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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Spokes People
How to commute by bike |
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02 Sep 2008 |
From A to Green |
| Easy rider. Ever glance enviously at the cyclists whizzing past while you're stuck in traffic? Joining 'em is easy -- and it doesn't have to involve full-body spandex. The health benefits of biking to work are plenty, from helmet hair a svelte physique to breathing fewer air pollutants than those stuck in cars. Regular bikers live longer and are less likely to get depressed than non-bikers, boasts the Chelsea Green Guide on biking to work. And wit ... |
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| Topics: advice, bikes, From A to Green, green living (all these topics) |
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Upright primates on wheels
Cycling news from around the world |
biodiversivist |
28 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Recently, I came across a Time magazine article with the pithy title 'Electric Bikes Sell as Gas Climbs.' (Apparently, for the first time in my life, I'm helping to set a trend instead of being oblivious to it.) Here's a close-up of the bike being ridden in the article. It certainly looks cool. I have no idea how well it actually performs other than it takes the standard five hours to charge. From Time: ... sales [of electric bikes in general] are up about 50 percen ... |
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| Topics: green living, bikes, electric vehicles (all these topics) |
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What the Helmet?
Anti-bike crusader halts San Francisco's cycle-friendly plans |
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20 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:45 AM on 20 Aug 2008 With a claim that bike lanes increase pollution, a San Francisco resident has managed to put the brakes on the city's pro-biking plans. In 2004, San Francisco unveiled a proposal to create more bike lanes and bike parking, aiming to have 10 percent of city trips taken on two wheels by 2010. Enter Rob Anderson, who doesn't own a car but is no fan of cyclists. "The behavior of the ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, bikes, insanity, news, placemaking, San Francisco (all these topics) |
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Three Wheels Good
On adult tricycles |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Jul 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I want to reduce my carbon footprint. I already take a commuter train to work, but the station is down a steep hill from my house, so I drive the first mile or so in the morning and back up the hill at night. The train station has lock-ups for cycles and I'm interested in that -- but I have a disability that affects my whole right side, arm, foot, leg. I'm not able to stay balanced on a conventional two-wheeled bike but h ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, green living, green products (all these topics) |
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Meals on Wheels
After a mass bike ride across Iowa, a slow-food chef picks up the pace |
Kurt Michael Friese |
25 Jul 2008 |
Chef's Diary |
| Do the ride thing. Photo: David Wade Every year for the last 36, Iowa plays host to a unique event. At the beginning of the last full week of July, more than 15,000 people dip the rear tires of their bicycles in the Missouri River -- and seven days and about 450 miles later, they dunk their front tires in the Mississippi. That ceremonial immersion draws to a close a ride that ... |
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| Topics: bikes, Chef's Diary, food, green living, recipes (all these topics) |
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My other candidate is a bike
Obama, transportation policy, and the highway bill |
David Roberts |
03 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Great story in CQ this week on bike politics. Did you know that Obama met a few weeks ago with 160 cycling advocates and promised them his support? I didn't. The 600-pound gorilla in transportation politics is the 2009 negotiation of a new highway bill, which according to CQ 'is already being touted as embodying the greatest overhaul of federal transportation policy since President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act into law half a century ago.' ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, bikes, placemaking, politics, presidential race 08, public transportation (all these topics) |
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The Saga of Fume
On exerting yourself in traffic |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Jul 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I bus, bike, or walk to work 98 percent of the time. I was wondering, when I'm biking (or walking, for that matter), am I inhaling more pollutants than those around me who are emitting them from their gas-guzzlers? Your answer won't change my habits, since I'm not going to drive to work anytime soon -- I'm just wondering if I'm the one paying the price for my enviro-friendly commuting? Thanks for your help! Sa ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, cars, green living, health, public transportation (all these topics) |
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Dancing to the beat of a different summer
NYC unveils plan to open huge swaths of roadway to pedestrians and bikes -- temporarily |
Guest author |
19 Jun 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is a guest post from Ben Fried, a writer and reporter for Streetsblog. He previously wrote about urban planning issues for the nonprofit Project for Public Spaces. ----- On Monday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a new event called 'Summer Streets.' For three Saturdays in August, pedestrians and cyclists will enjoy exclusive access to a contiguous stretch of city thoroughfares running from the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street. No cars allowed. ... |
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| Topics: bikes, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Back in the Saddle
A car-free mom gets her muscles -- and mind -- in shape for summer |
Christine Gardner |
11 Jun 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| I've started running a few times a week. Each morning, I grab the clothes I've set out the night before and finish getting dressed in the garage, because I don't want to wake my family. Then I go into my neighborhood and run, although running is a misnomer. Really, it's more of a jog -- and sometimes just a walk. These legs are made for parenting. These jog/walk sessions don' ... |
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| Topics: advice, bikes, education, green living, parenting (all these topics) |
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Built for Two
On biking with kids |
Umbra Fisk |
11 Jun 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Umbra, Your columns have opened up a whole new world on transport by bike. I don't have a question but am considering purchasing our second Xtracycle for our family. I can carry our toddler and all our groceries, or another adult, or a cooler full of beer on one side and camping gear on the other -- all by bike. Not to say I don't "have to" drive from time to time, but it keeps me out of the car about four to five days a week. ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, green living, parenting (all these topics) |
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New Chapters
A tired pregnant chick 'tests' six green baby books |
Katharine Wroth |
03 Jun 2008 |
The Bottom Line |
| A tired pregnant chick "tests" six green baby books By Katharine Wroth 03 Jun 2008 Which baby book covers the gamut of green issues? Back in the old days, I used to do active product testing for Grist. Things like lotions and paper towels and CFLs -- stuff that really got the heart pounding. But that was before a 30-pound orb attached itself to my front, slowing me down significantly. Yep, you heard it here first: I'm pregnant. Seven and a half months pregnant, as it ha ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, consumerism, ecological footprint, vegetarianism and veganism (all these topics) |
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Ten-Speed Demon?
On the impacts of biking |
Umbra Fisk |
02 Jun 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, A couple of your recent columns have been about this novel idea of biking as the end-all in green transportation, but how green is biking, especially when you go out to buy a new one? If you switch to biking as the main source of transportation, you will be rewarded with the fantastic extra energy only exercise can bring, but won't you need to consume more calories? And if you eat more meat as a result of all the won ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, consumerism, ecological footprint, vegetarianism and veganism (all these topics) |
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Hurdles for new transportation technology
More hybrid electric bikes hit the streets |
biodiversivist |
31 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I have received hundreds of emails from people wanting to build a hybrid electric bike. I have a standard response that attempts to dissuade them, which seems to work pretty well: You will have to spend about $1,400 on parts, excluding the bicycle. When it breaks -- and it will break -- you will be on your own to fix it. If you are not a reasonably fit cyclist and expect this bike to perform like a scooter, you are going to be disappointed. This generally takes ca ... |
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| Topics: bikes, green living (all these topics) |
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Every Pinch a Lady
On biking in a skirt |
Umbra Fisk |
28 May 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I was really energized by your column on cargo bicycles. I still own a car, but I drive it less and less, mostly to haul stuff and to travel when I want to wear a nice dress. So, a cargo bike solves the hauling problem. The other problem is that my skirt gets caught in the bicycle chain. Many decades ago, bicycles came with chain guards and even skirt guards to keep the flapping hem out of the machinery. I have seen pi ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, ecological footprint (all these topics) |
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Notable quotable
Yes we can! (ride bikes) |
David Roberts |
22 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| 'It's time that the entire country learn from what's happening right here in Portland with mass transit and bicycle lanes and funding alternative means of transportation. That's the kind of solution that we need for America.' -- Barack Obama, speaking to a rally in Portland, Ore., where an estimated 8,000 out of 75,000 attendees arrived on bikes (via Streetsblog) |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, bikes, placemaking, politics, Portland, public transportation (all these topics) |
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Putting the fun between your legs
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JMG |
19 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| A very good blog aimed at recumbent bike riders has morphed into what will probably be an even better blog for all riders: EcoVelo. |
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| Topics: bikes, green living (all these topics) |
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It's Also National Pizza Party Day
Greens celebrate two holidays today |
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16 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:03 PM on 16 May 2008 If you saw a tiger riding a two-wheeler to the office this morning, that's because it's Endangered Species Bike to Work Day. Wait, wait, we're getting a memo -- oh, actually, it's both Endangered Species Day and Bike to Work Day. (Then what the hell was that tiger doing?) In honor of Bike to Work Day, bicyclists in many cities picked up free swag along their commute routes this morning. In ho ... |
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| Topics: bikes, endangered species, holiday, news, placemaking, wildlife, World Wildlife Fund (all these topics) |
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Bicyclists do it better
Commute by bike, get lucky |
Trina Stout |
07 May 2008 |
Gristmill |
| From a Hungarian PSA (No translation necessary. Mostly safe for work; use headphones):Rarrrrrr. Turns out, Hungary has an entire government position devoted to promoting bicycling.In Hungary, the Ministry of Economics and Transport actually has a Deputy Minister for cycling by the name of Adam Bodor. Bodor's job, put simply, is to get people on their bikes.Now, why can't the U.S. do that? |
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| Topics: bikes, green living, Hungary, sex (all these topics) |
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Haul's Well That Ends Well
On cargo bikes |
Umbra Fisk |
30 Apr 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, After reading your article on the amazing Thermos, coffee, and bicycle commuting, I thought I should alert you (if you're not already alerted) to the Xtracycle (or S.U.B.) as a means for everyday, super-utilitarian biking. I replaced my car with one of these about eight months ago, and find that meeting new "can I haul that on my bike?" challenges is great fun -- not to mention the sense of accomplishment and ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, cars, green living (all these topics) |
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Rack and Forth
On hauling goods by bike |
Umbra Fisk |
28 Apr 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Hi Umbra, Love your column. I'm a daily bicycle commuter and coffee achiever. Here's a cool mug and handlebar mount [for the reader who asked about transporting coffee]. Cheers, John Denver, Colo. Dearest John, Thank you. Take a look at the Soma coffee mount John suggests, everyone -- it got rave reviews from beaucoup readers. Another fun beverage-toting suggestion was a whiskey-flask holder from Ahearne Cycles in Portland (than ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, bikes, cars, green living (all these topics) |
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What is the Vectrix?
Electric bike zips up Berkeley hills with ease |
Adam Browning |
24 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| An ex-girlfriend of mine placed great diagnostic weight on the following question: Would you rather have one cookie now or two cookies later? I am generally a two-cookies-later person, and she ... well, now that I think of it, she was more of a two-cookies-now kind of person, which explains ... Photo: Sonietta46 I digress. The point is that if you have been reading all the recent news about the Tesla and the Volt, and now Think is coming to America, a ... |
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| Topics: bikes, electric vehicles, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The unthinkable humiliation of biking, part two
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David Roberts |
18 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Remember that dumb State Farm ad? Here's another of the same ilk: State Farm bowed to pressure and pulled their ad. Will the same happen to Farmers? (via Streetsblog) |
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| Topics: bikes, cars, green living, TV (all these topics) |
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State Farm pulls bike-bashing ad
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David Roberts |
11 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Remember that stupid ad from State Farm, where the natty professional laments that gas prices have gotten so high he's been forced -- gasp -- to ride a bike to work? Oh, the humiliation. Well, apparently the hubbub about the ad got so heated that it made its way back to State Farm. In response, they have pulled the ad. Streetsblog has the details, and deserves credit for generating the kind of blowback that might make the next big corporation think twice before dispa ... |
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| Topics: bikes, cars, green living, placemaking, TV (all these topics) |
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'State Farm can get you back behind the wheel'
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David Roberts |
03 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Witness the humiliation as this distinguished professional is forced to ... my God, I can barely say it ... ride a bike to work. Do something, State Farm! Anything! "You know that place where you're swapping four wheels for two? Oh, man, I'm there." Says Streetsblog: "Yeah, I know that place. It's called a city." UPDATE: State Farm has pulled the ad. |
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| Topics: bikes, cars, green living, placemaking, TV (all these topics) |
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The sweet smell of victory
Seattle gets five more blocks of bike lanes |
biodiversivist |
02 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| In this post, I talked about Seattle's efforts to improve bicycle safety. I mentioned that the busiest part of a key road was not striped, thanks to pressure from a local real estate baron who didn't want business disrupted. This created a dangerous gauntlet to run as bikers left the bike lane to start their long, hard slog uphill. I'm happy to report that the city has since reconsidered, and it has made a world of difference for safety. Which gives me the opportun ... |
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| Topics: bikes, cars, green living, placemaking, Seattle (all these topics) |
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