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Showing posts from December 11, 2011

New study compares bicycling's CO2 emissions to other modes

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New study compares bicycling's CO2 emissions to other modes Posted by  Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)  on December 12th, 2011 at 9:34 am Cover of ECF study A new study by the European Cyclists Federation  (ECF) offers an in-depth comparison between the CO2 emissions of bicycling versus other modes of transportation. The new study is aimed at encouraging policy makers to make bicycle promotion a larger part of their greenhouse gas emission reduction toolkit. What makes the study interesting (and useful for settling debates) is that it took into account not just the emissions from the vehicles themselves, but from the entire life cycle of the mode including production, maintenance and fuel — which in the case of bicycling includes caloric intake. ECF infographic. Even with the CO2 emissions of food required to power a bicycle, the ECF study found that — while not emissions free — the bicycle is still the lowest emitter of greenhouse gasses per passenger kilom

The not so green bike: carbon fiber's carbon footprint

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The not so green bike: carbon fiber's carbon footprint By Peter Suciu, from Detroit, MI Trek currently recycles scrap from the carbon production process  (Trek Bicycles) View Thumbnail Gallery Much is made about the environmental benefits of cycling. Bicycles are almost universally touted as being “good” for the environment, because riding a bike is green due to their small—if any—carbon footprint when compared to automobiles. But—even disregarding their environmentally costly production—what about the  carbon fiber  footprint that is left when a carbon bike ends up in a landfill? The fact is it will be there for a very long time. Carbon fiber is neither biodegradable nor photodegradable. It's a composite material, which means that it's a combination of materials, whereby the different materials remain chemically separate and distinct within the finished structure. And as manufacturers have told us: it's all about layers of material. The preci

Transformer Bicycle - Tall bike or chopper? How about both!

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Triformance Central Ohio indoor cycling classes designed JUST FOR Cyclists and Triathletes!

FINALLY! Central Ohio indoor cycling classes designed JUST FOR Cyclists and Triathletes! Tired of the same boring indoor spinning classes, bored to death in your basement, banished to a trainer and VHS movies? Our high-intensity indoor cycling classes are designed on the concept of Blood, Sweat & Gears meets Exercise Science. These classes are designed specifically to take triathletes and cyclists to all NEW performance levels. Enjoy professionally led group rides, on the comfort of your own bike. We know your training time is valuable, so don’t waste it at stop signs, dodging traffic and dealing with the elements, and wondering with all the distractions if you are keeping in the correct HR zone. Get in on the action NOW and join one of our custom designed training programs. Perfect for any experience level! Classes start the week of January 9th. You will need Heart Rate Monitor, Trainer Skewer (10$, in stock), Towel(s), Running shoes, and of course Yo

Tour de Cause Winter TT Series at Crook's Cycle Right

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Hi, I have finalized plans with Ron Burris to host a Winter Time Trial Series for Tour de Cause. The highlights are in the attachment. This should be a great way to put some cycling in the winter months and have some fun, maybe win some prizes. Ron is working on that now, so more details to follow. The Series will run from 11 AM to 6 PM Saturday and Sunday each event, book early for the time slot that works best for you. 4-6 riders will compete each hour, rankings will be by age and gender - so you can race with your friends and the results will be by the age and gender classes. Looking forward to seeing everyone this winter!  John Crook's Cycle Right a cycling performance center Cell 614 496-8982 Office 614 417-1551 829 N. Columbus St Lancaster, OH [Crook's website]

Pork N' Pine delivers Christmas trees with a side of barbecue [Baltimore Sun]

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Off-beat service brings holiday trimmings by car, bicycle Jason Toraldo, dressed as Santa, climbs up to the roof deck of… (Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun) December 13, 2011 | By Chris Kaltenbach, The Baltimore Sun Santa Claus and two of his elves pedaled their bicycles across Fort Avenue and up Woodall Street, stopping beside an apartment across from the Domino Sugar Factory. With Mariah Carey's "All I Want for  Christmas  Is You" blasting from a boombox — and a handful of curious neighbors looking on — the trio carefully unloaded their cargo: A six-and-a-half-foot Douglas fir and a pulled pork sandwich. Up the stairway they went. Christmas had officially arrived at Marilyn Agro's home. Lunch, too. The man behind the fake white beard was 29-year-old Jason Toraldo, a recruiter for a Johns Hopkins University gifted-and-talented program. Last month, he started Pork N' Pine, a combination of Christmas trees and sliced meat that taps into a nich

San Francisco’s Plan To Keep Cyclists Lit Up

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San Francisco’s Plan To Keep Cyclists Lit Up Want bicycles to be safe? You could pull them over for minor infractions, but in San Francisco, they’re going the carrot route. You can now get a free bike light from the city--if you find the right secret locations. There are few things more dangerous in the evening on busy city streets than cyclists riding around without bike lights. It’s an especially big problem in the winter, when cyclists--some used to only riding during the day--must pedal home during rush hour in the dark. But San Francisco cyclists that have a bum light or lack lights entirely don’t have to head to the store. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) is at the tail end of a month-long campaign to hand out 2,000 bike lights to residents. The yearly  "Light Up the Night"  event, put on as part of a partnership with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, features stations along popular city bike routes where cyclists can snag free b

Kiwi Chronicles Ep1: To the Edge of the World - PathLessPedaled.com

Kiwi Chronicles Ep1: To the Edge of the World - PathLessPedaled.com from Russ Roca on Vimeo . First full episode of the Kiwi Chronicles. Thanks to our partners Bicycle Times and Adventure Cycling. For more, visit: www.pathlesspedaled.com www.bicycletimesmag.com www.adventurecycling.org and follow us at: www.facebook.com/pathlesspedaled www.twitter.com/pathlesspedaled

Happy Trails EcoVelo! Popular blog comes to an end...

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It’s with a bittersweet mix of emotions that we’ve decided to close up shop on January 1, 2012. It’s been a great ride that we’ve enjoyed immensely, but it’s time to move on to new challenges. We want to thank all of those who have supported us along the way, from family, friends, readers, sponsors, and fellow bloggers, to those who submitted material for our Bike Gallery, Photo Contests, and Commuter Profiles. Your input and participation were extremely important aspects of what made EcoVelo unique. Our plan is to leave the site live on the web as a resource for the cycling community for two years, until January 1, 2014. With over 3,300 posts, there’s certainly plenty here to keep new riders busy for a while. Over the next 30 days we’ll be wrapping up a few remaining articles and posting any new Commuter Profile or Gallery submissions that come in. Finally, this change does  not  signify a move away from our commitment to using bicycles for transportation. In fact, going fo

Stylish Threads That'll Keep You From Getting Run Over

Stylish Threads That'll Keep You From Getting Run Over Want to be safe on your bike without looking like a crossing guard? We-Flashy's got you covered. For a grad-school project at NYU, Alex Vessels and Mindy Tchieu thought up ways to make cyclists visible to cars. Their first idea: a large, inflatable version of a brain that would fit over a bicycle helmet. “The idea behind that was that it would be very visible, illuminated at night, and rendered in such a way that would convey the delicateness of cyclists body to motorists,” Vessels writes on his website . Kinda brilliant, but something you’d more likely see in a MoMA exhibition than in a fashionista’s wardrobe. “We soon realized that people, especially New Yorkers, were not willing to sacrifice style for safety.” So the duo decided to turn ordinary T-shirts and sweatshirts into biking gear, embellishing them with retroreflective material cut into stylish, modern patterns. While still students, Vessels and Tchieu lau

ORTOVOX MOUNTAINSKYVER - Stand on it going downhill?

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The model RACE stands for absolute purism and an excellent climb performance. At 7.8 kg, it is the lightest aluminum model of the new ORTOVOX MOUNTAINSKYVER. It is aimed at mountain sports enthusiasts who train specifically but do not want to burden their knees with long descents. Instead of a heavy suspension fork, a lightweight rigid fork is used. As with all MOUNTAINSKYVERs, we mount mechanical, very snappy disk brakes (160 mm) and very grippy tyres. The 60 mm elastomer buffer provides optimum road grip and thus maximum control on the descent.  [Ortovox website]

Cyclefilm - Yep, cycling films.

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CYCLEFILM is a European based production company specializing in informative cycling documentaries, how-to ride and reconnaissance films as well as news gathering from cycling events and trade shows around the world. We own over 500 hours of road cycling related stock footage available for commercial use.  Please get in touch with us for details on licensing and syndication. From backstage coverage of pro events like the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, to daily diaries of charity rides for the Geoff Thomas Foundation and the Leuka Fireflies, to event and recon films of European Sportives & Gran Fondos, Cyclefilm covers it all. Cyclefilm also offers New Media Production services for small businesses and corporations, helping to build stronger customer relationships with emerging media tools. Cyclefilm can formulate a comprehensive online strategy, produce powerful, targeted content and help deploy it effectively across the web. [CycleFilm website]

CyclePassion Calendar 2012 is available!

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CYCLEPASSION CALENDAR 2012 Calendar 2012  New: printed double-sided.  The double-sided print means there are twice as many photos.   Side one features mostly full-color, sexy (yet tasteful) photographs of each athlete, while the side two explores the ladies' professional life with black and white action photographs. Photos by Daniel Geiger Size: 40 cm x 68 cm // 15,75" x 20,72" Veronica Andréasson  // Sweden //   Pauline Ferrand Prevot  // France //  Liz Hatch  // USA //  Hanna Klein  // Germany //   Katherine O`Shea  // Australia // Marion Rousse  // France //  Maja Wloszczowska  // Poland 36,00 EUR ( 19 % VAT incl. excl.  Shipping costs  )  | Shipping time: 3-4 Days [CyclePassion website]

Urban Lace Jewelry - Not just recycled tires!

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Urban Lace Jewelry specializes in making unique eco-friendly designer jewelry. Our one of a kind jewelry is created from recycled bicycle inner tubes collected from local bike shops. Our goal is to make high quality, high fashion, environmentally friendly products that people love to wear. We create elegant design with the planet in mind.  Inner tubes are not only durable, flexible, and waterproof, they can also be beautiful. Each year thousands of inner tubes are thrown into landfills in the US alone, where they will sit for hundreds of years. Urban Lace is committed to renewing those discarded tubes into wearable art.  Barbi Touron, the lead designer for Urban Lace, started out in a small garage below her apartment making jewelry for friends in 2006. As more and more people wore her jewelry and word of mouth spread, so did the demand for these unique creations. With orders growing beyond her ability to keep up, Barbi partnered with Aaron Shear and Urban Lace was born. They been