Pinellas County homeless find focus in bicycles

For many homeless, a bicycle is more than just a source of recreation. It is an essential piece of transportation. Creative Loafing has a great piece this week about how some are taking the initiative to fix and rebuild bicycles for other homeless persons. The St. Petersburg Free Clinic has even donated space in their building to house a makeshift bike shop. It's great to see people helping those in need, empowering each other with the freedom of two wheels.

Bike Green wants to saturate downtown St. Petersburg with free bikes

Brent Bruns and Andrew Blikken have an ambitious plan: inspired by free-bike programs in Europe, they want to flood downtown St. Petersburg with 8,000 bright green bicycles for the public to use for free. The program, BikeGreen, is funded by $.25 Altoid machines scattered around town as well as from donations.

Sound familiar? It's been done in Tampa Bay before. The Tampa Downtown partnership put 50 orange bikes on the street in 1997 and they vanished within a week. Eckerd College has a similar program with their yellow bikes on campus. Most ended up destroyed, abandoned or locked away behind a fence, though the bikes seem to be enjoying more success lately. Bruns says he realizes many of the bikes will disappear quickly: he's planning on losing 1,000 per month. The thought is that by providing so many bikes, the demand will simply overwhelm the desire to steal them.

What's not clear is where these bikes are going to come from and how they will be maintained. Donated bikes spray-painted green and maintained by volunteers will be of marginal operational quality at best. Trying to turn people on to cycling as a practical means of transportation is not likely to be accomplished by broken bicycles. Paid bike rental programs like Velib in Paris are still the most rational business model to make a program like this succeed.

I'll keep you posted on the future of BikeGreen and I wish it the best of luck, but it seems the program has a long way to go.

Bike lane ethics

Not many things annoy me more than someone going the wrong way in a bike lane. This counter-intelligent move puts everyone at risk: Them, me, passing motorists, the ozone layer. It's as bad as riding the wrong way on a one-way street. It's pretty cut and dry.

But Bike Snob NYC has a new dilemma for us to ponder. What if that vehicle that's parked in the bike lane happens to be unloading a whole bunch of new bikes? Spreading the joy of cycling whilst ruining it for others? Hmmm.....

Locking your bike - Think like a thief

There are two kinds of cyclists: Those who have had bikes stolen, and those who will. If it's happened to you, you know it's a pretty disheartening experience. Now with bike riding on the rise, people need to be aware of how to best protect their investment.

The "Sheldon Brown" method:

It may not "look" right, but I assure you, there is no way to remove the wheel or frame while locked in this position.

Some tips from the League of American Bicyclists:

1. Lock in a location where there are other bikes. The chances are better that there will be a bike with a less secure lock than yours. Thieves will usually go for the easiest target.
2. When using a U-lock, position your bike frame and wheels so that you fill or take up as much of the open space within the U-portion of the lock as possible. The tighter the lock up, the harder it is for a thief to use tools to attack your lock.
3. Always position a U-lock so that the keyway is facing down towards the ground. Don't position the lock close to the ground. This makes it more difficult for a thief to attack it.
4. Always secure your components and accessories, especially quick-release components, with a secondary cable lock.
5. For the greatest theft deterrence, use two locks such as a U-lock and a locking cable. The longer it takes a thief to get through your bike security, the less likely your bike will be stolen.

Here's a great video from StreetFilms with two NYC bike mechanics. They take to the streets to see if people are doing a good job locking their bikes and rate the ones they find.

Think passers-by will help if your bike is stolen? Think again:

Now if all that doesn't break your heart, this will:

Trail across Courtney Campbell Causeway proposed

The Florida DOT held the first of two public forums to discuss the proposed multi-use trail across the Courtney Campbell Causeway tonight in Tampa. If this plan goes ahead, there will be major improvement for cyclists and others to cross the bay from north Pinellas to Tampa. Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 22 in Clearwater.

It will extend from the area near the proposed Bayshore Trail extension in Pinellas County (Bayshore Boulevard at SR 60) to the eastern end point at the sidewalk/multi-use path currently under construction as a part of the Tampa Airport Interchange project in Hillsborough County.

The public meeting will be held:

Thursday, May 22, 2008 - 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Clearwater Christian College, Bldg. D
3400 Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Clearwater, Florida

For more information, you can download the proposal .pdf document here.

[Via Tampa Bay's 10]

What do pros eat while riding?

Sometimes sandwiches:

Sometimes ice cream:

And sometimes it's fine dining:

[via Slipstream Chipotle Flickr page]

Terrifying saftey video

I swear I will never run another stop sign as long as I don't have ride with these... things.

[via Urban Velo]

Bike to Work Day recap

Friday was Bike To Work Day across the land. Did you ride in?

There were two great pieces in the St. Petersburg Times that day about bicycle commuting.

Eric Smithers examined the sorry state of bicycle resources in Tampa during his commute from New Tampa to downtown:

More than once, I thought I would get forced off Rowlett Park Drive. There was a general disregard for the 3-foot buffer law that's supposed to separate cyclists and drivers, and traffic was far too fast for my liking. It amazed me how many people either didn't know or didn't care that I had a right to be on that road. The Share the Road signs must only be visible by bicycle.

Columnist Dan Dewitt says things aren't much better in the suburbs:

A few years ago, the Tampa Bay area was named the second-most dangerous place in the nation to walk or ride a bike. Though riding in Hernando is less hazardous than in Hillsborough or Pinellas counties, four cyclists died on our roads and 99 were injured between 2002 and 2006. Sixteen riders died in Pasco.

Just so it's not all bad news, Fox13 had a great piece about how one side of the bay is getting things right. St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker joined a group of bike commuters to participate in Bike To Work Day and highlight his Green City program.

[Photo by Kathleen Flynn/St. Petersburg Times]

Bad bike!

David Millar of Team Slipstream - the argyle one, Millar is in white because he is the British road race champion - broke his chain during the sprint in Stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday. He probably would have won the stage, too. Once he managed to stop in one piece and alive, it didn't take long for him to take out his frustration on the very thing that caused it.

Check out what he said about the incident on the team blog:

I was so raging and so focused that all the energy I had for winning the race was taken out on my bike. I’m not that person, I don’t see red. But I think it’s quite funny I did that. I’ve yet to see the footage…

Naturally, we've got it:

That's a $10,000 bike going airborne folks.

UPDATE: Seems Millar wasn't the first. This is Bjarne Riis tossing his bike in the '97 Tour:

Share The Road going green

Your favorite street signs, Share The Road, are changing color.

Under proposed guidelines, they will change from yellow to florescent green.

The the Federal Highway Administration published a Notice of Proposed Amendment in the Federal Register containing a proposal for a new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

What does that mean in English? Updates for bike signs and their use. The Bike Commuters Blog from Orlando pulled out some relevant items listed below.

If you'd like to comment on any of these before their approval, Trafficsign.us says you may do so by visiting www.regulations.gov and searching for "28977" (the regulatory number assigned to the new MUTCD). Then follow the instructions on the webpage. Note: When submitting comments, it's usually a good idea to provide thorough justification for for proposed revisions to the draft MUTCD content, and include references or citations to applicable research or studies as needed. The deadline for comments on this proposed revised MUTCD is Thursday, 31 July 2008.

Section 9B.06 Bicycles May Use Full Lane Sign (R4­11)

Option:
The Bicycles May Use Full Lane (R4­11) sign (see Figure 9B­2) may be used on roadways where no bicycle lanes or adjacent shoulders usable by bicyclists are present and where travel lanes are too narrow for bicyclists and motor vehicles to operate side by side.

The Bicycles May Use Full Lane sign may be used in locations where it is important to inform road users that bicyclists might occupy the travel lane.

Support:
The Uniform Vehicle Code (UVC) defines a “substandard width lane” as a “lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the same lane.”

Section 9C.07 Shared Lane Marking

Option:
The Shared Lane Marking shown in Figure 9C­9 may be used to:
A. Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on­street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist’s impacting the open door of a parked vehicle,
B. Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane,
C. Alert road users of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way,
D. Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists, and
E. Reduce the incidence of wrong­way bicycling.

Guidance:
The Shared Lane Marking should not be placed on roadways that have a speed limit above 50 km/h or 35 mph.

Standard:
Shared Lane Markings shall not be used on shoulders or in designated bicycle lanes.
If used in a shared lane with on­street parallel parking, Shared Lane Markings shall be placed so that the centers of the markings are at least 3.4 m (11 ft) from the face of the curb, or from the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.

Guidance:
If used on a street without on­street parking that has an outside travel lane that is less than 4.3 m (14 ft) wide, the centers of the Shared Lane Markings should be at least 1.2 m (4 ft) from the face of the curb, or from the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.

If used, the Shared Lane Marking should be placed immediately after an intersection and spaced at intervals not greater than 75 m (250 ft) thereafter.

Section 9B.18 Bicycle Warning and Combined Bicycle/Pedestrian Signs (W11­1 and W11­15)

Support:
The Bicycle Warning (W11­1) sign (see Figure 9B­3) alerts the road user to unexpected entries into the roadway by bicyclists, and other crossing activities that might cause conflicts. These conflicts might be relatively confined, or might occur randomly over a segment of roadway.

Option:
The combined Bicycle/Pedestrian (W11­15) sign (see Figure 9B­3) may be used where both bicyclists and pedestrians might be crossing the roadway, such as at an intersection with a shared­use path. A TRAIL XINGThis is from the proposed amendments to the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices). The comment (W11­15P) supplemental plaque (see Figure 9B­3) may be mounted below the W11­15 sign.

A supplemental plaque with the legend AHEAD or XX METERS (FEET) may be used with the Bicycle Warning or combined Bicycle/Pedestrian sign.

Guidance:
If used in advance of a specific crossing point, the Bicycle Warning or combined Bicycle/Pedestrian sign should be placed at a distance in advance of the crossing location that conforms with the guidance given in Table 2C­4.

Standard:
Bicycle Warning and combined Bicycle/Pedestrian signs, when used at the location of the crossing, hall be supplemented with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16­7P) plaque (see Figure 9B­3) to show the location of the crossing.

Guidance:
A fluorescent yellow­green background color with a black legend and border should be used for Bicycle Warning and combined Bicycle/Pedestrian signs and supplemental plaques.

When the fluorescent yellow­green background color is used, a systematic approach featuring one background color within a zone or area should be used. The mixing of standard yellow and fluorescent yellow­green backgrounds within a zone or area should be avoided.

Miami named one of three worst cities for riding

According to Bicycling Magazine's opinion, South Florida should be a perfect place to ride, but instead, it's a nightmare.

"We're so far behind and in the dark with bikes it's absurd," bike-shop owner Chris Marshall told the Miami New Times in January. "I'd say we're stuck in the '60s, but it's worse than the '60s. In the '60s you could still get around by bike."

The other two cities mentioned? Dallas and Memphis.

I wonder how Tampa Bay would fare. I think the walkable nature of downtown St. Petersburg is very bike friendly, but that's probably offset by the sprawling sections of north Tampa and Brandon. Where do you think is the best/worse place to ride 'round these parts?

St. Pete mayor wants you to cycle with him

ST. PETERSBURG-- Mayor Rick Baker wants you to bike to work with him Friday in honor of National Bike Month.

Baker will depart from the Northeast Exchange Club/Coffee Pot Park, First St. and 31st Ave. NE, at 7:15 a.m. and then continue to City Hall. The public is invited to join.

To find out more about the city's expanding bicycle trail network or other information for pedestrians and cyclists, visit www.stpete.org/bicycle.

- Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer

Prizes awarded in Words For Wheels contest

Essay contest winner Marie Reynaud shows off her new bike.

Tampa BayCycle awarded two bikes, courtesy of Chain Wheel Drive in Clearwater and Anabel Weis, a private donor, to Marie Reynaud of Tampa and Deborah Vines of Dunedin, winners of the ‘Words for Wheels’ contest. The bikes were presented to Reynaud and Vines on May 1, the beginning of National Bike Month. The winners also received lights, helmets and locks courtesy of Tampa BayCycle.

Head over to Tampa BayCycle to read the winning entries.

[Photo courtesy of Tampa BayCycle]

Seminole Heights Bike-In Movie night

Alan Snel and the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club are hosting their first Bike-In movie night Saturday, May 17 at Alan's house. (1203 East Powhatan Avenue, Tampa)

Come participate in a pot luck dinner at 8 PM and then enjoy the famed bicycle movie, Breaking Away, on the screen in the back yard at 9 PM. Bring lawn chairs and drinks.

Bike commuting on Tampa Bay's 10

You can't mention bike commuting these days without talking about the rising cost of gas. Tampa Bay's 10 featured both in this short video report. Naturally it appears during Bike To Work Week.

[via Alan Snel's Bike Stories]

It's bike to work week!

Did you ride in today? Shame on your if you didn't.

Stolen bikes

These are never fun to post, but here goes:

Stolen red Raleigh bike (downtown St. Petersburg)

The bike is a large red Raleigh hybrid (cross between street and mountain bike). It was last seen with a black milk crate attached with zip ties to a back mount. It has a sticker on the frame that says Suncoast Bicycles, Crystal River, Fl. It also has a bell with a nice bbbrrring! sound to it.

Cash reward, no questions asked. Email me (anewman at tampabay dot com) or this email address.

Stolen black Biria Easy-Boarding 3 (Tampa General Hospital employee parking
garage)

Black stepthrough frame with white lettering, a pair of purple floral panniers on
the back and honey-colored leather grips and saddle.

If spotted, please call the Tampa Police Department District One
office at 813-354-6600.

New bike lust

Everyone knows the optimal number of bikes to own is n+1. That "n", of course, is the number of bikes you currently own.

You're not even looking for a new bike. They find you. They creep up on you. An online classified post. An ad in a magazine. A friend's new ride. A sweet new style you've been dying to try.

You don't know why it draws you in. It's just there, looking like so much fun to ride. The Google searches for reviews begin. Examining the parts spec. Drooling over photos. The rationalization is in full swing. Your mind wanders to the wonderful places you could go together....

Maybe it's a good deal. Maybe it's a lot more than you want to spend. The economy is struggling. But that rebate check is burning a hole in your pocket. Is it stimulating the economy? Does it matter? Is it better to regret things you've done (or purchased) than things you haven't?

The cure? There isn't one. You'll share joy and excitement. You'll find new reasons to ride. New places to go. It was totally worth it. You pulled off. You made it happen.

But somehow.... slowly... the newness will wear off.

You'll get comfortable.

Complacent.

Then you spot another....

Vintage derailleurs gallery

It's amazing how the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite countless innovations and improvements in cycling gear in the last half-century, these dérailleurs don't look much different from current versions.

Except maybe this one:

Check 'em out. (Translated from Dutch)

What's up with the Progress Energy Extension?

Do you know what’s up with the Progress Energy Extension in NE St. Pete?  I’ve been driving by the intersection of 9^th and Gandy, seeing what looks to be work on the trail, but haven’t been able to find any information anywhere online about it.  Is this indeed a part of the trail – and if so, when is it expected to be completed.  The planned trail runs close to HSN and I’m hoping to be able to use it for commuting.

Thanks,
Kenneth

Thanks for writing Kenneth. The Pinellas Energy Extension will eventually connect the Friendship Trail (Gandy Bridge) and continue to the northern terminus of the Pinellas Trail in East Lake/Oldsmar.

Other new Pinellas Trail extensions currently under construction include the section into downtown St. Petersburg and along the Pinellas Bayway towards Ft. DeSoto.

I haven't been able to find a timetable for these projects, but they seem to be moving along quite quickly. You can view excellent maps of the current and proposed trails here and here. (Both .pdf files)

 

Danger rides 'get-there-itis'

Contagious confrontation is not about bikes and cars

by Keri Caffrey
April 27, 2008
Orlando Sentinel

Road Wars are back on the news again. We have some motorists who can't stand to be delayed a few seconds by cyclists in the road. On the other side, there are some cyclists who find it inconvenient to put on the brakes at stop signs.

But if you look closer, the battle is really a struggle between individual self-interest and the compromise and cooperation required for a civil community. The roads are where we all interact as a community (or not), every day.

Americans suffer from "get-there-itis." Behind the wheel, the fixation on "getting there" ASAP causes people to speed, run red lights and weave through traffic. When nothing must stand in their way of getting from Point A to Point B, impatient drivers put the safety of everyone else at risk.

Some cyclists also suffer from a form of "get-there-itis," stemming from the desire to not lose hard-earned momentum or be dropped from a group. Whatever the cause, the outcome is similar: cyclists running red lights and stop signs and weaving through stopped traffic, putting their own safety at risk.

To be sure, the behavior of aggressive motorists is far more dangerous to others, and more destructive to the community, than the behavior of cyclists who violate the rules.

One thing I've heard from cyclists and non-cyclists, alike, is: "That road is too dangerous for bikes." Of course, the roads themselves are not dangerous. It's the behavior of impatient and distracted motorists that creates danger. And most of us are guilty of it at one time or another. Isn't it time we all act to change behavior that kills more than 40,000 Americans each year?

Personal responsibility is the cure.

"Get-there-itis" is well known to pilots as a cause of preventable aviation crashes. Student pilots are instilled with the understanding that they must detach from a sense of urgency to get there and make sound decisions. Pilots know that irresponsible actions will cost them their hard-earned license. Perhaps if society placed a fraction of that emphasis on motorists, our entire traffic culture would look much different.

With fuel prices, climate-change awareness and obesity on the rise, advocates for many causes are promoting bicycling as a solution. A formidable impediment to cycling is fear of cars, or more accurately, fear of the people who drive them. Even those of us who know how to operate confidently and safely in traffic are fatigued by the thoughtless, irresponsible and sometimes hostile actions of impatient motorists.

The lives of cyclists and pedestrians are devalued by a society that places little responsibility on people operating vehicles that can harm them. Motorists often justify their unsafe behavior by saying cyclists are foolish for operating in situations that appear dangerous to them. For the experienced cyclist, these situations are much safer than they appear, and would be completely safe if motorists were more careful and civil.

No amount of infrastructure will solve this problem. We must attack it at its core. This is a social problem under which all citizens -- cyclists, pedestrians and motorists -- suffer.

At its core, cycling safety is not a "special-interest" issue. The social change required to enhance the safety and accessibility of cycling will make our community more livable for everyone. It begins with each of us locking the "me-first" attitude out of the car and operating our vehicles in the best interest of a civil community.

Keri Caffrey, a cycling instructor with the League of American Bicyclists, has ridden a bike on the roads in Orlando for 22 years.

[via Cycleicious]

I simply must have these gloves

Love/Hate gloves from Knog. Oh yeah, they make tons of other cool stuff too.

Google is watching you

Google Street View spotted this kid in Cleveland falling of his bike. Scroll down the street to see it happen. Ouch!

View Larger Map

[via Neatorama]

It's Bike Month!

Well folks, it's here. National Bike Month. Every May the League of American Bicyclists organizes events, promotions and programs that celebrate cycling.

Tampa BayCycle is doing its part with the second annual Commuter Challenge. Each day during Bike To Work Week (May 10-16), participants log their miles on the Web site and earn prizes. First place? A Minewt Niterider Bicycle Light, Valued at $189.

Stay tuned for many more cool events and contests during Bike Month.