Utility Cycling

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:13:24 +0000

Indianapolis is getting a lot of attention lately after Streetfilms did this great feature about the new Indianapolis Cultural Trail. The Cultural Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail, designed to maximize safety for cyclists and pedestrians, that connects many of Indianapolis’ cultural areas. One of the things mentioned in the video was that the creators felt that in order to change people’s behavior, they needed to go big and bold. They didn’t opt for just adding some bike lanes, they went with entirely separated paths, when possible, to maximize enjoyment and safety. The Cultural Trail also connects to bike lanes, other trails, and greenways. The emphasis was really on increasing quality of life and improving economic development, and it seems to be working. Check it out and learn more in the video!

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: The Next-Gen in U.S Protected Bike Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

The Spokesman

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:53:19 +0000

This beautiful short film by Dean Saffron about a bicycle collector and historian is well worth a few minutes of your time. It’s a brief glimpse into the world of one man who genuinely loves bicycles and who appreciates the beauty and character of a many different kinds of bicycles. Plus, it’s got some great footage of some really unique bicycles. But don’t take my word for it, just go check it out for yourself. Via Bike Juju.

The Spokesman from dean saffron on Vimeo.

Americans Are Driving Less

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:49:54 +0000

I’ve heard it mentioned in a few different places recently that Americans are driving less. So I was glad to discover that Streetfilms had put together a short film on the topic with some pertinent data about the economy and gas prices compared to the overall driving trends in the U.S. In general, driving is on the decline, though the exact reasons are unclear. However, it doesn’t correlate exactly with the recession or with gas prices, so many have suggested that younger people are more inclined to use other forms of transportation and that as the American population ages, they are driving much less. These are good trends, from my perspective and they definitely justify more investment in bicycling infrastructure, pedestrian facilities, and good public transit. Let’s keep this trend going down too!

STREET FACTS #2 – Americans Are Driving Less from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Cyclovia Tucson Timelapse

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:46:18 +0000

Steev Hise, a Tucson filmmaker, captured the essence of Cyclovia Tucson #2 a few weekends ago. He positioned a GoPro camera at the intersection of Mountain and Glenn on the Cyclovia route on April 28 and left it there for about half the day. It’s awesome to watch hundreds and hundreds of people on bikes, foot, skateboard, and more pass through the area. There is so much joy and fun in this video, it’s well worth the 6ish minutes to watch it. So take a moment this weekend or a break from work today and soak in the fun of Cyclovia, Tucson-style!

Time Lapse of Cyclovia Tucson, April 28 2013 from steev hise on Vimeo.

Throwback Thursday: Bike to Work Week 1993

Melanie Colavito — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:07:32 +0000

May is National Bike Month, and tomorrow, Friday, May 17, is National Bike to Work Day. May has been dedicated to a special celebration of cycling for many years, and the League of American Bicyclists has done a great job making the month of May an important time for bike advocacy. Indeed, this week is Bike to Work Week, and cities around the U.S. have had week-long celebrations of cycling, many of which culminate in Bike to Work Day tomorrow. Tucson is special though, and we had our Bike Fest celebration in April, because, well, it’s hot now. Anyhow, Streetsblog recently had a little throwback video to Bike to Work Week in 1993 in New York City. This entertaining TV promo is not to be missed, and Happy Bike to Work Week/ Day!

Blinking Man Bike Posse

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:04:21 +0000

Las Vegas doesn’t get as much attention for it’s cycling culture as a lot of other big U.S. cities, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t doing some awesome things by bicycle. For example, the Blinking Man bike ride is a huge critical mass of cyclists decked out in flashing lights, fur, and all kinds of other fun decorations. The most recent ride, which was the 5th annual ride, had 350 participants! And they are planning to do another ride in October. The ride is inspired in part by Burning Man, hence the fun and funky bike and people decorations. Anyhow, check out the video below to learn more. Via Bike Hugger.

Blinking Man – Up in Spoke from Dalton Campbell on Vimeo.

U.S. Bicycle Route System Video

Melanie Colavito — Thu, 02 May 2013 22:05:58 +0000

The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is a network of bike routes, which is still in development, that will help to link communities of all shapes and sizes via different types of bicycle infrastructure throughout the nation. Though the route is still under development, there are great efforts under way to make it a reality sooner rather than later. Adventure Cycling has been fundamental in pioneering the USBRS, and they recently commissioned a video about it from the folks at The Path Less Pedaled. Learn more about the USBRS below!

“Stoopid Tall” Bike at CicLAvia

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:49:40 +0000

This video has gone viral lately, and it’s no surprise. When you weld together a bunch of metal into a ridiculously tall bike and parade it around at CicLAvia, that’s the Cyclovia event in LA, you’re bound to get some attention. Streetsblog and Huffington Post have great articles about the newly crowned “King of CicLAvia” created by Richie Trimble. The bike is 14.5 feet tall to the seat and 17 feet tall to eye level. Honestly, it totally freaks me out, but I’d love to ride the thing too…maybe with training wheels? Anyhow, perhaps the best part of the video is the perspective of CicLAvia it provides. Every Cyclovia needs a video with this bird’s eye view!

Speaking of Cyclovia events, Tucson is having its second event in 2013 this Sunday! Check out photos from the last event, and look for more in the near future. Happy riding!

Piano Bike

Melanie Colavito — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:03:21 +0000

Need a little pick-me-up after this week? This should help. Gary Skaggs of San Francisco says the best thing about his job riding a piano bike around town is the smiles it brings to people’s faces. Undoubtably, I’d be very happy to see such a thing in person, and the story behind the piano bike is pretty darn cool. So check it out below, our thoughts are with all affected by this week’s events, and I hope this brings a smile to your face.

The City Exposed: Piano Bike from San Francisco Chronicle on Vimeo.

Via Grist.

Cyclovia Tucson Photo Essay

Melanie Colavito — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:45:28 +0000

Tucson is lucky to be getting not one, but two great Cyclovia events this year! What is Cyclovia you say? Cyclovia is a car-free event, whereby city streets are closed to motorized traffic and opened up to all forms of non-motorized traffic for the day. It’s a great way to experience your community in new ways and get to hang out outside with your friends, family, and fellow community members! I wrote a bit more extensively about the event back in 2010, when Tucson had its first event, so check it out that post for more basics and more here too.

Cyclovia Tucson was successful in funding their Kickstarter campaign, which really helped boost things. This is the fourth year Tucson has hosted a Cyclovia event, and there is another one coming up on April 28, as well.

Tons of local advocates worked tirelessly to make this event run smoothly, and run smoothly it did! I spent the morning volunteering at an intersection on the south side of the loop, and I had a blast! Everyone was very friendly, happy, and enjoying themselves. It was great to watch parade upon parade of people going past on foot, bicycle, skateboard, and other kinds of funky, non-motorized vehicles throughout the day. Families, young people, old people, you name it, they were out there enjoying themselves.

I’ve got a little photo-essay below from the perspective of my intersection below. Check it out, and if you can make it to the next Cyclovia Tucson, you won’t regret it. If you don’t live in the area, check to see if your city hosts a Cyclovia event and consider starting one if they don’t! Check out some of the coverage of the event over at Tucson Velo, as well.