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Showing posts from October 14, 2012

Desert trail will showcase an often unseen Oregon [Seattle Times]

TROUT CREEK MOUNTAINS, Ore. — Stars sparkle like jewels in the night sky over the Oregon desert, the vast southeastern landscape that makes up a quarter of the state. Jewels are evident by day, too, from Hart Mountain's rich wildlife habitat to the Owyhee River's colorful canyons. These special settings, rough on the edges but so rewarding for those who love them, may soon be connected by a trail. And not just any trail. The Oregon Desert Trail will be 750 miles long, a nonmotorized route for hikers, horseback riders and, in part, for cyclists. A mapped trail, with water holes, campsites and waypoints identified, will entice more visitors to learn about, to enjoy and to care for this expansive part of the state. The trail's route has been scouted the past two summers by staff and volunteers from the Bend-based Oregon Natural Desert Association. When the project comes to fruition, perhaps within a year or two, Oregon's desert jewels will be linked by a contin

Separated bike lanes make cyclists safer, study says [The Globe and Mail]

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One of the most ambitious studies of bicycle injuries ever conducted in Canada has reach a conclusion that won’t surprise anyone who rides to work: It is far safer to travel on a physically separated bike lane than on busy city streets. The research, led by Prof. Kay Teschke of the University of British Columbia’s school of population and public health, involved interviewing hundreds of victims of bike accidents in Toronto and Vancouver, and then studying the location where the accident took place. MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY BICYCLE DATA  Toronto falling behind pack in averting bicycle collisions, data reveals Helmets can prevent bicycling deaths, study finds Toronto's Jarvis bike lanes to be removed by end of year INTERACTIVE DATA Explore the data: Toronto bicycle collisions mapped over 25 years The analysis, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that a cyclist is ten times as likely to be injured on busy street with parked cars than o

Racklove

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Racklove is a nice place to buy and sell bikes. We're mainly focused in San Francisco, but everyone is free to join. These guidelines are what keeps our community nice. Read through the following page to get a sense of what Racklove is about. If there's anything you'd like to add feel free to contact us by email: rohin@racklove.com  or give us a call at (415) 937-RACK. Be excellent to each other There are already plenty of places on the web to sell your bike if you’re just trying to get rid of it and get some cash. This is a place for people who love bikes to treat each other awesomely. Use a beautiful picture Your bicycle is art. Tell your story In the description of the bike you are selling, tell us not only about the bike but also about your experience. Every bike has a story. Share yours. Put an end to bike theft If you don't have a description that shows you are the true owner of the bicycle you're selling, this is not the place for

Bike Commuting Continues to Rise in US [PeopleForBikes.org]

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Every year, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the share of Americans who bike to work. Although the survey only counts people as bike commuters if they ride to work the majority of days ( among other restrictions ), it's the best way to track the growth of bicycling to work. The  League of American Bicyclists crunched the latest survey data and found that bike commuting rose slightly (though not significantly), from 0.53% in 2010 to 0.56% in 2011. Since 2000, bike commuting grew 47% on average in the U.S. It fared even better in large cities, where it increased 73% on average. If you live in a metropolitan area, you can see how your city stacked up in the chart below or by searching the spreadsheet linked in this  blog  by the League of American Bicyclists. At PeopleForBikes.org, we're working to help the rest of the country look like Portland in the graph below, where more than 6% of workers typically ride to work. Even more important than the commute to work is the 40% o

A $32,000 Carbon-Fiber Fixed-Gear Bike, Designed By A Formula 1 Firm [FastCompany]

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In the world of motor sports,  UBC is a well-known brand . The German company specializes in carbon fiber, manufacturing extremely high-performance parts for Toyota’s Formula 1 cars and luxury rides like the Porsche GT2. The problem was, while those gorgeous machines relied on UBC parts, they never bore the UBC name. So a few years back, Ulf Bräutigam, the company’s CEO, had an idea to raise his company’s profile: UBC would build a vehicle of its own. In 2010, he enlisted industrial designer  Christian Zanzotti  to design a carbon-fiber bike that the masses simply couldn’t ignore. The  result is the Coren , a $32,500 fixed-gear ride that the company deems "the world’s most ground-breaking bike.” That’s a bold claim (to go along with a bold price tag), but the bike has certainly succeeded in its main objective: getting people’s attention. It was a standout at the Eurobike convention earlier this year. Zanzotti says he was given "carte blanche" by his client when

Touring market racks up mileage at retail

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From the October 1 issue of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News By Chris Lesser It was after completing a 2,300-mile bicycle tour from Oregon to Texas in 1980 that Wayne Borroughs began dreaming of opening up a bike shop to help perpetuate his love of bicycle travel. Borroughs worked at a shop in Fort Collins, Colorado, for seven years before opening up his own store, which he ran for another seven.  But neither experience truly scratched his itch for touring bikes. “If I brought in just a dozen pairs of panniers and some good racks, and sold through them all by the end of the year, then I was doing well,” recalled Borroughs. “Before the Internet it was very difficult to focus on touring in a local market.” Of course, then the Internet came, and as it did Borroughs closed his bike shop in order to focus on a touring-specific online store. First he concentrated on eBay sales, but by the early 2000s he began shifting his focus to his consumer-direct website, The

How To Build An Electric Bike That People Will Actually Want To Ride [FastCompany]

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THE STORY OF HOW ADAM VOLLMER LEFT IDEO TO MAKE AN ELECTRIC BIKE AMERICANS COULD LOVE. Up until last year, Adam Vollmer had been making a pretty good run of things as a mechanical engineer at Ideo. He was responsible for developing groundbreaking new instruments for spinal surgeries and had worked on solutions for improving access to drinking water in developing countries. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of a company that makes bicycles. Just one bicycle, actually--the Faraday Porteur, a handsome $3,800 ride with bamboo fenders, pistachio accents, and a cleverly hidden on-board lithium ion battery and front wheel motor. Yep, it’s an e-bike, a designation that’s at the heart of the challenge Vollmer’s facing with his new venture: how to build an electric bike for a country that just doesn’t really like the things all that much. It’s a problem the designer  first had to start thinking about  early last year, when Ideo was invited to participate in  the Oreg

Coast Protocol Episode 2: Gaining Momentum in Vancouver

Coast Protocol Episode 2: Gaining Momentum in Vancouver from America ByCycle on Vimeo . Vancouver, Canada! Finally the adventures begin as the tire meets the road in the streets of British Columbia. Accompanied by Tania Lo, Co-Publisher of Momentum Mag, we take a closer look at the downtown's bicycle-friendly infrastructure. After speaking with Tania we also learned about her inspiring involvement with the documentary Long Road North, which encapsulates a bicycle tour from the tip of South America to the Canadian Arctic. With much time to spare, we explore the city with the lovely ladies from Birds on Bikes and ride into the sunset.

Coast Protocol Episode 1: Goats, Boats, and Spinning Spokes

Coast Protocol Episode 1: Goats, Boats, and Spinning Spokes from America ByCycle on Vimeo . Nearly a year after returning from their last trip, the America ByCycle team gets ready to hit the road once again. Now accompanied with their new member, Alex R. Favacho, they head north to Vancouver where this west coast adventure begins. This video will be one of many which aims to highlight, interview, and get to know the people and places they meet along the way. With much gratitude and appreciation, they give their thanks to all who have helped them.

Bike lanes tied to increased consumer spending [MNN]

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Photo:  mindfrieze /Flickr There are a bevy of benefits to  bike-friendly communities  including improved health and reduced pollution, but two new studies reveal a rather unexpected benefit, an increase in consumer spending. In his article  How Bicycling Creates Economic Impact: A Tale of Two Cities , Leon Kaye with Triple Pundit discussed the results from two different surveys, one covering biking and spending trends in Portland, Ore., and the other in New York City.   “Whether businesses reached out and made their locations more bicycle-friendly, or streets were redesigned to include bike lanes, the overall outcome has been increased spending in local neighborhoods. Shoppers who arrive in urban neighborhoods via cars may spend more in one sitting — but overall those who arrived on foot or by bicycling spent more month to month. The results indicate that neighborhoods and business districts that seek a healthier bottom line should work with municipalities and support such f

How Not To Design A Separated Bike Lane [Treehugger]

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Martin Reis / CC BY 1.0 The City of Toronto is finally getting a separated bike lane. It's on Sherbourne Street, a block east of the soon to be painted out  Jarvis Street bike lanes  that keep city councillors from getting home in time for dinner. The separation is a rounded bump that is too big for a cyclist to cross easily and safely, but not too big for a UPS truck. So now, when they park in the Fedex Lane (as I call our bike lanes), cyclists will have to dismount and go around them. According to  Jack Lakey in the Star , they didn't have any choice. [Keep reading at Treehugger]

Cincinnati city leaders to move forward with Ohio’s first bike sharing system [UrbanCincy]

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A new study, prepared by  Alta Planning + Design , has determined how and where a bicycle sharing system could be implemented in Cincinnati in a way that will compliment its expanding  Bicycle Transportation Program . The recently released report was  called for by city leaders in May 2012 , and identifies a 35-station, 350-bike system that would be built over two phases in Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Pendleton, Clifton Heights, Corryville, Clifton, Avondale and the West End. “We went into this study wanting the public to be a big part of the process. They contributed more than 300 suggestions for stations and cast nearly 2,000 votes,” said Michael Moore, Director of the  Department of Transportation & Engineering  (DOTE). “Thanks to all their input, this study helps ensure bike share is relevant and useful to the residents and commuters in the downtown neighborhoods.” Several neighborhoods throughout the city were determined as potential areas to be included in a future Cin

Commission endorses downtown [Columbus] bike-share program [ThisWeek]

Columbus could be the latest major U.S. city to get a bike-share program. The city’s Recreation and Parks Commission on Oct. 10 recommended approval of a five-year, $2.2 million contract with ALTA Bicycle Share, based in Portland, Ore. The money will go toward setting up the 30 bike stations, card-swipe systems, purchase of bicycles and other startup costs, said Terri Leist, planning administrator with recreation and parks. The plan, which could go into effect as early as May, would put 300 bicycles on the streets of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, including the Short North, German Village and the Brewery District. ALTA would be responsible for maintaining the program after the first year. After that, any revenues that exceed the annual operating expenses would be split 50-50 between the city and ALTA, Leist said. Columbus City Council must approve the contract. [Keep reading at ThisWeek]

OSU - short and long term goals to increase safety

Dear Students and Colleagues We write to report on the work of the task force charged by President Gee to review our existing efforts and to look for new opportunities to further enhance our safety on sidewalks and roads. This team of students, faculty and staff was charged to provide an initial assessment on this topic and suggest both short and long term solutions. While there is much more work to be done, we have a strong foundation on which to build. Some recommendations will be implemented quickly while others will require more research and evaluation and included as part of a long-term safety strategy. The following recommendations were presented to President Gee: Short-Term Recommendations: Adopt a clear and strong set of rules of the road for all modes of transportation to raise awareness and reduce accidents on campus. Actions to achieve this recommendation will include a comprehensive, layered, educational campaign for all modes of transportation aimed at establishing

Bicyclist Struck By Car On North High Street [NBC4i]

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By:  DENISE YOST   |  NBC4   Published: October 16, 2012 Updated: October 16, 2012 - 6:18 PM »  1  Comments   |   Post a Comment COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A bicyclist is hospitalized after being hit by a car near the Ohio State University campus. The crash occurred in the 1800 block of North High Street near 16 th  Avenue at about 4:45 p.m. The bicyclist was struck by a car and transported to Riverside Methodist Hospital in stable condition. The driver of the vehicle and a witness told police that the bicyclist was riding on a sidewalk when he hopped off and tried to rid through the crosswalk. Officers said that riding a bicycle through a crosswalk is a violation, and the cyclist could be cited. One northbound lane of North High Street is closed during the cleanup and investigation. Columbus police is investigating the crash. http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/oct/16/3/bicyclist-struck-car-north-high-street-ar-1207333/

Hornit Db140 Horn - The world's loudest cycle horn.

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The world's loudest cycle horn. At 140db it's equivalent to a jet engine and 4x louder than the competition.  Now cyclists can actively alert lorries, buses, cars and pedestrians to their presence (rather than hoping than to be seen) which makes cycling safer. - Piercing 140 decibel sound - 2 modes, inc. quieter 'Park' mode - Versatile design fits all styles of bike - Rubber trigger stretches round all handlebars - Thumb rests comfortably on trigger - Safe and easy to operate, even when braking - Easy to install  - IP44 (splash-proof) - x2 AAA batteries (included) - Only 99g (inc. batteries) http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mobile/hornit-db140-horn-prod27966/