Month: April 2009

What is RentaBikeNow.com?
RentaBikeNow.com is North America’s only coast-to-coast bike rental network that works with participating bike shops and rental locations. Shops from Florida to Oregon and Hawaii to Maine list their available bikes on our website. We manage inventories and schedules and take customer reservations 24/7.
How does your online system work?
Customers select the location, time period, and type of bike desired, then choose from available bikes. Your selections, including accessories and tours, are placed in a shopping cart for easy checkout. Once complete, you will receive a printable confirmation that details the pick-up location, map and directions, balance due and local riding information. Simply arrive at the specified time and location to complete the transaction and pick-up your bike.
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“A growing number of Americans, mounted on their bicycles like some new kind of urban cowboy, are mixing it up with swift, two-ton motor vehicles as they create a new society on the streets. They’re finding physical fitness, low-cost transportation, environmental purity—and, still all too often, Wild West risks of sudden death or injury.” —from the Introduction
In a world of increasing traffic congestion, a grassroots movement is carving out a niche for bicycles on city streets. Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities explores the growing bike culture that is changing the look and feel of cities, suburbs, and small towns across North America.
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-> According to an article in the Apr. 13th Bicycle Colorado eNews, "The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in the greater Denver area has taken another positive step for bicyclists. RTD has lifted the requirement for bicyclists to have a special permit to bring bicycles on light rail trains. Instead, RTD has added bike signage inside light rail cars and on doors where bikes may enter.
"When the light rail first opened, RTD prohibited bicycles on trains during peak hours. RTD listened to the bicycle community and changed its policy to allow bicycles during all operating hours. A 2005 nationwide study found RTD is one of the top transit agencies in the U.S. for the number of bicycle boardings on bus and rail. We congratulate RTD on its positive progression of bicycle-friendly policies."
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Hello everyone! I’m involved in a small research project with some other students at Penn State University. The purpose of our study is to figure out how much interest and desire there is for Velomobiles in the U.S., as well as figuring out what design and features are best for the riders. We are inviting everyone to give their opinions and concerns about the idea.
A local bike shop owner and nation-wide recumbent distributer wants to manufacture Velomobiles and can ship them anywhere in the U.S. For those of you who don’t know what a Velomobile is, it is essentially a recumbent trike with a plastic/fibreglass/ or canvas shell surrounding it. It is a kind of pedal-car. The Velomobile includes an "electric assist" motor which can be switched on or off and features a battery pack that actually recharges as you pedal (like the alternator in a car) For more info and pictures check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velomobile
This Velomobile model is still in it’s design/proto-type phase and the owner still isn’t exactly sure what direction he should take in the design. A few options exist. Particularly, the Velomobile can be sold pre manufactured, all the shell and motor parts built into a recumbent trike. Option 2 is the manufacture of do-it-yourself VeloKits which can be adjusted and fitted to existing recumbent trikes. These VeloKits are also removable, should the owner want to ride in the open air again. This method would, of course, be much cheaper. Other ideas include constructing a sturdier, heavier model with a more powerful motor; however, this would limit it’s usability depending on state and local regulations.
As a cyclist myself, I have a pretty good grasp on the benefits, problems, and concerns about Velomobiles, but we need input from cyclists all over the country, the more, the better.
So please, let us know your opinions!
We have drafted some short web surveys to gather quantifiable data. The goals of the survey are to get an idea of how you use your bike, some questions on whether or not you would be interested in the Velomobile concept, some design preferences, pricing ideas, and some general demographic information.
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Briana Orr, an environmental studies and planning, public policy and management major at the University of Oregon, will receive the 2009 Faith Gabelnick Student Leadership Award at the Oregon Civic Engagement Awards next week in Portland, Oregon. Orr started the UO Bike Loan program, a unique twist on the familiar model of free-bike programs.
"Briana’s program is a phenomenal example of how to take bicycles discarded by departing students and turn them around as long-term loans to students," said Marc Schlossberg, an Associate Professor in the University of Oregon’s Planning, Public Policy, and Management Department.
Orr’s program is a simple model that can be easily replicated in other locales. For $65, a student gets a bike, a helmet, a lock, and a bike basket. The full $65 is returned at the end of the year if all of the equipment is returned.
"The program began this year and has been a real success, with a long waiting list of people who want a bike," said Schlossberg. " In its first year, the program focused on international students as a pilot since they tend to live close to campus and don’t bring vehicles with them. Brilliant!"
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