Bike Love Around The World

Check out what our brothers and sisters in Nairobi think about riding bikes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n73l-zsp1n0

Ride a bike!

One Very Custom Bike

This is one sure way to build a custom bike that will get you noticed. Or is it a hybrid car?

Winter Maintenance

Yes, it's under 20 F out there and yes, people are tracking in snow on their tires but yes, it's still lively and bustling at The Bike Project as we make those tires hold air again.

We were listening to the "Out Spoken Cyclist" since we get that locally now at WRFU, and it featured a fellow talking about Calvin's CHallenge and randonneurs (and the challenge of not having randonneuring options closely). I thought about it last year but it didn't pan out... but hearing this guy talk makes me want to get on that trainer...

Pictures from Snowy Saturday

I was going to be in Peoria for the League of Illinois Bicyclists meeting... then told 'em based on the forecast they'd have to carry on w/o me... then the meeting was done by phone. At any rate, I got to come on down to the bike project to get my trusty Studly Tyred Gazelle oiled (alas, it seems I can't get any easier than Gear 3 tho').

Joel and Mike loaded up The Trailer withbikes to get to the campus coop, and mother nature made our display bike purty... and an artist contributed a marvelous snow sculpture.

Exercise, Not Emissions

Many of you are already on-board with taking to your daily commute on 2 wheels, but the popularity of cycling to work, to errands and more is taking off the world over.

More pedal, less metal.

Car Free in CT - Missing CU

I gave CU props in this recent post to my new Connecticut blog outlet.

http://beatbikeblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/car-free-in-connecticut.html

Currently building character and building up a bit thicker skin. Missing CU.

Tony

Curb Cuts

I hear tell that it's possible to get all the way through East to West on my common commute, which is Main Street, through the fountain, and across to White STreet to get under the viaduct. I was really pleased to see the curb cuts -- then less pleased to see that now that they've torn up the pavement, all pains have been taken to keep automobiles from unkind bumps with extra asphalt, but we've got the sliced concrete to deal with, per the picture. So be careful out there!
Also be mindful that the driver of the yellow cab 702 is worth a little extra caution; I was going past Urbana High School parking lot and the driver waited for me... until I got there, and then pulled right out in front of me so yes, I had to brake. I called their dispatch & let 'em know that pulling out in front of vehicles is bad for business.
Now it's off to the bike project to see what Saturday brings.

A Tony Cherolis sighting!

He made it to Connecticut in one piece, and he's writing about the trip in two parts. Here's part one, and look for part two the middle of next week:



http://www.smilepolitely.com/culture/chambana_to_connecticut_in_16_days/

bikes of the rust belt

Hello, friends, from Pittsburgh, where you're always biking in the door-zone... and usually up or down a hill, around a pothole, whatever!  Be thankful for C-U's complete lack of topography and calm roads!

One thing that drew me here was the sense that Pittsburgh's made itself into a laboratory for innovation, both entrepreneurial and social.  Pittsburgh's early de-industrialization may have given the city a quicker start, but it turns out that other rust belt cities are now making a virtue of necessity, giving birth to many innovative undertakings to fill the gaps left by disappearing heavy industry and declining populations.

If you haven't seen it, this documentary about Detroit (presented by Johnny Knoxville) offers an introduction to such enterprise in the Motor City -- and a great counterpoint to the ruin-porn that's too often the media face of places like Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and other rust belt cities.  Numerous great rust belt blogs present similar positive counterpoints: Rust Wire's a favorite.

Bikes repeatedly play a prominent role in these new rust belt enterprises.  For instance, detroitblog featured a great article about a new custom cycle club, the East Side Riders.  Closer to (my!) home, Pittsburgh just hosted an instance of Park(ing) Day, a worldwide holiday in which inventive people occupy and decorate parking spots around town.  Park(ing) Day in Pittsburgh included a slow-paced tour of all 25 spots throughout the city and showed off how older, denser cities can enable sustainable -- dare I say "green"? -- transit.

Eco Tour this Saturday!

Fellow bike lovers - Don't miss your chance to get in a good ride and tour some unique, environmentally friendly spots in Chambana this Saturday with the EcoTour.

Follow the link above for details, including information on pre-registration. Registering in advance will gets you a printed guide with additional information on the sites and their environmental benefits.

Don't miss out on this self-paced, informational and interesting ride through Champaign and Urbana.

EcoTour 2010.