Links
I've divided the links into the following sections (you can click on the section you're interested in to go directly there so you don't have to scroll through the whole page if you don't want to):
Bicycling Websites
A note about the groupings: for me, bicycling and carfreedom go hand in hand, but many cyclists have no interest in being car free, and some car free people aren't interested in cycling. As the collection of websites I wanted to link to grew larger, I could see that there was a logical break there. Note that many bicycling sites do mention the pride of self-sufficiency ("Cars? We don't need no stinkin' cars!"), and many car free sites, in offering details of how to live a car free life, discuss cycling at length. I have gone by the primary focus of the site, though there is a large overlap. I am not separating the articles by topic as they are too often relevant to both categories. The advocacy groups are a mix of bicycling, walking, car free, and sustainable transportation in general.
If you want to suggest a link for this page, send it to me using the "Email me" link at the bottom of the page.
Bicycling Websites
Ken Kifer's Bike Pages -- way back when I first started searching for information on cycling and bike commuting and bicycle safety, this was one of the websites I found, and I still think it's the best one there is. Ken's site contains an amazing amount of information. He really knew how to tell a story (his travelogues are fascinating sagas), and he had a fun sense of humor. It's easy to completely lose track of time and spend hours reading his site, and there's so much there, it could take years to read it all. Tragically, Ken was killed by a drunk driver at the age of 57. See my dedication page.
Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips -- another one of the sites I found that was really helpful.
Bicycling Street Smarts -- John Allen's classic 46-page booklet, a guide to safe, legal bicycling techniques on public roads and streets, is available here in a free online version (there's also a link to buy the booklet if you prefer).
Icebike website -- articles, reviews, photos. If you've never ridden in winter and you live some place that gets cold, look here. There's no reason you can't do this too. Bikes are useful transportation all year round, and lots of people ride through heavy snow as recreation.
Living Room...home of the Bike People -- a collection of articles
Velorution -- "a daily chronicle of the peaceful revolution brought by pedal power"
Bicycle Haiku -- a collection of haiku about bicycling.
The Couch Bike -- It's a couch! It's a bike! It's...well, it's a couchbike. A leatherette tandem, to be specific. Is it legal? The mounties are never quite sure.
The Human Powered Move -- Have an apartment full of stuff you need to move to another part of town? Think you need a moving truck? Nah. You just need friends, bikes, trailers, and chutzpah.
PeaceBike -- Tad Beckwith rode his bike around the world to talk to students about peace and connect them to each other.
Metal Cowboy -- Someone gave me a copy of Joe Kurmaskie's book, Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled. I really enjoyed it. Joe's a fun guy, and a really good writer. You can read some of his work here.
Girlbike -- Crystal Waters' site featuring reviews, tips, etc., much of which is helpful specifically to women, but quite a bit is helpful to all cyclists.
Swanson Thomas & Coon Bicycling Articles -- collection of articles written by Ray Thomas, a bike lawyer in Portland, Oregon.
Wright Bicycles -- Before Wilbur and Orville Wright got their heads in the clouds and started working on that newfangled aeroplane of theirs, they built bicycles. You can read about their bicycle business here.
Old Cycling Mags -- Steve Elliott put up some old photos, ads, and an article from his collection of very old Cycling magazines (and will add more as time permits). Very interesting to look at.
Interstate Highway Use for Bicycles -- most states prohibit cyclists from using the interstates, but some allow it. Here is Richard S. Ralston's list so you can plan an out of state trip accordingly (but double check -- it may be out of date).
Bicycle Clip Art -- free public domain clip art including pictures of bicycles and people riding bicycles. The collection includes a wide range of drawing styles and many different types of bicycles.
Magicbike -- Yury Gitman turns bicycles into wireless internet hotspots to bring free internet connectivity wherever they travel.
Pushkar Shah - Around the World in 11 Years -- Describing himself as "a Nepalese guy panting and puffing on a bicycle with a sticker 'I ride therefore I am,'" Pushkar Shah is riding his bike around the world to spread the message of peace.
Resource Revival -- Wondering how to recycle used gears and chains? Resource Revival will pay you for them. They use them to make furniture, clocks, and other cool stuff.
From A to B -- Paul Parry is riding his tandem 6000 miles from A to B, that is from Å, Norway to Bee, Nebraska to raise money for charity, and he's looking for hitchhikers.
Cycling: the way ahead for towns and cities -- The European Commission's (Environment DG) first publication on urban cycling, a handbook for local authorities, available in 10 languages.
Cycling Advocacy Information -- Fred Oswald's information-packed site covering safety, commuting, legal issues, teaching children and more.
Self-Propelled City -- news stories, editorials, product reviews and more, "an information resource for people who want to encourage others to see the bicycle as a vehicle of transportation, not just recreation."
Cars-R-Coffins -- A bicycle/punk rock website.
Bike Cult -- excerpts from the book of the same name, a gallery of bicycle paintings, an archive of beautiful antique chainwheels, and much more.
TopoZone -- Not a bicycling site, but a very useful tool for cyclists in the US. Search by place name and find a topographic map of that area. You can adjust the scale and size, re-center as needed, and print out the map if desired. It's perfect for determining which route has the monster hills that are trying to kill you and which route goes around the hills as much as possible. (If you know of sites like this for other countries, let me know.)
The Museum of RetroTechnology -- The Transport section has some very unusual bicycles and other cycles, some very bizarre.
Bikes Against Bush -- Joshua Kinberg, an artist and cyclist, turned his bike into peaceful protest/performance art. He outfitted it with wireless internet and a special printer that could print messages in water-soluble chalk on the street. He planned to use it during the 2004 Republican National Convention, printing messages that web users sent. But dissent is not allowed. He was arrested while describing his bicycle to the media.
UtahMountainBiking's Bike Repair Pages -- Instructions and close up photos for several bike repairs.
Origami Mountain Bike (PDF file) -- Turn three sheets of paper into a full suspension mountain bike with Brent Marshall's instructions (advanced origami skills are also helpful).
Myra's Bike Pages -- Myra VanInwegen's collection of stories and articles about riding, technical advice, photos and links.
BikeSense -- The online version of The British Columbia Bicycle Operator's Manual.
Bicycling Life -- I thought I had linked to this some time ago and then realized I had somehow missed it. A collection of insightful articles.
Austin Yellow Bike Project There Is No Gallery -- A gallery of 43 very cool bike photos.
Cycle-licious -- Bicycle blog full of interesting news and offbeat links.
Oil is for sissies: Adventures in cycling -- Another blog, this one written by a bike shop employee in Minneapolis.
One Got Fat: Bicycle Safety (1963) -- A 15-minute bicycle safety movie narrated by Edward Everett Horton. A rather surreal little film with children wearing ape masks doing stupid things while riding bikes on the way to a picnic. They pay for their mistakes. It seems to be one part Planet of the Apes, one part Fractured Fairy Tales, one part Salvador Dali and three parts Bicycling Street Smarts.
World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) -- a world-wide annual event held to "to stop indecent exposure to automobile emissions and to celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies."
womenspecific.com -- This site has a mission statement: "To promote healthy living for outdoor women through knowledge, community and adventure." It has product reviews, articles, directories and other resources for cycling, camping, hiking, nutrition, etc. Women's bodies are different than men's. In many ways we're the same, but we're different enough that one-size-fits-all just doesn't fit.
Car Free Websites
The Car Free Movement -- tips for carfree living and facts about what cars are doing to the environment.
De Clarke's Alternative Transportation Resources -- "Life After, Before, Without, and Despite Cars."
A Carfree Home Page -- John Akre's collection of thought-provoking essays.
Honku -- a collection of haiku against honking.
World Transport Policy & Practice -- quarterly academic journal devoted to sustainable transportation. All articles are available online free of charge as PDF files.
Living Carfree -- information about the costs of car ownership, the benefits of going carfree, and helpful tips on living carfree, including census information for those looking to move to a community where it's easier to be carfree.
Carfree.com -- a companion site to J.H. Crawford's book, Carfree Cities.
The car-free universe project -- A community for car-free and aspiring car-free people to publish articles and connect with others.
Car-Free World newsletter -- Michael Bluejay's newsletter of "alternative transportation news & views"
CarFree City, USA -- an organization founded with the goal of creating a carfree city or cities or districts within the US. As they point out, "it doesn't require futuristic technologies, just common sense and a willingness to change."
The True Cost$ of Driving -- a quick look at what car ownership really costs you.
Carfree Family -- Paul Cooley's blog about his family -- himself, his wife and their two small children -- and their use of bicycles for all their transportation and how their life is better since they got rid of their car.
Moss -- This is the best use for a car I've seen. Sbpoet has a car, but says it's so seldom driven it's become a moss garden. The mosses are so diverse and delicate, I could stare at them for hours. This car has become a thing of beauty.
Peak Oil: Life After the Oil Crash -- "Deal With Reality or Reality Will Deal With You." This is much more than a car free site; Matt Savinar points out that our entire economy is dependent upon petrochemicals. He also points out that the construction of a car uses fossil fuels equal to twice the car's final weight.
Articles
"Spotlight: Tour de Ann Arbor" by Michelle Begnoche, University Record, 9/22/03 -- An article about me! I was deemed..."interesting"...so someone decided to interview me for the University of Michigan staff newspaper. Ooh, a soapbox! I grabbed it!
"ARB, AQMD Measure Pollutants in Vehicles" 6/10/99 -- During a two-year study, researchers found that hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and several toxic compounds were between two and ten times higher inside cars than at roadside monitoring stations.
"My Week" by Katie Alvord, Grist Magazine, 2/11/02 -- a week in the life of Katie Alvord, author of Divorce Your Car! Ending the Love Affair with the Automobile.
"Air pollution fatalities now exceed traffic fatalities by 3 to 1" by Bernie Fischlowitz-Roberts, Earth Policy Institute Eco-Economy Updates, 9/17/02 -- "The World Health Organization reports that 3 million people now die each year from the effects of air pollution. This is three times the 1 million who die each year in automobile accidents. A study published in The Lancet in 2000 concluded that air pollution in France, Austria, and Switzerland is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths annually in those three countries. About half of these deaths can be traced to air pollution from vehicle emissions..."
"Breast cancer less likely in cyclists" BBC News, 2/10/03 -- Researchers found that women who cycle three hours a week are 34% less likely to develop breast cancer, and the benefits increase as the cycling increases. They're not sure that cycling is more beneficial than any other exercise, but perhaps it's simply that women who use cycling for transportation have found a way to work exercise into their daily lives.
"Overdrive" by Jim Motavalli, Grist Magazine, 2/26/03 -- Some statistics about car use to help put things in perspective.
"One Vehicle on the Road, Two Others in the Garage " by Matthew L. Wald, New York Times, 8/30/03 (free registration required to view) -- America has more cars than drivers. Though 7.9% of households do not have cars, some people in other households, apparently with more money than they know what to do with (or willing to live in debt for the rest of their lives), feel they need a different car for every use.
"Joe Breeze Wants To Change The World...Again" by Dan Koeppel, Bicycling, 9/03 -- Joe Breeze was one of the inventors of the mountain bike. Now he's making bicycles for commuting, fully equipped with racks, fenders and lights. He truly believes that bicycles have the potential to be used for transportation in the US much more than they are currently.
"Doctors prescribe bike lessons" BBC News, 9/3/03 -- Doctors in Bristol are referring patients who would especially benefit from cycling -- diabetics, heart patients, mental health patients -- to a cycling course where they learn cycling skills and increase their confidence. The Department of Health pays for the course.
"As Suburbs Grow, So Do Waistlines" by Bradford McKee, New York Times, 9/4/03 (free registration required to view) -- article about how suburbs being designed with only cars in mind has resulted in poor public health. People are starting to notice.
"Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling" by PL Jacobsen, Injury Prevention 2003;9:205-209. (PDF file) -- academic paper. The author compared data from several countries over a period of several years and found that a motorist is less likely to hit a person walking or bicycling if more people walk or bicycle. He concluded that this is likely because motorists are more used to seeing pedestrians and cyclists when there are more of them, and are also more likely to sometimes be pedestrians or cyclists themselves.
"City asks drivers and cyclists to get along" by Katie Marzullo & Web Staff, News 14 Carolina, 10/21/03 -- Raleigh City Council knows that cyclists belong on the street. They want drivers to know it too.
"Cyclist engineers truce with station" by Joe Miller, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, 10/26/03 -- profile of bicycling advocate Steven Goodridge and the tactics he used with his local Clear Channel station after the station's DJs advocated violence against cyclists.
"Wilbur and Orville Wright's great mistake" by Robert Kahn, North County Times, 12/13/03 -- the author expresses the opinion that the Wright brothers should have stuck with bicycles and skipped the airplanes.
"Dried Up? Are We Running Out of Oil? Scientist Warns of Looming Crisis" by Lee Dye, ABCNews.com, 2/11/04 -- story about an expert who states the obvious: the oil is finite, and gee, maybe it would be a good idea not to wait until we're completely out to find some other way to run our society.
"Geneva man clears the way" by Dan Chanzit, Kane County Chronicle, 2/20/04 -- Dave Peterson built a snow plow that he can hitch to his bike like a trailer. He plows the bike path that makes up part of his commute, which makes his life a lot easier after it's cleared, and lots of other people appreciate his work. You can see photos of his plow at his website, A Snow Plow for a Bike. But now forest preserve officials insist that he stop, citing liability issues. Peterson began plowing the path because it needed plowing. If he stops, will the forest preserve officials plow it?
"Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us" by Mark Townsend and Paul Harris, The (UK) Observer, 2/22/04 -- Even the Pentagon accepts that Global Warming is a very real threat, far more dangerous than any terrorist. In light of this, I think that a president who refuses to encourage people to consume less energy or to mandate much stricter laws for corporations to follow is in fact himself a terrorist.
"Berkeley steers toward creating car tax: Owners of multiple vehicles would pay more" by Demian Bulwa, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/22/04 -- Berkeley is proposing a multiple-car tax to raise needed revenue. That's only fair. Each car is a drain on a municipality, and if someone can afford more than one car, they can afford to pay the tax. Perhaps the tax will discourage the more-cars-than-drivers phenomenon.
"Shanghai officials move away from bike ban" by Christopher Bodeen, The Scotsman, 2/24/04 -- Shanghai cyclists were outraged when city officials announced a ban on bicycles. Now officials are saying they will introduce a network of bike paths. But they don't say if that means the bikes may remain on the streets or not. What if the path won't take you to your destination?
"Compromise is a magnificent idea, except on safety" by Howard Goodman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 2/24/04 -- Delray Beach city commissioners want 3-foot bike lanes instead of the 5-foot bike lanes proposed by FDOT per engineering standards. Why? They're more interested in appeasing wealthy landowners than in the safety of bicyclists.
"Delray bike-lane consensus proves contentious" by Meghan Meyer, Palm Beach Post, 2/25/04 -- another article on the Delray Beach bike lane controversy.
"None So Blind: Perceptual-blindness experiments challenge the validity of eyewitness testimony and the metaphor of memory as a video recording" by Michael Shermer, Scientific American, March 2004 -- a remarkable experiment found half the people watching a video of some people passing basketballs around never saw the gorilla enter the room. People don't see what they don't expect to see...which is why many people look directly at bicyclists and don't see them.
"Will The End of Oil Mean The End of America?" by Robert Freeman, Common Dreams, 3/1/04 -- will we wean ourselves off the "cheap" oil and evolve a new economy and basis for civilization, or will we continue to secure oil by force, thereby ensuring our doom? What's it going to be?
"Londoners are charged up about traffic tariff" by Jennifer Carlile, MSNBC, 3/4/04 -- a year after implementing a congestion charge, London mayor Ken Livingstone is considering expanding the zone in which motorists must pay to drive.
"Thoughts on sharing the roads from two bikers" by Gordon Bower, Punta Gorda Herald, 3/10/04 -- a cyclist and newspaper editor points out that cyclists have a right to be on the road and have to follow traffic laws.
"Boyne City senior to bicycle across U.S." Associated Press, The Detroit News, 3/10/04 -- 76-year-old Donna Moll is ready to embark on a 3,100-mile, 58-day bike trip across the United States to raise money to fight breast cancer. It's her first trip of this length, though she did ride from Detroit to New Hampshire when she was 18. Go Donna!
"Anarchy on the highway" New York Times News Service, Beijing, Taipei Times, 3/13/04 -- What happens when you have a whole lot of people buying cars who have never driven before? Who haven't even grown up with cars being something that very many people had? Total chaos. A lot of accidents.
"Boulder bike boys defy a sedentary world" by Chris Barge, The Daily Camera, 3/14/04 -- These middle school students ride their bikes to school every day. That shouldn't even be considered unusual. But the sad fact is, it actually is unusual.
"Bicyclists, Motorists and the Language of Marginalization" by Mighk Wilson, Bicycling Life, 3/14/04 -- this article explores a point I have made elsewhere, that bicyclists are treated as a despised minority. I highly recommend the book the author refers to, The Culture of Make Believe by Derrick Jensen.
"About 50,000 riding their bikes to work daily" Wire Services, Associated Press, Casa Grande Valley Newspaper, 3/16/04 -- an article about bike commuting in Tucson, Arizona.
"The Path to a Healthier America" editorial, New York Times, 3/24/04 -- an editorial pointing out that the transportation bill before Congress encourages Americans to continue driving everywhere they go, even very short distances, which is what most trips are, and that our obesity epidemic should hardly be surprising.
"Crash course on safe biking", CBC Marketplace, 3/30/04 -- Although Canada has guidelines on how wide bike paths should be under different circumstances, almost no paths meet the guidelines. Not surprisingly, cyclists are almost three times more likely to be injured on these narrow paths than if they ride on the road.
"Riding on Square Wheels" by Ivars Peterson, Science News, 4/3/04 -- Bumpy road? Maybe your wheels aren't the right shape. A mathematician built a trike with square wheels, and on a road with the right shaped bumps, the ride is perfectly smooth.
"Killing for scratch on BMW reveals China's wealth gap" by Jonathan Watts, The Guardian, 4/8/04 -- China wants to be like the West. It's succeeding, unfortunately. That means people can get away with murder, as long as they do it with a car.
"Shanghai Debates Bicycle vs. Car as Preferred Mode of Transportation" by Celia Hatton, Voice of America, 4/9/04 -- another article on the Shanghai controversy.
"Bad knees lead boomers to cycling" Associated Press, MSNBC, 4/14/04 -- After years of activities that were hard on the knees, a lot of baby boomers are having knee problems. Some of them are turning to cycling for exercise, and they're having a lot of fun.
"Honk If You Love Quiet" by Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times, 4/22/04 (free registration required to view) -- More cars mean more noise. Cars being driven further distances mean more noise. People choosing SUV's and light trucks over cars mean more noise. Constant exposure to noise not only damages people's hearing, it affects their blood pressure and causes other health problems, and it makes it difficult for children to learn. Officials don't seem interested in curbing the problem. The only solution individuals can come up with is to make their walls and windows thicker. Anyone who enjoys fresh air wafting through the house or spending time outside is out of luck.
"Pedestrian Paradise" by Jay Walljasper, AlterNet, 4/30/04 -- the idea that the purpose of streets is to move traffic quickly and efficiently is pretty recent. Streets used to be a sort of outdoor living room. It occurs to the author that the best way to get people out of their cars is not to shame them about their destruction of the environment or being fat, but to show them that life is more fun if they're not in a car.
"Cost of gasoline is estimated at $50.64 per gallon" by David W. Nicholson, 5/5/04 -- a retired mechanical engineer looks at all of the costs that people pay for gasoline, not just the ones that are charged at the gas pump.
"Edmonton lands world bike courier Olympics" by Cathy Lord, Edmonton Journal, 5/19/04 -- 500 bicycle couriers from 18 countries will compete in Edmonton at the Cycle Messenger World Championships July 1-5, 2004.
"A good ride ruined" by Bill Watts, NUVO, 5/19/04 -- there's construction on the Michigan Road bridge crossing the White River in Indianapolis. Though state and municipal codes state that "A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway has all the rights and duties under this article that are applicable to a person who drives a vehicle," in mid-March, bright orange signs appeared at either end of the bridge: "Pedestrians and Bicycles Prohibited." Well, what are people who cannot or will not drive supposed to do? Swim across? Flap their arms and fly?
"They'd rather pedal than pay gas prices" by Douglas Holt, Chicago Tribune, 6/23/04 (free registration required to view) -- Higher gas prices aren't convincing many motorists to try bicycling, but they are convincing some, and a lot of them are finding it's easier than they thought it would be, and it's satisfying.
"Couple bike across country on tandem for alumni banquet" by Taryn Hartman, Saline Reporter/Milan-News Leader, 6/24/04 -- Bill and Nancy Schettenhelm rode a tandem 2,560 miles to attend Nancy's Alumni Banquet to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her high school graduation. Why? Well, they admit the banquet was just an excuse.
"The Door Prize to Avoid" (PDF file) by John Schubert, Adventure Cyclist, 7/04 -- Door zone bike lanes are very dangerous to cyclists, but many policy makers refuse to hear this, even after cyclists are killed. Don't ride closer than 5 feet to parked cars, regardless of whether there's a line on the road.
"California's SUV Ban" by Andy Bowers, Slate, 8/4/04 -- Cities throughout California prohibit vehicles weighing more than 6000 pounds from residential streets since too much weight tears up the streets. SUVs weigh more than 6000 pounds. So SUVs are not legally supposed to be using those streets. Yet there's a sort of cognitive dissonance in our society, as if the law couldn't possibly apply to SUVs, as if one 6000 pound vehicle is heavier than another 6000 pound vehicle.
"Space for Employers, Not for Homes" by Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post, 8/8/04 -- The official policy of several counties in the Washington, DC area is not to allow enough housing in the county for all those who work in the county. They want to attract businesses, but not homeowners, the latter being a drain on the tax base. The result is worsening sprawl and longer commute times.
"A golden opportunity: Can we set the example for smart growth?" Times-Standard, 9/26/04 -- An interview with Michael Smith and Diane Ryerson, who discuss their strategies for preventing sprawl in Humboldt County, California.
"Having it all in America" by Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe, 9/29/04 -- More than 1,000 US soldiers are dead in Iraq, and up to 15,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Iraq is home to the world's second or third largest oil reserves. The US, with 4 percent of the world's population, consumes 26.1 of the world's oil. Do we have any intention of consuming less? No. Our leaders encourage us to consume more.
"Spin City" by Lydia Polgreen, New York Times, 10/3/04 -- The author decides to ride her bike everywhere she goes and discovers it's easier than she anticipated. (She doesn't seem to understand the distinction between bike lanes and bike paths though, so at times the article is a bit confusing.)
"Look who's walking" by Kevin McGran, Toronto Star, 10/12/04 (free registration required to view) -- More and more people in Toronto are walking to work, finding they're less stressed and healthier, though pedestrians have harsh words for motorists who pay more attention to their cell phones than to the human beings in front of them and for police who are lax about enforcing traffic laws.
"A bike for the paralysed" by Jane Elliott, BBC News, 11/15/04 -- Teams of scientists and engineers in the UK have been working on a recumbent tricycle that electrically stimulates the paralyzed leg muscles of a person with spinal cord injuries, helping to prevent muscle wastage and providing transportation and recreation. It was on display recently at the Celebration of UK Engineering Research and Innovation, and will hopefully be available within a year.
"Cyclist pushes mapped bike paths" by Anthony Flint, Boston Globe, 11/15/04 -- Bryce Nesbitt contacted 40 mapmakers about adding information to their Boston area maps to make them more useful to cyclists and pedestrians. He even offered to help. Five took him up on it. The other 35 either didn't respond or said no, most explaining that their maps were for drivers. Rand McNally's response was insulting, and I don't think I will be buying any more Rand McNally products in the future.
"So is it the computer? Electricity? No, pedal power makes the bicycle our favourite invention" by Mark Henderson, Times Online, 11/27/04 -- A poll sought to find Britain's greatest invention of the last 250 years. 62% voted for John Kemp Starley's Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885.
"Small cars get ticketed in SUV land" by C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle, 12/7/04 -- I remember when parking lots used to have spaces reserved for "compact cars only." I guess those spaces have gone the way of the dodo since there don't seem to be compact cars anymore. Walnut Creek, California has spaces reserved for vehicles 6'5" or taller. Bill Wainwright got a ticket for parking there because his car was too small. I wonder if there's a bike rack anywhere to be found in Walnut Creek?
"Why ride a bicycle? Ten reasons and counting" by Jill Janov, VeloNews, 1/17/05 -- The author asked ten people why they ride a bicycle and got some interesting responses. I think my favorite part may be the photograph of Albert Einstein riding a bicycle.
"Urban green space linked to walking, cycling levels" by Ira R. Allen, Health Behavior News Service, 2/28/05 -- A team of epidemiologists studied data from 34 metropolitan areas and found that cities with a high percentage of parkland acreage also had higher numbers of residents who walked or cycled for transportation.
"Is 16 too young to drive a car?" by Robert Davis, USA TODAY, 3/2/05 -- 16-year-olds have far more crashes than older drivers, even older teens. People have blamed inexperience and other factors, but researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered another reason: their brains simply aren't done developing.
"He bought a bike, and now he's on a roll" by Crocker Stephenson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/21/05 -- Fifteen years ago Dave Schlabowske bought a bike so he wouldn't have to drive when he was drunk. He liked getting drunk. But to his surprise, he liked riding the bike more.
"Four Bike Heroes" by Larry Gallagher, SF Gate, 3/23/05 -- The author profiles four San Francisco bike commuters, joining them on their rides.
"Bike bank project for medical staff" by Andrew Brightwell, Hampstead & Highgate Express, 4/1/05 -- Staff at St. Pancras Hospital in the UK often have to travel to different sites for meetings. So the hospital set up a bike bank: a dozen folding bikes and a computer program to show who has a bike at any time. If the program is successful enough, they hope to get more bikes.
"No Problemo!" by James Howard Kunstler, OrionOnline, -- The author talked to some attendees of the New York International Auto Show and found they were all convinced there was plenty of oil left. Our economy runs on delusion.
"My way or the highway" by Zoe Williams, The Guardian, 5/21/05 -- One cyclist's amusing observations.
"Not a Car in the World: Can a Brit survive in North America without a driver's license?" by Brendan Sainsbury, Grist Magazine, 5/26/05 -- When Brendan Sainsbury moved to Vancouver with no driver's license, people there thought he was nuts. They figured he would be taking driving lessons soon. He bought a bike and proved them wrong.
"Bicycle Country" by Collamer M. Abbott, Vermont Life, Summer 2005 -- This is a reprint of a Summer 1953 article. Collamer Abbott and his wife took a 12 day bicycle tour of Vermont and then he wrote this article about it. It's fascinating to compare then and now. What really struck me is that they considered themselves old at 30!
"Bicycles Selling Like Hotcakes in US Stores" by Rasha Elass, Planet Ark, 8/3/05 -- Bike sales are way up. One distributor says their sales have almost tripled in the last few years. In fact, Americans bought more bikes than cars and trucks in the past year. This is a good thing.
"A P2P Network for Bikes" by Daithí Ó hAnluain, Wired News , 8/22/05 -- A new program in Lyon, France lets subscribers rent bicycles from public racks. Modern technology makes payment easy and fast, the bikes difficult to steal, and ensures that they are well maintained. Popular? 15,000 subscribers signed up in the first 3 months.
"No Exit" by Alison Stein Wellner, Mother Jones, 9/13/05 -- Hurricane Katrina revealed an ugly secret. Though most communities have evacuation plans in case of disasters, natural or otherwise, these plans are based on the assumption that everyone has a car. Nearly 11 million households in the US don't. What are these people supposed to do, according to the various evacuation plans? The plans are rather vague on that point. There really are no plans. In other words, if you don't have a car, officials don't really care if you get out or not. Presumably if you don't have a car, you must be poor, and so the hell with you. You don't count. My advice is to keep your bicycle tires pumped up and make your own evacuation plan. What would you need to take with you if you had to leave quickly and might never come back?
"Robot that can ride bike unveiled" CBBC Newsround, 10/4/05 -- Japanese scientists have created a robot that can ride a bicycle. "Murata Boy" can judge its angle and speed using sensors and make adjustments to keep its balance.
"Gasoline surge leads to pedal power" New York (Reuters), CNNMoney, 10/6/05 -- Gas prices in the US are at an all time high -- over $3.00 a gallon -- and motorists are finally starting to think about driving less and looking at other ways to get around. Bicycle sales are rising and are expected to reach 20 million this year, close to the bicycle heyday of the early seventies.
"One week, two wheels" by Jack Thomas, The Boston Globe, 10/12/05 -- A reporter decides to try riding a bike to work and decides he really likes it.
"Know when to fold 'em" by Jen Gerson, The Globe and Mail, 10/22/05 -- Folding bikes are often useful for cyclists who are traveling or taking their bikes on transit. Here are reviews of several as well as resources for more information.
"Don't waste cops time with your stinkin' bicycle accident and assault reports" by Foil Head, Portland Independent Media Center, 10/25/05 -- Somewhere it must be written that cyclists are second class citizens, that our lives are worth less than other peoples'. I don't know how this came to be or where it is written, but to many people it is self-evident. That's the only explanation I can see for when a motorist deliberately assaults a cyclist, first with his car and then with his fists, in front of five witnesses, and the police flat out refuse to do anything about it, and no other authorities are willing to do anything about the police inaction.
"A proposal for the auto industry" by James, Bicycle Design, 10/31/05 -- A proposal that the auto industry market their product more responsibly, admit that their product is dangerous (not only to the occupants of the vehicles, but also to others), and encourage people to actually focus on their driving instead of on umpteen other things.
"Police Infiltrate Protests, Videotapes Show" by Jim Dwyer, New York Times, 12/22/05 -- This is sinister. People assemble peacefully, the police join them undercover, pretend to be part of the group, then act as a catalyst for disorder and subvert the group's message, ensuring violence and arrest of group members. It seems the police are determined to arrest and/or perpetrate violence against cyclists or anyone protesting anything. It doesn't matter if the legitimate group members aren't doing anything illegal. The infiltrators will get things started.
New! "A family of 4 - but no car" by Sonia Krishnan, Seattle Times, 5/28/06 -- A profile of the Petersons, a carfree family of four living in Issaquah, Washington.
Advocacy groups
League of Michigan Bicyclists -- news, the bike-related sections of the Michigan Vehicle Code and more.
Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition -- Washtenaw County, Michigan (home of Ann Arbor) advocacy and education group.
Ohio Bicycle Federation Cyclist Friendly Communities Program -- Any community in Ohio can apply for a Cyclist Friendly Communities Award. Useful information of substance for communities everywhere.
Transportation Alternatives -- New York City based group working to improve cycling, walking and public transit, and reduce the number of cars. Their campaign to ban car alarms is quite popular!
Right Of Way -- New York City-based "group of activists dedicated to asserting the rights of car-free street users."
America Bikes -- national group working on policy recommendations, Safe Routes to School programs, and more. Their philosophy is "When America bikes, America benefits."
League of American Bicyclists -- founded in 1880 as the League of American Wheelmen, the group lobbies Congress and offers courses in bicycle safety, among other things.
Surface Transportation Policy Project -- you might see this name in the newspaper a lot if you pay attention. They do a ton of research and issue a lot of press releases. They are a wealth of information. For instance, I just found that "Americans spend over $100,000 per minute to purchase foreign oil." (http://www.transact.org/library/factsheets/environment.asp)
CycleMedia -- a small non-profit organization responsible for the National Equal Rights for Cyclists Campaign. You can print the NERCC PSA's from their website, and if you want to make several copies to hand out to people, CycleMedia will pay for the printing costs.
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists -- Toronto based group. Their library looks really valuable for locals.
National Cycling Strategy -- British advocacy group launched in 1996 with the goal of quadrupling the number of cycle trips in the UK by 2012.
The Hong Kong Cycling Alliance -- group advocating for higher levels of cycling in Hong Kong, which has been slower than other major cities to recognize the rights of cyclists.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center -- made up of walkinginfo.org and bicyclinginfo.org, both of which contain a ton of information. There's also an image library containing thousands of images, searchable by category.
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy -- The ITDP was set up to promote environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation policies and projects worldwide.
Longmont & Boulder County Bicycling Resources -- Advocacy blog with some information of interest specifically to local and Colorado cyclists and much of use to all cyclists.
Australian Bicycle Council - Benefits of Cycling -- The council lists a wealth of statistics on the benefits of cycling, with references.
Listservs
Bicycling Advocacy -- Ken Kifer started this list on September 23, 2002 because he was dissatisfied with other lists and felt there was a need for a new one, a list to discuss bicycling advocacy and issues, how to get more people bicycling, the problems that prevent them from doing so, and to promote bicycling as transportation. By the end of the next day, there were 46 members. A year later there were nearly 300. It's a tragedy that Ken didn't live to see the list's first birthday. I became interim moderator when Ken left for a four-month bike trip, so I unexpectedly inherited the job for good when he died a few weeks after he returned home. I'll try to make him proud. Join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bicyclingadvocacy/ or send a message to bicyclingadvocacy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Icebike -- join at http://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=icebike&A=1 or send message "subscribe icebike" (without quotes) to listserv@listserv.heanet.ie. Discussion list mainly for problems, solutions and joys of winter riding, but often veering off into advocacy and bicycling in general (the list is active all year round). Very good for honest product reviews.
Car Free -- join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarFree/ or send message to CarFree-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. A list to discuss living without a car, whether that entails using a bicycle, mass transit or being a pedestrian. Topics cover practical matters as well as examples of good and bad urban design. The larger topics of energy consumption and sustainability in general are frequently discussed.
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Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006 Riin Gill | Updated June 6, 2006