Recently, Mayor Kasim Reed proposed doubling the miles of bike lanes to Atlanta’s infrastructure in 2014, pushing to keep his goal of making Atlanta a top 10 city for commuter cycling by 2016.  We were inspired to write this post from a recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/news/ap/georgia/atlanta-moves-forward-with-bike-sharing-program/ndFYF/) quoting Atlanta officials wanting to increase the actual cycling community from 1.1% to 2.2%.

Right now, Atlanta’s cycling community is small, but vocal in educating others in the benefits of commuting.  With advocacy groups like The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and Georgia Bikes! in addition to many volunteers pushing the government for more bike lanes and laws, the seed has not only been planted, but nourished and watered to grow without a glass ceiling in sight.  With a new Bike Share program looking to break ground this summer, many commuters hope to meet many new friends along our current routes!

From time to time we have pedestrians swing by The Spindle with an interest in getting into commuting but all have once similar question:  Aren’t you scared to ride on the main streets?  The answer for us is no, if you can gain confidence riding on main roads like Dekalb ave., Ponce de Leon, or Peachtree St., you can ride anywhere.  But that’s what it really comes down to is confidence. If you can stay to the right, avoid potholes quickly, and obey traffic laws, most drivers will notice and treat a cyclist as traffic, not traffic cones. Sometimes it is better to take main roads. They're wider, you're more visible plus it allows drivers to get used to the fact that there is a growing presence of cyclists.

It’s not only educating cyclists on the how-to’s, but also drivers.  Unfortunately, we live in a society that believes cars are the only mode of transportation that should be on the streets or the age old “Share the road” attitude where they give cyclists 3 inches from the tip of their side mirror. If they are stuck behind a cyclist, drivers must learn it is inherently dangerous to inch by us. If there is the standard 3ft space available, then by all means take it, but when the driver inches by they are putting the cyclist in severe risk.  Drivers need to keep in mind the trechorous road of the city are exponentially worse to a bicycles thin rims and we must avoid potholes just as drivers do. Even more so because they may not only have to pay the cost of a tube, but likely a whole tire or rim and at times those repairs can be costly.

Now, I know some drivers are reading this saying “Well, what about the cyclist who buzz through stop signs, or traffic lights?!?!  They’re causin’ a hulabaloo on their bikes, are they trying to set us back?? What is this the 1850’s?”  Ok, so maybe they don’t talk like that, but I do from time to time!  But they’re right, I see a lot of cyclists flying through lights all the time for absolutely no reason. Once I was driving to Grant Park and 2 cyclist ran a red light while I had a green light, I was going about 35-40 and was literally inches from killing one of them.  I definitely took the time to bark up the guy, in the end all he said was “jeez, I’m sorry” in a very sarcastic tone, what riders don’t tend to realize is that if they get injured or even killed by a driver when they don’t obey traffic laws it causes serious trauma for the driver that could stay with them for the rest of their life.  If we want respect on the roads we need to earn it as well.

We've had our fair share of run ins with angry pedestrians and drivers. The best thing to do is to keep calm and refrain from cussing up a storm. Some people understand reasoning and rationale, but others will take all their aggression for cyclist out on you. People like this are difficult to please and as much as you want to punch them through the face, you must walk away. Not to be a coward, but for people to realize that not all cyclist are maniacal. Sometimes we make mistakes but the result of our mistakes can possibly be our lives.

Police training on bike laws has definitely increased and needs to continue growing. As cyclist, stories and experiences with police have become more commonplace. And since recently being pulled over for lack of lights or traffic violations, we still appreciate the recognition. With cyclist becoming more cognizant of traffic laws, officers should acknowledge and protect at risk cyclist from aggressive drivers. If an officer sees someone driving recklessly close to a cyclist, then that driver should be ticketed severely.  This will spread the word quickly once drivers realize that endangering a rider will get you a hefty fine and hopefully get bike fatalities to nil (oh to dream!).  I believe PSA’s by advocacy groups would help tremendously, along with public forums in all counties to educate drivers and riders alike.

But what can we do to help to increase commuters here in Atlanta?  Most importantly open conversation is key, if you are a daily commuter, talk to your coworkers, friends, and family that live near their jobs and try and persuade them to ride their bikes.  You can point out the health benefits as well as the cost savings commuting by bicycle entails.  Take them on a ride on the beltline, start slow, then take steps onto neighborhood roads, and then once their comfortable, main roads.  Maybe influence your company to offer incentives for those who cycle to work?

Communication with new riders is extremely important, even experienced riders are always finding better routes and educating themselves on the rules of the road.  When rules are learned by new riders they then pass it on to others who they influence to commute, and so on and so on.  This way, they become more active in the community and vocalize our need for better, safer cycling infrastructure for their city.

In addition, social rides like The Mobile Social, Civil Rides, and Critical Mass are great ways to get a new rider comfortable with their surrounding while meeting new people.  Plus, bikes are cheap!  They can run from $50-$5000 based on whatever your needs may be, we definitely recommend you building one up so you can learn the ins and outs of bicycles and can make quick and easy fixes while out on the road.  Learning how to change a tire or make adjustments to your bike in the middle of a ride can save you time and money.

We look forward to seeing you all out on the road soon!

What are your questions/opinions?  Do you live in another city and have any suggestions? Leave your comments below, we’d love to start a conversation!!

Generally with commuting shirts, most companies will add a touch of Lycra or Spandex to the otherwise cotton shirt to add a little flexibility to the rider. Outlier went on the other end of the spectrum on their 100% cotton Pivot Shirt with some solid tailoring making for a great fit. Make a dress shirt for riding, with no added fabrics, and voila!  The Outlier Patent Pending Pivot Sleeve is born.

The Pivot is a sleeve that is not stitched in with the shirt, it's a part of it, coming from the bottom all the way to the cuff of the sleeve.  When riding, there is no bunching up on the shoulders or feeling of tightness as you lean on the handlebars giving you a wider range of motion.  The pleats on the back shoulder blades also allow for a great range of motion, the perfect shirt for those business casual meetings at the climbing gym. The sleeves are made long so even on colder days, those wrists aren't feeling even the slightest of cold air ( but also don't look like they're all bunched up on your hands like wearing your poppa's gear out to a business meeting).  We bought the long version of this shirt, so while you are tucked in on the ride to the office, you won't arrive with half or all your shirt hanging out of your trousers, it stays put.

This shirt is also extremely versatile in styling and wear.  The covered pocket is a great fit for your phone so you can turn up the speakers on your ride in without worrying about it bouncing out. It can be coupled with N.Bidlake or Makers and Riders business slacks for a hard day at the office, then switched out in the evening for some Swrve Jeans or Cadence Trousers for drinks with friends or that hot date you've been anticipating all week!!

For me, this shirt is very comfortable, I wear it for work, weddings, and the occasional rebel-rouse.  In buying the "Long" version of the Pivot L/S my opinion is that it must always be tucked in,  if you like to wear your button ups untucked then just go for the "Short", wearing the longer version drapes over you bottom and honestly looks a little sloppy hanging out.  But as always, Outlier has done a superb job on their product, finding the best materials and coming up with a fantastic design for riders of all walks of life and styles. And did we mention its made in the USA ;)

We have been eying the Levi's Commuter jeans for a good bit. A mainstream company pursuing the not-so-mainstream market of bike commuters? Our curiosity had peaked, jeans are a major staple in any American’s wardrobe, but for people that bike everywhere, this icon is in rotation more often than not. I've blown through countless jeans and these may prove to be the better class of denim. Once purchased, I immediately put them on and went for a quick ride to get a feel for what they were all about; I first noticed they were a bit more stretchy than other jeans I owned, which is awesome for riding, they are more fluid in their movements while pedaling, unlike regular jeans that tend to be a little stiff.

The next day was a big test, Critical Mass (a large group ride through the city on last Friday of the month promoting bike advocacy), usually these rides aren't terribly long but this one went on for 20 miles. So at the end of the trip from home>critical mass>taco feast>home it was a 30+ miler in these jeans and they did great.

Execution is just ok though, the Nano-sphere water/dirt resistant coating was an instant disappointment, I knew that by the time I washed these that the scotch guard would fade quickly, so before I did that I jumped on the bike for a quick 2 mile ride in a light, steady rain. By the time I reached 1 mile the jeans were considerably wet..by 1.5..drenched, so I wouldn't count on them if I get caught in rain let alone a downpour. I sat in them for about two hours and they dried OK, but if you're at a bar or party, not sure if you want to be mingling with some heavy pants. On the plus side the Sanitized odor-resistant coating seems to work pretty well for daily use for the time being.

Levi's has built and tested the commuter line on the streets of San Fran, they have several added features that apply to the cyclist. The 3M reflective tape on the outer seams is a great safety touch and the reinforced crotch has held up quite well, so far. The lock loop on the waist band is a great feature when accompanied by an over-the-shoulder style messenger bag, but if you wear a belt (which usually serves the same purpose as the U-lock loop) the added fabric becomes a bit cumbersome. Also they have added a raised back, there's nothing worse than supporting the crack epidemic in this country, flashing that butt crack while cruising through the city especially when it’s raining. Without fail there's always a handful of drops that want to slide right between your cheeks, so that addition is an incredibly well-thought out feature along with deeper back pockets for any small tools you may carry, which definitely comes in handy when carrying your other daily ammenities.

Although in Hotlanta's humid heat, the added fabric keeps your nether region quite swampy, cooler weather use would be more applicable. But they look damn good, fit very well and I know this because while I was writing I got a few winks and whistles from a few construction workers, "Settle down boys!" I say, yes.. settle down indeed. In the end, we here at The Spindle believe the Levi’s commuter jean is a great alternative to a biker’s everyday jean. We'll be sure to let you know when the crotch blows out! We've heard 8 months so far, 3 down.....

To check out more of Levi's Commuter line, click on the link below.

http://us.levi.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=11844101&cp=3146842.15376476&ab=commuterlookbook_page1_shopcollection_050313

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Have a great ride!

Most fashion forward female cyclists know that there will be times when they will want to wear something other than jeans, maybe there's a gallery opening or a date with their beau to a nice restaurant.  Some will feel they'll have to break down and hop in their car for a night on the town, but as we see the commuter cycling community grow, we find companies that are more geared to the dressy side of this fashion.  With companies like Outlier, Iva Jean, Vulpine and Vespertine focusing on good looking, well-made clothing for women, we found a new company, Iladora, based out of San Francisco is focused on producing female specific cycling line.  So for the next two weeks, The Spindle will be featuring Iladora's whole line of commuter apparel.  For this week, we had our Spindlera, Caroline Templeman, rock through The Mindy Skirt:

#bikebeautiful – I couldn’t agree more with Iladora and what a great inspiration for a women’s clothing line.  I am all about skirts in the summertime on or off the bike so when I came across The Mindy Skirt, I was super excited.  I love the color and slim fit, it is flattering, stylish and easy to wear with many different tops and shoes.  The fabric has a great four way stretch so you are never limited in movement and keeps its form well after hours of riding.

The skirt has a longer length and a drop-tail for coverage in the back so all your unmentionables are safe from public viewing.  I am 5’9”, so I don’t mind the longer length of the skirt but I can see some shorter women having a hard time fitting this skirt without hemming it shorter which can’t be easy with the special contoured hem.  The fabric is a synthetic blend so it naturally has a slight water resistant character, so don’t worry if you are caught in a rain shower.

Other features include, a hidden zipper pocket, which is nice to have but you realistically couldn’t keep much in it because the location is right at the hip where your leg bends to pedal.  The invisible side zipper is nice but has an extra interior button on a flap of fabric which, in my opinion, isn’t necessary and adds a bit too much extra fabric at the waist.  The skirt sports a high waist, with an even higher rise feature in the back.  While I appreciate the function of this feature, I also find this the downfall of the skirt.  The waist has so much material and is so high-waisted that it isn’t flattering to wear a shirt that is not tucked it.  In my opinion, the rise in the back is just too high, loosing style and making it down right hot in the summer time, but would fare well for the fall/winter/early spring months.

The skirt also tends to ride up pretty easily when off the bike so I find myself pulling down on the skirt often to readjust.  Overall, I like the color, fabric and fit of the skirt with the exception of the waist. I can see the skirt holding up well to lots of use and washing, making it a good, affordable purchase for the style conscience bike rider.

Trying to ride around looking like a pro? Makers and Riders have been producing great functional commuter apparel for professionals. We've been watching this Chicago born and bred company since it was once called nonetheless andwere diligent about getting these products in our store due to their quality, versatility and style.

This 3 season wind Shirt/Jacket is on point for you all weather riders. The material is amazing and works flawlessly. After meeting up with Johnathan, the founder of M&R, he explained the shirt is made out of an Italian fabric used in Burberrys outerwear line. Silky to the touch, its tough and durable enough for the elements. This shirt is great for more formal occasions and it quickly becomes a topic of conversation, in a good way. The articulated shoulders are great for mobility and ventilation. The expanded vertical seam down the center of the back adds to the breathability.

The functionality of the Trench Shirt/Jacket is the focus, Great ventilation and pockets for days!. Three to be exact, but each is on point. They all zip and keep contents fairly dry. The 2 side pockets can fit more than an iPhone for all you galaxy users but the chest pocket is perfect for a iphone. Great to have while blasting tunes from your phone on a gloomy, drizzly bike ride.

The tag on our version of the shirt says Nonetheless. On the M & R version, some great improvements have been made. The collar stays flat, as opposed to this versions curling and the sleeves have been made a bit longer, keeping those wrists warm.

On cold days, its best to wear this with a good insulating layer. The shirt is a great shell, keeping wind and rain out and heat in but cold air makes the fabric cold to the touch. Great for cooler days allowing air flow throughout the buttons and vents while the fabric keeps you cool.

This is an all around great shirt. Not just for riding but traveling and keeping all the important items on you. Pockets fit extra cards or cliff bars and don't get in the way when you saddle up or sit in a booth for dinner. And nothing makes me happier than a shirt I can clean with a wet towel. Yea, we get it, we're a mess.