Utility Cycling » Community Building

Austin Nominated for VH1 2010 “Do Something City” Award

Ted Johnson — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:38:04 +0000

Austin. As in Texas.

Here in Arizona, we have great empathy for our fellow Wild West state. We often find ourselves inadvertently competing to be America’s political punch line. But when you get down to localities and municipalities, there’s a lot about which we can be proud, especially when it comes to cycling culture, and bike-friendliness.

This year, Austin has been nominated for the 2010 “Do Something City” award by VH1–with stiff competition from Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah, Greensburg, Kansas, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Cycling and alternative transportation must have something to do with it. Texas as a whole ranks 41st out of 50 states for bike friendliness, yet Austin stands out as the lone star in the state. Austin also has a grassroots carshare project operated by a local nonprofit, and an award-winning public transportation system. Yes. Austin. As in Texas.

So we’re rooting for Austin to win the VH1 award. Click the banner below to give Austin your vote.

Be watching or our upcoming profile on Austin’s utility cycling scene–the first in our series of community profiles. If you’re in Austin and want to meet me when I’m in town next week, contact me here.

Flagstaff didn’t get nominated this year–but that’s a bone to pick with VH1, not with Austin. But for the record, Arizona ranks ninth out of the 50 states in bike-friendliness. And here in Flagstaff, we also have an award winning public transportation system, 50 miles of commuter trails, and an enthusiastic cycling culture.

Social Action through Cycling

Stacey Moses — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:24:28 +0000

Social action, generally speaking, refers to an act performed by an individual or a group to work towards achieving a goal that is valued by society. Bicycles can be used to support different types of social action, such as charity rides in which a bike ride is the main event in an effort to raise money for a designated cause. Within the context of cycling as a statement, social action is for cycling through cycling. One very important aspect of utility cycling is spreading the word on how using bicycles for transportation, services, and community building is beneficial, and there are a number of purposeful cyclists taking action to inform and excite the masses.

Image Credit: New Belgium Brewery

New Belgium Brewing takes its mission to be a sustainable and socially responsible business quite seriously. In additional to seeking out ways to reduce its operation’s carbon footprint and increase efficiencies in its brewing process, New Belgium heads multiple bicycle-related events every year, including the Tour de Fat, which will take place in thirteen cities in 2010. New Belgium’s goal is to travel to different places, “spreading the good word about the positive societal offerings of the bicycle.” In each city, New Belgium will give one lucky cyclist a fully-loaded commuter bike in exchange for the keys to his or her car, and will provide an entire day’s worth of activities encouraging people of all backgrounds to fight against “traffic, laziness, and pollution” by choosing a bicycle over a car.

Another impressive collection of cycling events is pulled together by SHIFT in Portland. SHIFT is a group of bicycle enthusiasts that doesn’t fit into the typical bicycle advocacy organization mold. There are no memberships, no dues- just a “bunch of bike-loving folks…[with a] shared passion for the bicycle in all its glory.” However, this self-proclaimed informal bunch of bike-lovers is accomplishing a lot in terms of enhancing bike culture and bicycle advocacy in Portland through social action. For two weeks in June, SHIFT presents PedalPalooza, which features nearly three hundred different events organized by a mix of individuals and groups with all sorts of purposes and activities. From the Bikini Bike Wash to the Family Cycle Picnics to the World Naked Bike Ride (and many, many more), PedalPalooza reaches a seemingly exhaustive list of demographics, with all events focused on sharing the benefits of bicycles.

Image Credit: BikePortland.org

Social action can be your own participation in these or similar bicycle-centric activities, or it can be in your own daily commitment to use your bicycle more often for commuting, for errands, and for recreation. Successful social action requires the engagement of the community, so whether acting as an organizer or as a participant, we can all do our part to support the many benefits of cycling through the many uses of the bicycle.

Community Building: Cycling Organizations

Stacey Moses — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:47:39 +0000

At Utility Cycling, we’ve discussed how bicycles can bring together people of similar interests to create communities of likeminded cyclists, and how bicycles can be used not only for transportation, deliveries and services, but also for social gatherings and social action, and self-expression. There is a utility in all of these activities, whether the goal is to ride to a destination or to garner support for a charity. This community building through bicycles would not be possible without the support of many different cycling organizations, which serve a variety of purposes and exist at many different levels.

Image Credit: Revolution Cycles

Cycling organizations is a very broad term and includes groups at international, national and local levels. Associations such as USA Cycling focus on developing competitive cyclists and maintaining consistency among local groups. The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) works to partner trail advocates and land managers to responsibly develop mountain biking in the US and abroad. Within the realm of utility cycling, national and local bicycle advocacy organizations push for greater education and infrastructure through legislation as well as through grassroots efforts. We’re also including bike salvage and recycling organizations, and we’d love to hear from you in the comments section below if we’ve missed any other important organizations.

National Advocacy Organizations

Coordination and action at a national level is critical to advancing bicycle advocacy. With hundreds of millions of federal dollars at stake for human-powered transportation infrastructure in the United States, the League of American Bicyclists serves an important role not only in lobbying Congress to secure funding for better bicycling infrastructure, but also in creating programs to educate current and potential cyclists. From rewarding bicycle-friendly businesses to supporting Safe Routes to Schools programs, the League and other national organizations create the fabric of advocacy for organizations at the local level.

Image Credit: BikePgh

Local Advocacy Organizations

For advocacy to be effective, local organizations work very hard to execute programs designed at the national level as well as to create activities and plans of their own within their communities. The League of American Bicyclists has created Bike to Work Month, but the action takes place at the local level to produce successful Bike to Work events. Securing funding is also a concern for local organizations; planning and executing trail and road surveys to quantify cyclists within an area is one of many essential activities that local organizations perform to work towards improving cycling conditions.

Bicycle Salvage and Recycling Organizations

These diverse operations give old bikes new lives with new owners. Many cities have some sort of bicycle cooperative that fulfills many different needs within a community. Bicycle salvage and recycling organizations provide veteran cyclists with a place to donate unneeded bicycle parts, young cyclists with a place to learn about riding and bicycle repairs, and other community members with an opportunity to procure an affordable method of transportation or recreation.

Cycling organizations, despite having a multitude of specific and differing goals, all seek to create a better experience for people on bicycles. Bicycle advocates are driven by various motivations, but whether you ride for environmental, economic or health and well-being reasons, better infrastructure and better education benefits cyclists of all backgrounds.

The Ride of Silence: Let the Silence Roar

Melanie Meyers — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:59:27 +0000

Every year, on the third Wednesday of May, thousands of cyclists across the world take to the streets to honor fellow riders who have been injured or killed while cycling. This event is known as the Ride of Silence, and it is a powerful way to use cycling as a statement. We have defined utility cycling as any activity on a bicycle that accomplishes meaningful goals, and the Ride of Silence certainly falls into our conception of utility cycling, as it serves to raise awareness of cyclists’ rights on public roadways – something we can certainly all appreciate.

What is the Ride of Silence?

The Ride of Silence is a group ride that never exceeds 12 mph/ 20kph. At the beginning of the ride, most ride organizers have the riders gather before the Ride of Silence poem is recited and any speakers are given the opportunity to say a few words. In some cases, ride organizers have a priest deliver a prayer. Throughout the ride, people are asked to remain completely silent, and the ride proceeds along like a funeral procession. There is almost always a pre-planned route, sag vehicles and volunteers to assist riders, and law enforcement support, since the ride is viewed as and awarded the same rights as a motorized funeral procession. The Ride of Silence takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of May in conjunction with National Bike Month, Bike-to-Work Week, and national Bike-to-Work Day, which is the third Friday of May. In 2010, more than 300 events took place around the world.

A ghost bike carried by cargo bike in Tucson

History of the Ride of Silence

The Ride of Silence was started in 2003 in Dallas, TX, by one Chris Phelan after a friend of his – a local endurance cyclist – was killed while riding. The ride was meant to be a one-time event, but as word spread, many other people contacted Chris about hosting similar rides in other places. The first ride that Chris organized drew more than 1,000 cyclists. As is the case with all of the Ride of Silence rides, there was no registration, entry fee, or sponsorship. The ride was simply meant as a memorial and a statement that cyclists have rights on the road. You can read the full time line here and you can also check out Chris’s blog.

The Tucson Ride of Silence crowd.

Tucson Ride of Silence

I recently attended the Ride of Silence in Tucson, Arizona. I had never attended a Ride of Silence, and I was there mainly to honor a friend and teammate who is currently recovering from being hit by a truck while riding her bike but also generally to honor all of the cyclists and families who have suffered from such accidents. I was impressed with the turnout from the cycling community, the law enforcement support, and the courteous responses we received from motorists and other people throughout the procession. The ride was a very touching, but also rather difficult, experience, but I was very glad to have attended. If there is a Ride of Silence in your community next year, I definitely recommend checking it out, or you can even start one!

Bicycle Advocacy Organizations: Consorting with the Locals

Stacey Moses — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:41:57 +0000

On Friday morning, before the sun had made its daily appearance, I was on my way to set up shop at Northern Virginia’s largest Bike to Work Day pit stop in Rosslyn, Virginia. Through my position with a local bicycle retailer, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to represent our company as we offered bike safety checks, tire inflation and cycling advice to the masses of commuters enjoying DC’s annual Bike to Work Day. The day’s events are organized by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and BikeArlington, and the overwhelming success of the Rosslyn pit stop (as well as the other thirty-four stops in the DC Metro area) was a tribute to the incredible and important work that local bicycle advocacy organizations do every day to ensure that more people can experience the utility of cycling. Nearly eight hundred cyclists rolled through our stop just across the Potomac River from the national’s capital, and because of the support and incentive provided by the local advocacy organizations, more than a few of these commuters were enjoying their first of many trips to work on a bicycle.

Bike to Work Day 2010: Rosslyn, VA

On a national level, the League of American Bicyclists and America Bikes lobbies Congress to pass bicycle-friendly legislation and develops education programs, among other functions. But, most of the nitty-gritty details of encouraging the use of bicycles for transportation, recreation and fitness are performed by advocates at the local organizations. The missions and goals of local advocacy organizations are often more specific and community focused. BikeArlington’s mission statement speaks directly to addressing the needs of its community by seeking “to provide citizen input in planning and programming bicycle improvements and promoting bicycling in Arlington County.” Local organizations work directly with the people living and riding in their regions and listen to their needs as utility and recreational cyclists. As a result, the local advocates are in the unique position of being able to provide a unified voice to a community of cyclists while also supporting individual cyclists through programming and education.

Image Credit: WABA.org

National and local organizations need each other like a cassette needs a chain, and the Safe Routes to School program (SRTS) is an excellent example of how one cannot operate efficiently without the other. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration funds the SRTS program, which focuses on improving safety education, traffic enforcement, complete sidewalks in school zones and encouragement, but the ultimate success of this federal program depends on the dedication of individual states and communities. In Oregon, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance successfully lobbied state legislators to pass the first Safe Routes to School bill, HB 2742, paving the way (pun intended) for other cities around the country to take similar action. Portland modeled its SRTS program after the Marin County program, and advocates from Marin County have trained leaders in Boulder, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona, as well as other progressive cities. In DC, WABA contributes to its local SRTS program as its staff provides the safety training at eight schools each year in addition to other educational events, reaching 3,500 kids in the District. Without the local effort put forth to spend this federal funding wisely, cycling advocacy could not be achieving many of the successes that we cyclists enjoy everyday.

A Celebration of Bikes: Bike to Work Week

Stacey Moses — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:53:36 +0000

As National Bike Month continues, the main event is upon us: Bike to Work Week. From Monday, May 17th to Friday, May 21st, national bicycle advocacy and local bicycle advocacy organizations host smart cycling classes, challenges, festivities and more to energize committed bicycle commuters and to inspire new or casual bicycle commuters. This week is dedicated to exposing more people to the utility of cycling for transportation purposes. According to the League of American Bicyclists, a San Diego Association of Governments study indicated that out of every five people who participated in the Bike to Work Day promotion, one of those first-time commuters became a regular bike commuter. With events taking place in nearly every state (and Canada!), there is no better time to learn about the benefits of riding to work first-hand.

So what happens on Bike to Work Day that infects and invigorates new and old commuters alike? In Memphis, Tennessee, Peddler Bike Shop kicks off the week with a commuting workshop and transitions into organized practice rides before Bike to Work Week culminates in at the Downtown Bicycle Expo with live music, free bike checks, and a chance to speak with local shops and advocates. In the Washington, DC Metro area, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and BikeArlington partner to host 35 regional pit stops, where commuters can stop for a bite to eat, have their bikes inspected for safety by professional technicians, and chat with other bicycle enthusiasts. WABA also organizes commuter convoys, or previously scouted safe routes led by experienced cyclists for 25 of DC’s most common commutes. DC’s Bike to Work Day is packed with education, encouragement and excitement with free raffles and demos, food and music.

Every city, town and region celebrates Bike to Work Week differently. To find out what is happening in your area, check out the League of American Bicyclists’ list of Bike Month Special Events, or contact your local advocacy organization. In Denver in 2008, more than 10,000 first-time bicycle commuters participated in their city-sponsored event- clearly novices are welcome and supported at these events! And for veteran commuters, it is an excellent opportunity to share your knowledge of both the benefits and joys of becoming a dedicated bicycle commuter. How are you celebrating Bike to Work Week?

Bicycle Advocacy Organizations: The National Stage

Stacey Moses — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:17:29 +0000

In its many forms and functions, utility cycling would not be possible without the support of the bicycle advocacy organizations that exist on both local and national levels. These organizations lobby for improved road and trail conditions as well as educate individuals, businesses and communities about bicycle safety and the benefits of using a bike more often. Bicycle advocates work tirelessly to ensure that cycling is a viable transportation option in cities all over the country.

The League of American Bicyclists, first known as the League of American Wheelman, was formed in 1880 and is responsible for the first paved roads in the U.S. As the county’s largest bicycle advocacy organization, the League continues its efforts to improve infrastructure and education for cyclists not only by powering its own initiatives such as National Bike Month and Bike to Work Day, but also by partnering with organizations such as America Bikes to advocate for federal support. The League is responsible for the National Bike Summit that takes place in Washington, D.C. each year (and just celebrated its 10th anniversary!), and for three days, influential advocates from many different arenas come together to learn from each other and to demonstrate to Congress that cycling is a part of the solution for environmental, health and energy issues. Additionally, the League understands that advocacy also needs to take place on a local level, and it gives people the tools to get involved with their local officials.

National Bike Summit 2010

So, is bicycle advocacy working? U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (he’s the guy that is responsible for 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget within the Department of Transportation) recently wrote on his blog that when it comes to investing in bicycle infrastructure, “everybody wins.” LaHood has spoken on NPR to discuss a national network of trails, and he understands that even for people who will continue to drive to work, making cycling a more feasible and safe alternative to driving benefits everyone by reducing traffic congestion overall. Gabe Klein, DC’s Department of Transportation Director, also spoke to NPR and said “we see a direct correlation between our investment in bike infrastructure and an uptick in usage. When you make it hassle-free and inexpensive for people to use a certain mode, they will use it.”

Image Credit: LAB

The infrastructure as well as the understanding of the utility of cycling is far from perfect, but a proposed national network of trails from the Secretary of Transportation is a fairly solid indication that the League of American Bicyclists, America Bikes, and many other bicycle advocacy organizations are being heard. In addition to the efforts of these organizations on a national level, there are some incredible local advocacy organizations all over the country, so check back for more on those groups as we head into May, National Bike Month!

Cyclovia Tucson

Melanie Meyers — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:57:32 +0000

This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of getting to participate in the very first Cyclovia Tucson! The Tuscon Cyclovia is part of the Tucson Bike Fest, which takes place throughout the month of April and includes Bike-To-Work Week, a bike commuter challenge, a bike swap, and many other great events. The Tucson Bike Fest is an annual celebration of bicycle transportation, and the hallmark event of the Bike Fest this year was the Tucson Cyclovia. Tucson Bike Fest and the Tucson Cyclovia are two incredible events that really demonstrate the support for and importance of livable, usable streets. And in a state like Arizona, with such a backwards approach to transit, perhaps there is some hope after all, given the success of the two events.

What is Cyclovia?

Cyclovia comes from the Spanish word ciclovía, which literally translates to “bike path”. However, the word cyclovia has spread worldwide under the common usage of a temporary event during which certain streets are closed to automobile traffic and set aside for bicycle, pedestrian, and other non-motorized uses. A cyclovia is not a parade; it is not a race; it is simply an opportunity for people to come out and enjoy the streets with friends and family.

Cyclovias take place all around the world, but Bogotá, Colombia is really credited with being the first city to host such an event. In Bogotá, there is a weekly cyclovia every Sunday from 7am to 2pm, during which time people enjoy the streets and each other. There are also many booths and activities set up around the city, including aerobics classes, music performances, and more. The Tucson Cyclovia was no different, and I saw everything from a bike shop to a solar oven business to a spin bike competition set up around the Cyclovia course.

The video below from Streetfilms documents the Bogotá Cyclovia, and it helps one get a great sense of the scope of the event there.

Cyclovia Tucson

The Tucson Cyclovia was absolutely a blast, and from what I could tell, everyone was having fun! I cruised around endlessly, chatting with people at booths around the track and people walking and riding and enjoying the carfree streets. There were tons of families out cycling together, kids on bikes, adults on bikes, decorated bikes, people pulling bike trailers, people on tall bikes, people on decorated bikes, skateboarders, runners, walkers, BMX riders, and everything in between! Check out Tucson Velo for some great reports and coverage of the event. Meanwhile, if you are on Facebook check out the Tucson Cyclovia page, and for tweeters, Tucson Cyclovia is on Twitter, as well. And be sure to check out CycloviaTucson.org.

A map of the closed streets. Click for a better version.

Photo Essay

Below, I have posted a short photo essay of the day. Enjoy!

A rider enters the closed streets.

Bike safety checks from BICAS.

A decorated tall bike waits for its rider.

Cyclovia participants enjoy a puppet show.

Watching bike tricks alongside the Cyclovia track.

Crowds wait for the Tucson Bike Beautiful parade.

Bike Beautiful Parade riders on University.

Tucson Bike Beautiful Parade riders on tall bikes.

Huge crowds of riders wait for the light.

I tried my hand (and won!) the spin bike contest.

Musicians cruise along at the end of the day in a pedicab.

Group Rides: Casual, Competitive and Colossal

Stacey Moses — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:42:36 +0000

When Pierre and Ernest Michaux invented the modern bicycle nearly a century and a half ago, it is unlikely that they envisioned the multiplicity of enterprises for which it would be used. We use bikes to get places more efficiently and more economically, we use them to stay in shape, and we use them to enjoy the simple pleasure of spending an afternoon outside. In all of these activities, we see utility, and we believe that the utility of bringing together like-minded people for a group ride is as important as the utility of riding from point A to point B. The group ride – large or small, fast or slow – is the most basic celebration of the bicycle. And, just like the bicycle, group rides come in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes.

The Casual Ride

After commuting to work all week, or pushing your lactate threshold to its limits on training rides, cyclists of all backgrounds and styles can come together for the casual group ride. Lots of local advocacy organizations and bike shops coordinate the details of a casual group ride with the intention of getting a group of people together that love to ride bikes for different reasons but all still share the same passion about the sport and the machine. For many people, the casual ride is an excellent way to get back into cycling, and for other people, it is the perfect way to unwind. The social nature of these rides often transitions seamlessly into dinner and drinks, and adding a theme to a casual ride can spice things up – who could turn down the opportunity to ride in a onesie with the Bike Happening?

Image Credit: The Bike Happening

The Shop Ride

“The Shop” isn’t necessarily a bike shop (although it often is). Coffee shops are a common host to weekly rides, as are many restaurants. Whether you’re looking for an organized training ride or a way to log some extra miles within the safety and comfort of a peloton, shop rides are an excellent way to learn the rules of the road, gain confidence riding in a group, and meet people with similar riding interests and goals. It is important to do your research before you head out on a group ride. Some rides have no-drop policies (a ride leader stays with the slowest of the bunch and ensures a safe journey to the finish), and other rides are more aggressive, less forgiving hammerfests that are not intended for the faint of heart. Make sure that before you depart on a ride, you are comfortable with the group’s policies and procedures.

The Big Ride

RAGBRAI, the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is the oldest, longest and most popular weeklong ride in the country. In seven days, cyclists of varying abilities travel more than 470 miles on their bikes in this supported tour. The event features entertainment, an Expo and plenty of merchandise for participants and fans to take home, and RAGBRAI has become the quintessential big ride that draws participants from all over the world to ride together across Iowa each July. Many other big rides are also charity rides, including Bike MS (which has chapters all over the country) and the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure, which give cyclists a chance to ride for a good cause. Finally, several progressive bike-friendly cities organize rides that allow people to experience the city by bike in a safe and organized fashion. BikeDC, for example, is scheduled for May 23rd, 2010 and will take riders on a 19-mile tour of the nation’s capital on a car-free, supported course past a collection of impressive sights.

BikeDC

Whether you love to ride for no reason at all, or you enjoy the additional motivation that comes with participating in a charity event or an organized weekly training ride, there is a group ride out there that suits your needs.

Making the Switch to Sport Cycling

Melanie Meyers — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:54:47 +0000

In the last few months, we have been building a strong base of information about all aspects of utility cycling – from emergency and patrol bicycle services, to mail delivery by bike, to bike advertising, to bike mapping, and beyond. We have worked hard to define utility cycling, in order to make it more appealing and feasible for more people. We have posted tons of bike movies from custom trailers to music videos, all of which have to do with utility cycling. Indeed, we have been ardent utility cyclists ourselves, riding to work, errands, social gatherings, and more with bells singing from our handlebars and red taillights flashing with glee. In short, we have worked hard to promote the idea of utility cycling as a viable mode of getting around by fully embracing, living, and exuding the idea.

Unfortunately, after months of hard work, we have hit the pavé, if you will. We feel that we have exhausted the topic of utility cycling. There is simply not enough innovation and exciting change happening in the world of utility cycling at the moment. In general, a bike trailer is a bike trailer. Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. The same goes for topics like bicycle delivery – you know, people deliver things to other people by bike. Enough said. Not to mention, with the quickly approaching spring and summer months, we have seen more and more cyclists on the roads. But are they pulling bicycle trailers or using panniers? Well some are, it is true, but for the most part, the increasing numbers of cyclists on the roads these days are wearing colorful spandex and gliding by our slow, trailer-hauling persons on their carbon tubulars, as if they were floating on air. And oh, there are so many wonderful colors of spandex! Like a spring field full of flowers, they are blooming all over the streets. Now this is exciting!

Therefore, we have decided to make the switch to sport cycling! Clearly, sport cycling is where it’s at. From here on out, we will be sportcycling.org. We will live, speak, and breath sport cycling. And we will sleep in our spandex. Fortunately, our timing is good, as Velo News has recently made the switch to cycle touring, which will open up some space for us to ease into the world of sport cycling, like the smooth shifting of Shimano’s new electric gearing. We hope you will join us for this exciting time ahead!

April Fools!