See New York City For Free!

Sound too good to be true? Yeah, I thought so, as well, until finding something very cool on the Wend Magzine blog about a FREE bike rental program being offered by the Downtown Alliance in an effort to get more people on the city streets out of cars and onto bikes. Check out the full article here. http://www.wendmag.com/blog/2009/05/19/new-york-city-offers-free-bike-rentals/

A Deer Cycles to End Hunger

Yes, these are tough times...enough said about that. But, there are still many people in our company (Ingersoll Rand) and elsewhere looking for ways to make the lives of others easier. I am humbled by those people. One I'll mention today is a new friend, Trish Karter, founder of Dancing Deer Bakery, soon to embark on a 1500 bike ride from Atlanta to Boston, to raise attention to, and financial support for, feeding hungry families. She doens't need to put her body out there, just her celebrity. But, she wouldn't be satisfied with that. Follow her on twitter to learn about her progress and give her moral support.

Spring Is Here!

Despite what that furry little Punx, Phil may have wanted us to believe, we've turned the corner to Spring! How do I know? A good friend of Kryptonite, saw his shadow, while taking a ride this weekend. Rejoice! We made in through another winter!!!

(photo courtesy of Neil McDaid)

Bike2Work

Three cheers for the latest UK/US collaboration! Two cycling mavens written about before in our blog, Carlton Reid and Tim Grahl, have completed their book, Bike to Work, and to borrow their words, it is a page-flippin' beauty! To download a free 50 page sampler , go to http://tinyurl.com/Bike2Work. Once you do, I bet you won't be able to wait for the full 250 page version due out at the end of December.

Happy First Century!

Props and Happy Birthday to Josh, the eleven year old son of a good Kryptonite friend in the UK, who did his very first Century ride this weekend....yes, you read that correctly...eleven years old, one hundred miles on his bike....boy, do I feel like a lump!

For pix and more details from his proud dad, check out http://quickrelease.tv/?p=662

Can You Say Road Trip??

Back from my desert vacation (which was wonderful, thank you!) just in time to learn that the US Bicycle Route System project, which has been not much more than a vision for the past four years has become a reality! For more information about this advocacy triumph check out www.adventurecycling.org/usbrs . (Nice to read about something uplifting for a change...) Just think, if this project is fully executed we could have as many as 50,000 miles of an interstate cycling route network. How's that for a road trip?!?

Alternative Transportation Day at Ingersoll Rand

by Holly Emerson, Ingersoll Rand


Wednesday, October 22nd 2008 proved to be a beautiful day here at the Davidson campus of Ingersoll Rand for our inaugural Alternative Transportation Day and a great opportunity for employees to learn more about greener ways of getting to work and how we can reduce traffic congestion and help clean the air.

The day started off at a crisp 37degF and dark. Four of us, that would be Elizabeth Newidomy (a true greeney), me and my assistants, Ryan (9) and Kayla (7), froze for about 90 minutes handing out lunch vouchers and Starbucks gift cards to alert carpoolers and some very dedicated bicyclists. One woman rode in at about 7am on her beach cruzer. How cool is that? I think she gets the prize for most creative alternative transportation method, whenever I decide what that is.

Several carpoolers sped right past us, apparently we looked like some crazy family waiting for a ride. Lesson learned: wear the Progress is greener gear so people can spot you. We were soon joined by Gabe Workman from Clean Air Works! and Michael Gart, an energenic young grad. All in all we recorded almost 100 carpoolers, three bike commuters and one vanpool group.

As the day warmed up so did the activities. Chris Vasiloff, Arleigh Jenkins, Steve Doolittle, John Wilcox and Sarah Matchett from Cool Breeze Cyclery were on hand to inspect bikes and lead a lunch ride through Davidson. Their large yellow and black tent was a good draw for the avid cyclists on campus. Also joining them was Lauren Blackburn, Davidson town planner. The town of Davidson recently approved a bicycle transportation plan which will improve bicycling conditions on many roads and eventually link a Mooresville to Charlotte route, encouraging more to commute by bike.

Elizabeth Lintner, also from Clean Air Works!, and Gabe had a table with lots of information about reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality. And Dan McGuinness and Michael were on hand to answer any questions about carpooling and recruit new Green Team members.

Folks from Industrial Technologies, led by Dipen Shah, dedicated their time to help with a jam-packed Nitrogen fill day. They filled the tires of 31 cars with Nitrogen! With an increase of approximately 3.3% in fuel efficiency gained from properly inflated tires, this could potentially prevent 50 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere in just one week! The Nitrogen fill is always a big draw. It's great to see people taking advantage of it.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Air Quality gave free gas cap checks and gas cap replacements for those getting Nitrogen in their tires. Up to 30 gallons of gasoline can be released from a leaking gas cap, in just one year.

And saving the best for last, many thanks to Kryptonite for the donation of four KryptoLok ®s for our raffle.

We wanted to educate people about greener commuting options, encourage commuting by bike, and tell employees about all the good things the transportation committee is doing. I think we accomplished our goals. It was a good day.

(Pictures by roaming photographer Harry Owanesian.)

Bike Friendly or Not?

The League of American Bicyclists announced its first annual report on the most bicycle friendly places in the US. Want to know if you're living in the right place? Go to http://www.bikeleague.org/news/090508bfs.php to find out.

Cyclin' For Life

12th Annual Cycle for Life to benefit the Tufts Medical Center Floating Children's Cancer Center

by Rob Zuraski, Director of Engineering and NPD

Woke up at 4am Sat. morning to heavy downpours on the South Shore of Boston , along with news on the web site that the 50 mile ride was cancelled and everyone would do the 25 mile for safety reasons. I was drenched to the bone just loading up the bike and getting in my truck. Luckily by the time I was driving through Boston to the North Shore where the ride was scheduled, the rain let up and held off for the whole event. It was great to see past Kryptonite crew members and all the other riders and volunteers inspired to raise funds for this event. Thanks also to all the volunteers and police that helped man the route and the donors that supported us.

The ride started out at Devereaux Beach in Marblehead and wound up a beautiful coastal route to Singing Beach and back. Even more inspiring than the scenic route were the people I met along the way...
One woman I met had a daughter who lost her battle with cancer several years ago. This woman was back riding to support the hospital. Another guy I met passing each other a few times along the way told me at the end of the ride that he was a cancer survivor and had a huge section removed from his abdomen. Can't forget to mention he was riding a mountain bike and I was on my road bike! Even had a couple of kids along the way collecting for another cause in front of a store cheering me on and informed me that I was in 10th place (even thought it wasn't really a race!)...

Most of the riders and volunteers that I met seemed to be directly affected by the work done by the Floating hospital (hospital workers, cancer survivors, friends and families of children touched by the wonderful program) and have inspired me to make this an annual event..
Our team: Fast Foodies raised $7,911. So far, the web site says $127,579 total was raised for the event, but they mentioned $150k tally at the end of the event - its still not to late to donate!
www.cycleforlife.com
www.floatinghospital.org
http://www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/

Special thanks to Peter and Ellen Zane, founding family members of Kryptonite who helped organize our team and the event.

Our Fast Foodies team consisted of previous/existing Kryptonite crew:
Peter Zane
Roby Holland
Rob Zuraski
Neil McDaid
Rosalie Garver
Eric Lightbody
Nadine Fallon
and a few other friends Peter recruited...

Get Out and Ride!

by Roby Holland, National Sales Manager

I just came back from a very relaxing local vacation. I was supposed to have my brother visiting and the plans for his visit were golf, fishing then repeat. Unfortunately he was unable to make it so I changed my plans to spend my days with my family, which is more appealing. When you live in an area that has so much to offer it is hard to decide what to do.

I had been pushing my wife to get a bike all summer and she has been reluctant to do so because she was unsure she would like it. Unexpectedly, she asked if I would be interested in going down to Brewster, MA and rent a couple of bikes, to ride the bike trail. I was in! This was a great opportunity to spend sometime with the family and do something that I really enjoy. In the morning we headed to Cape Cod Rail Trail Bike and Kayak on our adventure. It was a great morning to do this, like a perfect early fall morning. We got our bikes, a trailer for Owen, my son,(attached to dad's bike ). I did a quick review with my wife of the bike components and how to use them. I tried to keep it as simple as I could so she would get the maximum enjoyment out of the ride.

Before we took off I grabbed a lunch from The Brewster Lunch Box then we headed off along the trail. I was apprehensive that my wife was going to have a difficult time adjusting to the new technology on these bikes. The last time she was on a bike was over ten years ago, in Ireland, and the bikes were equipped with 3-speed Strurmy Archer shifters and old school breaking. For about the first half mile I was tense and constantly asking how things were going. I even asked Owen to ask Mommy how thing were going. As only Owen could say it "Mamma how doin?" Mamma how doin?". To my surprise and relief she was enjoying it! Now, I could relax and enjoy the ride.

We rode for a while, passing lakes and cranberry bogs along the way. The bike path was in great shape, smooth and wide. There were plenty of people using the trail, bikers, runners, and in-line skaters. There was a ton of families like us. Owen was a little too quite while he was sitting in the trailer and now I had a new concern, my son's enjoyment. I had to investigate whether or not he was having a good time and the best way to do this with my son was to say "Peanut, Peanut butter ". If he was in a good mood I would hear him respond "JELLY" . So I got his attention and said "Peanut, Peanut butter" with no responses. Oh no, this is going to be a short ride. I tried it again a little louder this time "PEANUT, PEANUT BUTTER" and waited. A few seconds later he popped out "JELLY" and then " jazz hands". He was having a great time! He only says "jazz hands" when he is shaking his hands, which is an indication that he is really having a good time. I know I was having a great time and now the circle was complete.

We rode for several miles and then decided it was time to turn around. We wanted to have lunch at one of the lakes that we had passed on our way. Once we arrived at our destination we broke out the lunch and sat down to eat, but that was only for a brief second or two. The next thing I heard out of my son's mouth was "DUCKY, DUCKY" and "Owen down please, Owen down please" He wanted to go play in the water with the ducks. How could I say "NO", he was having fun and so was I. So we played in the water and fed the ducks and just relaxed. We took a few photos to remember the day and headed back to the bike shop. By the way awesome sandwich from The Lunch Box!!!!! Once we got the bikes back, and our helmets and stuff in the car we headed home. As I watched my son drift off to sleep on the ride back I thought about how awesome that day was and how much fun I had with my family. I would recommend to anyone in the area, take the family to ride the trail and stop by Cape Cod Rail Trail Bike and Kayak, as well as The Lunch Box while you're at it!

Roby's Ruminations on Life, Etc.

by Roby Holland, National Sales

Heavy title, I know, but really just some random thoughts, observations and comments about the last couple days.

R & B...Ridin' and Bondin'
Last Friday Kryptonite participated in a Bike to Work Day event in Boston, put on by the Mayor's office in an effort to get people to ride their bikes to work. The morning was awesome and made me think about how I wanted to get on my bike and go out for a morning ride after I was done with this event. The event was well attended by many teams and individuals who rode from different locations around the area. The organizers had coffee, bagels and fruit for the people who rode in and a radio station playing some good tunes for us to pass the time. I had a chance to speak with some people I had not seen in a while and catch up on what they were up to. I had a great time at this event and I look forward to the next time Kryptonite is asked to participate.

The Fishin' Blues
Last year was the first time I was able to take the Regional Managers out fishing after our annual sales meeting. This year I was only able to take one of the guys out because our other RM had a presentation to do in Canada. The morning was cool, much cooler then I had expected. I set out earlier to catch some bait for us to use. After a while of casting with little success, I tucked in my pride and went over to our local bait boat to purchase $20 worth of pogies. We would use these to catch The Monster Bass that I had promised Craig. After getting the fish into the bait well I made my way back to the dock to pick up Craig. We motored out to Gurnet Point, the area where I had several successful hook-ups with large linesiders. I gave Craig the lowdown on the fishing equipment. We each hooked a pogie and let them go. No luck...Well, after a few hours we decided to try several other locations with similar luck. Finally the tide began to turn and started to come back in. We headed out to a rip that I had luck with and knew would yield a fish, but not sure what. Once again I baited a hook for Craig, he cast and we let it swim out several yards. It didn’t take long for Blue Fish to get a hold of the bait. Craig had a fish finally. As he brought the fish along side, the Blue’s teeth cut through the leader and was gone. After several hook-ups and several bite offs, I decided that it was time to go across the bay and try our luck near Providence Town. I wanted Craig to get a hoagie, on a pogie and thought it was the place for that to happen. The trip took us twenty minutes to and it was just perfect. We threw our bait out and let the games begin. Wouldn’t you know it, not more then fifteen minutes later Craig had another fish onthe line, but it was a Blue Fish. Fortunately, I took the time to build some wire leaders in case these guys showed up again. We were able to get this one into the boat and released with minimal damage. Over the course of the next few hours we had several looks but no takers and ended up leaving with no Stripers. I had a blast and really enjoyed the time just hanging out with Craig, not doing much but fishing. I hope to get him on the boat again next year with better results.

What Time Is It?
Uniforms, foliage, double sessions and drop off are a few of the words we are beginning to hear in daily conversations. Summer is almost over and I have not ridden as much as I was planning.. It just seems that life is moving faster then I want or like. It was only a few weeks ago I was laying out my plans to go on a ride every morning I was home this summer. We’ll that did not work out so well. So, I have laid out my plan for the remainder of the summer and into the fall. If I learned anything this summer, it was that time does not slow down, it only speeds up. How was your summer?

Bond Broken

Be forewarned that this is one of those stories that will really crank off many of our readers... its a story about an occurrence that's just wrong, wrong, wrong....but it does highlight the importance of being sure you're careful to use the right type of security for your bike or motorcycle, considering the value of your stuff that may need to be replaced, not to mention the vehicle when its stolen. I do have to say, these two have a much more generous attitude toward the thief than I would have had!

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/Home/story.csp?cid=126107&sid=1&fid=1

Tim Jackson Rides Again!

For all of you who worried right along with me back in the Spring when Masiguy was in a fierce racing crash...you'll be happy to know that today he took his very first ride!

Yes, on August 1st, Masiguy takes his first ride. And, nut that he is, he video taped it.

Now, I'm going to be like those commercials on TV. Don't try this at home folks. Why? Watch the video and you'll see...Masiguy was missing something critical to a safe bike ride...his helmet! Ummm...Tim....we know you were excited, but c'mon...get that helmet and ride safe.

All in all, Masiguy got to his destination and back safely and did it ON A BIKE!

WOOOO-HOOOO!

Congrats, my friend. It's been a long haul.

How Not To Get Hit By Cars!

I thought that title would get your attention....so you're thinking about dusting off the bike and using it to help stem the $4.50+/gallon bleeding?? Well its probably time for a refresher course in bike safety....no, not one of those cheesy movies or videos you saw in health class in school....here's a great guide (from which I shamelessly took the title of today's post) for you to bookmark, read and pay attention to! http://bicyclesafe.com/

Thank you, Michael Bluejay.

Bike To Work Day

by Don Shipman, Western Regional Manager



On Bike to Work Day, May 15, I worked an Energizer station in downtown San Jose. Energizer Stations are set up throughout the Bay Area on Bike to Work Day to encourage bicyclists to ride. An Energizer Station is a small booth set up along the roadways of major bike commute routes that has food, goodies and free stuff to hand out. Every year, bicyclists who stop by these stations receive a free re-usable Bike to Work Day bag full of tips on safety and useful bicycling information.

This year, some of the Energizer Stations had Odwalla, CD's and the one downtown had free helmets. Yep free helmets! They weren't Giro's but they were good quality and it was about as good as free gets!

This year, there were roughly 200 Energizer Stations setup throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, conveniently located on major bike commuting routes. Hundreds (or close to a thousand) riders stopped by the downtown San Jose Energizer Station to take a break, grab an OJ, Bagle or even a helmet and spirits were high as the 80 degree morning weather could not have been better for getting on your bike.

At the end of the day the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition hosted a "Bike Home from Work" party in downtown San Jose that drew a packed house at Gordon Beirsch in downtown San Jose. The police had cordoned off the entire block with barricades for bike parking and it was filled with hundreds of bikes. The weather cooled to about 80 degrees again for a perfect ride home.

All in all, I put in about 40 miles that day riding on my urban bike. It was a work day but it sure didn't feel like work!

Off the beaten trail

by Roby Holland, National Sales Manager


This week I was on the road once again and for those who know me it usually means flying from Boston to where ever. This time was differnt, my trip was to up into Canada and the airfare was outrageous. Instead I decided to drive, it would cost half as much as the flight and with a new Thule bike rack atop my car I could bring my bike along and maybe get a ride or two in along the way.

On my way from Montreal to Toronto I was feeling the need to pull over and take a break. I pulled over in this town just north of Cornwall to fill up on gas and see if there was a bike shop around that could point me in the right direction for a afternoon ride. The guy behind the counter pointed me down the highway to a shop call Kalrim. Mind you I was in the middle of nowhere and I had a feeling that the shop was going to have a "gone fishing" sign hung on the door when I got there, I was wrong.

When I went in the store I met Parminder "Cookie" Kalsi, the owner. The store was small and decorated with pictures of hockey stars and cycling events from days long along. If you took the time to look closely you would see that Cookie was in most, if not all, the cycling pictures. In fact he was a top mechanic back in the day over in Europe and was on the circuit for a long time.

His craft brought him over to Canada working for companies like Speedwell and Yamaha. Yes, Yamaha was in the bike business back in the day. The companies that he worked for ended up going out of business and so he opened up Kalrim. In my conversation you could see that he loved the work that he was doing and that he was very passionate about cycling.

We had a great conversation about his ski tuning machine parked out in the back of his shop. The machine was similar to the one that I used when I was working as a ski tech and the conversation brought back memories of the fun times I had working in the shop.

After talking for awhile Cookie showed me the local bike trail and pointed out the route that I should take. I wanted to stay longer but I still had a long drive ahead and daylight was creeping away. So, with a farewell to Cookie, I headed off for my ride on the Cornwall bike trail.

Forty-Four miles later I was still eager to ride some more. The trail took me downtown and along the river through islands, it was awesome. I had never ridden a trail before on my road bike but it was great! No, cars to worry about - smooth pavement with no potholes! It was the way cycling should be experienced. The ride and my time meeting Cookie made my trip all the more worth it!

The long boring drive ahead of me passed quickly as I played back in my mind the day's ride. I will never forget this and I will look forward to doing it again in the next time I have to do this trip.

To Cookie,
Thanks for the maps and the direction, the ride was more then I was expecting! Take care and I look forward to seeing you again!

Biking in Boston...and Austin

Got a couple of quick tidbits for you as we get into the middle of Bike to Work week:

This weekend the Boston Globe had a great piece about Specialized creating versions of their new bikes to specifically fit different cities around the world. They've got one for New York, London, Seattle, Chicago and, yes, our little Boston!

It's a purple bike and seems fairly cool:
"There are big nods to messenger culture, including drop handlebars in bare chrome, a white chain (yes, it's really white), and white-painted rims and hubs. Flip the rear wheel around, and you can ride the bike as a fixed-gear, meaning you're always pedaling, whether you're accelerating or slowing."

Cooler still....our friend Chris is quoted as the counter to the 'fab' review...he's a Stah (as we say in Boston)....
Chris Rowe, a messenger who used to paint frames at Independent Fabrication, the high-end bike maker in Somerville, sums up a few common complaints. "The tribal graphics are kind of weird," he says of the paint job. "The track handlebars are wrong - for messengers, three-speed or downhill-type bars have been a Boston tradition since at least the early 1990s. And most of us ride steel frames - they break less than aluminum, and they're comfier on Boston streets."

Today, the Boston Globe has a piece about Mayor Menino taking a 'ceremonial ride' to kick off Bike Week in the city that has vowed to become bike friendly. It's kind of funny that the Mayor only rode a half mile yesterday since he truly is someone who rides his bike for exercise throughout the summer. Allez, Mr. Mayor!

Oh, and the Masiguy, Tim Jackson, has been crowing about Mellow Johnny's carrying Masi bikes (and that is completely fantastic!), but we've got some crowing to do of our own....turns out Mr. Armstrong's new shop not only carries Masi, but they also are an exclusive Kryptonite dealer. Yea...we're into world domination, too, Jackson!!

Ride safe, y'all!

English Lake District

by Paul Graveson, European Sales & Marketing Manager



Living in the Beautiful Kent countryside near the South coast of England I have few excuses for not getting out into the great outdoors, although my burgeoning middle age spread tells a different story! However, my first blog for Kryptonite takes me back to my roots in the North West of England...

Two or three times a year I get together with a few of my old mates from 'up-North' to do some walking, biking and a little drinking in the English Lake District! Due to work commitments (yes I do), I've missed the last few outings with the Lakeland dogs (my mates). So arriving in Ambleside, a small town on banks of Lake Windermere, was pleasant and warming feeling - I'll try not to get too poetic just yet.

Due to the long drive I arrived late, checked into my hotel and then set off the Drunken Duck pub. Now for those of you who don't know this part of the world we are talking about a unique piece of heaven on earth, pristine countryside, quaint pubs, lots of sheep and... lots of rain!

Believe me, the rain only serves to buff the sparkling-green terrain so that when the sun does arrive you can take a deep breath and feel at one with the world.

On arriving at the Drunken Duck the early birds where already out and about on their mountain bikes, the real workers had a pint and contemplated which curry house we would be frequenting that evening...

Meet Spike & Baldric (Mike & Sean to their Mothers). They are both bankers, really, & while the rest of us are consumed by the effect of the sub-prime market, they're out on their bikes - who's steering the flippin ship!?

After a bite to eat & a pint of England's finest bitter, we set off into the wilderness, onward and upward toward Helvelyn. Now I need some leeway here because it rained so much we didn't actually do much of a climb and just ended up doing a lowland walk around Grasmere & Rydal Water (look-up Wordsworth if you want to get poetic). Still it was good fun, the company was great and the heart warmer for the effort.

Yes, I've noticed too, the The Lakeland Dogs do have a penchant for blue!

Chipps Chippendale, the editor of Singletrack Magazine, was my inspiration for this blog post. After reading his magazine for the first time I realised that you could be over 40, enjoy an odd drink with your mates and still be part of the action sports world, power to your elbow Chipps!

My next blog will take us away from cycling to the world of five-a-side football, the football where you use your feet - OK, if you must, 'soccer!', and the epic journey of the 'Real Stars' soccer team & their quest for mediocrity.

See ya soon

Paul

Bob Roll Event in Boston - Friday!

So, it's May...and the weather is starting to get better here in New England. Driving to work this morning I even got a whiff of fresh cut grass for the first time this year. That is when I know Spring really has arrived!

Another way to tell it's spring? More cyclists out and about. More people commuting, more people riding for enjoyment. It's great to see.

We are all about getting Spring going here at Kryptonite! And, we're helping one of our great dealers, Landry's, kick off the spring cycling season by stopping by with Bob Roll on Friday night! That's right, Bobke is going to be at Landry's Boston store this Friday night for "An Evening with Bob Roll." How cool is that?

The event kicks off at 7pm and all the details can be found on Landry's event page.

Here's the address:
Landry's Bicycles
890 Commonwealth Avenue
BOSTON, Massachusetts 02215
617.232.0446
RSVP to: boston(at)landrys(dot)com

I'll be there....Eric will be there....Roby will be there....and probably a few other Kryptonite folks. C'mon out and join us - it will be lots of fun hanging with Bob!

Charity rides, walks or runs...it your choice

by Roby Holland, National Sales Manager


With all the talk about spring and the warm weather also comes the endless solicitations (good cause solicitations) for charity rides, runs and walks. There are so many out there you can't do them all.

What are you to do?

Here is my suggestion - look over what you like to do, either bike, run or walk. Look for a cause that draws you in that you might have some kind emotional connection to (like the Cycle for Life)

Once you find the event that is to your liking jump in! A lot of these event have helpful web-sites to get you started with donations and getting your self physically ready for the event.

Giving of ones self is the most gratifying feeling ever, especially when it is for a good cause.

Enjoy, you won't regret it!