How About Some Change?

Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONS2ptAR4mo

How can a lot of accidents, drama and griping be adverted? It's not simple but it is possible to do on campus. There have been talks about adding physical barriers to bike lanes and pedestrian lanes to prevent accidents from happening. We've all experienced times when pedestrians walk on bike lanes, or when pedestrians cross bike lanes without looking, or when people get off the bus and do not look when they leap into bike lanes. It's not going to deter all accidents but it will significantly reduce accidents by creating a higher amount of awareness. What do you guys think?

Stop, Thief! ...Or Not?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zb8YXrmIA

Turns out stealing a bike is easier than it seems these days. Take this video filmed in New York City. These two brothers set out to prove that these days, the bystander is not so innocent. Using their own bicycles, locks and tools, the Neistat brothers implemented a "reverse-sting" operation: lock their own bikes up, then -in broad daylight during rush hour- steal them using bolt cutters, a hacksaw, an angle-grinder, and finally a hammer and wedge. Over the course of a little less than an hour, they were able to steal their own bike something like five times...with only one "concerned citizen", who stops to show them a more user-friendly way to steal the bike using tools he was carrying in the back of his motorized scooter.

You might think this is some kind of exaggeration, or that maybe somehow it was just a coincidence that these two brothers were able to repeatedly get away with stealing their bike (often times literally feet away from police officers). But sadly, I have witnessed similar feats accomplished in Boulder. Last year a friend of mine allowed his bike lock to rust itself to a bike rack on the CU campus. Because his bike was locked to the very end of the rack, he was able to unbolt one side of the rack and slide his bike right off-in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week. There may have been around sixty people walking by, (this incident occurred right outside of a popular dormitory on campus) both faculty members and students, and not a single person said anything.

So, moral of the story: Don't expect anyone to look out for your bike. Get a freakin' U-lock!

Just When You Think...

Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhT_caje0GI

I'm sure you think you're the greatest gift on earth. That you're all that and a bag of chips, and probably more. Think you've tried some extreme biking stuff? We'll if you tried what this guy did in the video then I commend you; a round of applause goes to you. Just when you think you've tried it all, new things continue to appear. It's fantastic how such a simple metal thing with two rubber wheels can provide so much fun.

Thank goodness this is not true

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sFQM9zXztM

Of course we have all driven before. We've all had problems with our cars including but not limited to flat tires, engines, wipers...it can go on forever. But what if these kind of things happened to bikes? Would we still ride? With a sigh or relief, these things don't happen to our bikes (for the most part) and that's why bicycling is a better and reliable mode of transportation.

You're Back...

Yes, you did. You had me for a second there. There was a big glimpse of Spring, where the birds sort of sang and snow began to crawl into the ground. Like a fool I didn't check the weather today. Today was a long commute too. I rode wearing just a t-shirt and shorts ready to conquer the road. It was gloomy yes, but I thought it was going to clear from the west. After I finished doing what I do, I walked outside and found myself being bombarded with snowflakes like they were bullets from D-Day. So this is a warning to all riders and to myself (for being naive) to always prepare yourself. It is true; it's better to be safe than sorry...

Bring Back Sledding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHJ9RAx1rRQ

Yes, they aren't going the speed of light; but doesn't it look like a ball? Being pulled behind something is just--well fun. Speed doesn't matter because the best part about it is that you don't have to do a thing. Just sit tight and let the biker do all of the work. The trick is to find a biker who likes a challenge because they'll have a blast pulling you and you'll have a blast riding in the sled. The weather this weekend looks like there will be snow flurries. It will be the perfect opportunity to try this. So find a hardcore biker then the only thing you'll have to do is sit on your bum and urge them to go faster.

There and Back Again

http://www.jimlangley.net/spin/spin.html

How far was your longest ride? Well I bet Mr. Thomas Stevens could top that, and more. Many of us haven't ridden, walked, or driven that far combined. How did he do this with a traditional bike? Pure motivation and inspiration to see the world through his own two eyes. What better way to experience our spectacularly beautiful world than riding a bike through it? I'm jealous. His innate bike has seen enough of the world to become alive. Traveling the world isn't on the agenda for some time, but we can all make shift by experiencing our spectacularly beautiful state of Colorado in one weekend and back.