09.03.08
Posted in Tales from the Trenches
by Mark Dieterich at 8:58 am
It seems even the Henderson Bridge is more crowded these days and this morning was no exception. As I pedaled across the bridge, cars were backed up well onto the bridge. It felt so great to go flying by them all as they sat in traffic waiting their turn.
As I road past the cars, it occurred to me that I apply a very simple rule… I’ll pass a car on the shoulder if I can leave as much empty space as I would like them to leave for me as they pass, about three feet. As I approached Patterson St, where the road narrows, I stopped passing cars and waited my turn to make a quick jog onto Patterson. My thinking here is based on one of my fundamental principles, treat the cars with the same respect that I would like them to have for me. Believe it or not, it’s quite possible to startle a driver by whizzing by them really close, just as cyclists can become startled when cars pass to close. Startling a driver does little to promote bicycle rights, more than likely it just puts a bad taste in another driver’s mouth.
I’m sure there are plenty of alternate opinions about this very topic, feel free to share them, just be nice 
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09.02.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 11:32 am
In 2000, Gary Coffrin thought he heard opportunity knock. A major electric utility, American Electric Power, was scrapping a multimillion-dollar effort to sell electric-powered vehicles as the future of transportation. Sitting on the clearance rack: fleets of electric bicycles, sleek two-wheelers sporting battery packs.Coffrin, who had worked in the bike industry for decades, bought several hundred at liquidation prices and started a Silicon Valley company, Electric Wheels International, to deal them to retailers. He signed a deal with a major Taiwanese bike builder, hoping the electric bike’s time had arrived.
But when the tech bubble burst, Coffrin’s venture came crashing down. His funders’ equities lost 40 percent of their value in just 12 months. Meanwhile, EWI had an entire warehouse of bikes with batteries charging around the clock to preserve their quality. To cut their losses, EWI’s backers pulled the plug.
Read the rest of this entry »
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08.28.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 9:18 am
Our next monthly advocacy meeting will be held on September 4th @ 6pm. Starting with this meeting, we will congregate at the offices of Red Five Sports Group (269 South Main Street). This new location will provide us with more room to accomodate a growing group. I’d like to thank the Hub for their generousity in hosting us for almost a year now!
On the agenda for this meeting:
- An update on the Henderson Bridge work
- A review of the changes that have been proposed to the bicycle section of the RI Drivers Manual
- A discussion of the Amtrak bike parking issue
- A discussion about the new city bike route signage system - does it function? If not, how can we help the city improve it?
There will be time at the end to raise any additional issues you might have. Hope to see you there!
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08.22.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 9:31 am
| September 24, 2008 |
| 7:00 pm |
Here’s a message from the Friends of India Point Park (FIPP).
For those of you who live in Providence or know the importance to cyclists of this central travel connection, this is an important meeting. Even if you don’t choose to comment, large numbers of bike and pedestrian folks at these meetings sends an important message to the decision makers and elected officials who hold these meeting.
FIPP is planning a meeting at which RIDOT officials will discuss the India Point Park pedestrian bridge and related topics with the community. The date is September 24, Wednesday, at 7PM, at the Sheldon Street Church in Providence. All interested parties are encouraged to attend.
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08.05.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 2:46 pm
| September 13, 2008 |
| 10:00 am |
On September 4th, 2007, Frank Cabral took his last bicycle ride. Frank was struck and killed by a motorist on Route 1 in Charleston RI. He was 41 years yong. He loved life, and truly lived it.
Frank’s memorial will start on September 13th, at 10am at Matunuk Beach School. A beautiful 22.5 mile loop around Route 1. There will be police at all major traffic sites.
Registration fee is $15.00 and includes: T-Shirt, memorial bracelet, bumper sticker, bottled drinks, and a protein bar. All pre-registered riders will be eligible to win a Cannondale Rush (Lefty) XL mountain bike, to take home that day. Please register by August 28th and specify your t-shirt size. Mail your registration to Lori DiBiasio, 90 Sheffield St., Warwick, RI 02886.
Please feel free to call Lori at 401-738-7809 with any questions reguarding the ride.
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