Tag: Chicago

Interfaith Ride Looks to Narrow the Distance

ChainlinkThe Chicago bicycle club is looking to narrow the distance between faiths through an interfaith bicycle ride. On Sunday, June 30 Chicago area Jews and Muslims are offered the chance to hit the road with The Chainlink: A Chicago Bicycling Online Community, which is managed by Julie Hochstadter.

Riders will meet at the The Muslim Community Center at noon and ride to several synagogues and mosques in Morton Grove, Skokie and Evanston for a 15-mile, family-friendly ride. There are plans to tour a LEED-certified synagogue in Evanston and for a kosher ice cream stop at Chocolate Shoppe in Skokie.

The Chainlink: Jewish-Muslim Bike Ride Official Website

Bikes Belong Calls for Protected Bikeways

While many hardcore cyclists have no fear of riding in traffic, for many commuters, younger riders and those with an actual fear of death likely avoid riding on streets at all costs. But several cities are working to make for safer and stress-free. Top transportation officials from across the country, including Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, headlined the launch of a new initiative to bring protected bikeways to six U.S. cities including Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

This is the result of the Green Lane Project, which was created by the national bicycling nonprofit Bikes Belong Foundation.

Green lanes are dedicated, inviting spaces for people on bikes in the roadway, protected by curbs, planters, posts or parked cars. The goal of the Green Lane Project is to support the selected cities in their efforts to develop and install these kinds of facilities. Recent studies have demonstrated their benefits nationwide. In Washington, D.C., bicycle volume tripled after protected bikeways were installed. In Portland, Ore., more than 70 percent of survey respondents said bicycling is easier and safer with these dedicated lanes, while motorists said the facilities did not make driving any slower or less convenient. Continue reading Bikes Belong Calls for Protected Bikeways

Thursday Reading List (12/15/2011)

 

Creative Radio

Two innovative podcast programs worth a listen are Radiolab  and 99% Invisible. Get a view into each at the same time as Radiolab does a story about 99% Invisible, a tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world.

The rest of the Reading List

SRAM pART Project to go to Auction

There is an old saying, “I don’t know art, but I know what I like.” We may not know art either, but we did like the SRAM pART Project that we saw at Interbike. This project consisted of sculptures made of bicycle components and now SRAM President Stanley R. Day is making sure that the art does some good.

He has joined with World Bicycle Relief Founder F.K. Day to announce an exhibition and auction at Chicago’s Gallery 1028 to take place on Wednesday, November 30. This will be the grand finale of the SRAM pART Project, with the proceeds, including the admission fee of $134 fee, going to World Bicycle Relief – that price essentially is the cost of one donated bicycle. Continue reading SRAM pART Project to go to Auction

Study: Cycling Offers Economic as Well as Health Benefits

There is no denying that we at KineticShift love our bicycles. While not everyone on our staff is a regular bike rider, even those that don’t do the two wheel thing admit it has many benefits. And according to a study just published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives cutting out short auto trips and replacing them with mass transit and active transport would yield major health benefits, but also save about $3.8 billion per year from avoided mortality and reduced health care costs for conditions like obesity and heart disease.

The report calculated that these measures would save an estimated $7 billion, including 1,100 lives each year from improved air quality and increased physical fitness.

“We talk about the cost of changing energy systems, the cost of alternative fuels, but we seldom talk about this kind of benefit,” says Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Continue reading Study: Cycling Offers Economic as Well as Health Benefits

EA and adidas Originals Promote the Run

While many video games these days are getting gamers off the couch, one game will likely get gamers dashing to get a pair of athletic fashion shoes. The upcoming racing game Need for Speed The Run, which will arrive this November for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS will feature the iconic adidas Superstar shoes. Additionally the adidas branded apparel which will be available at all adidas Originals stores across the United States. Continue reading EA and adidas Originals Promote the Run

Urban Bikes Could See New Riders as Gas Prices Rise

2011 unfortunately looks like a replay of 2008 when gasoline prices hit an all time high in the United States. The cost to fill up the tank in the car resulted in many people looking to alternative options to get to work, to the store and just about everywhere else.

The bicycle manufacturers also listened and took note, and ironically are ready this time with a whole new segment of urban bicycles that are ready to get riders from point A to point B and just about anywhere else. Fortunately, too many cities are working to become more bicycle friendly. Continue reading Urban Bikes Could See New Riders as Gas Prices Rise

An App to Stack ‘em and Attack ‘em

Last week STACK Media announced a new partnership with ATTACK Athletics to create a new app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. This app will let you stack and attack through a 12-week program designed for the ultimate workout for basketball players.

The STACK ATTACK Workout was created by Tim Grover, founder of ATTACK Athletics in Chicago, and this one requires no special equipment, but provides 80 instructional videos that take users through two bodyweight workouts each week with step-by-step instructions.

Grover, a former coach for Michael Jordan, developed his cutting edge physiological and nutrition-based performance enhancement program for other NBA players include Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Now he shares his secrets in this app.

“During my career, I’ve had the privilege to train some of the best athletes in the world,” Grover said. “This app allows me to bring that training knowledge and expertise to all athletes, so they too can improve their performance through smart training and hard work.”

The STACK ATTACK Workout is available now for download for $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

STACK Media Official Website