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Debt among American youth a growing crisis
Jeff Lopez, a 32 year old man who works in the bicycle industry, speaks out about being in debt and how it negatively impacts his life. He is a single father who struggles with medical, college loan, and credit card debt. All he wants in life is to dissolve his debt so that he can properly provide for his daughter and develop an identity of his own as an independent person existing in today's unforgiving economy. Jeff Lopez, a 32 year old man who works in the bicycle industry, speaks out about being in debt and how it negatively impacts his life... more
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Chopper Mini Bikes
Mini bikes information, tips and pics. Learn more about choosing and riding pocket mini bikes
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Cheap Pocket Bikes
Online guide to pocket bikes and mini bbikes. Articles, tips and reviews.
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The End of Chains?
Bikes with chains may be becoming an endangered species. Belt-driven bikes, which were introduced by boutique bike makers a couple of years ago, are just starting to hit the mainstream. Trek has introduced two new urban bikes for 2009 with belt drives rather than chains, and they look pretty sweet.
The benefit to a belt drive system over a chain and shifters system is that it won't stretch and break over time like a chain, weighs significantly less, stays clean (and keeps your cuffs clean) and is quiet. The downside? It's more expensive. The two bikes Trek has unveiled, the District and the Soho, will run you $930 and $990, respectively. But as with all new tech, the prices are always highest right when it starts hitting the mainstream. Look for bikes with belt drives to start coming from many more big bike companies for much less in the coming years. Bikes with chains may be becoming an endangered species. Belt-driven bikes, which were introduced by boutique bike makers a couple of ... more -
A Brewery That Works Knees, Not Just Elbows - thedailygreen.com
Human-powered and carbon-free, the bicycle is the simple, accessible solution to reducing one's carbon footprint ... with sexy legs as an added benefit!
Team Wonderbike is a social movement created by the folks at New Belgium Brewing to inspire and increase the use of one of mankind's greatest inventions: the bicycle. Human-powered and carbon-free, the bicycle is the simple, accessible solution to reducing one's carbon footprint ... with sexy le... more -
Cycling Boom Leaves U.S. in the Dust
While Northern Europe and Japan have figured out how to make bicycle commuting a safe, cheap alternative to driving, the United States, Canada, Australia and Britain have not. While Northern Europe and Japan have figured out how to make bicycle commuting a safe, cheap alternative to driving, the United States... more
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Thousands enjoy S.F.'s Sundays Street event
The first one out of two - Sunday Streets San Francisco, was loads of fun and free of motorized traffic worries. All ages were out there pedaling, walking, running and everything else and on top of it all, was such a gorgeous day. Beautiful!!!
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(SAN FRANCISCO) -- Thousands of people from throughout the Bay Area converged on San Francisco's streets Sunday, but they weren't protesting anything.
Instead, people of all ages rode bicycles and scooters and jogged and strolled on 4.5 miles of waterfront streets closed to car traffic for the city's first Sunday Streets event.
Mayor Gavin Newsom first proposed the street closures in July, modeling it after a program in Bogota, Colombia. Other cities across the world and in the United States have similar street closures.
Newsom took criticism for not taking enough time to talk with merchants and neighborhoods that would be affected. The complaints persuaded city officials to shorten the length of the street closures and cut the time that cars would be banned.
On Sunday, Newsom - who jogged the entire route with his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, - said he would "commit to an objective evaluation" of the event and make any necessary changes for future closures. Merchants at Fisherman's Wharf, who were concerned that closing part of the Embarcadero would hurt their business, are planning to compare sales from this weekend to last weekend to look for any impact. The first one out of two - Sunday Streets San Francisco, was loads of fun and free of motorized traffic worries. All ages were out the... more -
Bike program to donate money to Gustav relief
A great idea and a great organization.
But, I think they picked the wrong convention. I don't see too many people at the RNC riding bikes, more like rolling around town in Hummers. A great idea and a great organization. ... more -
Donate your bike, save the world?
In the new eco-conscious urban world, cycling to work is a growing trend. Cities are promoting this form of healthy commute by painting bike lanes across towns, and Paris has become the latest city to stock streets with free "public" bicycles for commuters to pick up and drop off at will. In the new eco-conscious urban world, cycling to work is a growing trend. Cities are promoting this form of healthy commute by paintin... more
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Women's Bicycle Racing Takes Off in Portland
What started with just an idea to get women back in to bicycle racing with monthly bicycle racing clinics for women has turned into a dozen women screaming at top speeds at the Portland International Raceway in 2009 - a 1.9 mile big and wide loop racetrack. The clinics, held the 2nd Monday of each month (May-August, 2008), were to introduce women to the sport of bicycle racing, including an introduction to the sport, a race and then a debrief.
Organizers got a very positive turnout and interest with roughly 10-15 women participating in the clinics each month. Kendra Wenzel, one of the coaches, says of the practices, "So many women are afraid of being dropped their first time, and instead find that they can stay with the group and are actually contesting at the end." What started with just an idea to get women back in to bicycle racing with monthly bicycle racing clinics for women has turned into a ... more -
Bike Parking in Portland
As a bicycler and Portlander, I can attest to the usage of these forms of infrastructure. As a leftie, I think it should be far more widespread, and be seen commonly across the country and world. With a little planning and foresight, we can have cars and bikes co-mingle, increase business to local shops, and make alternative transportation smarter and safer. As a bicycler and Portlander, I can attest to the usage of these forms of infrastructure. As a leftie, I think it should be far more w... more
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The world's biggest bike thief?
Story from Toronto, where Igor Kenk has finally been arrested, in possession of 2,685 bikes.
Interesting back story, with him claiming to be ex-KGB; using mental health patients to steal bikes for him; as well as the usual back storyof 'drugs found in his possession.
Great posit that he was waiting for the commodities market to recover before melting down the bikes...
d Story from Toronto, where Igor Kenk has finally been arrested, in possession of 2,685 bikes. ... more -
Calories come off and lights come on
"Welcome to people-powered exercise for a small planet."
way to go Portland!
---click on link for full article---
PORTLAND, ORE. -- As Adam Boesel pedals an exercise bike, he sends power to a generator that converts his workout calories into electricity. Across the room in his small eco-friendly gym are half a dozen energy-efficient treadmills. On the roof, solar arrays gather more natural energy.
In Boesel's new gym, people will not only slim their waistlines, they will also shrink their carbon footprint.
Welcome to people-powered exercise for a small planet.
Boesel says the Green Microgym -- which is to open Friday in the eclectic Alberta Arts district of northeast Portland -- is the first fitness center in the country to use solar power as well as human-powered cycling and cardio machines to generate renewable energy.
"We are creating a neighborhood gym that is as comfortable and effective as any other," he said. "At the same time, our members are doing their part to help the Earth."
Boesel recently showed off the Human Dynamo prototype, an exercise machine consisting of four spin bikes attached to a small generator. As he pedaled one of the human-powered bikes, a digital readout showed the amount of watts, a measure of power, that he was producing by pedaling and turning an arm crank that strengthens the upper body, he said. As many as four riders can propel the prototype system, which can produce 200 watts to 600 watts of energy an hour. "Welcome to people-powered exercise for a small planet." way to go Portland! ---click on link for full article--- ... more -
RideTheCity.com: A Google Maps App for Safe Biking
RideTheCity is a cool mash-up application that allows you to plan bike routes based on safety and speed. By typing - or selecting - a start and end location in New York City, the application will find the safest and quickest routes by factoring in bike routes for “safest” trips and the shortest travel distance for the quickest trips.
The project is run by three bikers, Jordan Anderson, Vaidila Kungys, and Josh Steinbauer (Full disclosure: I went to college with Jordan but found out about this via NPR.) who connected Google maps to a few basic heuristic rules and added a cool logo. The GIS data comes from the city itself and is merged with Google Maps for display. RideTheCity is a cool mash-up application that allows you to plan bike routes based on safety and speed. By typing - or selecting - a ... more -
Bicyclists ride over 400 miles through Oklahoma
A 400 mile bicycle ride in the Oklahoma heat may not sound like a vacation to most of us, but for one group of hardy souls, Oklahoma Freewheel is a chance to slow down and enjoy the scenery. A 400 mile bicycle ride in the Oklahoma heat may not sound like a vacation to most of us, but for one group of hardy souls, Oklahoma F... more
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Bay Area commuters moving beyond cars
Interesting article not only about bikes, but the multiple ways many people have found around instead of driving. Scooters, public transportation, and my fave: the lovely bicycle
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Gas prices have also driven more people to commute by bike. BART officials report an increase of 10 to 15 percent in bicycles aboard trains, and bike racks at stations are fuller than ever. In San Francisco, a traffic count by the Municipal Transportation Authority in July found that during a one-hour stretch of the morning commute, there were more bicycles than cars, taxis, buses and streetcars heading eastbound on Market Street. According to Judson True, an authority spokesman, 509 bike riders were tallied compared with 400 cars, 43 taxis and 30 transit vehicles. On Bike to Work Day in May, he said, officials counted twice as many bikes as motorized vehicles. Interesting article not only about bikes, but the multiple ways many people have found around instead of driving. Scooters, public tra... more -
Mountain Bike: Meet Rachel Athertos
Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987, near Salisbury) is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain bike racing, and is a multiple national champion. She began BMXing at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11.[1] She was The SundayTimes' Sportswoman of the Year[2] and BBC Midlands Junior Sportswoman of the Year in 2005.[3]
In 2007, Rachel Atherton joined the Animal Commencal race team along with brothers Dan Atherton and Gee Atherton.
In June 2008 Rachel Atherton became the first British woman to win the Elite UCI Downhill World Championship, defeating second placed Sabrina Jonnier by 11.99 seconds in the final.[4] Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987, near Salisbury) is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain bike r... more -
Record-setting thief steals 2,396 bikes ... for the apocalypse?
So what does one do with thousands of bicycles? Igor Kenk’s record-setting collection have sparked myriad theories, ranging from the obvious: that he was planning to resell them all eventually in his used bicycle shop, to the eccentric: that he was saving them to melt them down during the next spike in scrap metal prices or was hoarding them for the eventual energy apocalypse. So what does one do with thousands of bicycles? Igor Kenk’s record-setting collection have sparked myriad theories, ranging from the o... more
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Rock band travels on bicycles and uses bikes to generate electricity for all perfo...
Cycling rockers launch world tour: in 2007, the Ginger Ninjas became the first band in the history of rock and roll to tour by bicycle unsupported by automobile. On a 5000 mile odyssey to the pyramids of southern Mexico, they promoted transportation cycling while also exploring the frontiers of pedal-generated electricity, using their own bikes to power a hyper-efficient sound system. The audience took turns getting on stage to pedal the bikes to make the sound, taking crowd participation to a new level. Originally conceived as a one-time adventure/statement/experiment, the band became addicted, and now has its sights set on a world tour.
"Before the Mexico tour, I honestly didn't know if what we were setting out to do was even physically possible," says frontman Kipchoge Spencer. "A couple of months in, we realized that it wasn't just possible, but there was something easy about the rhythm of it (despite the grueling uphills with 200 pound bikes), and the next logical thought was, 'let's tour the world this way.'"
Bicycle powered electricity: the Ginger Ninjas' mobile human-power stage is the first of its kind in history. Coupling super efficient digital amplifiers, lightweight components, and generators attached to working bicycles (as opposed to purpose-built stationary bikes), the system allows a band to play off-grid anywhere, wall outlet or no, and to also carry the system to a gig on the same bicycles (Xtracycle sport utility bicycles, a company started by Spencer). This enables a new kind of completely self-sufficient bicycle touring, sans automobile support. On the band's most recent tour, the system and touring style enabled them to avoid generating close to 60,000 pounds of CO2, or 95% of what a similar sized band creates in a similar tour.
They call their style "mind shaking love groove folk funk roots rock explosive international pedal powered mountain music for a pleasant revolution."
Tour schedule: the Ginger Ninjas and supporting act, Crystal Stafford (indie-electro-folk), will be launching their world tour in August, hitting the Democratic and Republican Conventions before cycling around the East Coast and Florida through September and October, and then leaving the country for Mexico, Central America, South America, and Europe.
Catch the film: a feature film of the first tour is expected in 2009 from the award-winning Argentine director Sergio Morkin, and his crew will film the current tour as well.
“One of the best concerts of my life.” - Arturo Garcia, Meretrices Literary Review
“With each number the crowd got louder, larger and more appreciative. Between songs, a man wearing riding chaps and a Stetson came up and said that he never liked American rock music—until now. For the rest of the set people were practically fighting each other for the opportunity to pedal-power the band.” – Stanford Magazine article about the Mexican tour. Cycling rockers launch world tour: in 2007, the Ginger Ninjas became the first band in the history of rock and roll to tour by bicycl... more -
Pedal powered mini-cooper
not sure if bikes and cars were ever to come this close together, but I guess this is a huge advertising push as it gives them a wider exposure. Juxaposition of creativiness? a bit to odd though.
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(from coolhunter.com) Forget the sport..some of the most interesting things happening at the Beijing Olympics are coming from clever sponsors who have dreamt up creative ways to promote their brands at the mega global event. We're loving the offering from Mini Cooper, who have dragged traditional Chinese street transport into the 21st century with these great bike-powered Minis. Samsung has been equally creative, giving Olympics' fans a chance to view all of the action from their own "private" alien-like pods. Both of these offerings are a lesson to global brands: get creative and innovative in your marketing or risk being drowned out by the noise. - Laura Demasi not sure if bikes and cars were ever to come this close together, but I guess this is a huge advertising push as it gives them a wider... more
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