Bike Federation of Wisconsin

Madison Bike Winter Events

2010-12-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

A group of Madison bike supporters have created a series of events, Madison Bike Winter, to help all of us hop on our bikes a bit more this winter. The next Bike Winter event is tomorrow! Don’t miss it…

Santa Rampage/Ugly Sweater Ride

Saturday, December 18, 11am

Starting from Espresso Royale (650 State)

This ride is planned for participants to either break out their Santa suits or a favorite UGLY sweater and go for a short ride from downtown stopping a various establishments for hot/cold beverages along the way.

Bike Fed Member, Mindy Preston, provides a recap from the last Madison Bike Winter Event.

Madison’s first annual Bike Winter Fashion Show was a dazzling event, even after the models removed their reflective jackets, safety vests, and blinking lights. Ten models gathered to show off what keeps them warm on their winter rides, which ranged from 20 minute commutes around campus to hours-long snow endurance races. Whether models were showing off base layers, rain pants, goggles, or their work attire, all agreed that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort to ride your bicycle in the winter.

Event models began by talking about their full riding ensembles. Outer layers – for keeping out snow, wind, and slush – often had reflective elements as well, for additional safety. Beneath that, cyclists showed an astounding variety of warmth layers, ranging from layers of normal street clothes to high-tech sport-specific gear. Many models demonstrated layering vests and scarves over shirts to keep the core as warm as possible. Most wore “base layers” (also known as “long underwear”) made of wool or synthetic materials, as wet cotton feels very cold next to the skin.

Cyclists shared a number of strategies for keeping the weather off sensitive skin, and staying comfortable even in the coldest temperatures. Liners, mittens, lobster gloves, and bar mitts all had their time in the limelight. Models suggested covering faces and ears with balaclavas, scarves, masks, goggles, hats, and helmet covers.

Audience members included seasoned cyclists, prospective winter cyclists, and folks new to the upper Midwest’s temperature extremes. ”It seems very possible to ride in winter,” a prospective rider commented after the show. “If you ride the bus or walk in the winter, you probably have all the gear you need,” another said. Madison Bike Winter’s organizers agree, and welcome new winter riders to join the Madison Bike Winter group on Facebook to hear about fun winter cycling events.

What biking season?

2010-11-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

I usually get annoyed when the bike racks on State Street, near the Bike Fed's Madison office, are full and it's hard to cram mine in. But yesterday I had a different reaction.

I went to State Street after work to visit an art exhibits and found this situation at the rack closest to my destination:

Although it took a little extra effort to lock up my bike, my reaction was more of delight than dismay. Yesterday was the first day in Madison with sustained below-freezing temperatures and a pretty vigorous wind. But people are still biking. Who says that Wisconsin has biking weather only half of the year?

Milwaukee bike racks on buses prove their usefulness

2010-11-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's been popping up in the Milwaukee news lately that the bike racks on the count's buses are getting used pretty frequently, after the Milwaukee County Transit system put out a press release that their usage has rocketed up since last fall.

In August and September of 2009, the buses had 1,890 bike boardings, while in August and September 2010, they had 14,289 boardings.

The dramatic increase shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The fleet only became fully equipped with racks in August 2009, and it has taken time for people to get used to the idea that they can bring their bikes along on bus trips. Since August 2009, there have been more than 46,000 bike boardings.

Before the program was in place, the transit system projected the bike boardings could hits 100,000 a year. (That number was based on a ridership of 51 million; based on today's ridership of 39.4 million, the adjusted projection would be closer to 77,000.)

A lot of people have expressed impatience that the bike boarding numbers haven't reached the projections yet. But it seems a bit audacious to expect a brand new program to reach its full potential within the first year.

It should also be noted that the boardings that have happened have pretty much covered the cost of the bike racks to Milwaukee County. The initial investment in the racks by the county was $20,250 (the rest was paid by federal funds), and maintenance costs are less than $20,000, according to MCTS. The average income to the transit system from each boarding is $1.12.

46,000 x $1.12 > $20,250 + $20,000

or (in other words)

income is greater than expenses

or (in other words)

The bike racks are paying for themselves.

Good job, Milwaukee County!

(If you want to learn more about bike racks on buses throughout the state, look for our article on this topic in the next issue of Wisconsin Bicyclist, the Bike Fed's quarterly newspaper. It will be available in early December.)

Grants available for Wisconsin bike advocacy – apply by Jan. 31

2010-11-22T09:07:00.001-08:00

The Dane County Bicycle Association is inviting applications for the 2011 grant cycle. Each year DCBA invites proposals from organizations to fund projects that promote bicycling in Wisconsin. DCBA annually awards grants that total approximately $10,000. Most individual awards are range from $500 to $2,500.

Grant applications are due by January 31,2011 for the upcoming grant cycle. Grants awards will be announced at the February 20, 2011 DCBA Board of Directors meeting.

For nearly 30 years DCBA has provided grants to improve the quality, scope and effectiveness of bicycling education, usage ,and advocacy. DCBA grants have funded a variety of bicycling projects, including sponsoring bicycle events, supporting bicycle advocacy efforts, promoting bicycling for young people, and publishing bicycle touring routes. In recent years, the emphasis has been on funding projects that expand the bicycling community and offer resources and services to lower income individuals and households.

Grant application materials can be found on the DCBA website www.danecountybicycle.org or by contacting Bill Putnam at (608) 770-8242 or bill.putnam@sbcglobal.net Groups from throughout Wisconsin are eligible to apply.

La Crosse gets new bike lane

2010-11-18T10:42:00.001-08:00

Nov 18 2010 - VID00009_2
Originally uploaded by jack.zabrowski

Jack Zabrowksi, bicycle pedestrian coordinator for the La Crosse County Health Department, just posted this video of La Crosse's newest bike lanes to Flickr. Riding in a 5-foot wide bike lane is so delightful that Jack periodically bursts out in spantaneous, joyful laughter, as you'll hear when you watch it.

Ripon College gets single-track mountain bike trail

2010-11-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

IMBA Trail Specialist Jill Van Winkle checks her GPS as she plots the trail corridor for a new singletrack mountain bike trail within the woods of Ripon College's Ceresco Prairie Conservacy. Photo by Ric Damm.

Our guest blogger today is Ric Damm, head of the Ripon College Cycling Team and a Bike Fed board member. We asked him to tell us about the new mountain bike trail that will be built on the Ripon College campus thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. Each month, the Pepsi Refresh Project puts charitable projects up for public vote on its website, and the top vote-getters receive grants. Ripon College is in Ripon, Wis., about 20 miles west of Fond du Lac.

We're starting to move forward on the Ripon College mountain bike trail that's been made possible by a $25,000 Pepsi Refresh Project grant that we won in August.
Earlier this month, Jill Van Winkle, a trail specialist with International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA's) Trail Solutions team, came to Ripon College to help us piece together an initial design for the trail. The trail, which we plan to have ready by fall 2011, will be used by our mountain bike team as well as by casual riders from the college and Ripon community.
The trail will be located in the wooded sections of the college's Ceresco Prairie Conservancy, which comprises 130 acres of native prairie, oak savanna and wetland habitat. The area is part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Glacial Habitat Restoration Program, a partnership between the DNR and the college.
Minimizing the potential for erosion and other impacts of the new trail is clearly a priority for us. IMBA will design and build the trail, drawing on its expertise to ensure the integrity and longevity of the trail, as well as the prairie and woodland habitat.
The trail will be a great boon to the Ripon College mountain bike team, which has flourished since its inception in 2008. The team has won the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference Division 2 team mountain bike championship and qualified multiple students for national competition in each of the past two years. Still, the nearest mountain biking trail is more than 20 miles from Ripon.
I also want this trail to be a gateway for others who are curious about the sport of mountain biking. The trail will be built with some challenges in mind for more advanced riders, but will not be so intimidating as to scare off would-be newcomers. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Ripon community at large all supported this project and voted online to help us secure the grant. This trail will be built for all of them, and everyone is welcome to use it.
We're also grateful to the greater Wisconsin bicycling community, including the Bike Fed, for supporting our Pepsi Refresh Project grant request and getting out the vote through Facebook, Twitter and email.
The Pepsi Refresh Project began in 2010 as a means to help "refresh" communities. People submit ideas on the Pepsi Refresh Web site in tiers of $5,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $250,000 grants. Each month, Pepsi awards $1.3 million. According to Melisa Tezanos, communications director for Pepsi, the company is using the money it saved by not advertising during the 2010 Super Bowl.

Milwaukee Trails survey

2010-11-11T07:12:00.001-08:00

Do you bike/walk/run/explore the Milwaukee River Trails?

If so, please take a short survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KS775QN .

This “trail use” survey that will determine the various uses of the Milwaukee River trails, as well as to gauge the public’s general knowledge of the Greenway. The survey has been distributed throughout the Greenway in nifty duct tape boxes, and is also available online.

Thank you so much for your time and input! It is greatly appreciated. You can check the MRGC out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/milwaukeerivergreenwaycoalition for updates and articles.

Ride the Newest Trail in the State with the Bike Fed

2010-11-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

On Monday November 6th, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin joined over 200 people in officially opening another 4.5 miles of the Hank Aaron State Trail. The trail previously went from Lake Michigan to Miller Park. Now it goes from the Lakefront to 92nd Street along an old rail road corridor. Once the Zoo interchange is built, Hank Aaron will connect to the Oak Leaf Trail and a system of trails that goes all the way to Mississippi.

If you missed the opening on Monday, you still have two more chances this week to celebrate. The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin will lead two free bike rides along the extension where you can see salmon spawning, beautiful new trail bridges, historic buildings and more. The rides are 9 miles round trip from 34th Street:

Lunch Break Ride
Thursday, November 11th
Meet at Hank Aaron/Canal Street and 34th St by the new bridge at 11:30 or 6th and Canal/HAST at 11:15

Sunday in the Park Ride
Sunday, November 14th
Meet at Hank Aaron/Canal Street and 34th St by the new bridge at 10:30 or 6th and Canal/HAST at 10:15

If you can't make our tours, the trail is marked with signs and is on the free Milwaukee By Bike map.

According the Melissa Cook, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources trail manager, "over 400,000 people live within a 15 minute bike ride of the trail and no other trail in the state has such a big potential user group." For the past three years, the Bike Fed and the Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail have helped connect local kids with the trail through summer Bike Camps.

Saris Gala raises $95,000 for the Bike Fed

2010-11-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

The seventh annual Saris Gala, benefiting the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, was held at the Saris Cycling Group headquarters in Madison, Wis., on Friday, October 29th. Silent and live auctions helped bring in $95,000 to support a variety of infrastructure and educational programs throughout Wisconsin, including Safe Routes to School. Thanks to all who contributed!

"We strongly support bicycling advocacy in Madison and across the country," said Saris President Chris Fortune. "So working with the Bike Fed is really important to us. We're proud to host the Saris Gala, but we did not do this alone. This is a community event that relies heavily on volunteers and the generous support of our industry partners."

This year's event had a Halloween theme complete with a costume ride and costume contest. More than 600 attendees enjoyed food and drinks, bid on auction items, and listened to cycling commentator Phil Liggett (in the photo from Focal Flame with a fan) talk about his experiences at the Tour de France. Pro-cyclist-turned-coach Robbie Ventura led the live auction and got the crowd bidding on items like a Cyclesport Travel trip to the Pyrenees, Vision Quest Coaching Camp package, and a high-end Trek bike of the winner's choosing.

Kevin Hardman, the Bike Fed's executive director, said, "We're grateful for partners like Saris who are stepping up to make Wisconsin a better place to bike. The Saris Gala funds important work to increase transportation choices throughout the state, including our Safe Routes to School programs. Over the years, we have taught more than 9,000 kids how to stay safe on streets and sidewalks. We're looking forward to continuing this work and helping more Wisconsinites make bicycling a convenient part of their daily lives."

Photo credit: Clint Thayer / Focal Flame Photography

The 3rd Annual Milwaukee Bike Swap is Dec. 12

2010-11-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars for the Bike Fed's 3rd Annual Milwaukee Bike Swap on December 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UW-Milwaukee Union. Come to buy and sell parts, accessories, complete bicycles, clothing and bike-themed crafts. The event attracts people from as far north as Green Bay, as far west as Madison and as far south as Chicago. (With the lake right there, about as far east as they'll be coming from is Lincoln Memorial Drive.)

Want to sell your stuff? Through November 29, retailers can reserve two display tables for $150 ($50 each for additional tables), and individuals and non-profits pay $40 per table. After that, the fees go up to $175 for two retailer tables and $50 for one individual/non-profit table. There are only 70 tables, so reserve yours now.

Governor Announces $32.5 Million for Non-Motorized Projects

2010-11-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, Governor Jim Doyle announced $32.5 million for 56 transportation enhancement and bicycle and pedestrian facilities projects across the state. Congratulations to the 40-plus communities who will receive this funding for through 2014 as part of the federal Transportation Enhancements program and the state and federal Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program, including a dozen communities who will complete bicycle and/or pedestrian plans.

The federal and state funding will close several gaps in Wisconsin's transportation system. It will extend the Beerline Trail in Milwaukee, launch the first phase of the Yahara River Trail connecting Madison and McFarland, connect school to parks and shopping in Crandall, and create a north-south shared bicycle-pedestrian route along the Winnebago-Calumet County border. Click here for the complete list of grant projects.

Two statewide projects also received funding in this round, including the Bike Fed's Share & Be Aware program. We'll work with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Bureau of Transportation Safety to teach more bicyclists and motorists in 2011 about sharing the road. We're looking forward to being able to bring this important information to people throughout the state.

Wienermobile bike!

2010-10-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. So we already mentioned the Wienermobile bicycle (aka "pedal car") on our Facebook page, but this thing is so cool I can't keep myself from writing about it more.

We'll be auctioning one of these babies off at the Saris Gala tomorrow night in Madison. The Saris Gala is our largest annual fundraiser and is put on by the generous folks at Saris Cycling Group, which is headquartered here in Wisconsin.

I would really really like to start commuting to work in one of these, but I think I'm too big to fit inside. So instead I'll have to resort to sticking Oscar Mayer stickers on my commuter bike and referring to it as my "pedal car." I won't look quite as cool as this kid, but I'll feel cool on the inside – and that's what really counts.

Right?

Learn about the U.S. Bicycle Route on Novermber 3

2010-10-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Milwaukee area, you have a great opportunity next Wednesday to learn more about the U.S. Bicycle Route System and bicycle travel from Jim Sayer, the executive director of the Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling is the largest membership nonprofit cycling organization in North America with more than 44,000 members. To fulfill its mission of inspring people to travel by bicycle, it has mapped more than 40,000 miles of cycling routes throughout the United States and Canada, and it works on national bicycling advocacy issues, including the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

Winona Bateman, media director of Adventure Cycling, sent the following description of what you can expect at Wednesday's presentation:

On Wednesday, November 3, grab your cycling buddies, friends, and family, and join Adventure Cycling Association for a special regional gathering and party in Fox Point at the Wheel and Sprocket North Shore Store from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Adventure Cycling's executive director, Jim Sayer, will be in town to share the latest news on bicycle travel and adventures in North America (and perhaps beyond!). He'll be looking to the year ahead, with new routes, trips, and policy and outreach initiatives to improve bicycling and bike travel in the United States, including an update on the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. There will also be time for you to share your thoughts, ideas, and stories. Refreshments and snacks will be provided, courtesy of Wheel and Sprocket. Click here for directions.

Refreshments start at 6:00. There will be a brief safety workshop at 6:30, followed by the program with Jim Sayer at 7:00 pm. Please RSVP for this event by calling Wheel & Sprocket North Shore at (414) 247-8100 or emailing Jesse at jesse.kuester@wheelandsprocket.net.

Click here for a printable event flyer.

Another side of AAA

2010-10-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last month, we told you about Rails to Trails talking AAA to task after the president of AAA Mid-Atlantic spoke against using federal Highway Trust Fund money for bike and pedestrian facilities. He advocated for using the Highway Trust Fund for highways only (as opposed to how it's been used since 1991) and paying for bike and ped facilities with general revenues only.

In contrast, the current issue of American Bicyclist (the member magazine of the League of American Bicyclists) features a story about steps the automobile association has taken to encourage road-sharing and bicyclist safety. According to the article:

More than half of AAA's 51 regional clubs offer bike safety outreach programs
The programs have traditionally focused on children, but clubs are increasingly working on bicycling programs for all ages
AAA Oregon/Idaho extends its roadside assistance program to bicycles. (The service is not available through the AAA club in Wisconsin yet; however, Better World Club - which is not affiliated with AAA - does offer this service nationally.)
AAA worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009 to promote a "share the road" message nationally and to distribute a four-part video series on bicycle safety

You can read more about it in the American Bicyclist. If you're not a subscriber, you can view the September/October issue online beginning in November.

Omro, Wisconsin: Bicycling Paradise

2010-10-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Omro students walk to school with U.S. Congressman Tom Petri (center)

Omro students gather for Walk and Bike to School assembly

From our education director and Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network coordinator, Jessica Wineberg-Binder:

What places do you think of when you hear “bicycling paradise”? Portland, Oregon? Copenhagen, Denmark?

Today, I discovered a bicycling paradise in my own backyard: Omro, Wisconsin.

Why such accolades? Omro Middle School has woven bicycling into almost every facet of the school day, with a noon recess riding program, an in-school bike shop, and physical education classes that teach bicycling skills. Over the next couple of years, the city of Omro will improve bicycling facilities and sidewalk connections near schools using an $89,438 grant it received through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Today, well over 200 Omro students celebrated their school’s progress by walking and biking to school with U.S. Congressman Tom Petri and Bike Fed Executive Director Kevin Hardman. The “walking school bus” was more than two blocks long! Petri – along with Omro Mayor Bob Breu, Wisconsin Assemblyman Richard Spanbauer, Omro School Board members and other special guests – toured Omro Middle School’s in-school bike shop, its noon recess riding program, its PE-based cyclocross course, and the nearby community fitness trail. Credit goes to PE teacher Joe Horvath and Principal Paul Williams for creating bicycling options before, during, and after school.

Omro has utilized volunteer efforts and many small donations to build a comprehensive bicycle program that should be replicated across the state and the country. The Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network, which I coordinate as part of my work here at the Bike Fed, will help Omro Middle School share its innovative ideas with other communities and inspire them to truly embrace walking and biking to and from school.

You can watch WBAY's coverage of the walk and bike event here.

Bike Fed board Chair Elect Chris Kegel visits the Omro Middle School bike shop.

Right to left: Bike Fed Chair Elect Chris Kegel, U.S. Congressman Tom Petri, Bike Fed Executive Director Kevin Hardman.

Remembering Jeff Littmann, a champion of bicycling

2010-10-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 5, Jeff Littmann became the eighth bicyclist this year to die from injuries received in a bike-car crash in Wisconsin. As a road racer, owner of Attitude Sports in Pewaukee and president of the Wisconsin Cycling Association, Jeff was a tireless ambassador for bicycling. He mentored many competitive cyclists and is greatly missed by those who knew him.

A service for Jeff will be held this Saturday, October 9, at Nativity of the Lord, 3672 E Plankinton Ave., Cudahy, Wis. Visitation is from 9:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m., and the service begins at 1:00 p.m.

We have heard from many of Jeff's friends in the past few days who want something good to come out of this tragedy. Here are some steps you can take to commemorate Jeff and make Wisconsin's roads better for everyone:

Donate to the Littmann family collegiate cycling scholarship fund. Jeff's family will be setting up a collegiate cycling scholarship fund in Jeff's memory. We will post more details to our website when they become available.

Understand the rules of the road and educate others. The Share & Be Aware section of our website has lots of information about avoiding bike-car collisions, from both driving and bicycling perspectives. Click on the Facebook or Twitter icons on our Share & Be Aware pages to share the information with your social networks. (We also regularly post safety tips to our Facebook and Twitter accounts.)

Support complete streets. Thanks to the efforts of our members, Wisconsin enacted a law in 2009 that requires new and reconstructed roads that receive state funds to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians – for example, with wider shoulders on state highways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is holding a series of workshops around the state about the new law, with three coming up in Waukesha, Eau Claire and Green Bay. Attend a workshop to learn about complete streets and how they can make roads safer for all of us.

Take a road safety class. The League of American Bicyclists has certified a number of Wisconsinites to teach bicyclist safety classes geared toward a variety of audiences, including motorists, bicyclists and commercial drivers. Please contact us to find a League Cycling Instructor in your area.

We also want to do our part to honor Jeff. The Bike Fed will soon receive funding to dramatically expand our Share & Be Aware program to educate drivers, bicyclists and law enforcement about sharing the road. Our policy, road planning and Safe Routes to School programs are additional strategies for improving the environment for bicycling in Wisconsin.

Over the past few decades, Wisconsin's roads have become safer as the rate of fatal car-bike crashes has dropped significantly. But that doesn't diminish the tragedy of Jeff's death or of the deaths of the seven others who were killed this year while riding their bikes in our state. We can't bring those lives back, but we can work together to prevent future tragedies.

We will celebrate Jeff's legacy by continuing our work to make Wisconsin's roads safer for everyone.

Chicago parking rates and the popularity of bicycling

2010-10-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Jessica Binder, the Bike Fed's education director, was back in Chicago yesterday and sent us this email, along with the picture to the right:

Want to know why so many Chicagoans bike? A dense urban fabric, congestion, and EXPENSIVE parking all play a role. The hotel I was at yesterday for a conference charges $22 to park for an hour or less! Good thing I biked.

Bringing Dutch-Style Bicycle Facilities to the U.S.

2010-09-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, the Bike Fed's Education Director, Jessica Binder, had the pleasure of attending a ThinkBike presentation in Chicago that explored the details of the Dutch bicycle infrastructure that supports the 80% people who bicycle at least once per week in the Netherlands. The Dutch consulate and Chicago DOT brought in a team of Dutch bicycle planners to share their knowledge and ideas. To attend this workshop, Jessica Binder had a very euro-style day. She biked her Taga bicycle (converts from bike to stroller and can hold a child - see picture at right) to the Amtrak station, converting the Taga bike into the Taga stroller so it could be brought on board the train. Once in Chicago, she converted the stroller back into bike mode and was early for the 8:30am start time for the conference. She wrote this note summarizing some of what she learned:

The highlights of the workshop included learning that, in the Netherlands, bicycle mode share declined to about 10% in the 1970s. Through major investments and a paradigm shift, much like the one the U.S. is experiencing now, they were able to recapture a lot of trips - bringing them to 28% bicycle mode share today. From a tram with a special open air cart to push bicycles up hills to streets with 18 mph speed limits, the Dutch have created a utopia for cycling that we in Wisconsin can learn from. Milwaukee's Bicycle Plan and some infrastructure plans for Madison draw on the Dutch for inspiration. After today's talk, I will too.

To help bring innovative bicycle facilities to Wisconsin that can get more people to ride more often, please join the Bike Fed. Your support helps us increase funding for bicycle infrastructure. Join now at www.bfw.org and save 15 bucks with coupon code JB15off until October 15th.

Milwaukee by Bike is approved by Common Council

2010-09-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Common Council just approved Milwaukee by Bike, the bicycle transportation plan that the Bike Fed helped develop. The plan passed nearly unanimously, with just one opposing vote, as you can read in this article from Tom Held of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Thanks so much to everyone in Milwaukee who educated their representatives about the need for better bicycle facilities and how better biking conditions will contribute to Milwaukee's livability and economic development.

The plan would add more than 200 miles of bike lanes, boulevards and trails to Milwaukee, but our work does not end here. The Council has approved the plan, but it has not yet budgeted for its implementation. It will be important for Milwaukee residents to continue to let their council members know about the importance of bike facilities to the city's growth.

To read the plan documents, go to www.milwaukeeplan.bfw.org.

Milwaukee Bike Plan one step closer to reality

2010-09-16T13:05:00.001-07:00

Jessica Binder, the Bike Fed's education director, attended this morning's meeting about Milwaukee by Bike, the city's proposed bicycle plan, and has great news to report:

Today the Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety Committee voted to accept the Milwaukee Bicycle Plan. It was energizing to see the City Engineer wonderfully articulate the benefits of cycling and investing in cycling infrastructure. All the members of the committee were supportive of the plan and, while we do not anticipate any issues with the full Common Council adopting it when it meets on September 21, bicycling supporters are encouraged to call their alderpeople by Monday, September 20, and urge them to vote for the Bike Plan. From today's meeting, it was very clear that alderpeople are responsive when their constituents speak out and contact them.

If you can, please also attend the full Common Council Meeting where the plan will be voted upon. It's on Sep 21 at 9 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers (3rd Floor of City Hall).

For more about today's meeting, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal's Tom Held wrote up a nice summary of the meeting for the paper's website.

Madison, Milwaukee and La Crosse make national Bicycle Friendly Communities list - again!

2010-09-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

The League of American Bicyclists yesterday announced its list of 2010 Bicycle Friendly Communities, and La Crosse, Milwaukee and Madison are on it once again. Madison received gold, the second-highest designation (with platinum being the highest), while Milwaukee and La Crosse each received bronze. You can download the complete list of honorees here.

Badger State Trail Grand Opening - Northern Section

2010-09-15T08:02:00.001-07:00

On Saturday at 10 a.m., the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the city of Fitchburg will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the northern 6.1 miles of the Badger State Trail, the state's first interstate trail connection with Illinois. The ceremony will take place at the trail kiosk at Market Drive in Fitchburg.

According to the Fitchburg's 4th district alder, Steve Arnold,

"The completion of this connection, from bicycle-loving Madison to the Jane Adams Trail in Illinois, with connections to the Capital City, Military Ridge, Sugar River, and future Cannonball State Trails, will unleash a torrent of 150,000 to 250,000 visitors a year to the Badger State Trail, promising to improve the health, economic vitality, and recreation opportunities in the region."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday September 18, 2010 at 10:00 am. at the trail kiosk located at Marketplace Drive (in the Fitchburg Commerce Park south of McKee Rd., also known as County Hwy PD).

See the Bike Fed's events calendar for more details about the event.

Note: The final link from County Highway M to Purcell Rd. (a distance of 1.1 miles) may not be open for the ceremony. To bypass this section going south, Arnold suggests riding west on CTH M, south on Borchert Rd., and east on Purcell Rd. back to the trail, a 2.0-mile detour.

A city where bicycling went from 0.6% to 6.5% in four years

2010-09-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

Bike Fed Executive Director Kevin Hardman and Madison Director Amanda White are in Chatanooga, Tenn., at Pro Walk Pro Bike 2010, a conference organized by the National Center for Biking and Walking. The annual conference has attracted 500-600 people from around the country, including bicycle advocates, planners and administrators from state departments of transportation, and city pedestrian-bicycle coordinators.

"The consistent overall theme is that the bicycling movement is growing," Amanda says of the Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference. More people, including people at all levels of government and business, are getting involved.

Amanda was impressed by a Tuesday session that discussed the incredible increase in bicycling in Seville, Spain, in the past few years. In 2006, just 0.6% of trips were made by bicycle (a little lower than the Wisconsin average). By 2010, the rate was 6.5%, thanks to a concerted effort to encourage bicycling that included installing a network of segregated bike lanes (which can be bike paths or simply lanes that are separated from other traffic by a curb), as well as an extensive bike-share program.

Segregated bicycle facilities have a controversial history in the United States, with many bicyclists concerned that they denote second-class status for people on bikes and interfere with bicyclists' lawful use of the road. (See the website of bicycling advocate John Forester for this perspective.) Their concerns are valid, since some states, like Oregon, prohibit bicyclists from using the main travel lanes wherever a bike lane is present (even a poorly designed lane), or from using the road at all when a bike path is present. Thankfully, Wisconsin is not one of these states, so far recognizing that paths and lanes are not appropriate for every type of bicycling.

Despite the potential drawbacks of segregated bicycle facilities, there is good research to show that, when well-designed, they can enhance safety and increase bicycling rates in compact urban spaces like Seville.

Also today at the conference, Rails to Trails Conservancy announced a petition drive it is launching to encourage the American Automobile Association (AAA) to take a friendlier approach to bicyclists and pedestrians. The president of AAA Mid-Atlantic recently advocated for the elimination of existing federal dollars that help build bicycle and pedestrian trails and sidewalks.

According to the Rails to Trails website,

"AAA Mid-Atlantic suggests that an $89 billion annual highway fund shortfall can be blamed on investments in walking and bicycling. But those investments total less than $1 billion annually and produce tremendous benefits for everyone, including drivers. The reality is that many bicyclists drive, support AAA, pay gas taxes and want balanced transportation systems that provide the choice to get around in a variety of ways—for commuting or daily errands, or for fun and exercise."

You can find our more about the petition here.

Last but not least, it looks like the League of American Bicyclists has been inspired by the city of Madison's bicycle transportation goals. Today, Andy Clarke, the League's president, outlined steps that our nation can take to reach the goal of 20% of trips by bicycle or foot by 2020. Here's the slide that shows how:

Madison by Bike guided tour, Sept. 19

2010-09-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered going to work, the grocery store or a friend's house by bike, but aren't sure which route to take or what type of bike gear you might need?

The Bike Fed's Madison office is joining with We Are All Mechanics and 20by2020 to offer Madison by Bike, an fun event to familiarize Madisonians with bicycle routes and resources.

Madison by Bike will take place Sunday, Sept. 19, from 1 - 4 p.m. The event consists of two sessions, a Resource Hour and a Guided Tour. Attend just one session or come out for both!

Resource Hour: 1:00-2:00pm
Held at the Machinery Row end of Law Park (the grassy area near the intersection of John Nolen Drive and Williamson Street). Volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions about biking in Madison and show you how to use the free City of Madison bike map.

Guided Bicycle Tour: 2:00-4:00pm
Enjoy a relaxed, 7-mile guided tour of bike paths downtown and on Madison's near east side. Tony Fernandez from the City of Madison Engineering Department will stop at a few places along the way to educate riders about new bicycle infrastructure and discuss plans for future bicycle improvements. Click here for a route map. This friendly ride is perfect for anyone who wants to experience more of Madison by bike or for those bicycling veterans who want to enjoy a fun, relaxing Sunday ride.

For more information, email Amanda White or India Viola.

Milwaukee bike plan needs your support

2010-09-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee by Bike, the city of Milwaukee's 2010 Bicycle Master Plan, would add more than 200 miles of new bicycle facilities in the city. The plan will be reviewed by the Public Safety Committee on Thursday, September 16 at 9:00am in Room 301-B of City Hall. It is then scheduled for a Common Council vote on September 21.

If you live or bike in Milwaukee, please attend the Public Safety meeting on September 16 to voice your support for this plan. You can also show your support by emailing, writing or calling your alder and telling them that Milwaukee by Bike is good for Milwaukee. Talking points are available here and a sample letter/email for your alder is available here. You can read the complete plan at www.milwaukeeplan.bfw.org.

Lance Armstrong and Major Taylor: Two World Champions

2010-09-02T10:41:00.001-07:00

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz (left) and bicycling champion Lance Armstrong (right) at Ride the Drive in Madison, Wis., August 29, 2010.

As I was posting pictures from Ride the Drive to the Bike Fed's Flickr page this morning, I noticed Major Taylor on Lance Armstrong's t-shirt, captured here in this photo by Laura Whitmore of Madison Parks.

Major Taylor was a barrier-breaking American athlete on many levels. He was the 1899 world champion for the 1-mile bicycle sprint - an amazing feat on its own, but even more so considering that he was black, and sports associations in much of the country prohibited competition by black athletes at the time. (Later that year, he knocked down the one-mile world record to 1 minute, 19 seconds.) Taylor was America's second black world championship athlete.

Not until after he won the world championship was he allowed to participate in the U.S. national championships in 1900. In 1901, he went to Europe and beat every European cycling champion.

After he retired from racing in 1910, he was plagued by misfortune. At 53, he died in the charity ward of Cook County Hospital, Chicago, in 1932.

But Major Taylor's legacy has not been forgotten. A significant player in preserving his memory is the Major Taylor Association, based in Worchester, Massachusetts (where Taylor moved in 1895 and was pleasantly surprised by a lower level of overt prejudice than he had encountered in his home state of Indiana). A number of Major Taylor bike clubs throughout the United States encourage safe and fun cycling among African Americans through organized rides and events. (Check out the Web site of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minnesota, which recently co-hosted a national summit of bike clubs made up of African-American cyclists).

An archive of period newspaper articles about Taylor is available on the Web site of the Major Taylor Society.

Safe Routes to School across Wisconsin

2010-08-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

In January, the Bike Fed helped to launch the Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network, which brings together 50 state leaders from government, non-profits and the bicycle business to remove barriers to walking and biking to school. Safe Routes to School is a national movement to boost the number and safety of kids walking and biking to school, and our network is one of 20 such groups throughout the country.

At the heart of the new state network effort is policy change. We want to remove policy barriers to walking and bicycling to schools by:

Creating complete streets that include pedestrian and bicycle accommodations
Changing statewide policies for how sites are chosen for new schools, so that accessibility by foot and bike are considered
Implementing legislation that leads to funding or policy changes

We also have several non-legislative priorities.

Complete Streets. The network has reviewed and submitted comments on WisDOT’s draft complete streets administrative rules. The rules will flesh out the complete streets law passed by the Wisconsin legislature in 2009, which mandates that newly constructed or reconstructed state roads include access for people traveling by foot, wheelchair and bicycle.
Sharing Information. The network is working with WisDOT to create a guide highlighting the successes of Wisconsin’s existing Safe Routes to School programs and how other school districts can emulate them.
Improving Curriculum. The network is reviewing a bicycling safety curriculum for physical education teachers and looking at ways to include active transportation education in many academic subjects.
Access for Low-Income Communities. The Wisconsin Network is actively working to make Safe Routes more accessible to low-income communities of color, including American Indian tribes, and has applied for a grant to support these efforts.

You can read more about our work in this fall's issue of the Wisconsin Bicyclist.

If you’re interested in participating in the Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network, or want more information about it, please contact me at jessica@bfw.org or 414-431-1761, ext. 3. You can find more information at www.saferoutes.bfw.org.

Thanks for a great Ride the Drive!

2010-08-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

World bicycling champion Lance Armstrong with Jack Hirt, executive director of the Midwest Cycling Series. Photo by Sknurr Photography.

Double-decker bicyclists begin their loop around Ride the Drive. Photo by Sknurr Photography.

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Ride the Drive - a celebration for anyone who wants to run, ride, skate or stroll in the city of Madison - on August 29. We had a great time meeting so many of you. We're grateful to everyone who became a Bike Fed member at Ride the Drive, and so is Burley, which donated a Travoy trailer and three detachable transit bags to raffle off for these new members. Congratulations to Jeremy Basoulek of McFarland, who will now be toting his groceries by bike!

At the opening ceremonies, Lance Armstrong hit home with a lot of children in the crowd when he talked about the freedom he felt when he first lost his training wheels as a kid and was allowed to bike around the block by himself. We've never forgotten the freedom that bicycling brings to both kids and adults, and love helping more people experience that freedom in our day-to-day work here at the Bike Fed.

We'll be posting more photos from Ride the Drive later this week.

Bicycle Rights AND Responsibilities

2010-08-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

We get lots of great questions in our info@bfw.org inbox, and many of them share common themes. Occasionally, we'll be posting some of the questions we get (along with their answers) on our blog.

One of the frequent themes is whether bicyclists need to follow the same laws as motorists. This question is often followed up with a request that the Bike Fed correct the rude behavior of some people who use bikes. Here's a recent one:

Dear Federation,

Your web pages apparently don't have a link to information about what is legal behavior on City streets or other roads and highways for bicycle riders and for the motorists who use the way with them.

Your web pages do mention bicycle "rights." I don't see anywhere any mention of bicycle riders' responsibilities.

So, I would like to see if it is legal for bicyclists to block lanes of traffic ever.

It seems like there is a general presumption that the bicyclists and their rights are the ones at risk and therefore, motorists need to take steps to recognize their "rights." Actually, rights are constitutional things whereas behavior, legal and illegal behavior, is written down as statutes.

But, it also seems to me that quite few bicyclists have seriously bad manners and very bad attitudes about motorists and can be very confrontational about that.

So, as I say, I would like to read about the appropriate behavior of both parties as written down in law.

In any event, as the Federation, I think you clearly have a responsibility to promote discussion of bicyclists' RESPONSIBILITIES just as much as about their "rights". There is no right to dangerous, rude, confrontational behavior on the part of anyone on bicycle or not. Not promoting this kind of discussion and public awareness, I think, is avoiding a very clear need. We need some balance here.

This was our response:

Thanks for your email, and sorry you had trouble finding the information you were looking for on our site. We are currently trying to make our site easier to navigate, but obviously there is still work to be done.

You can find information on the rules of the road and courteous bicycling/driving at www.bicycling101.bfw.org and www.share.bfw.org. We don't include city-specific statutes because we are a statewide organization, but we do address state-level laws that apply in every Wisconsin city.

I wish I could directly answer your question about blocking traffic, but the rules about impeding or slowing the flow of traffic depend on the situation. Hopefully, the links above will answer your questions. If you have further questions, please let me know.

We agree that no road users should act in a way that is rude or dangerous to others. We promote legal, responsible bicycling behavior. We regularly engage our members and others on these topics through our interactive forums, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. We also educate road users on the importance of safe and legal behavior through classes, workshops, public service announcements and other media. We welcome your ideas for venues in which to share this information.

Join the Bike Fed at Ride the Drive and win a Burley Travoy

2010-08-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Bicycle trailer manufacturer Burley wants to encourage more people to join the Bike Fed in making Wisconsin a better place to bike. So, if you join the Bike Fed at Ride the Drive on August 29 in Madison, you will be entered to win a new Travoy trailer and two attachable Transit Bags. The trailer is designed especially for commuting and shopping, and it's easy to attach and detach so you can take it with you once you've parked your bike. Skip the grocery cart – use your Travoy.

You can see the Travoy and sign up for membership at one of the two Bike Fed booths at Ride the Drive - one on Capitol Square (where the Travoy will be on display) and the other at Olin Park. We'll draw the winner at the end of the day.

At Burley's request, only people who sign up for membership at Ride the Drive are eligible to enter to win the Travoy. We look forward to seeing you at Ride the Drive!

Bike Fed statement on Iowa County DA's letter about Allen Belonger case

2010-08-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, the Spring City Spinners cycling club and the Bike Fed wrote to Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson asking why no traffic citations have been issued in the year since Allen Belonger, 61, was killed in a truck-bicycle collision while he was cycling in Iowa County on July 11, 2009.

A state trooper's report completed in October 2009 found that the driver of the passenger truck had failed to yield and that Belonger's behavior did not contribute to the collision.

We thank Mr. Nelson for taking the time to write to us in response to our questions. However, we are disappointed by the content of that response.

Mr. Nelson stated in his letter several reasons for why no citation had been issued. These included:

"… issuance of a citation is a law enforcement function. District Attorney's [sic] Offices do not issue tickets." This response begs the question. District attorneys have the power to recommend that law enforcement personnel issue citations. Mr. Nelson made no such recommendation.
"I would support a decision not to issue a citation in this or any other matter where the incident occurred and all appreciable facts were known over a year before." This answer is based on a false premise – that all the facts were known more than a year ago. The sheriff's department did not conclude its investigation into the collision until October 2009. The Spring City Spinners did not receive the accident report until July 2010. Moreover, there is plenty of precedent for acting on a legal infraction more than a year after the infraction occurred.
“Could I … recommend to the Sheriff’s Department that they issue a citation? Certainly. … I did not do so out of an affirmative decision not to issue because it may or may not have been warranted.” We do not understand why the district attorney feels that a citation "may not have been warranted" in a clear case of failure to yield resulting in death. (That's not our conclusion; that's the state investigator's conclusion.)

We do not seek retribution against the driver whose actions resulted in Allen Belonger's death. However, we do believe that he should not be spared the legal consequences of his actions.

Every day, we teach people how to operate their bicycles safely and legally on Wisconsin's roads, and we support efforts to keep bicycle operators legally accountable for their behavior. We believe that motorists should be held to the same standards.

Iowa County district attorney stands by decision not to issue citation in Belonger's death

2010-08-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Held reported today that Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson written a letter to explain why no citation was issued in the July 11, 2009, killing of Allen Belonger - but it doesn't clarify much. Belonger was fatally struck by a passenger truck when the driver made a sudden left turn, according to a state trooper's report.

Nelson wrote:

I would support a decision not to issue a citation in this or any other matter where the incident occurred and all appreciable facts were known over a year before.

Nelson made the statement in a letter to the Spring City Spinners (Belonger's cycling club), Belonger's widow and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. The group had written a letter to Nelson on July 27, 2010, requesting an explanation for why no action had been taken in the year since Belonger's death.

Nelson's above statement is problematic because the state trooper's report was not submitted until October 2009 and not released to the public until July of this year. It seems, then, incorrect to conclude that all appreciable facts were known more than a year ago.

Nelson also stated:

“Could I after declining criminal prosecution and having been made aware a citation had not been issued at the scene recommend to the Sheriff’s Department that they issue a citation? Certainly. I expect the Sheriff’s Department would have done so upon my request. I did not do so.

“However, I did not do so out of an affirmative decision not to issue because it may or may not have been warranted. As I stated before, my focus was to review possible criminal charges.”

It's difficult to figure out why Nelson thinks charges "may or may not have been warranted," given that the state trooper's report clearly states that the truck driver "failed to yield to the oncoming vehicle. This was a significant factor in this crash."

The report also stated:

The timing of the crash sequence demonstrated that Belonger was riding defensively and was watching the slowing truck as it approached the driveway. Belonger did not have any obvious perception delay to the hazard. He was presented with a nearly impossible hazard to avoid. The manner in which Belonger was operating his bicycle was not a factor in this crash.

The Spring City Spinners are currently considering their next step.

See last week's blog entry for more background on this case.

Milwaukee bike plan needs your support

2010-08-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Bike Fed and the City of Milwaukee recently completed Milwaukee by Bike, the city's 2010 bicycle master plan that, if approved, will guide the development of bicycle policies and facilities in Milwaukee for the next decade. In addition to proposing more than 200 miles of new bikeways, the plan sets goals and objectives designed to increase the safety and ease of bicycling in the city.

If you live or bike in Milwaukee, please help ensure passage and implementation of Milwaukee by Bike by contacting your alder and the mayor to express your support for the plan. A form letter of support is available here, but your letter will be even more effective if you use your own words to explain why the plan is important to you and the city you love. Contact information for your elected officials can be found here.

Our list of frequently asked questions provides basic information about the plan and talking points on why the plan is important for Milwaukee.

Please show your support!

Enter our Wisconsin bicycling photo contest!

2010-08-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Bike Fed is holding a photo contest for pictures that represent the fun of bicycling in our state - whether by commuter bike, recumbent, coaster, racing bike, tricycle, mountain bike, tandem, hand-powered bike, BMX, cargo bike, trailer, or some kind of bike we've never heard of.

To enter, post your pictures to our Facebook page or email them to Kathryn Kingsbury, Bike Fed communication director. Include the location where you took the photos. You can also send entries to Attn: Photo Contest, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, 106 E. Doty St, Suite 400, Madison, WI 53703. Deadline for entries is August 20. Winners will be featured on the Bike Fed website and publications, and retain the copyright to their work.

Looking for answers in Allen Belonger's death

2010-08-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Allen Belonger was killed on July 11, 2009, while riding in Iowa County. As he descended a hill at 30 to 35 miles an hour, a 16-year-old driver named Eric Hendrickson "abruptly turned [his truck] in front of Belonger," according to a recently released state trooper's report. The report states that Hendrickson "failed to yield" even though Belonger was in his sight line for 10 seconds prior to the crash, and that the "manner in which Belonger was operating his bicycle was not a factor in this crash."

Despite these conclusions, no charges have been filed against Hendrickson. Nor has he received a ticket for failure to yield. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Hendrickson orginally received a citation related to intoxicated driving, but when tests showed no alcohol in his system, that citation was dropped and no other citations were made.

Belonger's friends at the Spring City Spinners cycling club are pressing Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson for answers. A recent letter to Nelson written by Spring City Spinners President Laura Fisher and co-signed by six other club members, along with Bonnie Belonger (Allen's widow) and Bike Fed Executive Director Kevin Hardman, says:

Our question is a simple one: Why was no ticket issued to Mr. Hendrickson? There is no defense to his driving that day. Our friend died a violent and needless death because this young man was not paying attention and violated the law, and not even a traffic ticket was issued. Why?

Please understand that we have no vendetta against Mr. Hendrickson. He must be
devastated by this tragedy, and no doubt will carry it with him the rest of his life. We also understand that you must be very busy in performing the important functions of your office. Nevertheless, it is our opinion that there must be some official condemnation of his actions. Otherwise, the public may very well and possibly quite reasonably conclude that your county does not take the safety and rights of bicyclists seriously. That type of attitude can only lead to a greater disrespect of cyclists' rights and therefore to more tragedy, not only in Iowa County, but throughout the State.

The Bike Fed fully supports the Spring City Spinners in their quest to find justice for Allen Belonger and make the roads safer for everyone, and we are working to educate motorists about the rules of the road as they pertain to bicyclists. (Please direct your friends and acquaintances to www.share4motorists.bfw.org for an introduction to these rules.) Yesterday, Tony Galli of WKOW 27 in Madison interviewed our Madison director, Amanda White, for a piece that laid out the problems with the case and why it's important for motorists to treat bicycles as the legal vehicles they are. You can see a summary of the piece, which aired on the evening news, here.

The Waukesha County case referred to at the end of the story was the Father's Day killing of Waukesha resident Brett Netke as he rode on Highway 18. He was hit from behind. The driver in the case has paid a $114 traffic ticket for failing to provide a safe passing distance and, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, may receive a three-point license deduction. You can see a story on the case from Milwaukee's TMJ 4 here.

You Are Riding Bicycle History

2010-08-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ride the Drive, June 2010, Madison. Photograph by Darryl Jordan. All rights reserved.

I've been having fun perusing through the Bike Fed's archives recently, and ran across this article by Jim Guthrie, a member of the Bike Fed and The Wheelmen, a group of antique bicycle enthusiasts:

Think you're riding the latest, greatest, high-tech version of the two-wheeled human powered vehicle. That's what I used to think. Then I joined a group of antique bicycle enthusiasts, The Wheelmen, and discovered that it's all been thought of and been done before. The big difference between the past and the present is materials; the space age has brought some neat things to bicycling. Let's take a brief trip through the history of bicycling. Perhaps you will end up as hooked as I am on this fascinating story.

Carriage makers started making bicycle prototypes in the early 1880's. They had iron tires, wooden wheels and, of course, a not-so-comfortable seat. People simply called them "wheels." These machines were "enjoyed" primarily by wealthy young gentlemen in Europe who had more leisure time than most. They would ride their "wheels" through the parks thrilling all who watched. Unlike bicycles of today, on these machines the rider had to pick up the front wheel in order to change directions. And to move it forward, the rider had to push his feet along the ground--hardly an efficient means of transportation.

By 1821, the first "wheel" had made its way to the United States. By the 1860's, riders could actually steer and pedal thanks to those two inventions. But getting anywhere on such dinosaurs still took a lot of effort. (Remember what it's like to pedal a child's tricycle.) To rescue the winded riders came the big drive wheel (the front wheel to which the pedals are attached on a tricycle). It was developed by an Englishman named Starly and dubbed the "highwheeler". People loved them because, compared to previous models, they could really cruise on their highwheelers.

When Starly completed his bike, he challenged a horseman to a 100-mile, one-day race. Starly won the race on his contraption and didn't require any hay, oats or water. The horseman required two mounts to complete the journey. Eventually, people began to see bicycling as a real means of transportation and not just a toy. It allowed them, through their own exertion, to reach their destination faster than on foot. And many ventured farther than they would have without a bike.

This new freedom caused societal changes; in a small but significant way, it contributed to the women's liberation movement. With bikes, young women more easily evaded the watchful eye of their chaperones. Bloomers, an early version of pants, were invented by a woman for females who wanted to ride a bicycle and still appear to be appropriately dressed.

Still other activities evolved as a result of the "wheel." Ordinary (highwheel) bicyclists irritated horsemen because the bike sometimes spooked the horses. Retaliation by horsemen involved sticking their riding crop in the spokes of the bicycle's front wheel causing the cyclist to catapult off the bike onto his head. This maneuver was called "taking a header" and injured or killed many early cyclists.

Poor roads were also a hazard to cyclists. Muddy rutted wagon lanes often made falling unavoidable. Logically, bicyclists began to organize for their own protection. Riding clubs formed throughout the Midwest and the East. Ultimately, a national organization, the League of American Wheelmen [editor's note: now the League of American Bicyclists], was formed. Its goals were to teach people how to ride and to improve road conditions. The League's Good Roads Movement resulted in the paving of many roads out East. In Wisconsin, however, we can credit the dairy industry with our fine paved country roads.

With all this interest in cycling, it was just a matter of time before bicycle design became more cyclist-friendly. That day arrived in 1885 when the Safety bicycle was introduced by its inventor, James Stanley. Featuring a rear-driven chain transmission and two wheels of approximately the same size, the Safety is the direct predecessor to today's mainstream models.

According to Nick Sanders in his book, Bicycle: The Image and the Dream, "By 1900, the bicycle had nearly reached perfection and was much the same as it is today." Oh, yes, and that seat that you all find so comfortable -- there have been many attempts over the last hundred plus years to improve it. But alas, even space-age materials can't improve some things.

Baileys Harbor works toward bike plan

2010-07-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Kevin Luecke, the Bike Fed's lead planner, has been working with towns in scenic Door County to develop bike plans. Bicycling is on the rise in this area, with hotel owner Bryan Nelson observing in the Door County Advocate, "Ten years ago I might have seen a couple of bike racks on the vehicles in my lots. Now it's about 80 percent. It used to be golfers."

Read the complete article here.

Basic Concepts of Bicycling in Traffic

2010-07-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

This blog entry was originally written by Arthur Ross, the Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Coordinator for the City of Madison and a member of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, for our Wisconsin Bicyclist newsletter. We hope it helps you bike smarter and safer. For similar articles, please check out the Articles and Resources section of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin website.

The most basic concept to keep in mind when learning how to ride a bicycle safely in traffic is that your bicycle is a vehicle. The rules for riding a bicycle in traffic are the same as for driving any other vehicle, like a car. Following these rules of the road is the safest way to ride and your best defense against being involved in a crash.

Here are five essential concepts that will help you bicycle more safely:

Ride on the right side of the road, always in the same direction as other traffic. Riding against traffic is unpredictable, especially to drivers at intersections, driveways or to those exiting parking spaces. Remember that bike lanes go one way only, in the same direction as other traffic on the street.
Ride as far to the right as practicable, not as far right as possible.

Practicable means safe and reasonable.
Mid-block, your lane position depends largely on the width of the lane and your speed with respect to the speed of other traffic. The faster you are traveling (such as downhill) the farther left in the lane you need to be. The narrower the lane, the farther left you need to be to ensure that overtaking motorists will pass you safely. Wisconsin law requires a motorist passing a bicyclist to give at least three feet of clearance when passing.
Stay far enough away from the curb, or from the edge of the road, to avoid hazards such as sand, broken glass and potholes that tend to accumulate there. About three feet is typical. Also ride at least three feet from parked cars to avoid a suddenly opened car door.
When approaching and reaching an intersection, your lane position depends upon your destination. On the right for a right turn, towards the center if going straight, to the left (or in a left turn lane) for a left turn.

Turns are made the same way on a bicycle as they are when driving a car. To change your lane position, or your position within a lane, first look behind you to see if there is any other traffic nearby. Traffic in the lane you want to move into has the right of way. Signal and change lanes/position within a lane when there is a safe opening in traffic. Again, this is the same way you change lanes and turn as when driving a car. A left turn can also be made by riding straight through the intersection, stopping, and walking or riding your bicycle across the street when safe.
Obey all traffic signs and signals. These apply to bicyclists as well as motorists. Be especially alert for yield and stop signs, traffic signals, and one-way streets. Obeying traffic signs and signals is your first defense against crashes, and is the best way to gain respect from other road users.
Ride defensively. Be aware of what is going on around you, both in terms of roadway conditions as well as other traffic. Watch the road for hazards like sand, broken glass, potholes and railroad tracks. Watch side streets, driveways, alleys and parked cars for traffic that may enter the street in front of you or turn across your path. Remember that trees, shrubs, fences, bright sunlight and darkness can make it difficult for you to see and for others to see you. Adapt your riding style to minimize these and other hazards.

At night, use a white headlight and a red rear reflector. Many bicyclists also use a red flashing light on the rear of their bicycles. During the day, wear bright colors to help others see you.

Know and watch for others' mistakes. Some common situations to be alert for include: a motorist coming toward you who turns left in front of you; a motorist passing you then turning right in front of you; a motorist pulling out from a stop sign, driveway or parking space without yielding to you.

Finally, help fight road rage by respecting others' rights. If you, as a bicyclist, want to earn the respect of motorists and pedestrians, then you need to respect their rights as well. Never compromise someone else's safety for your own convenience.

Milwaukee 2010 Bicycle Master Plan Open House is Tomorrow

2010-07-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

For the last two years, the Bike Fed has been working with the City of Milwaukee on a bicycle plan that will more than double the miles in the city's bicycle network and otherwise make it easier for Milwaukeeans to pedal about town. Tomorrow, you'll have the opportunity to learn the details of the plan and make written comments at an open house at the Zeidler Municipal Building.

What: Milwaukee by Bike 2010 Bicycle Master Plan Open House

When: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 4-7 p.m.

Where: 1st Floor Conference Room, Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway, Milwaukee

Who: Anyone who uses Milwaukee's streets or bike paths

More info: www.milwaukeeplan.bfw.org

We hope to see you there! If you aren't able to make the meeting, you are welcome to read the plan at www.milwaukeeplan.bfw.org and submit comments via email or postal mail:

How To Use Hand Signals Safely while Cycling in Traffic

2010-07-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ran across this video on REI's YouTube channel today. Nice, simple and quick introduction to using hand signals on the bike.

And don't think hand signals are just for roads. They are great for preventing collisions on bike paths, too.

Help kids with disabilities lose their training wheels

2010-07-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

We got this email from the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society (MADSS) today and thought some of you might be interested in volunteering. It sounds like a really fun opportunity:

Each summer the Madison Area Down Syndrome Society (MADSS) bring the Lose the Training Wheels Bike Camp to our area to help children with different disabilities learn to ride on two wheels. In addition to helping provide children with disabilities another way to stay physically fit and to socially engage with their peers, learning to ride on two wheels often inspires new found confidence and independence in program participants. ...

We are once again seeking more than 80 physically fit volunteers to serve as "spotters" and in other capacities during the week of July 12-16th. ... We are also still seeking sponsors and donors for this event.

Lose the Training Wheels is a national program that boasts an 85% success rate in getting kids confidently riding without training wheels. Interested in helping out? Check out MADSS Bike Camp page.

If you're not in the Madison area, but would like to see the program brought to your part of the state, check out their camp schedule page and read the second paragraph from the top for more information.

Milwaukee hosted a Lose the Training Wheels camp in June. Contact the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin if you'd like to be involved with next year's camp.

Thanks for a great Tour de Fat!

2010-07-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time at Milwaukee's first-ever Tour de Fat on Saturday, July 3, raising more than $12,000 for the Bike Fed. Thousands of people gathered to celebrate bicycling. We were impressed by the costumes that people came up with, and thought our executive director's daughter did a great job picking out a sundress for him to wear.

Thanks to the more than 100 volunteers who made the festival happen. You rock! (Want to help out at next year's Tour de Fat? Contact hilary.carroll@bfw.org to put your name in the hat.

Congratulations to Christopher Miller, who won the car-bike exchange contest and got to trade in his 2000 Saturn SL1 for a handbuilt Black Sheep Bikes commuter bicycle.

Our hats also go off to the Bike Fed's own Jake Newborn, who won the slow biking contest. All those years of doing track stands have finally paid off!

Tour de Fat raised about $12,000 to help the Bike Fed continue its work making Milwaukee a better place to bike. The low-impact festival produced 134 pounds of compost, 45 pounds of recycling and three pounds of trash.

If you missed the event or just want to relive its glory, these news stories did a good job of capturing its spirit:

"Tour de Fat" Meets Milwaukee - WUWM
Tour de Fat touted as a $12,000 success - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

We'll be adding pictures to our Web site and Flickr page in the next day or two. Keep your eyes open!

More people making Wisconsin a better place to bike

2010-07-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

We're pretty cranked (excuse the pun) about a deal that several Madison-area bike shops, in partnership with Trek, are offering in July. Williamson Bicycle Works, Machinery Row Bicycles, Budget Bicycle Center, Middleton Cycle, Village Pedaler (Monona) and Trek Stores-Madison will provide complimentary Bike Fed memberships to every non-member who buys a Trek bike in the month of July.

Machinery Row has additionally committed to providing a gift membership to every Wisconsinite who buys any bike there through the end of the year.

Apparently, these folks agree with us that everyone who rides a bike in Wisconsin should be a Bike Fed member. It's a great way to preserve and expand the amazing work that the Bike Fed does – whether it's educating kids about traffic safety through Safe Routes to School, improving roads and trails through partnerships with local governments, or showing workplaces how they can accommodate bicycle commuting. (And I'm not praising the Bike Fed just because I work here. I was on that page earlier in my career, too – just ask my friends.)

If you're affiliated with a business that would like to run a similar promotion, please contact our director of membership and development, Hilary Carroll. In the meantime, we're looking forward to this opportunity to connect with more people in our state and get them involved in making Wisconsin a better place to bicycle.

Valid Bike Shop in the spotlight

2010-06-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Radio Milwaukee recently posted interviews with several mechanics at Valid Bike Shop in Milwaukee to its Unified Milwaukee blog. Valid Bike Shop is a vocational training program run by the Bike Fed in cooperation with the Milwaukee Workforce Investment Board. I loved hearing reporter Adam Carr's interviews with Mechanics of the Year William Weathersby and Brandy Porter and with Giovanni McVicker. Their love of bikes and great senses of humor really shone through.

Click here to read an earlier post about Valid Bike Shop and get a video tour of the space.

Trade your car for a $3,000 commuter bike

2010-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today I received the above photos from New Belgium Brewery of the bike model they are planning to give away in the car-bike trade at Milwaukee's Tour de Fat on Saturday, July 3.

Car-bike trade? Yup, you heard right. One lucky person will get to trade her or his car in for a $3,000 custom-built commuter bicycle from Black Sheep Bikes, complete with waterproof panniers. (Click here for a PDF with more specs.) The car goes to charity and the bike hits the streets. A win-win situation, n'est-ce pas?

If you've been looking to bike more or drive less, the car-bike trade is a great opportunity to put your dreams into action. To enter, just shoot a video of two minutes or less about your desire to make biking your primary transportation mode. Then upload it to the Milwaukee Tour de Fat Facebook page or email zlevis@newbelgium.com.

Here's a video with stories from past car-bike trade participants:

Tour de Fat is a celebration of bicycling and will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Humboldt Park. Folks are encouraged - but not required - to dress in costume. The event is free and for all ages, and everyone is invited whether they know how to ride a bike or not. Beer, food and merchandise will be for sale, with proceeds from beer and merchandise going to the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.

Commuting tips from Susan Schmitz of Downtown Madison Inc.

2010-06-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

During Bike to Work Week in Madison, Downtown Madison Inc. (DMI) and Godfrey & Kahn sponsored a commuter tips luncheon at the Madison Municipal Building. Susan Schmitz, DMI's president, handed out a list of great commuter tips that we'd like to share here. There are a couple of Madison-specific references, but most of the information is applicable no matter where you are in the state. Here goes

It is not hard — it is fun — and you can do it!

The thought of commuting to work via a bicycle can seem like a daunting task. But if you consider the following tips, it will help you work through your fears and make it an enjoyable experience.

SIX TIPS FOR BICYCLE COMMUTING

COMMITMENT:
It is important that you be committed to trying this new way of getting to work and home. The dynamics are different than driving a car.

PATIENCE:
Because bicycling to work is different that driving a car to work, patience is extremely important—change is hard for people and you need to take your time in order to build confidence in what you are doing. Also, you will be sharing the road with other bicyclists and motor vehicles—this takes some getting used to and can be inhibiting. That is why the next tip is important for your confidence and your safety.

GATHER INFORMATION:
Gather any and all information that you can get your hands on before starting. The Bike Fed is the best place to get started. They can help you with your route and provide you with tips about riding and the rules that you must follow (including bike etiquette). Also, you will want to talk to other commuters. Make sure to check out your chosen route on the weekend when you are not in a hurry so you can get used to the stops, lights and crossings—this will help build confidence. Having alternate routes is very helpful.

HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT:
Go to a local bike shop (preferably one near your home or on your bike route) and ask them to help you get ready for commuting. There are many great locally owned bike shops in Madison and they all have trained staff that will ask you the right questions and give you the right answers.

PLAN AHEAD:
Planning ahead is the most important part of bicycle commuting. You need to take time to think about your clothes, shoes, make-up, hair, errands on the way home, etc. This is where talking to other commuters will be helpful. Start with getting the right “pack” for your bike. Think about what you want to keep at work so that you do not have to haul items back and forth every day. This is especially important with shoes and boots because they take up a lot of space and they can be heavy. Also, keep hair products and make-up at work. It takes time to figure out what works best for your lifestyle, but that is where the “patience” comes in.

ENJOY:
This is the best part of all! Once you have everything figured out, you can relax and enjoy your commute! There are bike paths next to both lakes and there is nothing better than the sunrise on Lake Monona and the sunset on Lake Mendota! Remember that you are being good to your mind, body and the environment! It becomes addicting!

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET!

Something fun to remember when biking, there is no bad weather—just bad clothing.

Susan commutes by bike year-round. "Winter riding is so much fun," she says. "You feel like a kid going through the snow."

You can see more pictures from the commuter tips luncheon, including a show-and-tell of cool commuter accessories, on our Flickr page.

Baileys Harbor Begins Planning for Bikes

2010-06-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Town of Baileys Harbor in Door County has partnered with the Bike Fed to complete a comprehensive bicycle plan for the town. I visited Baileys Harbor last week to begin assessing existing conditions in the area and determine what types of bicycle facilities will best fit the Town's needs.

The bicycle plan will focus on making cycling more accessible to residents of Baileys Harbor as well as the thousands of tourists who visit the area every year. The recent economic impact study of bicycling in Wisconsin demonstrated that bicycle tourism is big business in the state. Door County is already one of the top tourist destinations in the state and making the county safer for bicycling and more easily accessible by bicycle has the potential to increase this tourism while also improving conditions for local residents. The adjoining Town of Gibraltar and nearby Village of Egg Harbor have both adopted comprehensive bicycle plans developed by the Bike Fed within the past six months.

A public kickoff meeting for the plan will be held Tuesday, July 20 at 5:30pm at the Baileys Harbor Town Hall. The final plan is expected to be complete late this summer.

cLips of Faith = Super Fun in Madison

2010-06-17T14:18:00.001-07:00

Last night, Madison served as the kick-off city for New Belgium Brewery's cLips of Faith Beer and Film Tour. The event was a fundraiser for the Bike Fed, and we had plenty of enthusiastic volunteers from the Bike Fed and local biking groups, including folks from the ACT Ride and the Bikers Against MS Ride.

The event was the world premiere for 17 short independent films, with the themes of sustainability, bicycling and beer running throughout. Sustainability was also a big theme in the beer garden itself, with several "Compost Offices" collecting the biodegradable beer cups, trays and food scraps for transformation into fertilizer by Wisconsin's Purple Cow Organics.

We're hoping to make this an annual event. In the meantime, you might enjoy Tour de Fat in Milwaukee on July 3, another New Belgium fundraiser for the Bike Fed where one lucky person will trade in their car for a $3,000 custom commuter bike. You want to be that lucky person? Find out how to enter here.

Apply for Safe Routes to School and Bicycle Facilities Funding Now

2010-06-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

On behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin will offer June training sessions covering application processes for Safe Routes to School (July 9, 2010, deadline) and the Transportation Enhancement and Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Programs (August 2, 2010, deadline). These sessions will be held in several locations around the state to help communities and schools better understand the application process, what is required in an application, what makes a good application, and the project selection process.

Location	Date	Time
Fox Cities Area Menasha Public Library 440 First Street Menasha, WI 54952	Tuesday, June 15	1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Greenfield Pavilion 2028 S. 124 St. West Allis, WI 53227	Tuesday, June 22	1:00 - 3:30 p.m
La Crosse County Administration Center 400 N 4th Street, Room B190 La Crosse, WI 54601	Thursday, June 24	2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Madison Madison Public Library - Room 202 201 W Mifflin Street Madison, WI 53703	Friday, June 25	1:00 - 3:30 p.m

If you are interested in attending a training session please reply to Jessica Wineberg Binder with your name and the session you will attend.

You can find more information about Safe Routes to School and the information sessions on the Bike Fed Web site.

Valid Bike Shop: A note from the Bike Fed's Jake Newborn

2010-06-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have been working in the North Division High School location in Milwaukee since fall of 2007. Then, it was me and one youth employee from Riverside University High School. The summer of 2008, the Bike Fed partnered with Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board (MAWIB) in Mayor Tom Barrett's Earn and Learn Program. Nine youth were placed in our site.

Milwaukee Public Schools provided a space in North Division that had served as an old autoshop classroom. It quickly became a bustling workshop for refurbishing bicycles. After a successful summer program, we found out about another program through MAWIB called Futures First Initiative. This program focused on giving at-risk youth job training during the school year as an after-school job opportunity.

We were accepted as a worksite for the Earn and Learn 2009 and will continue operating the shop this summer. Each session, a few of the youth are able to continue with us, so some have been with us for almost two years now. We also receive new placements, which gives previously trained youth the opportunity to teach and work with new trainees.

On Wednesday this week, Valid Bike Shop had an open house to celebrate Bike to Work Week and the end of the semester. William Weathersby and Brandy Porter were named Mechanics of the Year and received a home workstand and a starter mechanic tool kit.

We have more than 200 bikes currently in the shop. Of those, 150 are maintained as a part of the Safe Routes to School program in Milwaukee Public Schools. Many of those will be given to students who complete a bike camp over the summer. I am in the process of receiving another 150 bikes from the Milwaukee Police Department to refurbish over the summer.

We also fix adult bikes for sale to the community at reasonable prices. If you're looking for a new old bike, I have about 10 right now that are ready to go!

Thank you to:

MAWIB Coordinator Mari Hicks
North Division staff and engineers
Milwaukee Recreation Department and Board of Directors
Bike Fed Staff
John Fleckenstein
All of my mechanics!

- Jake Newborn, Bike Fed project coordinator and lead mechanic

National Center for Safe Routes to School announces Wisconsin grant recipients

2010-06-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

The National Center for Safe Routes to School announced today the selection of 34 recipients to receive $1,000 mini-grants for projects designed to encourage safe walking and bicycling to school. The mini-grant activities, many of which are driven by student leadership, will occur during the fall semester of the 2010-2011 school year.

"The innovation and creativity of the mini-grant applications we received are impressive," said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. "The projects addressed a variety of local issues and concerns — truancy, tardiness, environmental effects of vehicle idling, student health, school zone safety — all of which illustrate the diverse approaches communities are taking to create successful walking and bicycling to school programs."

Adams, Monroe and Madison Elementary Schools and the School District (Janesville, Wis.) will begin a walking school bus program with adult chaperones accompanying students along the designated routes to address personal security issues. Students will create the logo for the city's Safe Routes to School program.

The School District of Omro (Omro, Wis.) will build, maintain, communicate, and routinely set up standardized visual reference points along safe routes to school. The district will construct six benches and social tables to be placed at the designated starting points in Omro during the monthly Walk to School group events. The district will improve the Omro Bike Rodeo event and will organize, plan, and implement a bicycle train along the safe routes to school path.

Westview Elementary School (Platteville, Wis.) will lead its third grade students in safe routes to school through its curriculum and walking school buses. Students will see SRTS tied to class lessons in civics and math, by using pedometers and graphing, and in health, by learning about exercise and crosswalk safety. Participation in walking school buses will result in additional special gym activities.

Visit the Safe Routes to School National Partnership for more information on the other winners.

Rollin' to Work With Mayor Cieslewicz in Madison

2010-06-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to WKOW for documenting our morning commute!

Bike to Work Week Extravaganza

2010-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin media seem to be as excited about Bike to Work Week as we are. Check out some of these pieces:

Time to Bike to Work in WI - Public News Service
"Bike-to-Work-Week" in Wisconsin - Pierce County Herald
Editorial: Leave car at home and bike to work, for the health of it - Green Bay Gazzette
Bike to Work Week aims to boost commuters - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Biz Contest Part of "Bike to Work Week" - WHBL 1330 AM, Sheboygan
Could Bicycling Build Community - WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio
Though slightly dampened, ride serves as a state of cycling exercise - Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

Plus, coverage of Ride the Drive, which kicked off Bike to Work Week in Madison. The guy with the bubbles is Brian Conger, our statewide outreach coordinator. And Amanda White, our Madison office director, is in there too:

Bike Fed executive director visits La Crosse

2010-06-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

From Kevin Hardman, Bike Fed executive director:

I was in La Crosse on Thursday and Friday to meet with bicycling allies and find out about work being done in that area of the state, with the goal of learning what can be applied in other parts of Wisconsin. I had an amazing time. On Thursday evening, I rode the trails built by Human Powered Trails. This volunteer organization is one of Wisconsin's leaders in sustainable trail building, full of great people doing great work.

On Friday, I met with Tim Keneipp, president of the Driftless Region Bicycle Coalition. DRBC is a very new organization, but they have accomplished much in their short history. They are coming off of successful Bike to Work Week events in La Crosse and Onalaska. Right now, they're focusing on building a coalition of organizations to support countywide and local Complete Streets legislation to complement what passed at the state last year.

Friday afternoon I went on a bike tour of bicycle facilities with Larry Kirch, director of planning for the City of La Crosse. La Crosse is a bronze-rated city by the League of American Bicyclists and they are working hard to move up the ladder. I saw several trails under construction and a large bicycle bridge.

The Bike Fed is looking forward to partnering more with cycling advocates in La Crosse and throughout the state to improve cycling opportunities at the local level.

Join the Bike Fed at Ride the Drive in Madison on Sunday

2010-06-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Join us for RIDE THE DRIVE!

Ride the Drive is a celebration of Madison’s commitment to healthy, active lifestyles. This community event is an invitation for all citizens to leave their cars behind to experience some of Madison’s most scenic byways a whole new way - by riding, walking, skating, or strolling along some of our city’s most beautiful streets.

SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2010 | 10am - 4pm

Ride the Drive is free, open-to-the-public, and a family event — a whole new way to experience our great city. There are activities planned for all ages! Check them out at Ride the Drive Activities. The route is a 6-mile loop from East Washington Avenue to State Street to North Shore Drive to John Nolen Drive. Get directions or view route map.

Get updates on Ride the Drive Find Ride the Drive on Facebook Follow Ride the Drive on Twitter

West Bend 2010 Bike to Work Day event a success

2010-05-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

From our friends in West Bend:

Cyclists from all over attended West Bend’s annual Bike to Work Day Event this morning. The event was pushed back to May 28th due to poor weather on May 21st. The re-scheduled date did not seem to have an effect on attendance. More than 100 cyclists rode in from as far as Beaver Dam to participate in the morning rally.

“We had a tremendous turn-out this year's event, though we had to move the date due to rain,” said event coordinator Ori-Anna Ramsey. “I spoke with riders from West Bend Mutual, Kettle Moraine YMCA and Gehl Company. Area employers really supported us by encouraging their employees to participate this year.”

The Commuter Raffle was a huge success as well. The event raised enough funds to purchase a pedestrian sign, which is to be installed in the lanes of traffic at the intersection on Decorah Road and the Eisenbahn Trail. “I’m so thankful for those who donated and participated in our raffle this year,” says Ramsey. “We reached our goal thanks to the support of our sponsors and all the dedicated bike commuters from near and far.”

Bike-to-Work Day is an annual event held on the third Friday of May across the United States and Canada promoting bicycles as an option for commuting to work. The event is designed to help commuters network with each other, learn more about the benefits of cycling as a lifestyle and to create awareness of bike commuters in West Bend and surrounding areas.

Be sure to mark your calendar for next year’s annual Bike to Work Day scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2011.

Up-to-date information about West Bend’s Bike-to-Work Day event can be found at
www.bike-to-work.weebly.com.

Bike to the Mallards = $1 donation to the Bike Fed

2010-05-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

Trek Stores of Madison are sponsoring the Trek Store Bike Blind again this year at Madison Mallards games, which is a secured bike parking lot for fans who ride their bikes to the Mallards games this summer. For each fan who rides their bike and parks it in the lot during a game, $1 will be donated to the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Also, you can get $1 off a bleacher ticket when you show your helmet at the ticket office. And they'll even fill your tires!

July 14 will be a special Bike to the Ballpark night. Trek will offer free bike safety checks starting at 6 p.m. and the game starts at 7 p.m.

West Bend Bike to Work Day Rain Date in Effect

2010-05-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

From our friends in West Bend:

Bike-to-Work Day for West Bend has been rescheduled due to rain. The rain date for the event is Friday, May 28th. “It seems Mother Nature has different plans for us today,” says event coordinator Ori-Anna Ramsey. “We’re hoping to get the word out to remind people about the rain date so they can make plans to participate next week instead.”

National Bike-to-Work Day is an annual event held on the third Friday of May across the United States and Canada promoting bicycles as an alternative form of transportation. “Anyone can participate in the event,” says Ramsey. “It doesn’t matter if you work or not, and it doesn’t matter if you currently use your bike to commute.” According to Ramsey, the event is open to veterans to commuting by bike and those who are thinking parking the car and riding their two-wheeler instead. The event is designed to help commuters network with each other, learn more about the benefits of cycling as a lifestyle and to create awareness of bike commuters in West Bend and surrounding areas.

Don’t miss this year’s Bike to Work Day Event on Friday, May 28th. Festivities will be held at Imagine Coffee House located at 705 Village Green Way (under Rivershores YMCA) in West Bend from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Participants should ride their bikes in to receive complimentary coffee, a free goodie bag and snacks. There will also be free tech support, fix-a-flat clinics and of course the ever-popular biker raffle.

Up-to-date information about West Bend’s 2010 Bike-to-Work Day event can be found at www.bike-to-work.weebly.com.

Please also remember to celebrate Wisconsin Bike to Work Week June 6-11. Workplaces can sign up for the Commuter Bike Challenge, which takes place that week, at the Bike Fed Web site.

Bike boxes in Madison

2010-05-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Since Tuesday, Madison has been all abuzz about painted bike boxes that are being installed at a major downtown intersection.

What are bike boxes? The Bike Fed's lead planner, Kevin Luecke, explains them this way:

"A bike box is a street marking at an intersection with a traffic signal that requires motorists to stop a short distance before the crosswalk and encourages cyclists to stop in the area between the cars and the crosswalk. The boxes allow cyclists to use the full lane when waiting at a light rather than lining up in the bike lane, which can create issues with traffic turning right. Bike boxes encourage cyclists to wait for the signal in a highly visible position and also gives them priority when the light turns green. After moving through the intersection, cyclists can then merge back into the bike lane."

You can find the City of Madison news release explaining the bike box project here. Wisconsin State Journal reporter Patricia Simms filed this article and video and Chris Murphy of The Capital Times had this commentary.

Thanks to Jenn Jackson at Downtown Madison Inc. for the photo. Additional pics of the construction process are on our Flickr page.

The Today Show takes the National Commuter Bike Challenge

2010-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

You can take the Wisconsin Commuter Bike Challenge Jun 6-11.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bike racks on buses around Wisconsin

2010-05-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

We've updated information about bike racks around Wisconsin and the new program in Milwaukee on our Web site. We answer:

How many transit systems in Wisconsin allow bikes on buses?
What are the benefits of bike racks on buses?
How do I use the bike rack on my bus?
When did Milwaukee County begin to offer bike racks on buses?
How many people use the Milwaukee bike racks?
How much did it cost for Milwaukee County to purchase and install bike racks on its buses?
How much does it cost Milwaukee County to maintain the bike racks?
How many people need to use the bike racks on Milwaukee buses each year for the program to break even?

Enjoy, and let us know if you have additional questions.

U.S. Transplant Games looking for cycling course volunteers

2010-05-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Madison will host the 2010 U.S. Transplant Games. The U.S. Transplant Games happen every two years and to raise money and awareness for transplant programs across the country by giving living donors and organ recipients a chance to show off their quality of life. The games are expected to attract 8,000 competitors and visitors to Madison. They will feature athletes of all abilities, from those who just want some fun to those who want to crush the competition (the latter go on to represent the United States in the World Summer Transplant Games).

The Games are looking for volunteer course marshals for the 5K Time Trial and 20K Road Race on Sunday, August 1 on a shut down John Nolen Drive. Volunteers should have prior experience marshaling cycling events, must attend one volunteer training in Madison, and will be on or near John Nolen Drive from 8am-2pm the day of the event to help with course management. The Games are looking for people who aren’t timid and are willing to open their mouth to people infringing on the course if need be.

Questions? Contact Jocelyn Vande Velde, education product manager, Saris Cycling Group.

Ride the Drive Volunteer Opportunities Now Available!

2010-05-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

Ride the Drive on June 6 is a community event that invites all citizens to leave their cars behind to experience some of Madison's most scenic byways from a whole new perspective - by riding, walking, skating or strolling. Volunteering for Ride the Drive is a great way to help make this a successful event and have a lot of fun at the same time.

More than 250 volunteers are needed for Ride the Drive. As a volunteer you will receive a really cool Ride the Drive t-shirt, an informational training, snacks and so many smiles, it will make your summer!

Thousands of people will be out enjoying walking, biking, running and rolling in the traffic-free streets. Sign-up to volunteer here.

Contact RidetheDrive@cityofmadison.com" with questions.

Andy Clarke at the Wisconsin Bike Summit

2010-04-30T16:29:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation from Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists:

Wi summit bfc

View more presentations from bikefed.

One constituent's perspective on 2010 Bike Lobby Day

2010-04-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Dana Johnson, Waukesha resident and owner of Open Leaf Excursions, participated in the Bike Fed's 2010 Lobby Day and had this to say about it on her blog:

I had the privilege to be part of the second annual Wisconsin Bike Summit, hosted in Madison by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. This two-day event included speakers from all different facets of the cycling community as well as open-forum brain-storming sessions about safer routes to schools and off-road mountain biking through public and private lands. The second day culminated in an opportunity to lobby at the capitol for bicycling in Wisconsin.

While I can be very opinionated about issues and have been known to write my fair share of government officials, I can’t say that I have ever actively sought their attention on their turf. For that matter, I have never even stepped inside of the capitol building—partied a fair amount in the surrounding neighborhoods in my college days, but never went inside the actual capitol. Wow, what an experience.

All of the bike summit attendees were grouped into their senate districts and then coached on the issues at hand. Appointments were made with each official and then the lobbying began. Because it was the last day of the assembly, most of us did not see our actual representative, but rather spoke with their aides. I was the only person from Waukesha to attend the lobbying portion of the summit and thus was left to my own devices to meet with these officials. I met two very nice aides who were very attentive to my discussion and took thorough notes on the points that I wanted the legislator to hear. Each gave me about a half an hour of time and shared bits and pieces of information about my legislator that would help me when approaching him/her again.

For the first time ever, when dealing with a politician, I felt heard. Maybe it was because I was dealing with an aide who was more of a down-to-earth average schmoe like me, or maybe it was because I was taking the effort to meet with them face to face. Either way, I felt really empowered to have spoken on behalf of the cyclists of Waukesha.

So, what did we talk about? Well, I shared with them some really great information about our fine state of WI. Did you know that WI is the second most bike-friendly state? Did you know that Madison is our most bike-friendly city? Did you know that bicycling in WI provides 13,200 jobs annually and that our state is loaded with nationally and internationally renowned bicycle businesses? Have you ever heard of Cannondale and Trek? Those are only two of ten major bike businesses located on our turf. Have you ever participated in an organized group ride? Did you know that each of those riders contribute $64-$87 per day to our economy?

Don’t even get me started on the health benefits of riding a bike. If just 20% of urban short car trips (5 miles or less) were replaced in the cities of Milwaukee and Madison, we would save $85 million in health care costs associated with poor air quality. If in those same two cities, every resident got their required exercise, a savings of over $319 million would be found in health care costs. All of these savings and just imagine how much happier and healthier everyone would be.

As an avid cyclist who owns a company that promotes outdoor excursions, I can’t help but get fired up about making our streets more bicycle-friendly. Let’s face it, biking is fun. Who doesn’t smile when hopping on a bike with a flower basket on the front or when riding a bike down a hill? It is SO important that we SHOW our children how to incorporate physical activities into their daily lives. This up and coming generation is in big trouble. Childhood diabetes is growing at an astronomical rate. The military is worried there won’t be enough qualified recruits in upcoming years because the physical abilities of our children are too poor to pass their standard requirements. It’s being projected that this next generation will be the first to not out-live the average age of their parents.

Come on parents, let’s do something about this. Let’s all make a point this weekend to dust off the family bikes (or go out and buy some bikes) and go for a family ride. You don’t have to do Tour De France distances or intensities, just get in the saddle and ride for 30 minutes. If you haven’t done it in a while, I promise you the goofy grin will be hard to wipe off your family’s face when you’re done. And if your butt is really sore from hitting all of the pot holes on our unfixed streets, then take a trip to Madison and see your legislator.

The Bike Fed is a radio star

2010-04-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Amanda White, director of the Bike Fed's Madison office, was on WORT 89.9 FM in Madison today to speak with Stacy Harbaugh, host of A Public Affair on Tuesdays. They spoke about the Wisconsin Bike Summit coming up tomorrow and steps we can take in Wisconsin to make it easier for people to bike. You can listen to the interview here. It starts about 5 minutes into the program, after some non-bike related news and opinion.

German television features Madison bike trip

2010-04-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Westdeutscher Rundfunk, a television network in western Germany, recently featured a news segment on a group of Madison civic and business leaders who have been touring Muenster, Germany, to learn how the city makes it so easy for residents to get around by bike. (35% of Muenster residents commute by bike.)

You can read a partial translation of the news segment at 20 by 2020, the delegation's Web site.

Muenster, Germany: Bicycling paradise

2010-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

The Bike Fed's executive director, Kevin Hardman, is visiting some of Europe's best biking cities with Dane County business and government leaders. Here are some of his photos of bicycles and bicycle infrastructure in the city.

The goal of the trip is to learn from these cities so that Madison can raise the number of people who use bicycles and other alternative transportation means - 20% of the population by 2020. You can find out more about the trip here.

Participants in the trip will be speaking at the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin's Annual Bicycle Summit on April 21 at the Madison Concourse Hotel, 1 West Dayton Street.

Volunteer at the Wheel & Sprocket Expo

2009-03-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend,

Would you like to make Wisconsin the best place in the world to bike? Volunteer at the Wheel & Sprocket Expo, and help us spread the word about the great things happening at the Bike Fed!

What: Have FUN reaching out to the 10,000+ bicyclists at the expo as a Bike Fed Ambassador
When: Any time that is convenient for you. Each shift is about 3hrs, and the Expo hours are: Thur. April 2nd (4-9pm), Fri. April 3rd (4-9pm), Sat. April 4th (9am-6pm), Sun. April 5th (10am-5pm). Let me know when you're available to help.
Where: The Wheel & Sprocket Expo, held at the Milwaukee State Fair grounds, Exposition Center (Hall B) Corner of Greenfield Ave. & 84th St.
How: Contact me, Brian Conger: ph: 262.483.7204, email: Brian.Conger@bfw.org. Shifts are filling up fast, so sign up today!

What's in it for you?
At the Bike Fed we value all of the support you give. All Bike Fed Ambassadors will receive a complimentary Bike Fed t-shirt, a coupon for $10 off purchases at the expo, as well as the opportunity to be a part of the Bike Fed's success at the Expo! While no gift can ever match the value of your support, these gifts are a small token of our gratitude.

Want to help, but can't make it to the Expo?
Contact me, brian.conger@bfw.org, to learn about other ways that you can help the Bike Fed.

There is strength in numbers, and as a volunteer you will be directly helping us in our efforts to make Wisconsin the Best Place in the World to Bike!

Can't wait to see you at the Expo,
Brian

Getting DNR Support for your Local Trail Project

2009-01-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

You've got the perfect idea for a bike trail in your local community, but what do you do to make it happen? Oftentimes the biggest hurdles you face are getting money for your project. Lucky for you the Wisconsin DNR offers grant programs that can help you turn your dream trail into reality.

Below are some tips that I recieved from Lynda Fink who has experience developing trails in Southeastern WI.

1) Contact your local DNR grant coordinator and request a copy of the Stewardship Book. This has detailed information on all of the different programs that are available. In addition, it has the ranking sheet, so individually communities can evaluate how their project will rank (e.g. if you use recycled product +1 point, if you located near water, + 1point, etc.)

2) For the WisDNR grants, encourage your community to contact your local DNR grant coordinator. They are part of the decision-making process, so if they are on-board with your project, you will get it. They also can provide tips to make your application stronger.

3) For WisDNR grants, projects that incorporate water activities have a much higher chance than others.

4) For anyone in the SE region, the CMAQ grants do provide a better chance since it is a smaller number of people. HOWEVER, with the current changes to the program, trail projects must demonstrate a reduction in vehicular traffic vs. in the past, the recreational component could still get a grant.

5) Possibly look into attending a conference or joining the Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association. The majority of Wisconsin Communities (greater than 5,000 in population) belong to this organization. Smaller communities do also belong. Great networking opportunity and also has speaking opportunities.

6) Contact the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin! We have experience developing trails and can help you through the process.

While developing a local trail is definetely a high-endurance endeavor, those that stick it out from start to finish enjoy the satisfaction of seeing their dream come to life in their community. Many hands make the work lighter, and your project will have a higher rate of success if you are able to develop a broad base of local support.

The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is here to help you in your local advocacy efforts. Please contact me for help!

2008-11-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

"We go from shock to trance. You know, oil prices go up, gas prices at the pump go up, everybody goes into a flurry of activity. And then the prices go back down and suddenly we act like it's not important...And, as a consequence, we never make any progress. It's part of the addiction, all right. That has to be broken. Now is the time to break it."-- Barack Obama, President-Elect

Now's your chance to tell President-Elect Obama and the incoming administration what you think should be done to improve our country's transportation system. Visit http://www.itoldthepresident.org/ to submit your comments!

In addition, be sure to sign the Rails to Trails' petition to Obama. As the petitions states: "Add your name to this petition to President-elect Obama and key congressional leaders. Within days of President-elect Obama taking office, Congress will likely pass a new large-scale economic recovery package, aiming to create millions of jobs. A significant percentage of this package may be allocated specifically to transportation infrastructure. This presents both a threat and an opportunity.

"The threat: Unless we speak up, these transportation funds will go overwhelmingly to road projects -- the same unbalanced strategy that has created our existing transportation problems."

The opportunity: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, in partnership with Thunderhead Alliance and America Bikes, has collected a list of hundreds of ready-to-go active transportation projects from communities across the country. These projects would create new jobs and revitalize communities by funding trails, bike lanes, sidewalks and other infrastructure."This would meet the ultimate goal of the recovery package: creating immediate jobs. Additionally, such an investment strategy would provide both immediate economic benefits and lasting positive change."

The long-term benefits are many: promoting local businesses along active transportation corridors; reducing health care costs; and curbing climate change emissions and oil dependency. These projects would also establish the principle that active transportation infrastructure is a wise, efficient and desirable public investment."

Visit http://support.railstotrails.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Economic_Recovery_to_BP to sign the petition and make your voice heard.

Bicycle Federation Launches New Advocacy Initiative

2008-10-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Madison, WI; The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin (BFW) today announced a new advocacy initiative, aimed at making Wisconsin the most bicycle friendly state in America. Jack Hirt, Executive Director of the organization, said the BFW will unite cyclists in a statewide network to push for bike-friendly legislation at the state, regional and local levels.

"This is the time for Wisconsin to improve the safety of cyclists from Kenosha to Superior," Hirt said. He emphasized that increased bicycling will address major problems like gas prices, global warming and health concerns. "To increase bicycling we need to increase safety," Hirt explained. To do that, he said bike-friendly laws and law enforcement and safer places to bike are imperative.

The central focus of the BFW’s initiative is appointment of a statewide advocacy manager, who will develop a network of organized, informed and supported advocates throughout Wisconsin. Hirt explained that this network will provide grass-roots support for the BFW’s state legislative agenda. "And, in turn, the BFW will provide expertise and connections to support the regional and local bicycling advocates across the state," he said.

Hirt said his work as Executive Director of the BFW for the past two years has convinced him this is the time for cyclists in Wisconsin to join together to promote safe cycling for everybody – from people who bike to work to students riding to school and from mountain bikers to bike racers. Hirt said he is personally devoted to uniting cyclists and amplifying the voice of bicyclists in Wisconsin.

"I want to lead the charge," Hirt said. To do that, he has worked with the BFW’s Board of Directors to create the statewide advocacy manager position. At its inception, it will be a part-time position, directed at developing and expanding the advocacy network. Hirt has also requested assignment to that position. He explained, "I want to focus my work for the BFW on this major goal, and to do that, I will be moving from Executive Director to this new role."

Chick Veenstra, chair of the BFW’s Board of Directors, said Hirt has a proven record of success with the BFW. "We are confident Jack is the right person to take charge of this new initiative," Veenstra explained. According to Veenstra, Hirt is doing an outstanding job as Executive Director, and the BFW Board agreed with Hirt that it would be impossible to continue that level of work while taking on the added statewide advocacy networking responsibilities. Veenstra said the Board will launch a search for a new Executive Director, and until that position is filled, Hirt will continue to serve as Executive Director.

Veenstra pointed to the success of the BFW’s recent fund-raising event, the Saris Gala held in Madison at the Saris factory, as an example of how far the organization has come under Hirt’s direction during the past two years. The event has grown from producing revenue of $30,000 in 2006 to $60,000 in 2007 and $100,000 this year. It is now one of the largest fund-raising events by a bicycle organization.

As Hirt noted, the Saris Gala shows not only financial support for the BFW but also support for bicycle advocacy in Wisconsin. "Bicyclists have supported the BFW thru things like the Gala," Hirt said, "and the BFW will support bicyclists by increasing its grassroots advocacy work across the state."

Hirt and Veenstra noted that Wisconsin was recently named the second most bicycle friendly state in America by the League of American Bicyclists. The immediate goal of the BFW advocacy program, Hirt explained, will be to make Wisconsin the most bike friendly state. "By bringing cyclists across the state together in an organized advocacy effort, I am certain we can achieve that goal," Hirt said.

The Velorution Rolls Out at Ripon College

2008-10-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Ripon, WI; I hereby pledge to do my part to ease traffic congestion, limit fuel consumption and reduce pollution by not keeping a car or other motorized vehicle at Ripon College during the entirety of my first year, from August 23, 2008 through May 13, 2009. In exchange for this pledge, I accept the bicycle given to me by the College and will use it as my sole means of wheeled transportation on campus and within the Ripon community.

When Ripon College faced the challenge of limited campus parking, President David Joyce took an innovative approach to solving the problem; he started a Velorution. The Velorution, a bike incentive program, gives a free bike, helmet, lock and lights to any incoming freshmen that pledges to go car-free for their time on campus.

“For students, it’s a lifestyle choice. For Ripon College, it’s choosing sustainability over ease and convenience,” explains Joyce. As president of the college and an avid cyclist himself, Joyce was adamant against paving over any more greenspace on campus to make room for parking. For Joyce, offering free bikes seemed like a great way to both lure students off of their car dependence, and get them to experience first-hand the simple convenience of the bicycle.

“We obviously live in a car culture. That’s not about to change,” explains Joyce. “But if a significant number of students learn that a car isn’t a necessity at this stage of their lives, that’s good enough for us.” Joyce has already worked to encourage bicycling at Ripon College by introducing a varsity mountain biking team. The team coach, Ric Damm, worked closely with Joyce to set up the logistics of the program.

“We’re basically turning the tables on our car culture and trying to make a bike culture,” Damm explains when describing the purpose behind the Velorution program. In addition to giving away bikes, the college is working to make driving on campus less convenient. Major road projects are currently underway to transform two of the streets on campus into bicycle and pedestrian pathways.

In Ripon College’s case, what is good for the environment and student health is also good for the budget. “The entire cost of administering this program to date is roughly equal to the cost of three parking spaces in a multi-level garage,” explains Cody Pinksten from the Ripon staff, reflecting on the $50,000 that went into buying the bikes and setting up the program.

The program is good for the student’s budget as well. “I don’t want to waste money on gas for a car,” explained one student as he picked up his new bike. Nearly 60 percent of the three hundred incoming freshmen signed up to go car-free and get a bike. As they filed in to pick up their new bikes there was a buzz of excitement. “We’re getting free bikes for not bringing cars,” explained Nic Schaalma. “It’s pretty sweet!” While most students were excited about getting a bike, many were just as eager to use their bike to get fit and help the environment. “It’s just a way to do my part to help the environment,” explains Matt Maginns, a freshman who signed the pledge to go car-free.

Spreading the Velorution
Releasing 160 students on bicycles has obvious implications for the wider community of Ripon, and the program has already gotten community leaders talking about the need to accommodate the increase of bicyclists—outside of campus. “The Ripon City Council has been discussing the need to purchase bike racks,” explains Damm, who has seen many of the new students out on their bikes in the community.

“We really need to get a bike shop downtown,” describes Damm, expressing what he feels is a major obstacle to bicycling in the community. “We gave away these bikes, but a lot of students don’t know how to tune them up.” While getting a local bike shop and improving bike parking are great steps forward, ultimately what is needed is a comprehensive bike plan.

“Just like a land use or comprehensive plan, a bicycle plan serves as a guide to making a community a bicycle friendly place as the community undergoes new development or re-development and reconstruction,” explains Jack Hirt, Executive Director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Eager to spread the Velorution to the wider community, Damm has been taking time out of his busy schedule to attend city meetings and advocate for improved bicycling infrastructure.

“At some point you have to hang your hat on something,” says Damm, when asked about the future of the free-bike program. Already the Velorution program is scheduled to continue next year. Starting a revolution is never easy work, but with over 160 students out in the community on new bikes, the Velorution is already in high gear.

Trek Stop: A Prototype 24-Hour Convenience Station for Bicyclists

2008-10-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Madison, WI: Located just off of the busy John Nolan bike path in Madison, the Trek Stop has gotten a lot of business, and—perhaps more importantly—it has turned a lot of heads. “I think it’s a great idea,” says a woman filling up her tires, here visiting from New York. “When can I get one in my neighborhood?”

Launched in July outside Machinery Row Bicycles in Madison, the Trek Stop is a convenience station for bicycles, and it has all the bells and whistles! Serving as a bicyclists’ vending machine, Trek Stop is stocked with everything a biker could need. Tubes, lube, energy bars, drinks, BFW maps, Ride Guides, and other cycling accessories— available at any time of day.

What sets the Trek Stop apart from any other vending machine is its free extra features. The bicycle convenience station is fully equipped with a covered and lighted bicycle work stand, air hoses for filling tires, video tutorials demonstrating bike repair basics, bike maps, and other bicycling resources.

“Auto drivers have lots of places to get fast service for their cars,” describes Rebecca Anderson, the advocacy director of Trek’s “1 World 2 Wheels” campaign. “The idea behind Trek Stop is to provide some of these same conveniences to bikers” The 24-hour vending machine expands customer access to high demand products, making it easier for bikers to get the things that they need, when they need it.

“It’s not about making a profit, but about building an infrastructure for bicyclists,” explains Michael Hammond, the design engineer behind Trek Stop. The machine is the culmination of a brainstorming session and a research study aimed at making bicycling easier for commuters and recreational riders.

The Trek Stop in Madison is currently only a prototype machine, but Hammond sees potential in the concept. “I envision Trek Stops being located at state trail heads and in urbanized areas along heavily traveled bike paths,” he describes. The Trek Stop can serve as a convenience station for mountain biking trailheads as well he says, explaining that it would be easy to “cater the product inventory to different rider groups.”

“We’ve got a lot of user feedback, and now it’s time to take a look at what we really need,” says Hammond, reporting on the prototype’s initial debut. He would like to see future Trek Stops made into environmentally friendly, low maintenance, cost-effective, and user friendly machines. “Now it’s about getting down the cost” so interested purchasers can afford it, he contends.

The Trek Stop will stay at Machinery Row Bicycles in Madison through “Trek World,” an annual Trek dealer’s convention in mid-August. Given the receptive public response in the local cycling community, many local cyclists hope that the bike-friendly prototype will become a permanent addition to the Madison community!
To find out more about Trek Stop and how long it will be in Madison contact Mike Hammond at mike_hammond@trekbikes.com .

Blufflands Trail System Expansion: Single Track Bliss Minutes from Downtown

2008-10-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

LA CROSSE, WI - “What surrounds the community of La Crosse is a regional treasure,” explains Steve Carlyon, the Parks & Recreation Director of La Crosse. “In ten years, the vision would be to build connectivity between the Blufflands Trail System and the surrounding area so that you could go on a three to four day bike trip,” Carlyon describes. The Bluffland Trail System is a shared commitment between the City of La Crosse, the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, the Hixon Forest Nature Center, and Human Powered Trails, Inc. a non-profit organization that builds and maintains shared-use trails.

Human Powered Trails has already developed twelve miles of beautiful shared use trails, and has the potential to build many more miles of trail on the over 3,000 acres of bluff land awarded to the organization for trail development by the city of La Crosse. “They believe in what they’re doing, and they do it for the right reasons,” praises Carlyon. “They’re not just tearing up the land to build a bike trail; they know what they are doing and they are doing it well.”

But what sets the Bluffland Trail System apart from other trails in the state?

“The landscape and bluffs around La Crosse is very different than other trail areas in the Midwest,” explains Dan Luebke, the President of Human Powered Trails. “The trails here are like riding in the mountains without having to drive so far to get there,” he describes. “They have a little bit of everything including double-track fields to fast single track to super slow and technical downhills and climbs.”

Luebke has plenty to be excited about, and so do all Wisconsin bikers. Most recently Human Powered Trails has raised $40,000 in grant money to purchase a Ditch Witch, a machine used for trail building. This purchase will allow volunteers to build miles of trails in the coming years, and it is a big step forward for Human Powered Trails.

“We’ve always been a loose conglomeration of workers, but as we have developed we have built a stronger organization,” reflects Mike ‘Frenchy’ Charron, Vice President and long-time member of Human Powered Trails. He credits the strong commitment of volunteers for the organizations success. He recites the organization’s well known mantra, “If you used the trails today, thank a volunteer! If you want to use the trails tomorrow, become a volunteer!”

Human Powered Trails hosts a wide variety of activities. You can get involved with weekday and weekend trail building, MTB Time Trials, cookouts, Intro MTB Rides, Ladies Rides, Group Rides, and Trail Running. This year, Human Powered Trails will be hosting the 2008 Blufflands Epic Enduro Race on August 16 in conjunction with the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS).

La Crosse is already a widely-recognized destination for outdoor recreation and Human Powered Trails is working hard to put the area on the map for its extensive off-road trail system.

For more information on Human Powered Trails, Inc. and the Blufflands Trails System, visit their website at www.humanpoweredtrails.com