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Use Your Bicycle.
URL: http://www.utilitycycling.org
Updated: 3 weeks 1 day ago

Cargo Bike Video from Denmark

Fri, 13/01/2012 - 05:08

Cargo bikes are not something you see every day here in Tucson, AZ, but in Copenhagen, that is certainly not the case!  Cargo bikes are a very efficient means of transporting goods and people with pedal power.  And they are surprisingly nimble and maneuverable, as well!  This is a great video that illustrates how popular cargo bikes are in Denmark.  I found it posted over at Copenhagenize where you can find lots of other great pictures and examples of the Danish cargo bike culture.  Enjoy!

History of Dutch Bike Paths

Wed, 11/01/2012 - 02:33

The Dutch are world famous for their widespread use of the bicycle for transportation.  This video provides a historical overview of Dutch bike infrastructure.  Bike paths were not always as prolific in the Netherlands as they are today.  It’s important to see historical perspectives like these to show that there is potential for positive change in favor of cycling anywhere in the world.  Cycling wasn’t always as integral to transportation in the Netherlands as it is today.  So with pressure in favor of bicycling in other places, there can be positive changes.

Via Treehugger.

On-Street Bike Parking in NYC

Thu, 05/01/2012 - 07:16

The impetus for the first on-street bike parking in NYC isn’t necessarily bike-inspired, but it is bike-beneficial.  There was a notorious intersection in the city where cars kept crashing into each other (and according to the images in the video below from Streetfilms, flipping over), because the drivers couldn’t see around the corner.  The solution: get rid of the car parking spot on the corner and replace it with a bike corral.  Now, as many of you know, bike parking can be problematic where there aren’t designated bike parking spots available, so this was clearly an added bonus for cyclists in the area.  Plus, hopefully drivers at that intersection will stop running into each other.  Anyhow, hopefully this leads to the expansion of more bike corrals in NYC.  After all, one bike parking spot can hold 20 some odd bikes!  How’s that for space efficiency!

Making Streets Safer With On-Street Bike Parking from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

2011 Utility Cycling Year in Review

Sun, 01/01/2012 - 02:49

Another year has come and gone here at Utility Cycling.  It’s been a year of ups and downs.  The year started out strong with lots of great posts from myself, Josh Lipton, and Stacey Moses.  We made some good progress in the summer towards the Utility Cycling book we’ve been dreaming up for a while.  About midway through the year, Stacey moved over to Commute By Bike; Josh busied himself with launching Bike Tech Shop; and I found myself with a badly broken arm.  Whoops.  Anyhow, the product of all that was that the steady stream of posting you may be used to here dried up a bit.  Nonetheless, we kept our ears to the ground of Utility Cycling with lots of great video posts.  Now that a new year is nearly upon us, we are ready to jump start things here again and will be coming at you full steam with plenty of Utility Cycling posts.  Thanks for sticking with us through a tough fall, and we are looking forward to a great 2012!  Anyhow, as has been the tradition for the last two years (2010 & 2009), we’d like to take a little stroll down memory lane.  So with that, welcome to the 2011 Utility Cycling Year in Review!

Utility Cycling Guest Posts & Interviews

Kathleen McDade of Techno Earth Mama: We were very pleased to have Kathleen McDade from Techo Earth Mama provide us with some great family cycling posts.  Kathleen has a lot of experience bike commuting with children, and she’s got 8 Reasons to Bike Commute with Your Kids.  Also, if you’ve just started a family and are ready to bike commute together, Kathleen has some good advice for Getting Started with Family Cycling.  Thanks to Kathleen for the great posts!

A Fish’s Wild Ride: This has to be one of my favorite posts of the year.  I had a great time interviewing Jed Proujansky, who is known here at Utility Cycling for riding his bike with a bucket full of fish!  Want to know why?  I recommend you check out the post to learn more about Jed’s awesome use for a bicycle.

Bike Move!:  I’ve never participated in a bike move, but Sam Haraldson and his friends in Bozeman, Montana, have.  Fortunately, they were willing to share some insights and advice about bike moves with us.  Check out what they have to say about moving a house by bike and how much fun it is!

Utility Cycling While Injured: Ok, this isn’t exactly a guest post.  Althought I kinda felt like a guest with the infrequency of my posts this fall due to my broken arm making typing rather difficult.  Nonetheless, I thought it might be helpful to post about dealing with injury as a Utility Cyclist, but hopefully you never need this advice!

Utility Cycling Events

Bike Tech Shop: In November, our friends over at Bike Shop Hub were pleased to announce the grand opening of Bike Tech Shop.  Bike Tech Shop is a one-stop-shop for all your techy needs on the bike.  Lights, GPS, and E-bikes, oh my!

Bike Mapping at the University of AZ: Although this wasn’t necessarily an “event” per say, this bike mapping project was a fun foray into using technology such as video and photography to enhance a Google Map.  This map has nearly 15,000 hits, so hopefully it is helping people get around campus and learn the area visually before they hop on a bike to get around.

Utility Cycling Categories

One of our fundamental goals at Utility Cycling has been to develop an extensive “encyclopedia” of sorts of all things Utility Cycling.  We have been slowly working towards completing that encyclopedia over the last two and a half years.  Over that time, we have added, removed, reimagined, and revised a long laundry list of categories and subcategories and sub-subcategories of Utility Cycling.  We plan to turn all this into a book in the not-so-distant future, but for the time being, you can check out our progress below.  As always, we welcome suggestions and additions to our list if you see anything missing or just plain crazy.

Utility Cycling in 2012

Boy oh boy am I looking forward to 2012.  I suppose it is rather silly that the month of January should feel like more of a fresh start than the beginning of any other month, but it is what you make.  And I plan to make 2012 a great year for Utility Cycling.  Although, I may be rather absent here for a few weeks during January, as I’m about to take my PhD comprehensive exams.  Yikes.  Anyhow, after that, we will be finishing up our “encyclopedia” of Utility Cycling and working on our book.  As always, we welcome guest posts and interview opportunities, so feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions or ideas we should hear about.  Happy New Year and Happy Riding!

Happy Holidays!

Tue, 27/12/2011 - 04:55

From the folks at Utility Cycling & Bike Shop Hub, we’d like to wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.  Here’s a cute little video of a the Schwinn bicycle bell choir playing Auld Lang Syne via Cyclelicious to get you in the holiday spirit.  Best wishes to you and yours.

Photo via Bike Shop Hub.

Dublin Cycling Officer Post Saved!

Fri, 23/12/2011 - 01:56

Copenhagenize posted yesterday about Dublin, Ireland, where the city’s cycling officer – the main person in charge of making the city a better place for cycling – was in danger of getting canned.  In response, Dublin Cycling and others started a petition to help retain the Cycling Officer position.  As of yesterday, it appears that the campaign to save the Dublin Cycling Officer post was successful!  The position was extended for another 6 months, but more importantly, the campaign seems to have brought people together in Dublin in support of cycling.  Best of luck to them in getting the position extended permanently!  Meanwhile, check out the campaign video below.

Celebrate a Great Year for NYC Cycling

Wed, 21/12/2011 - 07:52

Streetfilms put together this nice film montage of New York City cycling throughout 2011.  There are lots of great shots of people from all walks of life riding bikes in New York City, as well as some great numbers and facts about the improvements New York cycling has seen in the last few years.  It’s well worth a watch, and the numbers are quite impressive.  Congrats and thanks to Streetfilms and other bike advocates in New York City for all the great work to improve cycling!

Streetfilms- Celebrating #BIKENYC 2011 from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

The Pedal Powered Talk Show

Fri, 16/12/2011 - 02:35

There always seems to be a steady stream of business ideas coming out of Portland (like this one or this one) that involve combining something with a bicycle to make a pedal-powered business.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love these ideas.  Why shouldn’t all businesses be pedal powered?  But I have to admit, I didn’t see this one coming.  Velo Vogue posted recently about a new idea called The Pedal Powered Talk Show.  What is it, exactly?  Well, you can watch the video below to learn more, but basically, it involves merging a talk show with a cargo bike to create a show that transports itself to its guests by bicycle.  But I must say, I’m curious about the guy pedaling the bike.  Who is he?  Why doesn’t the host pedal?  Anyhow, find out more below and maybe my questions will be answered when the show launches in January.

Pedal to Properties

Thu, 08/12/2011 - 06:02

Google Maps Bike There just posted a neat video about a real estate company in Boulder that was recently featured on the Google LatLong blog called Pedal to Properties.  Pedal to Properties uses Google Maps, included Streetview and searches for nearby businesses, to help potential home buyers get to know the neighborhoods in which they are viewing homes.  They also use Google Bike-There Directions to find the best way to get to the houses by bike and provide cruiser bikes to potential buyers so they a feel for the area in which they are looking to own a home by bike.  This is a clever way to bridge advanced technology like Google with the simple act of riding a bike to get to know a place better.  See, bike mapping is cool!

Bike Improvements in Chicago

Sat, 03/12/2011 - 07:37

I was recently visiting a friend in Chicago and commented to her that I rarely hear much about Chicago on bicycling blogs and websites…until today on Streetfilms, that is!  It seems that some great bicycle-friendly improvements are underway in Chicago, and the first of those improvements in a new protected bike lane.  The major of Chicago plans to construct 100 miles of protected bike lanes, which is definitely a worthy goal, given the already-documented substantial increase in mode-sharing on the new protected lane on Kinzie street.  I bet that the folks at Chicago Cargo are pleased too!  Looks like Chicago is on it’s way to competing with NYC, Minneapolis, Portland, and other great bicycling cities in the U.S.

Kinzie Street: Chicago’s First Protected Bike lane from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

 

World Bicycle Relief Impacts in Zambia

Wed, 30/11/2011 - 05:42

I posted a short video about World Bicycle Relief a few weeks ago, but if you are interested in learning more about the real impacts a bicycle can have on someone’s life, check out this more detailed video that was posted over at Change Your Life, Ride a Bike yesterday.  The CYLRAB folks are also going to have some kind of giveaway for people who donate to World Bicycle Relief, so check back there for more details this week.  If you’re looking for a good way to share the love this holiday season, you could consider donations to World Bicycle Relief as gifts for your bike-minded friends!

Paseo de Todos Ride in Guadalajara

Tue, 22/11/2011 - 14:25

Streetfilms recently posted an interesting video on the Paseo de Todos, which is a monthly ride that takes place in Guadalajara, Mexico.  The ride seems to be something of a cross between critical mass and informal cyclovia, and it is organized by a cycling advocacy group called GDL en Bici.  In a city like Guadalajara, where cycling is still rather dangerous, the ride is a good way to help bring attention to bicyclists and bicyclists’ rights.

Paseo de Tod@s Guadalajara 11/3/11 from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

The Holstee Manifesto

Sat, 19/11/2011 - 00:24

If you needed a good reason to ride your bike today, or even just some encouragement to have a good day, well here are about 25 good reasons.  The Holstee Manifesto has been making its way around the interwebs recently, but done in video form, it is pretty darn cool.  And it certainly motivates you to get out there, ride a bike, and make your life & the lives around you better by doing the things you love.  What’s not to like about that message?  Happy Friday.

Janice Turner’s NYC Biking Story

Thu, 17/11/2011 - 00:24

Health issues such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, and much more are becoming more and more of a concern for many Americans.  For Dr. Janice Turner, who is featured in the most recent MY NYC Biking Story on Streetfilms, cycling is one way to help curb these problems.  Many of us utility cyclists can appreciate the fact that cycling is salubrious, so it’s great to see someone like Janice help bring cycling to kids and adults in places like the Bronx through initiatives such as Sustainable South Bronx and by teaching kids to ride.  Alright, Janice!

My NYC Biking Story: Dr. Janice Turner from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

World Bicycle Relief

Tue, 15/11/2011 - 05:48

World Bicycle Relief is an incredible organization that is working to bring bicycles to people around the world to improve their independence and livelihood.  The power of a bicycle is immeasurable in the hands of people who are otherwise very limited in their personal mobility.  World Bicycle Relief was founded in 2005 after the Indian Ocean tsunami by SRAM, and they have since delivered more than 90,000 bicycles to the field and impacted over 450,000 lives.  Learn more about World Bicycle Relief in the video below.

Bike Tech Shop

Thu, 10/11/2011 - 05:11

For most of the U.S. (and I say most, because here in Arizona, we prefer to be different), the Daylight Savings time switch has darkened many a bike commute.  In the fall, when the time switch occurs, there is one hour less of daylight in the afternoon, which means a much darker bike commute.  Fortunately, the folks at Bike Shop Hub, which is the mothership from which Utility Cycling originates, had the grand opening of their fourth specialty cycling accessory shop on Monday.  With that, I’d like to introduce you to BikeTechShop.com!  So if you need some new lights to brighten your daily commute, head on over and visit the techies at Bike Tech Shop.  And now’s the time to act, as all new bike lights are on sale at 10% off thru November 22nd.

The Story Behind Bike Tech Shop

Bike Tech Shop is the fourth shop in the Bike Shop Hub lineup, which also includes Bike Trailer Shop, Bike Bag Shop, and Bike Kid Shop.  Each of the different shops focuses on one important cycling niche, with an emphasis on transportation and utility cycling, as well as bike touring.  By breaking the shops up into different places, it allows the Bike Shop Hub crew to really focus and specialized in each niche in order to provide the best information possible to bike commuters, utility cyclists, and touring cyclists alike.

With bike trailers, bags, and family cycling products covered, a natural category to focus on next was all things electronic.  Bike Tech Shop is dedicated to all things “cycling with circuitry”, and they aren’t just about bike lights either, as there are many electric bikes, electric bike kits, and GPS systems to check out, as well.  Since it is often difficult to find really solid information online about techy bike parts, as well as compare the offerings from different manufacturers, Bike Tech Shop will strive to be a one-stop shop for all the detailed, expert knowledge you are looking for when you need a new techy product for your bike.

Electric Bikes & E-Bike Kits

Electric bikes, or e-bikes, are definitely gaining momentum as a great way to get into bike commuting for many people.  The real secret of an e-bike, is that you can get all of the benefits you can from a regular bike (ie. health, savings, fun, etc.), but when you need it, you can get that little electric assist, as well.  The electric assist can be particularly useful if you have a long commute, a nasty hill to climb or headwind to conquer, or large load of groceries to haul.  Don’t worry, you are still doing yourself and others a lot of favors by riding an e-bike, and maybe you’ll be even more inclined to ditch the car in favor of the bike more often if you know that extra assist is there if you need it.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full e-bike just yet, there are a number of electric bike kits available so that you can convert a regular bike into an e-bike.  There are even electric powered bike trailers available if you want an electric assist option you can leave at home on the days you are feeling more ambitious.

GPS Systems

For the map geeks out there, of which I am wholeheartly one, Bike Tech Shop offers a great selection of GPS Systems for helping your find your way and/or making cool bike maps of the places you ride.  For the ambitious long distance utility cyclist, or just your adventurous side, there are also location broadcast GPS systems available, so your friends and family can keep track of you while you are out riding.

Bike Lights

Even if you aren’t hopping on the high-tech bike gear wave, Bike Tech Shop still has gear for you.  Bike lights are absolutely essential, and in many places required by law, as they help you see in the dark and be seen in the dark.  Not to mention, they are on sale for 10% off until November 22 at Bike Tech Shop, and they make great stocking stuffers and gifts.

So please feel free to check out Bike Tech Shop, as the Bike Shop Hub crew is working hard to provide you with detailed, expert information there, as they do with all their shops.  Thanks for reading and happy techy riding!

 

 

Bikes Needed at Occupy Wall Street

Wed, 09/11/2011 - 03:47

A few weeks ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City was asking for donations to help develop pedal power stations to keep the movement sustainable.  With a lot of donations, they are well on their way to pedal powering the movement in situ.  However, they are also in need of bikes, cargo bikes, and bike trailers to haul goods and provide services around the city by bike.  They also need bikes to help set up a bike share program for the movement to help the different committees get around the city efficiently.  Help them spread the word and encourage pedal power!

Via Copenhagenize.

Traffic Garden

Sat, 05/11/2011 - 05:10

The city of Utrecht in the Netherlands has it nailed: teach traffic safety to children, especially how to deal with different modes of transportation, and there is a pretty good chance that you will produce better drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.  The only traffic safety I can recall receiving as a child here in the U.S. was to look left, right, left before crossing a street.  In the video below from Streetfilms, the children of Utrecht learn how to navigate traffic from three different perspectives in a miniature traffic garden, which has been in use in the city since the 1950′s.  This looks like a great way to teach people how to navigate traffic safely with different modes, and I’d imagine this sort of exercise would be of great benefit to adults too!

Self-Reliance Grows in the Utrecht Traffic Garden from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Bike Love

Fri, 04/11/2011 - 05:17

Here at Utility Cycling, we are all about using your bike.  We love all things utilitarian that bicycles can accomplish from basic transportation to bike delivery to bike moves to emergency and patrol services and beyond.  Bikes are great tools for getting from here to there in an efficient and fun manner.  But just because we focus on utility here doesn’t mean that we don’t love our bikes…or that there isn’t utility in love.  So please enjoy a little bike love movie here today at Utility Cycling via Cyclelicious.

bike ♥ from Rick Darge on Vimeo.

Pedala Zezinho

Tue, 01/11/2011 - 10:26

Here’s an uplifting video for your Monday evening via Copenhagenize.  In September of 2010, the Pedala Zezinho Project, which took place in the in the south zone of Sao Paulo, fixed over 150 kids bikes and checked over more than 200.  The project was intended to help out the local population of children, who are often exposed to hard times and violence, and through the power of bicycles, the kids were given a positive experience and activity.  Learn more about the project in the video below and check out aromeiazero.com for more information.