2010 archive

Alan Bate

Attempting around the world bicycling record

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/05/alan-bate/

Seattle's Bicycle Sundays return to Lake Washington in 2010

Bicycles will rule the road along a 2 1/2-mile stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard in Seattle just about every Sunday between May 2 and Sept. 26 this year.

Bicycle Sundays is back in 2010, which means all motorized traffic will be prohibited along the scenic lake-front road between Mount Baker Beach and Seward Park.

It's good to hear, but not at all surprisingly, that the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department is continuing the event that's been a Seattle tradition for some four decades. Seattle's new mayor, Michael McGinn, rides a bicycle.

 Bicycle Sundays is Seattle's own version of ciclovia …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/04/seattles-bicycle-sundays-return-to-lake-washington-in-2010/

Coney Island Velodrome remembered at museum exhibit

A group dedicated to the preservation and continuance of New York City's bicycle culture is remembering the life and times of track racing in an exhibit entitled “Strong Backs, Weak Minds: The Saga of the Coney Island Velodrome.”

The exhibit put together by NY Bike Jumble features actual track bicycles from the period, as well as programs, tickets and photos, like the one at left autographed by a cyclist named Tom Duffin Jr.

The velodrome was the last commercial bike racing venue in New York City, opening in 1930. The 1/8th-mile track wooden track with 45-degree banked corners had seating for 10,000 people.

Says NY Bike Jumble founder and curator Harry Schwartzman ..

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/02/coney-island-velodrome-remembered-at-museum-exhibit/

Coney Island Velodrome

Vintage photo of cyclist Tom Duffin Jr. is among photos in track cycling memorabilia that go on display from the NY Bike Jumble in April – June 2010.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/02/coney-island-velodrome/

Parkinson's amazing response to bicycling

A doctor is studying whether regular exercise can slow the spread of Parkinson's disease in people after he observed a severely afflicted man who could not walk, but had the ability to ride a bicycle.

Dr. Bastiaan R. Bloem told the New York Times about a 58-year-old man he met who was suffering from an advanced case of the neurological disorder. He could not walk without falling down, but could ride a bicycle for as far as 6 miles as long as someone helped him on and off.

That brings to mind the story that appeared last year (“A tandem bike ride leads to a treatment for Parkinson's”) that riding the back of a tandem bicycle at a relatively high cadence of 80 to 90 rpms temporarily relieved the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in patients. (video at left)

The two observations are somewhat different, but they do point to a special relationship between bicycling and Parkinson's disease …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/02/parkinsons-amazing-response-to-bicycling/

Bicycling back in time on old King County wagon roads

I have a bad habit of riding the same old routes on my bicycle, so I'm always trying to keep things fresh by looking for new roads. Scenic is good; points of interest or historic landmarks are a bonus.

That's why I was happy to stumble across the recently published Historic and Scenic Corridors Project of King County. Although not a bicycling map book, it contains a treasure trove of new roads to explore by bicycle.

The first ride I set out on did not disappoint. The Issaquah-Fall City Road described in the booklet, also published online, put me on a 5-mile route that has changed little from the early days of settlement when it was used as a wagon road by farmers before the arrival of the railroad to the region.

Originally seen as only a trace on early maps, it was officially established in 1883 ….

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/01/bicycling-back-in-time-on-old-king-county-wagon-roads/

(April Fools Day opus) April 1st recall: 200 million bicycles

Congress voted today to enforce a mandatory recall of 200 million bicycles, effective April 1st.

The action, which covers all bicycles sold within the U.S. for the past 10 years, is being taken in cooperation with the automobile industry, the petroleum industry, and the National Manufacturers Association.

The surprise vote came as the 182 members of the Congressional Bicycle Caucus, headed by Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, were out for a spin on the new bicycle lane down the center of Pennsylvania Avenue. They got the news during the dedication of the bike lane, christened the Tony Kornheiser Obstacle Course ….

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/01/april-fools-day-opus-april-1st-recall-200-million-bicycles/

Issaquah Fall City Road downhill

Or uphill, depending on where you're starting. More at King County Historic Corridors.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/01/issaquah-fall-city-road-downhill/

Issaquah-Fall City Road

A view of the Snoqualmie Valley from Issaquah-Fall City Road, one of King County's Historic Corridors.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/01/issaquah-fall-city-road/

Phony recall

Recall

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/04/01/phony-recall/