Bike Week 2008

Well, it's 2008. And it's May, which is Bike Month. And now it's going to be Bike Week. The only thing that can possibly be more exciting will be Bike to work day!

May is the month we live for here at the FCBC. It's a time for us to enjoy the fruits of our labour. All our advocacy work, encouraging local governments to build out the bike infrastructure. All our education work, showing cyclists how to safely drive their bicycles on the public roads. It's a great time of year, and time to show some new hands the ropes as we encourage people to get out of their cars and on to their bikes. Try it... you might like it!

On Wednesday is our famous downtown ride. We start at the Manchester Transit Center (show at eight, go at eight thirty) with a bicycle-police escort down Blackstone Avenue to downtown and the Fulton Mall, where we enjoy delicious food and beverages provided by our great sponsors, Cafe Corazon and Milano.

On Thursday is the Corporate Challenge. What, you haven't heard about the Corporate Challenge? You must the be the last person in Fresno. Check it out! This is our third annual Corporate Challenge, and this year it's bigger and better than ever. As usual we have great sponsors who have been very generous with the cash to organize the event and the awesome raffle prizes that every Corporate Challenge rider is eligible to win. Tri-Sport is giving away a $1,000 Soho Trek commuter bike. Stephen's Bicycles and Rubber Soul Bicycles are giving away piles of goods that you need for your ride; racks, panniers, lights, tires.

Most awesome and new for this year's Corporate Challenge will be the Energy Stations! You need energy to ride your bike, and we're not talking petroleum! Stop by for goodies and get all sugared up. It's a good place to meet your friends so you can ride in together. Or why not organize a tour of the energy stations? Who wants to go to work when you can ride around town with convenient rest stops and fun people?

• REI is sponsoring and manning an Energy Station outside their River Park Store.
• Fresno State is organizing an Energy Station near Cedar and Barstow.
• Fiesta Foods will be hosting a full-on party outside their store on Tulare at 2nd Street. We're talking food, prizes, and radio stations!
• Clovis. There will be an energy station on the Sugar Pine trail just south of the intersection of Clovis and Ashlan Avenues.
  

If you live in Clovis Monday night at 7 PM would be a good time to engage in Civics. Show up at the City Council meeting to hear May proclaimed Bike Month in the City of Clovis. FCBC will graciously accept the proclamation on your behalf.

If you live in Fresno, it's Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM. We'll see you in Fresno City Hall Council Chambers, where May will be proclaimed Bike Month in Fresno. FCBC will, of course, be there.

On Thursday at 6 PM it's time for our monthly Coalition meeting. I hope you'll stop by on your ride home from work. It's going to be a ride-away-from-work party!

For details on these and all the other Bike Month events, please see fresnobike.org.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Re: [fresnobike] Re: Roundabouts at CSUF

Dear cycling friends,

Bicycles must use the right-most lane that serves their destination.
Therefore you cannot stripe bicycle lanes in roundabouts without
preventing bicyclists from ever doing anything but turning right.

You must merge into the through-lane, the center lane, if you want to
go straight or turn left.

These roundabouts are small enough that this is not a problem. Before
you reach the roundabout, check for traffic, signal, and merge into
the main travel lane. Negotiate the roundabout, achieve your
destination, and merge back to the right if appropriate.

Notice that the instructions provided by Fresno State (I have copied
the link below) support my position, and suggest to motorists that
they treat bicycles in the roundabout the same as cars.

Do not confuse the cars by improperly negotiation the roundabout on
your bicycle. Assume proper lane position for maximal vehicular
cycling pleasure.

I believe enough Fresno State Cyclists are reading this that we can
achieve a positive impact by modelling the behaviour we would like to
see in others, both while in our cars and on our bicycles.

Thank you,

Ed
http://www.fresnostatenews.com/2008/04/Howtodrivearoundabout.pdf

League of American Bicyclists Names Portland, Ore.

League of American Bicyclists Names Portland, Ore.
a “Platinum” Level Bicycle Friendly Community.

The League of American Bicyclists congratulates Portland, Ore. on achieving
platinum Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) status – Portland is the first
large city in the United States to gain the designation and joins Davis,
Calif as the only other platinum BFC in the country.

More than 200 communities have applied for BFC recognition since 2003, and
84 currently have a bronze or higher designation. An announcement of
additional designations from the most recent round of applications is
scheduled for release Thursday, May 1, to mark the first day of National
Bike Month.

Portland’s BFC award is recognition of the incredible progress the
community has made to encourage more people to bicycle and to ride safely.
“When Portland received the gold award in 2003”, said Andy Clarke,
President of the League, “We challenged the community to increase ridership
to get to platinum. Bold leadership, community-wide involvement, and a lot
of hard work has resulted in a 144% increase in bicycle use since the 2000
Census – impressive results by any standard.”

“We are honored that the League has recognized Portland’s work to become a
better, safer place for people to bicycle”, said Portland City Commissioner
Sam Adams, who has spearheaded the initiative to achieve platinum status.
“This is integral to our broader vision of Portland as a world-class,
sustainable, and economically vibrant city that attracts families and
businesses because of the quality of life on offer to all. Bicycling helps
us achieve all that and more. We are not content to rest on our laurels.
Platinum status is just the beginning and we realize that the eyes of the
nation are now upon us to keep pedaling forward!”

BFC reviewers noted that Portland has coupled modest but smart investments
in infrastructure, with outstanding education, promotion and encouragement
activities to make bicycling a practical and safe option for many more
Portlanders than ever before. Education and enforcement programs are now
helping drivers and pedestrians interact more safely and predictably with
the increasing numbers of cyclists on the road.

Other highlights from the 27-page application included:

Portland’s bikeway network includes 270 miles of on-street bike
lanes, bike boulevards, and paved trails; another 40 miles of unpaved
trails offer mountain biking opportunities in city parks.
A city ordinance requires bike parking in new development and
redevelopment projects; another provides a huge incentive for
developers to provide showers and locker rooms
Six bike corrals have been installed, each replacing one on-street
car parking space with 12 bicycle spaces
400 bikeway destination signs have been installed (with 400 to come)
on the bikeway network
More than 1,000 traffic offenders (including cyclists) have been
through a two-hour “Share the Road” Safety Class
More than 400 bicycle light sets are distributed annually to
low-income bicyclists by the city, Tri-Met (the transit agency) and
the Community Cycling Center.
2,250 elementary students annually receive a 10-hour bicycle safety
course as part of a larger Safer Routes to School initiative. The
course is delivered by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and has
helped increase bicycling to school by 5% in just one school year.
The city distributes 35,000 citywide bicycle maps and another 35,000
local area maps. The citywide map is also reproduced in the Portland
phone book.
More than 9,100 people participated in the 2007 Bicycle Commuter
Challenge, including 1,700 first-time bike commuters
A Tri-Met survey found that three-fifths of area employment sites
provide bike parking and ten percent offer incentives to employees
who bicycle.
20,000 participants in the Providence Bridge Pedal make Portland home
to the second largest community bike ride in the United States (after
Bike New York)
2,000 hardy riders fill the annual Worst Day of the Year ride in
early February
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance boasts 3,000 members in the city
and is just one of many advocacy and riding groups that organize
thousands of rides, events and bicycling activities year-round
Creation of the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovations at
Portland State University will help ensure technology transfer and
much-needed research into innovative ways to encourage bicycling
The city boasts 40 bike shops and more than 150 bicycle-related
businesses that provide thousands of green-collar jobs and with an
economic benefit of more than $65 million (2005)

“Portland has had the courage to lead, to innovate, and to pursue a vision
of their community that emphasizes choice, equity and quality of life,”
continued Clarke. “The job isn’t done, however. Platinum status isn’t
forever, and it carries with it the responsibility of setting a high
standard for other communities to follow. We recognize that compared to
other world class cities for cycling, Portland still has a long way to go.”

Among the recommendations made by the League to the City to maintain their
platinum status are:

Ensure better access to city parks and recreation areas for off-road
riding
Strengthen ties to the police and enforcement community to ensure
motorists and cyclists are following the rules of the road
Increase investments in the city’s bikeway network, particularly bike
boulevards and signature projects that overcome major barriers, to
open up the city to cyclists of all abilities
Continue to innovate and demonstrate leadership with projects such as
the new bike boxes, colored bike lanes, and Sunday Parkways program


Andy Clarke
League of American Bicyclists
Help protect the rights of cyclists across the nation! Donate today!

Bike Sharing Comes to the U.S.

An article in the New York times details a bike-sharing program in Washington D.C. A private company has 140 bicycles available for rent in various locations. Just swipe your card and go! The program is compared with similar ventures in Europe.

Click the title to link to the story.

How to get a free FFD Bike Helmet

I just received this in my work email inbox (I would imagine you'd have to go down to the Fire Dept. location in person to claim the helmet):

Fresno Fire is lending a helping hand in the Saint Agnes Associates' 30-day Dollars for Diapers event. The FFD has agreed to come to host a donation drive effort for the Dollars for Diapers Drive and will provide a free FFD bike helmet to donors. Holy Cross Center for Women has provided more than 68,000 diapers to families in need. Parents also participate in an educational component about health or child care.

Monetary donations or diapers sizes 4, 5 and 6 are greatly appreciated. Cash donations and diapers can be dropped off 10 am-6 pm, Friday and Saturday, April 25-26 at:
• River Park Shopping Center (Blackstone and Nees) - In front of World Sports Café
- Near children's play area by Edwards Theater - In front of Jamba Juice
• Fig Garden Village (Palm and Shaw)
- In front of Patrick James
• Fresno Fire Department Headquarters
- 911 H Street, next to Grizzlies Stadium

Single-minded cyclists have old-school cool

The San Francisco Chronicle published an interesting story on Single-speed bicycles. Click the link or read below, where we've pasted the article for your convenience.

(04-16) 22:20 PDT -- In a world full of modern technological wizardry and gimcrackery, sometimes simple is better.

Take, for instance, single-speed bicycles.

There's been a movement in the mountain biking community over the past decade or so to rip out all the unnecessary parts - derailleurs, cassettes, cables, shifters and other components of the modern 27-speed drive train - and get back to the basics of propelling a two-wheeled vehicle.

One chain ring, one sprocket, a chain (or belt) and a lot of leg work.

Clean, elegant, efficient.

"We're shedding new light on an old tradition," said Carl Decker of Bend, Ore., a two-time national single speed champion (2004, '05) and runner-up in last summer's Single Speed World Championships in Scotland.

"You feel like a purist," said Julia Violich of San Anselmo, a runner-up (on a multi-geared bike) in the UCI Masters Mountain Bike World Championships in France in August. "You don't need all those fancy gears."

Too many gears can actually spoil the ride. By eliminating both front and rear derailleurs - and their attendant components - single-speed bikers have a more efficient pedal stroke, with less chain drag through derailleur pulleys making pedaling a bit smoother and easier. Also, the chain line is straight, which enhances performance. Plus, you're shedding a lot of weight.

"My fully geared racing mountain bike weighs 21 1/2 pounds," Violich said. "My single speed bike weighs 17 pounds."

Ironically, despite dumping the cassette and double (or triple) chain ring, single-speed riders still have to make a gearing choice: What size chain ring and rear sprocket to use.

"Gearing is key; it's the most important thing," Violich said. "That's something we single-speeders talk about all the time. A common thing to say to another single-speeder is, 'What's your gear ratio?'

"That one choice is a big one."

The most common gear ratio is 2:1; i.e., having a 36-tooth ring in front and an 18-tooth cog in back, or 34 and 17, etc. Other riders advocate a 1.8:1 ratio (32-18), which is a better suited for the hilly terrain in the Bay Area.

(Speaking of locals: Single-speed bikes differ from what a lot of urban youth use to buzz around town. Many of those folks use a fixed-geared machine, which doesn't have a free-wheel in back, so they can't coast and they have to back-pedal to brake the bike. That's not a great option for off-road riding.)

Finding the proper gearing for your riding style will take a little experimenting. Do you want something that will help you up steeper hills, but have you frantically spinning on the descents? Or do you want a bit of control on the downhills and have to work harder going up?

Remember: It's you against the terrain, not you and a bunch of gears against the terrain.

"Don't be afraid if you have to get off the bike and walk," Decker said. "It's all part of the game.

"But once you get set up, not much can go wrong."

It's the clean and simple lines that attract single-speeders, who tend to eschew Lycra in favor of baggy shorts and T-shirts. They harken to the early days of off-road riding - think back to the Repack crowd of the mid-'70s - when it was all about having fun on the bike and when beer, not some electrolyte replacement drink, was the fluid of choice.

"They are such a cool group," said Jeff Frost, the athlete services director at this weekend's Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, where some 60-70 single-speeders, including Decker and Violich, are expected to compete. "They are more down-to-earth. They like to consider themselves hard-core mountain bikers. ... They're just old school."

"It's kind of a counter-culture," Decker said. "I've been mountain bike racing since 1984, and these (single-speed) races are like those early days: good crowd, great scene, fun to be around."

Added Violich: "There is that underground element: a little bit different, a little bit dangerous."

Despite the throwback, party-hardy attitude, there is something thoroughly modern about single-speed cycling: It's a heck of a training regimen.

"It's a fabulous workout," Violich said. "You use your body a lot. You use a pushing-out motion to help you get up hills. You use your stomach, your back, your arms ... you use your body a lot more for leverage."

"It does make you a stronger rider," Decker said. "At the U.S. nationals two years ago (at Sonoma County's Infineon Raceway), I rode both multi-gear and single-speed cross-country races, and I found myself doing faster laps on my single speed."

Buns of steel notwithstanding, most single-speeders are in it for the pure joy - and challenge - of it.

"I love it; I ride my single speed 99 percent of the time," said Violich, who admits that she had to tape direction markers on her handle bars to remind her how to shift at last summer's event in France. "I really like the challenge, and it's really fun."

It's the simple pleasures of cycling.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/17/SPI11064U2.DTL

San Jaoquin Valley Blueprint Planning Process

In an email received by the coalition, dated today, Brenda Lauchner of the Fresno COG announces:

It is time for the residents of Fresno County to voice their opinions on how the county should grow over the next 40+ years! The Blueprint Roundtable has approved five growth scenarios for your review and feedback.

Join a workshop using clicker voting technology! (Also see advertisement below from the Local Section of the April 7th Fresno Bee).

Your opinions will be reported back to the Blueprint Roundtable committee at their May 1st meeting, where a final Blueprint Scenario for Fresno County will be developed and forwarded to the Fresno COG Board.

And the coalition says: Cyclists need to be involved in the planning process, so that we can advocate for bicycle-friendly public policy.

Visit the Fresno COG Web page (announcements section) for further details.