I'm in the car because there's a block headwind. Or maybe temperatures are in the 90s and I don't want to arrive at a meeting a sweaty mess. Or I don't think I can fit all the groceries into the small panniers and I sure as hell can't do a Costco run on this bike.
"This bike" is my 32-year-old Bridgestone MB-1. Set up as a commuter, it has served a long life. No one would fault me for replacing it. And the rise of e-cargo bikes offers a tantalizing possibility: Is that the bike that will finally get me out of the car for my short errands?
I think so. But, I wonder: Am I only justifying the consumerist thrill of New Bike Day under a gloss of environmental do-gooderism? An e-bike is better than a car but still comes with a cost. The MB-1 still rolls fine. Which bike does the most good?
This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
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This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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A Celebration of Junk Miles
No longer dreading my next bunch sprint, I felt like I belonged on my bike again.
THE 92-MILE FAREWELL
THE SEA BREEZE OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND FELT DELIGHTFUL, AND I WISHED I COULD RIDE WITH MY EYES CLOSED AND TRUST THE REST OF MY SENSES TO STEER ME BACK HOME.
CHECKING IN ON MY CYCLING SELF
BUT, TODAY, PEOPLE OF ALL SORTS OF WONDERFUL, COLORFUL CULTURES WHO LOVE THE WIND IN THEIR HAIR HEAR THE SOUND OF A MILLION ANGRY HORNETS ON THEIR TAIL.
EVERYONE KNOWS 52x11 IS BIGGER THAN 48x10. EVEN THOUGH IT ISN'T.
THE HUMAN THRESHOLD FOR 'LEAST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE' IS GENERALLY ON THE ORDER OF 10 PERCENT CHANGE OF A VALUE.
I RODE THROUGH PAIN. YOU SHOULDN'T. HERE'S WHY.
AND WHILE \"PAIN\" AND \"SUFFERING\" ARE OFTEN THROWN AROUND IN THE SAME BREATH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BODY THEY'RE NOT, IN FACT, THE SAME.
THE RACES ARE FASTER. ARE THEY CLEANER? AND DOES IT MATTER?
THE LAST TWO EDITIONS OF THE MEN'S Tour de France were among the three fastest.
BRAYDON BRINGHURST VERSUS THE BEAST
THIS FORMER POLE VAULTER IS THE RARE ATHLETE WHO CAN BLEND EXPLOSIVE POWER WITH PRECISION AND CONTROL. BUT HE'D NEED A LOT MORE THAN THAT TO RIDE HIS BIKE UP THIS INSANELY TECHNICAL DOWNHILL TRAIL.
THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FRICTION-FREE
CONSIDER THE HUMBLE LIKE CHAIN. IT'S AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED BICYCLE PART COMPARED TO FLASHIER COMPONENTS WHEELS, CRANKS, AND DERAILLEURS. BUT THE CHAIN IS THE CRITICAL LINK IN THE DRIVETRAIN BETWEEN THE RIDER'S POWER AND THE BIKE'S REAR WHEEL.
MOLLY'S LAST RIDE
Twelve-year-old Molly Steinsapir crashed onto the pavement from a Rad Power e-bike and never woke up. With a poorly regulated electric-bike industry, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE WHEN A CHILD DIES?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COMBINE AETHOS WEIGHT, VENGE AERODYNAMICS, AND BUTTERY SMOOTHNESS?
Building a great bike is hard. Making a great bike better is even more challenging. Yet every three to four years, brands that make race bikes for their professional road racers take on this challenge.
