Keirin: Speed Racers

Keirin: Speed Racers on Nowness.com

Bike to Work Day is this Friday, May 17, 2013

Bike to work from Imagery with Impact on Vimeo.

In an effort to encourage more people to bike to work, this film contrasts a driver and bike commuter’s start to their workday. The film highlights the question, how do you want to start your day?

For more information on Bike to Work Day, visit: http://www.icommutesd.com/events/bike-to-work-day

Bike to work day is May 17th, 2013.

Music by Alt + J "Something Good" visit: http://www.altjband.com/

Written by Khalisa Bolling

Co-produced by Khalisa Bolling and Brian Kranson

Directed and edited by Leylla Badeanlou: A Film by Imagery with Impact Productions

Camera: 5DMIII
Lenses: 21mm Zeiss, 35mm f/1.4, 45mm T/S, 85mm/f1.2
Tools: Glide track, Glidecam, Manfrotto monopod & tripod, FCP7

Amish Country Bike Camping Adventure (May 11-12, 2013)

Highlights

Saturday

Overcast and upper 40's/low 50's

4 cyclists (Ray, Bill, Brett, Tim)

Coshocton, OH start

Clark, OH

Beck Mills, OH (Beckless of course)

Charm, OH (lunch)

Berlin, OH (stopped for chocolate)

Winesburg, OH (Camped at Amish Country Campgrounds)

Dinner in Winesburg (My wife drove up to camp with us)

43 miles

Saturday night a cold front moved through with rain and wind and temps dropped into upper 30's/low 40's

Sunday

Sunny and clear with headwinds of 20-30 mph

No restaurants are open in the heart of Amish country on Sunday. (Duh!)

We ate breakfast at camp and headed out

Sugar Creek, OH (sightseeing and lunch)

End at Coshocton, OH

43 miles

8300 ft of climbing

Lots of Amish and cows scattered throughout beautiful countryside.

11 Of The World’s Hottest Bikes [FastCompany]

A NEW BOOK PROFILES THE BIKE MAKERS WHO ARE CREATING SOME OF THE MOST DROOL-INDUCING AND INNOVATIVE RIDES AROUND.

New York City’s soon-to-be-launched bike-sharing program has met with Big Apple-size skepticism. It’s too dangerous for a city with so little cycling infrastructure, detractors cry. The bike stations are too ugly (and a blight on historic neighborhoods), and the bikes themselves are crass advertisements for their corporate underwriter, Citibank. Regardless of whether those criticisms are fair, the program does reveal the fact that bike culture--the lifestyle most often associated with the Netherlands and, on this side of the pond, Portland, Oregon--is riding into the mainstream.

New York may not become Amsterdam anytime soon. But even here, interest has fueled daring experiments in bike construction and fashion. Supported by technological advances, designers are sculpting novel materials (wood, bamboo, carbon fiber, and even cardboard) into breathtakingly novel forms. Never before has there been such a range of rides--from porteurs and cargos to folding and e-bikes--and as many lightweight frames and components. The best are catalogued in Velo: Second Gear, a new book from Gestalten, a collection of profiles of the makers who are on the bleeding edge of bike engineering.

Most of the examples in the slide show are custom-made, handcrafted, limited-edition pieces for the select few who can afford them. But they are also indicators of an exciting moment in the evolution of the bicycle as an object, as well as the foundation for a growing movement that may even come to thrive in hard-hearted New York.

Buy Velo here for $37.

FastCompany

Want To Make Money? Build A Business On A Bike Lane [FastCompany]

Research from New York City notes that newly installed protected bike lanes do more than keep bikers safe--they raise the income of the stores they are in front of.

We’re written before about cyclonomics--the economic impact of biking. Studies show that cycling brings in tourists, delivers jobs, and boosts retail sales.

Now comes more evidence: a report from New York looking at the impact of a single bike lane, and another from Oregon, looking at tourism spending. Neither will placate drivers who want roads to themselves--but anyway.

Local stores next to the protected bike lane have seen a 49% increase in sales.

New York may have dropped in a recent ranking of cycling cities. But it does have some world class infrastructure, including a "complete street" on 9th Avenue, with a protected bike lane. Built in 2007, it was controversial at the time (like everything else bike-related in the city). But a study by the Department of Transport finds that it’s paid dividends economically. Local stores between 23rd and 31st streets have seen a 49% increase in sales, compared to an average of 3% for Manhattan as a whole.

The DOT doesn’t give an explanation. But other research has shown similar things. While bikers tend to spend less per visit than drivers, they spend more over a month, according to onePortland study. Bike advocates note that you can park more bikes in a limited space than you can family-sized vehicles.

The Oregon study, by Dean Runyan Associates, measures the impact of bike tourism. Based on a survey of about 5,000 people, it finds that vacationing bikers spent $400 million last year, or $1.2 million a day. Of that, $175 million went on accommodation and food, $54 million on groceries, and $28 million on bike repairs, clothing, and gear. Bike tourism also secured 4,600 jobs, the report says, and $18 million in tax receipts.

Of course, these are all the positive stories. We don’t hear about the economic disadvantages of bike lanes, if there are any, because the studies, generally, don’t get done. Still, the evidence is mounting for biking’s positivity. It’s not just good for you, but good for the economy, too.

FastCompany

Shweeb

Ride On! A Bike Swap Benefiting Pelotonia is May 18th

Have a bike to sell or donate? Looking for a bike to buy for yourself or a family member? Attend "Ride On! A Bike Swap Benefiting Pelotonia" sponsored by the Granville Rec District on Saturday, May 18th from noon - 5:00pm at Granville Intermediate School. This free event offers families and cycling enthusiasts an outlet to buy or sell new and used bikes, bike equipment and gear while supporting the fundraising efforts of local Pelotonia riders. The swap will feature vendors, food and educational workshops by bike experts. For more information, visit

www.granvillebikeswap.webs.com/events.

POC Trabec Race MIPS

The Trabec Race MIPS is a well-ventilated in-mold helmet that combines functionality and performance for single track and enduro riders. The construction is similar to the trabecular bone structure, which has excellent resistance and durability. The inner EPS core, reinforced with aramid filaments, is tough and resilient and the outer PC shell is constructed with the seams located in the least exposed areas. The helmet is equipped with the patented MIPS system to reduce the rotational forces to the brain in the case of an oblique impact.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

• MIPS system
• Size adjustment system
• Adjustable visor protects your eyes from rain, sun, mud
and tree branches
• Aerodynamic ventilation channel system - 16 vent slots
• The fit is designed to be around the head versus on top, for superior protection
• Aramid fiber grid for protection and durability

SIZES: XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL CERTIFIED EN 1078, CPSC 12.03

WEIGHT: 350 g

[POC]

Five Ten Æscent - The Red One

The new Æscent is the ultimate lightweight performance shoe. Built on a brand new midsole-outsole package with the perfect balance of traction for hiking, rubber-on-the-rock for climbing and stability for everything from biking to cruising your longboard, the Æscent features a breathable mesh toe and high-friction Stealth S1 rubber soles. We've made this classic “approach” shoe the lightest, strongest, best-performing kick available. An innovative medial and lateral arch support add torsional stability and mid-foot support, while the 2-piece molded EVA midsole ensures your ride is as smooth as a magic carpet.

[Five Ten]

Fairdale Coaster [Wired]

Fairdale’s Coaster ($430-490) has the maneuverability of a track bike, but the overall relaxed feel of a regular roadie. A coaster brake comes stock (hence the name), but the frame can accept standard brakes, racks and fenders, so you can build it up. Custom riser bars set you in an upright position, ideal for riding in traffic.




[See the rest of the Bike to Work Week reviews at Wired]

Ride the Elevator 2013 is TONIGHT! @halandals @ftoncycleworks @ElevatorBrewing @yaybikes #letsride

Join us TONIGHT for Ride the Elevator 2013. This is a FREE ride from Goodale Park, Franklinton Cycleworks and Hal & Al's and we will converge on Elevator Brewery to enter the brewery and meet Dick the owner. You must be 21 to participate.
There are several starting points
Meet at Hal & Al's bar at 5:15pm and ride with the Keg Bike to Goodale Park
Meet at Goodale Park at the corner of Park & Buttles around 6:00pm. The ride rolls no later than 6:15pm.
Meet at Franklinton Cycleworks on W Broad at 6:15pm and the group from Goodale will swing by to join them for the ride to Elevator Brewery.

The entrance fee at Elevator Brewery is $10 and all proceeds go directly to Yay Bikes! and Franklinton CycleWorks. We will all be handed a beer and commemorative PINT GLASS to pose for a mass cheers photo. At beer 30 (7:30pm) we can pop open our beer and smile for the camera.

We will then head down to Hal & Al's on Parson's to fill our pint glass with beer specials TBD.

Here are photos from Ride the Elevator 2012
Here are photos from Ride the Elevator 2011

More proof that bike lanes boost business [Treehugger]

Public Domain NYC Dept of Transportation

In any discussion about installing bike lanes the argument often is put forward that they are bad for business, what with the loss of parking spaces and the increased difficulty of loading and deliveries. But what if this is completely backwards? TreeHugger alluded to this in How bicycles bring business to your community and There IS a Bicycle Economy, Two Cities Find, but here is the real proof from New York's Department of Transportation.

The most shocking data are from the protected bike lanes on 8th and 9th Avenues. 49% increase in retail sales. (The decrease in injuries is pretty spectacular too.) It all works because there is a place for everyone, not just the car.

[Keep reading at Treehugger]

Everything about riding in traffic I learned from my four-year-old [People for Bikes]

According to Bikes Belong, 27% of kids (13.7 million individuals) ages 6 to 17 bicycled in 2010, for a total of 989 million bicycling outings (72 outings per bicyclist.).

The other day, I was embarking on one of my favorite activities: riding around town with my family. With my four-year-old attached to my bike on one of those newfangled trail-a-bikes, I took him straight over a small section of bumpy rocks. I assumed he’d ridden on rocks before. I’d assumed he’d enjoy bouncing up and down. I assumed he’d think riding rocks was cool.

“Mommy, that was NOT cool,” I was quickly informed.

Here I was, in the middle of a bike ride with my son, and I’d just broken one of the major tenants of cycling: I didn’t ride predictably. And though this lesson was reinforced with a few tears (his) and pangs of guilt (mine), I realized this wasn’t the first lesson on cycling I’d received from my pint-sized wheelman. Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve learned just about everything I know about riding with traffic from my kiddo.

[Keep reading at People for Bikes]

When is Bike to Work Week and Day? [League of American Bicyclists]

Sponsored by the League, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, get involved in Bike Month in your city or state — and help get more people in your community out riding too!

CLICK HERE to download promotional items!

Recursos en Español

When is Bike to Work Week and Day?

In 2013, Bike to Work Week is May 13-17 and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 17. 

When is Bike to School Day?

In 2013, Bike to School Day is May 8.

Bike Month Guide

Need some ideas? Use the League's Bike Month Guide to learn how to get started promoting your event.

Bike Month Promotion

Click here to download logos, posters, web banners, a social media toolkit, a Bike Month Bingo sheet and more! Contact liz@bikeleague.org with any specific questions!

Bike Month Events

Check the Bike Month events section often to see what Bike Month and Bike to Work Week events are going on in your community. Also, post your area, club, business or school's Bike Month events on our Web site for free! Post or find Bike Month events today. 

U.S. Bike Commuter Data

According to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the share of Americans commuting by bike has grown by 47 percent since 2000. Many Bicycle Friendly Communities have more than doubled their bike commuter share since 2000. Read more and find stats for your area.

Ride Better

The League's Ride Better page has detailed the Rules of the Road and commuting tips to making riding fun and safe for all new and returning riders.

[League of American Bicyclists]

Portable bike brake light is also completely wireless [TreeHugger]

© LucidBrake

We've reviewed a lot of bike lights in TreeHugger, and this new one is a little different. Inventor and tinkerer John Craig has created an easily removable, battery-powered brake light that senses a cyclist's decelerations in order to strongly flash when a bike is coming to a stop.

Calling his new Kickstarter campaign invention the LucidBrake, Craig says the light will help save lives by preventing some of the accidents caused by drivers that say they just don't 'see' cyclists. The LucidBrake has a patent-pending algorithm that is supposed to ignore normal wheel rotations and road bumpiness, yet sense the deceleration that indicates slowing down or stopping. The brake's eight LED lights are placed in an octagon shape so that they resemble a stop sign.

© LucidBrake

For regular cruising the LED-based LucidBrake shows a weaker flashing light, then flashes intensely when the cyclist is braking or decelerating to a stop. The light stays steady for a few seconds and then returns to weaker flashing. There are no wires or installation, and no plastic parts or covers.

LucidBrake weighs in at just 23 grams and the company says it is easily mounted and dismounted from a bike (though a flat surface is needed), or a helmet, or a backpack. The LucidBrake team consulted 3-M to find a 'dual-lock' fastener, a bit like sticky velcro, to make it easy to put the brake light on and off. Craig says a tough sunlight and waterproof coating means you can dunk a Lucidbrake in a lake and it keeps on flashing.

LucidBrake isn't the first wireless brake light, but with the eight LEDs it does seem one of the brightest. At the current Kickstarter, getting one of the first-production lights entails a $50.00 pledge.

Too bad the light isn't solar or otherwise alternatively powered. Maybe some day.

TreeHugger.com

Giro debuts New Road clothing [BikeRadar]

Giro previewed an intriguing new line of cycling clothing on Thursday at the Golden Saddle Cyclery in downtown Los Angeles. Dubbed 'New Road,’ the retro-inspired collection is neither street wear nor performance kit but somewhere in between. Whether or not that market actually exists remains to be seen, but we will find out once New Road becomes available in the spring.

New Road’s styling is undeniably from days gone by with heather-finish Merino wool fabrics, subdued colors, and trim (but not tight) tailoring featured heavily throughout the roughly dozen-piece range, which includes a mix of long-sleeved and short-sleeved tops, shorts, short liners and outerwear. There's even a collared polo that would look at home on a long commute or stopping into a café along the way. There is also a pair of SPD-compatible lace-up shoes.

Lace-up SPD shoes are part of the line

While the aesthetic is casual, Giro designed the pieces with real riding in mind. Road riders seem to be the primary audience, although mountain bikers might find some appeal, too. The outer shorts are built with multiple bike-friendly pockets, the tops feature cleverly hidden vents atop the shoulders, the windproof shirt closes with a zipper and buttons to retain the desired styling but still keep the cold breeze out, offset zippers on the outerwear keep the cold metal pulls way from your chin, and the short liners are built with a proven Cytech stretch chamois.

Giro's New Road clothing looks casual, but it's designed for riding

There isn't a smidgeon of cotton to be found, either, and some of the pieces are built with subtly stretchy fabrics for freer motion.

How the pieces look to work together is interesting, too. For example, several of the tops omit rear pockets. Instead, there's a zippered rear opening that allows access to the pockets that are built into the back of the bib liners, which also have front flies to facilitate nature breaks (both features remind us somewhat of the approach that Dirtbaggiestakes with its mountain bike shorts).

We won't have pricing or specific details on the individual pieces until closer to launch date but if nothing else, Giro deserves some kudos for taking a risk on an unconventional approach to cycling clothing. Impressively, all but a few of the pieces we saw at the preview event sported "Made in the USA" tags, too.

Original article at BikeRadar

Cyclist Captures Harassment on Camera in South Williamsburg [Streetsblog]

Elevated from today’s headline stack, via Animal NY: A driver on a South Williamsburg street refused to share the road with cyclist Rafael Huerta, and after harassing Huerta in the street three times with his vehicle, refused to take responsibility for his actions. Instead, he claimed the cyclist was at fault — but video from the cyclist’s handlebar-mounted camera indicates otherwise.

The video begins with Huerta riding eastbound on Wallabout Street, starting at Kent Avenue. (Wallabout is a parallel route to Flushing Avenue, which has shared-lane markings but also heavier truck and auto traffic.) The street is two-way and the lane is relatively narrow; the video shows Huerta riding in the right-hand third of the lane.

After the intersection with Franklin Avenue, a gray Toyota minivan driver passes him, then hits the brakes and moves to the right, squeezing him between the moving vehicle and parked cars.

Following a third encounter where the driver swerved into his path, Huerta stopped, and the driver, a middle-aged Hasidic man, gets out of the car and says, “You are not allowed to drive in the middle of the street.” This is incorrect. According to state law, as encapsulated in DOT’s “Bike Smart” guide, “Cyclists should ‘take the lane’ when necessary.”

As Huerta calls 911 to report being harassed, a third man comes over, and the driver calls Huerta a liar. “Don’t bang my car,” he says, laughing. “He’s harassing me right now.”

This incident thankfully ended without physical harm to anyone, though not before a plainclothes police officer intervened to break up the crowd that had gathered around Huerta, blocking his way. Huerta says in the video’s description: “Please refrain from using racial comments…This man doesn’t represent the Jewish community…And I don’t represent the biking community either.”

Harassment like this isn’t limited to Hasidic Williamsburg. A few years ago, Streetsblog reported about two cases, one involving a cyclist and one a pedestrian, in which people were physically endangered or injured by motorists, then cited by police for damaging the vehicle of the perpetrator.

Streetsblog.org

HELL ON WHEELS: LIFE WITH MUTANT BICYCLES [Life]

Caption from LIFE. "Four-man bicycle is powered by five chains and has brakes on both its wheels. The bike was built by Art Rothschild (top position) who broke three ribs while learning how to ride it."

Read more: http://life.time.com/curiosities/bizarre-bikes-built-by-chicagoans-in-the-1940s/#ixzz2Sl1yUYAv

Bike and Build 2012

AngryAsian: Race bikes are dumb [BikeRadar]

We're enjoying an unbelievably rich and diverse period of mountain-bike design these days, with competent choices from enduro rigs to 29er trail bikes to short-travel slopestyle machines and more. A few are built for racing, but many styles are built for what real-world riders do every day. When it comes to road riding, however, the choices are basically race bikes, or... slight variations on race bikes. This is dumb.

The mountain bike market is no longer driven by cross-country racing like it was just a few short years ago. Likewise, the prototypical 'mountain bike' is no longer a lightweight hardtail built for shaving seconds off of the day's big climb. That being said, even the most specialized cross-country racing equipment - tubular tires included - are perfect given the right application. If you're not competing, though, race bikes aren't always the best tool for the job, and it hasn't taken long for the average mountain biker to recognize that.

Take a look at your current mountain bike right now. What kind is it and what goes through your mind when you ride it? Are you thinking of channeling your inner Nino Schurter and besting a PR around a prescribed course or are you simply out having a good time?

Now take a look at your current road bike and think about the type of riding it's really designed to do. If your mountain bike is aimed more at fun and versatility, why is it then that most of us still riding road bikes that are purpose-built for racing? Why are so many of us so singularly focused on some imaginary finish line?

Continue at BikeRadar -->

CHICAGO BUSINESSES STAND UP FOR GREEN LANES [greenlaneproject.org]

Milwaukee Ave in Chicago

After Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s commitment to build 100 miles of bike facilities in four years, the city started repaving, restriping, and redesigning their streets. Projects like those on Kinzie and Dearborn Streets demonstrated that cars and bicycles can co-exist on busy city roadways. The city announced its newest plans for protected green lanes on Milwaukee Avenue in West Town on April 30th. And if you read this article in the Chicago Sun-Times, you might think that local residents and businesses were opposed to the project.

Protected green lanes on Dearborn Street

[Keep reading at greenlaneproject.org]

Bicycle Truth: Weight Scam - True cost of riding

The Debate About Bike Infrastructure Has Been Settled [StreetsBlog]

For decades, cyclists bickered amongst themselves about the efficacy and safety of bike infrastructure. With the proliferation of protected bike lanes in recent years, however, everyone can see that predictions about bike lanes making streets more dangerous for cycling simply didn’t come to pass. Network blogger Elly Blue at Taking the Lane says the debate has been settled.

The evidence from New York and other cities is clear: Bike infrastructure works. Photo of Eighth Avenue bike lane in Manhattan: Stephen Miller

The evidence that protected bike lanes improve safety and retail performance has demolished the arguments against bike infrastructure, Blue writes. And cities around the country have New York to thank for that:

In 2007, New York City added protected bike lanes, also known as “cycle tracks” to two previously car-centric one-way arterials in Manhattan, 8th and 9th Avenues. (This short movie explains more.) These lanes—basically, regular bike lanes with a physical barrier (often parked cars) and special signals at intersections in order to separate people on bikes from people driving and walking—were controversial before and after construction, with lots of dithering and yammering about how they would hurt business and freight, cause crashes, hold up traffic, and waste time and money.

The city’s transportation department released a study last October, however (I’ve been busy and just got in on the game this week), that puts much of that criticism to rest, with a zing. (Read about the study here or download the PDF here.)

First, on safety: True to form, this bike infrastructure did more than make cycling safer: The study found a 35% decrease in traffic crash related injuries to all street users on the 8th Ave path, and a whopping 58% on its 9th Ave counterpart.

Meanwhile, retail sales income in locally-based businesses along the 9th Ave lane went up as much as 50%. Yep, half again what they were before 2007. And this was during a recession. In the same period, borough-wide retail sales only increased 3%.

In light of these developments and similar evidence from Washington, Portland, and a growing number of other cities, the anti-bike infrastructure argument looks increasingly silly and out of date, Blue says:

The real debate should not be about whether or not to invest in bike infrastructure, but about how your city can create the most, the fastest. It’s time for us to move on. If your city’s leaders don’t get this, it’s time for them to move on too.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Boston Biker reports that the MBTA triumphed in this year’s Bean Town “Rush Hour Race” pitting a cyclist, a driver, a runner, an in-line skater, and a transit rider against each other in a content to see who could get to work fastest. Extraordinary Observations says the problem with Washington’s well-designed, center-running Pennsylvania Avenue bike lane is that nobody follows the rules. And People for Bikes reports that Chicago’s new protected bike lanes are a hit with business owners.

StreetsBlog.net

Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner Adopts Wildly Anti-Bicycle Policy [la.streetsblog.org]

Starting on June 1, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service connecting San Luis Obispo to San Diego by way of Los Angeles is adopting a new policy that will make life harder for anyone planning on biking to or from the train. The policy is so onerous for bicycle commuters, one has to assume it’s intentional.

Click on the image to see their current rider brochure for the Surfliner. The new bicycle policy is after the timetable at the bottom of page 2.

Amtrak will require reservations and a $5 fee to “accommodate” bicycles on the Pacific Surfliner. A cyclist will either have to call Amtrak or go to the ticketing window to make a bike reservation and pay the fee; there isn’t any way to do this online because Amtrak apparently is operating in 1992. This change will apply to everyone: occasional riders, Amtrak monthly pass holders and Rail2Rail/Metrolink monthly pass holders.

“The Surfliner serves the most popular bicycle tourism route in the country, so it’s frustrating to see Amtrak California antagonizing what would otherwise be one of its most loyal customer bases,” writes Eric Bruins, the Program and Policy Director for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.  ”

For any Surfliner rider who uses a bicycle to connect to the train this new policy will add $1250 a year in costs (one-way travel on Amtrak, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year), in addition to the time and hassle of making reservations for every Amtrak trip. The Streetsblog reader who pointed this out is already making commuter accomodations that don’t include riding Amtrak services.

“Instead of dealing with its capacity issues, Amtrak is suppressing demand with a reservation scheme that makes commuting prohibitively expensive and leisure travel burdensome,” Bruins continues.  ”I hope Amtrak reverses this poor business decision and instead seeks to grow ridership by promoting bike-train travel as a convenient and cost-effective way to enjoy California’s coastal destinations.”

[Keep reading at la.streetsblog.org]

NYC Gets First Bike Share Apps Before It Gets Bikes [wnyc.org]

The first bike share app for New York City

New York City hasn't even finished laying down the 330 docking stations for itsimpending bike share program, but anticipation is spanning oceans. A Belgian company has released the first "live" mobile app for NYC bike share users, before there are any users. Take it as a sign of what's to come when the largest bike sharing program in the nation launches later this month. 

• RECOMMENDED LINKS

  • The Anatomy of a Bike Share Docking Station
  • New York Map of Bike Share Stations
  • Full Coverage of CitiBike

“We activated the app to be the first,” Tom Claes of the Belgian mobile app company, WebComrades told Transportation Nation. 

His New York City Bike app, available on Android andiPhone, will tell users where the nearest docking station is, plot them on a map, let riders save favorite stations and track which are full and which are empty. In an ideal scenario there is an equilibrium and every docking station has some bikes for people to check out, and some empty slots for people do drop off their bikes at the end of a ride. But experience in other cities has found that sometimes docks fill up, and an app is a helpful way to avoid the full or empty docks, or find a back up. 

The app will also calculate distance and suggest routes. These are pretty much the same features expected to be in the official Citi BikeNYC app, when it launches. It is also similar to the NYC Bike Share app that is available for download and will begin working when Citi Bike launches. 

[Keep reading at wnyc.org]

Beauty and the Bike Short - It's the infrastructure, stupid

Riding a Bike is Not a Crime! [LMB]

It was a Friday evening in June when John Lindenmayer left the League of Michigan Bicyclists' (LMB) office in Lansing, MI and rode his bicycle to the City Market. Around 6:30 p.m., he left to head home, utilizing the same route he had ridden dozens of times before.

Traffic was light on Michigan Avenue, a five-lane road, which runs from the front steps of the State Capitol right past Michigan State University. John traveled eastbound in the far right (curb) lane for several blocks, without incident. Then, only blocks from home, he heard a honk imme¬diately behind him, followed by a siren. John turned to find a police car with its lights on. He promptly pulled over and parked his bike.

John was confronted by a City of Lansing police officer who was professional and polite, but told him, "The roadways are made for motor vehicles, and you can ride your bike on it, but you're impeding traffic." As the Advocacy and Policy Director for LMB, John knew that arguing was going to get him nowhere. Instead, he calmly explained that Michigan law allowed bicyclists to be on the road and that he was not violating the law. Amazingly, stating that "we can handle this a different way," the officer called for backup. Within minutes three additional police officers, including a Sergeant, arrived at the scene.

Ironically, the entire eastbound travel lane, the same lane John was traveling in, was entirely blocked by the police. During the 30-minute traffic stop, John documented the situation by taking notes, photos, and video with his phone. Ultimately, John was issued a ticket for "impeding traffic."

Most cyclists would have paid the $115 fine that accompanied the civil infraction, deciding it simply wasn't worth the time and effort to fight it. John, however, was different. While he didn't leave his office that day looking to prove a point, it was now a matter of principle. He was de¬termined to prove that he did not violate the law and to stand up for cyclists' legal right to use Michigan's roads.

[Keep reading at LMB]

Columbus Bicycle Share Job Postings

Full-Time Bicycle Mechanic (Columbus)

Bike sharing is a sustainable, healthy and innovative community-based transportation program providing ideal short distance, point-to-point, and simple-to-use bikes for use around the city. With established systems in Washington, DC, Boston, MA, Melbourne, Australia and New York City, Alta Bicycle Share will be introducing this community-based transport option that enhances urban livability and mobility to Columbus in summer 2013.

The program allows for users to access bikes at multiple self-serve locations and return the bike to any other available station in the system. As a company our responsibilities include: marketing and membership sales, station and bike repair and maintenance, station redeployment and reporting on system and operational performance.

We are currently seeking a hands-on, highly organized and motivated Lead Bicycle Mechanic skilled at the art of bicycle repair and passionate about the potential for bike share to transform Columbus' urban transportation landscape.

Alta Bicycle Share is a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer.

For more information on this particular position, and to apply, please use the following link: https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=693922

• Location: Columbus
• Compensation: Position is salaried and commensurate with experience
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Part-Time Administrative Assistant/Member Care Specialist (Columbus)

Bike sharing is a sustainable, healthy and innovative community-based transportation program providing ideal short distance, point-to-point, and simple-to-use bikes for use around the city. With established systems in Washington, DC, Boston, MA, Melbourne, Australia and New York City, Alta Bicycle Share will be introducing this community-based transport option that enhances urban livability and mobility to Columbus in summer 2013.

The program allows for users to access bikes at multiple self-serve locations and return the bike to any other avaliable station in the system. As a company our responsibilities include: marketing and membership sales, station and bike repair and maintenance, station redeployment and reporting on system and operational performance.

The administrative assistant is a versatile position, working with the Project Director, Operations Manager and other department heads to ensure successful operation of CoGo Bike Share. The responsibilities and basic duties of this position may be subject to change as the program continues to grow and evolve.

Alta Bicycle Share is a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer.

For more information on this particular position, and to apply, please use the following link: https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=694224

• Location: Columbus
• Compensation: $10/hour
• This is a part-time job.
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.