Commute By Bike received the Cateye TL-LD570 Reflex Auto Light that we previewed last week and it quickly took the place of the TL-LD610 that we’ve openly loved before on Commute By Bike.  Our initial spin around the block is that this rectangle of a light is bright, and the reflector works wonderfully.  Something I didn’t realize I was missing in a light.

For now the light is mounted on the Salsa Casseroll seat tube but long term will be mounted and tested out on a rear rack.  The light looks very much like a rear reflector, very little styling but it gets the job done.  In fact, I enjoy that it looks like a boring over-sized reflector as it may not be stolen due to this!

Once we get longer rides and feedback from cars behind, I’ll check back in with a better, true, review.  For now, check out our initial preview of the light.

If you are interested in purchasing this light or something like it:
Visit our affiliate REI.

This product was given at no charge for review purposes.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

To be honest, I’ve never walked into a review for a product so excited, yet so worried about the outcome.  Normally, I have a pretty good idea of how I’ll feel about a product – sometimes my decision or opinion will be swayed one way or another based on product durability or features.  The Burley Travoy is a unique trailer system, that would either completely sell me on trailers for daily use or leave me hoping for more.

Initial Reactions

When I pulled the Travoy out of the shipping box I was pleasantly surprised in the weight and how small the trailer could pack down into.  (Folded size: 21″ x 18″ x 8″)  The details of the design are pure Burley – from how easy the handles turned within each tier of the folding system, to how the wheels popped off and even to how the bags or rain fly installed. To see these in action, view the video below.

The plastic wheels and height worried me. Would the system be easy to use on all my bikes, and would I break the plastic wheels on my short off road and gravel excursions??

Riding with the Travoy

The Travoy was tested, maybe too hard at times, on all of my bikes and on many different surfaces.   Everything shy of mountain biking this little Travoy saw, and it seemed to do well on all of them.  The small 12″ wheels tracked well and the Travoy never seemed to want to pitch over, even on shaky gravel hills.  The wheels are even still straight and the tires show only a slight bit of wear.

Every bike I tried the Travoy on, worked well.

• The Trek Madone seen in the video we used a rubber sleeve between the clamp and the carbon as not to scuff or scratch the carbon.
• The closest encounter I had with compatibility issues was with my Salsa Casseroll and rear rack.  The arm of the Travoy was very close to touching the rack, and if the bike/trailer ever were on different levels of terrain I’m sure it would of hit.

Accessories for the Travoy

The Burley Travoy comes as a naked system seen here.  It comes with two straps, and a carrying bag that doubles as a large bag that goes on the bottom tier.   If you want to purchase the Grocery or Transit bags they are additional, but are dual use for in the grocery store (Grocery Bag), or as a messenger bag for your laptop (Transit Bag.)

Overall Impressions of the Travoy

The Burley Travoy is a great commuter or urban cargo system.  The upright position of the trailer makes it more viewable for cars and other cyclist.  The thought out bag system allows you to commute to work with your laptop, or go grocery shopping with ease. 

This system is by far my favorite grocery hauler that I’ve tried.  The fact I can take the Travoy in as my shopping cart and dual use the bag system in the grocery store, ring up my groceries and have everything already put in place when I leave the store is AMAZING.  Simply hook the trailer on and you are riding off into the sunset.

The trailer due to the 12″ wheels and low clearance isn’t for anyone going off road, and the wheels would even limit me personally for using this for a loaded tour, but for a short stint would work fine.

Pros and Cons of the Burley Travoy

Pros  :

• Easy to use
• Upright position for viewing and carrying
• Two wheels for stability
• Weight of system
• Small collapsible system

Cons :

• Small wheels
• Needed additional accessories
• Low clearance

The Burley Travoy will be continued to be tested through the fall.  I plan on a short overnight tour (S24O) utilizing it, and other little test.  You should see this revisited so keep your eye on the keyword “travoy”.

If you are interested in purchasing a Burley Travoy visit our friends and sponsors at BikeTrailerShop.com.

This product was given to us from Burley at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

We featured the new bikes from Puma at the beginning of the summer and many people commented on the aesthetics of the bikes. Regardless of if you like them or hate them, they spurred enough of an opinion inside of you to comment. Due to this, their marketing and design team did their job very well.

Welcome the Puma Cargo Bike

From Puma’s Headquarters, Somwhere in Crayonland : PUMA Mopion is rock steady for the daily grind. It mixes city bike features, and cargo bike features, making it a sturdy companion. It comes with a super-size innovative front carrier for heavy duty transport of your groceries or other needs. Developed for city dwellers, Mopion features a light aluminum frame, making it a one-of-a-kind lightweight cargo bike weighing only 22 kilos. The geometry holds the body in a slightly inclined, but still heads-up position for navigational ease and exceptional balancing. The name Mopion derives from an island in the Atlantic Ocean, symbolizing the new Trans-Atlantic approach and balancing PUMA’s European heritage with American popular culture. Mopion will be available in white, black and in the bold color combination magneta/blue/lime. The colors are likewise inspired by vibrant island colors. Mopion defies the expected.

PUMA Mopion Cargo Bike

Puma Bikes Online

My tri-modal commute to Charlotte has partially changed my perspective of commuting concerns.  One of these concerns is clothing which I’ll be deep diving in the next few articles.

Photo Credit : Outlier

Business Attire and Dress Codes

Since I now work back in the marketing and advertising industry there is more of a dress code than what you find in the bike industry. There are days that one is able to wear khakis or even jeans, but on the days that there is a slight chance of a meeting or client call those clothes won’t cut it.

Dress clothes, especially nice ones, don’t wear well for riding a bike and sweating. They also don’t do well with being shoved into a messenger bag. While I’m looking into a better solution of carrying the business attire, laptop and paperwork I still haven’t found it.

Shopping for Bike Friendly Dress Codes

While my better half cringes when we go shopping, I’ve been shopping for styling clothes that are “bikeable.” If I was a guy, this would be easy but it seems like the idea of technical fabrics and womens dress codes are very rare.

Thankfully the mornings have been cooler so I can pull off the 2.5 mile bike ride from the bus to work by simply rolling up my pants legs and pedaling slowly not to sweat. This won’t always be the answer, especially when it’s raining! (Currently those days I walk.)

Bikeable Work Clothes

What do you use? What brands or fabrics wear well and still can allow you to walk into a board meeting?

Today’s Guest Post is brought to you from Renaissance Bicycles.  A very cool company bringing heritage and craftsmanship of bicycles with today’s latest technology. This is a re-post from their own blog, with their permission.

Seth Godin, the author and social media marketing maven, is one of the most interesting and relevant people on the Web. He recently wrote a short article entitled How Big is Your Red Zone? that illustrates the balance between the time and effort needed to engage in a new activity as contrasted with the long-term benefits. This idea is not new, but Seth’s take on the one key element that determines long-term success is insightful.

Seth Godin Article

Every activity worth doing has a learning curve. Riding a bike, learning to read, using Facebook… the early days are rarely nothing but fun.

“Take a look at this three part chart. The first shows how much joy someone gets out of an activity. Over time, as we discover new things and get better at it, our satisfaction increases. At some point, there’s a bump when we get quite good at it, and then, in most activities, it fades because we get bored. (In the top graph I’ve also added the Dip, showing the extra joy from being an expert, but that’s irrelevant to this discussion).

“The second graph shows the hassle of that same activity. Riding a bike, for example, is horrible at first. Skinned knees, bruised egos. Twitter is really easy to use the first few times, so not so much red ink there.

“The third graph is just the two overlaid. That zone on the left, the red zone, is the gap between the initial hassle and the initial joy. My contention is that the only reason we ever get through that gap is that someone on the other side (the little green circle) is rooting us on, or telling us stories of how great it is on the other side.

“The bigger your red zone, the louder your green dot needs to be. Every successful product or passion is either easy to get started on or comes with a built-in motivator to keep you moving until you’re in. This is so easy to overlook, because of course you’re already in…”

Hopefully as you read the article, the application to bike commuting is obvious. There are lots and lots of individuals in “the Red Zone” of bicycle commuting — in fact you probably already know a few — and they need the big Green Dot. Not the obnoxious, smug, public spectacle Green Dot, but the cheer leading, supportive, you-can-do-this-too Green Dot.

In other words, the most effective means for the cycling community to promote the very thing we value is … to promote the thing we value through inclusion. Certainly infrastructure, equipment, advocacy, safety, etc. are all relevant issues, but they are all a sidebar to what will really make a difference … You.

Though it sounds like a theme to an After School Special, actively taking the time to positively support and encourage others is the real golden ticket to increase cycling for transportation. Connecting with the aspiring bike commuter, treating them with respect, and helping them achieve their goals are the fundamental keys to increased ridership. In other words, lose the Us / Them mentality and just be a big Green Dot.

In a soon-to-follow post, we will list the Top 8.5 things you can do to be a Green Dot for Red Zone bicycle commuters. In the mean time, let us know your best practices, success stories, and words of encouragement.

One of the most obvious differences in bicycle trailers is the frame and wheel design.  A quick example of each can be seen below.

For heavy hauling most trailers I have seen, especially child trailers, are two wheels.  The two wheels allow you to distribute the weight over the surface and into two rolling wheels instead of one.

Personal Experience

I’ve used the BOB Yak and several different models of Burleys so I have a good idea how the different systems handle.  A bit of a disclaimer as every trailer will handle differently, especially dependent on how you attach the load.

Bike Trailer Blog

Our friends over at BikeTrailerShop.com have a blog, BikeTrailerBlog.com, and they wrote about this exact topic a couple years back.

One wheel designs
In a one wheel designed trailer the weight of the trailers load is shared between its only wheel, and the rear wheel of the bicycle.  Due to the weight being spread between the bike and the trailer, the rear driving wheel of the bike will be pushed into the ground aiding traction tremendously. When off-road touring or bike-camping, this is a great advantage as steep terrain is amazingly easy to sit and spin up with surprising grip, even with the additional load being towed.  Also, the width is an obvious bonus in tight conditions. The compromise however, is that the handling of the bike changes in direct reflection to the weight of the load. With maximum payloads often being around 100lbs, this can be quite a dramatic difference from the bike alone. Learning to predict the weight shift in tight terrain & quick maneuvering is key as the bike will occasionally try to find its own direction. When using a single-wheel trailer for around town errands, it’s sometimes difficult to stabilize the entire bike-trailer unit when parking, unless a prop (sign post etc) or a secondary kickstand is used. These characteristics of single-wheel trailers make them the most efficient design when technical situations such as single-track and narrow pathways are sought, and less ideal for general around town use if operating space is ample. This video shows a great example of a B.O.B. Ibex single wheel trailer in its element.

Two wheeled trailers, on the other hand, rest the majority of their load between its own two wheels. This leaves the rear wheel of the bike, and therefore the handling of the bike itself, relatively unaffected by the added weight. Actually, it’s only the weight being pulled that is felt, for the most part. Tire wear should not increase substantially and using a single kickstand is no problem as the bike remains independent of the trailer.  The compromise of course, is the width of the two-wheel design. For any type of technical terrain, or extremely tight areas of operation, this can become overwhelming. Narrow sidewalks and gates can become a real obstacle.

Good Rule of Thumb

If you are planning to do extensive, off-road single track or narrow technical pathways or otherwise, you’ll want to lean towards a single wheel trailer.  If around town utility is what you’re going to be looking for, study up on the variety of two-wheeled designs available and keep the load off your bike, and your bikes handling, predictable.

What is Your Personal Experiences?

Let us know what style you prefer, and why!

A sponsor of the site, BikeTrailerShop.com & BikeKidShop.com has a trailer sale ending today!  A bit late, but with our topic this week of bicycle trailers it really fits in well.

BikeTrailerShop.com Specials: Croozer Cargo & Dog Trailers 10% Off Aug 16th to 24th!
BOB Trailer Special! Get a FREE Wandertec SAX-BOB Liner with purchase of a BOB Trailer!

BikeKidShop.com Specials: All Chariot Carriers and Croozer Child Trailers 10% Off Aug 16th to 24th!
Closeout of 2009 Burley Solo ST – Only $319! (Originally $549)

Since we’ve had the Burley Travoy in for review I’ve received several emails about styles and recommendations for different applications.  This week I’ll do my best to present different styles of trailers and the pros or cons of all.

Videos of Bicycle Cargo Trailers

What better way to see a trailer than in action? Thanks to YouTube and Vimeo we’ve been able to capture videos of each trailer system. If you have questions about specific models comment below, but each day this week I’ll do my best to explain the differences.

BOB Trailers

Croozer Child Trailers

Wandertec Bongo Trailer

Paddleboy Trailer

Extrawheel Trailer

Burley Cargo Trailer

Chariot Trailer

BikeTrailerShop.com is a friend and sponsor of Commute By Bike, we have to tell you this thanks to the FDC.

A new light was recently released, the Reflex Auto TL-LD570, from Cateye. What is so unique about the light? It turns itself on and off utilizing optic and motion sensors.  If this system really works, I’ll save myself a handful of batteries per year by leaving my light on at night when I leave the bike.  My only concern about this light is that it uses darkness to help detect when the light goes on, personally I like to run my light all the time.

We have a test light on the way for review, will report back once I have more details.

From Cateye

The Reflex Auto tail light has both optic and motion sensors to determine when to automatically activate the light.  When darkness and motion are detected the light turns on instantly!

The combination of active and passive safety help provide even more visibility.  The active safety refers to our standard tail light technology, perfected over years of development.  The passive safety component refers to our outstanding CPSC reflector design that has exceeded highest governmental standards for many years.

The 5 super-bright modes, over 180 degrees of visibility, and various mount options will help you stand out from the crowd and guarantee you’ll be noticed at night! – Cateye.com

More Details

• MSRP : $30-33 per
• One high power center LED + four 5mm LEDs
• 5 super-bright modes
• Up to 120 hrs of runtime (Reflex Auto Rear)
• Up to 60hrs of runtime (Reflex Auto Front)
• Runs on 2 AAA batteries

Recently, as of three weeks ago, I took a new position back in the marketing arena. You can read more about this over at Bike Shop Girl but the most important thing for you all to know is changes are being made across all the sites that will benefit you, the reader, the most. Hence the lack of posting.

The thing that pertains to Commute By Bike the most, my commute through life, has changed a great deal. What was once a 4 mile bike ride in the suburbs to work in shorts and a tshirt, is now a 27 mile commute to the big city of Charlotte from the suburbs.

You may find this strange but I enjoy this new mini-adventure everyday. Being able to go into the city during the week has added a bit of excitement to my suburbia life. I am enjoying seeing friends and messengers that work in town, wearing business attire and being part of the well oiled machine.

One of the other reasons I’m so excited about my commute is for this site. I will have much more commuter tid bits and tips from current, everyday, real life. As a bike commuter for 13 years, I know how to get from one place to another pretty efficiently but there are always going to be issues and concerns that come up day to day.

Day to Day Commute

On any given day, my commute changes due to meetings, football practice or work deadlines. All mornings I take the Express bus from Davidson, NC to Charlotte, NC. From the heart of the Charlotte I hop on the train for 2 stops and walk/pedal 3 blocks to my office. Some days I’ll bring my bicycle with me to be able to get around town at lunch or to make the 27.27 mile commute home from door to door. Other days I’ll ride the bus home, or carpool with a friend if our schedule works out.

Things Will Change

As daylight gets shorter I most likely will take a step back and not ride the whole route home from work. Take the bus to Davidson and ride the 5.5 miles home. There are thoughts of joining the YMCA that is a block away from work so that I can ride in to work, shower and change at the YMCA. That may happen in the winter when it isn’t so hot.

A New Adventure

My daily commute probably isn’t for someone that needs to have a concrete schedule, or pinched on time. I spend about 1.5-2 hours a day commuting in one form or another. I leave the house at 6:45 and get home about the same time. For me, I enjoy the adventure and change of pace. I’m typing this blog post sitting on the bus on the way to work, and I’ll probably work on another article for Bike Shop Girl tonight. The other things i do is people watch, listen to a whole host of podcast or slowly I am becoming more comfortable reading without feeling sick.

Here’s to a new adventure and expanding the websites further than any of us knew!