Holiday Gift Guide

Before the clock ticks down on Christmas shopping, we thought we’d share some gift ideas for that favorite cyclist in your life. This was a group effort, with lots of good suggestions from Miriam, Noah, Vince, Elizabeth and RL. Some of the products listed below were reviewed here, and that will be noted in the descriptions. Other items are on our own wish lists or are items we’ve seen and think are worth sharing.

Don’t forget about yourselves as you shop…with all that gas and parking money you’re saving, you deserve some bikey treats, too!

Bikes:

– Redline 9-2-5…one of the staff favorites around here. Reviewed here. Get ‘em while they’re hot, as Redline drops them from the lineup for 2012.

— Jamis Commuter 4 — Vince’s favorite, and on special if you’re in the Portland area. Swing on over to River City Bicycles Outlet for a screaming deal on this machine.

See the rest of the list at bikecommuters.com

Bike Action Plan & Energy Resilience

This week the Santa Monica City Council approved the Bicycle Action Plan by unanimous vote and last week the ribbon was cut on a new high capacity Bike Center facility. Tuesday’s vote finishes the long public process of drafting avisionary document, and marking the beginning of the real work of implementation. I am much more hopeful for the full implementation of this plan than the never quite finished bicycle master plan from 1995.

The momentum has shifted a lot since 1995 and there is a new and largely younger crowd emerging and rallying around bikes. They are carrying the torch from the tireless advocates that fought for years even when it seemed like no one was listening. Rates of bike ownership in Santa Monica now represent a majority of residents. The survey data cited in the plan indicates commuting among employees of major city employers has been inching up recently, despite fairly little change on the street for bicycling in the time I have been living here. The remaining naysayers and critics that oppose bike facility development are looking more out of touch with every passing year. What I don’t think our society has quite come to terms with yet, is how drastically economic, ecological, and cultural shifts will be shaping our transportation reality. These emerging shifts are demanding more serious consideration for bicycling in urban transportation. Riding a bike will be viewed as an increasingly logical response for people trying to manage our high levels of unemployment, stagnant wages and climbing fuel and food prices. Private automobiles are simply not economical machines, and for the typical commute in L.A., which is actually less than 5 miles for 60% of commuters, they are not as necessary as we make them out to be. When combined with transit service, the reach by bike can also be extended much further. For these and other reasons it is my belief that bicycling ridership will continue to grow even if the city were to do nothing to encourage it. For example in San Francisco, significant ridership gains were seen in recent years despite a legal injunction that had delayed the development of any new bicycling facilities.

Read the rest of the story at Santa Monica Patch

How to deter bicycle thieves: securing and locking your commuter bicycle

Intro

Before talking about securing a bike I’d like to put forward four ideas that might help you deal with bike theft more efficiently.



First, there is no such thing as complete “theft prevention“. You can’t “prevent” theft any more than you can “prevent” accidents or illnesses. You can minimize the chances of something bad happening, but you can’t prevent it entirely. Given enough time, skills, determination and the right tools anything can be broken into, cracked, cut, and stolen. Theft deterrent is a better term and a better strategy too. What you want to aim at is not a total elimination of any possibility of theft, since that is impossible, but at making your bike difficult enough, and undesirable enough, so that chances are the thief would pass it and move to an easier and more valuable target. Basically, a bike *will* be stolen, you just want to make sure it’ll be somebody else’s bike, not yours. It’s blunt, it’s harsh, but that’s what it comes down to.

Second, “security” and “convenience” are mutually exclusive. Just like in the realm of computing: as you increase security, raise login and password requirements, introduce biometric readers, etc., using computers becomes less and less convenient. So, there is often a need to draw a line somewhere, to realize how much convenience you’re willing to give up for the increase in security and how much is at stake. What is it that you’re trying to protect, how much is it worth, and how much effort, time and money you want to spend on protecting it before security itself becomes a bigger hurdle. Do you really want a $90 Super Duper Bicycle Lock to secure a bike you bought on Craigslist for $30?

Read the rest at nycbikecommuter.info

Bicyclist injured in crash on Sawyer

A bicyclist was hurt when he was struck by a car Tuesday near downtown Houston, police said.

The cyclist was riding on a sidewalk on Sawyer Street and entered the intersection when he was struck by a Ford Contour that was eastbound on Crockett Street, Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said.

Investigators said the bicyclist ran the red light when the 6:30 p.m. accident occurred.

The cyclist, whose name was not available, was taken toBen Taub Hospital and was in serious condition, police said.

robert.stanton@chron.com

Bicycle Portraits

Nkosilathi Mpofu Helen st., Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Photo: Bicycle Portraits.

Stan Engelbrecht & Nic Grobler’s 6000 kilometer journey around South Africa by bicycle aimed to be a photographic study of South African commuter culture (something that is nearly non-existent here), but it turned into a portrait of a nation through the bicycles that they own and ride every day, revealing all manner of social, historical, class and cultural nuances never imagined.

Stan and Nic are seeking funding on Kickstarter

The Bicycle Dividend

More Americans are biking or walking to work these days, in part because public-sector investment is improving the infrastructure they need to get there safely. Further public investments in bike paths and bike lanes are likely to offer a big social payoff.

Federal spending on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure has more than doubled since 2006 but amounted to less than $4 a person in 2010.

This chart, a snippet of a larger infographic by Kory Northrop, a graduate student at the University of Oregon, that illustrates differences across states and highlights the top 10 major American cities for bike commuting, draws on data from the American Community Survey for 2009.

Portland, Ore., tops the list, with 5.8 percent of workers riding to their jobs on a regular basis. Snowy Minneapolis comes in second, at 3.9 percent, and Seattle third, at 3 percent. San Francisco, despite its hills, is nearly tied with Seattle. Smaller cities are not included in this ranking, but some, like Boulder, Colo., and Eugene, Ore., have higher bike-commuting rates than Portland.

At last count, New York City was still below 1 percent, but that may be changing, with the recent large expansion of bike paths there.

see the rest of the story at:  http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/the-bicycle-dividend/

Building Bicycle Infrastructure Creates Jobs, Studies Find

While the economy remains in the doldrums and job growth continues to stutter, the bicycle industry, at least, seems to have recovered from the woes of the recession. The National Bicycle Dealers Association details that in 2010, bicycle sales were up 15% over the previous year, bolstering the industry to $6 billion in annual sales.

This positive development is complemented by further bicycle-related good news reported in Fast Company, regarding the job creation effects of competing infrastructure projects. Recent studies show projects for building bicycle and pedestrian routes create more jobs than road building, indicating a nice synergy exists; provide more cycling facilities for a growing population of cyclists and stimulate some job growth into the bargain.

One of the Key studies referenced was by the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts, entitled “Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure – A National Study of Employment Impacts” and was released in June 2011. The main points and findings of the study are as follows.

See the rest of the story at "building bicycle infrastructure creates jobs"

Houston's First Electric Bike Store

The bicycle is probably the closest you'll get to the perfect mode of transportation. You aren't polluting the environment, you're getting some exercise and fresh air, you're enjoying your surroundings, and golly gee, it really earns you that pat you give yourself on the back.

So why on earth would you need to put a motor on a bike?

See the rest of the story at: A penny a mile?

Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi

Christmas in July

Right now it's possibly hotter than the fires of Hell and this insentient heat has me dreaming of cold early morning bike rides.  A chill wind from the north and a chance of showers all day long.  Fingers and toes going numb from the cold, crisp air.  A complete change from the stagnant oppressive heat of July in Houston.

My thoughts of relief from this heat wave reminded me that I needed some new headgear to keep my noggin warm this winter.  After a bit of looking around I decided on the Gore bike wear beanie and bought myself an early Christmas present.

I can put it on, sinch it closed and keep my head nice and toasty.  When I get too hot, open it up and let the cool wind whip through my thinning hair and across my receding hair line.  Or pull it down around my neck and use it as a scarf.

Which ever way, it looks cool, is made of "Windstopper" fabric and will keep me warm on the cooler days ahead.

If we survive the heat until then!

Layoff and New Job

Being laid-off from work has kept me away from the blog.  Needing a viable source of income in order to survive meant that my focus has been entirely on finding a job.  The prospects are finally looking up and I now I can get back to writing about bicycle commuting in the Houston area.

The job interview went well yesterday. So well that I am now considering how I could commute from the Beltway/Wespark area


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 to Waugh & Allen Parkway by bike.



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 This is going to require quite a bit of research and thought.  I have never been able to find a good (safe) way eastward into town from that area, especially at the time of morning that I have to be at work.

Typically I arrive at work no later than 5:30 am.  Google Maps estimated the trip at 1 hour 12 minutes.


View Larger Map

Meaning I would need to start  my commute no later than 3:30 in order to account for the time on the bike, anything unexpected, and time to take a shower upon arrival.  Waking up at 3:30 does not sound enjoyable.  Ever!

I guess another option would be to move closer into town.

Bike to Work Week

Pedal Houston has a listing of events for Bike to Work Week.  Be sure to check it out.

If you don't join one of the bike to work week events, bike to work anyway.  Spread the word about bicycle commuting by being a "rolling billboard" and showing that commuting by bike is safe, convenient, and good for your health.

The more bikes there are on the road the safer it becomes for all of us.  Make a stand and let your voice be heard.

Joe the Guinea Pig (Day -8)

Joe has completed his first week of "training" and is doing very well.  After riding ten miles several days in a row he feels a bit sore but that seems to be passing pretty quickly.  The good news is that Joe has lost some weight, 3lbs.  He is very excited and anxious to push harder in order to loose more.  Loosing weight is one of his goals and with such a quick result, Joe is very excited.  So excited that he is spreading the word about starting to commute to work by bicycle by telling all of his friends, family, and co-works about what he is doing.  Hopefully he will make some converts out of the bicycle nay sayers.

Joes' Bike Commute

We have put together a route for Joe that is about 25% on city streets and the other 75% on bike trails.  This should make Joe's commute much safer, easier, and more enjoyable.  Joe gets to work very early in the mornings and riding alone on city streets at 4:30 am is always nerve racking.  We have also gotten the distance he will be commuting down to 7.4 miles each way.  Originally we had a route planned out that was going to be 10 miles long.

This is a route that will give Joe plenty of beautiful scenery as he travels along the top of the Addicks Reservoir for the majority of his ride.

As the seasons change Joe will see the leaves turn color and drop, the colorful and abundant wildflowers in the spring, and if it every rains again in Houston he will see the reservoir fill with flood waters.

Joe and I are both excited about the experiences he will have while commuting on his bike and I am envious of the route we have planned.  Such a straightforward, easy, quick, and scenic commute is a rarity.

I have also added a Foursquare location for those who want to check in.


As always, please leave any comments or questions and subscribe or check back often.

Bicycle Infrastructure Is Good For Business

Montreal bike infrastructure – by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

A common misconception in North America is that businesses will suffer if we remove on-street surface parking and replace it with widened sidewalks or bicycle infrastructure.

Car-addicted societies have a tendency to believe that people in cars spend more money than people who arrive on foot, transit or by bicycle, and businesses and motorists will defend on-street parking at all costs.

For me personally, I have to admit that I spend more freely now that I have removed myself from the imprisonment of automobile ownership. The average of $6,000-$8,000 a year that I save from living car-free makes it easier to spend more money on local businesses and worry less about my personal finances.

A study in Toronto seems to support the theory that people who arrive sans automobile spend more than those who arrive by automobile.

Read the rest of the article at The Urban Country.

Joe the Guinea Pig (Tales of a New Bike Commuter)

One of my co-workers, Joe, has seen me commuting by bike for the past year.  He has always shown an interest, asking questions about my commute, inquiring about equipment, and looking at maps.  After a lot of talking, coaching, and expounding the benefits of riding a bike to and from work Joe has decided to bite the bullet and start riding his bike to work as well.  I would love to think that it is my oratory skills that persuaded him, but more than likely it is the rising fuel prices.  Gas prices pushing $4.00 per gallon are pretty painful motivators for some people.

In order to help Joe and keep him motivated I asked him if I could write about his experiences.  That way there is some accountability, to you the readers, and motivation to keep commuting by bike until it becomes a habit.  Additionally, in exchange for being able to write about his experiences I told Joe that I would purchase everything he needs to start this journey, except for the bike, which he already owns.

Join Critical Mass on Friday Night

What is Critical Mass? Wikipedia says it best:

Critical Mass is a bicycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world.  The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco with the idea of drawing attention to how unfriendly the city was to cyclists.  The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and traveling as a group through city or town streets on bikes.

Is it a protest?  A middle finger to the oil companies and rising gas prices?  A social movement?  A statement against urban sprawl?  A time to hang with friends and have a good time enjoying the simplicity of riding a bike?  Join the 377 riders (and counting) and find out for yourself.

Critical Mass Houston