Bicycling Seattle mayor has bike stolen

If the Seattle mayor had a top of the line mayoral SUV like Atlanta’s Kasim Reed, he would not have lost his ride…

Bicycling Seattle mayor has bike stolen

SEATTLE — Seattle's bicycling mayor has had some explaining to do — to his wife about why her bike got swiped after he borrowed it to ride to work.

Seattlepi.com says Mayor Mike McGinn sent a message on Twitter late Wednesday about Peggy Lynch's wheels.

He says in a tweet: "I know I've been encouraging people to ride bikes more, but I didn't mean u could 'borrow' my wife's bike w/o asking."

McGinn, a former Sierra Club leader, frequently commutes by bike and often rides to events and meetings. He's a strong advocate of making Seattle more friendly to cycles and pedestrians.

McGinn's spokesman says the mayor borrowed his wife's bike because he recently donated his own to a charity. It was taken from a city garage.

From the AJC online here with info from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Mer Basic Backpack

Then there is Made In The USA simplicity.  From Mer Bags is their basic backpack.  There are Custom Additions you can add to the backpack but it all starts with just the basic of what a backpack is.

Pic from the Mer Bags site.

It is impressive in its simplicity.

Blue Lug Owl Trip Backpacks

I saw these bags on a fixed gear blog a long time ago and I haven't found it since.  Then I was checking out the Push Bike blog and there they were.  Too bad I don't live in SF to pick one up.  It is a Blue Lug original.

Pic from the Blue Lug site.

There is something about its simplicity that caught my eye the first time I saw them.  I will say that for a backpack, it is pricey.  But it is a Japanese backpack.

God Bless Losers 01

There is something almost poetic about this video in what Matteo says about riding in the city.

GOD BLESS LOSERS#1 from FIRST FLOOR UNDER on Vimeo.

Avondale Sunday Parkways

Something I picked up from...

Everyone knows Avondale Estates as a walking - friendly city.  We are working to promote Avondale also as a bike friendly city.  The idea is to model events that began in 1974 in Bogata, Columbia where they still close the "soft" streets for bike traffic (tricycles, scooters, wheelcahirs, wagons, etc.) on every Sunday.  Now cities around the globe have their own spin on the plan.  In Portland, Oregon, for example, there are five such "Sunday Parkways".  See details about their events here: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=46103

In short, these Sunday events can encompass food, music, arts, crafts... in addition to leisurely rides on streets dedicated to non-motorized vehicles.  We would work to include a large percentage of Avondale residents and attract participants from the greater Atlanta region to our city. Our goal is to have an annual family friendly biking event.

If encouraging family friendly outdoor activity sounds interesting to you, please join us on Thursday, February 24 at 7pm to brainstorm ideas for how we might create Avondale Estates' own special "Sunday Parkways" tradition.  Ride your bike to 7 Kingstone Road.  Join the team!  Many hands make light work.

Carol Brooks, Angie Graver, and Collin Graver

Questions before the meeting?  Contact Angie at akgraver@gmail.com or Carol at ladyjanecarol@att.net

Chrome Kursk Pro

Chrome Kursk Pro from Chrome Bags on Vimeo.

Very cool video from Chrome and the Cycle Hawk crew.  Riding through the snow/slush/ice just amazes me.

Tripod

Used the OB bag to haul a tripod. Even thouh it looks awkward, it was comfortable on the ride with a slight lean to my right.

Ride The Green Lane

Decatur and its bike lanes on Ponce and Trinity almost like Portlandia with green bike lanes and bike boxes. Here is Bike Portland's info on bike boxes.

There is even a green lane painted to mark the turn from the bike lane on Trinity to the bike lane on Ponce.  This is pretty impressive.

New Knicks

Newly sewn and then sew again and again to get it close to right.  Mid calf knickers that are darted on the back, basically some excess fabric taken in from mid calf to the knee so the pants don't catch water bottles or cages.  The pants were huge to begin with so I had to take in the waist.  It still was baggy so I took in some fabric on the rest of the knickers.  This was a bunch of work for knickers.  This pair hit the sewing machine 3 times.  A serger would be nice.  More knicks are coming.  Version 1 is retired (a lot of wear and tear, actually more tear), this is version 4.

Bike Train Day

Today was the Winter Bike Train for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.  Temperatures were above 50 degrees.  I couldn’t have asked for a better ride this morning.  Traffic and drivers were calm, a history lesson from Henry, and lots of bikers.  Maybe it was a break in the weather or the Bike Train itself; I noticed a lot more bicyclist out there this morning.  And riding with another person and seeing other bicyclist actually does make me feel safer around traffic.  The Star Tribune article is very spot on; more cyclists equals more safety.  Drivers are more aware and cyclists see solidarity.  I do need to take more pictures so I have to find a way to carry a camera on my backpack strap for quick access.

See you on the road and ride safe!

Update: I only realized this after the fact but when I was walking into my building dressed in my bike commuter clothes, the guard behind the desk asked me where I locked up my bike.  I said I locked up in the parking garage.  I asked why and she answered that 'they' usually lock up right outside the building.  It's only later that I realize that she meant the bike messengers that deliver to our office.  I am really flattered that she thought I was a bike messenger.  That's a complement to me.  Maybe not a complement for the real messengers since I am just a fakenger.

Separated Bike Lanes vs. The Street : New Bike Injury Study

Interesting study, picked up from Momentum and the original study here.

Separated Bike Lanes vs. The Street : New Bike Injury Study

by Aretha Munro

2/15/11 12:05 PM

Photo by LeafsGuru

Cyclist using a separated bike lane in Montreal. 

By Aretha Munro

"If it was safe, I would ride." This is what you hear from those who are bike-curious and not yet converted to the two-wheels. The risk of injury for a cyclist who is sharing the road with motor vehicles is always a concern. Both inexperienced and experienced riders can agree. One solution to increase the ridership and safety of cyclists is to build and invest in bike infrastructure.

A recent study published in the international peer-reviewed journal for health professionals, Injury Prevention, brings good news to separated bike lanes. The study is entitled Risk of Injury for Bicycling on Cycle Tracks Versus in the Street, and was conducted in Montreal where there is a longstanding network of separated bike lanes. Bicyclist injury rates on separated bike lanes were compared to injury rates on the street. The use of six separated bike lanes and comparable Montreal streets were analyzed, as well as the crash and injury counts to determine the relative risks.

The study concludes that separated bike lanes (physically separated bicycle-exclusive paths along roads) lessen, or at least do not increase, crash and injury rates compared to cycling on the street. They found that the risk of injury for cyclists using Montreal's separated bike lanes was about 28 percent lower than cyclists riding on Montreal roads that are unprotected from traffic. Additionally, overall, 2.5 times as many cyclists used the cycle track streets compared to the reference streets. In the end, these researchers believe that the construction of separated bike lanes should not be discouraged.

The fact that riding in a separated bike lane is safer than not, may seem like a no-brainer to most readers. Nevertheless, it lessens the counter-argument that bike lanes provide a false sense of security. As well, these recent findings can be useful for those advocating for the increase in bike infrastructure, bike safety, bike promotion and bike ridership in their cities.

Read on here.

Extreme Logistics

It’s a good description for being a bike messenger.  Looking at the numbers, it just amazes me.  130 messengers just for 1 company; I think Atlanta has 8.  The food delivery folks are on scooters.  Over a 1000 packages a day, again for 1 company.  From World Trade Magazine online…

Extreme Logistics: When it Pays to be Fit

by Cynthia Y. McCann

February 2, 2011

Bike messengering is hardly a logistics desk job.  

The Low-Down: 

This isn’t a logistics desk job. It’s racing taxis, traffic, exhaust, loud noise, weather, enduring obscenities, and riding 30 to 40 miles a day to get packages delivered. 

For bicycle messengers, it’s athleticism, know-how, and grit that count. So it’s no surprise that during a recent orientation class for new bikers, Andrew Young, general manager of Breakaway Courier Systems in New York City, told the class that only half of them would make it.

Read on here.

Timbuk2 Bags in SF

City reconsiders plans to change Tennessee St.

This isn’t local news at all but it stuck out for me because Tallahassee is getting progressive even considering bike/bus lanes.  From the Tallahassee Democrat…

City reconsiders plans to change Tennessee St.

By TaMaryn Waters • DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER • Published: February 13. 2011 2:00AM

Parts of Tennessee Street, one of the city's busiest arteries, won't go from six to four lanes next month like officials proposed in September.

Local officials say they have decided to take more time to study the proposal to dedicate two lanes for buses and bike riders while a master plan is developed for the Multi-Modal Transportation District — an 18-square-mile area running from Tharpe Street to Orange Avenue and Magnolia Drive to Mabry Street.

The lane changes for Tennessee Street were proposed from Adams Street to Ocala Road. The bike/bus lane concept is supposed to make commuting, especially for college students going to Florida State University, safer. Three years ago, FSU officials expressed concerns regarding safety issues from Dewey to Copeland streets.

Read on here.

Other Uses For Spent Tubes

I use my old tubes after they are spent.  Instead of riding on naked bars, I wrapped up the top half with old tubes.  I hardly ever ride in the drops so I decided not to cover them up.

Another use that I have found is wrapping a crib railing up with old tubes to act as a teething protector from young teething toddlers.

Broken Seat

Who breaks seats? This is the first one I've broken. RIP Specialized Revolution ProLong saddle. Play bugle here

Big Trouble In Little China

I found this gem of a messenger bag from an old Chrome Bags site…

Photo credit to Chrome.

PS,I love you Chrome.

As bicycle use climbs, rate of crashes with vehicles falls

I couldn’t have said it better, from the Star Tribune online…

As bicycle use climbs, rate of crashes with vehicles falls

City data seem to bear out idea that seeing more bikers leads drivers to watch for them.

By STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune

Last update: February 6, 2011 - 8:42 PM

The more people bike in Minneapolis, the safer they seem to be.

What's new? Recently crunched city data show the reported cyclist-motorist accident rate dropping as the number of bike commuters grows. For 2008, the most recent year for which complete data were available, the crash rate was one-quarter that of 10 years earlier. Moreover, a trend line shows a steady decrease in the crash rate even as the number of commuting cyclists more than doubled.

There are some limits to the Minneapolis data. The number of cyclists is taken from the number of people ages 16 or older who tell census takers that their main transportation to work the previous week was a bike. That figure grew from about 3,000 in the 1990s to about 8,000 in 2008. It excludes infrequent commuters and recreational bikers. Meanwhile, the number of crashes involved only those reported to the city between bikers and motorists, which remain at or below 1990s levels. That means the crash rate has fallen sharply while commuting bikers are on the rise.

Read on here.

Puncture Proof

I was reading Velo News online and saw this article about puncture resistant tires.  There are the tires you can buy and the DIY.

There are lots of great puncture-resistant tires out there. I’ve had good luck with Continental Gator Hardshells, Specialized Armadillos, Maxxis Refuses and Vittoria Zaffiros Pros. They might not offer super supple ride quality, but they also don’t put your fingers at risk of frostbite when you’re changing a flat in freezing temperatures. I’ve said it over and over in this column, but I like big tires. And there is nothing wrong with a 25 or 28-millimeter tires for winter riding. The bigger tire will also help lessen the poorer ride quality of super puncture-resistant training tires.

If you have a pile of tires lying around, you have another option. We were just discussing it at the office today in fact. In the past I’ve cut the bead off of worn out tires and used them as tire liners. Caley Fretz calls it “the system.” I’d never heard it called that before (he was living in Fort Collins for some time…), but it certainly helps prevent flats. Just be sure to check the tires you’re using as liners for debris or glass before you put them inside your training tires.

I know you only asked about tire suggestions, but I have to mention that going tubeless is another great option. With a good “system” using a tubeless rim, a tire like Hutchinson’s Intensive 25mm and some sealant you’ll have a hard time puncturing.

Lights! Bandana! Action!

Scooped from Urban Velo, here.

The films that the BTA comes up with are….

Speed Vs. Stupor

I was wondering what the difference was.  I picked this up from vita.mn, here.  This is an article from 2009.

Riders have two choices: to race competitively, or to ride in the drunk race for the title of Stupor Champ. Those who choose the first option get a list of 14 to 18 locations where they must get a confirmation stamp. The first to obtain all of the stamps and cross the finish line wins. Those in the drinking race have fewer stops, but must finish a drink before receiving a stamp.

Biking On Sidewalks

Interesting that this came up, I was just thinking about this.  From the PBA online newsroom…

ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - It may seem counter-intuitive but if you're an adult and you're riding a bike on a sidewalk, you're about 3 to 5 times more likely to be hit by a car. That's what Rebecca Serna of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition says.

"[Those statistics make sense] when you think of all the driveways and intersections where cars can potentially hit someone riding on a bike, you're not expecting someone to come up suddenly and shoot across that driveway or that intersection."

Read and listen here.

Update: Here's more information from the ABC, link here.

Stupor Bowl 14

One day I will actually go up there and ride…

Stupor Bowl 14 Race Recap here from Jeff at Bike Jerks.  Jeff defended his 2010 win.  Great recap to read.  I’m still trying to figure out the difference between ‘Speed’ and ‘Stupor’ race categories.  Can anyone help explain?  And I wonder if Dawn and Wes of Team Shred made it up to represent the ATL at Stupor Bowl?

Photo by J.R.

Freshly Sewn Knickers

This is the most recent set of knickers I sewed up.  I think this one is version 3.  Version 1 is pretty beaten up and ready to be retired.  Version 1.5 was just something I put together and not all that great to ride in.  Version 2 needs a dart at the cuff so it doesn't get caught on water bottles or empty water bottle cages.

Here is Version 3, salvaged work pants which make excellent riding knickers.  The knickers come up to mid calf.  The stitching turned out well with the white thread showing on the blue pants.  I also darted (I don't know sewing lingo) the back of the cuff so it doesn't get caught on water bottles or cages.  The white thread didn't line up so well on the back of the pants though.

These knickers will end up being donated to my favorite bike co-op, SoPo Bikes in EAV.  Waist size is 30", wish it fit me better because the knickers look and feel good.  Find them at SoPo.

Atlanta Graffiti

As seen going Eastbound on a Marta train and looking out the South side windows.
Update: After looking at the videos after they were posted online, I need to get a better camera to film the ride.  The cell phone video camera doesn't do visual justice of the pieces.

Heartbrakes Prom, Feb 12, Birmingham

DIY Cycling Caps

3 versions of cycling caps that I have sewed up.
Version 1 on the far left was hand sewed.  It has a plastic bill from an ice cream tub.  I tried to machine sew an elastic on it but it didn't work out too well.  It was originally a 4 panel cap but it was huge.  Most likely due to the type of fabric, it stretched out.  I ended up cutting out a bulk of material from the backside so it would actually fit.  The result is a racing stripe in the back of the cap.
Version 2 in the middle was completely machine sewed.  It has a fabric bill.  Originally it was a 4-panel cap but then I took out some of it to make the cap fit.  It probably fits the best out of all 3 even with the shoddy sewing.  The height above the ears turned out perfect.  I'm thinking I need to experiment with the panel template I have been using.
Version 3 on the right was machine sewed also.  It used 2 different types of fabric and the jersey material stretched out a little bit.  It has a soft bill.  The underside of the bill actually has a flower print on it.  It's obvious that my sewing skills were getting better; not seamstress good but at least getting to beginner.
And I thought sewing would be easy.  You can find the template I used from Urban Velo, link here.   I would like to try this one out also...

Another Side Of The Bus

The Other Side Of The Bus

One Side Of The Bus

Lees McRae College to offer degree in cycling

Very cool, swooped from Cycling News online…

Lees McRae College to offer degree in cycling

By: Cycling News

Published: February 3, 23:34, Updated: February 4, 04:48

Photo: © Lees McRae College

Bicycling Studies to prepare students for professional cycling

Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina announced today it is adding a Bicycling Studies minor to its curriculum this year, making it the only school in the US to offer a degree in the sport.

College president, Dr. Barry M. Buxton, is himself a cycling enthusiast who rides with members of the multiple national championship-winning collegiate racing team. He approved the program, which will help graduates enter professional cycling as a career, either on or off the bike.

Read on here.

Cars Are The Alternative Transportation

From the Oregonian online (OregonLive.com)….

Survey: Cars are the alternative transportation for PSU students and staff

Published: Friday, January 28, 2011, 1:26 PM     Updated: Friday, January 28, 2011, 2:21 PM

By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

Photo by The Oregonian

A cyclist makes his way along Portland's first cycle track, which uses parked cars as a buffer between the 7-foot-wide bike lane and moving traffic on Southwest Broadway. City traffic engineers said the experimental cycletrack just took some new paint and moving a few signs.

Let there be no doubt: Portland State University students take the city’s alternative-transportation ethos seriously.

More than 75 percent of students and employees at Oregon’s largest university commute to campus without a car, according to the results of transportation survey released Friday.

Ian Stude, PSU’s transportation options manager, said the study shows significantly more students, faculty and staff are choosing to take public transit, walk, bike and carpool to campus than a decade ago.

Bus, light rail and streetcar are the most popular ways to get to the urban campus.

Together, those modes accounted for 44 percent of staff and faculty trips and 40 percent of student commutes last fall, according to report.

“When you look at these numbers, it’s not alternative transportation for us anymore,” Stude said. “Portland is known as a bicycle-friendly city, and likewise we have one of the best transit systems in the nation. Both of those networks are well connected to the university by design, creating some really attractive and convenient options other than driving.”

Read on here.

Bike Locks for the Theft Averse

Bike lock round-up from Wired online…

Bike Locks for the Theft Averse

Bike Locks

Roundups · $53 to $179

Reviewed by Will Palmer   ·  January 31, 2011 

Bike commuting means bike theft. You need a good lock. We used a hammer, bolt cutters, and a Dremel rotary saw on these (way beyond what most thieves would deploy) to see how they’d hold up.

Read on here.

Winter Riding Tips

Winter Biking Primer from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

DMV Has No Bike Racks

I want to say ironic but its really not. The DMV offices by Turner have no bike racks.

Disposing Of Bike Helmets

I was cruising around the web and I read about someone’s bike crash.  It’s never fun to crash and it makes me cringe.  I’m glad to see she was alright.  Her bike needs fixing though.  But there was an interesting bit about disposing of a broken helmet, cut the straps and throw the helmet into the garbage.  I know helmets have a lifespan before manufacturers recommend getting a new helmet.  Basically the helmet loses its ability to fully protect.  If the shell gets cracked, time to replace.  If the helmet is involved in an accident, time to replace.  If used long enough, time to replace.

I am guilty of all of this.  I wear old helmets.  I wear a helmet that has been in a crash.  I have worn a helmet with a cracked shell.  A helmet is a helmet and its better than my unprotected skull.  I know each person has their own standards as obvious by this post.  I see a lot of riders who are helmetless; maybe a helmet is a luxury.  I would like to give them free helmets.  It’s protection for them.  Again it’s more than an unprotected head.

When a helmet (regardless of condition) is donated to a local bike co-op, community bike shop, etc like BICAS, RUBARB, Bike Kitchen, SoPo, and others; won’t the helmets be available to those who can’t afford them.  Are those helmets even accepted?  I also see a bunch of helmets at thrift stores.  Who knows how long those helmets have been there or what they have gone through.  Again it is a helmet.  I err to the side of a helmet helps protect so let’s get helmets on all heads.

Interest In Bike Commuting

I think it’s cool to be asked about bike commuting.  Out of all the people to talk to, I guess I have a conversation starter when I have my bike on Marta and when I walk into my building with a helmet and pants cuff ankle bands.  Today I was asked twice by 2 different people about bike commuting.

The 1^st encounter was on the train.  A man asked if I had any trouble with room on the train for my bike.  I answered ‘No’.  I have been lucky enough that I commute during off-peak hours so there is room for me and my bike at the front car or the back car.  The middle cars will have more people riding so I avoid those cars.  But if it was peak commute hours, I still think I can fit me and my bike in one of the cars at the back of the train.  I think I have; it’s far and few between that I commute during peak hours.  Then he mentioned going to Portland and seeing many bike commuters and finally we went our merry ways.

The 2^nd encounter was in my building’s elevator.  He had asked if I used any special equipment to ride.  I answered ‘No’.  The ankle bands were given as a gift but a rubber band can substitute.  The backpack is like any other backpack.  The pants are my work pants.  The windbreaker is just that.  There is nothing special to my commute clothing.

Hopefully people see that bike commuting doesn’t require special items and can be fairly simple.

See you on the road and commute safe.

Graeme Obree

I have seen a lot of press and posts recently about Graeme Obree.  The abridged palmares is he broke the hour record twice riding a bike he’d designed and built himself.  What peaked my interest the most was that he is a former cycle courier in Scotland; very cool.

ABC's I Bike ATL - February with Fred Boykin

Continuing with Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s I Bike ATL is an interview with Fred Boykin.  It’s an interesting piece from someone involved with Atlanta’s bicycling history as a shop owner (Bicycle South), an advocate (one of ABC’s 1^st Board officer), and city leader (Decatur City Commission member).  Here is the intro from the ABC and check out their site to read the rest…

I Bike ATL - February

Posted Tue, 2011-02-01 09:09 by Ali Mangkang

Every month, we'll bring some great attention to the people who are making it happen for bicyclists in the ATL. And we mean from the pavement up...riders, advocates, shop owners, clubs leaders - anyone involved in making our city a better place to ride. Each person featured will receive an "I Bike ATL" t-shirt and bike pin. Send us your story or brag on someone who inspires you.

Fred Boykin (standing second from right) with leaders during annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol.

Fred Boykin

Fred Boykin is an advocate for bicycling, a bike shop owner, a Decatur City Commission member and ABC member. In other words....one busy man! His commitment to bicycling is far-reaching and meaningful. ABC is very proud to have such a champion on our side and grateful for Fred's ability to keep bicycling relevant on so many levels.

Read on here.

Queens bike maker seeks big leg up

From Crain’s New York Business online…

Queens bike maker seeks big leg up

Longtime supplier in race for citywide contract; will deep local roots help?

By Hilary Potkewitz

STAYING CURRENT: Worksman Cycles has shifted its emphasis to recreational bikes.

Ever since the city's Department of Transportation started asking for proposals for a citywide bike-share program in November, a small bike factory in Queens has been trying to get noticed.

“It's a grassroots effort at this point, but we're trying to create as much awareness as we can with local businesses, the Department of Transportation and the Mayor's Office,” says Wayne Sosin, president of Worksman Cycles. In fact, the company has been quietly wheeling out heavy-duty bicycles and tricycles in Ozone Park since the 1890s.

“No other city has the opportunity to source their bicycles from their own local bike manufacturer,” Mr. Sosin adds, noting that Worksman bikes are already used in several smaller U.S. cities' bike-share programs. “If that didn't happen in New York, it would be tragic.”

A contract for 10,000 or more bikes for New York City's program would be a huge boost for the small company, and would mean hiring more welders, painters, assemblers and packers for the Queens plant. That's a fact not lost on local politicians. Nearly all of Worksman's employees live in the five boroughs.

Read on here.