Columbus Rides Bikes!

Nov 14, 2014 —  Just another reminder to contact your representative to ask them to vote for HB145. https://www.votervoice.net/BikeLeague/campaigns/36268/respond Would you also ask others to sign this petition to show their support? Let's join the other 22 states with a 3' passing law! Please support HB 145 to make biking safer and more convenient in Ohio!   Ohio House Bill 145 was approved May 28 by the Ohio House Transportation Committee, and is now facing a possible vote  next month  on the floor of the Ohio House.  House Bill 145 is sponsored by State Representative Mike Henne, and supported by the Ohio Bicycle Federation.    House Bill 145 would do two good things for Ohio's cyclists:  Require that motorists leave a safe passing distance of at least three feet when passing Ohio cyclists.   Passage would make Ohio the 23 rd  state to have this safer passing requirement. Permit all Ohio vehicles to proceed after sto...

#CoffeeOutside - PathLessPedaled.com from Russ Roca on Vimeo .

There’s something special happening right now within the US framebuilding industry. Something that ought not to be overlooked, no matter how too good to be true it might seem. Before we go any further however, I must make one note: a production frame is not a custom frame. There’s a misconception that everything made by a framebuilder is custom. A production run is a series of sizes, made in an assembly-line process, which drastically reduces cost on both the builder’s end and the consumer’s end. With that come a few issues: one of which being fit and others include – often times – paint choice, or adding extras like braze-ons, pump pegs, chain holders, etc. The most important factor however is fit. Many people are driven to a framebuilder due to fit issues, but a majority of the population can be fit on a stock geometry with a series of tweaks. That said, the geometry for these stock sizes has to be able to accommodate. [Keep reading at The Radavist]

A campaign in Austin, Texas, wants to replace aggression on the road with a friendly wave. Car drivers  are from Mars and cyclists are from Venus, and sometimes they fail to communicate. Instead of appreciating of each other's rights, both groups have a tendency to get nasty on the road, which benefits no one. In the long term, the answer is probably full separation, with cyclists given their own infrastructure. But in the short term, we have to just get along better. To that end, a new  shared streets campaign  in Austin, Texas, has a simple solution: waving. "There's infrastructure stuff happening and there are laws passing. But meantime if everyone has a horrible attitude, it's still going to be adversarial," says  Adam Butler , creator of the  Wave campaign . "What's the software of all that stuff? It's the attitude of people, which doesn't cost anything." The campaign is so simple it sounds trite. It encour...

 Bryan Derballa/WIRED There are certain things guaranteed to set off an internet firestorm. Talk about climate change, mention Monsanto, or bring up the treatment of women in video games. And you can, especially in recent years, piss off a whole bunch of people simply by writing about bikes and cars. Nothing seems to bring out the angry caps lock and personal attacks faster than transportation issues. A recent  report showing more cyclists are dying on US streets  prompted a remarkable number of stories  about cyclist safety . And in the comments section of each, people rehashed the same tired arguments over and over. So, before the next big wave of internet arguing, I propose we retire a few overused and underwhelming opinions in the bikes vs. cars debate. Though I drive and bike, my allegiances skew toward cyclists (feel free to scroll straight the comments and yell at me). But beyond my personal judgments lie a great many studies and data showing most of ...

Tom Magliozzi (right) with his brother and cohost, Ray (Photo by Car Talk/Richard Howard) Tom Magliozzi had one of the most recognizable voices—and laughs—on public radio. As half of "Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers,” Magliozzi hosted the popular NPR program “Car Talk” with his brother Ray for 37 years, mixing in helpful advice with a string of wisecracks and automotive banter. [Keep reading at Bicycling Mag]

We are doing another tweed ride! We are meeting at North Market at 9:00 AM for coffee and breakfast. We will roll out around 10:30 AM. It will be a "slow ride" with stops for photo ops, food, and drinks.  Two stops along the way...plus photo ops....Woodlands Backyard and The Land Grant Brewery. After the ride we are going to visit our good friends at the Elevator Tap Room. If you think tweed rides are silly and just want to ride and chat with the good people in the "Cycling Friends" group, that's fine too. Everyone is welcome regardless of your attire. The route is 10 gentle miles. See it here:  http://ridewithgps.com/ routes/6359776 We will be holding a few contests this year. Thanks to  Brian Meyers  for setting this up, and donating the prizes! Most Fetching Lady: A Basket of assorted English tea and a copy of Queens 1978 Album "Jazz". Most Dapper Gentleman: A copy of The Beatles Greatest Hits 1967-1970 and a six pack of New Castle Brown Ale Lad...

There are so many roads in life with signs that tell us where to turn, when to stop and how to go. For the roads that don’t tell you what to do, for the roads with no names, for every road, the new GT Grade. KEY FEATURES GT Adventure carbon frame and fork, disc specific, triple triangle with tapered head tube, PF BB30 bottom bracket, removable fender bridge, all-day geometry, Dual Fiber Dynamic technology GT Carbon tapered fork 1” 1/8-1” 1/4, disc specific, 15mm thru-axle, threadless carbon steerer Shimano 105 crankset 52/36 with Praxis Works PF30 Shimano 105 STI 11spd derailleur Shimano R685 hydraulic disc brakes (F&R), 160mm Ice Tech center lock rotors Stans No Tubes Grail Disc Specific Road 28h Rims w/ Formula 4 bearing sealed, center lock. (F: 15mm thru-axle; R: 135mm x 9mm) [GT]

Tuscany Trail || unsupported bicycle adventure || from Martino Vincenzi on Vimeo .

Because we put fit first, this cap is offered in 2 sizes. FEATURES: Made from 100% lightweight cotton twill Super-soft interior elastic sweatband [See more products at  Machines for Freedom]

Tip of spear. Ahead of the curve. Leader. All are accurate descriptions for the new Forefront. A full-coverage helmet ideal for all-mountain riding or racing, the Forefront's AEROCORE construction featuring Koroyd creates a low volume helmet with ventilated protection that fully integrates with your sunglasses, goggles, light, or POV camera. 21 VENTS X-STATIC PERFORMANCE LINING VENTILATED PROTECTION FEATURING PATENTED KOROYD MATERIAL INTEGRATED SKELETAL STRUCTURE AND CARBON FIBER REINFORCEMENTS VAPORFIT ADJUSTABLE FIT SYSTEM ADJUSTABLE/REMOVEABLE VISOR INTEGRATED CAMERA & LIGHT MOUNT ULTRA-LIGHT SINGLE LAYER WEBBING AIREVAC GOGGLE VENTILATION GOGGLE RETENTION STRAP INCLUDED CERTIFICATION: CPSC, CE EN 1078 HELMET SIZING (DIAL FIT SYSTEM): SMALL 51-55CM + MEDIUM 55-59CM + LARGE 59-63CM [Smith Optics]

Cars have no excuse to not see a cyclist with these lights, which are as bright as a car's and shine out in every direction. After a couple of years of riding his bike home after work in Seattle's dark, rainy weather, engineer  Pete Clyde  started to drive more often. As a cyclist, he realized he just wasn't visible enough at night, even with the brightest bike lights. So Clyde designed a light of his own. The new LED lights, called  Orfos Flares , make a bicycle as bright as the cars around it. "As I rode at night, I realized that cars normally scan for other cars," Clyde says. "If you think about what a  car looks  like from the side, you can see it from many angles. Bikes don't have that. By designing bike lights with 360 degree visibility, you get that same aspect of the wraparound objects." The lights use ultra-efficient LEDs glowing at 500 lumens, the same brightness as taillights on a modern car. A clear silicone shell lets the beam shi...

A racer in the snowy woods during Talkeetna's Trio Fat Bike Race on Feb 9, 2013 Edward Kessler photo Exactly when and where fat-tire bikes went from being a northern fad to a mainstream form of winter recreation is unclear, but the phenomenon is here to stay. Look around the state's largest city these days and it sometimes looks like fatbikes, as these bicycles are commonly called, are everywhere. "During winters 20 years ago, there would be 10 skiers for every biker on the (Tony Knowles) Coastal Trail,'' observed diehard Anchorage Nordic skier Tim Kelley. "Now there are 10 fatbikers for every skier. The days of Anchorage being a ski town are over. Now Anchorage is a fatbike town." [Keep reading at Alaska Dispatch News]

Yay Bikes! members are a supportive group of experienced and beginner cyclists who explore the city together, teach one another and revel in the joy of bicycling. By joining Yay Bikes! today, you are strengthening our community and helping improve conditions for cyclists in Central Ohio and beyond. Your membership includes: 365 days of Yay Bikes! member benefits Free membership for your kids (under age 18) 12 free Year of Yay! rides Leadership and service opportunities $10 off Bike the Cbus and discounts on other rides Exclusive updates and members-only events Surprises throughout the year Click here  to become a Yay Bikes! member, donate above the price of membership, give a one-time gift or become a sustaining donor! Please  contact us  to give at a level that exceeds $200. More ways to help Volunteer! Yay Bikes! always needs help parking bikes, managing rides, doing office work and more.  Check here  for current opportunities and  con...

Found it! (Can you tell I was a bit nervous at that moment?) It’s back! I found my bike and am happy to report it’s right here next to me in my office.  Let’s rewind… This morning I did something really dumb. I left my bike unlocked and unattended on SW 4th Avenue for several hours. And, not surprisingly, it was  stolen . OK, now that I shared that very embarrassing fact, here’s what’s happened since… After trying to catch my breath and calling Juli sobbing like a little baby at my luck and stupidity, here’s what I did: I spread the word as far and wide as I could. Facebook, Twitter, and here on the Front Page. I also made  a listing on the Bike Index . Thanks to many kind people, the word got out quickly and I felt pretty hopeful that it would turn up. I’ve written about many recoveries over the years and I know that hustling and spreading the word is the best way to get bikes back. I also had a lot going for me in that the bike is very distinctive (one-of-a...

Columbus will spend $4.2 million to complete the final link of the Camp Chase Trail that will connect the West Side for bikers, runners and walkers to Downtown via Sullivant Avenue. The City Council unanimously approved the contract with the Righter Company last night. Righter, of Columbus, will build the final 2.9 miles of trail, which will stretch from Eureka Avenue to Sullivant Avenue. “This is an important piece of the trail,” said Jody Dzuranin, an avid bicyclist and advocate for new trails. “By this time next year, a portion of the trail might still be gravel but will be navigable.” The path is part of a 15-mile trail that’s expected to be completed by late next year and will include two new bridges over Dry Run and South Fork Dry Run creeks. Metro Parks have funded the other 12 miles of the path that stretches into Madison County. The park system  approved $2.9 million this year to build a 1-mile section of trail from Hall Road to Sullivant Avenue . Pieces of ...

Pissing Off Motorists: What I Should Have Replied from Gary Cziko on Vimeo .