Friday, November 4, 2011
Fall riding
After riding a bicycle to and from work and around town all week I have remembered some wonderful things about being on a bike. The sound of leaves under the tire. The cold air against your face. Watching the sunrise while rolling along. Holding a mug of coffee while riding slowly. Happily waving to the person in the vehicle that just flipped you off for merely existing. Shifting gears and feeling the slight increase in speed. The smell of burning wood in the air. Riding a bicycle in the fall is pure joy.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Inspiring bicycle touring books...7 recommendations
1. "Moods of Future Joys" (vol. 1) and "Thunder and Sunshine" (vol. 2) by Alastair Humphreys
2. "Take a Seat" by Dominic Gill
3. "Odysseus' Last Stand" by Dave Stamboulis
4. "Where the Pavement Ends" by Erika Warmbrunn
5. "Into Thick Air" by Jim Malusa
6. "Cycling Home from Siberia" by Rob Lilwall
7. "Riding with Reindeer" by Robert M. Goldstein
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Bicycles in other Colorado towns
As I have traveled around the state this week it has been great to see what other towns offer for bicyclings and how individuals in those communities take advantage of their local infrastructure.
Gunnison is a mish mash of bicycles and people seem to be doing everything on them. Going shopping, going to class, taking kids to school and hauling everything from firewood to a mattress. Gunnison has some nice bike lanes on side streets and people seem to take advantage of the simplicity of riding around town. College towns seem to love bicycles.
Manitou Springs is very hilly on both sides of the main street but people seem to be humping up and down these hills constantly. Simple but effective bike racks are all over the place. Early morning commuting seems to be a favorite activity for local bicyclists in Manitou.
Despite it's size and sprawl with a major interstate cutting through the middle of it all, Colorado Springs seems to have a good handle on bicycle infrastructure. Great signage, routes parallel to the interstate, and abundant placing to park the bike in most areas.
There were great things to see in Denver. The new B-Cycle program seems to be very popular. People were riding all over the place downtown using the bright red bikes of the bike sharing program. The stalls were usually only half full and people seem to be embracing this great idea for a community. Downtown commuters were also very visible. Guys riding in suits, women riding in work attire, briefcases in panniers and strapped to the back of racks. It was also great to see some messengers doing their thing in the downtown area. Nice bike lanes and good parking at least in the downtown area.
Fort Collins really has it going on in the world of bicycles. Great racks, great lanes, and bicycles all over the place. The presence of New Belgium Brewing definitely helps and the community seems to be embracing all things bicycle.
It is inspiring to see what other towns have done and helps define the vision for what I would like to see in our own community.
Gunnison is a mish mash of bicycles and people seem to be doing everything on them. Going shopping, going to class, taking kids to school and hauling everything from firewood to a mattress. Gunnison has some nice bike lanes on side streets and people seem to take advantage of the simplicity of riding around town. College towns seem to love bicycles.
Manitou Springs is very hilly on both sides of the main street but people seem to be humping up and down these hills constantly. Simple but effective bike racks are all over the place. Early morning commuting seems to be a favorite activity for local bicyclists in Manitou.
Despite it's size and sprawl with a major interstate cutting through the middle of it all, Colorado Springs seems to have a good handle on bicycle infrastructure. Great signage, routes parallel to the interstate, and abundant placing to park the bike in most areas.
There were great things to see in Denver. The new B-Cycle program seems to be very popular. People were riding all over the place downtown using the bright red bikes of the bike sharing program. The stalls were usually only half full and people seem to be embracing this great idea for a community. Downtown commuters were also very visible. Guys riding in suits, women riding in work attire, briefcases in panniers and strapped to the back of racks. It was also great to see some messengers doing their thing in the downtown area. Nice bike lanes and good parking at least in the downtown area.
Fort Collins really has it going on in the world of bicycles. Great racks, great lanes, and bicycles all over the place. The presence of New Belgium Brewing definitely helps and the community seems to be embracing all things bicycle.
It is inspiring to see what other towns have done and helps define the vision for what I would like to see in our own community.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Perspective on advocacy
Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance is all about bicycle advocacy and improving riding conditions in our community. The very nature of advocacy work can lead to disagreements, arguments, lengthy discussions, misunderstandings, and the need to be educated and educate individuals on both sides of an issue. For those of us that are or want to be actively involved in bicycle advocacy work we need to keep in mind what riding a bicycle is all about. Riding a bicycle is about the wind, the hum of the tires, being healthy and efficient, friends, food, a cold beer at the end of a ride, a well deserved meal, and the freedom of getting from A to B in the absolute best way possible. These fantastic things need to be remembered when discussing policy, bad drivers, bad cyclists, hostile people from the other point of view, and the day to day of getting things changed. At the end of the day bicycles are about fun.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Time to BLOG
Today starts a new chapter in MABA. Blogging on a regular basis. Please spread the word and join in with comments and suggestions.
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