Summer Bike Gear for Cool Cycling
- We gathered some hot new bikes and gear to keep you riding cool this summer.
- E-bikes, city bikes, women's saddles, belt drives, panniers, and subscription services: read our picks for super-charging your bike commutes or summer rides.
Paul Tolmé
A new bicycle or accessory can improve your comfort, safety, performance, and enthusiasm for riding. With that in mind, we rounded up some of our favorite new bikes, e-bikes, apparel, and gear to keep you safely biking through the summer and fall with comfort and style.
Affordable City Bike
Flat-bar road bikes, also known as hybrid bikes, are extremely practical for summer commuting or leisurely fun rides. The CTY 1.1 from REI’s Co-op Cycles can be purchased with a step-through or step-over frame, and it has a 3x8 drivetrain with 24 gears for rolling fast on the flats or spinning uphill in the lowest gear.
We like REI because they support Cascade’s work, members get discounts on many products, and their bikes come with one year of free service. $599, rei.com
Low-Maintenance Off-Road Bike
Priority Bicycles specializes in belt-drive electric and acoustic bikes that simplify cycling. No chains to clean and lube. No derailleurs to adjust. Just clean and low-maintenance belts and internal gearing.
Priority’s new buzz-worthy bike is the 600HXT, which accels on gravel roads or singletrack trails. It features the new Pinion Smart.Shift electronic shifting gearbox. To shift, you tap the up or down levers on the handlebars with your thumb, sending an electronic signal to the gearbox.
We rode the 600HXT during a summer bike glamping trip to Lopez Island. The bike’s advanced drivetrain performed beautifully on the island’s rural roads and on the mountain bike trails at Lopez Hill.
The 600HXT represents a new category of user-friendly bikes with advanced drivetrains for people who love to ride bicycles not work on them. Of course, that simplicity comes at a higher price. $3,999, prioritybicycles.com
An E-Bike for Errands and Commuting
Portland-based Vvolt says it designed the Alpha II for people “seeking ebike enjoyment without excessive complexity.” It’s a Class Two (throttle, pedal assist up to 20 mph) e-bike for commuting, running errands, and fun rides around town, with an advertised battery range of up to 45 miles.
The low-step frame makes it easy to get on and off and put your feet down when stopped. Nice features include a Gates belt drive, kickstand, and integrated front and rear lights for 360-degree visibility.
The Alpha II has five levels of pedal assist, powered by a 350-watt rear hub motor. It’s a singlespeed, which means you can turn it up to maximum boost when climbing steep hills. Costing $1,799, the Alpha II delivers great value for people seeking an e-bike to reduce their car trips. It’s also perfect for leisurely rides such as our Woodinville Wine Ride. Add the Alpha II rear rack ($39) for attaching panniers, or the Portland Design Works Bodega basket ($125). vvolt.com
E-Bike Rescue Service
Electric bikes can be difficult to repair if you break down far from home. That’s where Speedy’s E-Bike Rescue comes to the rescue, speedily.
Serving Seattle and surrounding King County communities, Speedy’s will pick up your electric (or traditional) bicycle and deliver it by e-van to your favorite repair shop. Annual subscriptions start at $95. Use the code CASCADE20 to get 20 percent off your first year. joinspeedys.com
E-Bike Subscription
Can’t afford to buy a high-quality Tern e-bike? How about renting one through Wombi, an e-bike subscription service that offers “all the perks of owning a premium cargo e-bike, plus peace of mind knowing that insurance and all maintenance expenses are covered.”
Wombi offers subscriptions starting at $115 per month for the Tern Quick Haul, $135 for the Tern HSD, or $150 for Tern’s GSD. We are excited to see that the company’s Seattle location is in the same storefront in the Greenwood neighborhood as the former G&O Family Cyclery–a pioneer of Seattle’s burgeoning family cargo bike movement. Learn more at wombi.us.
A Comfortable Saddle for Women
Many women experience pain and numbness on long rides due to poor saddle design. That makes it worthwhile to buy a women-specific bike seat. Shannon Mangan, Cascade’s Let’s Go program coordinator, recommends Specialized's women-specific saddles with Mimic foam.
“Specialized was a pioneer in the women’s saddle industry,” says Mangan, who uses the Specialized Romin EVO with Mimic. "The Romin became my go-to saddle after trying about seven other saddles. I've done a 500 mile tour with this saddle, and I came home with no saddle sores or chafing issues."
Mangan recommends testing some saddles from a shop with a saddle library. "Free Range Cycles in Fremont has a saddle library that includes some of Specialized's most popular saddles."
Bike Clothing
Show your true colors this summer by wearing a Cascade jersey ($70) or shorts ($80). We have mens and womens sizes, and proceeds benefit Cascade’s advocacy and education work. cbcmerchandise.com
NPR tote bags are great but why not show your support for Seattle bicycling? We love these zippered Bike Works hoodies ($40) because they are comfortable, look dope, and because proceeds support another respected bike nonprofit that is using bikes to educate and empower youth and strengthen community. shop.bikeworks.org
Easy-to-Remove Pedals
Removing pedals usually requires a pedal wrench or allen wrench. The Wellgo Pop-Off Pedals include a universal adapter that allows you to remove and re-install them without tools.
The universal adapter also means you can easily switch between flat pedals for leisurely summer rides in sneakers or click-in SPDs for going fast or riding from Seattle to Portland.
Kirkland-based FlatBike is giving Cascade members 15 percent off Wellgo Pop-Off Pedals or any of its other products with the code COMP15OFF. $78-$98, try.flatbike.com
Tubes
Tire inner tubes are usually made from black butyl rubber. Butyl tubes are affordable and effective, although they are prone to puncture. That’s why some people are choosing TPU inner tubes, which are made from thermoplastic polyurethane. TPU tubes are lighter, have lower rolling resistance, and are more resistant to punctures.
Another bonus is they pack down smaller than butyl tubes, making them easier to stash in the back pocket of a bike jersey. I just ordered a pair of Flat Resistant TPU Inner Tubes ($19.99) and will report back on how they fare.
Suspension Stem
Reduce hand fatigue, smooth out bumpy roads, and improve your bike handling by swapping out your bike’s rigid stem with a Shockstop suspension stem. Great for gravel or road bikes, the Shockstop ($189) provides 20 mm of vertical travel to absorb the shock of small bumps and eliminate bad vibrations.
I just installed one on my road bike and, while it is heavier than my previous stem, it smooths out the cracks and bumps on the Burke-Gilman Trail during my commutes to the Cascade office. Get 15 percent off with the code “Cascade” at checkout. redshiftsports.com
Clean Water Act
Plastic bike water bottles taste gross and they warm up in the hot sun. That’s why multiple Cascade staff members use Bivo stainless steel bottles. The 17-ounce insulated Bivo Trio Mini ($39 plus shipping) will keep your ice water cold on hot days, minus the chemical aftertaste. drinkbivo.com
Convertible Backpack
Development Director Alison Driver loves her Bedford Backpack Pannier, which quickly converts between the two functions for going from your bike rack to your back when shopping or commuting. “It works equally well as a pannier or a backpack,” Driver says. Cascade members can save 10 percent by using the code “Cascadebike10” at checkout. $145, pocampo.com
Cascade Memberships
One of the many perks of a Cascade membership includes discounts on bike gear. If you’re a member, check out the deals in our Member Benefits Portal.
Not a member? Consider joining to get product discounts, reduced prices on our paid rides such as the Kitsap Color Classic, and the pride of knowing you are supporting our advocacy and education programs. $60 for individuals, $90 for families, and $15 for people with limited incomes.
Share this post
