Monday, February 29, 2016

The Bike Parking Dream

Bike parking barn at Burton Snowboards' headquarters. The sign shows there's even support for carpooling.
I lock my bicycle outside my company's office building to a simple rack, without protection from the elements. I am often not the sole bike commuter—there is at least one if not two others who like to commute on two wheels. I have approached management for a better parking solution, to no avail unfortunately, primarily because our offices are leased—we cannot legally bring bikes into the office - but I will not give up. With other local businesses embracing employee efforts to ride, there's got to be a better solution.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Simply Riding a Bike - Acknowledgement, Support, and Momentum


In 2012 I noticed a significant surge in bike riders in our community of 40,000 population. Today, it is nearly three-fold—by my unofficial observation—commuters dominating the increase more so than seasonal riders, though fair weather weekend cyclists have certainly gained traction since 2012.

Nationwide, I've noticed that bicycle manufacturers are creating more city friendly bicycles with a trend towards simple, efficient machines. Clean styling, lack of decals, promoting simplicity over complicated gear systems, packaging bikes with racks, fenders, baskets, bells, lights, etc. Linus, Public Bikes, and Breezers immediately come to mind.

I've also observed a flurry of bicycle bloggers rethinking what they want in a bicycle (including myself), re-imagining the perfect bike style that will suit their needs. Some folks are pairing down their fleet, investing in one or two bikes. It appears that functional, uncomplicated bikes are making a comeback.

In our region, the past two winters have seen a huge increase in year-round commuters, attributed to education, updating city infrastructure, the rise of the fat bike, and several bike loving organizations connecting through social media, pushing Burlington to take notice of projects that will help our city become more pedestrian and cycling friendly. If this kind of ridership and awareness happens in our cold environment, I can only imagine what's going on in milder climates.

Even with the drop in gas prices, I believe the rise in recreational and transportation cycling is here to stay. Simply riding a bike for exercise, errands, or commuting has wedged itself into the fabric of Burlington.

Are you seeing a similar boost of riders in your community and is it seasonal or year-round?

Monday, February 15, 2016

A Wheel Meets the Eye

I always get a kick out of ingenious uses of bicycle parts, especially when adorning front lawns and homes. This beauty caught my eye (pun intended) with its creative flair, perfectly positioned between the railings, balancing the other textures and decorative touches applied to the house.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Bike Blog Love - 4th Edition

It's that time of year when I like to pay homage to other bicycle blogs. It all started with The Beautiful Bike Blogger Universe in 2011, continued with Bike Blog Love Challenge in 2013, and last year's More Blog Love. I look forward to reading your thoughts, what you may be tinkering with, and any planned adventures and goals fulfilled. We all have the power to inspire and share our love of cycling.

Without further adieu...presenting the 2015 list:

A Midnight Rider hails from coastal Massachusetts, retired and riding, videotaping, and delving into winter riding. John is a coastal wanderer and fellow coffeeneur.

Doug is a veteran blogger, who took a hiatus from writing, but he's back with renew vigor with Four Season Cycling plus a new venture: Steel on Wheels Forum. Doug rides year-round in Minnesota and has a myriad of bikes. Check out his maintenance free Gates belt drive winter commuter bike.


Bike Like Crazy-"whatever the weather", seems to sum up Bri's outlook on life. Bri is car-free and with an upbeat attitude, takes on winter with gusto in northern New York.

A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel. Veteran blogger, commuter, and hiker residing in Washington D.C. region. I admire "Rootchopper" for setting yearly goals, sticking with them, and for his prolific writing.

Cycling Dutch Girl. Miriam has incredible wanderlust and is a happy, hardy traveler and camper, often spending years on the road with a few odd jobs every now and then to keep herself going. Her writing is tongue-in-cheek humorous and her photography, top-notch. She is master of the self-timed camera shot. Miriam opens herself to people she meets and is often invited into their hearts and homes. It's unbelievable the amount of stuff she can carry on her bike!

Endless Velo Love. G.E. lives in Colorado, has numerous bicycles, some custom, and is a thoroughly expressive writer. Her husband is also an avid cyclist and chimes in every now and then.

Bicyclist Abroad is an American living in Europe, tinkering, riding, and exploring Germany and the Netherlands. I love his black and white photography, now suddenly turned to color since the birth of his daughter.

Enjoy, dear readers, enjoy!