Think! - Slow Down

Bike-U-mentary

Check out this inspirational video on bicycle commuting:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BeAGreenCommuter#p/a

Pavement to Parks

Video upload may be slow on this, but the idea they present is great.

More info at: http://www.streetfilms.org/people-parklets-and-pavement-to-parks/#more-35091

Roots Pursuit Recap

If you missed the Roots Pursuit this Saturday, you missed out on a lot of fun. A lot of people showed up and had a good time. There was a wide variety of challenges, some fun costumes, a lot of great prizes, and smiles all around. Here are some photos of our team in action: me (with my son Silas in tow), my wife Sharon (with our daughter Willow in tow), and Monte McCully (with his son Cach in tow).

That's me trying to throw an innertube I just patched onto that bollard...in the wind.

My wife, Sharon, was gracious enough to be the one to wear the costume into Java to get our points.

Our team...watch out for us next year...we'll be training for it.

15th Street Bike Lanes

Today at 4:oopm Public Works will decide whether or not to send a recommendation to City Council to approve the removal of parking on 15th street south of I-90, and add bike lanes. If you would like to see bike lanes on 15th be there to show your support.

DIY Bike stuff

Bored this summer? Maybe just have some free time? Want to mod your bike or build one from scratch? Well here's the guide for you.

Traffic Skills 101 Online

The League of American Bicyclists now has it's famous Traffic Skills 101 Course available as an online course. Once you complete the online course, you will be able to participate in the hands-on and on-road component of course (offered in Spokane).

We could all stand to learn something from this...and break a few bad habits.

Start here: http://www.bikeed.org/

Roots Pursuit Tomorrow!

Don't forget the Roots Pursuit and Bike to Work Week Awards Ceremony tomorrow! We'll be giving out prizes, having a potluck, competing in a fun event, and just having a good time.

The Roots Pursuit is a team bicycle event consisting of 12 challenges located throughout downtown Coeur d’Alene. Teams will start from the Shared Harvest Community Garden and bike to one of three “hubs”. At each hub, teams choose from several challenges, which may involve physical, mental, and/or creative skills. Points for each challenge are awarded based on team performance. Teams will complete as many challenges as they can within a two-hour time limit. This is not a strenuous event. No spandex or goggles are needed – just a bicycle, some teammates, and a willingness to have some fun.

_

Location:

Shared Harvest Community Garden

Corner of 10th Street and Foster Avenue

_

Schedule:

8:30-9:45 Check-in, coffee, and carbo-loading

10-10:30 Roots Pursuit begins

Noonish Potluck

1pm Awards Ceremony

Bike to Work Week Kickoff Ride

Aren't we a handsome bunch?

Thanks to all for showing your support!

Commuting by Bike

Click here for a Bicycle Commuters Calorie Calculator

Bike to Work Week Has Begun

This morning was our annual ceremonial kick-off ride for National Bike to Work Week. We had a good showing and rode down Northwest Boulevard to City Hall for coffee and donuts. Thank you all who joined us and showed your support. After the ride, on my way to work, I saw many more bikes out there. It's great to see that!

Don't forget to sign your company up for the Commuter Challenge. Sign up here: http://www.cdaidparks.org/images/CCsignup.pdf

And please join us for the Roots Pursuit bike challenge and closing ceremony this Saturday. More info is available here:
http://www.kealliance.org/community-outreach/community-roots/roots-pursuit

Bike to Work Week

Next week is National Bike to Work Week. Local shops are performing free bike safety checks to make sure your noble steed is ready for the streets after hanging upside down in your garage for the winter. Show you support by joining us next week as we reduce congestion and improve our health by riding our bikes to work. Who knows, it may become a habit.

The Idaho Conservation League had this to say about the benefits of bicycle commuting:

Personal Benefits

• Biking is really good exercise! It builds muscle and cardiovascular health, and it puts a smile on your face.
• On a bike, you're exposed to nature. Rain and sunshine are part of our natural world; riding can better connect you to our natural and urban landscapes. I especially enjoy viewing morning wildlife activity along the Boise River.
• Bicycles are less expensive than cars and gas!

Community Benefits

• Biking takes automobiles off our roads, which reduces air pollution and traffic congestion.
• Using human power to get around town sets a good example for the next generation of Idahoans.
• Bicycling can build relationships with neighbors, coworkers and other folks you meet along the way.

Visit www.cdaidparks.org/ to see what events are taking place in Kootenai County this year.

Thoughts on my Bike

There's a Flower in my Pedal

Bikes are "Groovy"

A Message from Bikes Belong

May is National Bike Month, and cities and towns from coast to coast are promoting bicycling like never before. To celebrate all the good news, we're giving away a brand-new bike to four lucky peopleforbikes.org supporters.

Will you be one of them? Enter now:

http://peopleforbikes.org/bikegiveaway

Anyone who has signed the peopleforbikes.org pledge is eligible, so make sure you tell your friends and family to sign the pledge, join the movement, and enter the giveaway for their chance to win. Forward this email along to all your friends and family, or spread the word on Facebook or Twitter.

The bikes are men's and women's commuters from Breezer and Trek -- great rides for the summer.

We're giving away these bikes to show our appreciation for the amazing response you've given peopleforbikes.org since the launch of the movement last month. Already, more than 20,000 people have signed our pledge, and hundreds more are rolling in every day.

Together, we're going to get more people on bikes in the U.S. -- including the four winners of our National Bike Month giveaway.

Sign up now for your chance to win, and then share this link:

http://peopleforbikes.org/bikegiveaway

Thanks again for your support.

-- Tim

Tim Blumenthal
President, Bikes Belong

Alternative Fuels

Pedestrian Facility Improvements for 2010

City crews will begin striping, painting crosswalks, and refurbishing sidewalks to meet ADA compliance guidelines this summer. The second year of the five-year ADA Sidewalk Hazard Abatement Program will take place on the west side of Government Way (from Harrison to Northwest Boulevard), and on Lakeside Avenue (from 8th Street to 15th Street).

Bike to Work PSA

An Interstate Biking System?

Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, is pushing the idea of a nationwide interstate biking system.

"We’ve put almost all of our resources into roads," LaHood says. "If the commitment when President Eisenhower signed the interstate bill had been to high-speed inner-city rail, we'd be in the same position Europe and Asia are in today."

LaHood is also considering the idea of a nationwide interstate biking system — the two-wheel equivalent of Eisenhower’s highway system.

"We know that 90 percent of the people aren't going to be cycling to work," he says. "But that opportunity and that option and that kind of alternative is something we think people want."