Columbus Rides Bikes!

It was a simple enough idea. Last Friday, five Austin Post reporters set off across the center of town around 5 p.m. to see how our city's transportation options stack up: just a little more than four miles through rush hour hell. We avoided the parking lot that was I-35 and the river of cars known as Mopac. No, we were in the mood for a multi-modal race, and we also wanted to test the powers of the new MetroRapid bus. We chose Guadalupe as our race route because it traverses the living, breathing (if not always moving) heart of the city and can be traversed any way you like, short of water travel. And so: 38th and Guadalupe to South Congress and Monroe. Five travelers, five modes: MetroRapid Bus Regular Bus Car Bike On Foot We assumed our pedestrian would come in last. Austin traffic might be horrendous, but there’s no way a not-particularly-athletic person can walk 4.5 miles faster than a car can drive it, right? Well, you know what they say about ass

MCT: T.Ortega Gaines, Charlotte Observer The 'ghost bike' rests on a tree along Poindexter Drive in south Charlotte, N.C., as a tribute to Carl Hedrick, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver on May 1, 2011. Ken Spicer’s grandkids were expecting him when they heard the accident. From inside the house it sounded like a car had hit a post. But they knew differently when they heard their grandfather, age 70, cry out for help. “I was knocked up into the air,” Spicer remembers. “My head hit the windshield, I came down on the hood, and then down onto the pavement.” While biking to his son’s house he’d been hit by a neighbor driving a white Subaru SUV. “The next thing I remember I was lying in both lanes of the street, in the most excruciating pain of my life,” he says. He had traveled all of three blocks. This kind of accident can, and does, happen anywhere. But if you live where Ken does, in the Deep South — outside Charleston, South Carolina, in Ken’s case — this kind of

Take it inside to pedal all winter long—no lobster mitts required. Photo:   Stay warm and dry, when it's cold and wet outside, at Ray's 130,000-square-foot Cleveland location. (courtesy) RELATED CONTENT FEATURED RIDES:   Women’s Weekend at Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park BIKE SKILLS:   Mountain Bike Skills for Road Cyclists Ray’s Indoor MTB Park Ray’s  Cleveland  location is a 130,000-square-foot, two-story wonderland filled with swoopy jump lines, XC loops, pump tracks, teeter-totters, and foam pits. Ray’s opened a second park in Milwaukee in 2010 and both locations host a free annual  Women’s Weekend  featuring female pro instructors.  Price:  $21–$27/day Features:  Foam pit, kids' programs, lessons, pump track, rentals, street features, women-only programs Info:  raysmtb.com http://www.bicycling.com/ride-maps/featured-rides/ray-s-indoor-mtb-park

Mirrycle Rear View Mirror  - This is a universal fit mirror, that fits in to the end of a handle bar or mirror mount. The convex lens gives a great width of view, without making things look too small Surly Lou 26 x 4.8 120tpi Folding Tire  -  Avid BB7 Front Disc Brake Kit (pair)  - This kit includes everything you need to upgrade your trike's brake system to the best mechanical disc brake system available. Perfect for for any homebuilds. Surly Clown Shoe Wheel with Catrike Hub  -  FSA Gossamer 52/42/30 Triple Crankset w/Guard and EXO Bottom Bracket  - The FSA Gossamer Crankset features an EXO sealed bearing Bottom Bracket and comes with a chain guard. The ramped and pinned chainrings shift very well.  SRAM X7 10-Speed Rear Derailleur  - This Mountain Rear Derailleur supports wide range cassettes and up to a 36T cog for low climbing gears. Features SRAM Exact Actuation for precise and dependable 10 speed performance. 20in SRAM PG-1050 11-36 10sp Cassett

Author David V. Herlihy discusses his book about Frank Lenz's tragic failed attempt to travel the world by bicycle Shown here are Thomas Allen, left, and William Sachtleben, right, in 1892 in China The sport of high wheel riding was introduced to the United States from England in the late 1870s. In its first decade, it was an elitist, fringe sport. American cyclists were predominately well-to-do young men daring enough to mount high wheelers—bikes with a large front wheel and tiny rear wheel. In 1892, Frank Lenz, an accountant turned long-distance cyclist from Pittsburgh, set off on a solo around-the-world tour to promote the “safety bicycle,” a successor to the high wheeler and precursor to today’s road bike that would ultimately spark the great, turn-of-the-century bicycle boom and transform cycling into a popular sport. In his new book,  The Lost Cyclist , bike historian David V. Herlihy tells the story of Lenz, his mysterious disappearance in a volatile part of east T

Love it or hate it, Kickstarter has given the cycling community dozens of great projects. Among them is the Musguard, a super minimal fender that attaches to your seatube with velcro, and can be rolled up and stashed on your frame once the sun comes out to play. The only caveat is that it’s low slung profile works best on bikes without a rear brake. The  fender is die cut from a recyclable polypropylene (PP) plastic sheet and weighs only 40 grams. You can  pick one up here  in a wide variety of colors for $29. Hit play if you’re into 80s kicks and hipster kids. More interested in a neat way to stay dry ? Then just skip ahead to the one minute mark.

The family of a beloved Chillicothe attorney killed by a drunken driver wants everyone convicted of driving while impaired to have their breath tested before they drive again. Annie Rooney Ohio law requires ignition interlock devices for repeat drunken drivers, but the family of Annie Rooney wants the device installed for first-time offenders as well. The device requires drivers to blow into a breathalyzer, which calculates blood-alcohol concentration, and will prevent the vehicle from starting if the driver tests higher than the preset limit, usually 0.025 BAC. “It’s like having an electronic probation officer in the front seat,” said Doug Scoles, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Ohio. The bill, introduced by State Reps. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, and Gary Scherer, R-Circleville, on Thursday, is called Annie’s Law in memory of the 36-year-old Rooney, who died after colliding with drunken driver Shira Seymour on July 4 in Ross County. In February, Se

Artist  Clem Chen  used a taxidermy animal mouth and glass eye to transform a pair of bicycle seats into creepy sculptures that look like faces. The sculpture  “Bite It”  features a ferocious animal mouth, while  “Pink Eye”  has one all-seeing glass eye. http://laughingsquid.com/creepy-bike-seat-sculptures-that-look-like-faces/

Image: Chicago DOT If you’re reading this, chances are you already love biking. You have fond memories of weaving through trees, finding serenity in the blur of asphalt passing beneath your wheels, and enjoying a soundtrack made up entirely of your own heartbeat and the hum of rotating tires. And there’s probably someone out there who you wish felt just like you do about riding bikes. Go ahead and make a convert out of them. But before you do, read this quick and dirty list of do's and don’ts for sharing the bicycling love: [See the list at People for Bikes]

Posted by Anthony Foxx When I was mayor of Charlotte, NC, I helped oversee development of a Complete Streets approach to transportation that included motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, wheelchair users, transit passengers, and the businesses that lined the city's streets. I also was mayor when the Charlotte Center City Partners launched Charlotte B-Cycle, the largest urban bike-sharing system in the Southeast. Cities and towns across the country are taking steps to make biking an option for their residents, but we have a responsibility to make sure that it's a safe option, too. Because, even though NHTSA reports national total crash fatalities at record lows, bicyclist and pedestrian deaths  have not followed suit . I didn't tolerate it as mayor of Charlotte, and we certainly won’t stand still at DOT and allow this crisis to build up over time. As I told the enthusiastic bicycling advocates yesterday at the  2014 National Bike Summit , our roads should be safe;

A revolutionary bike pedal born from the need for function, simplicity and form. By MöBIUS CYCLING THE INFINITY PEDAL Here it is the  Infinity Pedal . And this is why it make you and your bicycle awesome. FUNCTION I nfinite  E ngagement  P ositions (IEP) (Notice how it is round not flat)  [See more at Kickstarter]

Three miles of county land between it and Rail Trail PARKERSBURG - A bicycle and multi-use trail more than 15 years in the making is planned to be completed this year. Parkersburg-based 3D Construction is slated to start work March 10 on a 3,400-foot segment extending the Little Kanawha Connector, which starts near Point Park, from near the East Street Bridge along East and Mary streets and West Virginia 47 out to the city limits at Corning Park. Plans for the path were submitted to the state in the late '90s, but funding for completion has only become available in recent years, Parkersburg Mayor Bob Newell said. Article Photos Photo by Evan Bevins Parkersburg Development Director Rickie Yeager shows where the extension of the Little Kanawha Connector bicycle and multi-use trail will be placed this spring and summer along Mary Street. "It goes back a ways," he said. "The whole purpose was to get it to the (North Bend Rail Trail) out there by

NOW President Terry O’Neill told the Women’s Forum that they need to put women — not bicycles — at the center of their analysis. Photo: Brian Palmer This year marks the third time a Women’s Bicycling Forum has preceded the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, and, despite weather emergencies and an epidemic of flight cancellations, this is by far the best-attended one yet. Despite impressive momentum, the movement to get more women on bikes faces many obstacles. Yesterday, National Organization of Women President Terry O’Neill laid out some barriers to women’s cycling that don’t often make it into the conversation. When bike advocates focus on safe infrastructure, group rides, and kitten-heel-friendly bike fashion to lure women, O’Neill says they might be missing some important points. Overlooked Factors Commuting to work by bike is all well and good if you live near work, O’Neill said, but low-wage women workers in the service industry — who live on the poor side of to

INTRODUCING ECLIPSE: A PRETTY REDESIGN OF THE CENTURIES-OLD STREET VEHICLE. Rickshaws, perhaps better known now as pedicabs, have come into vogue in recent years as a greener and easier alternative for getting around in crowded American cities. Next week in particular, thousands of visitors will swarm Austin, Texas, for the annual South by Southwest festival, and will likely rely on some  500 or more pedicabbies  for transportation between events. That said, none of those carriages are likely to be as stunning as Eclipse, a new rickshaw concept that its designer  Kenneth Cobonpue  calls “a more civilized version of the humble three-wheeler.” In both the United States and in South America and Asia (where Cobonpue’s studio is headquartered) modern rickshaw designs haven’t evolved much past their original 1800s counterparts--and in some ways, that’s okay. Passenger carts are low-tech by definition: they operate off the grid and are used exclusively for short d

See Cyclist. Think Horse. Safer Scotland driver/bicycle safety PSA.

Things are changing, no doubt about it. All over the world. Like in every paradigm shift there are cities that move fast, cities that try to play catch up and cities that are still tying their shoelaces in the starting blocks. One of the primary challenges that remains is the perception of who infrastructure is for. I meet many politicians and planners around the world who clearly think that they are expected to provide safe infrastructure for the few people riding bicycles in their city right now. They fail to understand that they should be building infrastructure for all the citizens who COULD be riding a bicycle if they felt safe on a complete network of infrastructure. The Zeros to Heroes cities that are way ahead of the curve - for example Barcelona, Seville, Dublin, Bordeaux, Paris, Buenos Aires - have just rolled up their sleeves and built infrastructure. Infrastructure that actually reflects where the citizens want to go in a city. Which is basically the same as where everyone

Cycling the GAP - Great Allegheny Passage from ashley NARDONE on Vimeo .

S EXPAND Are the fitness benefits of riding your bike worth the risk of an accident? Lesley Evans Ogden takes a tour of seven cities on two wheels to find out. It was just another morning commute. That is, until a bus driver ran a red light, turned right, and drove straight into Ann-Doerthe Hass Jensen. The bus knocked the social worker off her bike, trapping her underneath, a wheel pinning down and crushing her left foot. It was a school bus heading to a Copenhagen kindergarten, and the children aboard were screaming. Ann was rushed to hospital in excruciating pain, every bone in her foot shattered. In the six weeks of hospitalisation that followed, part of Ann's foot was amputated. Salvageable bones were wired back into place and skin grafts were taken from her thigh to replace the torn and missing flesh. "I'm pretty lucky," says Ann. "People normally die when this happens." It was a year before she could walk again. During that year, she had to t

This month Yay Bikes! will be exploring several hidden gems among our community's spaces of worship! Year of Yay! is a series of 12 monthly bicycle tours that get people out riding bikes and supporting our local economy. This year's rides are being offered through the generous support of  Whole Foods Market in Upper Arlington , where rides will depart shortly after 10am each month. All rides are FREE, but you must be a Yay Bikes! member or a first-time guest to join us. Memberships may be purchased along with your ride registration, or on the day of the ride, for just $25. HELMETS are *strongly* encouraged on all Yay Bikes! rides, and LOCKS are useful at our stops. [Register here]

Alaska is home to the world’s northernmost rainforest, resource development, North America’s tallest peak, and spectacular terrain. While the winter provides world class skiing, summer brings long days and plentiful wilderness. Living in Alaska in the winter and racing the mountain bike enduro circuit in the summer, I found a break in my schedule for a quick adventure in the 49th state. After the Crankworx EWS race in the mecca of mountain biking, Whistler BC, I packed up my Altitude and flew to Anchorage, Alaska. I arrived to the sight of fog-covered mountains shooting straight up from the North Pacific Ocean and several moose lounging 100 meters from the runway, and made my way to the small ski-town of Girdwood. With persistent precipitation and fog, I met up with local photographer Charlie Renfro in hopes of a weather window to get some images. [Keep reading at PinkBike]

Max Lohmeyer takes a night ride across winter trails on Discovery Hill, in Salmon, Idaho. Credit David Lingle for The New York Times Snow has been so scant in Idaho this winter that bicycles started showing up in shop windows in the middle of January, and cyclists began booking ski huts during a season when it’s usually backcountry skiers who are seeking accommodations. What may be bad news for skiers has turned out to be an irresistible opportunity for those who love to ride on mountain bikes with four- and five-inch-wide tires, which are designed to float over snow and sand and still provide substantial cushion for rough single track (even without the suspension common to many bikes with skinnier tires). Where trails are too soft for regular mountain bikes, or too sparse to protect skiers from subsurface obstacles, fat bikes are filling a gap. Riders do well on mixed terrain, including on trails where the snow is too thin for skiing and on south-facing pitches where dirt i

As part of  Bicycle Quarterly , Jan Heine routinely tested bicycle parts that weren’t readily available to the U.S. market. At times, he’d import small batches for their readers, including tires from Grand Bois and Challenge. Now, he’s decided to produce their own under the Compass brand. The range is made for them by Panaracer, but are their own exclusive molds, designs and tread patterns. The center section uses straight ribs, and cornering grip is provided by chevronned ribs, all very low profile. Six sizes are available, each getting its own name inspired by some of their favorite bits of riding: Cayuse Pass 700C x 26 mm Chinook Pass 700C x 28 mm Stampede Pass 700C x 32 mm Barlow Pass 700C x 38 mm Loup Loup Pass 650B x 38 mm Babyshoe Pass 650B x 42 mm Roll on for more tech details at  Bike Rumor

Join Us for the   9 th Annual Little Cities Tour de Forest Benefit Bicycle Ride  on  Saturday morning, May 3  beginning and ending on  Nelsonville’s Historic Public Square .  Various routes take riders through the forested hills of  southeastern Ohio  on both level and challenging courses.  This a non-competitive ride that raises funds for the  Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council  which is committed to gathering, protecting and sharing the heritage, cultural and environmental assets of this boom-to-bust coal mining region that is now home to the Wayne National Forest and the Little Cities of the Forest Collaborative    which promotes environmental restoration, education and recreation in the same region. We added longer routes last year with success including a  63-mile r oute   M etric Century  route and a 100-mile  C entury  route.  We also saw growth in participation from families and leisure riders who enjoyed short rides locally on the Hock Hocking Adena Bike Path. Downlo

The 31st annual (30th anniversary) Dirty Dozen was held on Saturday, November 30th. The high temperature was 39 degrees F with variable sunshine. 261 riders started (including a record women's field of 22) making it the second biggest DD field. Of these 261 cyclists, 116 (44.4%) were rookies (first timers). 46 riders were over 50 years old including 7 over 60. There were 11 teenagers, and 12 year & 117 day old Rowan deBoer became the new youngest finisher (breaking Andrew Reay's old record {set in 2009} by 9 months). 50 year old Beth Jameson became the new oldest female finisher (breaking Laura Dick's old record {set in 2010} by 2 months). 260 pound Don Snow became the new heaviest finisher (breaking J. R. Petsko's old record {set in 2009} by 20 pounds). Here's a photo of  Beth, Rowan, myself & Don  at the awards ceremony.  27 men (of which only two were rookies) scored points. Four 50+ riders and four teenagers scored points. 3 riders on single speed bikes