Time Travel: Your character, thousands of years in the future, discovers the Acropolis and tries to find out what it was, what happened to it, and its importance.
Born in Teguscigalpa, Honduras, Augusto Monterroso (1921- 2003) is mainly known as a Guatemalan writer. In his early life in Guatemala city, where his family relocated in 1936, Monterroso began to publish his short stories and was one of the founders of El Espectador with several other writers. Due to his clandestine work against Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico, Monterroso was detained and ultimately exiled to Mexico in 1944. He occupied various ambassadorial posts in several Latin American countries in the 1940s and 50s before settling in Mexico city for good, where he died in 2003 at the age of 81.
A person who likes novels writes novels; a person who likes short stories writes short stories. Since I’m of the latter persuasion, I write short stories. But not that many: six in nine years, eight in twelve. Like that.
One cannot write too many short stories. There are three, for, or five subjects; some say seven. Those are the ones that must be worked on.
As for pages, they also have to be a few, because there are few things as easily ruined as a short story. Ten extra sentences and the story is impoverished; ten fewer and the story becomes and anecdote, and there is nothing more odious than an excessively visible anecdote, written or in conversation.
The truth is that nobody knows how a short story should be. The writer who knows it is a bad storyteller, and his knowledge becomes obvious from his second story, making everything sound false, and boring, and deceitful. One must be very wise to resist the temptation of knowledge and confidence.
“Erik Larson has been widely acclaimed as a master of narrative non-fiction, and in his new book, the bestselling author of Devil in the White City turns his hand to a remarkable story set during Hitler’s rise to power. The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the suprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming—yet wholly sinister—Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror.”
Opinion:
Its definitely no Devil in the White City… That being said, its not too bad. Larson is great with historical descriptions and bringing characters to life. However, none of the characters were likeable. Embassador Dodd was portrayed as a bit of an anti-Semite, but was too polite to admit it. His daughter was incredibly self-absorbed and a tad “loose.” The story itself was anti-climactic. I was expecting a lot more from Larson in this book… However, reading the reviews, it seems a lot of people liked it. I was just kind of bored and underwhelmed by the characters.
The Film
Apparently, people liked this book so much that they are making it into a film starring Tom Hanks.
“In her beloved New York Times bestsellersSnow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and, most recently, Shanghai Girls, Lisa See has brilliantly illuminated the potent bonds of mother love, romantic love, and love of country. Now, in DREAMS OF JOY, she returns to these timeless themes, continuing the story of sisters Pearl and May from Shanghai Girls, and Pearl’s strong-willed nineteen-year-old daughter, Joy.”
Quotes:
“ A cup of tea on a hot day has a cooling effect”
“No thrust into the heart is greater or more harmful than that from one who says she loves you the most.”
“Sympathy is often mistaken for love. It snares people into unhappy marriages and lives.”
“Blessing and worry, happiness and fear- this is a mother’s love.”
Opinion:
I really liked the continuation of Pearl and May’s story through Joy. It was a beautiful story about mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends. The characters that I loved from Shanghai Girls, Pearl and May, were back, and Joy’s character is deepened and more complicated. Again, the history is fantastic. I liked the discussions about foot binding and Chinese propaganda posters. I also like how See tends to discuss and portray history from a feminine perspective.
Notes:
French fries with powdered sugar: so the book mentions that a Shanghai favorite is French fries with powdered sugar- I’d never heard of that but sounds delicious!
The book deals with the topic of Chinese propaganda posters. There are some excellent websites on these:
WASHINGTON, DC, September 22, 2012 – Every Sunday from 7 am to 2 pm, 121 kilometers of main streets and thoroughfares in Bogotá, Colombia–a city of almost 8 million people–are closed to vehicular traffic to allow the city’s residents to bike, jog, roller-skate, skateboard, and stroll. There are hundreds of vendors along the route, mostly offering fruit products and health food. The route is also dotted with bicycle repair stations, health promotion spots, and, at several parks along the course there are open-air aerobics classes, free to everyone.
Known as “ciclovía,” this model is being copied in cities around the world and even a few cities in the US.
An idea from the 1970s
Ciclovía began as an experiment in 1974, the brainchild of a group of university students, mostly cyclists, as a way to bring attention to the lack of public recreational spaces in the Colombian capital. On December 15, 1974- Sunday- the city’s department of transportation closed two of the main streets for cyclists, roller-skaters, joggers, and walkers. The city’s residents responded overwhelmingly, as thousands showed up on their bicycles and roller skates to enjoy a day of car-free streets.
Due to the popularity of the event, Bogotá established four bike routes in the city shortly afterward. Beginning in September of 1982, it closed 54 km of roads and streets to vehicular traffic every Sunday for 6 hours. People came out in droves to exercise, walk, or just people-watch.
Soon it became a tradition and an institution. In a city where more than half of the residents live below the poverty line, people could come out and enjoy the streets and physical activity for free. It also became a vehicle of social integration; ciclovía became a place where rich and poor mingled and enjoyed the city together. In a country where social classes are still largely divided, this is a rare experience. In Colombia of the 1980s, it was rarer still.
With many other Colombian cities and then other cities around the globe copying their model, ciclovía became a point of pride for all Bogotá’s residents.
Ciclovía Today: A Bogotá Institution
Today the ciclovía covers over 121 km and grew from a few thousand people on bikes to a weekly event that caters to over one million people. And it is no longer about merely closing streets.
The ciclovía provides bicycle parking and maintenance stations throughout the route, where residents can store or make basic repairs to their bicycles, skates, or skateboards. There are also several RAFI locations, which promote physical activity and healthy habits through exercise and remaining active. RAFI locations perform free physical evaluations and recommend a workout routine for both children and adults depending on their specific fitness level. They provide information about obesity, diabetes, the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle, and the benefits of an active lifestyle. The ciclovía also offers children’s activities, such as origami, drawing, etc.
There are also several “recreovías” located in parks and plazas along the ciclovía route. The recreovías offer six different types of aerobics classes, which are open to the public. The classes include, stretching, strength training, rumba dance, and a children’s hour where families can work out together. The recreovías are often also used as venues for free concerts, music, and dance events.
For those who do not own a bicycle, there are several bike rental locations and parks along the route where bicycles are available for use within a designated area free of charge. There are also extreme sports locations offering rock climbing, bike trials, and skateboarding. The ciclovía even has four veterinary stations where pet owners can get basic medical attention for their animals, as well as vaccination and information on care, feeding, and handling of pets in public spaces. Like any well-planned large-scale public event, there are over 74 public bathrooms available to users of the ciclovía along the route.
How and why it works
Every Sunday morning at 6 am, trucks begin closing the routes to vehicular traffic by placing plastic barriers and metal signs diverting traffic and providing information to drivers and users of the ciclovía. Vendors start to set up their stations and staff member take their positions along the route. Everything is up and ready by 7 am. Streetfilms.org filmed for 12 hours on a regular ciclovía Sunday in Bogotá. There is a great segment on the video showing exactly how everything is set up.
The most visible representatives of Bogotá’s ciclovía are the “Bikewatch” members, in yellow and red uniforms. They direct traffic, provide information, render first aid, help with lost children, report crime, and some even teach some of the aerobics classes in the recreovías. Bikewatch members are recruited among college students and are usually young and very enthusiastic about healthy living and sports.
Ciclovías are not expensive for a city to implement. A 2011 study by the Universidad de los Andes and published in the Journal of Urban Health estimated the yearly cost of Bogotá’s ciclovía to be around $6 per capita. This includes expenses paid by the city like Bikewatch training and other staff salaries, traffic barriers, equipment, etc., but it also includes private costs like bicycles, roller skates, etc., which are considerably higher. In the end, the expense to the city itself is around $1.7 million per year for 72 ciclovías (every Sunday and on major holidays), which works out to about $.25 per capita in direct costs to the city.
But Bogotá and its residents are getting a great return on their investment. The above study found that there was a cost-to-benefit ratio of 3.23 to 4.26. In other words, for every $1 spent on ciclovía and related expenses, there was between $3.23 and $4.26 in direct medical savings due to an overall increase in fitness rates among the population.
Yet medical savings are not the only way ciclovías result in economic gains for a city and an improvement in the quality of life of its residents. “So often our streets are not places where people want to be,” says Mike Samuelson of Open Streets Project. “They can be dangerous and dirty. People think of them as tools for getting from Point A to Point B. Open streets remind us that streets can be places for people: to play, to socialize or just to relax. By turning our streets into inviting places, we benefit the local business owners who will have thousands of potential customers walk by his or her store; the neighborhood residents who will be able to take advantage of the temporary park created by the open streets event; and folks from across the region who will be drawn to the initiative to explore a new part of the city.”
Ciclovías also help reduce pollution, noise, and demand for fuel. Ciclovías help to develop social capital and have a positive impact on everyone’s quality of life. They provide a healthy and productive use of public spaces, allowing families to spend time together while being active. Ciclovías work because they take advantage of existing infrastructure on a day that usually does not disrupt business. On the contrary, ciclovías increase business for most of the commercial establishments along the routes. They also boost the local bike-related industry and create a demand for bike mechanics and other related fields.
Ciclovías are also great because they are free to all of the city’s residents. Due to cost and scheduling considerations, for many, it may be the only way get a little physical exercise and remain active. Unlike joining a gym or participating in certain sports where a team may have to rent a field or pay for equipment, ciclovías provide spaces for people to exercise completely free of charge. Literally everyone can go out and jog or walk, regardless of age, fitness level, or how much money they make.
“When done right, open streets are community events,” says Mike Samuelson. “They provide a space for residents, businesses and other community stakeholders to interact with one another and discover new parts of their city and neighborhood. We’ve seen two things happen in other cities with open streets: participants discover stores, parks and spaces that are close to their homes that they didn’t know about (or didn’t realize were so close) and they feel a renewed pride in being part of their city.”
English: People riding bikes on the streets of Bogota Español: Gente disfrutando la ciclovía en bogotá (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ciclovías also promote alternative forms of transportation. For example, for people with fears of cycling in the city, ciclovías provide a safe place where they can learn to ride with other cyclists, pedestrians, etc. and gain confidence on the road by completely eliminating the threat of vehicular traffic.
Streetfilms.org has another very interesting film about how ciclovías, bike routes, and other livable cities projects have had a positive impact on everyone in Bogotá. “We can talk about how open streets provide safe space for exercise and promote local businesses, but what participants remember is the chance to see their city from a different perspective, both physically (from the middle of the street) and on a more emotional level, by seeing new aspects of their city and neighborhood,” says Samuelson.
Ciclovía in a city near you…and in DC-PLEASE!!
The concept of Bogotá’s ciclovía is being replicated and adapted in several cities in Latin America, including Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Several US cities also have their own ciclovía programs including San Francisco, New York, El Paso, Baltimore, and Miami.
It seems like there was a burgeoning DC movement for a ciclovía in 2009, but the idea has progressed slowly. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) tried to close certain streets for a ciclovía in 2009, but was unable to because street closures would disrupt bus routes.
In the film Lessons from Bogotá by Streetfilms.org, Aaron Naparstek states that in US cities, it is not an issue of funding, but an issue of priorities and political will. According to David Cranor of The Wash Cycle, getting a ciclovía in DC would take a mayor who supports the project and the willingness of DDOT to take the idea on again. Proponents of this vision could possibly find an ally in Mayor Vincent Gray, “I see open streets as fitting in perfectly with Mayor Grey’s One City platform,” says Samuelson. An open streets project would “connect different neighborhoods together across the city.”
The city residents would have to show interest in the project as well, says Cranor. Mike Samuelson agrees, “before DC can think about holding 20 or 30 open streets in a year, it needs to start on a smaller scale. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and several blogs have been pushing for an open streets in DC, but until we see buy-in from politicians and DDOT, or at least a willingness to more fully discuss the idea, we aren’t going to see open streets in DC, and we are going to continue to fall behind cities across the country and around the world that are promoting their neighborhoods and communities through open streets.”
“Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy, the brash cop from Tana French’s bestselling Faithful Place, plays by the book and plays hard. That’s what’s made him the Murder squad’s top detective—and that’s what puts the biggest case of the year into his hands.
On one of the half-built, half-abandoned “luxury” developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care.
At first, Scorcher and his rookie partner, Richie, think it’s going to be an easy solve. But too many small things can’t be explained. The half dozen baby monitors, their cameras pointing at holes smashed in the Spains’ walls. The files erased from the Spains’ computer. The story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder who was slipping past all the locks.
And Broken Harbor holds memories for Scorcher. Seeing the case on the news sends his sister Dina off the rails again, and she’s resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family one summer at Broken Harbor, back when they were children.
With her signature blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, French’s new novel goes full throttle with a heinous crime, creating her most complicated detective character and her best book yet.”
Quotes:
“It feels like someone’s using a tennis ball machine to fire starving pug dogs at you.”
“crazy as a bag of cats,”
“O’Kelly’s office always looks like the paperwork is on the verge of winning.”
“a ferocious sister-tangle of emotions,”
Opinion:
Classic weird Irish Tana French! This time, I had no clue who the murderer was- fantastic ending! It was creepy and French wove her characteristic tale of present-day Irish life that envelops the reader completely. I love how she takes characters from the Squad that she introduces in previous novels as pricks, and then totally humanizes them. I hated Scorcher in Faithful Place, but I am now a fan. I love the way she does this!
Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad Series & Main Characters:
“Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.
In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah‘s perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie’s all- knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.
Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman’s sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, “packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart.” It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.”
Quotes:
“Life is full of change, honey. That’s how we learn and grow.”
“When a chapter of your Life Book is complete, your spirit know its time to turn the page, so a new chapter can begin. Even when you’re scared or when you think you’re not ready, your spirit knows you are.”
“the powerful undertow of beauty,”
“Forgiveness has a whole lot more to do with the person doing the forgiving than it did with the person in need of forgiveness.”
“I don’t mean to lie, I just remember big.”
“What’s the difference between eccentric and crazy?”
“If you want to glow like you’re lit from within, CeeCee, wear pearls and a pale pink sweater.”
“Oysters are a lot like women. It’s how we survive the hurts in life that brings us strength and gives us our beauty.”
Opinion:
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS NOVEL! If you liked The Help and Steel Magnolias, this book is for you. I loved the idea of a Life Book, of doing something “for ugly’s sake,” the bond among the women, the Southern hospitality, the traveling bra! The black boomerang of karma, finding men like high heeled shoes, not growing up too fast; this book was beautiful. I loved that the only man that ever really appears in the novel, and only for a brief time, is CeeCee’s dad. I love that world of and for women, where women are strong and beautiful in so many ways. I CRIED my eyes out. Definitely a new favorite and one I highly recommend.
“In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together they endure the agony of footbinding and reflect upon their arranged marriages, their loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace in their friendship, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their relationship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a captivating journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. Now in a deluxe paperback edition complete with an expanded Random House Reader’s Circle guide and an exclusive conversation between Lisa See and her mother, fellow writer Carolyn See, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel is, as the Seattle Times says, ‘a beautifully drawn portrait of female friendship and power.’”
Quotes:
“In out country we call this type of mother love teng ai. My son has told me that in men’s writing it is composed of two characters. The first means pain; the second means love. That is a mother’s love.”
“You are soft in your words but strong in your heart.”
“Remember that beside a well one does not thirst. Beside a sister one does not despair.”
“’Read a thousand books,’ he said in a voice resonant with education (…) ‘and your words will flow like a river.’”
Opinion:
Beautiful, interesting, sad, and engaging. Absolutely loved it! The deep bond of friendship and sisterhood developed by the two women was beautiful, difficult and amazing. The complete description of footbinding was like a car accident- I wanted to stop reading but was fascinated at the same time. This is definitely another book for those who love stories about women, mothers, sisters, and friends. It is also well written and very well researched.
Footbinding in China:
There are some very interesting articles on footbinding on the web:
“Paris, 1815. Napoleon has just surrendered at Waterloo and is on his way to the island of St. Helena to begin his exile. Meanwhile, Daniel Connor, a young medical student from Edinburgh, has just arrived in Paris to study anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes–only to realize that his letters of introduction and a gift of precious coral specimens, on which his tenure with the legendary Dr. Cuvier depends, have been stolen by the beautiful woman with whom he shared a stagecoach.
In the fervor and tumult of post revolutionary Paris, nothing is quite as it seems. In trying to recover his lost valuables, Daniel discovers that his beautiful adversary is in fact a philosopher-thief who lives in a shadowy world of outlaws and émigrés. Daniel’s fall into this underworld is also a flight, for as he falls in love with the mysterious coral thief and she draws him into an audacious plot that will leave him with a future very different from the one he has envisioned for himself, Daniel discovers a radical theory of evolution and mutability that irrevocably changes his conception of the world in which he lives.
The Coral Thief, as riveting and beautifully rendered as Ghostwalk, Rebecca Stott’s first novel,is a provocative and tantalizing mix of history, philosophy, and suspense. It conjures up vividly both the feats of Napoleon and the accomplishments of those working without fame or glory to change our ideas of who we are and the world in which we live.”
Quotes:
“She had seen the Red Sea coral spawn, she said. When the sea reached the right temperature, when they are ripe, when the moon reaches a certain point, just once a year, down there on the coral reefs, the dark waters explode into white smokeclouds. It’s like fireworks or seedheads opening, thousands and millions of them, released into the water all at once. And when the coral spawn, all the other sea organisms follow. It’s like a trigger. The fishermen say it’s the moon that makes them spawn, she had said, and I said: How can they see the moon? They have no eyes. Perhaps they have other ways of seeing and knowing, she had said. Perhaps we all do. There’s grandeur in that.”
Opinion:
I really did not like this book. The characters were flat and one-dimensional, and you could not relate to them easily. The only character that stood out was Delphine, the little girl, and that is because children only have to be cute to get a reader to like them. The last page was the best part of the book. The plot was weak and mundane.
The history and was interesting, and well-researched, but there was hardly any real or interesting information about corals, which are one of the main subjects in the book. I was expecting something like The Orchid Thief, which was beautifully written and researched. This book should not have been named The Coral Thief, because it invites a very unfavorable comparison with the Susan Orlean novel- which is far more worth a reader’s time.
Cool, favorite, and necessary bike accessories and toys
Today there is an excess of gadgets, accessories, and toys for every bike rider. Whether you are a commuter, recreational rider, or hard-core trail rider, there are literally hundreds of accessories for you. Below is a list of the newest, craziest, and most useful gadgets and accessories used by riders today.
Get to work (in style):
Bike commuting has gained a lot of popularity. Many companies have implemented incentive programs to encourage their employees to ride and provide them with bicycles storage, showers, lockers, etc. However, most employers do not offer these amenities yet, and commuting to work can present certain problems like sweat, hair/helmet incompatibilities, dealing with the weather, etc. Fortunately, several companies have set out to solve these problems.
The Apollo shirt:
For those who have to dress up for work, the Apollo shirt will make sure you arrive at the office cool and dry. The Apollo shirt is a dress shirt by Ministry of Supply that uses NASA space suit technology to regulate body temperature. The Apollo also has unique “moisture wicking” construction and is antimicrobial. Another bonus, it is also wrinkle- free, so you never have to iron it. Apollo shirts are, however, not cheap. The Apollo shirt starts at $105 at the Ministry of Supply website. Ministry of Supply also offers the Agent shirt, which has all of the technology of the Apollo shirt, minus the heat-regulating technology.
The Hovding:
The Hovding is a stylish working girl’s or metrosexual guy’s dream. For fans of the elaborate hairdo, wearing a bike helmet has always been a problem. No more, say the Swedish makers of the Hovding. Working on the same principle as automobile airbags, the Hovding is a collar worn around the neck that pops out into a full helmet when triggered by sudden movements. The Hovding is currently only available in Europe and sells for around $600.
For rainy days, even the most well dressed commuter can arrive to work in style with the Veltop Classic Canopy. The Classic Canopy attaches to the handlebars and a saddle shaft of a bicycle to hold up a full canopy that protects the rider form the elements. It has a front windscreen and side protectors. Currently, it can be ordered online; prices start at $350.
Umbrella mount:
If you think spending over $350 is too much for rain and sun protection, there is also an umbrella mount for your handlebars. These can be found on Amazon for less than $5. Even though they look pretty sturdy, I’m not sure how well this would do at higher speeds or with heavy wind and rain, though.
Be safe
Safety is a big concern, especially for those who ride in the city. When riding in traffic, visibility is of the utmost importance. There are several new and DIY products that can help you stay visible and safe on the road.
DIY light up turn signal armbands:
One of the scariest things about riding with traffic is turning. I am always afraid that a car will not see me and plow into me. User CTY1995 on Lifehacker came up with a do-it-yourself, seemingly simple way to be much more visible when making a turn. The signals are made with electroluminescent (EL) panels that light up when you extend your arm, and the instructions on the site seem pretty straightforward.
Mirror/ signal:
The Winkku is a mirror, running light, and turning signal in one. It requires no wiring, is powered by 3 AA batteries, and clips on and off almost any bike handlebar. The Winkku has 5 orange LED bulbs to the front, 5 to the back, and 3 to the side to warn motorists at all vantage points. It also has front and rear running lights. The turn signals are activated by pressing a button on the handlebar for ease of use. The Winkku seems like a great idea if you are used to cycling when it is dark or in heavy traffic. It does seem to be a bit large and clunky, though. The base model is priced at £24.92, roughly $40.
Pedalite 360 Degree Visibility Pedal Lights:
For a much less obtrusive way to be visible, Amazon has the Pedalite 360 Degree Visibility Pedal Lights. The pedal lights charge as you pedal to flash the lights, which stay on for a full 5 minutes after pedaling stops. The reviews form customers, however, seem mixed.
The PUYL tire pump/ headlight:
Winner of the 2009 Eurobike award, the PUYL combines a bike pump and headlight in one gadget that fits to the frame of the bike. The LED light charges with pumping through electromagnetic induction. The PUYl can be viewed in formpasch’s website, but I have not been able to find it for sale anywhere.
The ICEdot Crash Sensor:
Launching next year, with a projected price of $200, the ICEdot Crash Sensor is a tiny circular sticker- the “dot”- that goes on you helmet. The “dot” detects and measures force and impact. Once it detects an impact, the dot sends a message to your smart phone starting a counter that alerts your emergency contact numbers and provides coordinates of where you are should you fail to stop it in time.
Other fun gadgets
Other gadgets help you harness the energy produced while you pedal, and even solar and wind energy. Several products just make riding easier and more enjoyable.
Charge your iphone while you pedal:
The Biologic Reecharge allows you to charge your iphone or ipod while you pedal. It has a 1600 mAh Lithium polymer battery and can be mounted on most bikes. The battery can also be charged via USB for extra juice while on your ride. Again, it seems like the reviews on this are mixed. The Biologic ReeCharge sells for about $110.
The MiniWiz HYmini:
If you want to spend half as much or don’t have an iphone, the HYmini may be more suitable. The HYmini harnesses solar and/or wind power to charge any device. It also has an LED night-light and charge indicator. The Editors at PC Magazine gave the HYmini a 3 ½ star “good” rating, citing its multiple charging methods and designs as pros. However, they also found that the charge capacity was relatively small and that the recharge time was considerably long.
SportHolster by Urban Tool:
An award- winning design, the SportHolster by Urban Tool has 5 different pockets for various media and other necessities, as well as a cable router, key strap with yo-yo, and reflective patches for the ultimate hands-free experience. “This is the most practical cycling (hiking, running and other outdoor sports) item that I own,” says Lesly Jones of Black Women Bike DC (BWBDC).
GoPro HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition Wearable Camera:
Self-confessed gadget junkies and avid recreational riders like Jacquelyn Roberts of BWBDC admit that the GoPro HD HERO2 is on their wish list. From GoPro, the cameras used more than any other camera by athletes, sports filmmakers, and other enthusiast, the camera comes with waterproof housing, a vented helmet strap, a head strap, 4 different adhesive mounts, a three-way pivot arm, and assorted mounting hardware.
The road popper:
Who doesn’t want a bottle opener mounted to their bike seat? Well, for $38.58 you can have one too at Shapeways.com.
The riding necessities
Gadgets and toys notwithstanding, there are a few essentials that every cyclist should carry. “I carry a copy of my license, medical card, emergency contact, $20 bill, spare tube, repair kit and tools, Allen wrench tools, cell phone, extra GLU, electrolyte pills, potassium pills and hand pump.” Says Royston Taylor of BWBDC. No matter what you feel you need with you when you ride, experienced bikers share their favorite finds and the easiest ways to carry their essentials.
To carry of all of her fundamentals in a small and conveniently located place, Taylor uses a Bento Box. The Bento Box can be found in several different styles on Amazon, and mounts to the bike frame near the handlebars. It has a single zipper for easy opening and attaches to your bike with Velcro straps for easy removal. Given the economy of space, Taylor also throws in some MiniTissues, which “are about he size of two lifesavers.”
Finally, Jacquelyn Roberts suggests carrying a pair or two of disposable gloves in case you have to change a tire or put a bike chain back on. Hand sanitizer and a pump are also necessities for most riders like Delores Simmons and Roberts. Roberts also suggests a Travel-John or GoGirl disposable urinal, “for the just-in-case emergencies.”
I would like to thank all the ladies at BWBDC once again for their knowledge, support, and humor. Ride on, ladies!
