Dutch bikes vs. Africabikes

I read about Dutch bikes in Bicycling Magazine’s June issue.

“The Dutch bicycle is the model of sensibility: a one-speed with a completely encased drivetrain to keep your pant leg or skirt from getting soiled, and the chain from rusting; an upright handlebar so you can sit comfortably; metal fenders for the fiendish rain; a rear rack for panniers or passengers; a built-in bike lock; a wheel-powered headlamp; a loud bell for announcing your presence. All of this comes standard, and black is the customary color.”

I’ve posted two photos of a Dutch bike and the Kona Africabike for comparison purposes.  The design and utility are similar.  The Dutch use their bikes for 27% of their trips and 30% bike to work.  Americans bike less than 1% of the time.

Kona Africabikes are now available at Monkey See, Monkey Read for $299.00

Poetry Reading July 31 7:30 pm

John Koblas will read from his two poetry collections at Monkey See, Monkey Read.  The reading will be at the bookstore, 425 Division st downtown Northfield, at 7:30 pm.  Koblas will read poems from Broken Dreams as well as his latest collection Echoes of Evening. 

Africabikes have arrived

A few days ago I posted an entry about the Africabikes I ordered for Monkey See, Monkey Read. The bikes have arrived. These bikes are utilitarian riding machines.
Single speed, coaster brake, chain guard, fenders, basket on the front, rack

on the back, thornproof tubes, rear wheel lock. All for $299.00. A bike with a cause. For every two bikes sold, Kona will donate one to a home-health-worker in Africa.

I took this picture of Hayes Scriven enjoying the ride. These are great bikes for a town like Northfield. In a small town like this, you can get anywhere on a bike in about 15 minutes.

Trek’s 1world2wheels website has some great information on the benefits of biking like this:

FOR YOUR HEALTH, FOR THE WORLD, FOR OUR FUTURE, FOR 2 MILES OR LESS
With the world facing skyrocketing obesity rates, escalating traffic congestion and the concerns of global climate change, the bicycle is an underutilized solution.
FOR YOUR HEALTH
The average person loses 13 lbs. their first year of commuting by bike.
Just 3 hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.
A 140-pound cyclist burns 508 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour.

Books and Bikes

I know, why would a bookstore sell bikes?  It goes like this.  Books and bikes are two things I enjoy the most.  Okay, add beer to the list, but I don’t have a liquor license.  And ice cream, but no freezer. So I settled on bikes.  Not just any bikes, one bike.  The Kona Africabike.

Kona calls it “The most important bike we’ve ever designed.”
It’s a bike with a cause.  Bicycling Magazine editor Steve Madden said, “BikeTown Africa is an opportunity for bikes to do more than just change lives. In this case, bikes can help save lives.”

For every two bikes I sell, Kona will donate one to a home health worker in Africa as part of the BikeTown Africa program.  This video explains the program better than I can.

I’ll post more later.  The bikes should arrive soon.  I saw this phrase on a t-shirt recently: “Gas sucks ride a bike.”  I tend to agree.

Set Cubed

Since Monkey See, Monkey Read opened in 2006, Set has been our bestselling game. Set is one of the most creative games I have played. Fans of Set will love Set Cubed.

ROLL, CONNECT, WIN!

SET Cubed is A Curious Game of Clever Connections, challenging a player’s ability to identify SETs between the dice in their hand and those already on the board. Players can play up to 3 dice per turn making as many SETs as possible. Create SETs up, down and across the board, the more SETs you create, the higher your score. As the number of dice on the board increases so do the possible SET combinations. Rack up points by using BONUS SQUARES! Roll a WILD die and unleash the possible number of SETs that can be made during your turn! How many SETs can you make?! The player with the most points wins!