under pressure

If every night I go to bed feeling that I have to catch up to someplace I should already be, then how will I ever get there? Not every day of life is preparation for the next day. Reading this book, watching this movie, listening to this song, riding this bike — this is my life. Why should I think that tomorrow is my life and today is dress rehersal?

love generation

Skip school, ride your bike, and there’s no telling what you’ll see. Or maybe this all happened at school. Either way, this is a fantastic music video for Bob Sinclair’s “Love Generation.” It gets at some of the exploratory joy of cycling.

(Kid needs a helmet, though.)

First noticed over at Martino’s Bike Lane Diary.

aggressive cycling

You’ve always thought that cars pose more of a danger than cyclists to pedestrians, but the NanacaCrash game just goes to show that inside that seemingly innocent velorutionary may lurk every pedestrian’s worst nightmare.

Notice on the intro screen that she’s riding a Cannondale with Headshok, and from the screen-capture just above, it looks as if she may even be on a Super V.

The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Bike Patrol volunteers great asset for growing sport

Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
March 23rd, 2006

DURHAM — Many mountain bikers love their sport so much they look for ways to give something back.

Week after week, some volunteers dig in the dirt; they build the trails we all love to ride. Sweet singletrack doesn’t grow like kudzu, after all.

Some volunteer to attend meetings and hash out memoranda of understanding with land owners and property managers. Without these tireless lobbyists, we’d have no place to build trails.

Some organize beginner workshops to bring new riders into the fold. Some host races.

And skilled Triangle mountain bikers with an interest in helping other riders one-on-one just gained another way to give something back to their sport.

The Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) has the newest chapter of the Mountain Bike Patrol.

The Mountain Bike Patrol is a collective of volunteers focusing on education, safety, and peer assistance. Soon, you’ll see members patrolling local trails in their green and yellow jerseys. Proficient in first-aid for both people and bikes, patrol members are trained both to respond to emergencies and just to represent the sport in a positive light.

The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) supports more than 60 volunteer patrol groups in the U.S. and around the world. TORC’s is one of the newest.

Daniel Elzey, IMBA’s southeast regional Patrol coordinator, says “I see the Bike Patrol as probably one of the greatest assets to advocacy work. Patrol members are out on the trails providing a presence for the local club/organization, they are primarily out there to help new bikers find their way around, to provide advice and experienced insight, as well as emergency medical care if needed.”

“I like helping people, and I love the mountain bike community,” says Spencer Horn of Garner. “Now having completed the training, I’m very excited to get started.”

Mark Smith, who’s heading up TORC’s new Mountain Bike Patrol chapter, envisions Patrol members working closely with land managers to be the “eyes and ears on local trails when park managers are unable to observe” the trails in their area.

Local response has been positive. Drew Cade, Park Manager at Lake Crabtree County Park, is excited about working with the Mountain Bike Patrol. He thinks having volunteers on the 5+ miles of trails will be a big help.

You’ll see the yellow-and-green-clad ambassadors of the sport out on local trails sometime this spring, says Smith. And when you do see them, whether there’s an emergency or not stop and say hello. The Patrol is out there for you.

If you ask Patrol members about the rules of a particular trail, about the reasons to wear helmets, or about trail riding etiquette in general, they’ll be happy to talk. But don’t expect them correct anyone’s behavior or kick anyone off trail. The Mountain Bike Patrol leaves law enforcement to the local park managers.

If you’re a skilled mountain biker with an interest in helping others, think about joining TORC’s chapter of the Mountain Bike Patrol.

What do patrol members get in return for their service? Elzey sums it up saying “I think being active in the Bike Patrol instills a sense of stewardship of the land and the trail in much the same way that building and maintaining a trail does. Besides, there’s nothing more rewarding than spreading the love of the bicycle.”

See TORC’s website for contact information.
http://www.torc-nc.org

echo

Below is a brief video to help explain what this is — hint, turn your volume up.

Across Murray Avenue from Durham’s Museum of Life and Science is this strange acoustic dome. The ceiling is paneled in such a way that it maximizes the echo the closer you are to the center.

more historic Bull City biking

As a follow up to the July 20th, 2005 post of historic bike-themed photos, here are a few more. John Schelp, local history buff who provided the information on the two July 20th photos, pointed out these three new photos. Lynn Richardson of the Durham County Library was very helpful when I requested permission to post the photos here.

‘Fairview.’ House of Washington Duke. ca. 1890.
“J.W. Karnes rides bicycle down driveway toward iron gates. Famous ‘Fairview’ 3-story cupola seen in background. House was located at the corner of Main and Duke Streets. Source: Archives & History, Neg.#IV.74.4.157″

Goodwin-Newton Family. Rufus E. Newton. ca. 1920.
“Photo of young man with white-wall-wheeled bicycle in front of a mill in Raleigh. He later moved to Durham and married source. Source: Mrs. Rufus E. Newton Photog: Rufus Newton (father)”

S.E. Rochelle Battery & Electrical Co. ca. 1940
“Durham’s bike and motorcycle dealer stands in front of shop, showing a preacher how to ride an old-fashioned high wheeler in order to save energy. Note stepladder for mounting. Source: S.C. Rochelle”

Photos and their captions are reprinted here with permission of the Durham County Library’s Durham Historic Photographic Archives

ingenious bike lane designs

The BBC recently ran a series of pictures that might as well have been titled, “how not to build bike lanes”. Enjoy the rest of the series over on the BBC’s website. Thanks to McDowell for pointing it out.