Cycling Tips & Stories

This Portland family seems to have no trouble moving 9 people and a whole bunch of stuff via three bikes:

permanent link to article: "Move the family by bike"
posted by Brent Hugh at 11/29/2006 06:28:00 AM |comment on this article

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Kathleen Nelson recently wrote about Sarah Haskins, a St. Louis area native who is a rising triathlete:

Haskins, 25, a graduate of Parkway South High, is the No. 2-ranked U.S. woman in the Olympic distance triathlon. As such, she has represented the U.S. in world cup meets in China, Japan, German, Spain, Mexico, Switzerland and New Zealand, and finished the season ranked 16th in the world. . . .

Haskins has risen to the elite level of triathlon like a meteor. Most triathletes peak in their late 20s or early 30s, after more than five years in the sport. Haskins competed in her first triathlon just 3½ years ago. Then again, she spent more than a dozen years laying the groundwork for her success.

permanent link to article: "Sarah Haskins of St. Louis shooting to qualify for Olympic triathlon"
posted by Brent Hugh at 11/27/2006 12:46:00 PM |comment on this article

Triathletes (and MoBikeFed members!) Amy & Mark Livesay recently opened a new sports apparel store in Columbia that is featured in today's Columbia Tribune:

* Owners' experience: The Livesays are avid athletes who have between them completed 15 Ironman Triathlons, competitions that include a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. In 2002, they finished the Hawaii Ironman World Championship. Mark is president of the Columbia Multisport Club and director of Ultramax Events, an affiliate of the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation. Amy has taught aerobic exercise classes and is a coach for triathlon training. They both teach spinning classes at Wilson's Total Fitness.

* Clientele: "Anyone trying to become or stay active, from a walker to an Ironman triathlete," Amy Livesay said. . . .

* Why take the plunge now: Livesay said the store is a logical extension of the fitness lifestyle they embrace. "It’s what we do," she said. "We help people become and stay active. It’s a natural fit to help people get the right shoes and the right gear to help keep them active."

permanent link to article: "Triathlete couple opens sports apparel store in Columbia"
posted by Brent Hugh at 11/18/2006 05:08:00 PM |comment on this article

The Telegraph has an interesting article on Hans Monderman's experiments--is it possible to be both radical and common-sensical at the same time?

Most traffic lights should be torn up as they make roads less safe, one of Europe's leading road engineers said yesterday.

Hans Monderman, a traffic planner involved in a Brussels-backed project known as Shared Space, said that taking lights away helped motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to co-exist more happily and safely.


Road users take more care in Drachten as signs have been removed


Residents of the northern Dutch town of Drachten have already been used as guinea-pigs in an experiment which has seen nearly all the traffic lights stripped from their streets.

Only three of the 15 sets in the town of 50,000 remain and they will be gone within a couple of years.

The project is the brainchild of Mr Monderman, and the town has seen some remarkable results. There used to be a road death every three years but there have been none since the traffic light removal started seven years ago.

permanent link to article: "End of the road for traffic lights?"
posted by Brent Hugh at 11/16/2006 11:31:00 PM |comment on this article

As you know, MoBikeFed currently has a membership and fund raising drive going on.

Why do our members support MoBikeFed?

Here is one response, from MoBikeFed Treasurer Fred Schmidt:

As Missouri's statewide bicycle organizaiton, the Missouri Bicycle Federation does things that nobody else can. It works to preserve our rights to use the roads. It works with elected officials for legislation to make cycling safer and better. MoBikeFed represents cyclists at a variety of local, state and national organizations. For example, its executive director sits on the state's Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee. MoBikeFed has helped and will help with exciting events such as the new Tour of Missouri bicycle race. Quietly, with little fanfare, MoBikeFed contacts officials around the state and meets with them, to discuss and promote issues of importance to us. We see the big things -- Tour of Missouri, BikeMo, important legislation changes. But we often don't see the many little things -- the Jetton Ride (where MoBikeFed helped the house speaker put together a fitness ride, meeting many elected officials across the state), meeting with public officials to inform them of our concerns. MoBikeFed identifies who to talk with, establishes contact, meets, writes letters, makes phone calls, and so many other things that we cannot do for ourselves individually. That is why I support MoBikeFed.

MoBikeFed is at a critical juncture. Bicycling is no longer a fringe issue.

To meet the growing needs of Missouri's cycling community, MoBikeFed needs to transition from a rag-tag, all volunteer, skunkworks project to a professional organization that stands ready to initiate action and respond to problems and opportunities when they arise. I support it now, beyond what may be prudent given my own circumstances, precisely because this is such an important moment for MoBikeFed.

As of November 15th, we have raised $2481 of $15,000 needed to keep MBF financially stable and continue our programs like a lobbyist working on our behalf in the Missouri legislature in 2007. (Thanks to a generous private foundation, donations through January 31st will be matched dollar for dollar, up to a limit of $15,000.)

Since October 1st we have 112 new/renewing members and our goal is 250 by January 31st.

Join, renew, or donate here. Your generosity powers bicycle advocacy in Missouri. permanent link to article: "Why I support MoBikeFed"
posted by Brent Hugh at 11/15/2006 10:02:00 PM |comment on this article