If a political candidate had a habit of walking into crowded places twirling a gun around with the safety off, would that be considered worth mentioning to voters? Or would it be passed off as a personal foible, something to be grown out of and regretted? If nobody was ever hurt, would it matter at […]
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A field guide to "bikewashing"
Posted onBikewashed snack crackers (and they’re natural!) What is “bikewashing”? The word conjures up an image of a bucket of sudsy water, sponges, and people raising money by washing bicycles. It’s a valid use of the term, but there’s a better one. Bikewashing is also the two-wheeled equivalent of greenwashing – the practice of marketing some […]
On Seattle's Neighborhood Greenways, cut...
Posted onFuture Greenway of Seattle? What brings more smiles than little kids on bicycles? How about a well-connected network of safe, quiet streets so they can ride those bikes freely in their neighborhoods, to parks, and to schools? Seattle’s Neighborhood Greenways initiative aims to provide just that – a network of residential streets, with sane, safe […]
A critique of Cycle Chic
Posted onA critique of the Cycle Chic (TM) concept (based on the blog founded in Copenhagen in 2006), in which its merits are appreciated, its sexism is not, and the topic of bicycle helmets is mostly ignored.
Drinking and bicycling, the economic per...
Posted onPeople who go to the bar by bicycle spend more overall, but look like cheapskates. That and other economic lessons can be gleaned from the preliminary results of a research team at Portland State University (funded by the same folks who recently discovered that less driving doesn’t hurt the economy). The bulk of the paper […]
You can't be what you can't see: A call ...
Posted onThis is a guest post by the author of the wonderful new blog Feministic Fitness (who has chosen to keep her pointed commentary anonymous for the time being). You can read a longer version, containing further details of the author’s choice of academics over sports at her blog. Or if you’re inclined to take immediate […]
Bicycle helmets are hilarious (and why I...
Posted onHow exactly did this helmeted piece of postmodern architecture come to exist? I don’t remember precisely. Friend and fellow transpoblogger Gary Kavanagh stayed with us for a night on a recent visit to Portland, and there was a conversation over breakfast the next morning which involved a lot of laughing, and then suddenly Gary is […]
Bicycle progress report: Trails in Houst...
Posted onNew bike funding in Houston will soon provide a better transportation connection along this bayou. While on tour for the last three years, we’ve had the pleasure of visiting many communities that are in the middle of big changes for bicycling. It’s a heady time right now. A lot of the people we met in […]
Why don't women ride the Tour de France?
Posted onThis is a guest post by Lindsay Kandra, a Portland-based lawyer, bike racer, blogger, and contributor to Our Bodies, Our Bikes. She is one of my fellow Portland Society board members. At our last meeting, the Reve Team effort to ride the famously grueling Tour de France course came up, and someone asked the question […]
Yoga, testosterone, and taking the lane
Posted onUpdate: Pedal, Stretch, Breathe is becoming a full-on book. Fund it here to get your copy! I’m hard at work today laying out Pedal, Stretch, Breathe, Kelli Refer‘s zine about yoga and bicycling. At the beginning, Kelli has devised some suggestions for a quick three minute stretching routine you can do before you get on […]
Can you bike to the airport?
Posted onCan you bike to your local airport? In a few hours, Meghan Sinnott and I are leading our second annual bike ride to and from Portland’s international airport (PDX) as part of the Pedalpalooza bike fun festival. Last year’s ride was a blast, featuring a tour of the Port of Portland’s bike-friendly airport facilities, including […]
5 ways to include women in bicycling
Posted onI recently was asked to participate in a bike-related event, and enthusiastically said yes. Then I learned more logistical details, which led me to have some second thoughts. I received several emails in response to my questions from several of the (all male) organizers, one of which concluded thusly: “We want women in this ride. […]
New study: Fewer cars on the road won't ...
Posted onDo we need all this traffic to keep our economy afloat? Are lots of cars essential to the economy? It is a common assumption that they are, and this is one reason that huge subsidies for cars, roads, and fuel persist through tough economic times and ferocious advocacy for reduced government spending. New research out […]
Street harassment: Anatomy of a pain in ...
Posted onWalking to the grocery store yesterday, I passed by two teenagers who were smoking and drinking 40s behind the taco joint next to the club across the street from my destination. As I got close to them, the one with his back to me glanced at me and then back at his friend, who took […]