This Thursday -- Bike Programs on the Brink


Today, the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives is releasing its long-term federal transportation bill. Cycling groups expected the bill to be bad news for biking and walking, but we didn?t think it would reverse all progress made in this country in the past twenty years.

The House Transportation Committee will vote Thursday, February 2, on whether to approve this bill or amend it to include biking and walking programs. Find out if your Representative is on the committee by clicking here -- and if he or she is, then take action right away.

Why the urgency? House leaders are pushing hard to completely cut bicycling and walking out of transportation. Lawmakers seem to have gone through federal law line-by-line to gut programs that make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians. They haven't done this to any other transportation sector. Among many terrible provisions, the House bill:

  • Destroys the major bike/walk funding program (Transportation Enhancements);
  • Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, which helps create safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school;
  • Allows states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles;
  • Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs; and
  • Strips language which ensures that rumble strips ?do not adversely affect the safety or mobility of bicyclists, pedestrians, or the disabled.?
But there?s still a chance to save federal bike/walk programs. This week in the House Transportation Committee, Representative Tom Petri (R-WI) plans to offer an amendment to restore dedicated funding for key programs. Please click on the action alert to see if your Representative is on the committee -- and if they are, contact them asap and ask them to support Mr. Petri's amendment.

This is as urgent as it gets. Even if Mr. Petri's amendment succeeds, there will be a long road ahead. But if we lose here, we risk losing decades of progress for a more bike-friendly America.

Please pass this along to all your local friends and contacts -- particularly high-level contacts like mayors, school board members, and business leaders -- and ask them to weigh in, too. Thanks so much for your quick action and we'll keep you posted.

Photo from iStockPhoto.com.

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JIM SAYER is executive director of Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/01/this-thursday-bike-programs-on-brink.html

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Team RadioShack Moves 3 into Paris-Nice Top 10 after Stage 6

In Friday’s race of truth, the individual time trial at the 69th running of Paris-Nice, Tony Martin of HTC-Highroad, as expected by many, laid down a devastating effort over the 27 kilometer course, beating the next competitor by a full 20 seconds and scrambling the general classification from the previous day’s posting. However, Team RadioShack [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-moves-3-into-paris-nice-top-10-after-stage-6/

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10 multi-day bicycle tours worth considering

Must admit that I'm burned out on Bicycling magazine's monthly barrage of top 10 product lists or 10 ways to get faster, fitter, finer in 30 days.

But here's one that caught my attention: 10 of Bicycling magazine's favorite multi-day tours.

You could make the argument that any such bike tour you're fortunate enough to take would be a favorite. Here's their lineup:

(Shameless self-promotion alert: By the way, all of these, and many, many more, are listed at my state by state list of Across-State and Multi-Day Bicycle Tours.)

1. Bike Florida Forgotten Coast Tour ....

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/blog/_archives/2012/2/8/4994172.html

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Why should I buy a folding bike!

For your typical city occupant folding bikes usually are the most appropriate way to get around. With a lot of Londoners living in flats and apartments with little if any storage space a foldable bicycle is going to be much more convenient when compared to a standard sized cycle. The bikes fold up rapidly and are generally small enough to be tucked away in the home or taken on trains and buses during the particular times that ordinary cycles are restricted on account of passenger over crowding. Folding bikes can in fact be taken on the tube system, taken on buses and even taken on Croydon's Tram link system. Officially the bikes may need to be in a small bag but in practice Transport for London rarely enforce this and if they do then a pair of black bin liners will suffice. A folder will permit a person to circumvent the train companies' cycle restrictions and you could actually take your folding bike home in a minicab on a Friday night following a few bevies at the pub! There are plenty of different kinds of folding bicycles available, from leading manufacturers including Dahon, Brompton and Pashley.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/sxVHiYm0Kaw/

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Rast Within Inches of Podium at Paris-Roubaix

Beautiful blue skies, unseasonably warm shirt-sleeve temperatures, knowledge crowds thickly lining the roads, hard to see how it could get much better for the 109th running of the 258-kilometer (160 mile) Hell of the North. It?s been named that mostly because of the 27 cobbled sectors (51.5 kms) that the riders bounce over on [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/rast-within-inches-of-podium-at-paris-roubaix/

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Headphones for cyclists

If you think the idea of cyclists wearing headphones is one of the stupidest things you?ve ever heard then that would make two of us. It?s why when I was approached by Chilli Technology to review their Bone Conduction Headphones my interest was piqued. The headphones claim to allow you to keep awareness of your [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/cycling-accessories/headphones-for-cyclists/

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Our Real World. Team Camp.

Real World. 13 girls. 1 house. Palm Springs. Bicycles. Although the schedule has been quite regimented at team camp, there still has been time for plenty of laughter and learning.  We have been visited by some of our major sponsors here to increase our product knowledge as well as give feedback of the products in [...]

Source: http://alisonstarnes.com/2012/02/10/our-real-world-team-camp/

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New Socks For Spring


Do you ever feel like your cycling outfit needs a little extra zing? Maybe you want just a tad bit more visibility as you head out. We've got just the thing. Our Hi-Vis socks are the perfect dreary-day pick-me-up. They're made with Ultra-wicking Micro Denier Acrylic too, so your feet will stay warm and dry.



Top photo by Sarah Raz. Bottom photo by Adventure Cycling Association.

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SHIPPING NEWS is brought to you by Sarah Raz, sales representative/outreach coordinator/lover of all things outdoors. She also wishes Eddy Merckx was her father (sorry Dad!)

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/02/new-socks-for-spring.html

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