The Bike Life

Here's a review of BICYCLE DIARIES by David Byrne, published by Viking in 2009.

Why do some cyclists shave their legs? That's a good question. But here are just some of the reasons why you'll find riders with the razor and cream before they get on their bike.

How Bicycling Changed My Life - readers share stories about the profoundly positive impact riding a bike can have on a person

Book Review: Major Taylor - The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World - this is a review of the biography of Marshall "Major" Taylor, pionnering African-American cyclist, written by Andrew Ritchie and published by Cycle Publishing / Van der Plas Publications in San Francisco, California.

There are tons of free bike games on the Internet. Some are so-so; some are great. Here's our list of the the best free online bike games on the world wide web. Mountain bike games, BMX games, bike racing games. You'll find them here. One final note - these best bike games are just that - games involving bicycles. No motorcycles, ATVs,...

Best Bike Photos - Funny Bike Photos

There have been a lot of wise and insightful statements about bicycling made by a variety of colorful figures over the years. We've collected the best of them here.

Here are photos of the beer bike - it's a bar on wheels. - Das bierbike from Germany.

Personalize your bicycle - Accessories on your bike - do you have any fun things on your bike that make it unique? Talk about it here.

Why do you ride a bike? Here's your chance to talk about why you ride.

Color-Crazy bikes from Varsity Bikes & Transit, Minneapolis, MN

Cyclist Brian Marston talks about riding because "that's who I am." Weight loss, money savings, concern for the environment - all that's fine, but it's not enough to keep a person riding.

Stars on bikes - here's an interesting collection of photos of famous people riding bicycles

Here are photographs of the Raleigh Sports English 3-speed Bicycle

Bicycles in one form or another have been around for nearly 220 years. Find out more about their interesting history and see photographs and illustrations of bikes from then and now.

Here's a cool way to show your love for cycling. Take an old bike chain and snip off a length and then attach it to your key ring. Easy step-by-step instructions

There are a number of terrific books about American cycling legend and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, including several written by Lance himself. Check out the list below for titles that will appeal to every type and age of reader.

All humor is subjective, of course. But here's my list of the ten best (clean) bicycle jokes of all time. Be sure to memorize at least a couple so you can bust them out on your fellow riders next time you're together. You'll be the hit of every gathering.

Why Bike? Top Five Reasons to Ride

Some bikes just don't fit the mold. This article looks at recumbents, tandems and tricycles and talks about how they may be useful for people with different needs or preferences than offered by the most common types of bikes.

Sure, the weekend club rides are great. So are the charity rides to raise money for a good cause. But for a particularly memorable time, don’t miss these unique events that celebrate life on a bike with a twist. Midnight rides, Critical Mass, naked rides and more.

Ever think about trying out a recumbent bike? Recumbent bikes are ones where the rider sits lower and behind the pedals, almost like what you'd get if you cross a chaise lounge with an exercise bike. Find out more here about why people ride recumbent bikes, and why they might be right for you.

Kirkpatrick MacMillan was a Scottish blacksmith who lived from 1812-1878 and is credited with inventing the pedal bicycle. He was out watching people riding bikes, which at that time (1839) were driven by kicking the ground with your feet. MacMillan came up with the first pedal set-up for bikes, and provided a great leap forward. Find out more here about MacMillan and his innovation.

Chicago cyclist Dubi Kaufmann has an interesting project. He's the creator of BikeSalute.com, a website devoted to collecting photos of cyclists doing the "bike salute," i.e. posing with their bikes triumphantly over their heads. Find out more here.

Though Leonardo DaVinci sketched a contraption that looked like the modern bicycle way back in 1490, it was less than 150 years ago that a true bike with cranks and pedals was invented. Since then, bikes have served a variety of amazing uses, and if that sort of thing interests you, don't miss this article about the fascinating history of bicycles.

Today's fashionable "lady cyclist" is likely wearing spandex, skin-tight bicycle shorts and a cool top made from some high-tech fabric. This great piece looks back at what the women of 1894 had to wear when out enjoying that new contraption, the bicycle.

Here are the details of the 2007 Bicycle Film Festival, which celebrates all aspects of the bike life through art, film, music and performance. The festival visits 16 cities this year, including NYC, LA, London, Paris, Chicago, Minneapolis, Toronto, Portland, SF, Tokyo, Sydney and more.

Portland leads the way in innovative street design that encourages cycling and makes it safer. This short video high-tech crossing signal for bicyclists is just one more example.

Maybe you know Peter Gabriel. He sang with Genesis from 1967-1975 and has had success on his own with hits like Sledgehammer and others. Gabriel also enjoys an occasional bike ride as shown in this video of a recent concert where he grabs a bike and cruises around a stage while performing Solsbury Hill. No word on if he sings like that when he’s pedaling around the neighborhood back home.

Check out this photo documentary of a commute made by a cyclist in Melbourne, Australia. He's captured nearly 200 images of the scenes that flash by him during his daily 30 km, 1.5 hour ride into work. Some gorgeous scenery and an amazing trip.

A Portland church has a corner of its sanctuary set aside especially for cyclists to mediate and contemplate. Would you seek out a bike-friendly place of worship?

Here are the winning entries from a CLIF contest to recognize active, hardworking mothers. These three all found themselves enjoying a healthy indulgence for Mother's Day - a box of CLIF Bar chocolaty favorites, like CLIF Bar Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Almond Fudge, MOJO Chocolate Almond Coconut and CRUNCH Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Hate to just pitch your old tubes and tires in the trash? Here are some good options for reuse and recycling of bike tubes and tires.