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Showing posts from August 5, 2012

Belgian cyclist kicked out of Olympics after drunken night

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(SportsGrid) Belgian cyclist  Gijs van Hoecke  was  sent home  from the Olympics by the nation's Olympic committee after he was  photographed looking drunk and disoriented  while leaving a London nightclub. The pictures were published in Belgian newspapers, then became an international sensation, getting featured on sites like TMZ. In them, van Hoecke is being carried out of the club by teammates. His eyes are barely open and his clothing appears wet. [ Related :  British cyclists celebrates gold medal by getting 'blind drunk' ] The 20-year-old van Hoecke finished 15th in the omnium (cycling's equivalent of the decathlon) and rode in  Belgium 's ninth-place finish in the team pursuit. He said he was "letting off some steam" at the club, presumably by drinking everything that wasn't bolted down. "I made a big mistake," he told a Belgian newspaper. "I'm happy my parents didn't tell me off. The

Bike thief tells how to stop your cycle from being stolen

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Use two different locks on the front and back wheels of your bike, so that thieves have to carry more than one tool to break them. Photograph: Alex Segre/Rex Features Omar Aziz started stealing bikes when he was 17 and carried on until he finally weaned himself off crack cocaine at the age of 29. Now he wants to make amends. He is volunteering in his local area and he agreed to advise Guardian readers how not to get their bikes stolen. Aziz stole a lot of bikes to feed his habit: "When I sell one thing I go and buy my  drugs , smoke it, when it finishes, I have to go and get more. I nick another bike," he said. The easiest pickings were bikes secured with cheap locks. "Some people think they don't have enough money and they buy thin locks, and I used to go and just push the bike and pull it and the lock will break." Today Aziz locks his own bike up with two thick chains, through both wheels and the frame. Thieves can get through thick chains with

If Kant Were a New York Cyclist [NYTimes]

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André da Loba By  RANDY COHEN Published: August 4, 2012 FACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+ E-MAIL SHARE PRINT REPRINTS THE rule-breaking cyclist that people decry: that’s me. I routinely run red lights, and so do you. I flout the law when I’m on my bike; you do it when you are on foot, at least if you are like most New Yorkers. My behavior vexes pedestrians, drivers and even some of my fellow cyclists. Similar conduct has stuck cyclists with tickets and court-ordered biking education classes. But although it is illegal, I believe it is ethical. I’m not so sure about your blithely ambling into the intersection against the light while texting and listening to your iPod and sipping a martini. More or less. I roll through a red light if and only if no pedestrian is in the crosswalk and no car is in the intersection — that is, if it will not endanger myself or anybody else. To put it another way, I treat red lights and stop signs as if they were yield signs. A fund

No bike lanes on Lombard

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San Francisco has 5' bike lanes. Shouldn't Columbus?

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I am riding around San Francisco and it is amazing! Pics intermittently and when I return. - Ray

Greece Debt Crisis Spurs Surge In Bicycle Use Over Cars [Huffington Post]

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* Greeks cut back on fuel and taxis * Once lowly bike gaining popularity By Karolina Tagaris ATHENS, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Greece's dire economic plight has forced thousands of businesses to close, thrown one in five out of work and eroded the living standards of millions. But for bicycle-maker Giorgos Vogiatzis, it's not all bad news. The crisis has put cash-strapped Greeks on their bikes - once snubbed as a sign of poverty or just plain risky - and Greek manufacturers are shifting into fast gear. The high cost of road tax, fuel and repairs is forcing Greeks to ditch their cars in huge numbers. According to the government's statistics office, the number of cars on Greek roads declined by more than 40 percent in each of the last two years. Meanwhile, more than 200,000 bikes were sold in 2011, up about a quarter from the previous year. Shops selling bicycles, and equipment ranging from helmets to knee pads, are spreading fast across the capital, popping u

A Movement To Teach Young Designers To Build Experimental Bikes [FastCompany]

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NICK RIDDLE IS TEACHING A YOUNG GENERATION OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS HOW TO FABRICATE EXPERIMENTAL BIKES, AIMED AT THE GROWING MARKET OF URBAN COMMUTERS. Building a bike is an expensive and time-consuming process, traditionally reserved for devoted hobbyists and the very wealthy. But as cycling gains a stronger foothold in American cities, it’s likely that such skills will become more commonplace in design education programs. Leading the way is Nicholas Riddle , a designer at Easton and the founder of the  Urban Mobility Lab  at the California College of the Arts. Since 2010, Riddle has headed up a two-course curriculum in CCA’s Industrial Design department that teaches students to design, prototype, and fabricate bikes. Students learn oxy-acetylene-brazing, the industrial welding technique traditionally used to made frames, as well as emerging fabrication methods like 3-D printing. Riddle’s co-teachers are well-known custom bike builders, like the owner of  Raphael Cycles  Rafi

Ohio 3 Feet Advocacy | 3FeetPlease.com

Our mission is to save cyclists’ lives. But, this cannot happen without great effort and passionate people. It takes a lot of work and people willing to roll up their sleeves to do that work. This page is dedicated to helping you make it happen in Ohio. Here you will find information on Safe Cycling Champions, laws and tools you can use in your advocacy efforts. Advocate :  Chuck Smith Email :  chuck@ohiobike.org Phone : 937-890-6689 Website Safe Distance Law :  2004 Orc 4511.27(a)(1) 3 Feet Bill :  2011 Sb174(1)(b) Driver's Manual :  2010 Ohio Driver Manual Pg.67-68 Advocacy Tools: If you come across links, papers, articles, events, or other opportunities that should be added to this page, please contact  joe@3feetplease.com  or call 1.800.761.0907

Every Bicyclist Counts

The League of American Bicyclists, founded in 1880, promotes and protects the rights of every cyclist in the U.S. We teach cycling, encourage new riders, and advocate for cyclists in the states and in Washington, D.C. We also mourn the loss of the more than 700 cyclists killed in traffic crashes each year. This site is a place to honor those cyclists and to ensure that their death is not in vain. This site will be a memorial, a gathering place, and home for everyone that has lost a friend or family member. We’ll also be using the data to highlight trends, particularly dangerous locations, safer driving techniques, and more. We envision this site as a virtual  ghost bike ; as a continuation of the annual  Ride of Silence;  as a voice speaking up on behalf of all cyclists. Thank you for joining us here. This site is attempting to capture all U.S. cycling deaths starting from January 1, 2012. -  How the League Is Helping -  If You are Involved in a Crash -  How You Can Help h

Make cycling proficiency a compulsory part of driving licence

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Drivers should take cycling lessons – it will give them firsthand experience of what it's like to ride a bike on the roads Share 671 Email Compulsory cycling lessons for drivers will improve safety on roads. Photograph: Norman/Corbis Dan Harris's tragic death last Wednesday and  Bradley Wiggins' response  have put cycle safety in the news again. But while we'd all love better cycling infrastructure , there is neither the money nor the political will to make our streets safer for cyclists. For all the positive talk about increasing the  bike awareness component of the driving test , there is a limit to how much you can tell someone to be aware of their position on the road, and a limit to the effect that theoretical knowledge can have. So why not make cycle proficiency a mandatory condition for getting a driving licence? Keep reading -->

Why do you ride?

My name is Carrie and I’d love to find out  Why Do You Ride? I’m just a girl who’s simply trying to re-awaken the compassion in people whilst mitigating the destructive and competitive behaviour brought on by social structures rather than human nature. Inspired by  Copenhagen Cycle Chic  founder and Urban mobility expert Mikael Colville-Andersen, Project: Why Do You Ride? extends the concept of Copenhagen Cycle Chic by uncovering the person behind the bicycle.  Afterall, cyclists are people too. For myself, riding has re-invigorated memories, which in the craziness of life, had been previously pushed aside and left idle. If you’d like to participate  or  be part of the discussion  or  show your support for the project please use the hashtag  #whyiride  in your tweets. And if you’d like to connect, you can always find me on Twitter  @cangreenbechic  or via email . http://whydoyouride.info/

The annual WooMan event

-The annual WooMan event, a grassroots cycling tour through the Ohio rolling hills between Wooster and Mansfield, will be held  September 16, 2012 at 8:00am .   -All proceeds from WooMan benefit breast cancer education and awareness.   -Register before September 1 st  to receive the pre-registration price of $49. After September 1 st , on-site registration for WooMan is $60.   -Check out  www.woomantour.org  for more information!   -Please feel free to forward this to anyone who has a passion for cycling. Thank you for your past support of WooMan by riding in the event, posting the event and encouraging others to participate in the event! Thank you for supporting Breast Cancer education and awareness at Wooster Community Hospital.

Momentum Mag Launches App for iPhone and iPad

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Get the  Momentum Mag  app! Now available in the Apple App Store for your iPad or iPhone. Get a 1-year subscription (5 issues) for only $4.99 or purchase the July/ August Issue (#57) for only $1.99. Back issues are also available for $0.99 each. Get the current  Goody Basket 2012 Gear Guide  for  free ! Here's how to get the  Momentum Mag  app: Visit the iTunes App Store and find the  Momentum Mag  app; or follow  this link to the app Below the cover image tap the button to download the free app You'll need an iTunes account to download the app, sign in or sign up if needed Your  Momentum Mag  app will download immediately and can be accessed in your App Library on your iPhone or iPad After launching the app, you'll be able to subscribe and purchase individual issues (and be sure to get the FREE Goody Basket 2012 Gear Guide!) To learn more or download the Momentum Mag app for free, visit:  itunes.apple.com/ca/app/momentum-mag/id537975699