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Showing posts from December 8, 2013

Biking in the City Used To Be A Whole Lot Worse @brooklynmag

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Just when we get a little downcast about disrespect for bike lanes and  the NYPD’s seemingly lackadaisical approach to prosecuting drivers who kill and maim cyclists (and pedestrians!) , now feels like an opportune moment to play a little game of “hey, at least things are better than they used to be.” Even if we have to look all the way back to 1897! [Keep reading at Brooklyn Magazine]

Save $10,000 By Riding A Bike Instead Of Driving | cleantechnica.com

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The average American family spends about $10,000 a year for transportation, according to Author Elly Blue’s new book  Bikenomics . By biking , walking, and riding public transportation, a great deal of money could be saved by consumers.  Blue’s insight rings true: I had a co-worker who had not owned a car for many years, and she said she saved about $10,000 a year each year of being carless. In other words, she saved over $50,000 during that time. Since most of us are in the habit of driving cars, we may assume that is the thing to do and overlook the costs due to the extra convenience. If a family in an urban area could save $100,000 in ten years of not driving a car, however, that money could be used on education for the children. Today, one of the major costs and concerns for parents is how they are going to pay for higher education. (Typically, it is through loans, some with high interest rates, and today’s economy is not making it easy at all for young college graduates to pa

Cost of Owning and Operating Vehicle in U.S. Increases Nearly Two Percent According to AAA’s 2013 ‘Your Driving Costs’ Study

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Increase in maintenance, insurance and fuel drive up average cost for sedans to $9,122 yearly, 60.8 cents per mile ORLANDO, Fla., (April 16, 2013) –  AAA  released the results of its annual ‘Your Driving Costs’ study today, revealing a 1.96 percent increase in the cost to own and operate a sedan in the U.S. The average cost rose 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving. “Many factors go into the cost calculation of owning and operating a vehicle,” said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “This year, changes in maintenance, fuel and insurance costs resulted in the increase to just over 60 cents a mile.” [See more at AAA]

SRAM Road Hydraulic Brake Recall – STOP USE IMMEDIATELY

UPDATE: SRAM Road Hydraulic Brake Recall – STOP USE IMMEDIATELY On November 4 th  SRAM identified and announced a technical issue with respect to a narrow production range of its RED 22 and S-700 Hydraulic Road Brakes. At that time, it was described as a performance and safety concern with no reported failures in the field. It has recently come to our attention that during last weekend’s Cyclocross racing in the US, in sub freezing temperatures, several failures were reported. In these conditions the master cylinder seals failed to hold pressure resulting in abrupt loss of brake power, and an inability to stop the bike. These failures are related to product that is outside the originally stated date code range and unrelated to the original failure mode. No injuries have been reported to date. As a result of this new finding, SRAM requests that anyone who has a bike equipped with SRAM Hydraulic Disc or Hydraulic Rim Brakes stop using the bike immediately. All products shipped to

The Friendly Cat's Paw

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The Friendly Cat's Paw $49.95 Motorists and Cyclists alike, As you already know: most states require a three foot buffer for a motorist to pass a cyclist. How far is three feet? Well, it's pretty impractical to hang a measuring tape out of your window. So what is the solution? The KaleCoAuto Friendly Cat's Paw. Simply attach the clamp side to your bicycle and extend the telescoping Cat's Paw. This extends to exactly 2ft 11 and 7/8ths inches. If a motorist passes too close, the spring-loaded Cat's Paw will gently brush the paint of the vehicle and emit a high pitched squealing sound as the (user replaceable!) friendship-blades run across the paint! The motorist will know immediately they are too close, and give you a friendly wave. Whew! Accident avoided. Another KaleCoAuto product that makes sharing the road safer and more fun!* Weight Weenies: Only 113 grams! *Not for use with pedestrians. http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14

Stone Cold Outdoor Aluminum Bike Trunk

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Keep all of your essential gear locked in your trunk, safe from the elements and hit and run thieves. Water resistant rubber-seal lid keeps contents safe from the elements Heavy-duty latch keeps lid tightly shut and can be securely locked. Flashing light mounted on back provides increased safety in low light conditions. Panniers or other bags easily mount on side rails Weighs only 2 lbs. Padded interior protect contents and provides quiet riding. Must be mounted to an existing rack by drilling holes through trunk and then bolting to rack. [See more at Stone Cold Outdoor]

Movers and Makers Vol. 1 - Christopher Igleheart

Movers and Makers Vol. 1 - Christopher Igleheart from Swobo on Vimeo .

Mac Ride - A Unique Child's Bike Seat for Riding Off-Road | Kickstarter

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The sleek, minimal design, with your child in front, ensures there is nothing between you and your greatest family adventures. Mac Ride relaxing at the beach WHAT IS MAC RIDE?                  Mac Ride is a unique seat for children that goes on your bike between you and your handlebars. Mac Ride is about you taking your child with you to explore the streets, the paths and off-road terrain. Mac Ride is strong, lightweight, ergonomic, easy to install, interactive and - perhaps most important of all - FUN! Big smiles on the trails! THE NEED  There is a particular age at which children begin to want to do everything that their parents do , and yet they are not always physically capable. For our kids it began somewhere around the age of 2, and has carried on for years afterward, depending on the activity. As a mountain biker and general outdoor enthusiast,  I wanted to share my love of off-road adventure with my kids.  And so we took to the hills, camping, skiing and hi

New Developments for Bicycle Services on Amtrak @advcyclingassoc

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“Roll-on" bicycle service and “Amtrak” are two buzz words that we’ve been hearing a lot lately, and we’re excited about the recent progress to make multi-modal travel more convenient and accessible for cyclists across the country. In this post we'll give you an update on the formation of an Amtrak task force to develop more bicycle services on trains, and tell you about the new spreadsheet that we’ve created to help facilitate bicycle travel on Amtrak lines. [Keep reading at Adventure Cycling]

Yay Bikes! Party at Hal & Al's is 12/19 530p #letsride @yaybikes @halandals

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Stop down to celebrate a great year of biking and wrap-up the "12 Days of Yay" with an evening of food, drink and camaraderie.  • Food and drink specials. • Pickup your 12 Days of Yay prize if you are a winner. • Enter the raffle for some great biking prizes. • Join Yay Bikes! and support bicycle advocacy in Columbus. • Pickup a set of pint glasses to support Yay Bikes! courtesy of  Hal & Al's . Not sure what Yay Bikes! is all about? Look for members in our red shirts and find out what we are doing to get people on bikes here in Columbus. RSVP here

AMERICA’S 10 BEST PROTECTED BIKE LANES OF 2013 | peopleforbikes.org

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The new Linden Avenue in Seattle, our pick for No. 5 nationally. Photo:  SDOT . Two years ago, PeopleForBikes launched the  Green Lane Project  to help focus attention and expertise around something that we decided was going to be the next big thing in city biking: the protected bike lane. It's always nice to be right. As the thermoplastic dries on this year's round of terrific protected bike lane projects, we decided to scour the country for a comprehensive (and subjective) ranking of the best of the best. We talked to experts and advocates around the country, looked at technical photos and schemes and read the news reports to understand not just how these bike lanes were designed, but why. Though the word "complete" can be hard to define for something as malleable as a city street, every project on this page has been in some clear sense finished during this year. [Keep reading at peopleforbikes.org]

The Babboe City Cargobike

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The two wheel version of the Dutch ‘Bakfiets’ Amazing modern design Galvanized Steel frame High Quality German Birch wood Bench seats for maximum 2 children 7 internal gears (low maintenance) Stable because of low positioned box Built for maximum safety Easy to drive All weather proof; mudguards, enclosed  chain case and internal hub brakes. [Babboe]

Early San Francisco Bike Messenger Footage

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A piece that aired on KRON Channel 2 in 1992. From the comments, many think the footage is from the mid-80s.

THE BICYCLE

THE BICYCLE from Adam Neustadter on Vimeo .

Columbus' Own: “TAYLOR KRUSE, TOUR DIVIDE 2013 FINISHER”

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WE ARE YOUNG While staying at the Y in Banff readying myself for the Divide I’ll never forget when these two  kids  came in.  They were half my age, wearing matching  Whiskey Parts t-shirts  and were bright, peppy and did I mention young?  I honestly thought it was some kids that were coming out to root us Tour Divide Racers as we left Banff.  These kids were Kristen and Taylor and for a month I raced against and rode with them over the spine of the Divide. I can’t say enough good about them and admired them for always keeping upbeat, pragmatic and positive in a race that wanted to shred you of all three of those things.  Taylor was a fellow single speeder and was unbelievably talented on the one gear and taught me a few things on how to be rather speedy myself on one. I was able to nab Taylor’s attention for a few moments and get his take on the Divide, here’s how it went: Name:  Taylor Kruse Occupation:  “User Experience” at  Fulcrum Creatives , a small branding and d

Soil Your Pants? Citi Bike’s Got You Covered @Digiday

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When it comes to real-time marketing, it sometimes pays to get into someone’s pants. Paull Young , the director of digital media at  charity: water , was on his way to a Friday morning meeting last week, pedaling along on a Citi Bike when disaster struck: Thankfully, Young was unharmed, if a bit inconvenienced. [See what happens at digiday.com]

Barclays to End Sponsorship of London Bike Program | NY Times

LONDON – The British bank  Barclays  is ending its sponsorship in 2015 of a bike-rental program in London that inspired a similar bike-sharing program in New York. Barclays is currently evaluating all of its sponsorship commitments. The bank continues to reel from revelations last year that its traders manipulated the  London interbank offered rate , a benchmark interest rate known as Libor. The current sponsorship deal for Barclays Cycle Hire, which was signed in 2010, is set to end in 2015. The agreement could have been extended to 2018, but Transport for London, the London transit agency, is looking for a new sponsor to help underwrite its efforts to greatly expand the program in the next few years. The program is preparing to expand into southwest London this week. [Keep reading at  NY Times]

Road Bike Party 2 - Martyn Ashton

My Five Favorite Bicycles

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Photo by  Rob Mandolene . The way I see it, smart city men see the bicycle like other men might see a hot little convertible coupe. It gets you where you need to go with style, ease, open air and flair. And like the convertible, the smart city bike is a serious investment when you consider the essential components of craftsmanship and style. And unlike the car, the bike doesn’t require continual lifetime expenses like insurance, gas and parking*. That important difference can justify spending more on a fabulous bike since it’s a one-time investment with minimal subsequent expenses for maintenance. Aside from blown tires, cable adjustments and other minor touch-ups over the years, the only real required accessory is a good lock. (Go  Kryptonite  on that one.) Below are five bikes available as of this writing that offer a lifetime of timeless, classic and stylish city bicycling. They come in a range of prices, from just under $600 to over $3,500. The higher-ticket bikes may seem o

Sleeping Dog - Varanasi, India

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[See Maciej Dakowicz's original image on 500px]

Trans Am Bike Race is June 7th, 2014 @TransAmBikeRace

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About Trans Am Bike Race Some might ask, why race a touring route? A simple answer is, because it’s there. The  Transamerica Trail  was ridden by thousands of cyclists in the summer of 1976. Called “Bikecentennial”, these riders made there way from the Pacific ocean of Western Oregon to the Atlantic ocean of Yorktown, VA. This route is now the most widely used touring route in the United States. Known for it’s hospitality in towns along the route, the route sees thousands of cyclists each year as it is mostly navigable year round. Some might ask, why race a touring route? A simple answer is, because it’s there. A more complex answer is this. The “organizer” of this race has planned for years to do a solo run of this route in a similar manner to most  bikepacking  ultra-endurance racing and wants to bring it to a larger audience. In keeping with the open format of most of these races, anyone is free to race. Ultra-racers, randonneurs, tour riders, gravel grinders, speed-tour

Pennyfarthing Crash

Eskil禅 riding a bike backwards at 80 km/h Trollstigen

The Bird Cage™ | Portland Design Works

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Replace your boring old bottle cage with this fresh take on the H2O holder. The Bird Cage™ is made of lightweight 5052 alloy in the shape of a bird with wings folded to cradle your water bottle. [PDW]

Are These Transformers? No, They Are Kuwahara Gaap Bicycles From Japan.

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[See more on KUWAHARA Gaap Tumblr]

The Explainer: Because I @#$%ing hate bullies | redkiteprayer.com

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I was once asked, by a curious high school student, why I went to law school. Maybe my response wasn’t exactly appropriate, but my answer remains the same: “Because I @#$%ing  hate bullies.” Well, maybe that’s the answer to why — after so many months off — I am resurrecting “The Explainer.” By now many of you have seen the story making its way around cycling-related social media about the Afghanistan war veteran in Cochrane, Alberta, who opened up a small bike shop over an ice cream parlor and his encounter with a @#$%ing bully. If you  haven’t  read about Dan Richter and the  Café Roubaix Bicycle Studio , do me a quick favor before you do. Without  clicking on the link , answer this quick and easy question: What do you, oh velo-centric bike geeks among us, think of when you hear the word “Roubaix?” [Keep reading at redkiteprayer.com]

Car runs red light, hits girl on bike, hit and run... Pursuit follows...

26 Ain't Dead

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[Cotic Bikes Presents #26aintdead on vimeo]

The Lure of the Open Road

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  June 22, 1944 This was the day, the first day of our adventure by bicycle. It was the reality of a dream one day toward completion. It was the beginning of an adventure, months of hoboing through the country to live as we pleased and go where we willed. And now, at 7:30 a.m., the Roy family arrived at the Popp residence at 134 Oakgrove Avenue, Buffalo, New York, to share breakfast together with their children, Doris and Thelma. Perhaps in the future we would be looking back at the wealth and the pleasure of that breakfast and the kind words of our parents still attempting to discourage us. Perhaps it was a ridiculous venture, but we were determined never to be put into the category with those who say, "I always wanted to, but never did." Out on the driveway were standing two beautiful new bicycles. Both were blue and their chrome fittings shone like silver in the sun. A previous checkup reported all parts oiled and geared for efficiency [Read more on mjgradziel]

Riding Away From a Bar Crawl With Citi Bikes | NY Times

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It started as a normal date night: Shawn, a bearded graduate student who favors lumberjack plaid, went to Williamsburg for dinner and drinks with his girlfriend. But instead of taking the L train from their Chelsea apartment, they decided to ride Citi Bikes there and back. A couple of cocktails at the Wythe Hotel led to beers at Mable’s Smokehouse and a nightcap at Post Office, a dive-like whiskey bar. After four or five drinks, they undocked a pair of blue bikes and rode home over the Williamsburg Bridge. As usual, Shawn sped ahead, and as they ascended over the East River, he turned around to see where his girlfriend was. That’s when he lost his balance, kicked his foot into a bridge railing and broke his toe. “I really wasn’t that drunk,” said Shawn, 30, who uses the bike-share program about 20 times a week. (Shawn, like many of the people interviewed, asked that his full name not be used; drinking and cycling is not really something to toot your bike horn abou

Why Transit Riders Give Terrible Directions | vice.com

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Image via  Flickr/CC If I asked you how far you live from work, and you replied, "It’s only about 25 minutes by train," then you're not really supplying a distance. It's relative, excusably typical, and more likely part of an ongoing sales pitch about your neighborhood's distance from my reality. It's "not  that  far," you add. But your crappy direction-giving might just be the result of your passive passengerhood.  According to new research, drivers, walkers, and bicyclists will generally provide us with more useful directions than transit riders. Published  in  Urban Planning , "Going Mental" shows that cognitively active travelers, regardless of commute by foot or car, tend to trump cognitively passive travelers, (those who frequent public buses and trains) in perceiving distance. Questioning cognitively active, passive, and mixed travelers about distances from a survey site to LA's city hall, the research demonstrated that the

Who Needs Two Wheels?

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[Nimbus Oregon Fat Tire Unicycle]