The Friday Connection

I was so tired this morning I thought it was Saturday and then I remembered the Friday Connection hadn't been posted yet! Yep, it is Friday! And the beginning of another weekend of great rides.

Interesting fact for the day:

• Americans use their bicycles for less than one percent of all urban trips. Europeans bike in cities a lot more often—in Italy 5 percent of all trips are on bicycle, 30 percent in the Netherlands, and seven out of eight Dutch people over age 15 have a bike.

[Facts taken from:
Bicycle: The History by David Herlihy
The World Almanac Book of Records: Firsts, Feats, Facts & Phenomena by Mark Young]
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/MoreStories/Ten-things-about-bikes 



Today's Friday Connection
getaboutcolumbia.com 


The look of this website is really fun, but the program they are working on is very, very cool. Here is a snippet from their about us page that talks about this cool program.

"In 2006, Columbia was selected as one of four communities in the nation to participate in the Federal Highway Administration's Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot program. Columbia's designation as a pilot city came with $22 million in federal funds over a four-year period to help build infrastructure and establish national standards for public awareness and willingness to use active modes of transportation." The rest of the story here . . .

Free Class

Also, REI is having a Mountain Biking for Women class 7:00-8:30 p.m. on March 24, 2010 at Boise's REI at 8300 W. Emerald Street. There are 80 spots available. Register now at http://www.rei.com/event/2644/session/3179

Have a great weekend! Happy peddling.

Dog Attack

When riding a bike there is one possible scenario that really scares me—colliding with a car, at least that is what I thought until yesterday.

On the greenbelt I have often seen different wildlife. Most recently I saw eight deer and one raccoon along the pathway in the same evening. But there is another animal that must be watched out for—the dog. Yes, the dog. They seem pretty harmless with their waggy tails and smiling doggy faces, tongues hanging out. I mean, what's to fear? The story changes when they are running at you on a bike. In my travels yesterday I encountered two different dog scenarios that I feel are both worth sharing.

The first run-in happened when I was riding a roadway adjacent to a park when a elderly woman was crossing the street with her golden retriever. She had almost gotten to the other side when the dog saw me. And then it was on. The dog started lunging at me barking (still with tennis ball in mouth) and pulling her along; he was clearly walking her, not the other way around. Initially, I thought this might be a harmless encounter, but the apparent horror on her face (and disdain directed at me) indicated that I needed to get out of this situation. I was able to get around them and head to my destination, but it forced me to rethink possible dangers of the road.

The second encounter happened on my way home on the *Greenbelt. I was clipping along and several feet away a family was checking out a new riparian area with their dog—unleashed. When the dog saw me he headed full force for me, much to his hollering owner's chagrin. My fear in this situation wasn't of the dog, but what could happen if the dog got under my tires. Eventually, the bellowing owner won out and the dog turned back. More than likely, the hound was just looking for a running buddy, but it got me looking for advice on how to be prepared when the dog strikes.



TIPS ON DEALING WITH DOGS WHILE ON TWO WHEELS

• A squirt with your water bottle can discourage a charging dog. 

• Throw the dog a bone, or rather, a dog biscuit. (Thanks Dave Redford for this ingenious solution. My favorite by far!)
• Shout! Loudly! This will surprise the dog and could just send him packing with his tail between his legs. 
  
• Zap him with the Dazzer (a device that delivers a high-pitched sound).
• The faster you pedal, the less likely he is to get his chompers in you.
• Pepper spray. It will sting his nose  and eyes and surely stop him in his tracks. (This might be your last resort with Fido.)

And when it comes to wild animals . . .


"Try never to approach wild animals any closer than necessary. Most will move away of their own accord if you don’t startle them. (If you’re traveling in natural areas inhabited by bears or other potentially lethal animals, always follow the advice of locals."
(http://www.coolbiking.com/blog/cycling/cycling-tips/cyclists-and-dogs/)


Hopefully these tips are as useful to you as they were to me. (I think I will be stocking up on dog treats.) I will definitely be paying more attention to our canine friends when I am out riding.

Good luck out there. If you have any wildlife stories you would like to share, leave us a comment or write to us at stpexperiment@gmail.com and we'll share them with our readers. 

Safe riding!


References: 

http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/better/miscellaneous.php

http://www.coolbiking.com/blog/cycling/cycling-tips/cyclists-and-dogs/
http://bicycling.suite101.com/article.cfm/cycling_and_animals
Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips by Dave Glowacz


*The Greenbelt recreational pathway that runs through Boise. Often you'll cyclists, runners, families, and the like spending time on it in warmer months.

The Friday Connection

Happy Friday!

On this Friday Connection we will share links to two local upcoming cycling related events in Boise.

Our first link is to some local bike commuting workshops for women! Yay! If you have ever been interested in commuting, but felt like you needed more information, OR if you are an avid commuter and would like to contribute your two cents, these are the workshops for you. Boise State University (BSU) is putting on the Sixth Community Bicycle Congress Bike Commuting Workshops for Women.

Here is the official solicitation from BSU:

The website has a lot of other great resources on commuting, bike shops, and routes to campus.


Also, I saw a tweet that Boise Bike Week is gearing up. Here is the official link Boise Bike Week. 
And here is the link to their upcoming event calendar http://www.boisebikeweek.org/schedule.html.


Have a great weekend! If you see us out on the road give us a wave.


LINKS

http://boisestate.edu/bicyclecongress/

http://boisebikeweek.org/schedule.html

Paige's Commute Test Run

Paige commutes to work on a Sunday to see what a daily commute would have in store for her. The lesson learned? Anything can happen.

The Friday Connection

There are several bike shops in Boise, but there aren't a bunch that sell Brooks brand items. Upon searching for Proofide for a Brooks Saddle I ran across a small local shop called Hyde Park Cycle Sports.   They are located, not surprisingly, in Hyde Park in Boise. When you walk in the store you immediately get the "mom and pop shop" vibe. Music plays on the radio in back and even though the shop is small it's packed with cool stuff (and several Brooks saddles).

Proofide was my mission and they carry the kit. The owner was working the front counter and easily helped me find what I was looking for. And he asked me if I wanted to be on their mailing list. (I like that he asked.) They send out a monthly newsletter, which is not only smart advertising, but it was the first time I have asked by a bike shop to be on such a list.

On their website they say, "We support your right to be "spandex-free" and ride a bike." They are all about the bicycle rider, which is fun and not intimidating for the average Jane.  Check out their website and if you are tooling around Hyde Park stop in and say hello. 

Another Link . . .
Bamboo bicycles seem to be all the rage these days, but The Bamboo Bike Project works to make bikes with sustainable materials, while helping local communities develop skills.



Links:

http://hydeparkcyclesports.com/

http://bamboobikeproject.wordpress.com/

Tick Tock Bike Clock part two

A couple weeks ago we posted a Friday Connection on how to make clocks from bicycle chainrings. I thought I'd try my hand at crafting this little ticker myself, well two tickers that is.

On our weekly bike ride Michael and I stopped in at the Boise Bicycle Project (BBP) to scavenge for parts. I managed to walk out of the shop with two chainrings for ten bucks. One of the chainrings is from a 1930s model bike (Schwinn?).


With the use of some WD40, steel wool, and some serious elbow grease I was able to get the oldest chainring in tick tock shape. I purchased some fabric and a second clock mechanism at JoAnne Fabric and went to town. A couple changes I made to the original tutorial were using matte Mod Podge as an adhesive (it doesn't show through the fabric), gluing the clock mechanism to keep it from shifting, and hot gluing a bottle cap on the back for an extra hook. I also spray painted one set of the clock hands so they would be easily visible. (I think you could have a lot of fun making the clock arms vibrant, but that might be left for another time.)

This project only took a couple days to complete. One day for gluing/drying and one day to put it all together. All in all, it was pretty fun to make. Next time we'll have to see what other parts we can use to make a cool clock.

Debbie Gets New Wheels!

The Friday Connection

Good Morning, Friends!

It is that time of the week again where we look at fun and interesting bicycling related links.

I have to warn you about this week's link. If you are a cyclist or biking enthusiast you could find yourself becoming addicted to this site. No, really. It is that cool.

Debbie's friend Andrew clued her in to the good deals at BonkTown.com. This site highlights items for sale such as jerseys, bike tubes, sunglasses, shorts (anything bike related) at a largely discounted price. 
The catch? It highlights one sale item at a time for a limited time. There is a quantity countdown display, too. Really, some of the deals they have are unreal. AND all items ship fast. You could get those new gloves you've been needing in two days, without breaking your wallet.


http://www.bonktown.com/

Knog? Frog? Huh?

One of my pet peeves as a motorist is when I'm driving at night and I see biking enthusiasts riding without lights. My irritation is heightened when they are riding on the wrong side of the road.

Really, this stems from my own fear, fear that I could hit someone on a bike because I won't see them, and fear that I could suffer the same fate while on a bike.

I may be a little overzealous in my bike lighting, but my goal is to be seen. I want to make it to STP!




I purchased some microlights from Knog—the Frog, if you will. Visually it is kind of reminiscent of a frog. It's small and could go unnoticed on a bike, depending on the color you get. And, although they are mini, they pack a punch to the dark (see above photo). I bought one a few years ago and gave it away. The latest version is even better. Knog offers a large spectrum of colors to spruce up your ride.


These little chameleons have two light settings—disco-tech flash or the steady Got-You-in-my-Laserbeams bright. They can be purchased with white lights (for the front of you bike) or red (for the back end).





If you are into packaging details at all you will find a little "night owl" on the plastic container. Cute, eh?


PLEASE NOTE: We are not paid for our product reviews. We don't get free products. This is me just raving about something I've found that I like and passing it on. Of course, if you want to send us free stuff, we aren't above reviewing those items . . . but we will tell our readers if we get something free.

Knog Light: $15.00
http://www.knog.com.au/

The Big Day: Registration is on Now!

Today officially kicks off open registration for the Seattle to Portland bike ride and our journey into the cycling world. The STP Experiment is registered and ready to go! If you are interested in registering for STP,  here is a direct link. (It was a little hard to find on their site.)

We are stoked! Wahoo!