City of Calgary Comprehensive Cycling Strategy Release

Ok folks, now is your chance to get involved with what could be the biggest thing to happen to cycling in Calgary since the decision to build the pathway network all those decades ago.  Calgary City Council will be presented with a new cycling strategy that aims (we hope) to make the roads safer to cycle on, make finding your way around the city easier, and help establish cycling as a legitimate transportation option in our car-crazed metropolis.  More info can be found in a previous post here.

All the information you need is below - so read on - and please take a few minutes toget involved any way you can.

Watch for the release of the City of Calgary’s new Comprehensive Cycling Strategy. It will be available for public review starting on Friday, June 10th and will go to the City’s Standing Committee on Land Use, Planning and Transportation for public comment on Wednesday, June 15th. CivicCamp will be holding the following workshops.

CivicCamp Public Information Sessions and Workshops - 7:00 pm, Monday, June 13th

There are four locations where you can participate:

• Room 342, Earth Sciences Building, University of Calgary
• Rosscarrock Community Hall, 4411 10 Ave SW
• Old YMCA, 223 12 Ave SW
• Forest Lawn Library, 4807 8 Avenue SE

CivicCamp will be holding public meetings for those interested in the City’s new comprehensive cycling strategy. Learn more about the strategy and offer your feedback about what does or doesn’t work for you.

CivicCampers and cycling enthusiasts will be on hand to walk you through the strategy, answer your questions (where we can) and guide a discussion to solicit your input. Information will be collected from the meetings and brought forward to the Standing Committee on Land Use, Planning and Transportation.

For more information, please visit http://www.civiccamp.org/paving-the-way/

If you want to comment directly and publicly to Council members about the strategy, please plan to attend the Special Planning Committee on Land Use, Planning and Transportation.

Standing Policy Committee on Land Use, Planning and Transportation

9:30 am, Wednesday, June 15th

Location and Agenda to be Announced

Check this link on the City web site for the agenda and the location. Appearing in person before the LPT committee makes a powerful statement but if you can’t attend, be sure to write/email/tweet your Alderman beforehand to give your feedback.

 

Junk in 'da Trunk!

We love hauling all manner of cargo by bike and one of the more affordable and versatile options is to use a trailer.  Trailers are great for a few reasons - you can use your existing bike without major modifications, they are a lot less expensive than a purpose made cargo bike, and they generally attach/detach quickly making them easy to use just when you need them.

On the flipside, here are a few of the challenges sometimes presented by trailers - the added length can make tight spaces and maneuverability a challenge, the added weight of the trailer to your existing bike will change the way your bike handles, and curbs/bollards/posts all need to be navigated with extra care, being sure not to clip them with the wheels on the trailer.

We stock 3 cargo trailer models, all perfect for use in the city - the Topeak Journey $450, Burley's award winning Travoy $419, and the Croozer Cargo $225. 

First up is the Journey, Topeak's take on the single wheel trailer.  Single wheel trailers are popular with those that like touring and mountainbiking as the trailer tracks right behind the bike and make singletrack trails easy to navigate and only has one wheel making it more efficient over the long haul.  The attachment system needs a quick release rear wheel for attachment and uses an innovative mechanism to prevent the trailer from coming loose during use.  A review of this trailer can be found here.

Travoy with included bag.

Travoy as a golf cart.

Next up is Burley's award winning trailer design - Travoy.  The Travoy fills a gap in the trailer market for the bike commuter with a convenient and secure way to carry your stuff to work, including a change of office clothes, a laptop, 60lbs. of groceries on the way home - or even for golfing!  A friend of mine bought one so he can load his golf bag onto it, cycle to the course, unhook the trailer - and voila! - golf cart!  A review can be found here.

Last up is the Croozer Cargo trailer, our most affordable trailer.  This trailer is pretty basic but perfectly suitable as a grocery getter, recycling runner, or garden centre hauler.  The unit is pretty simple to use and will attach to virtually any bike out there, including bikes with internally geared hubs(needs an adapter), full-suspension MTB's, and road bikes.  It comes with an easily attached cover and folds flat for storage.  User reviews can be found here.

Here in Calgary, virtually every community is within a couple kilometres of a grocery store and easily cycled to.  Why not consider using one to reduce your automobile use for simple tasks?  You'll enjoy the bike ride, get fitter, save money, and avoid the inevitable parking lot chaos.

Safer Bike Lane Opportunity Missed?

While out riding today I came across a new painted bike lane on 66 Ave SW and was saddened to see that people (yet again) have been placed between the travel lane and the parking lane on a road that could very easily have had a treatment like this...


Portland Unveils Downtown Cycle Track from Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.

Instead, we have this...

Click on image for a bigger version

Hey City of Calgary, this could be fixed pretty easily and quickly, and be a great example of putting cyclists from 8 yrs old to 80 yrs old first and perhaps showing how easily this type of safe bike infrastructure can be installed. 

Here is another short video showcasing the concept.

What do you think? 

Mia Birk is coming to Calgary!

Mia Birk is one of the foremost transportation planners in North America and we are excited to find out that she is coming to Calgary May 12th for a book reading and to meet with City of Calgary officials.  Here are some details about the event...

Joyride: An Evening with Portland author and cycling advocate Mia Birk

7:00 pm, Thursday, May 12th

John Dutton Theatre at the Calgary Central Library. 

Co-presented by CivicCamp and the Calgary Public Library, in partnership with First Calgary Financial and with the support of Clifton Associates, Mistri, Sustainable Calgary and Thrive.

Mia Birk’s new book Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet tells the dramatic and enlightening behind-the-scenes story of how a group of determined visionaries transformed Portland into a cycling mecca and inspired the nation. Through a panoply of hilarious and poignant stories, Birk takes readers on a 20-year roller coaster journey of global and local discovery and education, while bringing into sharp focus some of the planet’s most pressing and hotly debated energy and transportation issues, policies, shortcomings, and solutions. See the Youtube trailer here.

Register for this free event.

Mia Birk is President at Alta Planning + Design, with 20 years experience in sustainable transportation focused on pedestrian, bicycle, trail, and greenway planning, design and implementation.

Babboe City Cargobike First Impressions

Babboe was created in 2007 in The Netherlands by 3 folks who saw the need for a more affordable, yet durable cargo bike.  Their first offering was the 3-wheeled "Big" with the bakfiets style "City" as their latest offering.

First up is a quick review of the City with a review of the Big coming in a few weeks time.  Lets start at the front of the bike...

- Oversized, glavanized steel frame with oversized and galvanized steel fork offering a tough chassis that should last for many years of hard use
- braking provided by a Shimano roller brake for years of maintenance free, all weather stopping power
- battery powered LED lighting.  Although we prefer dynamo lighting whenever possible, the light on the City is bright enough and keeps the costs down

The cargo box on the City is one of its finest features and one of the nicest we've seen
- German made, marine grade Birch to handle many years outdoors
- multiple panels are replaceable in the event of damage and held togther with stainless steel hardware
- rounded box design is a real treat preventing ouchies from corners and more comfort for your children
- foot holes on the bottom of the box allow for easy entry for the children
- 2 sets of safety harnesses for the kiddies, with an additional seat available for larger families
- rain cover available
- 100kg weight capacity


The bike itself is shipped in 3 separate boxes allowing for much cheaper freight, but more importantly, better packaging and a bike that arrives to you in great condition.  This photo shows how the front half connects to the back with the beautiful kickstand visable too.  Stainless steel hardware holds everything togther.  One of the things I love about this bike is the kickstand.  You can deploy it from either side of the bike (no latch), does not rattle at all, and is spring loaded making it easy to use even with a full load on board.

Moving towards the rear of the bike...
- full coverage fenders front and back keep you clean
- full chaincase keeps your clothes clean
- Rustbuster chain standard
- battery powered taillight with integrated reflector
- drivetrain supplied by Shimano's ubiquitous Nexus 7-speed workhorse
- low gear range makes hills a breeze even on this heavy bike
- braking power is the same as the front, Shimano roller brake
- integrated ABUS wheel lock
- rack mounts (if you decide you want a rear rack)



<- The Babboe City in its natural habitat.

The bike has a remarkably light handling feel, especially considering its length and weight.  As with most bakfiets-style bikes, it actually feels better with weight in the box and is quite easy to ride once you've figured it out.

The seat tube angle on the bike is very relaxed offering a wide range of people the ability to ride this bike - everyone from 5' to 6'+ will find the bike comfortable to ride and easy to handle.  The handlebars are also height adjustable making it easy to find the perfect riding position for most people.

Riding the Babboe City is easy and comfortable even though is is over 6' long.  The steering feels light and responsive even with a couple of kids onboard and the gear range is low enough that most people should be able to handle most terrain found in the city.  One thing I really like about this bike is how low the back of the cargo box is - allowing for out-of-the-saddle pedaling on hills - nice! 

Cargo bikes are a real alternative to the second (or third) car and offer families an amazing way to get out togther and explore your community, grocery shop, picnics - your imagination is the only thing limiting the possibilities of these amazing machines. 


Test rides are available.

Beautiful Bicycle Giveaway!

We are hosting a contest with the organizers of Calgary's Bike To Work Day to give away this beautiful LINUS Mixte 3-speed. You want to win it, right?

Sporty Chic! The LINUS Mixte 3 

Entering the contest is easy. Here are the details...

- snap a photo of yourself riding to work and post it on Twitter mentioning @Bike2WorkDayYYC and @BikeBikeYYC.
- If you are not of the Twitter persuasion, post your picture on Bike To Work Day's Facebook page or our own BikeBike Facebook page
- Maximum 5 photos per person
- The lucky winner will be drawn on Bike To Work Day and contacted by the ride organizers

During the week leading up to Bike To Work Day on Friday May 6, Breakfast Television will be talking about various aspect of cycling in Calgary - including a bicycle style segment on Monday May 2 at 7:52am hosted by us!

Bike Rentals!

Bike Rental Rates and Information

Batavus BuB 3-Speed City Bike
Day $30
Overnight $45
Weekly (5 Days) $120
Rentals include a great lock, and if desired, a helmet too.

Batavus BuB

BoxBikes/CargoBikes

Bicycles for riding with family, moving bigger loads, or simply for fun.  Call us for availability.
Day $50
Overnight $75
Weekly (5 Days) $150
Rentals include a great lock, and if desired, a helmet(s) too.

Call 403-457-2453 for more information or to book your rental.