About two weeks ago we reported on a few council proposals in Philadelphia to require bicycle licensing and increase the fines for various cycling offenses, brought about at least in part by two recent pedestrian deaths as a result of cyclists colliding with them. The Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia has issued a statement in response, and is surely working behind the scenes to counter licensing through the courtroom if need be. Acknowledging that as with some motorists, some cyclists too bend and outright ignore the rules to suit their needs, the statement goes on to say:
Philadelphia’s streets need to be made safer for everyone. The first step toward safer streets is equitable and consistent enforcement of traffic laws as they apply to all road users.
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With regards to laws requiring registration and licensing of bicycles, the Bicycle Coalition does not support a mandatory program. Among other issues, we are concerned about the potential for a registration program to discourage riders, impose financial disincentives, and expose the City to numerous legal issues. Peer cities and states have passed and then repealed registration and licensing programs. We recommend a thorough investigation of registration and licensing programs in other cities to determine whether such programs would help or hinder efforts to achieve peace on Philadelphia’s streets.
The Sunday media coverage has shone light on the cyclist’s side of the debate, with the Metro reporting on the Philadelphia Bicycle Messenger Association (PBMA) rallying behind a hit and run victim of their own, while the Philadelphia Weekly featured an editorial about the one-sided and misinformed mainstream coverage of the council proposals.
Members of the PBMA are meeting Monday November 30th at 5pm at the corner of 16th and JFK Boulevard today to distribute an official statement about recent events.
The Classic Roll is a cool seat bag from Woho’s Firefly series. It can be mounted to either the saddle rails or the handlebar. What’s truly unique is that they’re made from a translucent reflective material. When you put a light inside the bag (provided it’s not obscured by the rest of the bag’s contents) the whole bag becomes a lamp.
As soon as I opened the box from Taiwan I was impressed by the quality. The bag is sewn with all the integrity and attention to detail you would expect to see on a high-end messenger bag, and the material feels strong and durable. The second thing I noticed was how simple it was to mount the bag. The wide Velcro strap across the top of the bag makes installation fast and secure, and the same goes for the optional handlebar straps. It might seem like a stabilizing strap between the bag and the seatpost would be a good idea, but I’ve found that it works fine without one. Continue reading ‘Woho Classic Roll’
Contributor John Prolly updates his site every Monday with pictures of Merckx bikes, sometimes delving into the history behind them and their components This past week the Merckx Monday post covered the mysterious fate of Eddy’s 1972 hour record bicycle with pictures and examinations of a number of supposed originals. Made by Colnago with unique Pino Morroni drilled and reinforced components, the bike in question is a remarkable piece of cycling history. But where is the actual bike in the above photo?
The new and somewhat strangely named Sidi Ergo.com site has an interesting post showing off five particularly long journeys on penny farthing style bicycles, showing that this classic bicycle design can pedal around the world. In terms of trivia, one of the remnants of the penny farthing is the measurement of bicycle gear inches which converts a gear ratio and rear wheel size into the equivalent size of wheel a penny farthing would have to roll the same amount for one pedal revolution.
These xtranormal.com movies are blowing up, and with good reason. They let natural-born comedians make great little cartoons without having to go to school for animation. Brilliant! Thanks to Erik Noren for sharing this one.
Jiro Belts are one of a kind belts made in Italy. They retail for about $45, and there are custom options available. Contact them directly to inquire about the specifics.
As we mentioned earlier in the week, our pal Fritz from Cyclelicio.us was just at the SF Bike Expo and he was kind enough to let us know about a few of the exhibitors our readers might be interested in.
At first sight, it seems like Masuelli is just another company hopping on the bamboo bandwagon. But the company actually has an interesting story. It was started as a sustainability project sponsored by the Argentinian government. Fritz writes:
The designer is an industrial engineer who’s been teaching classes on how to do this in Argentina for the past five years. His brother moved to America to go to college (Sacramento State) and has been selling these in the USA for five months now using California grown bamboo, and spec’ing California parts as much as possible.
Ann Arbor’s annual Cranksgiving event is running a bit later the most, but is still part of the family. Come on out on December 6th and contribute to the cause.
Mission Workshop made their debut at Interbike this year with the waterproof, US-made Vandal cargo backpack, and now has a video posted that shows in more detail how exactly this bag expands and handles various loads.
Beyond Bicycles is an upcoming art exhibition in the spring of 2010 that is meant to document and celebrate all sorts of human-powered machines and kinetic sculptures past and present. Accompanying the art exhibition will be a printed zine featuring many of the works, along with the tales behind them. Held at the Rock Paper Scissors Collective in Oakland CA, entries are being accepted until March 15th for this May 2010 show.
Crank Arm Steady and SUP Clothing present the first ever Tour of Singapore. No, it’s not a three week road race. It’s a one-day, 120km fixed gear ride for fun (freewheel bikes are encouraged, too, but no gears, please). Registration is just $5, and spare tubes and beverages will be provided.
Like many cities with greenways and off-street bicycle trails those in Indianapolis are officially closed dusk-to-dawn, creating outlaws of bike commuters forced to ride in the dark whether due to night shfits or the changing dawn of the season. In most communities commuters are given a pass on this practice as law enforcement has more pressing needs than busting pannier laden teachers commuting to their classroom. This was the case up until a few weeks ago when dozens of tickets were given over a few days to early morning commuters on the Monon Greenway in Indianapolis. According to NUVO Newsweekly, after discussions between various cycling entities and the city, the tickets are being forgiven and it seems as if the whole incident has sparked constructive talks between everyone on the future of the trail system in Indianapolis, effectively making lemonade out of the lemons police officers handed out earlier.
“Part of why it takes so much diligence is that all of these trails have unique aspects to be considered,” (Indianapolis Parks Employee) Lowry said. “We want to create the right model. It’s something we’re trying to do correctly the first time, so it may take a little time to plan.”
When I pulled it out of the envelope I was shocked, thinking they had sent some unbelievably expensive Merino wool garment. I was even more shocked, then, to learn it was 100% cotton! The fabric is soft, light and breathable—perfect for a cool summer night. Of course, being that it’s cotton it doesn’t have the same “warm when wet” properties that a wool garment has, but consider the environment it’s designed for. Singapore’s average daily temperature is above 80° throughout the year, and daytime temps soar to 90° in November. So lightweight cotton and linen are recommended.
Cotton is known for being strong and machine washable, yet it’s plentiful and affordable. I also know a lot of my friends will like this jersey because cotton is vegan-friendly.
In addition to the hood and rear pocket, the hoodie features a reflective strip sewn across the back. The hoodie retails for $59SGD, which is about $43 in the US. And yes, they ship worldwide. Check out peonfx.wordpress.com.
Urban Velo #16 featured an article about Mike Shih, an Urban Legend of Philadelphia known for his “future primitive” lifestyle and sharing his love of bicycling. Stories like these are best told by the people who know these under-the-radar legends in their own right. Every city has a few, and we’d like to hear about yours. Email Brad for submission guidelines if you’d like to share your local legend.
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