It’s that time of the year again, crops are being planted in our fertile Jersey City soil.  We have had decent results in the past.  In fact, one of our Habanero plants yielded over 250 Habaneros last year.  The majority of which are dried and ground up to make spicy seasonings.  This year we are planting:  Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, Parsnips, Carrots,  Habaneros and some assorted herbs.  Now to get Rosie our hen back to laying eggs.  She started molting and thus went on an egg laying hiatus recently.

Speaking of crops……Johnny Cash, “Look at Them Beans” from 1975. Nice watch strap on the album cover.

Have you heard about this? Not a lot of green but certainly a “pedal” in the right direction.

Jersey Journal 1/3/09

“People who regularly use their bicycles to get to and from work are eligible for a $20-a-month, tax-free reimbursement from their employers for bicycle-related expenses, according to the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

Employers will in turn be able to deduct the expense from their federal taxes, the group says.

“We’re hearing that many employers don’t know anything about the bicycle commuter provision, or that it went into effect on Jan. 1,” NCBW board chairman Peter Harkness said in a news release. “This provision is a matter of equity; it gives bike commuters benefits similar to those already enjoyed by people who drive or take public transit to work.”

Part of the Bicycle Commuter Act passed by Congress in October, the $20-a-month tax relief for employers per bicycle commuting employee is to cover the cost of any employer reimbursement for reasonable expenses “for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment,” according to the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.”

More info here

A Freeman Transport bike makes for a smooth commute.

Loosely related:

Bird Bath Bakery/City Bakery offer a 25% discount when you arrive by bike. They are a green orientated bakery. Of their 3 Manhattan locations 2 offer the discount; in the West Village on the S/E corner of 7th Ave. South & Charles St. (one block from 10th St. near the 9thSt. PATH). And in the East Village on 1st Ave. between 13th & 14th streets.

Here is a nice compilation of biking accessories. In no particular order.

#1 Trophy Bikes in Philly is a no nonsense outfitter. They sell Walz cycling caps, Brooks accessories, Carradice saddlebags and these very cool Pearl Uzumi winter cycling glove/mittens to name a few.

#2 Cinelli mouse pads and some decent retro cycling t-shirts can be found at the Velo Store. Altru Apparel has some very cool vintage Olympic Games style t-shirts.

#3 Freeman Transport Double Leather Pedal Straps with dull nickel hardware – Handmade in the USA.

#4 Something I use regularly is the gmappedomiter. If you are a runner or cyclist this is a great tool. Once you are on the site, input your address where it says, ‘Jump To’ then plot your route. You can save them for reference later.

#5 Stocking stuffer idea – Leave it up to Pedal ID of Japan to make some very cool miniature 1/9 scale track bike models. Brand new!

#6 As many of you know, the London based company Rapha makes superior cycling gear. I hear rumblings that they may soon stock merch at their Portland, Oregon location. Until then we will have to pay the shipping costs to get thier great gear. I have had this fixed backpack on my radar….Also look into Endura of England for some decent winter riding jackets.

I would also encourage anyone looking for quality made Cordura messenger bags, totes or back packs to check out the Portsmouth, NH company Bailyworks. Jon Baily was originally inspired some 20 years ago when he picked up a hitchhiker who was shouldering a vintage DeMartini messenger bag (DeMartini, aka Globe Canvas Co., was the 1st company making messenger bags in NYC. They sold to Manhattan Portage years ago and then things get murky from there.)

#7 There are a ton of cool cycling caps on the market but the ones Shaun Deller makes by hand in Portland, OR are excellent. “All salvaged fabrics are washed using earth friendly detergents. Tags are printed on 100% recycled paper. I am interested in creating a new vision for cycling/outdoor apparel. His blog is great too.

#8 Made from a recycled bike chain, it’s the perfect place to display that photo of you cycling through the Rhone-Alpes.

#9 I am sort of digging these Chuck Tayor inspired Hi-Tops over at Terra Plana. Made by the brand Worn Again. They are constructed from recycled canvas, motor-bike tires and a recycled rubber sole. Sure they are a bit pricey at $130 but they are still $170 bucks cheaper than the Margiela ones and a shit load tougher. Black and Olive available.

#10 Made out of a small garage in Bend, Oregon Woody’s Fenders are the perfect compliment to your road bike. Quality made using recycled wood, stainless and brass hardware and four coats of a high quality Marine grade clear gloss. They are offering 20% off their “built and ready to ship” models. The only issue I have with Woody’s is that they offer too many choices.

#11 If you know anything about bikes then you certainly know and can respect the Campagnola brand. But did you now they make one helluva nice corkscrew? Available at cbike. Note that the pivot bolts for the arms are actually the same bolts that Campagnolo used to hold the chainrings to the crankarms on their legendary Record model cranksets. For $100 bucks more you can opt for the Bronze model.

#12 The Italian Cycle shoe maker, Marresi is known for their high end, modern cycling shoes but their vintage version has me sold.

If you are into authentic vintage cycling shoes you may get lucky and find your size at Yellow Jersey.

#13 New Old Stock Eddy Merckx heandband and Merckx/Cinelli stem over at Cafe de Velo.

#14 Campagnola Heritage Sweater at cbike.

#15 Another beautiful winter merino wool trainer can be found at Vintage Velos. First time offered. Saddle stitched, raglan sleeves and full embroidered on front and back.

#16 Portland Cyclewear will make your very own custom wool jersey and sells some pretty cool 3/4 length messenger knicks . Their ‘PC’ logo hi-visability wind jacket is on sale for $25.

#17 The HID bike light company, Light & Motion of Monterey, CA gets my nod. Exceptional product and exceptional company. In June of this year they were honored with the “California Small Business of the Year” award.

“Light and Motion exists because of its staff. They are a remarkable group that has pushed the company forward with relentless energy and enthusiasm. Together we have vertically integrated the business to allow better quality control when the trend is to go “offshore.” We have pushed our local suppliers to be best in class to allow us to build here, keep our carbon footprint small, and keep our team close to our product. We believe these things matter. ” If that is not enough, these guys even have showers on the premise to encourage cycling to work. If I was looking for a job these guys would get my resume…..here are a few things they offer:

• 401K Retirement Plan
• Health Insurance
• Company Funded Health Savings Account
• Pretax Cafeteria Medical Plan
• Paid Vacation Days
• Paid Sick Days
• Subsidized SCUBA Diving Instruction

#18 Vintage Bicycle Press is selling the book, “The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles.” A nice coffee-table book at $60.

#19 Give a subscription of Cog Magazine. Their 1st photo annual hard cover edition is now available for $30.

#20 Cambria Bicycle Outfitters carries the full line of Torelli gear. The Torelli Tipo Uno leather bike saddle is a close second to Brooks. Not bad at $72 smackers.

We all know the wicked, far reaching impact of water bottles and any plastic containers or plastic bags for that matter. These horrible little vessels are everywhere and I would like to see us all look at different alternatives. Here are my methods and both would make great gifts as well as items to add to your New Years resolution list.

1) Get yourself a nice new Brita Chrome water jug or better yet order up one of the cooler Brita ‘Elemaris’ jugs from the UK.

2) Buy a few nice sized stainless steel (not aluminum) water bottles. I like the offerings at Klean Kanteen out of Chino, CA. They have a nice, very understated selection. You can also buy caps and spouts when you need replacements for under $3. Their bottles are made out of 100% recyclable, high-quality, food-grade, stainless steel so it won’t leach toxins or weird flavors into your drink. Plus it weighs only 8 oz and is incredibly durable, so you can reuse it for years.

LL Bean and Klean Kanteen have recently teamed up to bring you the Bean Canteen.

www.guyotdesigns.com also has some decent stainless steel bottles.

Nau, a Portland, Oregon outdoor apparel company is so driven regarding ‘green’ principles that they have applied sustainability criteria to each and every stage including design, materials, production, distribution, and customer care. They are very forward thinking in just about every aspect of their business model. They recently figured out how to develop a 3 layer waterproof breathable fabric made from recycled polyester and are working on ways to remove solvents from the lamination process. More on their philosophies HERE

Nau’s Asylum Jacket

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Another company thinking about Mother Nature is Finisterreuk, a Cornwall, England based Eco-Technical Surfwear Company. These guys are also pioneers in many alternative waterproofing techniques and recycling. For example, they have introduced beeswax impregnated poly-cotton fabrics, garments of traceable merino wool, and embraced recycled polyester fabrics, while simultaneously dropping laminated waterproofs in favor of what they see as a biometric alternative. Biometric waterproofs use a fiber pile worn away from the body and then waterproofed similar to an animals fur. Besides this maximizing the waterproofness it keeps weight to a minimum. Further, the garments can be recycled because there is no use of lamination or solvents in any of the manufacturing – just 100% polyester. Polyester is currently one of the easiest textiles to recycle. While the biometric jackets are made from virgin polyester the fiber can be reclaimed and recycled at the end of its life time.

Finisterre’s Humboldt Jacket