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The 15 Best Arguments for Bike Boosters: Part Three

From StreetsBlog.org

By Kiran Herbert and Martina Haggerty

People for Bikes recently developed a a 15-point fact sheet to help counteract misconceptions that often arise when advocating for change, as well as to promote strategies we know work. Here’s the third installment.

11. E-bike subsidies work

While the federal government currently offers a federal tax credit for electric cars of up to $7,500, nothing similar exists for people buying an electric bike. With a lack of federal initiative, more and more states, counties, and cities across the country are taking matters into their own hands, creating e-bike incentive programs that are as varied in substance as they are geographically. While many programs are relatively new, the data is compelling.

Launched in the spring of 2022, Denver’s incredibly popular e-bike incentive program has led to some notable results, including $1 million in cumulative annual savings for the city. Researchers also calculated that the program avoided considerable amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, with some 71 percent of survey respondents claiming to use their gas-powered vehicles less often (those surveyed rode their e-bikes an average of 26 miles per week, replacing 3.4 round trip vehicle trips). Importantly, 29 percent of Denver e-bike redeemers who completed the program survey indicated they were also new to riding.

12. Shared micromobility is a good investment for cities

Bike and scooter share, known collectively as shared micromobility, is a good investment for cities. When shared micromobility is done equitably, it can help alleviate transportation insecurity and lead to better public health, environmental, and economic outcomes. Unfortunately, not nearly enough municipalities treat shared micromobility as an integral part of their transit landscape or fund it accordingly. That’s a huge miss.

A 2021 study found that bike share systems are a boon for public health, saving the U.S. healthcare system more than $36 million a year on average. Another research paper from that same year looked at New York’s Citi Bike and found that the system — the largest in the U.S. — is a net win for the climate. In Britain, a more recent study found that if one-fifth of car trips were taken by shared electric bikes or scooters, the result would be a more than $1.2 billion boost to the economy.

Photo by Mark Stosberg on Unsplash

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Training For The Biggest Gravel Race In The World!

Unbound is considered the unofficial world championships of gravel and Conor has signed himself up for this year’s race! Now three years retired from pro racing, it’s going to be quite a challenge, but with serious motivation and serious training, he’s ready for this brutal race. With the help of Oli Beckingsale and TrainingPeaks, here’s his journey to the start line…

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10 best Apple Watch biking features to try on your next ride

From TomsGuide.com

By Kate Kozuch

Our favorite Apple Watch tips for cyclists of all levels

Whether you’re a casual biker or well-seasoned cyclist, the Apple Watch is a useful device filled with all sorts of biking features. From frictionless ways to launch workouts to potentially life-saving safety tools, there are lots of ways the Apple Watch can improve your cycling experience.

With bike riding part of my regular cardio routine, I’ve discovered quite a few biking features built into the Apple Watch. Some might seem pretty obvious, but others are definitely lesser-known. There are also some excellent third-party Apple Watch apps dedicated to biking that can further enhance your rides.

If this sounds like tips you’ve been looking for, check out the best Apple Watch biking features below. All apply to the Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Series 8and the Apple Watch Ultra, as well as any Apple Watch device with watchOS 9 installed.

Say you’ve started your bike ride, but forgot to launch a cycling workout to track your activity and close your Apple Watch rings. Attempting to launch the workout while you’re already moving can be difficult, not to mention dangerous. While you can try to trigger Siri and ask the voice assistant to start your workout, it might be better to let your Apple Watch pick up on the fact that you’re riding. Here’s how to set it up:

Image Courtesy of Apple

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Gravel cycling rocks. Here are 11 spots around L.A. that get you biking freely in nature.

From LATimes.com

BY BRIAN E. CLARK

It isn’t always easy riding a bike around L.A. Streets weren’t designed with cyclists’ safety in mind and mountain biking trails can be intimidating for those not used to steep inclines.

That’s part of the reason why more people are heading to the dirt. They’re embracing gravel riding — sometimes known as grinding — which is something of a cross between road riding and mountain biking that takes place on unpaved roads and trails.

“When I first got a mountain bike, I crashed so much on the trails,” recalled Isabel King, who took up gravel riding during the pandemic and is now a gravel racer in L.A. “A gravel bike ride is a great compromise where you can travel at a slower speed but still get a good workout. You are away from cars and can ride many of the roads you’d do on a trail run.”

The activity has been around since the invention of bicycles, which date to the early 1800s when hardly any roads were paved, but its popularity has grown significantly in the last decade. In Southern California, there are thousands of miles of fire roads suitable for pedaling.

 

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How To Achieve The Perfect Climbing Position On The Bik

Climbing can be a daunting task for many of us cyclists, but it doesn’t have to be. With the proper knowledge and body positioning, you can conquer any mountain. So, Manon dives into the essential elements of an efficient and powerful climbing position so you can tackle your next hill with ease.

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CicLAvia—South LA presented by Metro June 18

CicLAvia—South LA

On Sunday, June 18, we’re opening up streets in South Los Angeles so you can jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate, and enjoy the route however you want. Our routes are welcoming to people of all ages and abilities!

CicLAvia—South LA is presented by Metro. This event will feature the 3rd annual Juneteenth Celebration and Resource Fair brought to you by Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration & Resource Fair is a free community event that uplifts the impact of Juneteenth and creates a space for redefining what freedom means today. This joyous event includes live performances, food trucks, activities, and access to community and county services. On-site record expungement, mental health services, support with tenant protection and more, will be available. All are welcomed to attend.

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Improvements for the Marvin Braude Beach Trail have reached the finish line

From MalibuTimes.com

By Samantha Bravo

Bicyclists can now safely cruise 22 miles along PCH between Will Rogers and Torrance County beaches

With the Marvin Braude Trail improvements, bicyclists now have 22 miles to ride along Pacific Coast Highway.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, County Public Works, and Beaches and Harbors held a ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, to celebrate the bike trail improvements at Marvin Braude Trail at Will Rogers Beach.

“This is a project years in the making and so many community members have let us know that, and that’s why we’ve been hard at work make this possible,” Horvath said. “Investing in infrastructure is what helps keep people safe, but also to make sure that people can enjoy the beach.”

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail is a 22-mile path that stretches along the Los Angeles County coastline, from Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades to Torrance County Beach in Torrance. The $6.5 million project connects the City of Santa Monica’s dedicated bikeway and pedestrian path through the City of Los Angeles to Will Rogers State Beach.

“The opening of this updated portion is just in time for a busy summer season,” Beaches and Harbor Director Gary Jones said. “The new pedestrian walkway will allow more people to safety travel from Will Rogers to many of our beaches.”

Photo by Andre Frueh on Unsplash

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Maximizing Drivetrain Efficiency & Longevity: Deep Dive With Josh Poertner

Marginal gains expert Josh Poertner joins us for a super nerdy deep dive into everything to do with drivetrains. How chains and lubricants actually work? Which lubes are best to use and when? How do you clean and care for waxed chains? What does the future of bicycle drivetrains look like? We discuss all these questions and much more!

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We tested 9 superbikes to crown our race bike of the year

From CyclingWeekly.com

BY STEFAN ABRAM

The dust has now settled, the bell-lap completed, and after many months of testing and hours of discussion, the results are in for Cycling Weekly’s 2023 Race Bike of the Year award – but we won’t be giving them away quite so quickly.

First, let’s back up to the criteria for entry. Our first stipulation for Race Bike of the Year was that each model must be among the 2023 WorldTour bikes. Vitus, for instance, produces some excellent bikes – and at particularly keen price points – but none of its models met our first criterion.

Second, where a brand produces multiple models that are raced at WorldTour level (Trek has no fewer than three, for example) we’ve chosen the platform we find most notable. This has seen us include the new Giant Propel over the venerable TCR, for example, and the new Cannondale SuperSix over the similarly ‘mature’ SystemSix.

Which brings us neatly on to the topic of bike design, or rather the dichotomy between aero bikes and climbers’ bikes. Over recent years, aero bikes as a category have seen some huge shifts in their remit. The tropes of aero bikes being anchors on the hills and shopping trolleys on anything but the smoothest tarmac are long gone. The latest crop of the best aero bikes have haemorrhaged excess weight and boosted comfort levels – all bikes on test can be built to the UCI weight limit and can fit 28mm tyres as a minimum, some going up to as much as 34mm.

 

Image Courtesy of Cannondale

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Biking in LA hasn’t always been accepting, but these gender-expansive group rides are trying to change that

From LAPublicPress.org

by Amanda Del Cid Lugo

SILVERLAKE — I wasn’t going to make it to the top of this hill, not on this heavy, steel, beach cruiser bike. After riding only about 20 feet I said out loud, “I’m not gonna make it, I’ll just walk it from here.” The group bike ride started to move past me up the hill at Barnsdall Art Park. But then, a gentle voice from behind me: “I got you, I won’t leave you behind,” and someone put a hand on my back and began pushing me up the hill, using their e-bike to lighten the load.

Though the riders of the Trash Panda Cycling – Gender Expansive Ride (GXR), a group of women and gender queer cyclists that ride throughout LA County, had assured me that I would be taken care of if I joined their weekend morning ride, I’d still been apprehensive.

In the more than ten years I’ve owned my baby blue beach cruiser I had never gone more than a mile or two from home. I always rode on the sidewalk. Even for running quick errands, my parent’s preferred I drive because the roads are dangerous for cyclists — and for women.

And standing at the top of the hill at the park I realized my anxieties about my bike, the roads, and slowing down the group had almost kept me from enjoying this beautiful ride.

I had just met the riders of the GXR a few hours earlier but they had my back, literally.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

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