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Showing posts from July 29, 2012

SALSA UNVEILS 2013 LINEUP – NEW FATBIKES, TRAVEL BIKES, GRAVEL RACERS & MORE [BIKERUMOR]

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Last week, images started surfacing of  Salsa’s Warbird gravel racer . Now the 2013 collection has been announced. Salsa made aesthetic and geometry changes to many bikes, but also have a few brand new rigs. To start off, Salsa is unveiling the aluminum Beargrease fatbike and a new ultralight Beargrease tapered aluminum fork to match. The frame is said to be super stable and comfortable at slow speed with great standover clearance for stop and go riding conditions. Both frame and fork are anodized to cut weight and buff durability. Complete, it gets Surly Holy Rolling Darryl rims, and a combination of 11-36T SRAM cassette with SRAM group and 22/36t e*thirteen crankset. For the frameset pricing is $999. Complete it’s $2,999. Geometry and images after the break. On top of Beargrease, Salsa is dropping four more bikes – the Colossal disc brake road bike, the Vaya Travel stainless steel S&S coupled touring bike, the Warbird gravel racing bike and a limited edition single sp

NYC shuts down SEVEN MILES of roads in the summer - Summer Streets

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Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space—our streets. On three consecutive Saturdays in the summer, nearly seven miles of NYC’s streets are opened for people to play, walk, bike, and breathe. Summer Streets provides more space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. Summer Streets is modeled on other events from around the world including  Ciclovía  in Bogotá, Colombia and the  Paris Plage . The event is part bike tour, part walking tour, part block party--a great time for exercise, people watching, or just enjoying summer mornings. Summer Streets runs from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm. The route extends from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets, with easy side travel options on low-traffic streets to the Hudson River Greenway, Harlem, Brooklyn and Governors Island, allowing participants to plan a route as long or short as they wish. All act

Vandals Target Bike Path Near Ohio University

ATHENS, Ohio -  The Ohio University Police Department said vandals caused $10,000 worth of damage along a bike path near campus. Police said the vandals damaged ten light poles between 9 a.m. Friday, July 20 and 8:45 a.m. Saturday, July 21. The Athens County Crime Solvers Anonymous is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible. Anyone with information is asked to call 740-594-3331. Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information.

Walkway over The Hudson - longest pedestrian/cycling bridge in the world

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Walkway Over the Hudson, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit group, initially conceived of the idea of turning an old abandoned railroad bridge into a pedestrian park, and with the help of both private and public funding and partnerships, this dream became a reality on October 3, 2009. Walkway Over the Hudson now works with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation to make visiting Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park a truly memorable experience   Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park  is a linear walkway spanning the Hudson River. At 212 feet tall and 1.28 miles long, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. The park is managed and maintained by  NYS Parks – Taconic Region . Walkway State Park officially opened to the public on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Walkway State Park is open year-round, weather conditions permitting (closed in the event of lighting or ice). Take an online Virtual Tour! View Area Vicinity Map   Park

High Street Parking Changes [10TV]

Here are your High St. sharrows - right in the door zone. Thanks, Columbus!

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Public meeting TONIGHT 8/2 @ MORPC re: on-street parking downtown As  reported by the Columbus Underground , The City of Columbus Department of Public Service has announced the addition of 130 on-street parking spots to the downtown High Street corridor between Nationwide Blvd. and Mound St. The public is invited to a meeting tomorrow to learn more about the proposal: Thursday August 2, 5-7 pm; Presentation at 5:30 PM Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission Scioto Conference Room 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100 Columbus, OH 43215 Yay Bikes! will be in attendance. We oppose the plan because we believe that it will slow bus traffic, cause cyclists to ride unsafely in the door zone and attract more motor vehicle traffic to downtown. 

The Year of Yay [614 Magazine]

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(Credit: Chris Casella) The Year of Yay Local bike advocacy group mobilizes with multi-month community outreach By Matthew Erman Published  August 1, 2012 Much has been made of Columbus’ efforts to become a more bike-progressive city, and the health and financial benefits of cycling have become the core rallying cry of many a community initiative. With the rise of Pelotonia and the city’s 2 by 2012 campaign, there are more two-wheeled vehicles on our flat, friendly streets than ever. With so many ways to bike around Columbus, why aren’t more people involved? That is one of the issues Meredith Joy tackles as Executive Director of the biking advocacy group Yay Bikes. [Keep reading at 614 Magazine]

Pedal-powered washing machine costs less than $40 to make [Springwise]

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There have been a number of laundry-based innovations featured on Springwise in the past few years, including ones with a charitable slant such as the   Tide Loads of Hope   campaign and the   Method donate and wash truck . Hoping to make a real change in poorer areas is the   GiraDora , a portable pedal-powered washing machine produced at an affordable price. Aimed at communities that lack the money and electricity to keep modern washing machines – where laundry tasks can eat up six hours per day – the GiraDora consists of a plastic tub with a foot-powered spinning mechanism. Users can fill the container with soap and water, load their clothes and place the lid on top before sitting on the device and powering it with the foot lever. The sitting position is a much more natural posture and helps avoid back problems associated with leaning over a bowl. The machine also uses less water and cleans clothes faster and with less effort than traditional methods, while users’ hands are

New Word: Velocapitalist

The  New World Bicycle Dictionary, 3rd Edition (2012)  contains this entry under “velocapitalist”: velocapitalist — ( plural  velocapitalists) pronunciation: /vəˈloCAPitalist 1.  noun . One who promotes the activity of cycling for transportation, sport, health or recreation and invests in or encourages public investment in cycling infrastructure and commerce. 2.  adj . The quality of applying the technology or culture of cycling to acquire wealth or increase individual and societal well-being. ex. a) “A new breed of velocapitalists is transforming the transportation system in the United States from one based on the power of fossil fuels to one based on human motive power.” ex. b) “That’s a very velocapitalist approach to the problem, I like the way you think, Wilbur.” Etymology: from the French  velocipede , a term literally meaning “fast foot” applied to precursors of modern bicycles and English  capitalist , meaning one who acquires, employs or deals in capital goods, f

Cyclist Killed After Being Hit By Olympic Bus; Quote from Bradley Wiggins

A bus driver arrested after a cyclist was fatally injured near the Olympic Park in East London has been released on bail. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the driver, in his mid-60s, had been released following his arrest on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The 28-year-old cyclist was struck by an official Olympic bus in Hackney at around 7.40pm on Wednesday and died at the scene. The  London Ambulance Service  spokeswoman said: "Sadly one person was pronounced dead at the scene by the air ambulance doctor." A London 2012 spokesman said: "We can confirm that a cyclist tragically died as a result of a collision with a bus carrying media from the Olympic Park. "The police are investigating the accident and our thoughts are with the cyclist's family." The collision is being investigated by the  Metropolitan Police's Traffic Investigation Unit . Speaking at a news conference shortly after the incident, Britain's cyc

A $10 Cardboard Bicycle That Actually Works! [Apartment Therapy]

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Remember when we used to sit inside cardboard boxes as kids, and pretend they were planes, trains or automobiles? Israeli designer (and cycling enthusiast) Izhar Gafni takes that whimsical idea one step further by making a bicycle almost entirely out of cardboard — and riding it through the streets! The upcycled invention (made mostly of cardboard, with real tires and brakes) can support up to 300 pounds and pedals like a regular bike. Gafni was able to create the sturdy structure by bending, folding, and gluing multiple layers of cardboard together (testing their strength under the weight of cars!), then dipping the components in resin for waterproofness. [Keep reading at Apartment Therapy]

Columbus Bike Fancy: The ones that weren't

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  Bike Fancy, when I started out writing it (a mere three months ago), seemed deceptively easy.  Based loosely on Chicago's Bike Fancy Blog  and modified to feature local 'Busites and the bikes they love; I thought I had my leave-a-note-send-an-email-meet-for-photos routine DOWN. Oddly enough, some people just aren't that cooperative. Not that I'm thinking their incommunicado ways are malicious.  No, maybe they just don't want attention. Maybe my email was delivered to their spam box. Maybe my calling card blew away into the wind.   The very first guy I photographed for Bike Fancy I met at a local bar in mid-March, as my man-friend and I were circling the front for a place to lock our steeds.  "Lock it to the gate, that's where everybody locks it,"  a forty-something goateed man called from the patio, cigarette pinched between his fingers. Dude then hippie-wandered (you know, that slow and careless amble) out from the patio

ACTION ALERT: Public meeting TOMORROW 8/2 @ MORPC re: on-street parking downtown [@yaybikes represents!]

As  reported by the Columbus Underground , The City of Columbus Department of Public Service has announced the addition of 130 on-street parking spots to the downtown High Street corridor between Nationwide Blvd. and Mound St. The public is invited to a meeting tomorrow to learn more about the proposal: Thursday August 2, 5-7 pm; Presentation at 5:30 PM Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission Scioto Conference Room 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100 Columbus, OH 43215 Yay Bikes! will be in attendance. We oppose the plan because we believe that it will slow bus traffic, cause cyclists to ride unsafely in the door zone and attract more motor vehicle traffic to downtown. 

Yay Bikes! UPDATE - tour urban gardens, bike the cbus, program updates & more

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Dear Cyclist-Friend,   Lots happening these next few weeks in YB!-land! Take special note of two rides -  Year of Yay 8  (Aug 18) is a tour of urban gardens that we're offering in partnership with Local Matters, and  Bike the Cbus (Sept 1) is back for its 5th year.  Other events  include Sell Ur Bike Stuff (SUBS) on Aug 19 at Franklinton Cycleworks and and a new Riverfront Arts Festival Ride on Sept 29. And be sure to join us for eats at the Jury Room on Sept 24, as they'll be donating 10% of food sales that day to YB!. In other organizational news, we have some exciting  How We Roll updates  and it's an especially good time to  become a member !  And finally,  Pedal Instead  has a sweet new sponsorship that puts free Chipotle in your belly and there's a  public meeting tomorrow regarding the new Columbus proposal to add 130 on-street parking spots along High Street from Nationwide to Mound. Hope to hear from you soon, and to see you out on the road!