Bike more - Drive less
A fun little video contrasting someone having fun while biking to work and someone being frustrated while trying to drive to work, from our friends at New Belgium Brewing.
A fun little video contrasting someone having fun while biking to work and someone being frustrated while trying to drive to work, from our friends at New Belgium Brewing.
Our lifestyles killing us?
Article By: Lawrence Bartlett -...
The silent killer
"While we've been focusing so much attention on that, we've had this silent epidemic of obesity that's killing millions of people around the world, and we're devoting very little attention to it and a negligible amount of money."
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An estimated 388 million people will die from chronic disease worldwide over the next 10 years, according to World Health Organisation figures quoted by the alliance.
"There's a political paralysis in dealing with the issue," said Gostin, an adviser to the US government and a professor at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins universities.
Not on the agenda
He noted that prevention of obesity and its effects had hardly rated a mention in the current campaign for the US presidency.
"Yet the human costs are frightening when we consider that obesity could shorten the average lifespan of an entire generation, resulting in the first reversal in life expectancy since data collecting began in 1900," he said.
Like terrorism, some passing health threats get major government attention and media coverage, while heart and lung disease, diabetes and cancer account for 60 percent of the world's deaths, the meeting was told.
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Lifestyles making us sick
"The way we live now is making us sick, it's making our planet sick and it's not sustainable," said Asia-Pacific co-director Ruth Colagiuri.
The Sydney resolution focuses on four key areas, including the need to make towns and cities healthier places in which to live by urban design which promotes walking and cycling and reduces carbon emissions from motor vehicles.
Insufficient physical exercise is a risk factor in many chronic diseases and is estimated to cause 1.9 million deaths worldwide each year, said Tony Capon, professor of health studies at Australia's Macquarie University.
"We need to build the physical activity back into our lives and it's not simply about bike paths, it's about developing an urban habitat that enables people to live healthy lives: ensuring that people can meet most of their daily needs within walking and cycling distance of where they live," he said.
The resolution also calls for a reduction in sugar, fat and salt content in food, making fresh food affordable and available and increasing global efforts to stop people smoking.
Freakonomics Not-So-Free Ride
New York Times -"Americans drive too much. This isn
Deputies: Cyclists, Drivers Have Right To Road
WINTER PARK, Fla. -- Bicycles are popping up on Central Florida Roadways like never before.But when bikes, cars and trucks mix, safety becomes a major issue.
Seminole County sheriffs said in some cases, large groups of cyclists are clogging roads, not keeping up with traffic.
They wanted the illegal behavior stopped.
Avid bikers said they often struggle blending safely with traffic, and a video from deputies encouraging cyclist and drivers safety seemed to make the rude treatment they already get on the road worse the past few days.
"They see a cyclist and they target them in many cases," cyclist Keri Caffrey said.
Bicyclists sat down with law enforcement in an effort to find a middle ground.
"It's not their right to assault a cyclist or to run a cyclist off the road because they get impatient," Lt. Pete Kelting said.
Each side left feeling they had a better understanding, and deputies want everyone in cars and trucks to be very aware that cyclists have rights.
"When conditions call for it, cyclists have the right to command the entire lane and motorists need to understand that," Kelting said.
"They can't overtake when it's not safe, and if there's oncoming traffic they can't just squeeze through," Caffrey said.
Both cyclists and motorists have legal right to the road, and if people break the laws, officers will be handing out tickets if necessary to make sure everyone is safe.
Your bike isn't deductible
So I was filling out taxes for me and the Misses. Here are some interesting things about how driving is deductible (note: I'm not a CPA or tax lawyer, so take this all as layman information). Now driving to and from work is not deductible, but whenever you drive someplace for work that isn't your primary work location it is. I work at one office, but often have to go a few miles to another one and back. No biggie. But if I were driving that would be deductible at the standard government rate of 48.5 cents per mile. On my bike, 0.00 cents per mile.Also, my wife and I rent a condo. If we drive over to do some condo renting business that's deductible. If I ride my bike (or take metro for that matter) I get a giant box of jack-squat didly.
Go to the doctor by car? 20.0 cents per mile. By bicycle - a goose egg.
Drive your car to volunteer for WABA? 14 cents per mile. Hop on your Huffy - zilch.
GREEN POWER IS ON YOUR BIKE
"A revolutionary way of capturing renewable power for your iPod, mobile phones, PDA, mp3, digital camera"I've been looking for a way to charge my cell phone while out on tour and this just might be the ticket. The basic unit is a wind turbine that can attach to your handle bars through the optional handle bar mount. And there is solar cell add on so you can use the sun as well.
Excellent cycling instruction videos
These videos made by a pair of a cyclists often feature front and rear view so you can get a better feel of what safe cycling is all about.
The Best National Bike Summit Yet
The 2008 National Bike Summit, held March 4-7 in Washington, D.C., was the best one yet. This annual event is organized by the League of American Bicyclists with top sponsorship from Bikes Belong. This year, a record number of suppliers, retailers, advocates, and our partners rallied in our nation's capital in an unprecedented show of strength, unity, and professionalism.2008 National Bike Summit snapshot:
* The highest attendance ever, with more than 500 participants
* Record industry involvement, with 145 industry representatives, including 12 Bikes Belong board members
* 290 Congressional meetings
* A successful BikesPAC fundraiser, attended by three U.S. senators and one U.S. representative
* High-level IMBA sponsorship and participation
* Introduction of a bill to support an ambitious national bicycling strategy
* Announcement of a Capitol Hill bike-sharing program to be launched by May
Bikes Belong is lead sponsor of the National Bike Summit because we believe it is crucial to the future of our industry. We're aiming for 1,000 attendees at next year's summit. Please join us in March 2009 to campaign for bicycling.
Paris' Short-Term Bike Rental System
The response has been amazing. Parisians and visitors alike are using the bikes in huge numbers, racking up 13.4 million trips by mid-January