Wind-Blox Blog

Wind-Blox Blog

Keeping the kiddos riding May 07 2015, 0 Comments

Infographics show that about 1% of children in the US commute to school on their bikes. The childhood freedom to bike to class could become something kids see on Leave it to Beaver or hear about at family reunion picnics. 

This Christmas as you discuss options with Santa, check your child's bike for size and fit, look to see if they've lost the lock you bought them last Spring, see if their helmets have dangerous dents that might render them useless and add some snazzy Wind-Blox to their stockings. You'll be fighting childhood obesity, amping up the joy, bringing feelings of autonomy and helping keep your kiddos safe and healthy.


Generations of Riders (a photo essay) May 03 2015, 0 Comments

When the boomers rode their bikes to work people may have wondered if they were saving money--and during the gas crisis of the 70's that was a significant savings!

 When GenXers rode to work...did they?  

Yuppies, um, not so much, they were far too busy.  

Now, though, there is a new group of riders who aren't being ironic, or necessarily saving money, they just ride.  

Many enjoy Tweed Rides.

This generation of bike-to-work folks is on trend, more fit and geared up.

Check this article to see the high tech gear!


Loose Straps Can Still Make a Difference May 01 2015, 0 Comments

After writing attachment instructions for Wind-Blox, viewing countless (L O N G) videos about correct helmet placement and hosting a bike rodeo for children, I've become bit of  a strap-loving helmet correcting person.  "A bit" may be too mild.  I've felt the urge to let riders know that should they crash their helmets would do them no good--would likely fall clean off.  

All this has changed.

Yesterday Ride UK BMX posted this video which shows a woman riding with her helmet attached terribly---and yet it remains effective.  Please watch.  Rest assured, if this were to happen to you, you'd be just fine with a crazy-loose helmet strap.

Were this not to happen to you and you wanted your helmet to be effective....welp


Helmet Library April 30 2015, 0 Comments

Our company has a helmet library...a large helmet library and it is growing.  

 

We've got Bells, Berns, Giros and Nutcases.  

Now that we've been to InterBike we're dreaming of the new metroride line Nutcase is selling soon, Kasks, Cratonis and anything by Vittoria.  

Oh, and a helmet with a tiara wouldn't hurt our feelings either

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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.

 


Friends and Their Links April 23 2015, 0 Comments

Wind-Blox has friends all over the web-o-sphere (is that a word?).  We'd love to share a few links

My Bike Magazine just posted an article on us: Block Wind Noise and Enjoy the Rid

to learn more about them go to their site

We support People For Bikes, since we are actually people and we are for bikes.

Cyclr is a great friend of ours across the pond 

We also became pals with Big Cat E-Bykes at InterBike.  Check these guys out!  They've some some seriously cool rides.

We have many others, but wanted to be sure to share these with you.


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)!

 


Training with Wind-Blox April 19 2015, 0 Comments

Bike racers aim to be as sleek as possible, they're known for wearing skin skinsuits, aerodynamic helmets and shaving their legs.  Yet they often train with wind-Blox.  Wind-Blox allow racers to train with less annoyance from wind noise and also add enjoyment since the riders have an improved awareness of their surroundings.  

 


Wind-Blox History April 18 2015, 0 Comments

Here's where we came from:

  • Trademark search and registration August 2013, May 2014


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)


upCYCLE January 14 2015, 2 Comments

DIY is blowing up Pinterest...and our Pinterest is not immune.  We are particularly interested in repurposing to create useful items (not so much into the bike wheel becomes a clock, or gears stack into a Christmas tree).

This tutorial uses old tires, blocks of wood and rubber cement (plus a drawer pull and some wood stain if you want to be fancy) to make unique stampers.  These could go well with paper bags or brown kraft paper to make cool cards or gift wrap.

If you've got some old drop bars, you can make a bike hanger.  Simple ones are easy, or you can evoke the whole decorate-with-antlers craze.

In the Portland area, Bike Farm has regular crafting nights for folks who want to get together and create with bike gear.  This group also holds a yearly sale, which is not exclusive to upcycling, but has lots of it to offer.  If you are locationally challenged, it would be worth it to give Bike Farm a call, they're well-networked and can probably help you connect with someone near you.

Panniers are great for commuting, and making your own by upcycling a backpack may be just the thing you're looking for.

Pallets can make all kinds of things on the cheap...hop on the trend and make a bike rack by pulling out a few slats (though we wouldn't ever recommend locking your bike to a pallet!)  Watch out for loose nails and keep this in a well-protected yard or tidy garage.  

If you've been to all the fancy suburb garage sales and still not found the bike trailer of your dreams, this complex but cool pallet trailer idea may be just what you need.