NYC Bike Share Crowdsourcing

Perhaps one of the best parts of the newly announced New York City bike share system is the way they are using crowdsourcing to make it serve the public as best as possible. You can go onto the NYDOT website, and suggest a place you would like to see a bike station, allowing them to then be voted on, creating a bike share program supported by the people who will use it!

New York’s announcement included the specifics of a system with 10,000 bicycles and 600 stations (!)… so start planning your trip to New York to check it out next year.

Designing a system that’s big enough is key to it’s success. If there aren’t enough stations or bikes, it’s not easy enough for people to pick up and drop off bikes. In it’s first year, Capital Bikeshare (in Washington DC) far exceeded the expectations, reaching 1,000,000 rides!

With over 1,100 bicycles at 110 stations, and 18,000 registered users (you don’t need to be registered to use it), it’s currently the largest in the country, soon to be outdone by New York. The Coalition used it as our main form of transportation when we were at the National Bike Summit in March, and it was amazing!

Cannondale Dutchess Bike

We are in awe of this bicycle! The lines, design, mechanics, it’s all mesmerizing!

You can read more details about Wytze van Mansum’s graduate project for Cannondale here.

BTA’s Inspiration Video

Oregon’s version of the Coalition is called the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and they do some amazing work. We think SLO County can have a video as great as this, don’t you? The first thing we’ll need is a cool bike-mounted camera like the one used in this video…

Streetfilms “Beyond the Automobile”

The geniuses at Streetfilms recently had a series entitled “Beyond the Automobile“, where they posted a weekly chapter about proven strategies to reduce traffic and improve safety for all users.

This is their video highlighting bicycles, featuring some key players and great facts. We hope it motivates you to know how this national movement is taking off, and the benefits it provides.

Here in San Luis Obispo County, the Coalition works everyday to promote exactly what you see in this video. Join us!

We Dream About Bikes…

Planet Bike, a company which makes bike lights and accessories, ALSO recognizes the importance of bike advocacy groups throughout the country. Each year, they donate 25% of their profits to advocacy organizations to help make the world better for bicycles, and to encourage more people to try biking.

Planet Bike was born from the heart of cyclists and our goal is to create innovative products that make it easier and safer for people to ride bicycles.

This video from them is inspiring, and sums up the reasons why the Coalition exists:

Making of a Soulcraft Bicycle

Soulcraft, builds top notch custom steel bicycle frames. This short documents Sean’s fabrication methods: an extreme attention to detail and highlighting the craft of hand built bicycles. See how a bike frame is made!

Soulcraft is based in Petaluma, CA. Film by Michael John Evans.

ArtCrank Poster Show

Artcrank Poster show is an annual poster show that takes place once a year at various US cities. Intended as a means to highlight bicycle culture and design, the mission of the show is to bring the spirit of bicycles, and the art form of posters together.

Bicycle Portraits Project

In the process of creating a photographic book which captures South African bicycle commuters and their bikes, the Bicycle Portraits Project created this video to show some of the photos they have taken along the way. As a means to empower the riders in continuing to ride their bikes, and to learn why they ride, the project aims to bring awareness to the bicycle in South Africa.