We probably won't buy one of these bikes too soon, mainly because they cost as much as cars, but they're fun to read about.This bike is sold for $30,000. The maker is Kevin Saunders and he named the bike Tier 3 because of the price tag of it. The bike is made of finest material and detailed construct. It is aerodynamics and suitable for hard terrain.

But this isn't the only really expensive bicycle in the world. Click here to read about and see pictures of nine others.

 

 

"We are always on about how efficient bicycles are as a means of mobility... Comparing energy used per passenger-mile (calories), they found that a bicycle needed only 35 calories, whereas a car expended a whopping 1,860. Bus and trains fell about midway between, and walking still took 3 times as many calories as riding a bike the same distance. They also..."

For the original article, click here.

Who would have guessed! Boise is one of our country's most friendly bicycle cities. One of the trails there is 22 miles long. There's also another 100-plus miles of trails near downtown Biose. This city is also bicycle friendly because of the Boise Bicycle Project, which restores old bicycles for children. Maybe Coeur d'Alene could start a similar program?

For the original article, click here.

A 'Drive-In' Cafe for Bikes Pops Up in Zurich

Zurich is already a bike-friendly city, with plenty of bike lanes, a third of all Zürchers biking at least twice a week, and some innovative tech like traffic lights that automatically recognize bicycles and let them go ahead of other vehicles. But the city wants to get even more bikers on the road, realizing that mobility will become more of a challenge in the future. As part of a larger Urban Transport 2025 plan that also encourages public transportation and walking, the city is experimenting with new incentives for cyclists, including this bike-up coffee bar.
Like the bike version of a classic drive-in restaurant that lets diners eat without leaving their car, this stand lets bikers enjoy coffee without getting off their two-wheeled rides. (The German sign in the photo says "Drive up. Ring. Enjoy your coffee.") The Velokafi stand was designed to include a tabletop, a place to dock your bike, and side rails to rest your feet as you perch.
The stands are only up temporarily for now, through next week. Think your local coffeeshop could use one of these? The design brings up a related issue that's common in the United States: if you live near drive-through restaurants or banks, are bikes allowed? In many places, they're not, though bike activists are fighting to change that. For some cities, working on equal access might be more useful than bike-only drive-ins, as nice as they look.

Click here for the original article

All bikes need chains, right? Wrong.

When we think of parts of bikes, usually the list would be tires, the handle bar,
the pedals, and the chain or course. It's what allows us to make bikes move, which is the entire point of using them! But, not all of these parts are necessarily necessary. Some designers in Hungary have successfully made a bike without a chain. In place of this a system of ropes and pulleys are used. These designers have claimed that their bicycle is more efficient and even gives a smoother ride than a normally designed bike. I'd give it a try. Would you?

For the original article, click here.

Intersection Tips for Bicyclists

Dealing with intersections while riding a bike could be intimidating for some new riders when on streets. This short video gives us some tips on how to do it the right way.

Why Bike? Top 5 Reasons to Ride

Lots of people ride bikes for lots of different reasons. Here are the top five reasons why you should be out there too.

1. For Your Body

Riding a bike offers many health benefits. Here are just a few:

• increased cardiovascular fitness
• increased strength
•  increased balance and flexibility
• increased endurance and stamina
• increased calories burned

It can be done by people of all ages, from childhood up even through the adult years when achy joints don't allow for more stressful exercise like jogging.

2. For Your State of Mind

Riding a bike is a proven stress releaser. Regardless of if you are riding purely for pleasure or for a specific purpose, you will arrive at your destination feeling relaxed, energized and happier about the world and yourself.
Plus, being out on your bike is just flat-out fun. The more time you spend on two wheels, the harder it is to take yourself too seriously.

3. For Your Community

Being out on your bike is good for the people around you as well. You are able to go the places you want to go and yet put one less car on the road.
You don’t bring with you the noise that a car generates and are actually able to interaction with people as you move. From my bike I can wave to a neighbor, say hi to a kid, smell someone’s dinner cooking and be a warm and friendly human presence on the streets.
Also, not insignificant: operating a bicycling does not harm the environment. There is no polluting exhaust released, no oil or gas consumed. And the energy and materials used to manufacture one automobile could be used to created a hundred bikes.

4. For Convenience

There is an undeniable convenience factor you’ll discover when riding a bike. Front row parking spaces are guaranteed no matter where you go. Traffic jams are also irrelevant.
Though cars will certainly make better time on long trips, you’ll find for many short trips or through heavy traffic, you can travel just as fast or faster on your bike.
Have you ever been to a massive festival or concert in a park somewhere, the type of event that draws so many people that just getting there is a problem? Going in on a bike is a perfect solution. Zip in, zip out. You don’t have to get there hours early to get a parking spot or else face parking miles away from the event. And you won’t have to wait hours in traffic to get out once it’s over.

5. For Your Pocketbook

It costs between 20 and 30 cents per mile to operate a car, depending on the vehicle. This is based on expenses like gas, oil, maintenance, etc., that go up when you drive more. This figure doesn’t include the hidden costs of vehicle ownership like depreciation, taxes, and insurance. These factors make the actual per mile cost to operate a car much higher.
When you start multiplying cost per mile to operate a car by the distance you ride, you can easily calculate how much money you save by riding a bike.
For example: my daily roundtrip commute is 16 miles. If I do that just twice a week, I will save over $400 in operating costs alone in the course of a year. (16 miles x 2 trips per week x 52 weeks x .25 cents per mile.)
And if you would otherwise have to pay for parking, tolls, and the like, don’t forget to factor that in too. It can add up quickly.

Ride For You

When you ride your bike, you are doing a lot of good things, many of which are for the benefit of others. But ultimately, the one who benefits the most is you, through better health, peace of mind, increased confidence and self-reliance, heck, even through a fatter bank account.
So for all these reasons, get out there on your bike today. Even if you don’t save the world in the process, you’ll still have fun trying!

For the original article click here

Not Your Average Riding

Earth Day at the Coeur d'Alene Library