Alternative Transportation // Current

Amsterdam Bicycles

During a 73 minute period on 9/12/06 at one corner of Nieuw Markt (a nice open square in Amsterdam), I took the following 82... more

CarolynGillis
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Scrap Your Car for a Bike at the Tour de Fat

Forget about trading in your SUV for a Prius, how about scrapping it altogether in place of a bike? Gas, as we know, is... more

Greenpointer
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More Bikes Less Accedents?

According to a study by researchers at the University of New South Wales, the number of collisions decreases as the number of... more

ahowes
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A Brewery That Works Knees, Not Just Elbows - thedailygreen.com

Human-powered and carbon-free, the bicycle is the simple, accessible solution to reducing one's carbon footprint ... with... more

ESKCSG
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New Belgium Brewing: Team Wonderbike

Currently more than 10,000 strong, we on Team Wonderbike have pledged to bike - not drive - better than 8 million miles in the... more

ESKCSG
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Donate your bike, save the world?

In the new eco-conscious urban world, cycling to work is a growing trend. Cities are promoting this form of healthy commute by... more

jessilee23
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Bike Parking in Portland

As a bicycler and Portlander, I can attest to the usage of these forms of infrastructure. As a leftie, I think it should be far... more

benjaminV
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Obama Builds Rail Cred With Biden Pick

Barack Obama's standing as an advocate for investment in US commuter rail looks to have gotten a boost with his selection of... more

benjaminV
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Let the good tires roll

My personal favorite is Vittoria. A good non-pro review of various tires that do fit and perform well for the rest of us, non... more

meligrosa
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Beijingers ride new cycling trend

pretty cool. take the pedal back! - (China Daily) Taking inspiration from the "green" Olympics, which begin on Friday,... more

meligrosa
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A New Fashion Catches On in Paris - Cheap Bicycle Rentals

A year after the introduction of the sturdy gray bicycles known as Vélib’s, they are being used all over Paris. The... more

bshipp
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NY's Broadway becoming the Great Bike Way

Glad to see NY is looking into embracing bikes as opposed to restricting them. Interesting article... we'll see how far it... more

1percent
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Biking On The Job Enouraged To Save Gas

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. ― Riding a bike as part of the job has become standard for some workers in Colorado mountain communities... more

1percent
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Party On Wheels

Fourteen legs are better than two...

graemesmith
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The Associated Press: Bikes, China's icon, thrive despite car invasion

Great article of a trend that isn't dying in China. They country is still holding on to it's commuting roots. Even as... more

nickwe3d
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Going green, on two wheels

After lagging behind Europe for years, US cities are finally becoming bike-friendly.

lecoke
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Show your patriotism by declaring your independence from Oil on the 4th of July

The bike-minded folks in San Francisco are spearheading an effort to get Congress to approve more transportation funds for... more

Julie_Soller
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Commuters ditching cars for bikes, foot power

Considering that SF is 7x7, I never take for granted how close it is to get everywhere, even if it means showing off my super calves (ahem-) after those lovely hills. Happy biking to all! Although MUNI is okay in the city in comparison to other big metropolitan areas (soCal), once you get in the habit of riding and street route savvy, there is no comparison with the bus/metro system.

* * Share your commute distance, walking, daily riding, or weekend rides. (Mine is a daily pedaling session of approx. 8.5mi. round trip)**
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"You get a completely different impression of San Francisco on a bike," he said, "It's one of the best biking cities. There is nowhere you can't get to on a bike."

- -click on link for full article- -
In May, Blake Altshuler, 29, got rid of his car and joined the growing numbers of people who ride their bicycles to work. Mainly, he said, it was because of rising gas prices. His friend Dolly Totes, 25, who has been commuting by bike since she sold her car two years ago, said, "I couldn't afford it. I needed to pay my rent." It was partly gas and insurance, she said, but also all the parking tickets she kept amassing.

If you are already biking or walking to work - or are contemplating doing so - you aren't alone. According to a 2007 analysis by the U.S. Census Bureau, among large cities, San Francisco has the fifth-highest number of bike commuters and the third-highest number of people who walk to work. Also telling is that there were twice as many bikes as cars on Market Street during the morning commute on Bike to Work Day in June, a nearly 30 percent increase over last year, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

Cheryl Brinkman also became an almost daily bike commuter in the past year. She lives in the lower Haight and commutes 2 miles to her job as a product manager at McKesson Corp., in the Financial District. About her wardrobe, Brinkman said, "I've altered it for the better and only one thing that I don't wear now that I bike so much is long full skirts."

Helmet hair
On the days she rides her bike, Brinkman tucks her skirt into a band of elastic that she wraps around one thigh, a homemade garter belt solution, as it were. And, she said, "I always have a small binder clip in my handbag, as well, to keep wrap skirts or dresses closed while pedaling."
She brings her purse but eschews wearing a helmet - not because she fears having dreaded "helmet hair" upon arriving at her destination, but because she believes it gives her an advantage on the road.

Those who bicycle say they get benefits beyond just buffeting their budgets from gasoline prices.

"It's the fastest way to get to work. Compared to Muni, it takes half the time," said Tumlin. "I bike because I can change my route and stop off and run errands and see people along the way. It is great exercise and I find a significant difference in my productivity when I bike to work. I am smarter when I bike. I'm more patient when I bike."

"You get a completely different impression of San Francisco on a bike," he said, "It's one of the best biking cities. There is nowhere you can't get to on a bike."Considering that SF is 7x7, I never take for granted how close it is to get everywhere, even if it means showing off my super... more