Spirits were high on the streets and runways of San Francisco yesterday. MUNI actually tempted folks to ride and SFO was decked in red and gold. Would the 49er’s go all the way?! Unfortunately not, but we all enjoyed the surge of pride in our city by the bay.
MUNI was looking for the win.
SFO was full of pride.
Our Director of Product & Design’s desk looks like.
The desk of Timbuk2′s Director of Product & Design.
What does your desk look like? Send us a photo to social@timbuk2.com.
It was a December to remember. In one week, three Timbuk2 employees suffered serious bike crashes. Carlos got doored a block from our office and picked up a wooze-inducing concussion plus grotesque bruising. A few days later, a car pulled in front of Jared, causing him to go over the handlebars and break his collar bone. It was our second broken collar bone of the year; Alex got hit by a car and snapped his collar bone in September.
Jared’s smashed into a car and then operated on collar bone.
Unfortunately, I was part of the Decembrists. I got doored for the first time on December 1, and my beloved Bianchi got crunched out of commission. But thanks to my snow-bunny fortified Bern helmet, full-finger gloves and tough-as jacket, I suffered no serious damage.
We thought our bad luck had ended, but last weekend our head of product and design washed out on gravel and road-rashed his arm and entire right side.
Greg’s gravel-induced road rash.
Greg said of his crash, “I hadn’t crashed in ten years so . . .” He implied that if you ride, you will crash. While I’d prefer not to admit it, it’s true. And I think it’s important to accept. Crashing is part of riding. Does that mean you shouldn’t ride? No! And it doesn’t mean you have to ride scared. It means riding like you expect something to happen. Riding slowly or at a moderate pace — you catch all the losers that race past you anyway — wearing a helmet and gloves, using lights and turn signals, being alert, and generally being defensive. If you ride like drivers are hunting you and train tracks are trying to eat you, you’ll be more likely to avoid serious damage if (when) you crash.
In four years of 60 minutes of riding through San Francisco every day, I’ve crashed three times. The first two crashes were 110% my fault. Crashes one and two involved train tracks — the beloved cable car on Hyde Street and the old-school trains that run down Market Street — and no other cyclists or cars. They were “good” crashes because no one was injured and they got my attention. Crash three was a “bad” crash because it actually hurt and wasn’t my fault. But like crashes one and two, it was “good” because it got my attention. I’d done almost everything right — rode in the bike lane on a highly-ridden street at a slow pace with lights and a helmet — but I still got doored. Legally getting doored is not the cyclist’s fault, but if I hadn’t snuggled up next to the car, the crash would have been avoided. Cyclists often have to choose between potentially getting doored and riding in traffic. It’s not a great tradeoff because both options can be very dangerous, but if you’re highly visible (i.e. lights, reflectivity, hand signals) it’s usually safer to ride in traffic.
Getting doored taught me about about the tradeoffs of lane positioning and has made me acutely aware of where I ride. Crashing helped.
This crash report is not intended to intimidate or scare away future bike commuters. Rather it’s meant to share the realities of urban cycling. Defensive riding, just like defensive driving, is crucial for safety. And in an ironic way, crashing keeps you safe.
Are you in Las Vegas for CES? Want to ditch your old bag and help a great charity at the same time? If you answered yes to both questions head over to the Timbuk2 booth located in the Central Plaza. In exchange for donating your old bag and $40 to At The Crossroads we’ll set you up with your choice of The Command, Control, D-lux Messenger or a Q Backpack.
Timbuk2′s Break Up With Your Bag program at CES in Vegas.
At The Crossroads is a non-profit organization that provides essentials, like school bags, to homeless youth and young adults that are looking to rebuild their lives.
While you’re at the booth, don’t forget to check out our newest products that feature Crater Foam, a new technology which cools devices twice as fast as neoprene; our TSA friendly collection, perfect for easy travel and our new ‘Made for Kindle’ accessories.
Wherever we go, whatever we do, we always notice cyclists. The Danes looks immaculate gliding through well engineered, super safe bike lanes. The Chinese carry insane loads and brave crazy road conditions. This post series is dedicated to images of cyclists from around the world.
For our first (official) installment, we’re featuring Rio. Our friend Julie Ruvolo is writing in Rio and took this photo yesterday in the favela Vila Autódromo. One thing we do *not* get in San Francisco, is warm rain riding, like they do in Rio. See more vibrant photos of Vila Autódromo here.
A young rider puddle hopping in Vila Autódromo, Rio.
Our friends Cate and her daughter Hollie are on a fantastic adventure in India. They’ve hung with tigers and elephants, schlepped through major cities and floated across rivers. But the most meaningful part of their journey thus far has been volunteering at a school. Every morning they ride six miles to and from the school where they volunteer. Pretty rad commute!
Cate riding to a school in Indian where she and her daughter are volunteering.
Winter riding is crisp and refreshing, but it can also be a freezing nightmare. Cold-induced ear aches and nose drops – tell me I’m not the only one! – can lead one to reconsider riding in the winter months. The following are my tips for taking the bite out of your winter ride.
Head: I recently upgraded my Bern helmet with a snap-in fuzzy winter liner. It slightly exaggerates helmet hair and makes me look like a 12 year-old ski bunny, but otherwise it’s perfect! My ears no longer ache and I can still hear you (mocking me). Check out Bern’s winter kits here.
Ding ding. Here comes the ski bunny.
Hands: I’ve worn black Outdoor Research fleece gloves with windstopper (key!) for years. They’re not exactly Rapha’s Winter Gloves, but they get the job done. That means they keep my hands warm but not hot and allow enough mobility to manage my gears and breaks. However, they’re too bulky to do anything requiring slight dexterity, like taking photos, which I probably shouldn’t be doing on my bike anyway, but I don’t like to miss images like this. Giro’s Gilman cycling gloves are a great option. They don’t have much padding but the leather helps protect against blisters, they’re a fair price, and few can argue with houndstooth.
Giro’s Gilman Gloves. Toasty but not hot, nice but not luxurious.
Rapha’s Winter Gloves. Your feet will be jealous of your hands.
Neck & Torso: You can go the bankrobber/summit series route and wear a balaklava, or you can wear a scarf or bandana. As noted in our Key Accessories for Bike Commuting post earlier this year, scarves and/or bandanas do the trick on chilly mornings and downright cold winter nights. Another tip? Tuck your shirt in (duh!). Sounds simple, but believe me, you’ll be stoked to have tucked when the icey winter wind stays away from your belly.
Feet: I believe in wearing shoes you want to wear on your bike, even if they’re not super practical. But in the winter, footwear matters. I learned the hard way that socks make a huge difference and boots are even better. Boots are stylish, stiffer than sneakers, warm and protective. My sock and shoe combo this winter is Patagonia mid-weight hiking socks (SO warm) and Matt Bernson Artika boots. Choose what suits you.
As for the nose drips? That’s what gloves are for! Consider a pair that’s machine washable.
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