Good Night and Good Luck!

Downtown Phoenix and specifically cycling in Phoenix is continuing to grow and be promoted by local bloggers and community organizations like Light Rail Blogger, Roosevelt Row and the downtown Phoenix group.

As proud as I was to be, however briefly, a part of that group, I am closing down this blog. My husband and I have embarked on a long term travel adventure and are not sure if and when we will return to Phoenix. We are blogging about our travels which I expect to feature bicycles from time to time. 

I wish all my best to the Phoenix community and all of my friends and neighbors who make Phoenix a wonderful place to live! 

If you live in downtown Phoenix (or even if you don't), you should check out the Rusty Spoke Bicycle Initiative. They are "a collective of members and participants that are interested in many things; all related to the benefits of the bicycle to building a socially responsible community." They have a brand new website and location - check them out!

Bull in the China Shop

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Title referring to the assertion by Copenhagenize that it's the cars that are the problem, stupid!...

Cycling is Exciting

My husband and I got caught in a dust storm last night coming home from the gym on our bikes. For those of you who don't know what a dust storm looks like, here is an example:

Ok, so maybe it looked more like this:

Sometimes cycling is an adventure.

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Photos courtesy of bowers95713 and cobalt123

Bike Italy!

Is anyone else following the husband and wife team over at Path Less Pedaled? I found them about a month ago and have been living vicariously through them ever since. They are touring around the country on their bicycles, meeting interesting people and having adventures.

And it appears that cycle touring is becoming more mainstream. Lonely Planet is getting in on the action (again) with new guides for Britain, France and Italy. I can't wait to get my hands on one (or three).

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Bicycle photo courtesy of killermonkey

Used Wheels Available Now!

Is anyone in the market for a new bike? There are currently some great deals on craigslist. With a little TLC and a few things added to them, they could be fabulous!








Vintage Sears All-Sport 3 Speed: $75















Schwinn Suburban Bike: $95












Western Flyer Fairway 3 speed: $40

Save the Planet...

If you are in the mood for a biting, hilarious commentary on modern cycling*, click here. You won't be disappointed!

Photo courtesy of La Xtina

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*Thanks to Copenhagenize for the link.

Bike Literacy

I'm thinking about checking out one of these cycling related books. Has anyone read any of them? Or can anyone recommend one that they loved that discusses cycling infrastructure, history, etc?

I think I'm most interested in Pedal Power and Pedaling Revolution; we aren't even close to some European cities in the number of trips taken by bicycle but I am interested in how U.S. cycle commuting has evolved (and continues to evolve) over time.







Bicycle: The History











Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities













The Cyclist's Manifesto: The Case for Riding Two Wheels Instead of Four












The Practical Cyclist: Bicycling For Real People











Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life

Take the 1W2W Challenge!

Do you currently bike to work, the gym or to do errands? Are you planning on starting once it cools down? If so, then join the 1 World 2 Wheels community*!

This is a great resource; here are some stats from the site:

- "Just 3 hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%."

- "The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips."

- "60% of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operation, before pollution control devices can work effectively."

Check it out!

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* Thanks to Charles for the heads up on this community!

Tension

Photo courtesy of r.f.m ll

I started out writing this post as another reminder to follow the traffic rules when cycling. But what I found when I started digging around news articles from around the country is that there is a whole lot of animosity towards cyclists.

Part (all?) of this animosity comes from cyclists not obeying the law and riding responsibly. That is indeed one of my biggest pet peeves both as a cyclist and as a driver. But does it seem to be more than that to any of you? It seems like cyclists really piss people off. Why is that?

Camper Bike

When cycling becomes art: Camper Bike.

Su Bike es Mi Bike

There is so much that I want to (and will) say about cycling infrastructure and how downtown Phoenix is perfectly poised to accept and integrate a vibrant cycling culture. But not today. Today I just want to ask if any of you have any experience with bike sharing programs.

The most well publicized is the Paris program, Velib, and has been imitated in other European cities, Canada and now in the U.S. as well in cities like D.C. and Boston. {Update: the first bicycle share program was in La Rochelle, France which implemented it in 1974. It is still a successful and well-used program today.}

Photo courtesy of LWY

Has anyone ever used a bike from one of these programs? Did you like it? Was it easy? Do you think it should be implemented in Phoenix?

It does appear that there is increased cycling safety in greater numbers. Could a program like this increase the numbers on our street and help create a critical mass of transportation cyclists in Phoenix?

Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle IV

Good morning!

Does anyone else get depressed after they get back from vacation? I had high hopes of posting something more profound today but it turns out that it's Monday which means you get some fish and bicycles.

Have a great day!

Photo courtesy of E. Bartholomew	Photo courtesy of E. Bartholomew

"Special" Cargo Bike

Those Dutch are clever. I've seen all sorts of cargo bikes in my (internet) travels but this is the first hearse bike I've seen.

Have a great weekend and be safe. I don't want to see any of you in one of these anytime soon.

Photo courtesy of Gonzalo Fernandez

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Phoenix Cycle Chic is on vacation! Please enjoy these mini-posts until we return!

A Bike and a Tractor Fell in Love

And this is their love child.

Photo courtesy of ken ratcliffe

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Phoenix Cycle Chic is on vacation! Please enjoy these mini-posts until we return!

Must Work Well With Others

Now this is what I call team work! I wonder, would they just go in circles if one of them got tired and stopped pedaling? And what locking technique would be needed to get an A from Hal?

Photo courtesy of amitp

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Phoenix Cycle Chic is on vacation! Please enjoy these mini-posts until we return!

Drinking While on the Job

At least it's a bike lane, right?

Photo courtesy of moionet

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Phoenix Cycle Chic is on vacation! Please enjoy these mini-posts until we return!

Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle III

Shark, anyone?

Photo courtesy of Patrick Pearce

Have a great week!

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Phoenix Cycle Chic is on vacation! Please enjoy these mini-posts until we return!

Meanwhile, In The Rest Of The World...

...people use their bicycles for a whole lot more than riding to the gym.

Photo courtesy of

Photo courtesy of Pat Rioux

Photo courtesy of exo_sh

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Phoenix Cycle Chic is on vacation! Please enjoy these mini-posts until we return!

Dogs on Bikes

Phoenix Cycle Chic is going to Wyoming! I've scheduled posts for while I'm away. I hope you all have a wonderful couple of weeks.

Oh yeah, and since I love bicycles and I love dogs, I couldn't resist these photos. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Sailing "Footprints: Real to Reel"	Photo courtesy of St Stev