Tag: Portland

CYLO Ready to Go

CYLOCYLO has rolled out what it claims to be the “Ultimate Urban Bicycle,” and it could live up to the claim with its lightweight yet durable 6061 aluminum frame, dynamo hub that powers the front and rear integrated lights and Gates Carbon Belt Drive with 3-speed Shimano Nexus hub. This bike was designed by ARRO.studio in Paris, but will be manufactured and assembled in Portland, Oregon.

CYLO Official Website

Weekend Reading List (06.08.2013): Helmet Wall, Strava Suit

Helmet Wall

Wall-of-Helmets

From GearPatrol: Hundreds of Bike Helmets on a Brick Wall (at Portland Art Museum)
A giant grid of bike helmets affixed to the brick exterior of the Portland Art Museum serves as signage for an upcoming exhibit. Nutcase donated 475 Helmets to the museum so its staff could build this one-of-a-kind sign. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (06.08.2013): Helmet Wall, Strava Suit

Bikes Belong Calls for Protected Bikeways

While many hardcore cyclists have no fear of riding in traffic, for many commuters, younger riders and those with an actual fear of death likely avoid riding on streets at all costs. But several cities are working to make for safer and stress-free. Top transportation officials from across the country, including Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, headlined the launch of a new initiative to bring protected bikeways to six U.S. cities including Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

This is the result of the Green Lane Project, which was created by the national bicycling nonprofit Bikes Belong Foundation.

Green lanes are dedicated, inviting spaces for people on bikes in the roadway, protected by curbs, planters, posts or parked cars. The goal of the Green Lane Project is to support the selected cities in their efforts to develop and install these kinds of facilities. Recent studies have demonstrated their benefits nationwide. In Washington, D.C., bicycle volume tripled after protected bikeways were installed. In Portland, Ore., more than 70 percent of survey respondents said bicycling is easier and safer with these dedicated lanes, while motorists said the facilities did not make driving any slower or less convenient. Continue reading Bikes Belong Calls for Protected Bikeways

BDSM for Your Bike

More than likely, if you are a cyclist, there is not one bit of natural fiber on your bike or in your cycling wardrobe. Cotton and leather has been replaced by Lycra, Coolmax, Nylon, leatherette or any number of other manmade products on the market. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but there is still a great appreciation for leather goods within the cycling community – just look at Brooks England, they have been making leather saddles since 1882 and they are still going strong! Continue reading BDSM for Your Bike

Portland Goes Green at the Gym

As we’ve noted previously, there is some irony in the way people use gyms. In many parts of the country people sit in traffic in their cars to drive to a gym to work out. And then at the gyms, these places aren’t exactly the greenest operated businesses. There are the treadmills, the music system, the air-conditioning and of course those walls of TVs. The irony is that people are burning a lot of calories, but we’ve already seen some gyms work up ways to recapture some of that effort and put it back into power.

We heard about Portland’s Green Microgym, which has the equipment capture and send some of the energy back into the electrical grid. Because the equipment needs power to operate, as well as those TVs, the lights and air conditioning it is currently impossible or any gym to actually generate more power than it needs to run, but some equipment could do more than it’s part.

According to reports some of the equipment can actually generate more power than it draws, notably a spin bike during an intensive class. This is of course because most spin bikes need practically no electricity, other than possible a speedometer or cycle computer. Thus with every pedal stroke the riders produce energy. Pedal power can make gyms greener.

[Via Voice of America: Exercisers Burn Energy While Creating it]

The Green Microgym

Minneapolis Rides to Top Spot in Bicycling Magazine Ranking

Minneapolis, Minnesota is the best place in the country to bike, at least according to the annual top 50 bike-friendly cities in America, as chosen by Bicycling magazine. This year’s list pays homage to cities that have shown solid innovation in making cycling better, and also looks at how local government support riding.

Interestingly, this list must be taken fairly seriously, as Miami has become one of the five up-and-comer cities, now ranking 44th on the best cities list; quite an improvement from 2008 when the city was on the “Worst Cities for Cycling” list! Miami now has added bike lanes, sharrows and trails in the works, but the city recently hired a bike-ped coordinator to make it even friendlier. As for Minneapolis, it was chosen as best for its thriving bike community, and the fact that it has 120 miles of on- and off-street bicycle facilities, plus indoor bike parking for commuters.

Here is a look at the Top Five Best Cities:

  1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
  2. Portland, Oregon
  3. Boulder, Colorado
  4. Seattle, Washington
  5. Eugene, Oregon

The Top Five “Rising Stars” as cities that are improving:

  • New York City
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Long Beach, California
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Miami, Florida

And of course for everything good, there has to be the worst places to cycle. These cities include:

  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Jacksonville, Florida
  • Memphis, Tennessee

For the entire list, as well as top foreign cities, go to: http://www.bicycling.com/topbikefriendlycities/