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Tom Babin
Tom Babin

463 Followers

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Published in

Shifter

·Dec 21, 2020

Does your city hate you because you ride a bike? Mine kinda does

Do you ever have those moments on a bike when you feel like the city doesn’t really want you there? I decided to document some of those feelings on a recent ride. Originally published at Shifter.

Bike

1 min read

Does your city hate you because you ride a bike? Mine kinda does
Does your city hate you because you ride a bike? Mine kinda does
Bike

1 min read


Published in

Shifter

·Nov 9, 2020

How many gears should you have on your urban bike? Three. Or maybe eight. But no more!

Originally published at Shifter.

8 Speed

1 min read

8 Speed

1 min read


Published in

Shifter

·May 13, 2020

Carbon-belts, internal hubs and everything else about drivetrains you need to know for your bike commute

You’ve no doubt ridden a bike driven by a chain. But have you tried one that’s powered by a carbon-fibre belt? Both power a bike using the same principles, but there are some fundamental differences between them, including the fact that most bikes in the world — in fact, nearly…

Cycling

2 min read

Carbon-belts, internal hubs and everything else about drivetrains you need to know for your bike…
Carbon-belts, internal hubs and everything else about drivetrains you need to know for your bike…
Cycling

2 min read


Published in

Shifter

·Apr 16, 2020

Finding my way on a bike through the COVID-19 lockdown

I, like most of you, have been stuck at home for weeks now because of the COVID-19 lockdown, and I’m glad to be doing my part to help stop this virus. But it hasn’t been easy. Being stuck home for weeks, frankly, sucks. But thankfully, I’ve still got my bike…

Cycling

1 min read

Finding my way on a bike through the COVID-19 lockdown
Finding my way on a bike through the COVID-19 lockdown
Cycling

1 min read


Apr 9, 2020

Why I don’t use a fat bike for my winter bicycle commute

Perhaps the most common question I get from winter cyclists these days is simple: Why don’t you ride a fat bike for your winter commute? It’s true, I don’t. I ride a built-for-winter commuter bike that has non-rusting parts and skinny tires. But fat bikes are pretty amazing winter machines, and I’ve ridden plenty of fun miles on one. So here I lay out my case for why a fat bike isn’t my commuter choice, but maybe for you.

1 min read

Why I don’t use a fat bike for my winter bicycle commute
Why I don’t use a fat bike for my winter bicycle commute

1 min read


Published in

Shifter

·Feb 21, 2020

My perfect winter bike has been upgraded — is it better?

My winters changed forever with a smiling dude with curly hair standing behind a bike in the lobby of a conference centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was an early edition of the Winter Cycling Congress, an annual event that brings winter bike lovers from all over the world together to…

Cycling

5 min read

My perfect winter bike has been upgraded — is it better?
My perfect winter bike has been upgraded — is it better?
Cycling

5 min read


Published in

Shifter

·Dec 16, 2019

Add lights to your bike for the Christmas season

I’ve always wanted to do this, but never quite got deep enough into Clark Griswold mode to get it done. But this is the year I decorate my bike with Christmas lights. This is mostly for fun, but being more visible on the roads during the dark winter months isn’t a bad thing! Check out my video below to see how I did it (spoiler alert: It’s super easy!). Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Follow Tom Babin on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Medium.

Christmas

1 min read

Add lights to your bike for the Christmas season
Add lights to your bike for the Christmas season
Christmas

1 min read


Dec 5, 2019

The best bike lights for winter 2019

As the days get darker, it’s important to be well lit on your bike commute. So I’m testing three lights to see which ones stack up the best. The new Biolight PowerLight Mini. The Beryl Laserlight, my favourite light from last season. And a $15 wraparound handlebar light. Which one is best? Thanks to both Biolite and Beryl for sending me the lights to try. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Follow Tom Babin on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Medium. You can also follow Shifter on Facebook or Medium. Tom Babin is the author of Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling.

Bikes

1 min read

Bikes

1 min read


Published in

Shifter

·Dec 5, 2019

The best bike lights for winter 2019

As the days get darker, it’s important to be well lit on your bike commute. So I’m testing three lights to see which ones stack up the best. The new Biolight PowerLight Mini. The Beryl Laserlight, my favourite light from last season. And a $15 wraparound handlebar light. Which one is best? Thanks to both Biolite and Beryl for sending me the lights to try. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Follow Tom Babin on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Medium. You can also follow Shifter on Facebook or Medium. Tom Babin is the author of Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling.

Cycling

1 min read

The best bike lights for winter 2019
The best bike lights for winter 2019
Cycling

1 min read


Oct 31, 2019

Urban transportation is being disrupted, but it isn’t big tech that’s doing it

The cry went out as soon as the news hit Twitter: “No! Now I’m going to have to buy a second car!” That was the response from a co-worker when the news broke recently that Calgary, where I live, was among the handful of North American cities being abandoned by…

Transportation

5 min read

Urban transportation is being disrupted, but it isn’t big tech that’s doing it
Urban transportation is being disrupted, but it isn’t big tech that’s doing it
Transportation

5 min read

Tom Babin

Tom Babin

463 Followers

Cyclist in Chief at Shifter.info. Author of Frostbike: The Joy, Pain & Numbness of Winter Cycling http://bit.ly/1shP2WI. Author, journalist.

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