Biking Bis - Bicycle Touring and More

More Bike to Work Week stuff

Gene Bisbee — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:33:57 -0700

Lots of bike commuting news out there for Bike to Work Week. Just remember: you can commute next week, next month and all year, too.

-- The Seattle Times is offering a live online Q&A with two bike commute specialists beginning at noon on Thursday. Ask Chris Cameron (Cascade Bicycle Club) or Every Day (Bicycle Alliance of Washington) any questions regarding the routes of equipment in advance of Friday's Bike to Work Day.

-- Reuters goes to Taipei to report "Bicycle makers ride high":

"Rising petrol prices, growing awareness of environmental issues and the popularity of cycling as a recreation sport has fuelled a surge in demand for bicycles around the world."

The story goes on to report a 14.6 percent sales increase in European Union in past five years, as the US climbed 9 percent in same period.

-- Rails to Trails Conservancy lists its Top 10 ways to build a bike commuting habit:

1. Functional bike;
2. Helmet ...

Daily outrage: Car passes cyclists, then slams on brakes

Gene Bisbee — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:41:18 -0700

Today's "daily outrage" comes from Australia, where several cyclists in a pack of 50 slammed into the back of a car after the driver passed the group then stopped abruptly.

The hit-and-run driver later called a talk show to give his version.

Among those in the bunch cycling in Sydney were Olympic cyclists Ben Kersten, Michelle Ferris, Matthew White, Kevin Nichols and daughter Kate Nichols, who was injured in the 2005 car vs. bicycle crash in Germany that claimed the life of Amy Gillett and injured other members of the Australian cycling team ...

Two Washington communities among 11 new Bicycle Friendly towns

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:25:51 -0700

Update: May 2, 2008 -- Why were they chosen?

Two outstanding communities for bicycling on the Olympic Peninsula -- Bainbridge Island and Port Townsend -- have been named among the 11 new Bicycle Friendly communities by the League of American Bicyclists.

The others are Colorado Springs and Durango, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota (all silver level), and Arcata, California, Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Oxford, Mississippi, and Sitka, Alaska (bronze).

Seattle cyclists are familiar with Bainbridge Island for hosting February's Chilly Hilly bike ride, above, when more than 4,000 bicycle riders take the ferry and jam up a 33-mile loop around the island.

Port Townsend, also a ferry stop on the Olympic Peninsula, is a destination for bike touring enthusiasts who enjoy stress-free rural roads. ...

It's May -- National Bike Month

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:00:00 -0700

If you're a bicycle commuter, or would like to be, May is certainly your month.

Communities across the US are sponsoring bike-to-work activities in May to urge people out of their cars and onto their bikes. In many places that support evaporates quickly, but by then it's hoped that commuters have been inspired to ride their bikes regularly.

Many month-long bike commuter contests begin today. Other dates to remember are National Bike Week from May 12 - 16, and Bike to Work Day on May 16 (other dates in some locales). Check the League of American Bicyclists Bike Month Events page for local listings.

Seattle-based Cascade Bicycle Club is sponsoring events in May, featuring the month-long Group Health Commute Challenge, Vulcan Bike to Work Breakfast, May 7, and the Starbucks Bike-to-Work Day, 6-9 a.m., May 16, when 40 stations are set up around the Puget Sound to help bicyclists get to work ...

Preserving a western Washington railroad for a bike trail

Gene Bisbee — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:26:01 -0700

Trail supporters to meet Thursday in Kirkland

The Cascade Bicycle Club is rallying support to preserve a future abandoned rail bed as a main link for off-road bicycle travel through Renton, Newcastle, Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland.

In a scheme that gets more complicated as time goes on, the Port of Seattle plans to buy the 42-mile Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad right-of-way for future use as a commuter corridor with rail and a hike-bike trail. The devil is in the details, though, as the Port wants the rail line to have priority over the trail, while King County wants the uses "coequal."

Cascade warns that the Port's position leaves the possibility of a trail in doubt.

"However, the Port of Seattle and the King County Council’s latest plan would give the Port of Seattle veto authority over a future trail, and subordinates trail construction to any “transportation use” – which does not include bicycle commuters on a trail." ...

Portland goes Platinum -- bicycle friendly-wise

Gene Bisbee — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:00:00 -0700

Portland has become the first large US city to achieve the Platinum-level as a Bicycle Friendly Community, following only Davis, California, with the designation. The announcement was made Tuesday by the League of American Bicyclists.

Congratulations go to a wide group of activists, politicians, bureaucrats and even the local bike blogger who kept their eyes on the prize in recent years and helped push bicycling into the mainstream of the city's transportation and culture.

Let's hope it gives bicycling enthusiasts elsewhere the incentive to do the work to get their cities added to the list of Bicycle Friendly Cities that currently stands at 72 ...

Swipe this bicycle in Washington DC... with a card

Gene Bisbee — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:34:29 -0700

That bike-sharing rental program called SmartBike DC is set to start next month in the nation's capital with 120 bicycles available at 10 spots around the city.

Operated by the Clear Channel outdoor advertising company, it's the first such project in the US and will be similar to other advertising-based bike rental programs in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Barcelona, Spain. London is expected to get on board by 2010.

San Francisco will host a SmartBike program in the future, and Clear Channel is negotiating in Chicago and Portland ...

Revisiting the cyclist dragged off the road by hit-and-run driver

Gene Bisbee — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:00:00 -0700

This is a hit-and-run driver story with a happy ending; at least the bicyclist victim is alive to talk about it.

I wrote about this case back in February, shortly after a motorist hit the Fircrest, Washington, bicyclist, dragged her and her bicycle to the side of the road, then drove off and disappeared into the morning twilight.

Tacoma News Tribune reporters have tracked down and interviewed the victim, Sandy Johnston, 67, who sounds like she's keeping amazingly upbeat about her situation. They've also reported on statements in the court documents, which defy belief ...

Tokyo's amazing bicycle parking garage

Gene Bisbee — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:15:48 -0700

Automatically parks & retrieves bikes

Here's a video report from Japan about an automated bicycle parking garage in Tokyo that can hold 9,400 bicycles.

The facility is located at the Kasai metro station and aims to solve the problem of finding a location to park a lot of bicycles in a small area.

The video isn't translated, but it appears that after you swipe a card, your bicycle is automatically whisked away and stored. When you return, swipe your card again, and the robot retrieves your bike and delivers it in 22 seconds ...

Bicycle commuting pays in one California county

Gene Bisbee — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Ten novice bicycle commuters will earn up to $200 a month in reimbursements and incentives this summer simply by riding their bikes to work.

In addition, the 10 bike riders get $100 for a helmet, a lock and a tune-up at their local bike shop, and a free two-day League of American Bicyclist Road 1 training session.

In return, all the cyclists have to do is agree to ride their bikes from, through or to eastern or central Contra Costa County at least twice a week to get to their jobs from June through September.

This brilliant project to demonstrate the benefits of bicycle commuting is the work of 511 Contra Costa...