Albany Bicycle Coalition

by Lorenz M. Worden | July 13, 2015 · 1:37 pm

PUBLIC MEETING – Madison Avenue Traffic Calming – Wed., July 29, 2015 – 6 PM

PUBLIC MEETING – Madison Avenue Traffic Calming – Wed., July 29, 2015 – 6 PM

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Latest Update on Albany’s Protected/Separated Bicycle Lanes

1.PUBLIC MEETING – Madison Avenue Traffic Calming (new date)

Wed., July 29, 2015 – 6:00 to 8:00 PM

The City of Albany is progressing on Madison Avenue Traffic Calming from South Allen St. to Lark St. The project will reduce the number of travel lanes, while improving bicycle accommodations and completing all work between the existing curbs. Public comments are being solicited, and you are invited to join the City’s design team at this meeting to hear an overview of the project and to provide input on the alternatives.

Meeting Location: College of Saint Rose, Touhey Forum, Lally School of Education, 1009 Madison Ave. (on north side, just east of Main Ave.), Wednesday, July 29 – 6:00 PM

For additional information or questions, contact: Bill Trudeau Jr., Coordinator of Traffic Engineering, 434-5791, wtrudeau@albany-ny.org

2. Sign the Protected Bicycle Lanes petition here. Join the parade of people who demand this change for the City of Albany.

3. Facebook – Please continue to send this Protected Bicycle Lanes link to your e-contacts. If each person receiving this e-mail got ONE ADDITIONLAL PERSON to sign up, we’d more than double the number of “likes.” Also, there’s a lot of info on Protected Bicycle Lane on this FB page.

Weedsport Has ‘Em . . .

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Across the state, towns and cities have bicycle lanes on their main streets – Syracuse, Albion, Medina, Palmyra, Albion, Little Falls, and even Weedsport. And Albany?

“People on Bikes” says:

53% of American adults would like to bike more
34% of adults who want to ride more are dissatisfied with current bike infrastructure
64% of people who would like to bike more want protected bicycle lanes

Source: Momentum May-Jun 2015

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Filed under Activism, Bike Lanes

Tagged as City Review

by Lorenz M. Worden | June 26, 2015 · 4:06 pm

Where’d you get that bike?

Where bicycles are made:

130,000,000 – Produced globally in 2007
67% produced in China
56,000 produced in USA
99% of bicycles sold in USA in 2013 were imports (16.2 million bicycles)

Top 5 producers:

China
India
EU
Taiwan
Japan

Sources: Various as reported in Momentum, May-Jun 2015

The Hottest Bicycle Shop in Town

In typical upbeat Downtube Bicycle Works fashion, this new slogan appeared on the gutted shop in early May after the earlier disastrous fire.

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The Downtube now has a “full service, pop up” shop in the adjacent motor vehicle bay. If you stop in, you’ll find the same friendly service from a group who has been through hellish times as they move forward to a new and better Downtube Bicycle Works.

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Just now, the gutting is complete and work is underway on the upstairs apartments (the source of the fire) and the shop.

The owner provided the following statement:

Robert, Eric, Adam, and all the Downtubers appreciate everyone’s concern and patience as we continue to recover and rebuild after the fire. We are now offering full bicycle repair service out of our garage next door to the store, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 12 noon – 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We also have the primary essential parts and accessories for immediate sale, and we are special ordering everything bicycle, often with 1-2 day delivery. The renovated store will reopen later this season with new, exciting features. Please stop by and say hello in the meantime.

Stand by for a grand reopening!

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Filed under Bike Tech, City Review

Tagged as bicycle shops

by Lorenz M. Worden | June 4, 2015 · 2:06 pm

Tips from the “Land Down Under”

Catherine Deveny’s 5 Tips For Stylish Cycling, By Claire Wilson @styleshespoke, February 28, 2014

SOURCE: http://styleshespoke.com/719/catherine-devenys-5-tips-for-stylish-cycling/

Intro – Melbourne comedian Catherine Deveny only started riding seriously in 2010 when she got what she describes as an “old Dutch grandmother style bike.” She says that this bike changed her life, not only because it made her want to ride, but because it made her want to find gorgeous frocks to go with it.

She prefers to cruise about town in 1940s inspired floral, accessorised in red to go with her polka dot panniers and black Lekker step-through.

To the ever-pragmatic Catherine Deveny, however, cycle style is less about what you are wearing and more about how you act on the road – a sentiment that I applaud wholeheartedly. So, without further adieu, here are Ms Deveny’s 5 tips for stylish cycling [Ed: #3 is the best]:

5. Look hot – It is a simple truth that when you look hot people are going to notice you faster, which is excellent news if you want to be seen by drivers.

4. Be predictable – Use hand signals, get into the turning lane early, and just generally let other road users know what you are up to. A confused driver will get flustered and angry whereas one who can tell what you are doing (and gets a smile and a wave of thanks into the bargain) will have a smile on their face.

3. Assume you’re invisible – It’s undeniably true that bikes are harder to spot than cars, so it’s safest to assume that other road users probably haven’t seen you. For me this translates to keeping my hand on the brake lever at all times and a constant eye on the road conditions.

2. Maintain your line – Swerving all about the place is going to contradict rule #4, it is also going to freak out drivers in much the same way as a herd of kangaroos – you just don’t know when one of those things is going to smack into your bonnet. Choose a line, signal your intention, and don’t change your mind.

1. Own the road – It’s official, bike riders have every right to own their lane. While this doesn’t mean obstinately riding in the middle of the road wherever you go, it does mean riding in the middle of the lane when you believe it would be unsafe for a car to pass you or where the risk of being car doored is high. If you have stuck to rule #5 and look hot then any driver shouldn’t mind cruising behind you for a while.

SOURCE: http://styleshespoke.com/719/catherine-devenys-5-tips-for-stylish-cycling/