Columbus Rides Bikes!

Dexter Avenue. For those of us watching, the last two years have revealed a very clear new superstar in the country's progress toward protected bike lane networks. It's the Emerald City: Seattle. In the last two years, Seattle has completed seven protected bike lane projects,  more than any other city in the country  in that period except New York. As we've written, Seattle  heaved through a significant "bikelash"  a few years ago. And (much like  NYC before it ) it's discovered an ocean of political support on the other side. [Keep reading at People for Bikes]

The Rise of Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S. from The PeopleForBikes GLP on Vimeo .

On Wednesday and Thursday the House of Representatives are going to voting on the transportation bill- including up to three  votes to cut eligibility for biking  projects. We need your help! Please  ask your Representative to vote NO on the Carter amendments 68 and 69 and Yoho amendments   158  that would end eligibility for biking and projects. Last week the Transportation Committee, led by Chairman Shuster (R-PA) and Ranking Member DeFazio (D-OR), passed the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act (STRRA).  This bill includes a carefully constructed agreement on bicycling and walking funding that we support  - and need to defend.  It maintains funding streams for biking infrastructure projects, and it maintains the local control aspects and competitive processes that have made the transportation alternatives program effective.  Rep. Carter and Yoho have introduced amendments that undermine that agreement.  Rep C...

An inspiring epilogue to the Swallow’s 87 day, 4,970 mile, off-road ride on the Trans America Trail. Plus, tips for riding the TAT, a final QA, and their favorite gear… From Morehead City, North Carolina into the Great Smoky Mountains, across Southern Tennessee, we dropped into Northwest Mississippi, pedaled across Arkansas, over the Ozarks, and dead straight across Northern Oklahoma and the Panhandle. We rode into the gulches of Northeast New Mexico, climbed up into Colorado, up and over the Rocky Mountains, before we dropped down to ride across Utah, and from basin to range northwest across Nevada and the high desert. We tapped California before riding northwest again, across Oregon, where we came to the end of our western route in Port Orford, Oregon on Sunday, October 26, 2015. The final tally of miles came in right around 4,970, which we completed in 87 days (81 days pedaling with 6 days off). [Keep reading at BikePacking.com]

Photo by   Todd Mecklem Despite vast improvements in cycling infrastructure in many cities across the continent, the majority of North Americans still don’t bike to work. While the benefits of cycling to work are nearly innumerable, we managed to round them down to just ten so we wouldn’t run out of space on the Internet. From the  Momentum Mag  staff, here are our top 10 reasons to bike to work: 1. Fun! Biking to work is fun, plain and simple. Many people look back wistfully on fond childhood memories of riding their bike around their neighborhood, wishing they could still be so carefree amid the rigors of working life. Biking to work allows you integrate that simple feeling of exhilaration into your daily grind. Observe your surroundings, listen to the birds and wave at passing cyclists as you ride. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself wishing your commute were longer. 2. Fitness Biking to work is good for you . Whi...

Ben Weaver: Surrounding Water from Salsa Cycles on Vimeo .

[Support the project at Kickstarter]

The traditional bottle cage is the stuff of legend. It works well but does not cover the needs of all cyclists. Perhaps you would like to carry a vacuum flask safely and conveniently for those  HOT  or really  COLD  drinks? Or maybe you feel the need to carry a large container up to  2 LITRES  capacity? Cycle campers are often at a loss as to where to keep their stove fuel bottle when traveling from site to site. Back in 1986 we thought about these requirements. The result was  BIKEBUDDY  the unique ADJUSTABLE bottle cage system. BIKEBUDDY  comes in three versions:  MK1  for cycles without bottle cage fittings, and the  MK2  and  MK3  for cycles, which do. They are all manufactured entirely from stainless steel, so there is no fear of corrosion. The  MK1  is designed to fit the most popular tube size i.e. one and one eight inches (28.5mm) diameter. The  MK2  screws directly to the frames b...

Brunswick to Washington DC. 57 miles. Cold in the morning. Mid-morning breakfast at White's Ferry. Stopped and talked to a cyclist who was at the end of his cross country trip. Visited the Great Falls Park to see the whitewater. Made it to the end of the C&O trail and saw the elusive marker. Rode across town to the Amtrak station. Rolled bikes onto the train with only a few minutes to spare. Relaxed on the Amtrak train back to Pittsburgh. Ate late dinner at Primanti Brothers. 

Hancock to Brunswick. Longest day in the saddle with 72+ miles. 30 degrees in the morning. Started on the Western Maryland Rail Trail and picked up the C&O outside of town. Stopped at a picnic area and had lunch. Saw and explored a number of caves along the way. Passed by Harpers Ferry and stayed in Brunswick at Brunswick Family campground. Since it was end of season there were very few campers around. Hot showers and clean facilities. Small bonfire in the evening.

Cumberland to Hancock. 60 miles. We said goodbye to Doug in the morning in Cumberland. He headed back to Rockwood. Headed through the Paw Paw Tunnel. I broke a spoke somewhere along the way and we decided to ride the Western Mayland Rail Trail into Hancock to limit any more damage. Stayed at C&O Bicycle Bunkhouse where they repaired my wheel. BBQ dinner in town. Big bonfire in the evening. 

Rockwood PA to Cumberland MD. 45 miles. Our friend Doug joined us for the Friday camping and Saturday ride. Lots of train noise at this campsite, otherwise it was decent for the cost. Crossed Salisbury Viaduct and stopped at the Meyersdale train depot museum. Crossed the Eastern Continental Divide and passed through the Savage Mountain Tunnel. Rode up to the depot at Frostburg and watched the train get turned. We stayed at the Ramada in Cumberland and had dinner at Baltimore Street Grille. Toured some architecture and history across the river. Stopped at Curtis Famous Hotdogs for second dinner.

Round Bottom to Rockwood PA. 56 miles. It was chilly and foggy when we started the morning. The sun warmed us up and it was clear by Ohiopyle. Black Hawk helicopter flyover as we stood on the rail bridge. We had lunch and small repair in Ohiopyle. Camped at Husky Haven Campground in Rockwood. Lots of train noise. Campground is trail side and has lots of firewood. Note: Great facilities in town across the river.

Pittsburgh to Round Bottom campground. 49 miles. Lunch in West Newton. Met some other travelers heading south at Roundbottom Campground. Water was non-potable. Rained everytime Phil wanted to setup his tent. Dinner in the shelter. Lots of train noise. Temps were warm.

Morning Ebb And Flow from jim slade on Vimeo .

Everyone knows there are two kinds of people in this world, but did you know there are 12 types of bike commuters?  That’s right. Here they are. You might be, or have been, or know someone who is, one of them. Or more. Or maybe there are more than 12 types. Apprehensive Neophyte Pedals onward despite visible terror Will evolve to other type of bike commuter after 15-20 more bike commutes Righteous Indignatius Commute has higher purpose than the standard just-getting-to-work utilitarianism. Is for fitness, for environmental reasons, possibly enlightenment, for avoidance of psychological fatigue that comes from driving in traffic every day. Still every once in a while is affected by traffic or individual drivers who try to kill him/her, must scream or give finger to cabbie/pizza delivery driver/texting driver drifting into bike lane [Keep reading at Semi-Rad]

Valentine Vanesse You’ve probably seen a ghost bike. Maybe its skeletal white frame, locked to a street sign on a busy corner, blended into the madness of a hustling urban backdrop. Or perhaps the makeshift memorial emanated its phantomly presence chained to a single lamppost along a lonely country highway. No matter the location, ghost bikes turn an indiscriminate patch of road into a solemn reminder: A cyclist was killed here. These bikes represent a sobering reality. From 2000 to 2013, rates of commuting via bike have increased more than 100 percent in some parts of the country. Fatalities and injuries have increased, too. In 2013, roughly 48,000 cyclists were injured.  More than 740 were killed in crashes with motor vehicles . And that’s just accidents reported to the police. Biking, be it in a metropolis or a whistle stop,  can be a continuous flirtation with death  if you’re not careful. Cities aren’t off the hook when it comes to making streets co-habita...

image:  manchestereveningnews.co.uk Let me start by pointing out the obvious: Cyclists DO block the road. It is also true that many motorists find this extremely frustrating, which has led, unfortunately, to terrible decisions being made and cyclists ending up injured or killed. Do bike riders do this deliberately to put themselves in harm's way? I can vouch for most road cyclists that one of the main objectives when heading out on a bike is to arrive home firmly in the land of the living, not the realm of the dead. One popular television journalist likened road cyclists to cockroaches, and we all know what happens to them! (the cockroaches, not the journalists). I implore every road user to ignore this foolish ignorance, but if you wonder,  "if it is so important to stay alive, why do so many cyclists seem intent on blocking traffic by riding in the middle of the lane?",  then read on... [Keep reading at BikeRoar]