Everyday Bicycling, The Book

Everyday cycling, it sounds so simple.  But to cycle every day, for every thing, well that is not as simple as it sounds.  I have been living carfree for almost 3 years now (wow! has it been that long?) and in that time I have learned a lot about what it means to use a bicycle as my primary means of year 'round transportation.  But before that, I had plenty of other bicycle riding and bicycle racing experiences that gave me a base knowledge of bicycling in general so the choice to go carfree did not seem like that big a deal at the time. 

Everyday cycling, or transportation cycling, or utility cycling - the terms are somewhat interchangeable - is more than just bike commuting to work or school.  Indeed, bike commuting is one aspect of everyday cycling.  But so is going grocery shopping, so is taking the kids to school/practice, running errands, and even buying/transporting furniture and appliances.  It is simply the act of living out your life most of the time on a bike instead of on a bus, behind the wheel of a car, or in the back seat of a taxi.

I am going to guess that people new to the idea and/or practice of bike commuting may not think that doing these other activities on a bike is smart, fun, or even possible.  But it is all of those things and more.

Lucky for you, someone out there loves you a lot and decided to save you years of trials and tribulations by writing this sweet little book - Everyday Bicycling - how to ride a bike for transportation (whatever your lifestyle).

It is packed full with everything you could possibly want to know about riding daily - which bikes to consider as an everyday bike(s), clothing strategies, choosing routes, it's all here in an easy read.  You could cruise through its 125 pages easily but my suggestion would be to work through it slowly.  There is a lot of information to digest and perhaps employ, so slow down, and take your time.

It is available here from the author or if you would like to borrow ours that's cool too.

So, get out there and go pick up that bag of potatoes - by bike of course!

Interesting Bike News Nov.6, 2012

Our (sort of) weekly compilation of interesting bicycle related media and news. 

Enjoy!

- Post Hurricane Sandy Cycling Surge - "that" storm on the East Coast sure did pack a wallop, knocking out power to millions, flooding car and train tunnels, and stranding millions in their communities.  However, if you had a bike you were able to get back to normal simply by hopping on a bike and pedaling away.

- Here is a great video from the night the storm hit New York.  A couple of people on bikes were able to navigate around a deserted downtown Ney York City, wild.

- In local advocacy news, Bike Calgary has been able to have the Alberta Driver's Guide (the book you need to study to get your learner's licence) updated to include proper wording and considerations for bicycles. Sure, it may seem like a small victory but they all count!

- A neighbourhood in Calgary ok's bike lanes, then wants them removed, reasons unknown.  What gives? 

- A bike share system (like Montreal's BIXI system) is included in Calgary's Comprehensive Cycling Strategy however the City is hoping it will be funded by a private company

- A network of cycle tracks is coming to the downtown core of Calgary - yippy!

- Have we entered the "Age of the Bicycle", the Times of London asks aloud?

Heels On Wheels

Wonderful short film about 4 friends riding around on bikes one night.

    Heels on Wheels from Nanna Nike Kindtler on Vimeo.

Why You Should Try and Reduce Your Car Usage

There has been a little more chatter than usual in the media about how people in North America are using cars and how those usage patterns are contributing to all sorts of problems to us as individuals and to our society in general.  Health problems like obesity and heart disease are on the rise for children and adults.  CO2 emissions from transportation are a huge contributor to global warming.  Gridlock in the biggest cities in North America is getting worse everyday.  People are spending hours per day commuting in their single occupant vehicles, wasting time, wasting resources, and slowing productivity. Car crashes continue to be the #1 killer of children and teenagers.

I can summarize it like this - we drive too much, it is costing us zillions of dollars, and it is costing us our health too.

However there is a way forward and it is pretty easy to do. Stop driving so much.

Just to be clear - we are not anti-car.  We understand cars are an integral component to the mobility of our society and that cars will be around for the foreseeable future.  Our cities have been built around the use of them and we cannot just "turn on a dime".  Converting everyone to transit, walking, and bicycling overnight is not the goal here.  Changing the way we live our lives takes time, but how much time do we have?

What we can do though is make the choice to use our cars less.  The Pembina Institute in Canada has recently released a report called "Behind the Wheel" showing us just how much time, money, and resources are wasted by excessive driving and how we can help correct the problem.  The benefits for the average household in Canada can be huge, get rid of one of your vehicles and you can keep $10,000 in your pocket.

Less driving is really good for business too.  People and goods stuck in traffic costs the economy billions of dollars every year, even the average Jane/Joe who owns a car has to work 2 hours per day to pay for that car.  That's added to the 1 hr+ that many Canadians spend car commuting to work.  Seems crazy when you look at it like that.  Why not get rid of one of the family's cars, move closer to where your family members work and go to school, pocket the $10,000 per year and invest it somewhere else?

The best part about driving less is biking more.  It saves you money and you get to feel like a kid again.

LikeLike Your BikeBike!

Bobbin Birdies waiting for you to love them.

You know what time of year it is?  Yes, it's autumn,  Yes, it's costume wearing season.  And yes, it's get-a-good-deal-on-some-Bobbins season, not to be confused with wabbit season.

All  of our currrent inventory of Bobbin bikes as well as select accessories are on the deepest discount of the year.  You'll more than likelike your new BikeBike, you'll love it!  Especially considering that every Bobbin sold during the sale will come with a free Nantucket basket too - a $55 value.

Limited quantities in some colours and sizes.

Birdie 3-speed - light blue, mint, yellow available - regular $699 - on sale for $529
Birdie 5-speed - red and light blue - regular $799 - on sale for $629
Vintage 5-speed - black only - regular $899 - on sale for $649
Vintage DLX 5-speed - black only - regular $999 - on sale for $729
Daytripper 5-speed - rootbeer - regular $799 - on sale for $549
Daytripper 3-speed - blue - regular $699 - on sale for $449

Also on special is the Bobike Mini+ front mounted child seat - regular $170 - on sale for $99

Hurry in for best size and colour selections.

Calgary's New Cycling Coordinator

Last May, city council passed the Comprehensive Cycle Strategy and in November they funded it as well.  Bicycle advocates in the city have viewed these developments as huge victories for a more bike-friendly Calgary and those of us involved in advocacy are full of hope that maybe we'll finally see more bicycle infrastructure installed throughout the city.

Have you read the cycle strategy?  If not, here it is, in all of its 82-page glory - Calgary's Cycle Strategy.

One of the most important action items in the strategy was to create the position of Cycling Coordinator and to find a qualified person to fill it.  Enter Tom Thivener - our new city cycling guru!

News Roundup June 11 2012

""Us versus Them" Must Stop"
The “us versus them” divide between cyclists and drivers has to stop, says the founder of a provincial cycling advocacy group.

 "Bicycling can be fun, but can it be a form of transportation?"
Today’s show gets behind a growing appetite for cycling as an everyday mobility option.  Gil Penalosa, executive director of 8-80 Cities, explains the significance of creating lanes that feel safe enough for someone as young as 8 or as old as 80 to use. Councillor Brian Pincott sheds some light on Calgary’s newly-funded bicycle strategy. Mia Birk, president of Alta Planning + Design and author of Joyride, describes how bikeshare can be a game-changer. And Hans Moor, president of Ottawa’s Citizens for Safe Cycling, talks about the pilot project of Laurier Avenue. 

"Can Ditching Your Car Make You Feel More Free?"
Los Angeles once showed the world that the car equaled freedom. Our vast parking lots and spacious two-car garages offered the utmost convenience. Even our roads were named after the idea—freeways—that automobiles provided this feeling of independence as a personal transportation experience. It worked for awhile. That is, until those painted lanes choked with Sigalerts and gas nosed towards $5.00 per gallon.

"The Rise of the Citizen Cyclist."
In the past few years, New York has become a national leader in urban transportation policy by redesigning streets and taking back space for bikes and pedestrians. With the advent of the nation’s biggest bike share program, the city could radically change the way that Americans see bicycles as public transportation. But unless police and courts start treating drivers and bike riders equally, we’ll be going nowhere fast.

"Independent Canadian bike shops limited by "protectionist tariff" 

 ...According to the CBSA, "dumping occurs when goods are sold to importers in Canada at prices that are lower than the selling price of comparable goods in the country of export." Essentially, the tariff keeps the Canadian market from being bogged down with cheap bikes from China, so domestic producers , such as CCM and Raleigh, can compete. 

"18 Future Bikeways in Calgary"
In the coming years, Calgary cyclists will have a plethora of new options for travelling throughout the downtown core and surrounding neighbourhoods. The city has mapped 18 "future bikeways" within Centre City that will some day welcome both commuting and recreational cyclists.

"Bikelane in the Beltline creates confusion"
A new bike lane created last year in Calgary’s core is confusing and dangerous, according to one critic.  The lane on 10th Avenue S.W. is reserved for bicycles during rush hours, but many motorists aren’t clear on the rules or are just ignoring them, said Const. Kevin Bubis.  “If we're finding that's it's merely an education scenario, we'll explain in a not too time consuming way so we're not bogging down the lane and we'll let them on their way,” he said.

"New LRT line to the west side is a boon for cyclists"
The new on-street cycling routes the city plans to string around west Calgary neighbourhoods like Wildwood and Westgate will feature many of the city’s newest bicycle lanes.  But it’s a multi-gear plan that transportation officials have pitched for community streets, rather than just painted lines. They will be installing a range of devices and traffic changes to make the roads friendlier for cyclists, ranging from the confident commuter to the sandal-clad weekender and those just losing their training wheels.