Regarding Mandatory Helmets? My thoughts exactly

You can also watch another funnier version, but with the same message.  Australia and Bogota don't seem to take the world's feedback and trends into consideration when designing and imposing their bike riding laws.

The Rhoades and Other Pedal Cars

Given that this has become my most popular post, I have decided to augment it with a few photos of potential chassi constructions for the pedal cars you see below.  this first one is a recumbent or so called by its manufacturer. This is a home made vehicle. Quite nice for the fact that is is all PVC tubing. I suppose that makes it very light. I personally like the second one better. This second pedal car is made by Mourad Feki. I did say before that he was based in france, but I was wrong. Mr. Feki is in Tunisia. I will even give you his web address. You might want to get more information from him: http://sites.google.com/site/pedalcars/home. 

The third specimen that we have here is a Rhodes pedal car for industrial applications. I like this one in particular because it seems very robust and light.  One more advantage of getting the Rhodes is that its construction is backed by a recognized company that makes several models and very likely by a warranty. I like warranties, even when I don't like to pay for them :))

Ok this has, for a long time, been one of my most coveted dreams. How can I go to work with the same comfort of my car, 0 emissions, using the bike trail, protected from the rain, while I exercise, etc? My research took me to the pedal car.  I decided to add some other images of pedal cars that I have acquired throughout the years. Here we have a type of pedal car made in Tunisia.

I would like to see this concept widely spread and the more information we have about it the closer we'll get to creating the ultimate pedal car for adults.  The black and the red pedal car with the child are made by Mr. Mourad Feki and I will even give you his address in case you want to contact him: ph# 2-162-268-1706, Feki_consult@yahoo.fr

Pimped out Rhodes Car

There are several kinds of pedal cars. Some of them don't have a roof, some are too heavy, some are slow, etc. In any case, I found one that might just suit my needs. On a Rhoades car, the Bicycle Forest built this pimped out Rhoades pickup truck. I frankly would prefer the Volkswagen since it is not as wide and it looks more professionally built.

Morgan SuperSport Junior

The problem is that this red one is child-size.  Well, I leave you here with a compilation of pedal cars that you might have seen before. If you want to e-mail me your ideas on how we can make the perfect adult-size pedal car, I might be willing to subsidize it. 

Here we have the Morgan VW bus pedal cars. I can see it perfectly doable for adults to ride a large size model. What do you think? 

WV Pedal Car



I also found an interesting picture in the Vanhat Velot blog. It is similar to the Morgan above. Of course I don't understand a word of what they say here and the 2008 volume is not for sale. I wanted to see more details of it. For now here you  have the picture of it.

Don't hesitate to send your comments.

Enjoy :)

Thanks to the Samba.com and The Bicycle Forest.

Making use of Availble Technology

The Wee Ride's Kanga

Kanga by Wee Ride from Australia

Very appropriate for those of us that are expecting or that already have children. Why not just appropriate, but very appropriate? well because I used to think that the coming of children would stop me from doing all the things that I like and the main one would be  riding my bike. Well, as I am coming to find, there is a ton of devices out there for your child or perhaps for you to carry your child.

 



Tyke Toter

  


Safe T Seat on a Public Bicycle



These two devices called my attention for their simplicity, practicality and for being inexpensive. With only one bolt either in the front or back of the bike, Tadaaaaaaa!!!! you are in business... in the bike riding business with your child.



Go Go Babyz



Go Go Babyz

 This cool suitcase-like carrier amazed me at the Minneapolis Airport as the one cool mother pulled child and seat mounted on the Go Go Babyz carrier to then board the plane and stow it in the overhead compartment as if nothing. This is also an inexpensive device that will free you from having to carry those bulky wheels from place to place. - Enjoy :)





How fancy can this be? Look at how this mother can convert her Taga stroller into a Taga tricycle and back. or if you look at the even smaller seats above, all you have to do is attach them to the front or to the back of the bike and you won't have to buy another bike or any other fancy devices for your child to accompany you. For around $60 to $80 you will be completely set. 

I hope you find this research useful. Happy riding :)

Bicycling and Walking in The United States

From the Alliance for Biking and Walking comes:

the Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2012 Benchmark Report. Click on the image to access the full report.

The Economic Impact of Bicycling and Walking As economic recession has impacted communities across the nation, active transportation has emerged as a promising sector for growth and revitalization. Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects. A series of case studies in 2010, examining the construction of U.S. bicycle and pedestrian facilities, found that such projects created between 218 and 1,050 new construction jobs.

After an initial economic boost from construction, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure has a lasting impact on local economies. A 2009 study in Minnesota found that bicyclists on state trails spend $2.4 billion annually, supporting nearly 31,000 full- and part-time jobs. A survey of San Francisco business owners on Valencia Street found that two-thirds of merchants thought the street's bike lanes had an overall positive impact on their business or sales.

Bicycling and walking also results in significant cost savings on health care spending. If just one out of every 10 adults started a regular walking program, the U.S. could save $5.6 billion in health care costs — enough to pay the college tuition of more than 1 million students. Thanks to bicycle infrastructure and programming, the City of Portland expects to see between $388 and $594 million in health savings by 2040. Cost benefit analysis show that as much as $11.80 in benefits can be gained from every $1 invested in bicycling and walking.

Contrasting Technologies

 In recent months I had the fortune to visit the US Coast Guard installations in Elizabeth City, SC and discovered among all the hundreds and hundreds of helicopter fuselages and parts, that bikes are being used as a 0 emissions rapid commute tool between hangars. 

 

In our June 23, 2011 posting titled Bikes in the Airfield, we showed some tricycles in Elmendorf, Alaska next to an Alaska Air National Guard's HH060 Pave hawk.  What a contrast...

The only other simpler way of transporting yourself, stuff and others besides the bicycle is to walk. Yet as humble and as simple as the bicycle is, it has proven to be of use next to the most advanced of technologies such as aviation.

In any case, if you ever wonder, is there a place where bicycles just don't fit? Tell me and I will try to prove you wrong :)

"This is not a Bike... (Its a machine for economic and cultural empowerment)"

As a response to the Asian tsunami of 2005, a good Samaritan corporation decided to put their expertise, their money and their desire to help to the best possible use. Bike component giant SRAM partnered with aid organizations in south east Africa to to deliver bikes and other types of aid to the affected locations. They delivered 24,000 bicycles originally to Sri Lanka. After that, the World Bicycle Relief Foundation was born. In SRAM's Kane Farabaugh's own words:

"The highest performing bike I've seen is the bike in the hands of the girl student fighting for her education or the bikes in the hands of a mother faithing for her children. There is no higher performing bike than that."

In this context, the advantage these 'machines for economic and cultural empowerment' provide access. That is the primary value; Access to education, to markets, to opportunity, to care, to emergency services, access to the world.

Along with the bikes, the program also trains mechanics of the two primary genders.

These bikes are totally locally built, creating thus further opportunities for the communities; jobs, transportation, education, etc.

"With over 96,000 bicycles in the field and 750 field mechanics trained, World Bicycle Relief is changing lives across Africa. World Bicycle Relief currently has assembly facilities in Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe and has supplied bicycles through programs in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe."

See more at World Bicycle Relief.org and SRAM.com

Biking in the Anchorage Winter

We came across nocturnal solo biker in downtown Anchorage. Where was he going? only he knows, but we past him on our car as we were coming back home. This is the first of  the Biking in the Anchorage Winter series, so for now I will share this one picture with you.

Notice how this bike has an adapted trailer - quite convenient. I would like to see how it behaves in this type of conditions and with more weight.

 On the other hand and as you leave the downtown,  biking in Anchorage gets reduced to this. This is what a biker in Anchorage during the winter has to deal with.  I would say this is more walking than biking. So much for claiming independence from motor vehicles. Not possible in this city as I see it.  You can see how the sidewalk has been completely covered by the snow that the Muni machines pick up from the road. I'd say that even if the side walk was clear from snow, the sidewalk is for pedestrians. Bikes have no lane, no sidewalk, no space, no warning signs, no respect and this continues to be the case for more than 50% of the city.  As it this was not enough there are those red neck truck owners that throw stuff at you and tell you to get out of the road. Bikers continue to be second class citizens in a city designed and built for the car. There continues to be a complete disconnection between the traffic that bikes reduce and the drivers of motor vehicles in Alaska.

Now, this looks dangerous. This particular rider  goes against traffic to make sure none of these cars will ram him from behind. Granted this year we broke a record snow fall. I had never seen so much snow fall in Anchorage in one year. It is January 24th and the Muni is just now plowing the sidewalks.
I truly admire those that against all odds venture to make the bike their only method of transportation, but frankly, there is a limit and here in Anchorage, riding on the side of the road is very dangerous for many obvious reasons. One of them could be that one of these cars loses control on the snow/ice and you end up being killed.  Point in case - bikers will bike if the infrastructure is there; at least men will.

Women biking around the world... solo or not



Photo - Skalatitude.com

 My question was: do you want to travel around the world. Have you even ever thought about it? I Have... It is my dream, my passion, but I don't have the money yet. However, for those of you that have been thinking about it there is a compilation of resources that might give you some insight, so at first I wanted to give you a general list of people biking around the world, but as I did  my research I found something even more amazing, which is WOMEN biking solo around the world. That is a lot of courage...

Here it is:
http://www.dervlamurphy.com/index.html 
http://www.josiedew.com/
Marija Kozin
http://travellingtwo.com/
NZ 2 UK by Bike
http://www.2wheels4girls.com/
Jasmin Meier
Sabine Studer
Hanna Jacobson
Katie Tibbets
skalatitude.com

This leads me to another idea and since I have found a whole new flow of information regarding the most adventurer kind of women; I decided to branch my blog into two pages. The second one dedicated to Women Biking. Coming soon...

Thanks to Skalatitude.com

Me and my Bike

I came accross this vdeo by chance. First I was visiting the LGRAB blog and it took me to A most Cilivized Conveyance,which in turn showed me the video.

Bicitaxi - An inexpensive way to commute in Colombia

They are everywhere. I suppose it is quite convenient to take one of these from the bus station to your house or back for what would be close to 50 cents. You will mostly see them waiting by the Transmilenio stations or by the supermarkets. Many people use them to travel that last leg from the bus system to their homes when it is quite late to be walking on the streets or when it is raining.

Do you just want to go to the super and not pay for parking? one of these street warriors will take you. Yes, you guessed it, you have to pay for parking there to. That does not guarantee you that your car won't get vandalized or scratched, it just allows you to park. That's what I would do. After all, 50 cents is cheaper than paying four dollars to park your car, the gasoline and the risk.

You will also see them around middle and low income neighborhoods such as this one. In general they make part of what is called in Colombia informal jobs (Trabajo informal). Around 57% of Colombia's labor force occupies an informal occupation. These are occupations that don't contribute to the tax system, but that at the same time don't receive any kind of social benefits. The reason is not always a lack of formal employment, but rather a fear of losing many of the subsidies that the government provides to low income families such as elementary education. We will revisit the topic of labor informality in Latin America in future posting.