bikes

Congratulations to the hard working volunteers of the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition for their success in getting some much needed safety improvements to the design of the new Lowry Bridge, which connects Northeast and North Minneapolis. The new safety improvements include 5 foot bike lanes on the bridge, marked bike paths on the sidewalks, and ramps to connect them. Read more about the project on their blog.

Today's [GREEN]Tuesday post is just a re-post of this article from Utne.com: Exercise Machines Will Not Power the World, where the real-life benefits of gyms with electricity-generating exercise machines are examined.
The basic idea is that some gyms are retro-fitting machines to generate power, making them seem "greener" than other gyms to attract members. But in reality, the amount of power generated hardly offsets the gym's power usage, especially when considering the investment in the machines. So even if it's a small step, is it worth it? Would you join a gym if you knew you were generating power while working out?

The recent news that Minneapolis has the highest percentage of female cyclists per state (45%!) in the country is pretty great - but the average percentage of women riders nationwide is still pretty low - around 25%. This great article by Grist explores why that number is so low, and looks at fear, fashion, and the economy as possible reasons. It's a pretty good read, and not just for women. So take a look, and pass it on!

The City of Minneapolis is asking for your opinion on how the recent changes to downtown Minneapolis' bike lanes are treating you. It's a ten minute survey, and it focuses on how the changes to Hennepin and 1st Ave, along with the new green-painted bike lanes, are affecting cyclists and drivers.

If you've got an opinion, here's your chance to share it. And you're entered to win a $25 gift certificate to One on One Bike Studio.

Click here to go to the survey.

Guerrilla artists on bikes dump 500 liters of waterbased environmentally-friendly paint onto a busy Berlin intersection, and allow the paint to be spread by the tires of over 2000 cars. Reminds me of those old Twirl O Graph toys...

How great is this! The Bike Fixtation, a vending machine just for cyclists! Stocked full of patch kits, replacement lights, tools, drinks, and snacks...with a work stand and an air pump right there for you to use to get your bike rolling again. This station is in the Uptown Transit Station on the east side of Hennepin Avenue, and it's open 6am to midnight every day. The next kiosk looks like it'll be at The Wedge Co-op.

Have you had the need to use this Bike Fixtation? Tell us about it! Where else would you like to see a kiosk installed?

This bike lock might look flimsy, but the test videos show that the TiGr lock is harder to break than almost any other lock on the market, is easier to use, and looks good to boot. Made of a slender titanium bow, the lock easily wraps around your entire bike plus whatever you're locking it to, and only weighs 1.5 pounds. And if you're wondering just how strong the lock really is, just watch this video. Basically, it takes twice as long to saw through the titanium compared to a steel U-lock, and impossible to cut through with bolt cutters. Impressive, no?

Unfortunately, the TiGr lock isn't for sale yet, since it's still in Kickstarter mode.

From AdventureJournal.com.

If you already love the Minneapolis' bike trails, you'll probably love them even more now that the Cedar Lake Trail extension is open. The extension connects the existing trail, which previously began near Glenwood Ave., to the West River Parkway by passing under Target Field. This trail helps cyclists stay out of downtown car traffic, and connects them to other trails throughout the city.

At a cost of $9 million, the extension has already had its critics. But, when the number of cyclists is increasing every year, it only makes sense to make bike paths that are safer, more accessible, and that connect more areas of the city. As David Klopp of the Cedar Lake Park Association (CLPA) said at the ribbon-cutting of the new trail, "The last extension was pricey...but I think the city's very proud of it, and I know we've saved lives. I don't think it's safe to put cars, trucks and bicycles on the same road."

What do you think of the new trail? Leave us a comment on Facebook or Twitter.

Here's more info on Minneapolis bike trails: An interactive online bike map, Bicycling 101, and here's a great video of the trail extension, starting at Target Field and ending at West River Parkway: (I recommend fast forwarding through it, since it's 6 mins long.)

The concept behind the Re:energy system is simple: use your bike's wheel power to generate and store energy that can be used on-the-go to charge small electronics. When human-power powers technology, there's less demand for fossil-fuel created energy. It's an interesting concept - one I hope can be developed into a usable product soon.

As a way to protest the ticket he got for not staying in the bike lane, Casey Neistat points out the many obstructions that often block the New York City bike lanes, including taxis, garbage cans, construction cones, and even...cop cars.

Found at Holykaw.alltop.com.