Utility Cycling Guest Posts & Interviews

Kathleen McDade of Techno Earth Mama: We were very pleased to have Kathleen McDade from Techo Earth Mama provide us with some great family cycling posts.  Kathleen has a lot of experience bike commuting with children, and she’s got 8 Reasons to Bike Commute with Your Kids.  Also, if you’ve just started a family and are ready to bike commute together, Kathleen has some good advice for Getting Started with Family Cycling.  Thanks to Kathleen for the great posts!

A Fish’s Wild Ride: This has to be one of my favorite posts of the year.  I had a great time interviewing Jed Proujansky, who is known here at Utility Cycling for riding his bike with a bucket full of fish!  Want to know why?  I recommend you check out the post to learn more about Jed’s awesome use for a bicycle.

Bike Move!:  I’ve never participated in a bike move, but Sam Haraldson and his friends in Bozeman, Montana, have.  Fortunately, they were willing to share some insights and advice about bike moves with us.  Check out what they have to say about moving a house by bike and how much fun it is!

Utility Cycling While Injured: Ok, this isn’t exactly a guest post.  Althought I kinda felt like a guest with the infrequency of my posts this fall due to my broken arm making typing rather difficult.  Nonetheless, I thought it might be helpful to post about dealing with injury as a Utility Cyclist, but hopefully you never need this advice!

Utility Cycling Events

Bike Tech Shop: In November, our friends over at Bike Shop Hub were pleased to announce the grand opening of Bike Tech Shop.  Bike Tech Shop is a one-stop-shop for all your techy needs on the bike.  Lights, GPS, and E-bikes, oh my!

Bike Mapping at the University of AZ: Although this wasn’t necessarily an “event” per say, this bike mapping project was a fun foray into using technology such as video and photography to enhance a Google Map.  This map has nearly 15,000 hits, so hopefully it is helping people get around campus and learn the area visually before they hop on a bike to get around.

Utility Cycling Categories

One of our fundamental goals at Utility Cycling has been to develop an extensive “encyclopedia” of sorts of all things Utility Cycling.  We have been slowly working towards completing that encyclopedia over the last two and a half years.  Over that time, we have added, removed, reimagined, and revised a long laundry list of categories and subcategories and sub-subcategories of Utility Cycling.  We plan to turn all this into a book in the not-so-distant future, but for the time being, you can check out our progress below.  As always, we welcome suggestions and additions to our list if you see anything missing or just plain crazy.

• Defining Utility Cycling
• Transportation
  • General Bicycle Transportation
    • Getting Around by Bicycle
    • Running Errands by Bike
    • Utility Cycling While Traveling
    • Long Distance Utility Cycling
  • Bike Commuting
    • History
    • Basics
    • Logistics
    • Bicycles and Public Transit
    • Clothing: Essentials
    • Clothing: Shoes
    • Choosing a Commuter Bicycle
    • Carrying Your Stuff: Bags and Racks
    • Carrying Your Stuff: Bike Cargo Trailers
    • Carrying Your Stuff: Cargo Bicycles
    • Winter Cycling
  • Bicycle Infrastructure
    • Bike Sharing Systems
    • The City Hub: People Managed Bike Share
    • Bike Parking
    • Bicycling Traffic Laws
    • Cycling Bill of Rights (State by State)
    • Bicycle Paths, Routes, and Lanes
    • Bicycle Traffic Signage
    • Bicycle Theft and Vandalism
    • Governmental Support of Cycling
• Family Cycling
  • Reasons to Bike Commute with Your Kids
  • Learning to Ride
  • Cycling With the Young & Very Young
  • Cycling Together: Trailercycles & Stoker Kits
  • Kids Riding to School and for Other Transportation
  • Family Vacations by Bike
  • Bike Commuting with Children
  • Couples Riding Together
• Bicycle Mapping
• Bike Map Projects
• Local Bike Mapping Projects: Univ. of AZ
• National/International Bike Mapping Projects
• Opportunities for Bike Mapping Projects
• Methods of Developing Bike Maps
• Google Bike Maps
• Analysis of Google’s Bike-There Feature: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Google’s New Bicycling Directions
• Google & Bicycling
• Bike Map Interfaces
• Traditional Maps, Books & Signs
• GPS Devices/Smart Phones
• Mounting GPS & Smart Phones to Bikes
• Desktop & Laptop Computers (Printing or Remembering Routes)
• The Future In Bike Map Interfaces (Glasses, Bike Navigation Systems)
• Bicycle Delivery
  • Mail Delivery
  • Parcel Delivery
  • Couriers/ Messengers
  • Food Delivery
  • Factory/ Parts Delivery
• Cycling Services
  • Retail and Commercial Services
    • Mobile Bike Business
    • Bike Advertising
    • Pedicabs
    • Garbage and Recycling Collection by Bike
  • Emergency and Patrol Services
    • Police Bikes
    • Emergency Medial Service Bikes
    • Fire Service Bikes
    • Search and Rescue Bikes
    • Bike Patrol
    • Military Bikes
  • Bicycle Land Services
    • Trailwork
    • Land Survey
    • Research/ Testing
• Community Building
  • Cycling Organizations
  • International Bike Advocacy Organizations
  • National Bike Advocacy Organizations
  • Local Bike Organizations
  • Bike Salvage and Recycling Organizations
  • Cycling Community Events
  • National Bike Month
  • Bike to Work Week
  • Charity Rides
  • Critical Mass
  • Group Rides
  • Social Gatherings/ Festivals
  • Bike Weddings
  • Bike Moves
  • Cycling as Statement
  • Health
  • Political Activism
  • Social Action
  • Personal Mobility
  • Self Expression
  • Environmental Justice

Utility Cycling in 2012

Boy oh boy am I looking forward to 2012.  I suppose it is rather silly that the month of January should feel like more of a fresh start than the beginning of any other month, but it is what you make.  And I plan to make 2012 a great year for Utility Cycling.  Although, I may be rather absent here for a few weeks during January, as I’m about to take my PhD comprehensive exams.  Yikes.  Anyhow, after that, we will be finishing up our “encyclopedia” of Utility Cycling and working on our book.  As always, we welcome guest posts and interview opportunities, so feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions or ideas we should hear about.  Happy New Year and Happy Riding!

The Story Behind Bike Tech Shop

Bike Tech Shop is the fourth shop in the Bike Shop Hub lineup, which also includes Bike Trailer Shop, Bike Bag Shop, and Bike Kid Shop.  Each of the different shops focuses on one important cycling niche, with an emphasis on transportation and utility cycling, as well as bike touring.  By breaking the shops up into different places, it allows the Bike Shop Hub crew to really focus and specialized in each niche in order to provide the best information possible to bike commuters, utility cyclists, and touring cyclists alike.

With bike trailers, bags, and family cycling products covered, a natural category to focus on next was all things electronic.  Bike Tech Shop is dedicated to all things “cycling with circuitry”, and they aren’t just about bike lights either, as there are many electric bikes, electric bike kits, and GPS systems to check out, as well.  Since it is often difficult to find really solid information online about techy bike parts, as well as compare the offerings from different manufacturers, Bike Tech Shop will strive to be a one-stop shop for all the detailed, expert knowledge you are looking for when you need a new techy product for your bike.

Electric Bikes & E-Bike Kits

Electric bikes, or e-bikes, are definitely gaining momentum as a great way to get into bike commuting for many people.  The real secret of an e-bike, is that you can get all of the benefits you can from a regular bike (ie. health, savings, fun, etc.), but when you need it, you can get that little electric assist, as well.  The electric assist can be particularly useful if you have a long commute, a nasty hill to climb or headwind to conquer, or large load of groceries to haul.  Don’t worry, you are still doing yourself and others a lot of favors by riding an e-bike, and maybe you’ll be even more inclined to ditch the car in favor of the bike more often if you know that extra assist is there if you need it.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full e-bike just yet, there are a number of electric bike kits available so that you can convert a regular bike into an e-bike.  There are even electric powered bike trailers available if you want an electric assist option you can leave at home on the days you are feeling more ambitious.

GPS Systems

For the map geeks out there, of which I am wholeheartly one, Bike Tech Shop offers a great selection of GPS Systems for helping your find your way and/or making cool bike maps of the places you ride.  For the ambitious long distance utility cyclist, or just your adventurous side, there are also location broadcast GPS systems available, so your friends and family can keep track of you while you are out riding.

Bike Lights

Even if you aren’t hopping on the high-tech bike gear wave, Bike Tech Shop still has gear for you.  Bike lights are absolutely essential, and in many places required by law, as they help you see in the dark and be seen in the dark.  Not to mention, they are on sale for 10% off until November 22 at Bike Tech Shop, and they make great stocking stuffers and gifts.

So please feel free to check out Bike Tech Shop, as the Bike Shop Hub crew is working hard to provide you with detailed, expert information there, as they do with all their shops.  Thanks for reading and happy techy riding!

Sam’s Responses

1. How would you define a bike move?
To me a “bike move” is defined as transporting one’s belongings from one residence to another under human power. The term bike move can encompass walking, tricycles, and other human powered vehicles as well. I am of the opinion that the last load of stuff can be placed into an automobile as the car ultimately has to be moved from one location to the next and there’s no sense in not putting some items into it.

2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?
I have participated in roughly a half-dozen bike moves. I have personally moved my stuff from one residence to another three times (’09, ’10, and ’11).

3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?
Here in Bozeman we generate hype to solicit help for a bike move through the Internet. We have a strong online community that uses Twitter, a blog, and Facebook. We also use word of mouth for those dinosaurs amongst us. We’ve been featured doing bike moves in both the local newspaper as well as on a local TV station.

4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?
I built a homemade longtail cargo bike from all recycled bicycle parts and scrap metal that I have dubbed the RecycleCycle. I also have deconstructed and retrofitted two kid-hauling trailers with cargo platforms. On these trailers I’ve built interchangeable hitch systems so they will work with lots of bicycles aka those who want to help me move!

5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?
The largest and most awkward item I’ve moved was my bed. The last trip of my virgin bike move was to strap my entire bed atop the bucket of a Madsen cargo hauler and ride it across town. A friend had the foresight to capture it on video. Check it here:

6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?
The idea to move by bike just came to me at random in ’09 when I was setting out to move to a new apartment. I was boxing my stuff up and decided to load up the kid-hauling trailer I had and ride it to my new place when it occurred to me that maybe I should try bicycling all of my stuff. I moved the entirety of that apartment under my own power but by the next year had acquired a fair bit more stuff so began soliciting the help of friends. It’s really taken off from there!

7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?
Plan, plan, plan! Prepare your stuff in advance and have it all boxed really well. Have plenty of tie-down straps available and line up who has cargo bikes and trailers in advance. Be sure to have lots of beer on hand as well!

8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Bike moves are admittedly unnecessary as the quantity of fuel wasted in one or two trips in a U-Haul truck is pretty minimal. But I can say with absolute certainty that doing a bike move is one way to actually make moving – something that is decidely un-fun – a complete and total blast!

Ty’s Responses

1. How would you define a bike move?
I would define a bike move as one in which you attempt to move all items you currently posses to a different locale via bicycle.

2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?
I have participated in 2 bike moves. I moved my apartment down to a storage unit and back.

3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?
I generate participants by sounding the horn for jackass on social media sites as well as through the Bike Kitchen.

5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?
I think some of the hardest items to move aren’t large, but simply very awkward. Shelves are a great example of this. Only 40 pounds but very long and unwieldy.

6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?
I move by bike mostly just to feel superior to other human beings. The smug is really the reason.

7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?
I would suggest packing your stuff in tubs before you attempt to move it all. The large rubbermaids work great for this purpose. That way you don’t have all the tough small items that have a tendency to fall out of panniers.

 Mike’s Responses

1. How would you define a bike move?
Only making one trip with your car.

2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?
One. I towed that 500lb trailer across town like six times.

3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?
Yell real loud.

4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?
Bikes. Geez, who came up with these questions?

5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?
The trailer we put everything else on.

6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?
My roommate shamed me into it. Plus, I was bored.

7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?
Get a lot of weird friends.

8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Slayer rules.

Taylor’s Responses

1. How would you define a bike move?
I think anytime you move large quantities of a household that counts.

2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?
Sam you know the details.

3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?
Twitter, other word of mouth communications.

4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?
Xtracycle, trailer.

5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?
Metal filing cabinets; maybe the mattress on trailer.

6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?
Love to demonstrate what is possible with bikes only. Shenanigans.

7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?
Just do it; you will figure it out.

Greg’s Responses

1. How would you define a bike move?
A bike move is moving a household or business articles by bike, to the maximum achievable extent, whether or not it’s a practical application of common sense.

2. How many bike moves have you participated in? Can you give us some more details about those bike moves?
Three. Beer was eventually involved towards the end.

3. How do you generate participants for a bike move?
I do not organize moves.

4. What type of equipment do you and others use in a bike move?
Big Dummy Xtracycle, straps, and bungees.

5. What’s the largest or most awkward item you have helped move by bike? Are there any other fun facts you’d like to provide?
An 8′ table.

6. What inspired you to participate in bike move and/ or move your own home by bike?
Each experience has been positive, therefor I look forward to the next.

7. What advice do you have for someone who’d like to try a bike move?
Pack your stuff into tubs. Be organized.

8. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Roll with the flow.

Sam Haraldson is a Minnesota native living in mountainous Bozeman, Montana. He loves bikes and rides them everyday, year ’round. His love of bicycling extends beyond just riding however as he is chairman of the non-profit Bozeman Bike Kitchen and am a member of the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board. In his spare time that’s not filled with cycling, he is a huge fan of ultralight backpacking and splitboarding.

Editor’s Note: All photos obtained from Sam’s Flickr with permission.

Social Gatherings

For a social gathering to occur, there does not necessarily need to be a political, environmental or charitable motive. The catalyst for a gathering can be as simple as a shared desire of the participants to interact with other like-minded individuals. Sometimes, these gatherings have a theme, while other times, the gatherings are more spontaneous and simple rides with family and friends.

An interesting themed ride that took place in Washington, DC was the Seersucker Social Bike Ride. This ride took place in June of 2010, and it was a very causal five-mile spin around DC with the riders dressed in their finest lightweight vintage attire. Dandies and Quaintrelles is the local group that organized this event and other similar rides with the goal of supporting local charities while making a fashion statement on bicycles.

Image Credit: turn'table via flickr

Another type of social gathering by bike is the impromptu group ride with no grander purpose than riding for the sheer joy of pedaling. If you have ever met up with friends, family, co-workers or complete strangers to go for a spin, long or short, and perhaps barbecued or shared a refreshing beverage afterward, you have participated in a social gathering by bike.

Festivals

Bicycle festivals are generally more organized than social gatherings, but they are also created in the spirit of getting people together to celebrate bicycles.

The Tour de Fat, which is put on by New Belgium Brewing to spread “the good word about the positive societal offerings of the bicycle,” is a traveling bicycle festival that includes rides, live music and entertainment and, of course, New Belgium beer, to promote the benefits of bicycles and to support local advocacy organizations. In 2011, the Tour de Fat will take place in thirteen different cities, including Nashville, TN, Denver, CO, Tempe, AZ and more.

Image Credit: New Belgium Brewing

Other festivals that honor bicycles include bicycle film festivals and bicycle music festivals. Bicycle film festivals showcase a variety of bike-related films that educate and inspire cyclists, and these festivals take place in cities all over the world. Bicycle music festivals also celebrate cycling and demonstrate that music festivals can be sustainable and environmentally friendly. The San Francisco Bicycle Music Festival utilizes a 2,000-watt pedal-powered PA system and is a mobile festival that moves from stop to stop using strictly human-powered transportation.

Whether you are interested in creating new relationships with other velophiles or looking to celebrate bicycles with your group of friends and family, social gatherings and festivals can be exciting, educational and stimulating. Bikes are useful machines for transportation and fitness, and the importance of the culture that has grown around bicycles that promotes sustainability and health should not be underestimated as its own useful function of the bicycle.

In many of the well-established bicycle-friendly cities around the United States, Bike to Work events have grown exponentially over the past several years. In the DC Metro area, local advocacy associations will organize nearly fifty pit stops on Bike to Work Day in 2011, adding more than a dozen pit stops within the region since only last year. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association set a goal of registering 10,000 cyclists for this year’s event, and with a week to go, there are currently 8,000 registered participants. At stops in Maryland, DC and Virginia, commuters can grab a bite to eat, enjoy music and entertainment and even take advantage of tune-up services being provided by local shops at some locations.

In New York City, Transportation Alternatives’ Bike Month NYC hosts an entire month’s worth of events, including Traffic Skills 101 classes through Bike New York and bicycle repair workshops through Time’s Up bike co-op. On Bike to Work Day, Clif Bar sponsors seven different commuter stations at busy locations such as the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, and cyclists are treated to iced coffee and, of course, Clif Bars.

Even places that are slightly less bicycle-wonky by reputation are getting in on the Bike Month action. Iowa is celebrating its ninth annual Bike to Work Week with more than 2,200 participants. Iowa’s Bike Month organizer, the Des Moines Bicycle Collective, encourages riders new and old to register for the event as a way to demonstrate to local decision-makers that Iowans are in support of more bicycle amenities.

Thanks to the League of American Bicyclists, there is plenty of information available to assist community organizers in planning Bike Month events, and there are an incredible number of educational activities leading up to 2011’s Bike to Work Day. Through the diverse and increasing amounts of activity surrounding Bike to Work Week, veteran commuters can be rewarded and new cyclists can be encouraged. And, importantly, as cyclists continue to ride in greater and greater numbers, decision-makers in Iowa, New York, DC and around the country will be reminded that cycling can be a viable, enjoyable and sustainable form of transportation.

In Stockholm, Sweden, hundreds of cyclists rode together in the early 1970s in what is often believed to be the first semblance of Critical Mass rides. Two decades later, on Friday, September 25th, 1992, the modern era of Critical Mass was born in San Francisco. Several dozen cyclists gathered on Market Street for the first “Commuter Clot,” as the ride was dubbed at the time. The purpose of the ride was to generate awareness of cyclists’ rights, but more importantly, according to a booklet produced in 1994 in San Francisco, “Critical Mass is foremost a celebration, not a protest.” Another two decades later, there are now more than three hundred Critical Mass rides in cities all over the world.

Critical Mass rides are like nuclear reactions in the respect that a certain number of participants are necessary to set off the reaction, and that this number varies from city to city and from week to week. As long as there are enough riders to take up the road, a gathering of cyclists can turn into a Critical Mass. In San Francisco, Critical Mass occurs on a regular basis and has included anywhere from a few dozen riders to a few thousand riders. In Budapest, Hungary, Critical Mass only takes place twice a year, on Earth Day and on Car-Free Day, and has had as many as 80,000 participants at a single ride.

While the concept began as a celebration of the bicycle in San Francisco, people inside and outside of Critical Mass events have had differing opinions about the purpose and consequences of Critical Mass. A site that supports London’s Critical Mass describes the events as a way for “people to reclaim the cities with their bikes, just by getting together and out-numbering the cars of the road.” Other rides are organized to support a political or environmental cause, including Free Tibet rides and anti-oil rides. In some instances, the cyclists’ efforts to take back the streets are not well received by all members of the community. The practice of “corking,” or blocking intersections to allow the mass to ride together through traffic lights, creates an obvious inconvenience to motor vehicles. After years of tension in New York City, the battle between Critical Massers and the N.Y.P.D. resulted in the city awarding cyclists nearly $100,000 in 2010 after several incidents of harassment.

Critical Mass rides are defined by defying definition. There is no set size, schedule or organizing body for these rides. There is no mission statement or predetermined route. If you have a bike and you want to participate, you are more than welcome. You can arrive with the intention of riding for a purpose, or you can surrender to the mass and simply ride for the sheer joy of riding. Just don’t ask who is in charge.

Image Credit: Revel in New York

Commute by Bike

In October of 2010, we were very excited to announce our new partnership with the well-known online resource for bike commuting that is the site Commute by Bike. Commute by Bike changed ownership in 2010, and moving forward it will be an important partner to Utility Cycling. For one, our video posts here at Utility Cycling are now appearing on the main page at Commute by Bike. Additionally, many of the writers work on both sites. We are very excited about this partnership and all of the great opportunities for collaboration in 2011 and beyond.

Utility Cycling Guest Posts & Interviews

In 2010, we had a number of great guest posts and opportunities to interview some great utility cyclists. In 2011, we hope to expand this section of the site, as we love to share great utility cycling stories. So, if you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact us.

A Conversation with Tucson Velo – This post reviews the Tuscon, AZ, bicycle news site Tucson Velo through a conversation with its creator, Mike McKisson. McKisson shared his story about creating the site and discusses the importance of bicycle-focused journalism. It’s a great story!

3000 Miles on a Hybrid Electric Bike by Matthew Zoll – This guest post by Matthew Zoll, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager for Pima County Arizona details his experience buying and owning an hybrid electric bike in Tucson, AZ.

A Utility Cycling Trailer Interview – In this post, we interviewed Rodney of Commute Orlando about his interest in utility cycling. The interview focused around his fantastic bike trailer, and his great stories of carrying large loads by bicycle.

Utility Cycling Events

The folks at Utility Cycling participated in numerous utility cycling-related events around the country and reported back to the readers here online.

Interbike 2010 – A number of the folks at Utility Cycling were at this year’s 2010 Interbike Trade Show. Of course, we were primarily interested in developments in utility cycling, and this year’s Interbike 2010 Reflections post reviews many of those exciting developments.

The Ride of Silence – Although not specifically focused on utility cycling, the Ride of Silence has a great deal of utility in that it honors and encourages awareness of bicycles and pedestrians on our streets. We went down to the Tucson Ride of Silence to document the event and remember those who we have lost.

Bike to Work Week – For National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week, the folks here at Utility Cycling made sure we biked to work (as usual, of course) and celebrated bikes in a Bike to Work Week post.

Cyclovia Tucson – Tucson, Arizona, had its first ever Cyclovia in April of 2010, and we were there to enjoy the car-free streets and take it all in!

April Fools! – We couldn’t help but play the old April Fools internet game by writing an outrageous post. So we declared on April 1, 2010, that we were making the switch to sport cycling as the focus of this site.

Utility Cycling Categories

One of our main goals here at Utility Cycling over the past year and half has been to define utility cycling. Our first post on the topic laid out all of the potential categories and subcategories of utility cycling that we could think of at the time. Since then, we have worked to fill in each of these categories and subcategories with informative and well-researched posts. In 2010, we added a number of categories and subcategories and continued to expand the definition of utility cycling. Of course, this is a never-ending project, as utility cycling is continually evolving, so we look forward to following along with it in the future. But for now, here is a summary of the categories and subcategories of utility cycling that we have written about on this site.

• Transportation
  • General Bicycle Transportation
    • Getting Around by Bicycle
    • Running Errands by Bike
    • Utility Cycling While Traveling
    • Long Distance Utility Cycling
  • Bike Commuting
    • History
    • Basics
    • Logistics
    • Bicycles and Public Transit
    • Clothing: Essentials
    • Clothing: Shoes
    • Choosing a Commuter Bicycle
    • Carrying Your Stuff: Bags and Racks
    • Carrying Your Stuff: Trailers
    • Winter Cycling
  • Bicycle Infrastructure
    • Bike Sharing Systems
    • Bike Parking
    • Bicycling Traffic Laws
    • Cycling Bill of Rights (State by State)
    • Bicycle Paths, Routes, and Lanes
    • Bicycle Traffic Signs and Signals
    • Bicycle Theft and Vandalism
    • Governmental Support of Cycling
• Family Cycling
  • Learning to Ride
  • Cycling With the Young
  • Cycling Together
  • Kids Cycling for Transportation
  • Full Family Bike Transportation
  • Family Vacations by Bike
  • Bike Commuting with Children
  • Couples Riding Together
• Bicycle Mapping
  • Analysis of Google’s Bike-There Feature: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
  • Google’s New Bicycling Directions
  • Google & Bicycling
• Bicycle Delivery
  • Mail Delivery
  • Parcel Delivery
  • Couriers/ Messengers
  • Food Delivery
  • Freight Delivery
  • Factory/ Parts Delivery
• Cycling Services
  • Retail and Commercial Services
    • Mobile Bike Business
    • Bike Advertising
    • Pedicabs
    • Garbage and Recycling Collection by Bike
  • Emergency and Patrol Services
    • Police Bikes
    • Emergency Medial Service Bikes
    • Fire Service Bikes
    • Search and Rescue Bikes
    • Bike Patrol
  • Bicycle Land Services
    • Bicycle Mapping
    • Trailwork
    • Land Survey
    • Research/ Testing
• Community Building
  • Cycling Organizations
    • Bicycle Advocacy Organizations
    • Local Bike Organizations
    • Bike Salvage and Recycling Organizations
  • Cycling Community Events
    • Bike to Work Week
    • Charity Rides
    • Critical Mass
    • Social Gatherings/ Festivals
    • Group Rides
    • Health
    • Bike Weddings
  • Cycling as Statement
    • Political Activism
    • Social Action
    • Personal Mobility
    • Self Expression

Utility Cycling in 2011

Moving forward into 2011, we are very excited first and foremost about our new partnership with Commute by Bike. There are many opportunities for collaboration, especially in the realm of bike mapping! We are also pondering the idea of a Utility Cycling book, which would be a fun project to compliment the site. And as always, we look forward to the conversations and comments from our readers, as we love to hear your feedback.

Thanks for a great 2010, and here’s to a great 2011! Happy New Year!

Commute by Bike has been run over the last few years by Arleigh Jenkins, who also runs Bike Shop Girl and her own personal blog. Unfortunately, Arleigh was recently involved in a bike commuting accident, after which she decided that running Commute by Bike was not feasible any longer. So she approached Josh Lipton, the editor here at Utility Cycling, about taking over Commute by Bike. Josh considered Arleigh’s idea and decided that it was a great opportunity to forge ahead in building a strong community and resource online that is dedicated to utility cycling. Meanwhile, we all wish Arleigh the best in her recovery, her return to riding, and future with Bike Shop Girl!

Since commuting by Bike is one very important aspect of utility cycling, Commute by Bike will continue to stand alone and focus on bike commuting and the multitude topics. Meanwhile, Utility Cycling will continue to focus on all aspects of utility cycling from bicycle mapping to bike delivery to family cycling to community building. Utility Cycling will still continue to write and post about bike commuting when appropriate, but if you want lots of great, nitty-gritty information about bicycle commuting, then Commute by Bike will be providing it!

Moving forward, Stacey Moses who has been writing for Utility Cycling quite a bit in the last year or so will be focusing her efforts over at Commute by Bike. Stacey has a lot of great expertise and experience with bike commuting, and her breadth of knowledge on the topic will be essential for moving forward with Commute by Bike. In fact, you can already check out her first post there on the Great Debate: Vehicular vs. Segregated Cycling. Ted Johnson, who has also written for Utility Cycling, will be continuing to edit and write posts at both Utility Cycling and Commute by Bike.

Of course, I (Melanie Meyers) will be continuing for forge ahead here at Utility Cycling focusing on all aspects of utility cycling. I will occasionally contribute over at Commute by Bike, but for the most part, you can continue to expect my in-depth analysis and examination of all things utility cycling!

In the future, the partnership between Commute by Bike and Utility Cycling is ripe for great opportunities. We are working out good ways to connect the two sites, and you can probably expect to start seeing Utility Cycling videos posted to both sites. There are also opportunities for unified social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. And we are in the works of developing a YouTube channel with lots of great utility cycling and commuting videos.

Image Source: Carfree USA Blog

Anyhow, whatever the details turn out to be, we are very excited about the future opportunities. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Thanks for reading!

A Brief History of Tucson Velo

Mike McKisson came up with the idea for a website like Tucson Velo in mid-2009, approximately two years after he rediscovered cycling as an adult. Mike took an approximately 10 year hiatus from riding a bicycle from the ages of about 16 to 26. However, during a vacation to Oceanside, CA, with his wife, he rediscovered cycling when they rented two beach cruisers and went for a spin along the water. Mike returned to Tucson where he immediately bought a bike (with a little encouragement from a friend who also rode). Over the course of the next year, Mike lost about 135 pounds and found a little competitive edge by riding with the same friend who encouraged him to buy a bike in the first place. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife relocated within Tucson to a home that enabled them to have a more car-light lifestyle.

The more time Mike spent on the bike the more he loved riding, and after a year or so the idea for Tucson Velo started bugging him. Mike has a degree in journalism from the University of Arizona, where he also teaches, and has also worked for a local newspaper in the online department. Mike felt that stories in the local newspaper and other local media sources generally had little coverage of bicycle-related issues, and when they were did, they were often brief, one-sided, and generally not enough to quench Mike’s desire for local bike news. Mike found himself constantly drawn to cycling-focused websites published locally, such as Tucson Bike Lawyer, for his local bicycle-focused news. He also found a lot of inspiration from the website Bike Portland, which is well-know for its extensive coverage of cycling news in Oregon, as well as Streetsblog, which does extensive bicycle-focused journalism in multiple U.S. cities.

Mike and his wife head out for a ride on their anniversary (photo by Matt Fischler)

However, it took the arrival of two long distance utility cyclists to push Mike over the edge and launch Tucson Velo. In January 2009, Russ and Laura of The Path Less Pedaled stayed with Mike during their visit to Tucson, and they encouraged and inspired him to finally start the site. Within a few months, the site was relatively well-known throughout the Tucson region, and it has continued to grow steadily.

Currently, Tucson Velo is one aspect of Mike’s already busy life. The site was launched around the same time as the birth of his daughter, who is now 10 months old. As if a growing news site and a family were not enough, Mike also holds a full-time job at the University of Arizona, so it is definitely a challenge to keep Tucson Velo steadily plugging forward. Ideally, Mike hopes that, in time, he will be able to reduce his job to part-time in order to focus more on Tucson Velo. But for now, it is a true labor of love, and one for which the Tucson cycling community is grateful!

A participant in Tucson Cyclovia (photo by Mike McKisson)

Features of Tucson Velo

Tucson Velo has a wide assortment of different features and article types, which make it friendly to cyclists and non-cyclists alike. Tucson Velo is set up as a blog, so the benefit of its format is that it allows for comments from readers, which contributes to community building and dialogue about the issues being reported on the site. The blog format also allows for the wide range of posts from a short snippets to announcements to in-depth coverage on a larger issue. Mike also does video posts on occasion, such as this one on bike sharing.

The UA Tricats team pedals to raise money for nationals (photo by Mike McKisson)

Due to Mike’s high journalistic standards and training, he works to maintain a very balanced, unbiased perspective on the stories that he covers. He explicitly told me that Tucson Velo is not an advocacy site; it is a news site. Like any good journalist, Mike’s goal is to be a watchdog and report on a wide range of issues. Mike also hopes to help educate cyclists and non-cyclists about the issues they both face. That being said, Mike certainly does love cycling, and he is not afraid to say that he doesn’t feel there are too many issues in the world that can’t be solved by riding a bicycle.

In addition to news pieces and feature articles, Tucson Velo has a number of other features, including a forum, a place to list stolen bicycles (and so far, one post has lead to the recovery of a stolen bike) a section for reader photos, a calendar of local events, and my personal favorite, a map collaboration feature. The map collaborations are based on Google Maps, and they are used as a place for people in the community to identify and discuss local issues. Currently, there is a map collaboration for locations in Tucson with inadequate bike parking, as well as one that documents the locations of all of the Tucson ghost bikes.

Thoughts about Bicycle-Focused Journalism

There is a great deal of utility to bicycle-focused journalism. News, analysis, and features on cycling issues that are reported in a balanced and objective manner can have a significant impact on local attitudes towards cycling, from both the perspective of the cyclist and the non-cyclist alike. By bringing bicycle-related issues to light, sites like Tucson Velo, Bike Portland, Streetsblog, and many others, help to – at the very least – make bicycling more visible in the local area. And this visibility can help to contribute to the notion of “power in numbers”, which can, in turn, help to encourage more people to ditch the car and hop on a bike. Or, at the very least, help people to better appreciate the issues that cyclists face.

PS – Thanks to Mike McKisson of Tucson Velo for his time and permission to write this post! You can check out his site online or follow it on Facebook and Twitter.

One other company that caught my attention was Gazelle, a Dutch bike company that makes both electric assist bikes and standard non-assist bikes. I like Gazelle because, as I pointed out before, I like companies who put effort into designing bikes that are not only purpose-built but that look good, have nice lines and all the parts seem to come together in symphony to complete the bike. Gazellle is pushing towards an all-in-one bike that can satisfy all your needs, leaving the car behind. I was very impressed by the Gazelle Orange Excellent Innergy. This bike says utility–in spite of it not having included a cargo trailer. The Orange Innergy comes with an electric-assist motor and an easily removable battery which is housed under the rear rack, a Shimano Nexus eight-speed internal rear hub with hydraulic roller brakes and cooling discs, an integrated 60 lux headlight on the front fender, a drive train cover, a rear fender, a rear taillight, an integrated rear wheel lock, front suspension, adjustable handlebars, seat bag, rack straps, integrated hand pump, and suspension seat-post. But what is outstanding about this bike is that, in face of all these extras, Gazelle has still managed to create a bike that looks good and is in no way an eyesore. Add some panniers and you really will never need your car again.

Surly released a new bike trailer this year rightfully named “Trailer” Trailer is a heavy duty cargo trailer that has a 300 pound load capacity available in two separate load bed sizes. Surly wasn’t fooling around when they designed this trailer. It could be the end-all bike cargo trailer, if you are willing to accept the yet-to-be-disclosed weight of the trailer, I’m guessing around 35 pounds. Surly’s hitch design for The Trailer is quite interesting. They claim that the hitch will fit any wheel size from 20″ to 29″ and allows the trailer to always remain level and be adjusted to the center line of the bike. The hitch includes both the quick release and threaded nuts and will attach to virtually any bike. We have to remain patient until The Trailer is available next spring.

All in all, I was happy with the amount of electric bikes that were on display at the show, but I am going to have to say that I was certainly disappointed with the overall lack of forward movement towards greater utility cycling and bike commuting. I expected to see a greater level of enthusiasm towards integrating the bike into everyday life. Beyond the electric bike scene, there was not a large increase in the amount of racks, commuting specific gear, cargo trailers and cycling as an integrated transportation lifestyle. Maybe I set myself up with greater expectations than were realistic, but I was genuinely hoping to see a perceptible increase in commuting and utility cycling . As I had stated previously, Interbike is a good snapshot of where the cycling industry is. Although I was very happy with the presence of electric bikes, I still believe the industry as a whole has a long way to go before commuting and utility cycling becomes more mainstream. Maybe next year with the change of venue and a changed date, Interbike will have shed its skin, left Las Vegas behind, and we will be presented with a different show with different emphases. I saw a glimmers of hope, and I do believe that things are on the right track. Lets just remain focused on furthering the integration of the bike into life’s everyday needs and transportation.