Urban Velo

The White Lanes Of Gentrification

brad — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:09:14 +0000

In some communities bike lanes can be seen as an intrusion from the hip white guys up the street, “the white lanes of gentrification” as some would say. Urban Velo contributor John Greenfield penned a piece for Grid Chicago about the change in how bike lanes have been viewed in his hometown.

“Community organizations with strong Puerto Rican roots had a big influence on Billy[local alderman, opposed lanes in 2003, supports them now],” explains Alex Wilson, executive director of the nonprofit bike education center and retail shop West Town Bikes / Ciclo Urbano, located on the Paseo at 2459 W. Division. “Back then bicycles were seen as a tool of gentrification rather than a tool for community building. There was a sense that bike lanes were being imposed rather than proposed, and Humboldt Park and the Paseo Boricua do not like being told what to do. There was the question, are you accommodating wealthy white people riding their fancy bikes, or are you working with a community that has struggled to preserve its cultures and traditions?”

Read the entire story at Grid Chicago, and John’s cover story in Urban Velo #31, Can Bike Shop Deserts Bloom On Chicago’s Southside?

Tokyo Bike’s Art Bikes

Scott Spitz — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:29 +0000

Tokyo Bike opened a shop in east London and to build the hype had six artists give custom paint jobs to their rides for the opening. Nobody went too nuts and the bikes have a nice restrained aesthetic that seems to fit the boutique shop’s approach. You can see photos of the shop and opening night here.

Via It’s Nice That.

All-City Deputy 48h Polo Hubs

brad — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:36:17 +0000

All-City makes some really nice single speed hubsets, and has now introduced Deputy hubs with 48h drilling for polo use. High flanges have been all the rage for some time, but there is reason to believe low flange hubs like these are stronger and more impact resistant and spokes are plenty strong enough these days to negate structural reasons for high flange hubs. Tool free bearing adjustment, the bike does it for you when you clamp the wheel in the frame—a proven design in my opinion, I have a couple of high-end, long running hubsets that use a similar method of non-adjustment. Steel axles and nut surfaces promise to keep the wheel in place. Available in black only, in either 36 or 48h drillings. 100 mm front, 120 mm rear with either fixed/fixed or fixed/free available in the 48h polo version. Retail is set at $105 for the front hub and $110 for the rear. Available now, just head to the local shop and order them up.

Keen Upcycled Airbag Backpacks

brad — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:55:25 +0000

Keen is launching the Harvest III series this summer, adding to the Harvest series of upcycled bags with a line made from excess, damaged, or obsolete pre-consumer car airbags. The pictured backpack will be available for $120, with a messenger bag, tote bag and wallets also available made from the same repurposed airbag material. Available straight from Keen later this summer.

A Family Affair Cancer Fundraiser

Scott Spitz — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:15 +0000

The fundraising trio, A Family Affair, are continuously raising money for the MacMillan Cancer Support group. Starting June 15th they will be cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End, which is somewhere in the UK and we’ll trust is a very far ride. In addition to this ride, they have asked extended family and friends to create bike-themed posters to exhibit and sell May 23rd (today!). The posters are really something else and you can check ‘em all out here. If you hope to get one, or two, they will be available for a limited time through the site. Don’t miss out, these are some really striking posters (some very limited) and the money goes to a great cancer support group.

Bicycle Licensing in San Mateo

brad — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:44:13 +0000

Recently a reader sent in a link to a story in the San Mateo Patch, Bicycle Licensing in San Mateo, with the note “Is this the beginning?” More like the end—many communities have dated, unenforceable bicycle licensing or registration requirements on the books. I say unenforceable as in the case outlined in this story, in many of the places people have noticed such requirements the authorities themselves are typically ignorant of not only the regulations in the first place, but of any way to meet them even if you want. Financially speaking, running a bicycle registration program requires such an extensive administrative system that cities find them unfeasible to run.

We covered many of the issues around bicycle licensing way back in Urban Velo #6, License to Ride.

NACCC 2012 in Richmond This Weekend

brad — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:08:01 +0000

The North American Cycle Courier Championships are this weekend in Richmond VA, with people from across the continent fighting it out before the World’s touches down on our shores in August. May 24 – 28, more info at www.naccc2012.com

League of American Bicycles 2012 State Ranking

brad — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:45:05 +0000

The League of American Bicyclists has released their 2012 Bicycle Friendly State rankings, with Washington taking the top spot for the fifth year in a row. States are judged on a number of categories including legislation and enforcement, policies and programs, infrastructure and funding, education and encouragement, and evaluation and planning.

The top five: Washington, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon

See the complete list at www.bikeleague.org

5 Boro Bike Tour Time Lapse

Scott Spitz — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:00:33 +0000

You too cool for slow-paced group rides, but still, there’s that eentsy weentsy part of you that wonders what it’s like? Well, my friend, retain your uber-urban street cred while getting a feel of riding en masse, slowly, via this time lapse video of the 5 boro bike tour that went down in New York earlier this month. Get a tour of all 5 boros in just 3 minutes, so in a way it’s not even like you’re going slow! It’s ludicrous speed!

How To Not Kill A Cyclist

brad — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:38:37 +0000

As part of National Bike Month, The Morning News ran a piece How To Not Kill A Cyclist worth sharing with your driving, non-cycling friends. For most people on the internet, perhaps the last bit of advice is best.

Judge Us Not by Our Jerks
Just as some percentage of drivers are jerks, so too is some percentage of cyclists—I reckon about 15 percent in both cases. And I’m sure 15 percent of Segwayists are jerks, and 15 percent of jetpackists will be jerks at some point in the future. The Jerk Constant is as immutable and universal as π. The point here is to remember that the majority (85 percent!) of cyclists are not that punk you encountered last Tuesday, so don’t let that frustration get the better of you whenever you see a cyclists up ahead.