Cycling | Evolving Consumer

Bicycle and Walking Commuting on the Rise

More people are walking or bicycling to get to work, and this is in turn making people safer. These are two of the conclusions presented in the 2014 Benchmarking Report published by the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The report, published every two years since 2003, is one of the Alliance’s key initiatives.

The report is compiled from data from all 50 states, the 52 largest cities and, for the first time in this report, 17 midsize cities. It looks at the rate of walking and biking, accident and injury rates, the level of spending on biking and walking projects and issues, and the level of advocacy support in various regions and communities.

A key figure is the percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work, and although the number is still tiny, the report shows a steady increase: In the 2005-2006 report, the Alliance showed that nationally 0.4 percent of the population biked to work. In the latest report, the number is 0.6 percent. In large cities, the percentage biking to work has grown from 0.7 percent to 1 percent over the same period.

Alliance for Biking & Walking 2014 Alliance Benchmarking Report Official Website

Deluxe Storage

If you’re heading out on the bike there is always more stuff you need and less room to bring it. The Bike Cube Deluxe from Mountainsmith will let you carry the goods in style. It features a roll-up tool organizer, padded changing mat, a padded eye-wear pocket, specific spots for helmet, shoes and more. This ensures that you don’t leave that important “something” behind. It works as a standalone piece or in conjunction with our Modular Hauler Systems, so you can arrive at the next event in style.

Mountainsmith Bike Cube Deluxe Official Website

Route 66 Shows Its Curves

The old Historic Route 66 isn’t exactly a straight shot from Chicago to San Monica. It is known for how it winds its way through eight states and has many a curve along the way. Maybe that’s why French steel mountain bike maker Caminade has named its new road bike the Route 66. It features plenty of curves that can surely handle the curves in the road.

Caminade Official Website
[Via BikeRadar: Curvy Caminade Route 66 frameset to be shipped]

Silca Gets Inflated

Silca is launching its first new product in the United States – a CO2 inflator and matching cartridges. These are the first new products from the historic Italian brand as it was reborn in the United States last year. These new inflators use a smaller, lighter spring than other brands, and makes them truly pocket sized.

The new U.S.-made EOLO III inflator is shipped with two Austrian-made 16 gram cartridges that are reportedly made to higher standards than most cartridges sold in the bike market. The higher standard requires that each 16 gram cartridge contains between 15 1/2 and 16 grams of gas. The inflators also feature rubber protectors to prevent the threads from being damaged inside saddle packs or elsewhere.

Silca Official Website

Down and Dirty

Spring is the time that the snows melt and the roads turn to… mud. In Russia there is even a name for this condition. It is the Rasputitsa, the semi-annual time when the countryside is just a muddy mess. The Rasputitsa is also the name of this weekend’s 47 mile gravel road race through northern Vermont.

Each year in the Rasputitsa Spring Classic the race travels through Newport, Coventry, Irasburg, North Troy, Westfield, Jay, and Newport Center before ending on Main Street in Newport, Vermont. The Rasputitsa Spring Classic and sister race, Dirty 40 (scheduled for August 30th) will raise money for the Halo Foundation which helps Orleans County residents struggling with cancer costs. The two events are targeted to raise over $15,000 made available to the Halo Foundation in September.

The race departs Main Street, Newport at 9 AM on April 19th. Finishers are first expected at 11:30 on Main Street, Newport. Main Street will also serve as the location of the Apres-Velo Party with live music by Evansville Transit Authority, Lion Bastards, and The Lynguistic Civilians. Food and drinks will be available on-site. Podium awards are scheduled for 2 PM.

It is a dirty race but someone has to do it.

Rasputitsa Spring Classic Official Website

The DURT Bike

The truth about wood is that it hasn’t really changed much in the last few eons, and yet it continues to be a material of choice for many products. We’ve seen many bicycles made of wood, but Connor Wood Bicycles of Denver, Colorado is doing something a little different.

The company is using Kevlar to reinforce the wood. Chris Connor, owner of the company, recently showed off his “DURT” Bike – which uses sections of steam-bent, locally-sourced reclaimed wood that is reinforced with Kevlar.

The result is a beautiful looking bike that is strong and durable. It is so much like art that some might not want to risk getting the DURT dirty. And for those who question whether wood can handle the woods, Connor likes to point out that the DURT survived the Leadville 100 Race. Video after the jump

Tripping Up

Raleigh Bicycles will be the new Trips for Kids International (TFK) North American program sponsor and will provide a fleet of bikes to emerging TFK chapters. TFK’s programs give underserved youth the opportunity to experience mountain biking while learning valuable life skills and an appreciation of the outdoors. The 50 new bikes donated by Raleigh will enable newly formed TFK regional chapters across North America to provide mountain bike outings for low income, at-risk youth in their communities.

“We created the Trips for Kids program model to help individual entrepreneurs, established community organizations, cycling clubs and other organizations streamline the formation of their own regional chapters,” said TFK Executive Director Marilyn Price. “A safe bike fleet is a critical and often costly component of forming a chapter. Thanks to Raleigh we can provide new bicycles as part of the start-up services we offer.”

Trips for Kids Official Website

Healthy Idea?

We’ve seen a lot of interesting bicycle saddle designs in recent months, and the Dpardo T2 Healthy Saddle is in a word unique. It is a horizontal bar that offers two main functions – it is designed to eliminate friction on the groin but also pressure on the perineum.

It certainly does seem based on the concept that less can be more!

[Via BikeRumor: Make your Butt happy with the Dpardo T Type Healthy Saddle]

Three Feet Enforced in Texas!

Texas is increasingly becoming a more bicycle friendly place and KHOU in Houston recently reported that police started an undercover sting that targeted drivers who endangered cyclists. In Houston police have been donning bike attire and hitting the roads to go after drivers who aren’t following bicycle safety ordinance.

“What that simply means is that there are officers out there on bicycles, dressed as normal citizens, who are just riding around town,” Mark Eisenman, an HPD assistant chief, told KHOU.

This followed the March 25 announcment by Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who worked with the city and BikeHouston to create a new Bicycle Master Plan for the City as part of the Goal Zero Fatalities Bike Safety Campaign.

“As the name of this program implies, the goal is to end cycling fatalities,” Parker said. “Whether on a bike or behind the wheel, we have to abide by the rules of the road and learn how to share the road safely. Unfortunately, a spate of recent bicycle fatalities on Houston streets indicates there is much work to be done in this area. As a first step, I am dedicating $50,000 toward the cost of a Bicycle Master Plan that will guide our future decisions regarding placement of dedicated on-street bike lanes and infrastructure.”

[Via GearJunkie: Undercover Cops Sting Drivers Endangering Cyclists]
[Via KHOU: Undercover stings target drivers endangering bicyclists]

Cool Breezer

Breezer has launched a new line of of full-suspension bikes with 29-inch wheels and 120 millimeters of travel, called Supercell, which are equipped with Link suspension design Breezer introduced on its 650b Repack enduro bike last year. The MLink was designed with Sotto Group, an independent engineering firm.

“When we introduced Repack last summer, Breezer’s new all-mountain bike, it climbed and handled so well it completely changed people’s perception of what an all-mountain bike could do,” said JT Burke, Breezer product and brand manager. “And with Supercell, our new trail bike, we’re pushing that even further. Our patented MLink suspension technology is so efficient, lockouts are a thing of the past; and Breezer riders are seeing just how fast a balanced and efficient full-suspension system can climb.”

This innovative MLink design features a short-link pivot placed in the middle of the chainstay, which reportedly can balance out opposing braking and pedaling forces for an anti-squat and anti-rise ride. Breezer Supercell and Repack are currently the only bikes available with the technology.

Breezer Supercell Official Website

Double O Light

The Double O isn’t exactly something we’d expect 007 or any other British super spy to use, but these are being developed in the U.K. by Paul Coksedge Studios through a Kickstarter campaign. The Double Os put out 80 lumens up front and 45 lumens in the rear. The designers suggest that this round style uses less bright LEDs but more and that results in a more visible light – without being blinding or otherwise distractive to drivers and other cyclists.

These charge up in 90 minutes via USB and have three modes – steady, which can run for about 2.1 hours; flashing at 4.2 hours and Eco at about 10 hours. Video after the jump

The Two Rs – Riding and Reading

USA BMX knows that there are two fundamental “Rs” – and has launched the “Read to Ride” initiative for young schoolchildren. It is aimed at helping kids make up for learning loss they experience when out of school. This program is currently in a soft-launch and will roll out nationwide in May.

“With the success of our existing after-school STEM Program (science, technology, engineering and math), we felt it was important to continue our commitment to education and a lifelong love of learning. Through the BMX industry partnerships we have built over the years, we have significant interest for support of this new program,” said USA BMX chief executive officer B.A. Anderson.

Students in kindergarten through the sixth grade can read or be read to, choosing any publication or format they like, and log each hour of reading activity through an online tracking system. Each student receives a certificate of participation and a one-day membership to USA BMX. Students who rank in the top tier of their class in hours read earn additional prizes such as water bottles, shirts, hats and synch sacks. The student who logs the most minutes per school wins a BMX bike and helmet and recognition at a school assembly as the top reader.

USA BMX Official Website

Weekend Reading List (04.12.2014): Sport Studies, Name Game, Weight Loss

Sport Studies

From Sport Techie: #SportsInSTEM Series: Applying Sports to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Issues
In recent years, the United States has fallen behind other nations with educating students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Only 16 percent of U.S. high school students are proficient in math and actively pursuing STEM careers. In a world run by technology, where the majority of jobs in the near future will require advanced education in technical fields, these trends are troubling and must be reversed. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (04.12.2014): Sport Studies, Name Game, Weight Loss