Strida Folding Bike – slip one under the tree for me
The BPlot is driven by great features, gossip, grooming and gifts. Written by Richard Virgilio who worked in production for programs such as “The Maury Povich Show,” “The Carnie Wilson Show” and “The Howard Stern Show.” He was “Gay Rich” on Stern’s radio show. In addition to the terrestrial radio show, he was regularly featured on Stern’s E! Entertainment show, short-lived CBS Saturday night show and in both his tomes “Miss America” and “Private Parts”.
In this post which evokes the Santa Baby Christmas hit, Richard drops the sable and adds the Strida among other temptations.
Strida Folding bike benefits Muskoka YWCA
savedbybikes.com was delighted to donate a Strida Folding Bike to the YWCA of Muskoka that was auctioned off at the Women of Distinction Gala.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes' Cathy Jones hams it up on a Strida Folding Bike
The Woman of Distinction program recognizes outstanding women in Muskoka under 4 categories:
Young Woman of Distinction
A young woman—under the age of 30—who has made a significant contribution to the life of her community through her outstanding personal achievements and leadership.
Entrepreneurship
A successful business woman who has employed herself and others with dignity for at least 3 years. In doing so, she has earned the respect of her peers and serves as a role model for women.
Mentorship
A woman to be honoured as a catalyst, guiding or influencing women or girls, inspiring them to achieve individual or collective success at critical turning points in their lives.
Exceptional Achievement
A woman to be honoured for achievements outside the scope represented by all other award categories. This woman will have either demonstrated capacity in several areas or tremendous capacity in one area.
savedbybikes.com was honoured to participate in this essential and worthy cause.
Relief from grid-lock not just about tolls
71% of people in the GTA are dependent on the automobile. This is one of the highest rates of automobile dependency in the OECD; this grid-lock costs our economy up to $3 billion annually.
Spacing.ca summarized articles on a report from the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in their Nov 11 wire. Perhaps led by newspaper headlines, Spacing.ca took a one-dimensional view of this massive problem, offering only information surrounding toll roads. Toll Roads, being just one of many solutions, was even the section title.
We should not miss the point here. There are many, many solutions to traffic grid-lock, not the least of which includes proper investment in public transit and bicycle lanes.
Hopefully the study will lead to implementation of bold and creative solutions. In the meantime, each of us should make daily decisions to ensure our own personal productivity by choosing bicycle commuting, public transit, time-shifting and telecommuting.
Emission Economy: “Ontario will love new emission controls”
A thought provoking article in Now magazine on climate change and economic prosperity.
Thanks to TD Bank Financial Group for providing funding for this project.
The report is available here.
Please share this with others.
Air Canada – you’re not quite getting it
It’s time to reconsider your policy, just like Jet Blue as reported by BikePortland.
The corporation is just too big to apply common sense, to properly communicate within, and is indifferent to what travellers really think. It’s not the issue that bicycles are green transport and as such, should be encouraged and welcomed. Air Canada is missing the key point here. They have a policy, appropriate for conventional bicycles that requires the passenger to pay a $50 fee to cover the cost of handling that unwieldly bicycle. When it comes to bikes which fold up smaller than a snowboard, that do not require any special handling, the fee should simply not apply. Indeed, it often does not.
I have traveled on Air Canada with my Strida folding bike many times. Customarily I pay no fee, drop my Strida’s carry bag on the belt and pick it off the carousel on the other end, much like I do for many other items. Occasionally, when I have been told there is a charge for bicycles, I have had a discussion with the ticket agent in which I compare the Strida folding bike to many other items Air Canada accepts from me and thousands of others every day without a fee. Each time so far, I have not had to pay the fee.
A few weeks ago Yvonne Bambrick, Executive Director of the Toronto Cyclist’s Union, took a Strida folding bike to San Francisco on Air Canada. There was no fee requested on the flight down, but the $50 fee was insisted upon on the return flight.
Read some of the details of Toronto writer Lloyd Alter’s experience with, and impression of Air Canada’s policy in this Financial Post article. Lloyd Alter has stitched together a summary of the saga.
Interestingly while typing this post, I received two email messages from Air Canada offering me 15,000 bonus miles as part of a current marketing campaign to keep us all flying with them.
What Women Want
As “an ‘indicator species’ for bike-friendly cities” – women being more risk averse than men – perhaps planners should consider what women find important.
Until women feel it is safe and easy to jump on a bike and head through town, the North American ratio of men: women cyclists (now 2:1), isn’t going to inch towards Europe’s ratio (1:1) anytime soon. As the lack of women riders generally indicates relative safety, this is a big part of the reason why North American statistics for trips by bicycle are also so poor compared to those of Europe. Less than 2% of trips are by bicycle in North America, while many European cities are well into double digits.
Have a look at this article from Scientific American.
Thanks to a feed via Momentum Magazine for sourcing this article.
Toronto Cyclists Union Thanks Drivers
After all, safer streets for everyone is the goal.
As part of the Toronto Cyclists Union new campaign: Paving The Way, 3000 thank you cards will be given out to motorists who get caught – doing something right.
A message from the Toronto Cyclists Union:
Now it’s time for the big push and we need your help!
We will be welcoming cyclist volunteers at 3pm tomorrow, Oct 21st, at the SE corner of King and John St. to pick up and give out Thank You cards to drivers who give some ’shoulder room’ to cyclists in the area. We’ll need to do a little demo for media – but mostly, this will be a chance to learn about how best to deliver these cards on your daily commute. Let’s show Torontonians, via the media who will be attending, what the Toronto cycling community is all about!
TOMORROW: October 21st, 2009
TIME: 3pm – 4pm
WHERE: South East Corner King and John.** Please note – Thank You cards are available for pick up ANYTIME at the Centre for Social Innovation, Suite 400 – just ask for the bike union at the front desk.
Cycling in the rain
Fall brings some of the best weather for bicycling: no muddiness of spring, no heat of summer, and without the bugs of both; just wonderful crisp, sunny days.
Oh, and some rain.
Here’s a primer on rainy day cycling with some great post, post discussions from one of our favourite blogs: Let’s Go Ride a Bike. For those of you thinking, I really should go beyond the occasional fair weather recreational ride: you should. And this blog can help you to do just that in so many ways, particularly if you are a woman.
Raise a glass to Cycling in Toronto
Don’t miss the Toronto Cyclist’s Union Fundraiser Cocktail & Masquerade, Oct 28th at Steamwhistle’s Roundhouse.
This is an important event where you can meet change-makers and others with an affinity for bicycling in Toronto, join in a celebration of some wonderful progress to date and most importantly, your presence there will help ensure that the work continues.
Details on the event are right here
Please invite everyone you know who wants to see more cyclists, on safer streets in Toronto.
Hello World; and Folding Bikes yet…
Hello new Blog. Let us be the first to welcome you to the blogworld. It would appear a new weblog is emerging about folding bikes.
Sweet!
Some good points to consider from this site.
Blogger: you may be a veteran with years under your belt, or just new; but isn’t it cool how fast you can be noticed.
Be sure to use the WordPress blog stats so you can see who is sending you people!
