Jan 04 2011

Local Rail-Trail a Source of Pride

I love to hear/read about people and communities that are enthusiastic about their local rail trails; they should be. I don’t think a lot of people realize all the benefits that major trails bring to their communities. For a reasonably low price, trails bring tourists, economic benefits, health benefits, added transportation options, decreased air pollution, job opportunities, community togetherness, recreational opportunities, and the aforementioned civic pride.

spur trail that connects to the Coal Creek Trail

I just discovered a blog called pedalparadise that details the great biking opportunities in Northampton, MA. One particular post on the site describes how the trail of Northampton (not to be confused w/ the Bridges of Madison County) helped lure a cyclocross racer into moving to the area.

I can relate. The cycling atmosphere, in general, helped lure me to the town where I live; then a great regional trail specifically convinced me to move to my present neighborhood. Looking out my back window and seeing people enjoying the trail on a daily basis bring immeasurable contentment.

Of course, I’m probably preaching to the choir on this particular venue. Now we just need to convince the rest of the world that trails make a difference and return much more than they cost.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/04/local-rail-trail-a-source-of-pride/

Jan 02 2011

Bike Sharing is Growing at a Phenomenal Rate

It seems like bike-sharing just started yesterday, and all of a sudden, it is all over and being used with great

frequency. Some place like Dublin, Ireland and Paris, France seem to be especially smitten w/ the bike share program.
When I looked at the Google/Bike-Share map (link & graphic on left), I was pleased to see that the United States has also caught bike-share fever. The numbers at the U.S. facilities aren’t quite as impressive as those in most European locations, but I’m sure our relatively low prices for gas have something to do with that. In addition, the U.S. doesn’t have quite the bicycle culture as they do in Europe. Hopefully, that’s very gradually changing.
If you get a chance, check out the bike-sharing blog. Join me in a pledge to try out one of your local bike-share stations. I’ve talked to the folks at the Denver & Washington D.C. bike-sharing programs, but as of yet, I haven’t given them a spin. It’s on my to-do list for this coming spring or summer.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/02/bike-sharing-is-growing-at-a-phenomenal-rate/

Jan 01 2011

Unite Bike Day on Oct. 2, 2011

I thought this post, on the UniteBike website, was interesting and worthwhile. I just added it to my calendar, and I hope you do the same. I like the idea of bikers uniting for a common cause. The biking community has a lot to offer the world. So without further ado, directly from UniteBike, here’s the message:
Bikers Unite
Unite Bike is aiming to make a huge jump forward in 2011.  The idea behind Unite Bike has evolved from a simple personal photographic project to help promote cycling commuters in the Twin Cities area to a way for cyclists to gather together and promote cycling all over the world.
The 2011 mission for Unite Bike is to become an internationally recognized day to promote cycling.  And to do it by taking photos of cyclists – both to symbolically and physically represent why cycling is an important activity.
The 2011 official Unite Bike photos will be taken on October 2nd – the first Sunday in October.  Which hopefully will become the officially recognized international day of cycling moving forward in the future.
Unite Bike needs a lot of help to make this possible.  Right now there is a very small and dedicated team working to move this idea from a goal to a reality.  And we need you’re help.
As we get organized for the 2011 Unite Bike at any point in time – if would like to help in any way, please contact Unite Bike founder Clark Patrick here:
www.revolution@clarkpatrick.com
And here are a few very simple things you can do right now:
1.) Join our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter, take a look at more Unite Bike images on Flickr, and watch a few of our videos on Vimeo.
2.) Help us spread the word. — Write a blog post about Unite Bike.  Contact someone from a media organization that can do a story on Unite Bike.  Start to organize cyclists in your own cities to get ready for Oct. 2nd.  Tell other people who care about cycling to reach out to us with any ways they might be able to help.
3.) Think about a way you or your organization might be able to sponsor, partner, or promote the Unite Bike mission.
4.) Take ownership over Unite Bike.  This is an idea… a movement…. an ideal…. for you.  Unite Bike is clearly and simply meant to unite us all around something that we care about and that is an important step forward for humanity.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/01/unite-bike-day-on-oct-2-2011/

Dec 31 2010

New Bike Rental Service Solves Big Trail Problem

Okay, my trailsnet Velolet bike inventory
isn’t quite this big, but maybe someday…

I travel all over the country in search of great bike trails.

The trails are easy to find. They’re nearly everywhere and expanding each day thanks to organizations like American Trails and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. And, since I’ve started trailsnet.com, there are now many fantastic trail locating websites like Everytrail, trailsnet, trails, traillink, Map My Ride, Ride With GPS, etc.

But there are still some logistical problems for those of us who enjoy exploring new trails. Among these logistical trail concerns are: finding trailside lodging, finding trailside dining, finding trailside bike repairs, finding trailside bike rentals….

Hold on just a minute. We can now cross that last little dilemma off the list thanks to a new website called velolet.com. Velolet offers local bike rental options, provided by local people & businesses. That alone is reason for celebration. But it just keeps getting better. I was elated to see that they offer a wide selection of cycling options including… wait for it… recumbents.

Those of you who read my posts know that I love trying out new human-powered means of locomotion. I don’t own a recumbent (yet), but I love renting them when the opportunity arises. Unfortunately, until now, the opportunity has not arisen very often. I’m hoping that as more people begin listing with Velolet, there will be more options. And who knows, maybe Velolet will also add categories like Trikkes, Elliptigo, velomobiles, etc. The more choices, the merrier.

And this is doubly good news for you bicycle junkies. Not only can you rent bikes while you’re on the road, you can also rent out your own bikes. Velolet has made it extraordinarily easy to list your bikes with them.

I was so impressed by Velolet, I immediately added three of my own bikes to their inventory of bicycle rentals. So feel free to rent one of my bikes today. Of course, my Velolet username is trailsnet… What else?

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/12/31/new-bike-rental-service-solves-big-trail-problem/

Dec 31 2010

The five newest & coolest forms of human-powered transportation

Elliptigo

At trailsnet, we’re all about human-powered transportation, and normally, we highlight the standard fare of biking, hiking, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, inline skating, & horseback riding. But we’re also intrigued by some of the newer forms of sweat-equity transportation; so here’s a list of some cool new ways of getting around while getting in shape:

The Schweeb

  • The Schweeb, by Google is like a hybrid between a bike and a monorail. It is currently located in New Zealand as a recreational application, but it’s potential for transportation is sky-high!

  • Those of you who enjoy the elliptical trainer at your local gym will love the Elliptigo. It allows you to cruise like a bicyclist while standing upright like a cross-country skiier. It’s like running without all the jarring impact.
  • The Trikke, like the Elliptigo, allows you to stand up while moving down the street or trail. But it’s a lot less expensive and more of a full body workout. And once you master the Trikke, it’ll be a cinch to move onto the Skki during the winter months.
  • Okay, recumbents aren’t all that new, but they haven’t yet caught on like I think they’re bound to someday soon. So many of you may not even be aware of the recumbent movement. However, if you give one a try, I predict you’ll be hooked. I know I was.
    • recumbent
  • Technically velomobiles are a form of recumbent. But I think they look way cool, and seem to have their own following, so I’ll give them their own category. They look like the human-powered machine of the future.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/12/31/the-five-newest-coolest-forms-of-human-powered-transportation/

Dec 30 2010

Pittsburgh Walk & Bike

Streetfilms have some great videos of alternative transportation success stories with many films that involve biking and bike lanes. Here’s one of the videos about a biking triumph in Pittsburgh.


Pittsburgh Walk & Bike from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Now as most of you know, I prefer completely dedicated bike trails, but I also know that’s not possible in a lot of places. So some of the bike lanes in the Streetfilm videos are the next best thing to separated bike paths.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/12/30/pittsburgh-walk-bike/