, Lisa gave me a HYmini, a small, portable wind-turbine device that clips to the handlebars of my bike. Here’s how it works: As you ride, it turns a small propeller which generates/stores electrical power. It then detaches from the bike easily, and can be used to charge a variety of devices via its USB port. In my case, I use it to charge my cell phone, and occasionally a laptop or camera. Good old nerdy fun…I LOVE IT! (Thanks Lis!) I haven’t had to plug my phone into a wall outlet or car charger yet this year!
My HYmini, mounted on my commuter rig (and yes, those are indeed some old school, stem-mounted shifters too)
WARNING: Be prepared for some questions about “that fan on your handlebars”, or some sideways looks when when you power-up your laptop by plugging into a 3 inch “fan thing” sitting on the table in the meeting room - in which case, just tell them that “today’s presentation has been brought to you courtesy of my legs.”
Happy Bike to Work Day!
