Month: October 2009

When ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides was dispatched to request Sparta’s help against the Persians, he ran 150 miles in two days and was able to declare victory to Athenian officials with his dying breath. Homer Macauley pedaled telegrams around Ithaca, California in the World War II-era novel The Human Comedy, often bearing news of a fallen soldier to still-hopeful mothers and lovers. Though the modern-day cycle courier is hardly as idealized—and conditions for their health and safety far from ideal—it is fairly typical of a busy messenger to cover the Athenian herald’s distance in the same time span, while continuously bearing information of essential import to recipients in major cities worldwide.
In 1991, San Francisco’s mayor declared 10-9 to be Messenger Appreciation Day by formal proclamation. Toronto followed suit in 1997, and the day is now recognized by such cities as Chicago, Vancouver, Houston, New York, and Washington DC. Oftentimes the day is celebrated by an alleycat race (a loosely-organized race designed to mimic the day of a bike messenger, involving routing oneself to visit specified checkpoints in the area while maintaining high speed and agility); many advocacy groups hand out food or other free items to working messengers.
While some view New York City messengers as a menace, they are a vital component of a functioning, sustainable city. Thousands of couriers, both male and female, ride daily in all seasons of city traffic. Using bicycles for deliveries reduces congestion, pollution, and gridlock, improves air quality, provides jobs, takes up less space on the streets, and is still the most efficient and least expensive way to guarantee same-day delivery of crucial parcels and non-digital information.
On Friday, October 9, please take the time to thank (and tip) the messengers who may have risked his or her life for your delivery.
Continue reading “Three cheers for the courier: Messenger Appreciation Day is October 9th”

https://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15923071

Becky Broeder knew it was just a matter of time before a bicyclist crashed into one of Missoula’s new and controversial “bulbouts.”

Broeder, who often commutes by bike, had called the city to voice her concerns over the concrete curb extensions, but figured the discussion would really ramp up once someone was injured.

“I figured that there would probably have to be a test case before we really figured out what to do with them,” she said Monday. “I just didn’t plan to be that case.”

Turn the clock back a week. Broeder was riding her old Schwinn mountain bike home from the Bryan Adams concert about 11 p.m. Broeder lives on Howell Street, and her route home goes west on Phillips Street, which got a series of bulbouts as part of a “Safe Routes To School” grant.

The city of Missoula also installed other bulbouts around town this summer, including near Rattlesnake, Paxson, Russell, and Lewis and Clark elementary schools.

As Broeder closed in on the intersection of Phillips and Bulwer, a car came up behind her. Although she had a bright light, she wasn’t sure the car could see her, so she slowed down in hopes of letting it pass before the road narrows at the bulbout.

“I think a lot of people have just been riding into the traffic lane to get through these spots safely, but I wasn’t going to do that in the dark,” she said.

As the car approached, Broeder watched over her left shoulder as the car came near, but didn’t realize how close she was to the bulbout.

“I hit it and went over the handlebars,” she said. “I hit my abdomen on the bars then went over and landed on my face.”

The collision left Broeder with three broken molars and 30 stitches in her chin, which was split open nearly to the bone.

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“On a low-volume street, the driver can usually just move around the bicycle,” King said. “But on Phillips, because of the median, something more than that will be required.”

Stopping, for instance, King said. But who should stop and under what circumstances?

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Broeder is very mindful of the hazards facing pedestrians. She just thinks the bulbouts solve one problem while creating another one.

“Why couldn’t we have something that works for everyone?” she asked. “That’s what I would be pushing for.”

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Continue reading “Bike vs. bulbout: Missoula woman injured in crash”

By MEGAN K. SCOTT

(AP)

Bicycle technology doesn’t stand still.

This product image released by Xtracycle shows a FreeRadical attachment on an existing bike and turns it into a cargo bike. (AP Photo/Xtracycle) AP

Bike makers keep tinkering to give us a smoother, more convenient, more stylish ride: bikes long enough to carry another passenger and groceries. Bikes with batteries so you don’t have to break a sweat. Aerodynamic bikes with little wind resistance.

“In the bike world, there have always been a bunch of trends going on at once,” said Loren Mooney, editor-in-chief of Bicycling magazine. “It’s because a bike is such a multipurpose tool. It’s a toy. It’s a piece of exercise equipment. It’s a mode of transportation. And so really it’s very common to have many trends at once.”

Some bike trends on the horizon:

STYLISH UTILITY BIKE: The biggest trend is casual city riding, said Mooney, “where the person doesn’t look like a spandex-clad cyclist, but rather like a normal person. And his or her bike looks like a cool, often retro object of design and casual fun _ maybe it even has a basket.”

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FITNESS BIKES: An evolution from the hybrid bike _ a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike, which was “too cumbersome for true fitness riding,” said Mooney. (Fitness bikes are sometimes referred to as flat-bar road bikes.)

Mooney said hybrids were too slow and too upright for riding on roads and recreational paths, and were not rugged enough for riding on dirt trails.

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PEDAL-ASSIST ELECTRIC BIKES: A bike with a boost. Pedal-assist bikes combine battery power with pedaling so you can ride farther and faster without getting as tired.

It’s an ideal bike for someone who rides for transportation, as opposed to fitness, and when the distance is far, the terrain difficult or the rider short on endurance.

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ECO DESIGN BIKES: Bike manufacturers are coming out with eco-friendly bikes. For example, Trek’s Belleville and Atwood models have grips on the handlebars, a saddle and a steel frame that all can be recycled. The bikes also come with front and rear lights that are generated by pedaling, not batteries, said Trek spokesman Sam Foos.

“It’s a more upright style with a wider saddle, so it’s more comfortable, to encourage people to use their bike more often,” he said.

FOLDING BIKES: These have been around for years but the technology is getting better. Traditional folding bikes, which have small wheels, were better for folding than riding, said David Montague, owner of Montague Bicycles in Cambridge, Mass. The company introduced SwissBike TX earlier this year, a full-size bike that folds in half.

“It really rides very nicely and you can throw it on a bus, or in the trunk of a cab,” said Montague. “When you get to your office, it fits underneath your desk. … The whole folding system takes about 10 seconds.”

XTRACYCLE: a kit that makes a bike 15 inches longer so you can carry a passenger, groceries, books. Some people use it to carry camping gear, said Nate Byerley, president of Xtracycle, in Oakland, Calif. He said he knows a home inspector who uses his Xtracycle to carry equipment including a 10-foot ladder.
“Competitive cycling has been traditionally dominated by men,” he said. “And what we’re finding is when you start offering a product that’s about day-to-day living and carrying groceries, you’re offering a product that speaks to moms and dads.”

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AERODYMANIC ROAD BIKES (High-End): Bikes are already very light, but they can be made faster with aerodynamics, said Mooney. On these road bikes, the down tube and seat tube are shaped to reduce drag. Examples include Ridley Noah, which the company claims is the fastest bike on the planet, Cervelo S3 and Felt A2.

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Continue reading “Where bikes are heading: a look at the trends”