Posts about 'Video'

Things You Can Do With A Bike

Posted on 07. Dec, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

Here’s a funny, quirky video to finish the week off in good spirits via Cyclelicio.us.  The video is by Daniel Bolda, a freelance filmaker.  He does a lot with his bike (though he might be happier grocery shopping by bike if he had a bike trailer).  What do you do with yours?  Have a happy weekend!

thiNgS YoU cAn Do wItH a biKe from Daniel Bolda on Vimeo.

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‘Tis the Season: Moving a Christmas Tree by Bike

Posted on 29. Nov, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

The holidays are upon us once again, as is a fun season of winter cycling.  The holidays inevitably involve gift shopping, running errands, and visiting family and friends.  The holidays also involve a lot of eating and merriment, so getting around by bike during this time can sure help curb those holiday pounds.  Indeed, this season provides a lot of opportunities to haul just about anything by bike – including but certainly not limited to – a Christmas tree!  Cyclelicio.us recently posted this video from John Nilsen Studios of a Christmas tree being hauled by bike, which will surely help get you in the bikey holiday spirit!  From those of us at Utility Cycling, we hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday season!

Christmas Tree Transport via a BICYCLE from John Nilsen Studios on Vimeo.

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Combining Transit & Cycling in Vancouver

Posted on 20. Nov, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

Combining transit with cycling is an effective way to encourage more people to ride bikes and generally encourage people to leave the car at home more often.  With a combination of options, it’s easier to feel comfortable leaving home without the car.  If you want to arrive at work clean and dry, you can take your bike on transit on the way to work, and then ride home at the end of the day when you aren’t worried about sweating, etc. as one user of Vancouver’s Translink system notes.  Streetfilms recently documented the ways in which Vancouver is encouraging and mixing walking/ cycling with transit networks by combining and linking different types of routes and infrastructure.  Indeed, Vancouver has been getting a lot of attention for it’s bicycling improvements, as of late, and it also happens to be considered one of the most “livable” cities!

Perfect Match: Metro Vancouver Melds Bikes and Transit from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

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World Bicycle Relief: The Solution

Posted on 16. Nov, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

If there is an organization that encompasses many of the ideas and ideals of utility cycling all in one place, it’s World Bicycle Relief.  It doesn’t get much more useful than giving the gift of mobility to someone.  World Bicycle Relief works to provide people around the world with bicycles as a key means of transportation, which can enhance livelihoods, enable more education opportunities, and generally improve one’s mobility.  And mobility is certainly something we take for granted in many places.  Currently, if you donate to World Bicycle Relief, your donation will be matched!  Hey, what’s better than that, and just in time for the holidays!  Go here to donate.

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Icy Bike Winter Commuting Challenge

Posted on 08. Nov, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

Lacking motivation to put on layer upon layer of clothing for a freezing cold, wet, dark bike commute this year?  Well, if you are the type of person that lives for challenges like that, there is a group of like-minded winter cyclists who have joined the Icy Bike Winter Commuting Challenge (Facebook page).  I found out about these cold-weather-braving folks via Cyclelicio.us, and if I didn’t live in the oh-so-temperate land of Tucson, I’d totally join!  But I don’t think desert winter riding qualifies, since that’s the best time to ride down here.  The Icy Bike Winter Commuting Challenge isn’t a competition, rather a communal way to inspire others to enjoy the ride no matter what the conditions.  If you are planning to participate, check out Bike Tech Shop for bike lights for those dark, winter rides.  Happy riding all winter long!

Icy Bike Winter Commuting Challenge from ChainRing Films on Vimeo.

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Bikes, Cockroaches, and Hurricanes

Posted on 05. Nov, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

Hurricane Sandy, which hit parts of the eastern U.S. hard last week, has been getting a lot of attention on the web.  Sandy has had a lot of impacts, but it has most notably brought more attention to two things that don’t often get attention outside of certain circles: bikes and climate change.  Now, the latter is complicated and messy, so I won’t discuss it much here, suffice it to say that Sandy has made a lot of people think a little harder about what climate change might look like.  The first item – bikes – have also been getting a lot of post-Sandy press, especially with the flooded subways, crowded streets, gas rationing, and power outages in places like New York and New Jersey.  Indeed, bikes have been likened to the “cockroaches” of transportation, of disaster, of the apocalypse, what-have-you.  To that end, I wanted to do a little montage of some of the interesting videos of post-Sandy bike use.

There’s no doubt that bikes are pretty resilient and useful in disaster situations, but you would think that knee-deep water would provide a limitation for even the bravest cockroach cyclist.  Not so for filmaker Casey Neistat, who braved the streets of Lower Manhattan on bike to capture some amazing footage of the flooding.

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Bike Boxes

Posted on 30. Oct, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

Bike boxes are popping up on streets across world.  A bike box is simply a colored area at an intersection that is meant for cyclists to pull into while waiting for a red light to turn green.  Bike boxes are meant to increase the visibility of cyclists to motorists, as well as provide clear instructions for cyclists about where to safely wait for traffic.  For the most part, they are quite easy to use once you know what to do when you get to one.  Fortunately, the folks at the City of Edmonton in Canada have  created a useful PSA or how-to video for motorists and cyclists.  Bonus – it has lego characters and lego bikes!  You can also check out an older Streetfilms video on How to Use a Bike Bike, as well.

Via Cyclelicio.us.

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Vancouver Cycling

Posted on 25. Oct, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

I’ve always wanted to visit Vancouver, and this Streetfilms video about how the city is working to improve bicycling infrastructure makes me want to go there even more.  The video documents a number of different improvements that are being made to the cycling experience in Vancouver.  I especially like the separated bike lanes and the “green carpets” which help both cyclists and motorists be more aware of how the infrastructure works and encourages them to share the road.  The riding along the sea wall doesn’t look too shabby either!  Enjoy.

Vancouver’s Velo Vision: Safe Biking for All Ages from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

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Mamachari Bicycles

Posted on 23. Oct, 2012 by Melanie Colavito.

The video below has a scene I can’t imagine seeing in the U.S. – unless, of course, you switched out the bikes for SUV’s.  It’s an incredible example of family cycling at its best.  The video highlights the use of bikes in Japan called mamacharis, which are bicycles used to carry children and goods around town.  Cyclelicio.us has a useful post explaining how they got their name and how they are used in Japan.  I also recommend that you visit the blog Mama Bicycle to check out some really interesting posts from Shuichi, who is a father that uses a mamachari as a primary source of transportation with his kids.  In the meantime, check out a ton of mamacharis in action below.  Enjoy!

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