PEDAL PUSHER

She’s Living Car-Free and Loving It

Dateline: May 30, 2008, Prospect Magazine - Dana Goldstein – “As gas prices rise and congestion worsens, cities and commuters alike are starting to embrace bicycles. This spring, as the presidential candidates were busy arguing over the advisability of lifting the gas tax for the summer months, I bought a bike. It was something I had been meaning to do since I first moved from Rhode Island to Washington, D.C., two years ago, when I sold the bumper sticker–clad Ford Escort …. in the weeks since, I’ve saved over $100 on bus and Metro fares; in just a few months, I’ll recoup the entire cost of the bike. Even better, I’ve joined a tight-knit but growing group of bike-commuting enthusiasts…”

Click: Car Free in D.C. for full article.

WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE

Never Heard of It ? This is for real !

According to Wikepedia the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR), which occurs in June is , well, just that . At least almost.

The dress code motto is “Bare As You Dare”, meaning total nudity is “not exactly” a requirement. This distinctive form of Critical Mass, occasionally called Critical Ass, is a combination of political protest, and street theatre. Creative expression is also encouraged to create a fun and immersive atmosphere during the ride, to capture the attention and imagination of passers-by and the media, and to make the experience more personalized and fulfilling for the riders.

Alas, poor Charlotte has yet to participate because doing so would be in violation of the BofA and Wachovia dress codes. Check out the crowds in the merry old London, England event by clicking: Kiss My Piccadilly.

THE END OF OIL

James Howard Kunstler Speaks Out

Dateline: May 25, Washington Post  - Wake Up, America. We’re Driving Toward Disaster - This a good reality check  article from a writer known for not mincing words.   His predictions about peak oil over five years ago were initially ignored and he was considered a gonzo.  But these times are a-changin’ and main-stream media is paying more attention to this social critic. For full article, click:
I Got the Peak Oil Blues.

TREK’S INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN

One World /Two Wheels

Watch this YouTube video of power point presentation by Trek CEO. John Burke gives a compelling talk on why bicycling is a valuable solution to some of the critical global problems of the 21st century. Click:  OneWorld/TwoWheels.

GAS PRICES SPUR BIKE SALES ALL ACROSS USA

Dateline: 5.11.08 - Associated Press – “Four-dollar-a-gallon gas is good for business - if you run a bike shop. Commuters around the country are dusting off their old two-wheelers - or buying new ones - to cope with rising fuel prices, bicycle dealers say . …Teacher Joyce McCusker of Herndon, Va., owns a bicycle for the first time in years. She bought it last month and uses it to make the eight-mile trip home from work. A friend drives her pickup to take McCusker’s daughter home from school. “I’m still using fossil fuel,” she said. “In two years, my goal is to ride both ways, every day through the year.” Click: Gas Prices Up, Bike Sales Up,Up,Up ! for full text.

5 MYTHS ABOUT URBAN CYCLING

There‘s Not Much Excuse for Not Doing It

Some myths about urban bicycling sent to us from Madison, Wisconsin (easily one the best biking cities in the U.S.A., and it doesn’t hurt a bit to have 50,000 university students living in the center of a city ).

1. That you have to be in good shape to bike.
2. That you have to have a “good” bike.
3. That you can drive a car faster (including the time it takes to park the gas-guzzler and then walk the rest of the way) to the drug store or supermarket ..or even to your chosen house of worship a.k.a. church. mosque, synagogue or just your favorite sunny sport under a flowering dogwood than a bike.
4. That fat (i.e. “calorie challenged ” ) people don’t bike.
5. That you get cold riding in the (Charlotte’s) winters.(The opposite is true if you bundle up a little and make sure to cover your neck).