Spandex? Required? May 27 2015, 0 Comments

I was recently asked "why is it that Americans think they need to look like they're in the Tour de France before they can ride across town?"  Obviously it is not possible to answer for a nation or even all the riders within the country, but still there seemed to be validity to the question.  People on bikes wear spandex. Some people wear a whole lot of spandex, and there are some reasons to wear spandex. There are also days when a person might even wish others didn't wear so much spandex!  In the questioner's mind my attendance at InterBike  seems to have qualified me to answer.  

There were so many amazing products presented. Specialties within sub-groups embedded in micro-cultures emerged, and all of them with marketing strategies and target audiences.  Lots of spandex.  And it makes sense.  These produces add ease of movement, identification with a culture, and a feeling of fitness.  I have a list of new favorite spandex bike skirts, never-wear jerseys and must-have caps.

Even recreational riders like me own spandex.  Not quite as much as some riders, but more than I had years ago.  I dream of riding a century, cyclocross, or charity tour.  It would be fun to own a fat bike, cargo bike, tandem or e-bike.  I love watching tall bikes roam my city and helping with a bike rodeo was a highlight of my summer.  As a recreational rider, all I need is a bike, two good legs and my favorite helmet (of course, with wind-blox).  One of my bike heros, Elly Blue, wrote about choosing your first bike.  Her bold statement--it doesn't matter what kind of bike you get.  This applies even more to gear; just a bike, legs and helmet are needed!

Taking in the beauty of being atop a bike, feeling the strength in one's own legs, enjoying the ride...none of these require spandex.  All of these can bring joy and fitness.

Riding has so many benefits May 13 2015, 0 Comments

Art and Biking May 10 2015, 0 Comments

Open up Pinterest and you can find almost anything...some of our favorite searches include bicycle art.  We've enjoyed it so much that we developed a pin board devoted to bike art http://www.pinterest.com/WindBloxSports/bike-art/ 

On of our favorite artists has got to be Mark Fairhurst!  He makes art deco style posters as well as other incredible pieces.  

Another favorite, with an entirely different genre is Bikeyface.  She's got a great sense of humor and it really shows in her work.

There are also some fun retro and vintage photographs available--nice Audrey Hepburn portraits, many penny farthing pictures and some really cool bike+surfing shots.

Kickstarter Review April 28 2015, 0 Comments

We kickstarted back in the fall of 2013 and had a blast!  While we set it up to be in the US alone, we quickly found a large amount of international interest.  Wind-Blox was also able to test styles to see what people were looking for.  Many people had recommended animal patterns, for example, so we made those but found that Black Blox were much more popular.  It was a quick run of 30 days and we enjoyed every minute!  

Now as we continue building our brand, we wonder if we'll kickstart again...it was a wonderful wild ride and we had results that were even better than we expected.  Stay tuned!!

Can You Hear Me Now? April 25 2015, 0 Comments

Annoying wind noise is enough to keep some people off their bikes.  One of our early customers wrote us shortly after receiving his order of Wind-Blox to let us know how helpful the Blox had been for his tinnitus.  He stated that quieting the wind-noise helped calm the tinnitus, adding less noise made a huge difference for him.  Since that time we have heard this from many customers.

Hyperacusis is another hearing problem that is aided with use of our wind blocking devices.  With hyperacusis there is a heightened awareness of sound, and those with hyperacusis sometimes choose to limit their activities to those which produce little sound.  This often excludes the joy of biking, due to wind noise.  Now customers are able to rejoin their love of bike riding and often send their friends our way, too.

Shipping to Andorra, Australia and Your Home Town April 21 2015, 0 Comments

We've updated shipping worldwide and we're pretty excited about the value this will offer customers outside the United States!  Hit us up for safety and fun in bike riding, whether you're in Andorra or Australia we've got your back (or at least your ears)!

Safer Lanes for Safer Cities April 18 2015, 0 Comments

Safe urban commuting requires riders and drivers to be aware of one another.  When a good friend of ours was hit and out of commission for a long while, we began wondering what cities other than ours do to keep their bike commuters safe. 

For years our regular bike commute involved a tricky intersection that we flat-out avoided during peak hours.  A bridge off-ramp, cars preparing to merge with a large busy road, and a poorly marked bike lane added to the complexity of this area--the only provision for safety was a line of installed 'candlesticks'.  While we appreciated the city for installing these, we were willing to ride well out of our way in order to skip the dangerous dance with four-wheeled vehicles.

A favorite option that provides a cheaper, more attractive option is to add a row of flower boxes on the edge of the bike lane.  The Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition made a 'pop up bike lane' for only $600. This brought a new interest in bike safety, made the ride more enjoyable, and beautified the city.

(The Green Lane Project is part of the People For Bikes program, of which Wind-Blox is a part)

It's not what you ride.... November 30 2014, 0 Comments

CycleLove Manifesto November 19 2014, 0 Comments

find it here

Bike Map, the Bikey-est October 07 2014, 0 Comments

The bikey-est of bike maps has just been drawn/cycled/created in an area of the UK known as the New Forest.  David Taylor made this by envisioning a route, mapping it and then riding with GPS.  This now appears on Google Maps via the Strava app and website.

Touring August 25 2014, 0 Comments

Bicycle touring is a fun way to incorporate sport and beauty.  In our state you can get brochures from the Department of Transportation that outline the opportunities.  For riders who want to find adventure, we found that bike tour finder is an excellent resource.  In Europe there are themed rides, supported tours and backroads rides to choose from.  The World's Most Dangerous Road also has rides that the daring can take, and some dare to ride it for charity.  

Bike and Scooter Fun Night August 19 2014, 0 Comments

Our community is having a bike and scooter fun night and we're getting it set.  We've not done one of these before and our main goals are to keep it fun and simple.  After reading all the pinterest-pretty suggestions and the intricate ideas, here's what we're doing instead:

It will be a fun night (as compared to a safety skills training)

There will be a special parking area and helmet table

     Helmets will be judged for fit, decorations available for those who would like to get fancy and prizes awarded

A large parking lot will be divided into thirds

Slow course (bikes only)

     During the timed slow course riders must follow a chalk line that is sometimes a bit curvy.  They may not put their feet down or the timer stops.  Each rider will be given their time at the end.

Obstacle course

     Riders go around obstacles trying for accuracy and speed.  Any touch of an obstacle causes a rider to re-start

Race

     Separate heats will be available for bikes and scooters.  This will be timed, or may end up as a race against a good-humored adult.

Bike Wash

     At the end of the evening, a bike wash (also known as a sprinkler you can ride under) will be available to enjoy!