Aug 19 2010

Rails to Trails video from AARP


This is a nice little video that explains why rail trails are becoming so popular.
Unfortunately, it starts w/ a short advertisement from an insurance company, but please stick w/ it, because the ad is short and the actually video is informative.
It has some good interviews and shows just enough trail to make you anxious to jump on your bike and hit a rails-to-trails path.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/19/rails-to-trails-video-from-aarp/

Aug 18 2010

What it’s like to be a bike cop on the Capital Crescent Trail

Don’t take my word for it!

That seems to be the theme of my last couple blogs.

Today’s blog shows just how popular bicycle commuting has become on our nation’s urban trails. And I emphasize the word shows.

The Capital Crescent Trail gets so much use that it needs a trained group of bicycle cops to head off the inevitable run-ins that are a result of heavy trail use.

Read this article about bike cops on the Capital Crescent Trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/18/what-its-like-to-be-a-bike-cop-on-the-capital-crescent-trail/

Aug 17 2010

Filmed by Bike: a testament to the growing popularity of bicycles


There’s a website dedicated solely to films made on/about bicycles. (I have recently been told that “Filmed by Bike” is also a film festival of bike-themed movies.) Now that is what I call an endorsement to the newfound popularity of bikes in our society.
Here is a trailer/teaser for those wishing to participate in the filmed by bike movement:

They’re coming….. to Filmed By Bike from Burk Webb on Vimeo.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/17/filmed-by-bike-a-testament-to-the-growing-popularity-of-bicycles/

Aug 16 2010

Best Bike Trails in the Washington D.C. area

I plan a lot of bike trips, so I spend a great deal of time researching. Some of that time is spent browsing websites.
Unfortunately, I’m easily overwhelmed. So I often prefer sites that give precise, concise, and abbreviated summaries of trails. This is especially true when I first start to research a bike trail.

So I was pleased to find a web page with information about the best bicycling trails in Washington D.C.

It includes information about:

By the time my September D.C. trip is concluded, I will have explored at least three of the five trails listed above. So far, I can only vouch for the Mount Vernon Trail, and it’s a doozy. I look forward to riding it for a second time.
If you’re planning a trip to Washington in the  near future, I recommend you try these five trails. A good bike ride in the middle of your excursion is the perfect escape. After a couple days of touring among the crowds, a bike trip is just what the Dr. ordered.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/16/best-bike-trails-in-the-washington-d-c-area/

Aug 15 2010

Family takes bike trip from Alaska to Argentina

I think I’ve been quite the animalistic biker if I put in 60 miles a day for a couple days in a  row.

In today’s Parade magazine, there was an article about a family who biked 18,000 miles from Alaska to Argentina. The family consisted of mom, dad, and two young boys. The parents are teachers. Having been both a teacher and a parent, I can’t imagine the organization, dedication, and sheer stamina that must have gone into this trip.

To read more about the Vogel family, see a slideshow of their trip pictures, and find out some details, visit this parade.com web page.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/15/family-takes-bike-trip-from-alaska-to-argentina/

Aug 14 2010

Bike crashes




Youtube and other sites have thousands of videos of bike crashes. Many of them are pretty wicked. I have noticed one common factor.

All of them are either on the road or on mountain bike trails. None of them are on rail-trails or other multi-use trails. Let’s keep it that way. Let’s keep rail trails as the last bastion of sanity in the biking world. It doesn’t matter whether they’re urban trails, country trails or something in between; safe and relaxing trails are good trails.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/14/bike-crashes/