Columbus Rides Bikes!

Posts will resume on Monday, unless my co-conspirators want to post in my absence.

Ion's officially releasing its Air Pro camera that we put through its paces  back in March . The sports shooter is designed to be strapped to a helmet or extreme-sports gear to document your extreme adventures in high definition. It'll also come with 8GB of free storage from  MiMedia  to share your death-risking achievements over the internet. Budget models are available starting at $230, but for the full package (with the WiFi module) it'll set you back $350 from today. Oh, and if you'd like to see what you're expected to do with the gear, you can head past the jump for test footage. [See video at Engadget]

The more extreme among each group believe the road isn't big enough for the both of them, but do cyclists and motorists have more in common than they think? Or will they continue to be at loggerheads for the foreseeable future? Metro talks to both sides to find out. In the way or right of way? Cyclists and motorists continually battle for the road (Pic: Getty) Read more:  http://www.metro.co.uk/news/899593-the-road-to-hell-will-the-war-between-motorists-and-cyclists-ever-end#ixzz1vvsRLCsu Every day, there is a battle waging across Britain. In the red lane next to the kerb, an unruly gang straddle their two-wheeled devils, ready to spring into attack mode. Out in the middle of the road, meanwhile, a cocooned rabble prepares to give their bidding to evil, four-wheeled monsters.  Of course, that is a complete load of nonsense. But if blogs, radio phone-ins and Metro’s own letters pages are anything to go by, you could be forgiven for thinking that cyclists and motorists are at co

A multimodal transit blog with a focus on cycling in Columbus, Ohio. Cole I'm a Columbus biker who believes in the utility of cycling. Bicycles are cheap alternatives to cars and gives you freedom from transit schedules.  [Biking Columbus]

They might be a  staple of the well-dressed geek's wardrobe , but skinny jeans aren't doing you any favors. In fact, they might be causing you real, physical damage. ABC recently interviewed  Dr. Karen Boyle from Greater Baltimore Medical Center, who has recently seen cases of women suffering pain from wearing tight jeans.  She explains : "This disorder is called Meralgia Paresthetica and it's a disorder that occurs when one of the nerves that runs in the outer part of a thigh gets compressed. The pressure on it causes symptoms of tingling, numbness and pain in the outer part of the thigh." [Learn more at Gizmodo]

Cycle Path offers a number of bicycle options to fit the needs of all patrons. Photo by CG Photographer Brenna Hettler. By Katie Foglia, CG Lifestyles & People Across the world, bikes have become a dominant part of culture. For many, learning how to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage, and the old cliché, “you never forget how to ride a bike,” has become a euphemism for revisiting past experiences. Now, biking has become more than just a cultural statement: it is an eco-friendly way of life. Whether for recreational or functional purposes, the benefits of riding a bike can be expressed in many ways. Biking can improve environmental and personal health, reduces traffic jamming and has economic rewards, among incentives. In Athens, people have recognized its importance. Athens resident David West bought his first cycling bike when he was 13, and competed in his first race at age 41. He has since competed in races in Athens and Nelsonville. “Biking gives you the freedom of

This 55cm Albatross Bar is a fantastic bar: great looking, extra comfortable, good for all kinds of riding on and off road, and is the only bar of its type (a lightweight, swept-back, old-fashioned type) that accepts bar-end shifters. It's perfect for converting mountain bikes to comfortable all-around bikes. Lots of our Atlantis bikes go out with these bars. I/Grant have one like that, and I ride it everywhere, in all conditions. If you ride a bike and have more than two or three of them, you ought to have this bar. It is the only bar in the world with this luscious look, this super quality, and that'll fit mountain bikey brake levers and bar-end shifters. You could just as easily set it up with mountain bike shifters, but it was designed specifically to work with bar-end shifters, and doing it that way frees up more room in front of the brake lever, for a good off-the-saddle climbing grip. I/Grant like riding this bar now, and ride it a lot (average 60 miles per week ye

‘Reel’  can transform the main triangle of the bike frame to store your belongings. The silicone stickers are attached onto the frame and the elastic band is wound up between them. Unlike common bicycle accessories, the flexibility of the band allows the user to express their style by customizing the shape of ‘Reel’. [CIELBLEU]

MEET THE ARTISTS! Downtown public art BIKE TOUR Saturday WHAT: In cooperation with the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Reinigungsgesellschaft has created “The Bus to the Future,” a temporary public art project that renames Downtown... Columbus bus shelters with issue-oriented titles and poses the question, “What would you call your bus line that leads your city to the future?” Reinigungsgesellschaft will discuss their process while touring the sites near Broad and High streets on bicycle, giving their insights into the future of our community. WHO: International artists Henrik Mayer and Martin Keil of Reinigungsgesellschaft WHEN: Saturday, May 26, 10 a.m. WHERE: Bike riders will meet at Cafe Brioso, 14 E. Gay Street in Downtown Columbus. INFO: “The Bus to the Future” is one of 13 public art projects in FINDING TIME: Columbus Public Art 2012, which is taking place in public spaces, plazas, parks, streets, and alleys in a 360-acre area of the downtown surrounding the Statehouse

  A group of Centretown residents has submitted a petition with more than 2,000 signatures demanding the removal of the segregated bike lanes on Laurier Avenue, between Bronson Avenue and Elgin Street. Photograph by:  Julie Oliver , The Ottawa Citizen OTTAWA — A group of Centretown residents has submitted a petition with more than 2,000 signatures demanding the removal of the segregated bike lanes on Laurier Avenue, between Bronson Avenue and Elgin Street. The petition was signed by local residents, business owners, service providers and visitors of Laurier Avenue West, who largely are concerned with the loss of parking spaces due to the bike lanes, said Janine Hutt, the Ccair of the Bay/Bronson Residents’ Action Group for Fair Access to the Road (BBRAGFAR). “Not only were our buildings’ front entrances literally barricaded with concrete barriers, residents lost (parking) access to both sides of the street,” said Hutt. [continue

As cyclists we all know that the ground is hard and at some point we will most likely hit it. Most of us have Major Medical Insurance to protect us from the cost associated with medical care necessary after a serious cycling accident. However, Major Medical Insurance does not pay many costs associated with more serious injuries. That is why we created BALANCE Insurance for cyclists. BALANCE Insurance pays injured cyclists lump sum cash payments to fill the gaps not covered by Major Medical or Disability Insurance. BALANCE Insurance was created by cyclists for cyclists. We have friends who have been severely injured while riding their bikes. Many of the costs associated with their accidents were not covered by Major Medical Insurance. Things like rehabilitative, nursing, and other care are very important for a full recovery and in most cases Major Medical has limited benefits for these services. Major Medical in most cases will pay nothing for having a house retrofitted or a car

Kurtis Meyer, bikedabs’ founder, worked at a small family-owned bicycle shop while he was in college. He designed and patented the pedaldab because he wasn’t satisfied with any available options for riding his bike with regular street shoes without switching pedals. bikedabs products bear the “Made in the U.S.A.” logo as a symbol of our pride and commitment (the pedaldab was designed and is being produced in Ohio). We also use recycled materials wherever possible. For example, the plastic used to produce the pedaldab is recycled abs plastic. pedaldabs is only the first bikedabs product. If you have an idea for a bicycle accessory product, we’d be happy to talk with you about getting it produced and distributed through bike shops nationwide. We have the capability at bikedabs to make your ideas a reality, open doors to the vibrant cycling industry, and help you get credit for it! Click on the Ideas link in the top menu to get started. [Bikedabs]

Memorial Day is upon us, which means that road trip season has arrived. AAA estimates that some 30.7 million people will drive to American destinations this year. A lot of these road warriors will end up driving through Ohio, a near inevitability for west-bound east coasters, and the smart ones will stop at one of the Midwest's few national parks to explore a patch of uncelebrated beauty. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which spans 33,000 acres along 22 miles of the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, is the only national park in  Ohio , but this national park offers something else a little unusual -- there's a historic railway that runs through it. The  Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad  offers visitors a way to take in the area's scenic views, feel a connectedness to nature and see the topography many Native Americans and settlers once roamed. In 1880, the first steam railroad took a trip down the Valley Railway to deliver coal from Canton to Cleveland along wi

To determine our top 50 bike-friendly cities for 2012, we evaluated cities with populations of 95,000 or more, using data provided by the Alliance for Biking and Walking and the League of American Bicyclists, as well as input from local advocates and bike-ped coordinators. To make the list, a city must possess both a robust cycling infrastructure and a vibrant bike culture. Read on to find out how your city stacks up.   —Ian Dille Photo:   Charles Gullung 1. Portland, OR Population: 583,776  After being named runner-up in our last round of best bike city rankings in 2010, Portland reclaims the top spot. The only large city to earn Platinum status from the  League of American Bicyclists  is a paragon of bike-friendliness, with 180 miles of bike lanes and 79 miles of off-street bike paths. Always quick to embrace cyclist-friendly innovations, Portland was the first city in the United States to implement  bike boxes  at intersections and elementary-school  bike commutin

Senior prank rolled over school officials' toes By Joe LaFurgey WALKER, Mich. (WOOD) - As high school seniors get set to walk commencement, toilets are exploding, lockers are getting graffitied and doors are getting super-glued. The vandalism is part of the tradition known as senior pranks.   But a decision by Kenowa Hills seniors to do something a lot less harmful has drawn the ire of their principal. The plan was to hold a bike parade as a nice, non-destructive, healthy senior prank.   Seniors called police for an escort, and even called Walker's mayor, who rode in the parade.   "Police escort, with the mayor, who brought us donuts. ...The mayor brought us donuts..." said a group of seniors following the ride.  But school official weren't told in advance, hence the word prank, and were not happy with the event.  They kicked the seniors out of school for their last day and threatened to keep them from walking in graduation ceremonies set

Fireflies are the only species in North America that can synchronize their flashing light patterns; through a new project, bicyclists are soon to be the second. The Kuramoto Model (1000 Fireflies)  is a community-wide art piece by  David Rueter , an MFA candidate in Art and Technology Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Through this project, 1000 flashing LEDs will be distributed to bicyclists who attend  Northern Spark , an all-day, city-wide arts festival in Minneapolis. Riders will participate in a midnight ride on June 9 when the safety LEDs will sync up, resembling fireflies dancing in the night. The project will perform the cooperation and unity of the urban social network, especially as it applies to the cycling community. The synchronization will highlight cycling as a system with unique patterns and effects while transforming the system momentarily through a large-scale community ride/ performance piece. We are big fans of Reuter's project,

If you’re in Copenhagen,  keep your eye out for this curiosity … After explaining that this bike is for environmental friendliness, Peter Bower, CEO of Nordisk Cryobank, admits “We’re always looking for new donors so it’s a fine bonus that the Sperm Cell Bike gets peoples attention.” I would say so. [see more at TwentyTwoWords]

DOT's newest PSA campaign urges cyclists and pedestrians to pay attention and follow the rules of the road. “Heads Up.” That’s the Department of Transportation’s  newest message  for cyclists and pedestrians, which will appear on  six billboards, 300 bus shelters and 250,000 coffee cup sleeves around the city. The new campaign marks a more positive tone than DOT’s  “Don’t Be A Jerk” campaign , which  many cyclists felt  unfairly stigmatized bike riders. It’s also an expansion of emphasis from that campaign, aiming to influence pedestrian behavior as well. Cyclists are urged to use lights at night, yield to pedestrians, travel in the direction of traffic, and stop at reds (“because it’s always better to arrive fashionably late,” says the ad). Pedestrians are told to watch for turning cars while crossing the street and not to cross mid-block. We’re not too optimistic about the effectiveness of any PSA campaign to convince New Yorkers not to walk the straightest route bet

Bicycling Will Save Americans $4.6 Billion in 2012 by  Duncan Hurd May 22, 2012 Content sierraclub.org Via  bikeleague.org : New data released by the  League of American Bicyclists ,  Sierra Club , and National Council of La Raza  (NCLR) highlights the tremendous economic benefits of bicycling and its importance as a safe transportation choice that should be available to every U.S. resident. New and key data highlighted in the fact sheet includes: Bicyclists in the U.S. save $4.6 billion per year by riding, instead of driving If American drivers replaced just one four-mile car trip with a bike each week for the whole year, it would save more than 2 billion gallons of gas. From 2001 to 2009, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans took up biking at faster rates than other Americans, representing 21 percent of all bike trips in the U.S. in 2009. “There are so many reasons more people are riding, from improving their healt