UK Folding bike race video (very British)
<a href="http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15923071">http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15923071</a>;
<a href="http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15923071">http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15923071</a>;
Bike vs. bulbout: Missoula woman injured in crash
Becky Broeder knew it was just a matter of time before a bicyclist crashed into one of Missoula's new and controversial "bulbouts."
Broeder, who often commutes by bike, had called the city to voice her concerns over the concrete curb extensions, but figured the discussion would really ramp up once someone was injured.
"I figured that there would probably have to be a test case before we really figured out what to do with them," she said Monday. "I just didn't plan to be that case."
Turn the clock back a week. Broeder was riding her old Schwinn mountain bike home from the Bryan Adams concert about 11 p.m. Broeder lives on Howell Street, and her route home goes west on Phillips Street, which got a series of bulbouts as part of a "Safe Routes To School" grant.
The city of Missoula also installed other bulbouts around town this summer, including near Rattlesnake, Paxson, Russell, and Lewis and Clark elementary schools.
As Broeder closed in on the intersection of Phillips and Bulwer, a car came up behind her. Although she had a bright light, she wasn't sure the car could see her, so she slowed down in hopes of letting it pass before the road narrows at the bulbout.
"I think a lot of people have just been riding into the traffic lane to get through these spots safely, but I wasn't going to do that in the dark," she said.
As the car approached, Broeder watched over her left shoulder as the car came near, but didn't realize how close she was to the bulbout.
"I hit it and went over the handlebars," she said. "I hit my abdomen on the bars then went over and landed on my face."
The collision left Broeder with three broken molars and 30 stitches in her chin, which was split open nearly to the bone.
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"On a low-volume street, the driver can usually just move around the bicycle," King said. "But on Phillips, because of the median, something more than that will be required."
Stopping, for instance, King said. But who should stop and under what circumstances?
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Broeder is very mindful of the hazards facing pedestrians. She just thinks the bulbouts solve one problem while creating another one.
"Why couldn't we have something that works for everyone?" she asked. "That's what I would be pushing for."
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Where bikes are heading: a look at the trends
By MEGAN K. SCOTT(AP)
Bicycle technology doesn't stand still.
This product image released by Xtracycle shows a FreeRadical attachment on an existing bike and turns it into a cargo bike. (AP Photo/Xtracycle) AP
Bike makers keep tinkering to give us a smoother, more convenient, more stylish ride: bikes long enough to carry another passenger and groceries. Bikes with batteries so you don't have to break a sweat. Aerodynamic bikes with little wind resistance.
"In the bike world, there have always been a bunch of trends going on at once," said Loren Mooney, editor-in-chief of Bicycling magazine. "It's because a bike is such a multipurpose tool. It's a toy. It's a piece of exercise equipment. It's a mode of transportation. And so really it's very common to have many trends at once."
Some bike trends on the horizon:
STYLISH UTILITY BIKE: The biggest trend is casual city riding, said Mooney, "where the person doesn't look like a spandex-clad cyclist, but rather like a normal person. And his or her bike looks like a cool, often retro object of design and casual fun _ maybe it even has a basket."
,,,
FITNESS BIKES: An evolution from the hybrid bike _ a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, which was "too cumbersome for true fitness riding," said Mooney. (Fitness bikes are sometimes referred to as flat-bar road bikes.)
Mooney said hybrids were too slow and too upright for riding on roads and recreational paths, and were not rugged enough for riding on dirt trails.
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PEDAL-ASSIST ELECTRIC BIKES: A bike with a boost. Pedal-assist bikes combine battery power with pedaling so you can ride farther and faster without getting as tired.
It's an ideal bike for someone who rides for transportation, as opposed to fitness, and when the distance is far, the terrain difficult or the rider short on endurance.
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ECO DESIGN BIKES: Bike manufacturers are coming out with eco-friendly bikes. For example, Trek's Belleville and Atwood models have grips on the handlebars, a saddle and a steel frame that all can be recycled. The bikes also come with front and rear lights that are generated by pedaling, not batteries, said Trek spokesman Sam Foos.
"It's a more upright style with a wider saddle, so it's more comfortable, to encourage people to use their bike more often," he said.
FOLDING BIKES: These have been around for years but the technology is getting better. Traditional folding bikes, which have small wheels, were better for folding than riding, said David Montague, owner of Montague Bicycles in Cambridge, Mass. The company introduced SwissBike TX earlier this year, a full-size bike that folds in half.
"It really rides very nicely and you can throw it on a bus, or in the trunk of a cab," said Montague. "When you get to your office, it fits underneath your desk. ... The whole folding system takes about 10 seconds."
XTRACYCLE: a kit that makes a bike 15 inches longer so you can carry a passenger, groceries, books. Some people use it to carry camping gear, said Nate Byerley, president of Xtracycle, in Oakland, Calif. He said he knows a home inspector who uses his Xtracycle to carry equipment including a 10-foot ladder. "Competitive cycling has been traditionally dominated by men," he said. "And what we're finding is when you start offering a product that's about day-to-day living and carrying groceries, you're offering a product that speaks to moms and dads."
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AERODYMANIC ROAD BIKES (High-End): Bikes are already very light, but they can be made faster with aerodynamics, said Mooney. On these road bikes, the down tube and seat tube are shaped to reduce drag. Examples include Ridley Noah, which the company claims is the fastest bike on the planet, Cervelo S3 and Felt A2.
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2008 Commuting Trends by City
Bike Pittsburgh has compiled the following data for 60 of the major US cities. So I'll highlight Baltimore's ranking:* 30 - Commuting by bicycle
* 10 - Commuting by walking
* 9 - Commuting by driving alone
* 8 - Commuting by mass transit
* 6 - No car available
* 28 - Females that commute by bike (indicator of bike friendliness)
Attempt Bike Theft Arrest and Motor Bike Theft
Please distribute the two reports below from JHU Security dated 10/06/09 on to interested persons.ARREST OF JUVENILE - Attempt Bicycle Theft & Assault / CCTV Observation - Wolman Bike Racks - On October 5th at 8:17 PM, two juveniles were seen attempting to cut the lock on a secured bicycle. As Campus Officers and an off-duty Baltimore Police officer working for Hopkins approached, the two suspects began to run. One was arrested and the other suspect was last seen running south in 3200 Blk. Hargrove Street. Baltimore Police joined in searching the area with negative results. Bolt-cutters were recovered at the scene and a folding knife was confiscated from the arrested 14-year old juvenile. Both juveniles were identified and the arrested juvenile will be charged with attempted theft and various related charges. Investigation is continuing into their possible involvement in other recent bicycle thefts.
Theft of Motor Bike - 3100 Blk. Lovegrove St. (Rear of Smokler Center) - Between Oct. 3rd at 4:00 PM and Oct. 5th at 10:30 AM, a junior undergraduate's unsecured motor scooter was taken. Investigation continuing.
SHARROWs Make Roads Safer for Bicyclists and Motorists
A SHARROW or shared lane pavement marking is a bicycle symbols that is placed in the roadway lane, reminding motorists they should expect to see and share the lane with bicycles. Unlike bicycle lanes, they do not designate a particular part of the roadway for the use of bicyclists.What does a SHARROW mean for motorists and bicyclists?
Motorists:
- Expect to see bicyclists on the street
- Remember to give bicyclists at least three feet of space when passing
- Follow the rules of the road as if there were no SHARROW
- Use the SHARROW to guide where you ride within the right hand side of the lane and with the direction of traffic
- Remember not to ride too close to parked cars
- Follow the rules of the road as if there were no SHARROW
The Bike Project: A Visual, Literary and Cinematic Celebration of Biking in Our World
Opens October 8 at Howard Community CollegeReleased October 2, 2009
(Columbia, MD) – Howard Community College (HCC) features “The Bike Project: A Visual, Literary and Cinematic Celebration of Biking in Our World,” from October 8 to November 15, 2009 in the Rouse Company Foundation (RCF) Gallery on the campus of HCC. The project includes multimedia exhibitions and a film festival. A reception will be held on October 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the RCF Gallery, located inside the Horowitz Center for Visual and Performing Arts. The exhibition, reception, and film festival are free and open to the public.
The Bike Project: A Literary Exploration explores biking through writing. Bikers often share the joys and challenges that they experience from the physical, social and emotional aspects of biking through writing, in blogs, sports publications and online forums. Based on the NPR writing project titled, “This I Believe...”, bikers were asked to respond, in writing, to the theme, “I bike because…” Over 50 riders, most of those whom are not writers, responded. Their candid, insightful and creative responses express a well rounded and poignant picture of the power of biking in their lives, and those around them. Copies of their writings are available at the galleries.
The Bike Project: An Exhibition is invitational exhibition held in The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery. While the literary component of The Bike Project focused on bikers, who are not necessarily artists or writers, the exhibition does the opposite. Established artists—painters, sculptors, photographers, ceramic artists, printmakers, etc—who are not necessarily avid cyclists, were asked to create bike related artwork. An exciting number of artists (46) took on the challenge. The resulting artwork will be displayed in the galleries from October 8 to November 15, 2009.
The Bike Project: Did You Get That? Great Moments On (and Off) the Bike, Photos by Bikers is an open exhibition where bikers were asked to submit up to three photos of their choosing that depict their biking experiences. It will be shown in the Art Department Gallery of McCuan Hall (MH) October 8 to November 15, 2009.
The Bike Project – A Film Festival, runs October 19 to 23 in the Monteabaro Recital Hall of the Horowitz Center for Visual and Performing Arts. The Monday, October 19, 7 p.m. screening features two films: “Off Road to Athens,” which captures the personal struggles and sacrifices of eight cyclists trying to make the U.S. Olympic team, and “24 Solo,” which follows Howard County resident and 24 Hour Solo World Champion Chris Eatough on his quest to a seventh consecutive title.
The Wednesday, October 21, 7 p.m. screening features three films -- “The Collective,” “Roam,” and “Seasons” -- that portray the newest and cutting edge images of the freeride progression while exploring thoughts and personalities of the riders leading to the progression, as well as following seven of the world’s best mountain bikers through the course of four seasons of one year.
The Friday, October 24, 7 p.m. screening features “Klunkerz,” a thoughtful and accurate portrayal of the cycling enthusiasts of Northern California’s Marin County, where mountain biking originated among a diverse group of cyclist racers and fun-loving hippies looking for a way to commune with nature. Their original hefty steeds were affectionately knows as Klunkerz.
Exhibit viewing hours are Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery is located in the Horowitz Arts Center on the Howard Community College campus at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044. For more information about the exhibition and gallery programs, visit <a href="http://www.howardcc.edu">www.howardcc.edu</a>; or email RBafford [at] howardcc.edu.
St. Mary's County Cyclist hit and killed
From The Washcycle:A cyclist, Curtis A. Leymeister, 47, of Hollywood, MD, was riding on Clark's Landing Road near Scotch Neck Road when he was hit from behind and killed this morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
vvvvv
The driver of the Accord, 20-year-old Kathy May Lee of Hollywood, was unharmed, police said. She was on her way to classes at the College of Southern Maryland and apparently did not see Leymeister, police said.
Police said the fact that Leymeister was traveling in the main roadway, rather than on the shoulder, was considered a major contributor in the crash. They said they were exploring other factors.
Lee told investigators she was traveling at the posted speed limit of 40 mph at the time of the crash, authorities said.
^^^^^
Riding in the traffic lane when a shoulder is available IS illegal in Maryland, but come on. You know what was a major contributor to the crash - that the driver didn't see a cyclist right in front of her (and perhaps he was off the shoulder because was preparing for a left turn or the shoulder was in bad shape, etc...there are a lot of loopholes to the rule).
Taking Proper Care of Pedestrians in Work Zones
The MUTCD is clear! The needs and control of all road users (motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians…) through a TTC zone shall be an essential part of highway construction, utility work, maintenance operations…
Pedestrians should…
…not be led into conflicts with work vehicles, equipment or operations
…not be led into conflicts with vehicles moving through or around work site
…be provided with a reasonably safe, convenient, and accessible path
…not have their route severed due to parked vehicles or equipment
Suspected food poisoning along the Northern Central Rail Trail
An adult bicycle rider on the Northern Central Railroad (NCR) trail suddenly developed moderately severe gastroenteritis on Friday, October 2. She was riding north from Ashland and felt well until shortly after passing through Parkton.Because her companion remained well, they compared their recent food and water consumption, promptly leading to suspicion about an item that only she had consumed about an hour and a half before her first symptoms (stomach cramps).
They notified the Baltimore County Department of Health, with responsibility for this region, early on October 3. The epidemiologic evaluation would be greatly facilitated if we could learn about anyone else who became ill recently in this area. If you or your friends or family have recently had any similar problems during or after spending time along the NCR trail or in that vicinity, please contact the health department.
The following information will help to confirm (or exonerate) the suspected cause of this illness.