baltimorespokes

Some people think bike lanes exist solely to allow faster traffic to pass slower traffic, well that seems to work well for this cyclist in the following video as he passes all those slow cars.
Continue reading “Bike Lane Fun”

If you follow the rules of the road and ride carefully, cycling is actually much safer than driving.
By Ryan McGreal
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An article in View Magazine a couple of months ago advocated for better bicycle infrastructure by focusing on cycling dangers. Though well-intentioned, it reinforced many preconceptions without examining them for accuracy.
In fact, cycling is arguably safer than driving.
Comparing the Risks
Every activity carries risks, and are many possible ways to compare the relative risks of cycling and other activities. Looking at several can help to form a more complete picture.
Fatality by Distance Cycled
The most obvious comparison is the fatality risk per distanced traveled. In this straight-up analysis, cycling is more dangerous than driving. Every 1.6 million kilometres (one million kilometres) cycled produces 0.039 cyclist fatalities, compared to 0.016 fatalities for motorists. They’re both very low, but the risk for cycling is more than double.
However, this is not the most useful way to compare risks.
Fatality by Time Spent Cycling
Failure Analysis Associates, Inc. performed a comparative analysis of fatality rates for a variety of activities per million hours spent performing a given activity. They concluded that the fatality rate for every million hours spent cycling is 0.26, compared to 0.47 per million driving hours (on-road motorcycling comes in at a whopping 8.80 deaths per million motorcycling hours).
That is, riding a motor vehicle has nearly twice the risk of fatality as riding a bike for a given duration.
Continue reading “Is Bicycling Safe?”

[There are some good comments in support of cycling at the end of this article.]
By KELLY MOORE/Staff Writer
NEW LLANO – The Town of New Llano will soon be off limits to skateboards, roller blades, roller skates and bicycles, unless on private property.
During Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Councilman Charles Balthrop introduced an ordinance that will prohibit the use of skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, bicycles, etc. anywhere in the corporate limits of the Town of New Llano with the exception of the individual’s private property.
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Continue reading “No Wheels Allowed”

Continue reading “The Bicycle Addiction Test”

by Linda Shrieves | Sentinel Staff Writer
Walk into a bike shop today, and it’s easy to get lost in the choices.
There are road bikes and hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and comfort bikes. Beach cruisers and commuting bikes. "City path" bikes and touring bikes. Even the most basic bike, the standard beach cruiser, may be operating under a new alias: a lifestyle bike.
Confused? No wonder.
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The first steps inside a bike shop can be intimidating, especially for the derailleur-challenged. But the bike industry, which once catered strictly to Lance Armstrong wannabes and the mountain-bike crowd, is today aiming at people who want to love bicycling as they did as children.
Continue reading “What kind of bike is right for you?”

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Loosen the belt buckle another notch: Obesity rates continued to climb in 31 states last year, and no state showed a decline.
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This year’s report, for the first time, looked at rates of overweight children ages 10 to 17. The District of Columbia had the highest percentage
Continue reading “Obesity rates show no decline in US”

Main Findings from 2007 Benchmarking Report:
– A positive relationship exists between the built environment and levels of biking and walking.
– Where levels of biking and walking are higher, bicycle and pedestrian safety is greater.
– Cities with strong Thunderhead organizations generally have high levels of biking and walking.
– Higher levels of biking and walking coincide with lower levels of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes and higher levels of adults meeting recommended levels of daily physical activity. This suggests that increased biking and walking would contribute to a healthier society.
– Data revealed that while some cities and states lead others as models for bicycle and pedestrian policies and provisions, all states and cities have a need for improvement.
Continue reading “2007 Benchmarking Report”