NEW Google Attempt!

Yes, they've done it again. Google now introduces an ability to map out your bike rides from Point A to Point B. Interesting, eh? Even better, they color coordinate the routes based on their congestion and safety rating. They also allow you to provide feedback on the directions and accessibility after riding them. Interested? Check it out at maps.google.com/biking.

Sure, it may not be perfect.. but it does beat some of the other programs and mapping tools, and offers a good effort at making commuting a little more do-able! Have any other programs that are just great for trip planning? Let us know!

New and ELECTRA-fying rides at roll:

Introducing our new line of specialty bicycles- Electra, a perfect fit for our family, as we see for yours.

The company hails out of Vista, California and was founded in 1993 By Benno Bänziger and Jeano Erforth. Bänziger was raised in the Swiss Embassy in East Berlin and grew fascinated with California and action sports. When he was a teenager, he began designing and manufacturing snowboards in Germany. Bänziger moved to California after graduating with a degree in graphic design, founded his own firm, Projekt Design, in 1990 and began working for companies such as K2 and Adidas. He had originally planned to start manufacturing snowboards or skateboards, but found that those markets were dense with competition, it was then when his attention shifted his attention to bicycles, Wooo Hooo!

Bänziger told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “The one thing I found when I looked at cycling in the US was that everything was some kind of sport, but very few people used bikes for fun or for transportation. I wanted to introduce the ‘having a bike in your life’ factor, as opposed to ‘being a cyclist.'"

In 2003, the company introduced a major new design: the Townie. This bike’s superb innovation was what the company calls “Flat Foot Technology,” now more widely known as the 'crank forward' design. When the rider is sitting on the saddle, his or her feet can still stand flat on the ground, which feels safer and more comfortable for some riders. The design also allows riders to get full extension when they pedal, which is crucial in comfort. The design combines aspects of the cruiser frame with some of the geometry of recumbent bikes, moving the pedals forward and the keeping the saddle back.

Yes, that's right- Miley Cyrus rides an Electra :) Come in and check them out!