I've been lucky enough in the past few years to have ridden my bike in a bunch of cities all over the world. Looking back, here are lessons about urban cycling I learned from 12 different ones.
This is a channel about urban cycling, bike commuting and the ways we get around our cities, hosted by Tom Babin.
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YouTube memberships: https://www.youtube.com/@Shifter_Cycling/membership
The Ultimate Guide to Bike Commuting and Urban Cycling, A Shifter Course is designed to give newbies the knowledge and confidence to make the bike a bigger part of their lives: https://shiftercourses.thinkific.com/
Iβve been riding Priority bikes for a number of years. I love their low-maintenance, belt-drive design, and they offer good quality at a decent price. They signed on as a sponsor for my YouTube channel several years after I started riding them.
My daily summertime bike is the zippy and fun Priority Eight: https://alnk.to/1XWoxFO
With its fenders, hub dynamo lights and durable Enviolo internal hub gearing system, Iβve happily ridden the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters: https://alnk.to/gKS5Jlw
My book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://amzn.to/42EBzO6
Here is some of the gear Iβm currently using. Some of these are affiliate links.
Bike Lights: I love dynamo lights that are built into a bike and powered by your pedalling or the wheelβs movement, but if you need aftermarket lights, Lumos offers a number of great options. Their Firefly lights are simple and bright: https://collabs.shop/3uodbz
Helmet: If Iβm riding for sports, such as mountain biking or road bike, I like Lumos helmets because they are comfortable and well-built, and you can also easily attach lights to stay as visible as possible on roads: https://collabs.shop/prkigy
Bell: I love the sound and quality of the Japanese-made Crane Bells: https://www.cranebellusa.com/
Saddle: Yes, they can be pricey, but Iβve joined the ranks of people who think the extra cost for the quality of a Brooks Saddle is worth it, in both durability and comfort: https://www.brooksengland.com/
Panniers: My everyday workhorse pannier is Two Wheel Gearβs Pannier Backpack Convertible 2.0: https://twowheelgear.com/collections/pannier-backpacks?srsltid=AfmBOop6XPOZUjmjf4-Nr1MVwSivDO7igNWhL6Y3PzWOzkqtraTAS-D5
Pedals: Iβve not experienced high-performance pedals adding much extra value to my daily riding experience, but these light-up pedals from Redshift are bright, keep me visible at night and grab lots of attention: https://redshiftsports.com?aff=40
Phone mount: I use Peak Designβs mobile system, including the Universal Bar Mount on my handlebars every day, which I also bring it with me when I travel for bike rentals and bike-share bicycles: https://peak-design.pxf.io/c/5749368/1664050/18669
Buff: Keeps your face, neck and head warm in the winter, and keeps the sun off in the summer: https://peak-design.pxf.io/c/5749368/1664050/18669
Sunglasses: If youβre going to wear sunglasses, why not use a pair that has built-in mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride?: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof
Donβt forget to register your bike with an online database.
My favourite is 529 Garage https://project529.com/garage
Bike Index is also good: https://bikeindex.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombabin
Bluesky: tombabin.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tombabin (@
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#cycling #bike #commuting
0:06 Montreal
2:07 Paris
3:48 New York
5:29 London
6:44 Edmonton
8:05 Seattle
9:41 Oulu
10:35 Ottawa & Washington, DC
12:33 Victoria
14:21 Berlin & Hamburg
