Why did we launch this blog? To this day, listening to my favorite music while riding, is at once energizing, transportive and magical. As a friend recently put it “I was totally taken by surprise. Adding music to my ride changed the experience to something completely new and wonderful”. (more…)
An excerpt from Keith Earickson’s Review-
“Sound Quality:
Amazing, and I’m not even qualifying that based on the small size and light weight of the Jam-Pac. The sound is great regardless with actual bass and treble tones that I can hear separately and therefore the clarity and lack of distortion from these speakers is impressive.”
Click this link to read the full article…Commute By Bicycle’s Jam-Pac Review
Bicycle Speaker Review: What’s New for iPhones, Androids, iPods and Other MP3 Players
November 2011 For pdf printable copy: Bicycle Speaker Review
Today there are many clever ways to add music to your bicycle, with offerings at various levels of sound quality, convenience and price. Most speaker systems mount on your handlebars. They come wired or wireless, battery powered or rechargeable, with and without volume control. Some can even recharge your smartphone while you ride!
Audible Rush is offering two special edition versions of the Jam-Pac Bicycle Speaker handlebar bag music system for the holidays. The special editions include a price discount, monogramming of up to 3 initials, gift wrap, a note card with the giver’s personal message and an extended, no questions asked guarantee. They’ve also announced an ‘unconditional fun guarantee’ that allows someone to return the product if they don’t think riding a bicycle with music is more fun then not having music. Checkout the details at Audible Rush Bicycle Speaker System.
Sherri and Marc at the Bike Run- 10/15/2011:
This past Saturday, Irvine, California held a bicycle ride, one of many events this fall to help celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the founding of the city. Irvine is one of the nation’s largest planned urban communities and encompasses more than 65 square miles. The official anniversary of the city is December 28 when in 1971 the residents voted to incorporate.
The city boasts 44.5 miles of off-road bicycle trails and 282 miles of on-road bicycle lanes. You can get a bike map of the city at: Irvine Bikeway Map.
The short 4 mile run started at the base of Quail Hill in Shady Canyon and continued on paved traffic free bike/hike trails up to Bommer Canyon. The natural scenery was peacefully serene which gave us a chance to try out the Audible Rush Jam-Pac Bicycle Music Speaker Dock with some mellow music on the flats and downhills, punctuated by brief energetic selections on the few up hill runs. (more…)
Despite hundreds of letters from cyclists, advocates and industry suppliers and retailers in support of a bill that would require motorists to give riders three feet of room when passing, California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the pending legislation. While he supported the idea of having the three foot rule, he sided with the CHP’s (California Highway Patrol) argument that the bill’s requirement that motorists slow to 15 MPH in situations where 3 feet is not available would create a rash of traffic congestion and collisions.
I don’t get it. How can you support a 3 foot space around a cyclist and then not support the situation of slowing down the car until a 3 foot space is available? Apparently 16 other states have the 3 foot rule in place already and are not reporting an increase in traffic problem or collisions due the law.
See the following link to read more…
California Biking Coalition on Brown Veto of SB 910
Currently trending: Cyclists everywhere are admitting their secret love affair with music. But not just any music will do. To really turn on bike riders, it helps if the music can sustain that special tempo. You know that song. The one that for some unexplained reason propels you up that extended climb as if the speakers were strapped to your quadriceps. What makes a great cycling song? Which songs and artists are others listening to while they ride?
The posts in this section will explore how biking can enrich us, our children and our community. We will discuss how to use music to make biking more fun, get you out more, and increase the effectiveness of your time in the saddle.
Did you know cycling can help keep you fit, reduce traffic, reduce pollution, reduce obesity levels, reduce type II diabetes, drive down health care costs and generally save human kind from self destruction?
We’ve all been tempted to text while we drive, even though we know that it is dangerous and against the law. 34 States and Washington DC. have bans on texting while driving. Distracted driving statistics indicate “drivers reportedly distracted at the time of fatal crashes increased from 7 percent in 2005 to 11 percent in 2009”1.
Well, the same applies to wearing headphones to listen to your music while you ride. (more…)
California may soon be the 19th state to require at least 3 feet of space between bicycles and a passing motorist. This will be a big win for cycling safety.
Follow this link to the California Bicycle Coalition’s excellent article for the full story: California Bicycle Coalition Article.
Every time I use my cell phone for playing music, the screen shuts off (disappears) after a few minutes and it’s a pain to change to the next song or select a new play-list. This can be fixed manually, requiring thumbing through layers of menu settings each time you listen.
Instead, with the right app, your smartphone could detect your speakers as they are plugged in, set the volume to 90%, the screen to bright, lock the display back-light to on and launch and lock your music player software on-screen. Nice.
What about holders for smartphones and what is the best sounding bicycle music amplifier/speaker system out there? How can you extend battery life for those really long rides or multi-day adventures? This topic will explore solutions to the ‘Disappearing Screen’ and more.