Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tony Hawk and The Beltline Skatepark
I don't know how I missed this last year. A friend told me that Tony Hawk's Foundation awarded a grant to the Beltline skatepark. How did I miss this and why wasn't this bigger news? News here:
Chris Horner earns No. 1 start bib at Tour of Basque Country
Horner fan, from Velo News online...
Horner made his season debut earlier this month with a solid fourth-place outing at the Volta a Catalunya and promises to be ready to defend his title at the Euskal Herriko Itzulia, as the race is called in the regional Basque language.
Officials released the preliminary start list that would be the envy of any race organizer.
Topping the list is Horner, who earned the most important European victory of his career last year with a combination of wily tactics and excellent form.
Read on here.
Chris Horner earns No. 1 start bib at Tour of Basque Country
Defending champion Chris Horner (RadioShack) will line up with the No. 1 start bib for the upcoming Vuelta al País Vasco (April 4-9) in what should see a record number of North Americans start the six-day race.
Horner wants another txapela for his collection. (PIC from VeloNews online)
Officials released the preliminary start list that would be the envy of any race organizer.
Topping the list is Horner, who earned the most important European victory of his career last year with a combination of wily tactics and excellent form.
Read on here.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Yay Bikes!
Friday morning, on a day where I read that the Tony Serrano 3’ Passing Act didn’t ‘crossover’ for a vote, I had a great commute along Peachtree Street. Maybe it was the time of day, the great weather, both, more, all; I noticed a lot of bikers along Peachtree Street. Some were riding in little commuting packs. It was great to see.
Yay Bikes! And support the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, Georgia Bikes, Decatur Bikes, and all those groups that are attempting to make the streets safer for bicyclists.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Gov Deal To Speak At GA Rides To The Capitol
Info...
Hello,
I wanted to let folks know that the 6th annual Georgia Rides To The Capitol bicycle ride is coming up on Tuesday, March 22nd. We’d love to have you join us! Please visit www.GeorgiaRidesToTheCapitol.org for details and (free) registration. There is an easy paced Decatur ride from the East Lake MARTA station that leaves at 10:45 am. We meet up downtown with a group riding from Roswell. Last year we had over 1,500 cyclists at the Capitol.
Mayor Floyd is leading the Decatur ride and we should also have a group of Glennwood Academy students riding too. If you have any Decatur students interested in doing the ride, please contact me for details. It’s my understanding that the ride is an excused absence for Decatur students.
Gov. Deal will address the crowd from the Capitol steps and Lt. Gov. Cagle plans to do the Decatur ride with us. We have over 35 mayors and elected officials either riding or meeting us at the Capitol this year. It’s a fun event. Please join us.
Feel free to pass the word.
Apologies for any cross postings.
Fred Boykin
Bicycle South, Inc. President
Decatur City Commissioner
GRRTC Event Director
Friday, March 11, 2011
Bike Cafe's
Didn’t know these existed until visiting San Francisco and ending up in one…
Growing number of bike cafés gear up to serve cyclists
‘It’s very common to meet at a café before a ride to have coffee or espresso’
At bicycle cafés, travelers can stop for coffee, grab a bite to eat and get air in their tires or even a tune up, all at the same time. These cafés are proliferating across the country, enhancing the “in the saddle” experience for everyone from urban riders and hard-core cyclists to weekend warriors and tourists.
In cycling culture, there is a strong connection to coffee,” said Gene Oberpriller, partner, One On One Bicycle Studio in Minneapolis. “We’re the engine for the bike,” explained the former mountain bike racer, bike messenger and industry spokesman, whose café, opened in 2003 in the city’s warehouse district, he says is known for its quality bikes and service, hearty soup, low key vibe, and of course, great coffee.
“It’s very common to meet at a café before a ride to have coffee or espresso to get the adrenaline going,” Oberpriller said. Bike shops have long provided coffee, but “cycling specialty cafés are relatively new.”
Top 50 bike blogs 2011 from London Cyclist
This blog didn’t make it; great to see all the info on the web.
Top 50 bike blogs 2011 from London Cyclist
http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/features/top-50-bike-blogs-2011/
And the top 10:
1. Bike Snob NYC
2. Fat Cyclist
3. Copenhagen Cycle chic
4. Copenhagenize
5. Cycling Tips
6. Bike Portland
7. London Cyclist
8. Cyclelicious
9. Urban Velo
10. Bike Hugger
Streetfilms: Floating Parking & Bike Buffer Zones
I thought this would have been a better way to build the Decatur bike lanes along Ponce and Trinity.
"Floating Parking" & Bike Buffer Zone in Separated Bike Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
GA Rides to the Capitol
That’s pretty cool to see Georgia Rides To The Capitol on Daily Peloton online…
Georgia Rides to the Capitol
On March 22, 2011 the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association (MAMA) will co-sponsor the Sixth Annual “Georgia Rides to the Capitol” event to raise support for the development of a regional-scale bicycle network of both on-road facilities and multi-use-trails, as well as cycling connections focused around major transit facilities, activity centers and schools.
Metro-area mayors and council members are encouraged to participate in the bike ride, which will have routes departing from Decatur and Roswell. There will also be a three-block ceremonial ride from Hurt Park in the city of Atlanta to the Capitol. Last year, more than 30 metro-area mayors and council members participated in the bike ride.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Give It An Extra Nutsch
ASPHALT CPH: JUMBO - The fastest cat in town. from Director René Sascha Johannsen on Vimeo.
This has been floating around and I saw it on Prolly's and Bike Jerks. Riding fast through the streets and making it through all that traffic.
Bike Commuting from fear to Victory
There are more than enough stories of bad bike commuting experiences, and road rage (drivers and cyclists alike) probably too many compared to the good stories that are out there; from the SF Gate online…
Help! I'm afeard of bike commuting
When I moved to San Francisco from the Midwest, I was very excited to ride a bike year-round. So excited in fact, that I moved here without a car. I figured I'd become a bike commuter.
I remember sitting in my apartment planning my first ride. I got the bike map, planned my route, checked the weather, and then did nothing.
I did this for days, thinking and plotting and fretting, but never riding. My bike glared at me from her spot in the living room.
Why didn't I just go? After all, I was an experienced cyclist. What was my problem? Um, the hills, the cable car tracks, the one-way streets, the traffic. It all intimidated me.
Finally, I got myself out on the street, onto my bike and into the flow of traffic. And within a few blocks (really, just three), I felt safe. I was visible, confident and rode just like a car. I couldn't believe it. What had I been so afraid of?
For anyone who's ever thought they'd like to ride a bike to work (or to the store, yoga, gym, park, wherever) but was held back by fear, I hear you. It feels scary and challenging and sometimes, just not worth it.
I'm here to tell you that it is absolutely worth it.
Well, that is, if you value things like breathing fresh air, taking in your surroundings, going faster than a car, feeling wonderfully free, saving money on gas, having shapely legs and not having to find parking.
If you're afraid, even just a little bit, you can calm your fears with knowledge. Knowing a little goes a long way. Here are a handful of tips. In the coming months, I'll be writing more on these to help you get ready for Bike to Work Day May 12th.
Know Your Route
The best way to allay your fears is to know your route ahead of time. There are great online mapping tools to help you find a route that's bike friendly and flat. Try Google Maps, San Francisco Bike Route Planner, or SF Bike Mapper .
Do a Test Ride
If you're particularly hesitant, walk or even drive your bike route to get a good feel for where you'll be going. Pay special attention to road conditions, the nature of the intersections (2-way stop, 4-way stop, traffic light) and one-way streets that might not be apparent on your map. Ideally, do a test ride on a weekend when you're not time-constrained. And if you can get a buddy to go with you, all the better.
Learn to Ride Safely
There are so many ways to learn how to ride safely. You can find resources online or, better yet, take a free workshop at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. I took their free Urban Cycling Workshop and learned so much about how to ride safely. If you work with people who'd also like to learn how to ride safely, ask your employer to offer a 1-hour Ready to Roll workshop. You'll get in one hour all that you need to ride to and from work with confidence.
So, don't be afeard. It's much easier than you may think!
Posted By: Amy Harcourt (Email) | March 07 2011 at 06:00 AM
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Bike, pedestrian safety still a concern
I saw this article in the Glendale News-Press online. In it is a helmet survey. I tried doing a survey of helmet or no helmet on my commute. I see a close to 50% split between helmet and non-helmet users.
Bike, pedestrian safety still a concern
Improved infrastructure, education could help reduce accident numbers.
March 01, 2011|By Melanie Hicken, melanie.hicken@latimes.com
CITY HALL — Roughly a third of Glendale’s bicyclists don’t use helmets, while more than 20% ride on sidewalks, according to a recent citywide survey of cyclists and pedestrians.
The count — during which dozens of volunteers manned 26 street corners during a morning and evening weekday commute and a weekend morning — logged more than 2,000 cyclists and more than 15,000 pedestrians.
The findings showed a continued need for public-safety campaigns to curb dangerous behaviors, said Colin Bogart, a liaison with the nonprofit Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition who oversaw the count as part of his work on a Safe and Healthy Streets plan.
Read on here.
Will a bike ride a day keep the doctor away?
From the Portland Tribune…
Will a bike ride a day keep the doctor away?
Researcher says Portland’s bike paths will cut its health costs
By peter korn
The Portland Tribune, Mar 3, 2011
Carie Weisenbach-Folz says that while living in Columbus, Ind., 12 years ago, she never would have imagined adopting the bicycling lifestyle she has here in Portland.
Weisenbach-Folz and her three young children are now daily bike commuters, taking 6-year-old Cody to school and back every day from their North Portland home. Husband Alan Folz commutes to work in Beaverton every day through a combination of biking and public transportation. Even when Carie and Alan find a baby-sitter and have a date night to themselves, they often head out on their tandem bike.
Weisenbach-Folz sees biking as a means to staying healthy. If she didn’t bike, she might end up going to a gym for a comparable, but expensive, daily workout. Yet, she says if it weren’t for this city’s extensive bike infrastructure, especially the bike lanes, she probably wouldn’t be out on two wheels.
So biking is helping Weisenbach-Folz and her family stay healthy, but at a cost. Portland has spent an estimated $57 million on its biking infrastructure, to the chagrin of many who feel the money would have been better spent elsewhere. Even with that investment, just more than 6 percent of Portland residents commute by bike. And that makes a groundbreaking study published last week in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health that much more interesting – and important.
Read on here.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
DLV Schedule
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
National Pancake Day
From RW online…
It's National Pancake Day!
03/01/2011 8:12 AM
Mark Remy
Is it just me, or is it getting syrupy around here? That's right, readers. Once again, it is National Pancake Day.
I'll pause a moment while you wipe the Pavlovian drool from your chin.
I'll admit that this year's N.P.D. sneaked up on me. I didn't realize until yesterday that March 1 was the big day. Of course, now that I know, everything is reminding me of pancakes. The local forecast that I saw when I went online this morning, for instance:
Tell me that doesn't look like a hot flapjack, radiating deliciousness.
Anyway, as in past years, one of the most exciting things about today is that iHop restaurants are giving away free short stacks until 10 p.m. And as I've said on past N.P.D.'s, the only thing better than pancakes is free pancakes.
Even better that that? This year, Shrove Tuesday (aka Fat Tuesday) — which is known in many countries as Pancake Day — is actually next Tuesday, March 8. (For whatever reason, iHop chose to celebrate today.) Which means that this year we get TWO Pancake Days.
By the way, our online Recipe Finder has 87 recipes for pancakes. Just sayin'.
I'll go soften the butter while you warm up the syrup.
Happy National Pancake Day, everyone!
Read here.
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