Aug 22 2011
American design and build competitions can drift into exploitations of the designer. This one challenges the passionate bike builder and design firms to redefine the way we move. The next Manifest fest and its (as yet) uncorrupted criteria for 2011 will take place in Portland on September 23 and 24, 2011. Take a look…
Aug 15 2011
The Dutch Way: Bicycles and Fresh Bread
While Europe is dealing with congestion and greenhouse gas buildup by turning urban centers into pedestrian zones, many American cities are carving out more parking spaces. In New York City, some are leased for other things, such as the creative tandem below, instant park, van-cafe, or the common-four-wheel-gas-user…
Mar 01 2011
There are many important things a city can do to gain Bicycle Mags attention for the list
You will find:
To make Top 50
If your town isn’t named do something about it.
The magazine focused on cities of 100,000 or more and also list
5 foreign bike-friendly cities
5 American bike-friendly cities (under 100,000 pop.)
Jan 14 2011
| Bike2.0 |
| Nils SVEJE, Italy |
| Bike 2.0 is top level personal transportation ever. Whether you use it as a substitute for a normal bike with battery and chain-less transmission, or as a substitute for a far more polluting vehicle one thing is clear waiting for it is painful… |
Nov 27 2010
Who has the best?
Is it:
Urbanely, or Cyclelicious, Velo Chic, Velo Vixens, Chic Cyclists, Girl on a Bicycle, The Town Bicycle, or Bikes and the City?
Aug 17 2010
The reinvention of personalized transit into a multimodal car-like system is the first sign that the vehicle industry senses new limits. The “morphing” has begun but the industry lacks a motive to produce standards sufficient to release its full potential. The changes to date offer little more than an alternative to the “bumper-cars” system we have now. Books like Reinventing the Automobile indicates this weakness, as the policy to date continues to focus on engines instead of movement. This is backwards and needs to change.
Why the “morphing”? The refinement and distribution of a limited commodity such as crude oil occurs through private and reasonably competitive markets that set the price of energy. These markets limit the purchase to buyers willing and able to pay the price not only for the fuel, but also for the engine and vehicle the fuel demands. It is a form of rationing and morphing is a mere extension. When scarcity occurs, public authorities impose rationing very differently. It begins by imposing force with the appearance of fairness to preserve order but it does not end there. The reason is quintessentially human, our wants and needs do not sense limits, only opportunity. The failure to establish new limits is in effect a failure of governance.
Cyclists not only confront the fear of injury, but the horror of handing a charge of vehicular manslaughter to the driver of a car. The roads are not ready for bikes, let alone a new variety of bumper cars no matter how smart they might pretend to be. A Brooklyn Paper reporter, Andy Campbell identified a Williamsburg resident who was squirting superglue into bike locks because they littered the community for blocks around the Bedford Subway Station in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Now he is stuck with them. The design response on the streets wherever a new vehicle occurs is pathetic. The ability of these new vehicles to assimilate into existing movement systems is the next step in horror.
So Why Point Out This Book?William Mitchell runs the Smart Cities research group at MIT’s Media Lab. He got together with Christopher Borroni-Bird, GM’s Director of Advanced Technology Vehicle Concepts to run innovative projects. It is mutually beneficial as it encourages and discovers talent at MIT. Lawrence Burns, the third contributor also hails from GM as its former Vice President of Research and Development at General Motors. The book is presented here for its insight, and you are encouraged to peruse it for intent. They look to the “electric-drive” and wireless systems as new kinds of engines hoping to encourage public investment in some kind of guidance and shared use system. Read this book to see how backwards it presents the case.
The road is made by walking. It would be a good idea to start there first, and for the thoughtful people at MIT to consider the purpose of investment capital must be to re-invent the road not the automobile. This is not putting the cart before the horse. It prioritizes human life.
Jul 18 2010
Warning: Do not follow the link below unless you have a half-hour or so to spare. Bicycle Portraits will be a hardback book of photographs and transcribed conversations with cyclists in South Africa. Right now it exists as a fascinating web gallery that will swallow your entire coffee break.
There’s something about seeing a person with their bike that shows a lot more than a straight portrait. It’s like seeing the contents of their bag, or peeking into their kitchen cupboards, only less voyeuristic and – for bike nerds at least – way more interesting. Combine that with a few words about how, why and where they ride, and a Google map of where the photo was taken and you can see exactly why this site will suck you in:
Why do I cycle? Because it’s fun! Also some exercise and I mean, there is lots you can do with it. Been cycling about 5 years now. I use it to go to town now and then. I bought this bicycle there. I’ve modified the bike a little, putting in the extra pipes and different tires. It means everything to me.
Remo Baker
Rosebud St. Kwanokuthula, Riversdale, Western Cape, South Africa (Pictured above).
The book is by Stan Engelbrecht and his “friend and fellow bicycle enthusiast” Nic Grobler, and will be completed as they ride their bikes around South Africa to meet and photograph people. The project is funded by KickStarter, which lets regular Joes like you and me pledge money to cool projects like this. The guys are looking for $16,000 to complete Bicycle Portraits. If you contribute, you’ll get a copy of the book when it is published. And even if you don’t, go make yourself a cup of coffee and click the link below.
Bicycle Portraits [Day One Publications. Thanks, Stan!]
Photo: Nic Grobler
May 06 2010
New York City’s Green Dividend
New Yorkers drive substantially less than the average American, with its 24/7/365 transit system and massive increase in cycling. This helps NYC realize a staggering $19 billion in savings each year. This is money that NYC’s counterparts in other metro areas spend on auto-related expenses.
Because New Yorkers spend so much less on cars and gasoline—money that quickly leaves the local economy—New Yorkers that much more purchasing power for local spending, stimulating the city’s economy.
New York City’s Green Dividend. Read the full report by CEOs for Cities
Apr 29 2010
Somewhere between the almost weightless flow of a body on a bike and a couple of tons of car plastic and steel there lays a need for road equality. This will help to prevent vehicular manslaughter among our daring first riders and it begins to produce the wiggle room between these conflicting modes for a much broader range of personal mobility vehicles.
Provide examples of safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects based on the density of the population (any boundary).
Improving conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling by integrate walking and bicycling into transportation systems should produce individual and community benefits in health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life. The following links introduce the top down encouragements, perhaps this HPV/PUMA discussion can bring added life to the vitality of your city. See Official Policy Statement and these FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Resources
FHWA’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
Jun 10 2008
Developing Website Copy
Meadow Lake (see www.lightwheels.com)
An internatinal conference on Human-Powered Transportation
Meadow Lake at Flushing Meadow/Corona Park (FMCP), Queens, NYC.
Site of the 1939 & 1964/5 World’s Fairs
The Meadow
Meadow Lake is an 84-acre, man made body of sparkling, fresh water is NYC’s largest lake. As a popular spot for boating, fishing, crew, and sailing; the water keeps splashing with scores of recreational activities that fill the surrounding athletic fields, bike paths, a model plane facility and picnic areas.
The Valley
The Hudson Valley is one of the most pleasant, picturesque and natural environments in this part of the world. Small towns and numerous farms, gentle hills and lots of fresh air make it a great area to get some relief from the hustle of the city. Two major rail systems, Amtrak and the MTA’s economical Metro North Harlem line and two hours the world becomes the City of Hudson or TenMile River/Wassaic. A long standing system of access by rail.
Lightwheels has acquired added properties strategically-located in this region.
Contact with over a score of businesses and institutions in the region suggests interest in cooperating through the offer of resting places and access to bicycle equipment, especially electric-assisted models. We envision ‘lightwheels” as a regional alternative transportation network.
It is our intention to rent alternative vehicles at one location and drop them off, or acquire fresh batteries, at another. Rest and re-charge stations are being located from 5-20 miles apart to suit both novices as well as experienced riders.
This enterprise began in the summer of 2008. The Hudson Valley and adjacent Berkshires are renowned for their beauty and cultural attractions from Tanglewood to historic Shaker communities. There is no better way to experience them than on a sturdy human-powered vehicle (with a little help on some of those hills from an electric-assist motor) on these fragrant back-country roads.
Expressions of interest in this project from those who might like to participate, both vehicle providers as well as possible individual riders or their sponsoring groups, are welcome.
follow: