Last night close to 50 individuals attended the Fairfax County Bike Map meeting at the Vienna Community Building. The Fairfax County Bike and Pedestrian coordinators as well as representatives of the consultants assisting with the map and representatives of the Virginia Department of Transportation all listening to cyclists suggestions for the map.
Charlie Strunk, the Fairfax County Bike Coordinator, (on the right) is shown in the photo receiving a suggestion.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Five Boro Tour is 94 days away
I received the message from Bike New York that registration is now open for the Five Boro Tour. The Tour is the first Sunday in May. It features the opportunity to ride the streets of New York with 30,000 other cyclists. It is a treat to ride up through Central Park and through all the neighborhoods. Both Al Tyre and Tim Fricker from bikes@vienna are planning to participate in the ride this year.
This photo is of a group of us who rode in 2005. We stayed on Staten Island and this was us on the early morning ferry going to Manhattan for the start. This approach works because when you complete the ride you can get in your vehicle and begin your trip home. The individuals taking the ferry back to Manhattan in the afternoon have a long wait.
I recommend the Five Boro Bike Tour as an experience you'll remember for years to come. You can receive more information at http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/fbbt/register.html
This photo is of a group of us who rode in 2005. We stayed on Staten Island and this was us on the early morning ferry going to Manhattan for the start. This approach works because when you complete the ride you can get in your vehicle and begin your trip home. The individuals taking the ferry back to Manhattan in the afternoon have a long wait.
I recommend the Five Boro Bike Tour as an experience you'll remember for years to come. You can receive more information at http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/fbbt/register.html
Friday, January 25, 2008
Bike Map Meetings on January 29 -30
Next week there are two public information meetings for the Fairfax County Bicycle Map. Click on the poster on the right and you'll get a full sized version to review.
Creation of a Fairfax County Bike Map is an important project. The finished product will show the strengths and weaknesses for cycling in the county. There is a need for public input so I urge you to attend one of the two meetings.
Creation of a Fairfax County Bike Map is an important project. The finished product will show the strengths and weaknesses for cycling in the county. There is a need for public input so I urge you to attend one of the two meetings.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Basil Rear Basket Pet Transporter
This is the rear model for the Basil Pet Transporter. This unit needs a rear rack. It has the wire dome to keep your pet in the basket.
I would be quick to point out that the Pet Transporter can serve a dual purpose when it is time to run errands. Going to the grocery store? Image how much foodstuffs this basket can hold. Basil has a wonderful line up of baskets for the front and the rear of the bike. Stop by the store and see what we have.
I would be quick to point out that the Pet Transporter can serve a dual purpose when it is time to run errands. Going to the grocery store? Image how much foodstuffs this basket can hold. Basil has a wonderful line up of baskets for the front and the rear of the bike. Stop by the store and see what we have.
Basil Front Basket Pet Transporter
The Basil basket shown on the front of this Marin Belvedere is a bicycle accessory that Tim and I discovered at InterBike in September. Please note the wire cover. Yes, this basket is designed for a pet to accompany you on a bike ride. The basket sits on a strong platform and has a robust connecting system to keep your pet safe.
For years people have come to the store asking about baskets to have their dog, cat, rabbit, or parrot join them on a bike ride. Burley now has a couple of trailers for pets. These Basil baskets are going to provide a method for cyclist with smaller pets (no Java in that basket).
This photo was taken January 20. James is wearing a Santa hat because it was the warmest thing that he could find around the store. For years I have been known to keep the heat down in the store. I've been ribbed about my frugal approach to heating and cool, but now I can be thought of as a conservationist. It is so much kinder.
For years people have come to the store asking about baskets to have their dog, cat, rabbit, or parrot join them on a bike ride. Burley now has a couple of trailers for pets. These Basil baskets are going to provide a method for cyclist with smaller pets (no Java in that basket).
This photo was taken January 20. James is wearing a Santa hat because it was the warmest thing that he could find around the store. For years I have been known to keep the heat down in the store. I've been ribbed about my frugal approach to heating and cool, but now I can be thought of as a conservationist. It is so much kinder.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Planning and Dreaming
As you probably know, riding in Northern Virginia is comfortable even in cooler weather until we get some ice and snow. It's possible to ride in the ice and snow as Tim Fricker demonstrated yesterday with his studded tires and determination, but it is a test of will and skill.
When the snow falls I find myself planning for rides later in the year. The mail and internet bring me news of rides. I curl up in a big chair with a calendar and a map to see what is possible. Last year the Newbold Reunion (my mom's family) was held days after RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) so I attended the reunion and skipped the ride. This year I have RAGBRAI on every calendar that I maintain with July 20-26 bordered in red. We are going.
Bike Virginia (www.bikevirginia.org) has three rides to consider. In May the Tour de Chesapeake will be held in Mathews County May 16-18 (www.bikechesapeake.org). The Bike Virginia "The Crooked Road Tour" is scheduled for June 20-25 in the southwestern section of Virginia and the northeastern part of Tennessee. (On Bike Virginia in 2006 we spent more time in North Carolina than Virginia it seemed.) The River Ride (www.riverride.org) is held along the back roads of the Northern Neck during September 26-28.
I'm working on a list and I'll try to share it with you later this month.
When the snow falls I find myself planning for rides later in the year. The mail and internet bring me news of rides. I curl up in a big chair with a calendar and a map to see what is possible. Last year the Newbold Reunion (my mom's family) was held days after RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) so I attended the reunion and skipped the ride. This year I have RAGBRAI on every calendar that I maintain with July 20-26 bordered in red. We are going.
Bike Virginia (www.bikevirginia.org) has three rides to consider. In May the Tour de Chesapeake will be held in Mathews County May 16-18 (www.bikechesapeake.org). The Bike Virginia "The Crooked Road Tour" is scheduled for June 20-25 in the southwestern section of Virginia and the northeastern part of Tennessee. (On Bike Virginia in 2006 we spent more time in North Carolina than Virginia it seemed.) The River Ride (www.riverride.org) is held along the back roads of the Northern Neck during September 26-28.
I'm working on a list and I'll try to share it with you later this month.