A friend of mine in Fort Collins told me about the then ew  Fort Collins Bike Library, which opened over the weekend just in time for spring.

Fort Collins is one of the most bike friendly cities in Colorado - with many bike lanes and an educated and aware public when it comes to sharing the local roads.  Thus making it easy to cycle for daily errands and transportation rather than just a recreational weekend ride.

Some European cities, including Paris, have made free bikes available for daily use with pick-up and return points in various parts of the city.  The Fort Collins Bike Library, created by the city of Fort Collins with the assistance of the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-Op, is now doing the same thing on a smaller scale with their current fleet of 50 bikes.

Bike Library rents out bikes of all shapes and sizes for up to seven days, and plans to offer future tours around Fort Collins too.  

This type of initiative should be commended and recognized by cities large and small.  In an overall city budget this type of program costs next to nothing, and generates a more livable and active community. 

They’re in Old Town Fort Collins at 19 Old Town Square, and a few blocks away on the west side of College at the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-Op  -  222 La Porte.

More at fcbikelibrary.org and the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

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Marken is a small fishing village on an island about 23 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. It’s part of the North Holland area called “Waterland,” and connected to the mainland by a 4 km long dike.

It’s an easy day trip by bike, but if you’re riding a single speed made for the city you can expect a bit of work if the winds pick up.

I rode from my apartment in the Jordaan neighborhood down to the Central Station and along the modern waterfront.

Getting a bit lost along the way I passed through the small neighborhood of Zeeburg and over two large bridges (with separate bike paths,) which connects North Holland.

After crossing under the A10 motorway I was officially in the country and followed the signs north while studying farmhouses sitting amid long trenches of water. I stopped for a coffee at the town of Durgerdam (above photo) then proceeded up through Uitdam and on to Kruisbaakweg, the road which sits atop the dike.

Being mid March there wasn’t much activity in Marken except for a local wedding party, but after exploring the nooks and crannies of the town, as well as the small museum and modern library, I settled down for a burger and a couple Amstels at the one open restaurant.

The extremely narrow streets, small houses, and cobblestone walkways reminded me of the island from “The Prisoner.” Thankfully I was allowed to bike home without being consumed by a giant white sphere.

Be seeing you!

More Marken and Waterland photos

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And of course what’s an article about biking in Amsterdam without a few videos to share with my fellow cycling geeks at Bike Forums. This first video is traveling along Haarlemmerweg (or the S103,) from the Sloterdijk Station west of Amsterdam into the city center.

The second: In the narrow streets of The Jordaan, a neighborhood just west of the city center and home to the Westerkerk (church) and the Ann Frank House.

More videos:

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Being an advocate of utility cycling and a promoter of biking as regular transportation I’m certainly biased in writing this, but I believe that even with Amsterdam’s excellent system of trams and pedestrian friendly streets biking really is the most efficient method of getting around. With a bike you can cover a lot of ground in a short time - turning a 25 minute walk into a five minute ride.

When blessed with good weather the network of paths outside of the city can make for great day trips to outlying towns. Signs clearly label bike routes, or “fietspads,” and the distances to towns, cities, and landmarks. While some paths parallel busy motorways others traverse quiet farms or provide extensive views from atop dikes.

Considering costs, renting a bike for a weeks won’t run much more than you’d pay after using up several “strippenkaarts” hopping on and off trams and buses.

As most know the Dutch don’t see cycling as recreational pastime or hobby restricted to sunny weekend mornings. Biking as transportation is a regular part of life, anytime of day, rain or shine. When watching bikes filled with groceries and kids swoosh down streets it appears cute and utopian - but visitors are well served to respect this method of transportation and follow basic traffic rule. Being mindful of bike right-of-ways and keeping your head on a swivel will keep you and your fellow cyclists safe.

The majority of streets have bike lanes on the sides, or adjacent to the street buffered by parking or medians. If lacking a designated lane then bikes share the road with cars. Along the smaller brick streets that hug the canals space is a bit tighter and shared with pedestrians. However if you prefer a slower pace then following the canals will give you beautiful views of the city, and you’ll be tempted to stop for a picture every time you crest the small bridges.

It may sound harrowing; but anyone skilled in basic vehicular cycling will do just fine. Motorists and tram operators are observant to pedestrians and cyclists. Many local intersections don’t even have signals or stop signs - rather they allow cars and bikes to decide for themselves via eye contact or the “give to the right” rule.

One infrastructure rule I quickly learned was that the bike signals are located on the posts directly in FRONT of you. I and even other locals tended to pull PAST the signal - and have to crane our necks back to watch it turn green.

On one busy intersection I mistakenly pulled into the street because I was watching the signal on the NEXT sign post. This netted me some well deserved honks, but lesson quickly learned.

There are many of bike rental establishments including the popular chain Mac Bike. Any place is fine for a spin around Vondelpark or jaunt outside of town - however if you plan on keeping a bike for an extended period as I did you’ll garner a bit more respect on the streets if you blend in with a regular bike, rather than one garnishing the logo of a rental company.

“Bike City,” was recommended to me as a good place to rent. They’re in the Jordaan neighborhood at Bloemgracht 68, near Westerkerk and the Ann Frank House. I rented a solid bike seven speed with a wheel lock and heavy chain for about 75 Euro for the week. It served me perfectly in the city and outside of town too. Like their site says their bikes are inconspicuous so you won’t be noticed as a tourist - and with their heavy duty locks you can use your bike as a regular means of transportation - running errands and seeing the sights.

Unlike cities that are overwhelmed with the noises of honking taxis and smoke spewing buses Amsterdam is remarkably quiet. And so is their transportation. Trams glide along tracks and bikes breeze by you - which means it’s important to be vigilant of your surroundings. But with those cautions I can’t think of a better way to see this beautiful city and experience it as the locals do.

More tips:

-Whether biking or walking - keep your head on a swivel.

-Don’t walk on designated bike lanes.
-Cross tram tracks at a 90 degree angle.
- You don’t want to get your wheels caught in them.
-If you need to stop (or stop suddenly) to check your map and get your bearings pull out of traffic.
-Lock your bike. Always.

Next post: Day trips by bike outside of Amsterdam.

More photos here

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Thanks to a streak of non icy and slushy days I’ve been enjoying my daily bike commute uninterrupted for the past two weeks or so.

Robert Hurst, author of “The Art of Urban Cycling,” and “Road Biking Colorado’s Front Range” has a new blog:  The Industrialized Cyclist.

Robert shares my interest of urban geography and utility cycling.  In his blog, among biking articles and news, are some excellent photos of Denver landmarks, buildings, trip reports, and trail info.

If you want to see a cycling outlook beyond the sterile paths of Lodo and Riverfront Park check out Robert’s site and his books at theindustrializedcyclist.com

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The November issue of Dwell Magazine has a nice feature and photo essay highlighting the (hopefully popular) trend of urban cycling.  It’s light on text but heavy on bikes, bags, and gear to assist any newbie in hammering out the logistics of every day city cycling.  Check out the slideshows featuring commuter bikes, messenger bags, and accessories.  After all, owning a chic little city big is worthless if you don’t have some cargo capacity right?

I’m a big advocate of utilitarian cycling – or the every day use of bikes as transportation.  Whether commuting to work, running errands, or just getting from A to B, in many cities it’s much more convenient than using a car, keeps you active, and often much faster than using transit.

My only contrarian angle would be that some of this gear is, well, way too nice.  Many of us live in environments where we get bombarded with rain, snow, slush, and worse - thieves.  And we share our parking spaces other bikes which can scratch and chip our nice new gear.  It’s often better to just pick up a used beater bike, tune it up, and use that for your daily errands.  I prefer function over fashion anyway.  Still this is a pretty cool slideshow, and a hip way to roll around town.

Don’t forget to study up on “vehicular cycling” too.   Know the rules of the road to protect yourself.

Dwell article by Chelsea Holden Baker and photos by Andy Reynolds.  Pictured left:  Kona Bike’s “Ute“  and the Tektonic Messenger Bag by Silent Revolution.

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From Gizmodo  - Head’s up fellow bike commuters:  it’s getting dark if you haven’t noticed.

Lupine Lighting Systems is a German manufacturer of mobile light for cycling, caving, climbing, and exploration in general.

The new “Betty” light is the brightest cycling light available anywhere, and in fact probably not even street legal in most U.S. states. 

The cost?  An astounding $1,100 dollars.  I’d like to try it out first.  But hey you bike to work so you have money to burn right?  The “Betty” would probably suffice as an adequate incendiary device.

They have cheaper versions and more cool stuff, plus the”Betty” release info at lupine.de

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Last week I had the chance to wander around the South Gaylord Street neighborhood of Denver’s Washington Park East during a weekday lunch break. I travel through Washington Park often, but rarely make it into this hidden jewel of a street.

Founded in 1924 South Gaylord Street is one of the oldest retail districts in Denver outside of the central downtown area. Local businesses including a movie theater moved in through the 20s and 30s to serve the community, and when the car culture of the 50s and 60s arrived the district stayed alive and became an eclectic artist community with independent retail and restaurants - to which it still is today. If you’re visiting the area of Cherry Creek, Washington Park, or DU (University of Denver,) it’s worth checking out South Gaylord for the variety of food, sports, art, and good friendly people.

Business list and map Picture below - two bike shops of course. The Singletrack Factory Bike Skate and Snowboard Shop, and Tandem Cycle Works of Colorado. (Tandem’s site definitely makes tandem biking look sexy.) Above: Devil’s Food Bakery and Coffee Shop.

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Erik Caves is profiled by the OC Register. Is it possible for a family to live without a car in car dependent southern California?:

And what he’s doing is remarkable in a nation of 220 million adults owning 247 million registered vehicles. A nation so dependent on those vehicles that, according to Jane Holtz Kay’s book “Asphalt Nation,” by the time you finish this sentence, they will have traveled another “60,000 miles, used up 3,000 gallons of petroleum (products) and added 60,000 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.”

Jess started taking the bus to work. Erick started biking Rachel to tutoring lessons and to the park to play. All three of them bike to Target and the beach. They’ve discovered new restaurants. Met new people. Rediscovered their own neighborhood. Within two months they paid off two credit cards. No car meant no car bills. It also meant no quick trips to Taco Bell. No morning jolt of Starbucks. No impulse buys of jeans or toys at Target.

Excellent examples of living simply and reaping the rewards. But why is it difficult to find a Starbucks?

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is promoting cycling initiatives including bike lanes, parking stations, and awareness. This video by the way highlights some of the worst cycling methods. The cyclist doesn’t take his lane, he filters up to red lights (perhaps filtering for bikes and motorcycles is legal in Mass,) and he weaves in and out of lanes. I can’t say I’m always innocent of these errors, but I wouldn’t a video of it much less make it a promo video.

Anyway good for Boston. Check out the story and video.

Stung by national criticism and hoping to take a bite out of traffic and air pollution, Mayor Thomas M. Menino is vowing to change that. A newly converted cyclist himself, Menino will announce today the hiring of a bike czar, former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman, and a first phase of improvements to include 250 new bike racks across Boston and an online map system.

“Boston has unbelievable potential,” Freedman said. “We’re a compact city, we’re flat, we have a young population and lots of tourists. If we do this correctly, we have the potential to be one of the best bike cities in the country. In three years, I think we will see some very dramatic changes.”

Also from the Boston Globe: Fall activities in the Aspen / Roaring Fork area.. If any Bostonians are traveling this way don’t forget to breakfast at Marion’s of the Rockies in Idaho Springs on your way up. You’ll find me there any Saturday or Sunday that I’m headed west :)

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Fall is here, and each morning as I check the outdoor thermometer before my daily bike ride to work I see it downticking more and more.   It’s not cold enough to break out the Gore-Tex gloves, and my cheap liners I picked up last year didn’t make it through the winter without some fingers poking through.   I saw these gloves (pictured right) by Descente at a local bike shop and picked them up in order to give me a comfy start to the approaching cold season.

They’re a local Boulder company, and have a wide selection of apparel for cycling and running, as well as buckets of cool accessories.  Their “Element” jacket is a perfect all season light yet waterproof and highly insulated jacket which is perfect for winter biking, hiking, and skiing, or use as a liner on those really really cold days. 

They’re sold at REI and local bike stores around the country.  Descenteathletic.com

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I’ve mentioned the Cherry Creek Bike Rack in various past posts but never provided details about their services. The Bike Rack is run by the long standing chain Campus Cycles, in conjunction with local Denver advocacy group Transportation Solutions.

The Bike Rack location, at 2nd and Detroit in Cherry Creek, exists to serve bike commuters by providing valet parking, wash up facilities, snacks, and a comfy place to unwind and park your bike near work. Being located two blocks from the Cherry Creek trail their rentals are popular with visitors to the area as well. Because they open at 7am they can facilitate daily bike parking for commuters, or cyclists passing through the area who need early morning service, (such as myself with my recent spat of flat tires.)

This is a micro version of Chicago’s Cycle Center, and as I mentioned in this post we NEED more places like this! Small shops, dedicated to transit oriented cycling, service and repairs, and rentals. If cities had several of these small shops planted throughout the area it would be an encouragement for more people to consider bike commuting as a viable alternative to driving.
My only criticism in the concept of “bike valet parking” is that I believe companies and building/property managers should provide secure and convenient on-site parking. Unless I worked within a block of a bike valet facility I probably wouldn’t use it, as I prefer to simply bike to my destination without stopping. As I mentioned with Chicago’s Cycle Center I would be inconvenienced at parking my bike somewhere, then adding another leg to my commute by walking or busing. But that said the Cherry Creek Bike Rack is a valuable resource in this pedestrian/bike friendly area. If you’re planning a visit to Denver it’s worth renting a bike for a few hours and cruising the nearby trails.

They’re located at 171 Detroit Street, in Denver’s Cherry Creek North neighborhood. cherrycreekbikerack.com

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I was feeling a bit lazy this morning so instead of my regular bike commute I rode through Washington Park and hopped the train down to my office.

While buying a ticket at the machine this oddity stood out at me like a televangelist who’s faithful to his wife.  Anyone know what’s wrong with this picture?   If I didn’t know better I’d think it was bait.

Hey it’s just like those kids menu puzzles at Bob Evans.  Only there’s just one thing out of place here.

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Another interesting gadget I found today.  And is there any accessory now that DOESN’T start with an I?  iTHINK it’s becoming quite overused.

There really isn’t a decent method playing music while cycling.  Personally I use a single earpiece during my bike commute and long trips to listen to the BBC and various podcasts.  However this riles up the cycling safety nannies who find this concept reprehensible.  Many suped up Harleys and other motorcycles have sound systems built in rivaling a car stereo for their road trips.

For the touring cyclist this cumbersome looking pipe bomb size gadget allows you to boom out sound while cycling, and not do damage to your precious eardrums.  At $99, The “Cycler”  from iHome  Audio fits snug in the standard water bottle holder, and includes a remote control which mounts on your handle bars for minimal fumbling

Just forego it’s use while on busy streets or a crowded city park.  Nobody wants to hear your Bon Jovi blast by while feeding the ducks.

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I missed this great cycling advocacy article from Time Magazine back in late May.   It highlights communities that are investing nominal funds for cycling infrastructure.  These include bike parking, repair stations, and changing facilities near business areas or downtowns.  Combined with a healthy public attitude these encourage more people to bike to work and for regular errands.

A similar facility for Denver commuters is the outstanding Cherry Creek Bike Rack, run by Campus Cycles, at 2nd and Detroit.  Living nearby I’ve stopped in many times en route to work for some air or a quick adjustment.

My only negative thought about large “mega hub” bike complexes is that if they require an ADDITIONAL cumbersome step to get to work then they won’t be used. Reading about Chicago’s “Cycle Center” leads me to believe it’s quite extravagant.   (I’d love to hear from people that use it, I plan on checking it out during my next visit.)  But not everyone follows the same route to work.  I certainly wouldn’t park at a “hub” if my office was another half mile away.  I want to go to work, not a garage and then another walk or train ride.  To me four to six small bike stations spread around a business district or office parks would be more beneficial than a single giant “hub.”

In addition to bike commuter stations it’s necessary for office buildings and employers to provide ample bike parking on site.  They need to embrace cycling, and not equate a bunch of bikes in front with poor college kids. (As is the attitude of the Denver Tech Center, which limits the number of bike racks.)     However overall these bike hubs are a great concept and a step in the right direction.  Hopefully more communities large and small will embrace these type of “hubs.”

 Time Magazine Article from May 24 below:

Using a bicycle to get around has always been a bittersweet proposition in Southern California. Sure, it’s eco-friendly, an excellent cardio workout and a pleasant alternative to snail’s-pace public transportation, gridlocked freeways and king’s-ransom gas prices. The drawback is finding a convenient, theft-proof parking spot. “When you can find a safe parking spot on the street, it’s often 100 feet or more from your destination; and if there is secure bike parking, it’s usually behind the building near the weeds next to a trash dumpster,” says Russ Roca, a local photographer who doesn’t own a car and hauls up to 200 pounds of equipment on his bike’s trailer attachment. “Bike riders are treated like social pariahs and second-class citizens.”

But that may be starting to change. Long Beach has pioneered the creation of commuter-biking hubs offering valet parking, showers and repair services, and other cities in California and elsewhere in the U.S. are beginning to take note. “The concept is growing fast and helping bike commuting move from an invisible subculture to an organized pursuit that’s part of the fabric of everyday urban life,” says John Case, a retired real estate financier who brought the Bikestation concept from Europe to Long Beach in 1996. Its popularity prompted public agencies and private groups in San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto and Seattle have followed suit. The city of Santa Monica provides free valet parking on Sundays outside the farmer’s market. The city of Chicago and McDonald’s built their own Cycle Center in Millennium Park three years ago. And earlier this month, the mayor of Santa Barbara, home to 5,000 daily bike commuters, cut the ribbon on the newest Bikestation, an $80,000 self-parking garage inside an auto parking garage, offering showers, a changing area and a bathroom for fee-paying members. Bike parking centers in Pasadena, Santa Monica and San Diego also are in the works.

(more…)

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I love this comprehensive Wall Street Journal Article by Nancy Keates.  She does a killer job detailing daily transportation by cycling in Denmark and Holland, and how it affects life, jobs, children, and home life.

I bike to work most days, but as the single cyclist in an office of 200 I’m considered the Lance Armstrong of the water cooler for some reason. I play it down by stating that for me it’s just a simpler and easier method of transportation, and I don’t consider it to be that novel. But like others that cycle for practical reasons it’s not always seen as a normal in many cities.  Myself and others are considered either fitness buffs, hippies, or environmentalists completely eschewing the modern way of life.  Maybe I’m a little of each, but my partner and I do share a car.  (Which I mainly use for my Home Depot runs.)

Many who are into biking completely compartmentalize it into solely recreation, and many U.S. bike shops don’t carry a wide range of practical equipment for transporting daily sundries, thus making cycling for a “purpose” more difficult.  As the Dutch show it’s not necessary to load up on powerbars, multiple water bottles, and extensive safety gear to do a bike trip to the store.  Just purchase a pannier or messenger bag, a secure lock, and just start doing it - even if you don’t have the luxury of a leafy wide bike lane like shown in my Munich photo below.  Also if more people dropped the stigma of bikes equal poor, weirdo, or DUI,  then more people might start showing up for business meetings, dinner with friends, or other social functions via bike.  To me saving gas, parking costs, and staying active is cool.

Perhaps this article will help encourage U.S. city leaders to promote utilitarian cycling in their communities, and hopefully cease the insane U.S. concept of able bodied individuals driving one mile to the grocery store, a mile to another store, and four or six miles to work and back.  It’s understood that with our sprawling exurbs, eight lane arterials, and “super” shopping warehouses we’ll never erase car dependence completely, but it’s wonderful to see the normalcy of urban and suburban cycling promoted and appreciated.  As large and small cities like Boulder, CO, Chicago, and Davis, CA show - with good incentives, supportive infrastructure, and open minded citizens it CAN be done here.

Here is the story,  link will expire in a few days…  also below:

Building a Better Bike Lane  Bike-friendly cities in Europe are launching a new attack on car culture. Can the U.S. catch up?
By NANCY KEATES
COPENHAGEN — No one wears bike helmets here. They’re afraid they’ll mess up their hair. “I have a big head and I would look silly,” Mayor Klaus Bondam says.

People bike while pregnant, carrying two cups of coffee, smoking, eating bananas. At the airport, there are parking spaces for bikes. In the emergency room at Frederiksberg Hospital on weekends, half the biking accidents are from people riding drunk. Doctors say the drunk riders tend to run into poles.  Flat, compact and temperate, the Netherlands and Denmark have long been havens for bikers. In Amsterdam, 40% of commuters get to work by bike. In Copenhagen, more than a third of workers pedal to their offices. But as concern about global warming intensifies — the European Union is already under emissions caps and tougher restrictions are expected — the two cities are leading a fresh assault on car culture. A major thrust is a host of aggressive new measures designed to shift bike commuting into higher gear, including increased prison time for bike thieves and the construction of new parking facilities that can hold up to 10,000 bikes.

The rest of Europe is paying close attention. Officials from London, Munich and Zurich (plus a handful from the U.S.) have visited Amsterdam’s transportation department for advice on developing bicycle-friendly infrastructure and policies. Norway aims to raise bicycle traffic to at least 8% of all travel by 2015 — double its current level — while Sweden hopes to move from 12% to 16% by 2010. This summer, Paris will put thousands of low-cost rental bikes throughout the city to cut traffic, reduce pollution and improve parking.

The city of Copenhagen plans to double its spending on biking infrastructure over the next three years, and Denmark is about to unveil a plan to increase spending on bike lanes on 2,000 kilometers, or 1,240 miles, of roads. Amsterdam is undertaking an ambitious capital-improvement program that includes building a 10,000-bike parking garage at the main train station — construction is expected to start by the end of next year. The city is also trying to boost public transportation usage, and plans to soon enforce stricter car-parking fines and increase parking fees to discourage people from driving.
  (more…)

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During my two weeks in Europe I was surprised at what a cycling city Munich was. My only thoughts of major biking in Europe were of the Netherlands. Munich is truly an advanced biking city: Bike lanes on many major routes, many cyclists amid cars in streets flowing perfectly with traffic, designated bike, walk, and drive signals at many intersections too.

All pedestrians and drivers are accustomed to folks cycling as a normal form of transportation. People whisked by me with German efficiency, with exception to this American accidentally standing or walking in the bike lane on occasion . And when I was in the way a polite ring of a bell sufficed just fine.

Here’s some random commuter bike photos I snapped. And look at these sexy fenders!

Basket and sleek fenders!

At the central train station

(more…)

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As my six regular blog readers know I’m a big advocate of utilitarian cycling, meaning the use of cycling for every purposes such as commuting to work, shopping, and daily errands.   With some storage capacity added to any bike you can forget traffic, save gas, and get healthier all during your daily routine.

Here’s a site called C.I.C.L.E. or the more verbally cumbersome title: “Cyclists Inciting Change thru LIVE Exchange“. 

C.I.C.L.E. is chock full of useful tips, links, and logistics for practical cycling.  If you love racks, panniers, and cruising to the coffee shop with your laptop on a sunny day this site’s for you.  It’s also a good networking tool to find local bike shops that focus on utility cycling, in addition to racing/road bikes.  With perfect weather almost everywhere it’s a great time to start bike commuting.  Check them out!

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