BikeHacks

The Right Bike

I don't know if readers can remember anything specific from the 7th grade, but as for me, 7th grade brings back one particularly bitter memory.  You see, it was 1984 and Van Halen was on tour.  I wanted to go to their Portland, OR concert (May 2nd, not that I am fixated on it or anything) but the parents thought differently. What could have possibly gone wrong with a 7th grader at a Van Halen concert in the 1980s?

Eddie is a guitar icon, a fashion icon he is not.  Those pants . . . I don't even know what to say.

One thing I was not doing as a 7th grader was contributing much to society.  Reader Theo on the other hand is a 7th grader on a mission.  He sent us the following email:

I’m Theo, a seventh grader and cyclist from Memphis, TN. Recently, I completed initial work on http://therightbike.com, a new crowdsourced bike recommendation system, as part of my project for http://ecybermission.com, an online science fair. I’m trying to get as much usage data as I can, and as such would appreciate to no end even a small mention on your blog. Thanks very much, and please contact me if you have *any* questions!

Holy cow!  While this 7th grader is contributing to the global good, I in my 7th grade year was likely camped out in front of the TV hoping Hot for Teacher would make the MTV daily video list.  I am sometimes, okay, all the time cynical of the state of our world, but Theo gives me hope for a brighter future.

Readers, please help Theo, and his friends Josh and Alex, in their pursuit by offering comments and visiting their site.  Do it for the kids!  After you are done you can then watch old Van Halen videos on YouTube to celebrate =)

What follows is more from Theo . . .  and the bikes at the bottom are the bikes Theo, Josh, and Alex rock.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

eCybermission is an online science and engineering competition with a very specific "goal" for participants (6th to 9th graders across the country): to solve a community problem. My team of three was made up of exactly three avid cyclists, so we knew from the beginning that we wanted to do something in the cycling genre. The benefits of cycling are extreme (just google "benefits of cycling" for enough bedside reading to last a lifetime), but issues are definitely present. Now, it was just a matter of pinpointing the specific issue we wanted to solve...

My hometown, Memphis, is quite a "pro-bike" city, and is currently adding bike lanes as fast as they can be paved. However, just because the lanes are there doesn't mean they'll be used...simply because it's *hard* to get a bicycle in this modern world. My mother likened buying a bicycle to car shopping: with so many choices, it's a nightmare to try to find the right bike. Materials, styles, weights, designs...when you used to be able to go into a store and say "I'd like a bike" and walk out five minutes later, now it can be a months- or even years- long process of frantic Googling, contacting the manufacturers, et cetera: the worst of vicious circles.

All of this drama is alleviated with our tool, "The Right Bike". It uses a community-built and constantly growing database of bicycles to recommend bicycles instantly... and rather than just print a bunch of statistics (like some similar websites), it takes a user's priorities and requirements (e.g., "I care the most about comfort, and am looking for a bike I can use on trails" or "Price is really important, but durability is also a selling point for me") and finds the right bike...for them.

After about a month of design and development (in Python, PHP, and MySQL), we finally published the site to http://therightbike.com. We configured detailed analytics, and are now trying to collect as much data about user experience as possible: the quality of our project depends on the number of people who use our service and give us feedback.

So, The Right Bike: Three seventh graders. Theo, Josh, Alex. Three months: November, December, January. Crowdsourced bike recommendation, tailored to you. Free. All it can do is get better.

Check it out. We'd love to hear what you think.

No Excuses

After spending a lot of time away from Boston traveling in the fall I was greeted by a new road stencil upon my return to commuting by bike, check it out -

It used to be just the bike dude, who is wearing a helmet as far as I can tell, but now we have the "No Excuses" addition.  I'm a fan of wearing a helmet so I did not need the encouragement, but it made me think about road responsibility. After riding over the stencil, I asked myself the question, "If the government is asking cyclists not to make excuses, why is the government not asking motor vehicle operators not to make excuses by painting fancy stencils on the roads that apply to them?" After all, close to 40,000 people per year in the U.S. are killed in motor vehicle accidents.  One web site notes that there were 618 bicycle deaths in the U.S. in 2010, but my guess is that most of those were because of a collision with a motor vehicle. 

Here are some of my suggestions for road stencils, to be accompanied by "No Excuses," for motor vehicle operators.  Readers are encouraged to comment with their own ideas/thoughts.

An order of french fries

A cigarette

A giant mobile phone

A compact disc

A cup of coffee

MiiR Bikes and World Bicycle Relief

Occasionally we get contacted by individuals with something cool to share and Joshua from MiiR Bicycles sent along a great way to ride, and give a ride. 

* * * * * * * * * *

The MiiR team is excited to introduce you to something that has been brewing up in Seattle - other than massive amounts of great coffee! At MiiR, we believe in thinking differently about what we create, how we create it and who it may impact. We started by making stainless steel bottles that help provide others with access to clean water & sanitation training. In meeting these fundamental needs our eyes were opened to the need for transportation. Affordable, reliable mobility is one of the most valuable but unrecognized tools for empowering others to create sustainable change, so in response to this need we’ve launched a buy one give one project for bikes!

Our Bikes

The MiiR Bicycle line is designed for urban riders. We’ve created a bicycle line with three frame styles that are affordable, easy to use and a blast to ride. Our 5 speeds (mixte and diamond frames) feature no-fuss internal geared hubs which make commuting a breeze and our single speed includes a flip flop hub, allowing for fixed gear or single speed riding. Comfortable for casual rides around town and reliable as your everyday commuter, the chromoly frames and forks are designed to fit racks and fenders so you can customize your MiiR bicycle for your style of riding.

Our Buy One, Give One program

The need for simple, sustainable transportation is not confined to any one area of the world. It is a global need requiring a global response, which is why we have partnered with World Bicycle Relief and the Boise Bicycle Project to help provide access to bicycles both internationally and domestically.

Recognizing that charitable gifts can cripple local businesses and weaken developing markets by creating a damaging aid-based economy, we partner with World Bicycle Relief because their model empowers people to grow their local economies. Through study and work to own contracts people are not simply handed a bicycle, they make a commitment that will magnify the impact in their communities. The mobility provided by a WBR bicycle can multiply an individual's efficiency. Compared to walking, bicycles increase carrying capacity and accessible travel distance while decreasing the time it takes to commute to and from schools, clinics and markets, improving access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity. A bicycle is an inexpensive, sustainable form of transportation that can transform communities.

We partner with the Boise Bicycle Project to help provide access to bicycles in the US. The BBP is a community-oriented effort to promote the personal, social, and environmental benefits of bicycling. They believe that everyone should have access to quality bicycles as well as bicycle education, and they offer several programs to make that access attainable. They do awesome work in the community and we are excited to help ensure they continue to do so.

Help make it happen

We need your help to make this project a reality! To jumpstart our first production run we have launched a campaign on Givecraft. For a limited time you can pre-order the MiiR bicycle of your choice at a special pre-sale price, or you can also join the campaign by grabbing a limited edition MiiR bottle, a limited edition poster or a hand woven Liberian bike basket that helps support a blind community in Liberia. Your support and any level will help ensure the MiiR bicycle project gets off to a great start. We hope you will join us in making this project happen!

 

The Future of Bicycles: Grow Your Own?

How cool would it be to point at your bike one day and say that you grew it yourself? I think that would be one of the dopest things ever. Imaginary conversation with Matt sometime in the future . . .

Inquisitive Stranger: “Wow, that’s a cool ride you got there.”

Matt: “Yeah, I remember when my bike was just a little seedling. It really took to the soil in my backyard and went from a cute little shoot, to a strong stalk, to the frame you see today.”

Thanks to a group of students at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), this imaginary conversation might be a reality. The Earth Institute at Columbia University has been looking into developing the bicycle as a sustainable form of transportation in Africa.

The following comes from the Bamboo Bike Project Blog:

Kisumu, they explained, is an area rich in both bamboo and imported Chinese bicycles. Not only are bikes a primary means of personal transportation for many local Kenyans, but Kisumu also lays claim to a massive boda boda taxi industry (boda bodas are essentially bicycle taxis).

Kat, Michelle, Riham, and Young are exploring the possibility of phasing out the heavy metal bikes currently used by boda boda drivers with stronger, locally made bamboo ones. “When we met with the heads of the Boda Boda Association,” Kat explained, “they indicated that bamboo bikes would sell if they were perceived as being stronger and more attractive than what is there now.”

And when local metal bikes register a weight of over 48 pounds (as Kat discovered when she weighed one by the side of the road), it’s easy to communicate the advantages of using a lightweight, well-made bamboo cargo bike. A bamboo bicycle would weigh about half as much, with a tensile strength greater than steel. “There is also great pride to be had in local construction,” Michelle continued, “especially in business ownership by ethnic Kenyans.”

I was actually in Kenya a few years ago and saw some local bike culture myself. Here’s a shot I took in a village:

Here is what I wrote on my personal blog:

I was looking at his bike and he asked me if I had ridden a bike before. I told him I did not drive but rather rode to work every day. He said, “Oh, a motor bike, correct?” I said, “No, a pedal bike.” With a look of skepticism he reached down and grabbed my left calf. He squeezed a few times, stood up and with a big smile said, “I doubted you, but now I believe it.”

In the age of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium . . . perhaps it will be the organic bamboo tree that is the future of the bicycle frame.

BikePortland.org Video Interview

I blew some dust off our WordPress files and discovered this gem that was originally posted on January 30th, 2008 by Brendon.  Listening to the interview again brings back memories of the history of this blog . . . good times.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I tell you what, it’s great to be a cyclist in the Portland area. Jonathan Maus has been running BikePortland.org for several years, and during that time it has become the online hub of Portland area biking community. I had the opportunity to sit down with him in his Portland office and talk about the site. Check out the cool mural on his office wall!

As a bike hack, this interview is a little bit of an abstraction. But I think it points to a larger truth that the Internet has become a place where niche interests can find ready community and organizational power.

In this interview, Jonathan talks about the genesis of BikePortland.org and how it serves the broader biking community in Portland. And he talks about his favorite bike hack at the very end of the interview (if you just can’t wait). Click here to start the video, it’s 9 minutes and 47 seconds long.

Bike Kitchen - Chair Repair

Just when you thought you had seen all of the possible uses for bicycle inner tubes destined for the trash, Jonathan from Belgium writes to us with a great hack.  Not only is the repurposing aspect cool, Jonathan also talks about the "Bike Kitchen" concept which is super duper cool.  Food, beverages, repairs all in one place, now that's what I call community!  Text and photos below credited to Jonathan. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

You can often find me at the Bike Kitchen Ghent (Belgium). For those who don't know the bike kitchen concept, it is a place where people can drop by with a bike that needs some TLC (Tender Love and Care). It is visited by locals of all ages that want to repair their own bike but don't have all the knowledge and/or materials to do it completely by themselves.

All the needed tools are available, accompanied by some basic parts like brake shoes, cables and tube repair kits. On top of the hardware, you can get some help and instructions from experienced bike hackers. Of course we also provide a local brew beer and freshly made dinner. All the material, assistance, food and drinks are provided at 'free contribution', you just pay whatever you want to (or can) pay. Bike Kitchen Ghent is run completely by volunteers.

Usually we're only open on Thusday evenings, but recently we organised an entire weekend where we did a lot of bike-improvement. During that weekend we found a way to recycle old inner tubes that are beyond repair. We started with some antique chairs with a woven materials that we found lying around in disrepair. The old, worn-out seating was removed and replaced by woven inner tubes. It takes around 7 or 8 to repair one chair. When you take care to really tighten the tubes, and knot them together the on the underside, the chairs are  surprisingly comfortable.

The first chair is already finished, next to it we have a broken chair that we'll first need to repair before we turn it into a sparkling new inner-tube-chair. The chairs and tires were destined for the local landfill but have now been recycled into usable objects.

Notice how the girl is sitting on the first inner-tube-chair while she's making the second one.

More cool photos are available via the kitchen Facebook page.

Unstoppables

Had a bad day? Feeling down? Did you find yourself complaining about a stiff headwind or the temperature on your ride?  Sometimes life is about perspective and although everyone's circumstances are different, I think for most people this 3 minute video will prove to be inspirational and might lead to second thoughts before mumbling about particular circumstances. 

 

For the Facebook crowd, the related page can be found here.

Public Bike Tool Stand

For the most part the modern transportation infrastructure is not set up to encourage using a bicycle as form of transit.  While I could limit this statement to the U.S., I think it is safe to say that it applies to the vast majority of countries around the word.  As the expression goes, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while," and assuming cyclists are misguided, I found a nut recently. 

I spotted this public bike tool stand at a bus stop recently in Cambridge, MA.  With a pump and all the common tools needed to make repairs, this could likely get you back on the road if you encountered a problem.  It was so new that concrete dust from drilling it in was still present. 

It reminded me of a bike rike we featured in the past that had a pump built into it -

Picture Credit to http://heklucht.posterous.com/

Have you found a nut?  Let us know so we can post for the benefit of all. 

The Talking Yard - 3 Foot Bike Rule

Reader Jack, who helps run Bike Commuters, saw our recent post on the Bike Safe Noodle and sent along his own hack for letting automobile drives to keep their distance.  Full credit for text and pics below goes to Jack. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

I was just thinking about your "bike safe noodle" article and one of the comments reminded me of my attempt to get motorists aware of Florida's "3 Foot Rule" when it was initially passed.  I used a wooden yardstick with some paint and a bit of clever wordage as such -

#1 - The courteous version

#2 - The militant version

Mountain Biker Vs. Nature

It seems impossible to have a conversation about helmets and cycling without someone quoting scientific data showing they are not effective.  Either that or someone will say their style or ride would not benefit from wearing a helmet.  My theory has always been that you might be the most in control cyclist in the universe, but that does not mean you can control other people, or animals. 

This is some crazy footage of man vs. beast.  Every once in a while I hear stories about collisions with animals but I have never seen one on video.  For those of you that will comment saying this is not a justification for wearing helmets, I am not saying I think wearing a helmet should be the law.  I am saying I choose to wear a helmet 100% of the time when I ride because a friend of mine was spared his life while wearing one and that is enough science for me.  The helmet carnage is at the 1:07 mark.

Ride safe!