EC Bikes

bike pirates - design ideas for shelving, storage, etc... please share more ideas with us!

2010-04-04T20:33:00.001-07:00

Greasy Fixins Meet n Eat

2010-02-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

As the snow melts and sun gets higher, bikes are slowly thawing out all over Eau Claire. That means it is time to get Greasy Fixins back rolling down in Banbury! Many of you attended a meeting about the project back in September, and there were some really exciting ideas thrown out about the future of Greasy Fixins. In January, we (myself and Zac Barnes) were able to get a group of 4 students from UWEC to work on Greasy Fixins as their project for Scott Lester's Community Leadership class. Here is a brief summary of what they are/will be working on:

1. Community Survey-- look into who's interested, what they want out of Greasy Fixins, will they pay $/donate for services, create calling list to contact for regular events.

2. Improve the Space -- organize, clean out junk, put up bike diagrams/pictures, more shelving, printed manuals?...

3. Fundraising and Advertising -- Earth Day Celebration activities, bike/supply drop offs, contact university/city for abandoned bikes, put together a regular schedule/calendar, get local bike mechanics to help/offer services

4. Business Plan -- Use survey results to develop a plan for the future, possible student organization on campus?

Our goal is to give the student group a chance to sit down and discuss the project with people (you all) who have had some part in the project - to share ideas, get support, and for them to get a better sense of who is involved in Greasy Fixins (since I'm still pretty new to the project). It would be awesome if you could come meet with them and share your bike wisdom and support!

We will be meeting on campus in the Human Sciences and Services building (on Water St.)
Friday, March 5th from 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 227 As usual, bring something to share for lunch if you can! And please spread the word to others that are involved that you don't see on this email list!! Thanks so much and I hope to see you next Friday! Any questions ask myself or Zac Barnes.

Happy Biking!

Sam

--
Samantha Phillipps
Americorps*VISTA
UWEC Center for Service-Learning
Human Sciences and Services 227
(715)-836-3988
phillis@uwec.edu

Bicycling Contributes nearly $1.5 billion to Wisconsin's Economy every year.

2010-02-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

http://volumeone.org/blogs/The_Daily_Shakedown/post/1468/Bicycling_adds_about_1_5_billion_to_the_Wis_economy_per_year.html

http://www.bfw.org/education/index.php?category_id=4746

good discussion hosted at volumeone link above...

An Electric Boost for Bicyclists

2010-02-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

good or bad?! talk amongst yourselves... or comment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/business/global/01ebike.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/business/global/01ebike.html?pagewanted=all

Ice Race!

2010-02-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278560904345

Event: Ice Race

What: Sporting Event

Start Time: Saturday, February 13 at 2:00pm

End Time: Saturday, February 13 at 6:00pm

Where: Half Moon - Birch picnic area

Meet at the Birch picnic area below Carson park on the east side by the road. Course will be long, short, or both depending on lake conditions. Bring a couple bucks, we might have throw in for winner takes all. Drinking beer later as well. Self studded tires are highly recommended. Tire studding clinic the night before at Mags. 6ish. If you're in the know you'll know where to go otherwise ask him to see if it's cool. Post if you need crap tires to stud and see if anyone has anything laying around. Don't forget to mention the size. As you can see, 23s can be done and still fit a Pista.

Bike Inovations and UpCycling

2009-12-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.asgreenasitgets.org/
New Machines

Everyday items reconfigured into a cocoa grinder.

The producers of Chivite grow plenty of cocoa beans, but have trouble getting them to market. The average consumer has no interest in cocoa beans, but is very interested in buying chocolate. The process of converting cocoa beans to chocolate is technically demanding.

The Mechanical Engineering students at Texas A&M tackled one part of the problem by designing a bicycle-powered chocolate grinder.

It is a ball mill, or rotating cylinder filled with cocoa beans and steel balls.

The cocoa grinder with the drum removed is able to roll oats and other grains. AGAIG farmers planted oats and wheat for the first time this Fall.

The tumbling balls grind the cocoa to a very fine powder for use in chocolate products. Our producers can now make fine chocolate powder, with more products on the way.

The device is many machines in one. By making simple adjustments, it can change from cocoa grinder to chocolate melanguer, to sugar cane press, to rock tumbler to oat roller.

The development of technology like this helps us develop new opportunities in business for Guatemalan farmers and helps them open up new markets for products...only possible with the support of people like you through donations and project sponsorship.

http://www.asgreenasitgets.org/

GhettoCross Tomorrow!

2009-11-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1199965690851#/event.php?eid=167989176066

Hey everybody, (no workshop this saturday at banbury place as wel will be at this event)

Dont forget ghettocross is going down Saturday. Group ride to Sherman Creek leaving from Racys at noon. be prepared to get wet and muddy if you are racing and be prepared to have fun even if you aren't. This is an awesome excuse for everyone into biking to get together have a fire, drink some beers, and ride our bikes. It is suppose to be a beautiful day so be there or be square!

If you aren't sure if you want to go because you don't know what to expect. Come and find out.

Ghettocross

Type:	Sports - Pick-Up
Network:	Global

Start Time:	Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 12:00pm
End Time:	Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 3:00pm
Location:	Sherman Creek Park

Description

It's a cyclocross race hosted by EC Velo. it will be muddy, cold, wet, and fun.

If you're not familar with cyclocross watch the videos, or just show up.
All bkes and all levels of riders welcome. Have fun!

Nov. 7, race starts at 1. Meet and register at 12.
Sherman Creek Park
3-5$
Cash purse and prizes.
fire and beer throughout.
Spectators welcome and strongly encouraged to cause trouble.

Photos

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Videos

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Links

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USGP of Cyclocross - Portland '08

Source: vimeo.com

This is an homage to the USGP of Cyclocross and all the athletes, sponsors and fans that make this such a jewel in our sport! How can you not want to go out and race cyclocross after watching this video? Portland here we come!!!!

Posted by David Smuhl

TRANSITION: An American Cyclo-Cross Season TRAILER

Source: www.youtube.com

cyclofile.com - Experience an entire season of cyclo-cross, each race a sixty minute slog fest. This award winning documentary is a behind the scenes look at the most exciting form of cycling. Get to know ...

Hipsters, be not afraid Admitting your stereotype is first step to self-acceptance

2009-11-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

http://media.www.spectatornews.com/media/storage/paper218/news/2009/11/05/Editorialopinion/Hipsters.Be.Not.Afraid-3823439.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

Hipsters, be not afraid

Admitting your stereotype is first step to self-acceptance

Thomas Fountain

Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion

Page 1 of 1

Let me give you a tad of insight into my life: I listen to the Smiths. A lot. I exclusively wear Levi's skinny jeans. I could pick out Helvetica from a mile away and explain how its simplistic, sans-serif nature makes it an absolutely groundbreaking font.

If it is not apparent to you yet, I am a hipster.

Criticize me all you'd like, and I'll just ironically mock you in one of my many blogs.

If you are particularly getting on my nerves I may even tweet about you, and you don't want to find out which 140 characters I'd viciously employ.

Still a little hazy on what exactly a hipster is? Just walk around with a Sam Cooke album on vinyl, and they'll flock towards you.

I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm proud to be a hipster, but I've accepted that fact and realized that I am happy with my choice of stereotype. I mean, lattes are actually pretty enjoyable.

However, I've noticed an extremely annoying trend amongst my fellow Ray-Ban advocates of Eau Claire, and that is that hipsters refuse to acknowledge themselves as such.

In fact, some even ridicule hipsters (though this is ironic enough to be considered hip, causing a tricky paradox). Admitting to being a hipster and embracing that fact is a pretty liberating feeling.

You no longer have to hide your fake glasses when you see people who have known you your whole life.

You're allowed to despise Dave Matthews with no justification other than your Sperry Topsiders.

If for no other reason, just think of how ironic it is to be true to yourself.

C'mon now, people, this isn't Brooklyn. We're in the minority here. We need to band together, or soon we will be enveloped by the overwhelming majority. The consequences are bleak. Have you ever listened to Jack Johnson on a Zune player? It is hell.

This is our time to bust out the cardigans, the Kurt Vonnegut novels and the iPhones. The time to quote lyrics in our Facebook profiles and discuss the merits of Wes Anderson's filmmaking.

And so, I implore you, hipsters of Eau Claire, Wis., be not afraid! Ride your fixed-gear bicycles along the mighty Chippewa River, with your right pant leg elegantly rolled to the knee! Tweet the fact that you are sitting mere feet from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver when sipping your coffee at Racy's! Blast Kanye West from every speaker and stay adamant that Taylor Swift deserved it! And by God, check Pitchfork on an hourly basis to find out Vampire Weekend is touring Europe in three months.

If you continue to hide yourself behind layers of secondhand flannel, you will never realize that it is completely acceptable in society to be a hipster, and truthfully, it's pretty rad, too.

Trust me, I listen to the Smiths.

http://media.www.spectatornews.com/media/storage/paper218/news/2009/11/05/Editorialopinion/Hipsters.Be.Not.Afraid-3823439.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

French Ideal of Bicycle-Sharing Meets Reality

2009-10-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

French Ideal of Bicycle-Sharing Meets Reality

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/world/europe/31bikes.html?_r=1&em=&pagewanted=all

comments (173)

By STEVEN ERLANGER and MAÏA DE LA BAUME

Published: October 30, 2009

PARIS — Just as Le Corbusier’s white cruciform towers once excited visions of the industrial-age city of the future, so Vélib’, Paris’s bicycle rental system, inspired a new urban ethos for the era of climate change.

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Samuel Bollendorff for The New York Times

Renters of Vélib' bicycles in Paris say it can be a challenge to find functioning ones among those that have been vandalized.

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Samuel Bollendorff for The New York Times

In Paris 80 percent of Vélib' bicycles are stolen or damaged.

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Residents here can rent a sturdy bicycle from hundreds of public stations and pedal to their destinations, an inexpensive, healthy and low-carbon alternative to hopping in a car or bus.

But this latest French utopia has met a prosaic reality: Many of the specially designed bikes, which cost $3,500 each, are showing up on black markets in Eastern Europe and northern Africa. Many others are being spirited away for urban joy rides, then ditched by roadsides, their wheels bent and tires stripped.

With 80 percent of the initial 20,600 bicycles stolen or damaged, the program’s organizers have had to hire several hundred people just to fix them. And along with the dent in the city-subsidized budget has been a blow to the Parisian psyche.

“The symbol of a fixed-up, eco-friendly city has become a new source for criminality,” Le Monde mourned in an editorial over the summer. “The Vélib’ was aimed at civilizing city travel. It has increased incivilities.”

The heavy, sandy-bronze Vélib’ bicycles are seen as an accoutrement of the “bobos,” or “bourgeois-bohèmes,” the trendy urban middle class, and they stir resentment and covetousness. They are often being vandalized in a socially divided Paris by resentful, angry or anarchic youth, the police and sociologists say.

Bruno Marzloff, a sociologist who specializes in transportation, said, “One must relate this to other incivilities, and especially the burning of cars,” referring to gangs of immigrant youths burning cars during riots in the suburbs in 2005.

He said he believed there was social revolt behind Vélib’ vandalism, especially for suburban residents, many of them poor immigrants who feel excluded from the glamorous side of Paris.

“It is an outcry, a form of rebellion; this violence is not gratuitous,” Mr. Marzloff said. “There is an element of negligence that means, ‘We don’t have the right to mobility like other people, to get to Paris it’s a huge pain, we don’t have cars, and when we do, it’s too expensive and too far.’ ”

Used mainly for commuting in the urban core of the city, the Vélib’ program is by many measures a success. After swiping a credit card for a deposit at an electronic docking station, a rider pays one euro per day, or 29 euros (about $43) for an annual pass, for unlimited access to the bikes for 30-minute periods that can be extended for a small fee.

Daily use averages 50,000 to 150,000 trips, depending on the season, and the bicycles have proved to be a hit with tourists, who help power the economy.

But the extra-solid construction and electronic docks mean the bikes, made in Hungary, are expensive, and not everyone shares the spirit of joint public property promoted by Paris’s Socialist mayor, Bertrand Delanoë.

“We miscalculated the damage and the theft,” said Albert Asséraf, director of strategy, research and marketing at JCDecaux, the outdoor-advertising company that is a major financer and organizer of the project. “But we had no reference point in the world for this kind of initiative.”

At least 8,000 bikes have been stolen and 8,000 damaged so badly that they had to be replaced — nearly 80 percent of the initial stock, Mr. Asséraf said.

JCDecaux must repair some 1,500 bicycles a day. The company maintains 10 repair shops and a workshop on a boat that moves up and down the Seine.

JCDecaux reinforced the bicycles’ chains and baskets and added better theft protection, strengthening the mechanisms that attach them to the electronic parking docks, since an incompletely secured bike is much easier to steal. But the damage and theft continued.

“We made the bike stronger, ran ad campaigns against vandalism and tried to better inform people on the Web,” Mr. Asséraf said. But “the real solution is just individual respect.”

In 2008 , the number of infractions related to Vélib’ vandalism rose 54 percent, according to the Paris police.

“We found many stolen Vélib’s in Paris’s troubled neighborhoods,” said Marie Lajus, a spokeswoman for the police. “It’s not profit-making delinquency, but rather young boys, especially from the suburbs, consider the Vélib’ an object that has no value.”

Sometimes the bikes are also victims of good old adolescent anarchic fun. These attitudes are expressed by the “freeriders,” and a bicycle forum, where a mock poll asks riders whether the Vélib’ can do wheelies, go down stairs and make decent skid marks.

It is commonplace now to see the bikes at docking stations in Paris with flat tires, punctured wheels or missing baskets. Some Vélib’s have been found hanging from lampposts, dumped in the Seine, used on the streets of Bucharest or resting in shipping containers on their way to North Africa. Some are simply appropriated and repainted.

Finding a decent one is now something of an urban treasure hunt. Géraldine Bernard, 31, of Paris rides a Vélib’ to work every day but admits having difficulties lately finding functioning bikes.

“It’s a very clever initiative to improve people’s lives, but it’s not a complete success,” she said.

“For a regular user like me, it generates a lot of frustration,” she said. “It’s a reflection of the violence of our society and it’s outrageous: the Vélib’ is a public good but there is no civic feeling related to it.”

Still, with more than 63 million rentals since the program was begun in mid-2007, the Vélib’ is an established part of Parisian life, and the program has been extended to provide 4,000 Vélib’s in 29 towns on the city’s edges.

So despite the increasing costs, Paris and JCDecaux are pressing on. The company invested about $140 million to set up the system and provides a yearly fee of about $5.5 million to Paris, which also gets rental fees for the bikes. In return, the company’s 10-year contract allows it to put up 1,628 billboards that it can rent.

Although JCDecaux will not discuss money figures, the expected date for profitability has been set back. But the City of Paris has agreed to pay JCDecaux about $600 for each stolen or irreparably damaged bike if the number exceeds 4 percent of the fleet, which it clearly does.

In an unsuccessful effort to stop vandalism, Paris began an advertising campaign this summer. Posters showed a cartoon Vélib’ being roughed up by a thug. The caption read: “It’s easy to beat up a Vélib’, it can’t defend itself. Vélib’ belongs to you, protect it!”

Bike to the Future

2009-10-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

http://volumeone.org/magazine/articles/918/Bike_to_the_Future.html

YOU CAN NOT SIMPLY COAST THROUGH LIFE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON A BIKE IN A HILLY CITY. The Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Commission invited public comments at its meeting on Oct. 1.

October 29, 2009 Issue

Bike to the Future

commission wants input on the city’s biking needs

words by Heidi Kraemer
photography by Andrea Paulseth

Imagine waking up Monday morning, admiring your toned muscles in the mirror before breakfast, popping on a helmet, hopping on your bike, and zipping to work following clearly labeled signs and smooth trails right to your workplace – all the while enjoying cool, fresh air unpolluted by smog or honking horns. The City of Eau Claire is working to make this dream a reality.

On Oct. 1, questions flew, cameras flashed, and camcorders rolled as a crowd of curious and concerned citizens gathered at RCU for the Eau Claire Bicycle and Pedestrian Draft Plan meeting. Amidst the large, colorful maps displaying future bike/pedestrian path expansion plans, community members were able to learn about the draft plan as well as bring their own thoughts and concerns to the table.

Cities all over Wisconsin are realizing the energy efficiency, cost savings, health benefits, and environmental advantages of biking and walking for transportation. Eau Claire’s Comprehensive Plan in 2005 created the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and helped develop of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Working to provide transportation alternative to motorized vehicles, the BPAC has completed their draft plan after two years of work and are now seeking public input.

The goal of the draft is to create an interconnected network of on- and off-road paths to form a transportation network throughout the city for all ages and skill levels, linking neighborhoods with major destination points. The commission is also putting a magnifying glass over the current pedestrian and bicycle environment to identify areas of concern, and to improve and promote walking and biking in Eau Claire. Looking to combine safety, convenience, enjoyment through expansion and education, the commission highlighted the development of mutual respect among motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians as a key component to success not just here in Eau Claire, but in surrounding cities as well.

Page 1 Page 2

bikes and apples

2009-10-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

bikers,

this Saturday we have a ride planned to Chippewa Falls where we'll be joining other community organizations to pick apples for Feed My People Food Bank and for UWEC's Campus Kitchen Project.

if you'd like to join us for the ride, please email me to let me know you'll be there. I'm currently trying to get a few pickups there so we may be able to ride back if the ride/picking is tough and not all of us have the energy to ride back.

we're hoping to have some great food there and meet some other great people!

call (952-846-8788) or email (barneszj@gmail.com) if you have any questions!

we'll be leaving UWEC (between the science and business buildings) at 12:30 and getting back (perhaps a bit later for bikers) around 4pm.

thanks again

--
Eau Claire Bikes
www.ecbikes.blogspot.com
eauclairebikes@gmail.com

--
Zachary Barnes

Tour D'Eau Claire THIS SATURDAY!

2009-10-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

This Saturday Greasy Fixins will partner with the new Tour D'Eau Claire from 11am-8pm in CARSON PARK! we look forward to future partnerships with the tour d'eau claire (visit our blog for more info), being part of different workshops and the alley cat race, kids activities and a day of preparing the community for winter riding!

Like always bring your bike, friends and some grease.

Cheers!

Tour d'Eau Claire

Promoting Local Biker Awareness

$10 Main Event/$15 Main Event & Shirt - Mini Youth Race FREE

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 8:00pm

Location: Carson Park
Street: Bike Street
City/Town:Eau Claire, WI

Phone:
7158285288
Email:tourdeauclaire@gmail.com

Description
Tour d’Eau Claire is a spin-off of the Valley Cat race that has been an amazing biking event for the past few years. A few of us who competed in this race wanted to do something similar, but wanted to make it an event where anyone and everyone would have a reason to show up. Tour d’Eau Claire is the first-ever Biker Awareness Event in the Chippewa Valley. The Tour will still include the great messenger race that is much loved from the Valley Cat, but it will also have many other events, too, such as track standing, skid comps, a random trick contest, and a youth race. Oh, and there's going to be a great party afterwards, too!

Tour d'Eau Claire -October 10th - Starting @ Carson Park Ending @ Carson ParkRace Starts @ noon

Other Events After the Race -Kids Race, Track Standing, Skid Comp, Biker Maintenance, Clinics, BBQ and After Party

EVENT SPONSORS -Volume One Magazine, Melting Pots Printing, Miller High Life, Eau Claire Printing, Red Bull, Leonardson Dental, A Brand New Tattoo, Deborah K. Becker State Farm®, emBARK, Anybody's Bike Shop, Golds Gym Eau Claire

For more information on being a sponsor contact Shawn @ 715.828.5288 or email tourdeauclaire@gmail.com

Click here for a Sponsorship PDFhttp://issuu.com/shawnbrunner/docs/tour_de_eau_claire?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

bike more drive less

2009-10-02T09:53:00.001-07:00

tour d'eau claire

2009-10-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Tour d'Eau Claire on the way!

"Just a reminder that there are only 10 more days untill the Tour. This is going to be boatloads of fun, lots of prizes, and a huge afterparty. Get excited, and be sure to tell your friends to show up! Just a reminder, pre-registration is the only way to GUARANTEE entry no matter what, a shirt and other fun stuff. See you all soon!"

four dudes, one bike, enjoy

2009-10-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

bikes taking over eau claire!

2009-09-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

http://people.uwec.edu/millerjs/cycling/

Cycle with the Chancellor for Clean Commuting

Join Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich on Sunday, October 4th to show your support for the UW-Eau Claire Clean Commute Initiative and to help on-campus bicycle parking.
Check in begins at 1:30 p.m., rain or shine, from the Schofield Hall circle parking lot. This is a 21 mile informal, noncompetitive bike ride around Eau Claire and Altoona using a mix of bike trails and city streets.

Suggested donations: $10 for general public; $5 for UW-Eau Claire students. Proceeds will go to improving bike parking on campus

Bring the whole family!

Greasy Fixins this saturday 12noon-3pm!

2009-09-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

hey everybody,

greasy fixins this saturday 12noon-3pm. bring some friends, food, games, tools, etc.

see you there!

Bike Film Festival Milwaukee!

2009-08-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

BFF MILWAUKEE STARTS FRIDAY
Tickets now available for all programs online. Get in quick!

CityRacks Design Competition The next generation of bicycle parking for NYC.

2009-08-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

Winner of the sidewalks category of the CityRacks Design Competition Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve

CityRacks Design Competition

The next generation of bicycle parking for NYC.

New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Paul Warwick Thompson, Director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and Paul White of Transportation Alternatives announced the winners of the CityRacks Design Competition.

http://nycityracks.wordpress.com/

event this saturday! 12noon-3pm!

2009-08-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

THIS SATURDAY (august 29th, 2009): Greasy Fixins in building 17!

hey everybody, mark your calendars, call friends, enjoy the company of others at Greasy Fixins this Saturday from 12noon-3pm.

We've still got a number of bikes donated from UWEC's upper campus to work on and will have to hold a short discussion about projects we'd like to undertake this fall/winter!

bring some food to pass, tools to share, perhaps a polo mallet, or a radio to tune in to WHYS!

any questions? eauclairebikes@gmail.com!

hope to also see you at Tour d'Eau Claire!

Saturday, October 10, Tour d'Eau Claire

2009-08-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Tour d'Eau Claire

Promoting Local Biker Awareness

$10 Main Event/$15 Main Event & Shirt - Mini Youth Race FREE

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 8:00pm

Location: Carson Park
Street: Bike Street
City/Town:Eau Claire, WI

Phone:
7158285288
Email:tourdeauclaire@gmail.com

Tour d'Eau Claire -October 10th - Starting @ Carson Park Ending @ Carson ParkRace Starts @ noon

Other Events After the Race -Kids Race, Track Standing, Skid Comp, Biker Maintenance, Clinics, BBQ and After Party

For more information on being a sponsor contact Shawn @ 715.828.5288 or email tourdeauclaire@gmail.com

Click here for a Sponsorship PDF http://issuu.com/shawnbrunner/docs/tour_de_eau_claire?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Finance a Coffee Bike Micro-Loan

2009-08-11T09:09:00.001-07:00

https://projectrwanda.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5
Finance a Coffee Bike Micro-Loan

Pay it Forward! Buy a bike for a Rwandan Farmer. Your $225 dollar investment will cover the subsidized cost of the micro-loan needed for a Rwandan coffee grower to buy a Coffee Bike. By owning a bike, a farmer can begin to build a better life. The bike will shorten the transportation time during harvesting and increase the farmer's income level. Fresher products equal higher market value for their crops.

As the coffee farmer makes payments on the bike over a period of two years, your investment is recycled, allowing another farmer the opportunity to finance a bike, and the cycle continues.

https://projectrwanda.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5

Mpls Bike Polo 2009

2009-07-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Bike Polo - Mpls BFF Tournament from Mr.Do on Vimeo.

http://mplsbikepolo.com/

Pedal power for Kenya's mobiles

2009-07-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8166196.stm

Two Kenyan students are hoping to market a device that allows bicycle riders to charge their mobile phones.

Jeremiah Murimi, 24, and Pascal Katana, 22, said they wanted their dynamo-powered "smart charger" to help people without electricity in rural areas.

"We both come from villages and we know the problems," Mr Murimi told the BBC.

People have to travel great distances to shops where they are charged $2 a time to power their phone, usually from a car battery or solar panel.

"The device is so small you can put it in your pocket with your phone while you are on your bike," said Mr Murimi.

It is estimated that some 17.5 million people out of Kenya's 38.5 million population own a mobile handset - up from 200,000 in 2000.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8166196.stm

You are pedaling the Ginger Ninjas Sound System…

2009-07-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

You are pedaling the Ginger Ninjas Sound System…
Coupling super efficient digital amplifiers with generators attached to working bicycles (as opposed to purpose-built stationary bikes), this system allows a band to play off-grid anywhere, wall outlet or no, and to carry the system to a gig on two wheels. The band calls up members of the audience to pedal, up to four at a time with our current configuration.

How it works

All of our rides are Xtracycle-equipped sport utility bicycles: like regular bikes except longer behind the seat to provide more room for and better handling when carrying gear.

The Xtracycle system also provides for a dual-sided heavy duty kickstand that gets the rear wheel off the ground for stationary generation.

A small DC motor with a 1” roller rubs on the sidewall of the rear tire, generating DC current. This motor is engaged and disengaged via a shifter lever, allowing for rapid setup of the band, and also enabling the rider to engage the motor while on the road (more on this below).

This varying voltage DC pedaling energy is stored briefly in supercapacitors (“caps”), which shoot out a more consistent 11-15V. The buffering and storage of the caps supply amplifiers with both constant power and bursts. Our system demands about 160-200 Watts steadily, and up to 1000 Watts peak.

An L.E.D. indicator on the handlebars tells the pedaler whether to pedal harder, keep ‘er steady, or STOP. Too little voltage will kill the sound and too much will actually ruin the cap.

Each bike has its own cap, and each cap feeds into a common inverter. The inverter changes the DC current into 120 VAC with regular electric outlets, into which we plug all of our equipment: 2 x 500W speakers, mixing board, effects pedals, laptop, Down Low Glows, and chargers for the small devices we have on tour with us.

Without efficient amplifiers, we would need 8 pedalers to get the same sound level!

Our complete touring system incorporates flexible solar panels, small, eco-friendly Lithium Phosphate batteries, and on-the-fly generator engagement for all of our electric needs.

We’re using bikes to power music, but you could use a similar generator to power most any household electrical device.

CONTINUED...

I Bike EC

2009-07-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

We bike it. We bike it a lot.

Hey, if you like to ride bikes, and you like riding around the Eau Claire area, well have we got the T-shirt for you, Bucko! Much like cute puppies prancing about in a storefront window, our "I Bike EC" shirts are just waiting for you to purchase them, bring them home, give them a giant hug, unfold them, and pull them onto your no doubt attractive biker body. You can find these tasty tees (men's or ladies') for sale in our webshop, at our concert series, and at our offi ce. Feel free to buy one for every day of the week. And an extra one for pajamas.

–Volume One

Workshop- Potluck- Idea Cultivation Event This Saturday!

2009-06-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Greetings My Fellow Harvesters!

This Saturday (6/6) we'll have yet another Potluck/ Workshop Event from 12-3. We'll have a few fresh faces and plenty of fun to be had. So bring a friend, some tools, some grub to share, and some ideas for an event this summer.

We are thinking about holding a large donation recruitment event before the end of summer. Ideas currently being tossed around are a pedal powered concert, bike polo match and whatever else you can come up with. So bring your ideas this Saturday to The Banbury Building 17. We'll need plenty of help to make this event a reality so and and all contributions are welcome! See ya'll Saturday...

Cheers!

kz

BikeBike

2009-05-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

Compatriotas,

please mark your calendars (August 27-August 30, 2009) for this great event in Minneapolis. If you have interest in writing grants to help us fund the trip for all to be able to afford it, let us know. this may be extremely valuable for the growth and sustainability/networking of greasy fixins... please forward this to other folks that may be interested.

(Bike! Bike! is an internaitonal annual conference organized by and for Not-For-Profit bike projects. It takes place in a different city within the United States each year (perhaps it will expand to one of our neighboUrs one day eh?). This year it will be hosted by the Grease Pit in Minneapolis.

There will be an assortment of different workshops at Bike! Bike! geared towards helping bike projects better serve their intended communities. There will also be social events to help/encourage projects to netowork. Some things which may (or may not) take place include (but are not by any means limited to): Anti-oppression, Consensus Decision Making, and Working with Kids workshops as well as Spandex Dance Parties, Movies, and Bike Rides.)

Grease Pit Bike Shop

the THIRDCOASThip and greasy gathering Saturday 5-23-09 12noon-3pm

2009-05-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Don't get lured in with this 'pretentious' crew of cyclists, greasy fixins will not be associated with such a movement.

Also, come and join us this Saturday at our spot in the Banbury Place... Building 17, lower level... bring some food, game ideas, tools, music, friends, family, etc. 12noon-3pm (Saturday 5-23-09)

Earth Day 2009

2009-05-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all that helped with Bike repairs and valet at EC's 2009 earth day celebration!

The Harambee Ride

2009-04-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Harambee Ride:Coast-to-Coast by Bicycle

from Altoona, WI!!!

forthepedalofit.com

The journey of 4 People (Father, Daughter, Son, & the filmmaker)

Coast-to-Coast by bicycleSan Diego, CA to St. Augustine, FL
3,110+ Miles

This site will host blog & video updates of our journey, illustrating the struggles of the trip, as well as highlight interesting peoples and activities along the way.Thanks for your support. Please pass this along.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/forthepedalofit/show/

The Nafula Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting orphans and families in the Western portion of Kenya. The Foundation provides relief to people that have been affected by regional conflicts, hunger, disease, and other unfortunate hardships. This is all made possible by the dedicated work of its volunteers as well as the generous contributions from its donors. The check out the Nafula Foundation's website for more information on current news and events as well as information on our goals, current projects, and multiple ways that you can lend a hand to the organization. The Nafula Foundation believes that by being understanding and providing knowledge and assistance, rural Kenyan communities will be empowered to improve their daily lives.

Bikes not Bombs

2009-04-17T10:46:00.001-07:00

Who We Are

Bikes Not Bombs promotes bicycle technology as a concrete alternative to war and environmental destruction. For 25 years, BNB has been a nexus of bike recycling and community empowerment both in lower income neighborhoods of Boston and in the nations of the Global South. BNB's programs involve young people and adults in mutually respectful leadership development and environmental stewardship, while recycling thousands of bicycles.

http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/

Volume One covers Greasy Fixins

2009-04-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Greasy Fixin's

local bike lovers spread a sense of autonomy

words by Aryn Widule
photography by Andrea Paulseth

"Like most people, there was a time last year when I had upwards of half a garage full of old bikes, bike parts, and other bike-related objects lying around. I wasn’t using them; I didn’t know what to do with them. Then one day, some industrious folks came and took the bikes away and put them to good use. Enter Greasy Fixins..."

more @ http://volumeone.org/magazine/articles/513/Greasy_Fixins.html/page/1

Greasy Fixins This Saturday! 12noon-5pm

2009-04-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

the BIKE HARVESTERS will be hosting another Greasy Fixins at the Banbury from 12-5 in Building 17. Bring some food or drink to share, a bike, a friend, some tools and lets crank on some bikes!

Bike art at Just Local Food

2009-03-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

No foolin! Even though our store walls are filled mostly with coolers, freezers, bulk bins and more, (aka the colorful products of the many food artisans we work with), we've still made room for art. And let us rejoice for the beauty art brings to our world. In the month of April we've got our annual tribute to the bicycle, known as the common wheel. This year we'll have works from Mark Aumann, Lori Chilefone, Nick Dewar, Joe Maurer and Amy Zagar. Grab a cup of coffee and admire the view. And you still have a week or so to enjoy the beautiful international photographs of Mark Aumann.

WQOW News story 3/15

2009-03-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Local Group Sees New Opportunity for Old Bikes

Watch the news story here

Eau Claire (WQOW) - A local group is using old bikes to spark new interest in biking.

The Greasy Fixins Bike Harvesters started collecting old bikes to use for spare parts last fall.

"It all started with the university donating 25 abandoned bikes from the summer because all these students leave and they leave their bikes abandoned, they're sitting outside all winter," says Kyle Zander, a member of the Greasy Fixins Bike Harvesters.

Now they're using the bikes to spread interest in the activity by helping folks fix up their old bikes or in some cases provide them with a new used bicycle.

"Its an open shop where anybody can come in and work on their own bike, if they don't know how, there's a number of us here that can teach them how to. We have parts, we have bikes, we have frames, we have food, we have fun, we have music," says Dan Green, a member of the Greasy Fixins Bike Harvesters.

Besides fixing flat tires, rusty chains and anything else that can go wrong with a bike, the group repairs old bikes and donates them to various groups in the community.

"We get them fixed up, a lot of people put some time into the bikes and we're donating them to transitional houses where guys don't have enough money to provide transportation for themselves," says Zander.

The group has also donated bikes to the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

"Everyone here loves biking and wants to support it however they can and we thought this would be a good way to do it," says Green.

"Its a good community project, you get to meet a few people, share a little time and knowledge, learn something on top of it," says Don Bestul, a local bicycle enthusiast.

The Greazy Fixins Bike Harvesters meets every other Saturday afternoon in the basement of Banbury Place Building 17. On Earth Day, the group is holding a bike auction so they can buy some tools and bike parts.

Leader Telegram Article

2009-03-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Volunteers rehab old bikes, give them to needy

By Blythe Wachter

Tammy Anderson normally takes the bus to get around Eau Claire, but she got a "new" set of wheels Saturday.

Anderson and daughters Makaylah and Paula spent the afternoon in the dimly lit basement of Building 17 at Banbury Place, fixing up bicycles with the help of volunteers, using salvaged tires, chains, handlebars and other parts.

"We walked here," Anderson said. "We'll ride (the bikes) home."

An informal, volunteer-driven group known as the Greasy Fixins Bike Harvesters keeps this bicycle project spinning along.

The project is designed to give bicycles to people who can't afford them, educate about bikes and keep broken-down two-wheelers out of landfills, said Zac Barnes, 23, and Kyle Zander, 24, UW-Eau Claire graduates who are part of the group.

It started two years ago as an AmeriCorps VISTA project. Both men are volunteers with the anti-poverty national service program.

UW-Eau Claire has donated bicycles abandoned on campus. Other bikes came from the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department and individuals.

The group has given dozens of bicycles, including some to youth organizations.

More community workshops are planned. People can fix their bike or fix a donated one to take home.

For the Eau Claire Community Earth Day Celebration April 25 at Owen Park, the group plans to have a bike auction/adoption and provide a bike valet and minor tuneups.

Tyler Mickelson of Eau Claire worked on his bike Saturday, adjusting the brakes. He had a lot of work to do, including overhauling the gear shift.

But he said, "If anyone can take home a bike for a little elbow grease ... it's a wonderful thing."

http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-news_local.asp?id=BJF5DE10IU9

Group Helps You Fix Your Bike For Free

2009-03-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Group Helps You Fix Your Bike For Free

Posted: 8:48 PM Mar 11, 2009
Last Updated: 11:13 PM Mar 11, 2009
Reporter: Mary Rinzel with Photographer Duane Wolter
Email Address: mary.rinzel@weau.com

Recycled Rides

A | A | A

It might now be the best day to break out your bike, but if you have a broken bike we have the answer. Whether you want to fix it for free or just get it out of your garage, a community project is riding to the rescue.

It's a project designed to encourage biking, give bikes to people who can't afford them, and keep busted bikes out of landfills.

Don't be fooled by the one little bike propped by the door because inside the building behind it, deep in a dimly lit basement, is a mountain of tires, chains, handlebars and pedals. Amidst the parts are the guys working to put them all back together again.

"People don't expect this huge pile of bikes," says Kyle Zander. "People who are cleaning out their garages where bikes are collecting rust and dust (can give them to us) and we're fixing them up and giving them to people who need bikes."

"Anything is accepted and appreciated," says Zac Barnes. "The best part is testing out the bike once you've really worked on a bike!"

Barnes and Zander are a part of E.C. Bikes, the informal group behind the Banbury Bike Project. It all started last fall when UW-Eau Claire donated a bunch of rusty bikes abandoned at the dorms. Six months later, the group has given out dozens to people who can't afford to buy their own.

"It's amazing to see what the community can do when we get together and work toward the same cause," Zander says.

The project has since turned into a community work shop of sorts; a place to fix a donated bike or use plenty of extra parts to get your own bike ready to ride.

"Come on down,” Zander says. “Bring tools if you got them. Bring a bike if you have one and we'll crank out some bikes together!”

The guys have a workshop this Saturday (3/14) from noon to 5 p.m. at Banbury Place in building 17 off of Galloway St. Everyone is welcome. They say they can always use extra tools--as a donation or just to use for the day.

For more information on some other upcoming events and how you can donate a bike CLICK HERE, e-mail EauClaireBikes@gmail.com or call Dan Green at (715) 497-7359.

Workshop pot luck and kubb 3/14 from Noon-5

2009-03-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Banbury Bike Project will be hosting another workshop this Saturday March 14th from 12 - 5pm at The Banbury Place in Building 17. We'll have food, bike games and kubb! Bring your bike, something to share, some tools and a friend!

We will be fixing up bikes for the Eau Claire Community Earth Day Celebration on April 25th at Owen Park. At the Earth Day Celebration we will be holding a bike auction/ adoption, bike valet with free minor tune ups, and recruit donations of bikes, parts, and tools. Let me know if you would like to volunteer with us on April 25th - we are going to need plenty of help!

Tour de Farm

2009-03-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

here's an amazing fun activity we can work towards this summer... partnerships with the foodlums to have an great event for those volunteers that help us out, for those folks with new bikes, for community gathering and dining in general!

A series of dinners from June to October sure would be beautiful!

We Are All Mechanics

2009-02-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

About Us
We Are All Mechanics (WAAM) began in 2003 as the joint vision of Ali Dwyer and India Viola. We set out to share our love of bicycles and technical knowledge with other women in our community.
Our series consists of four 90-minute class sessions and covers basic routine maintenance. Topics range from how to fix a flat tire, to brake and derailleur adjustments, chain cleaning, and bearing adjustments. The classes take place within the repair area of a bicycle shop, and provide an insiders look at the mechanics’ work area. Our classes are kept small, with a low student-to-teacher ratio and emphasize a hands-on approach to learning. Students get a chance to ask questions about their bicycles in a relaxed and fun learning environment.
After completing our classes, students report feeling greater independence when riding their bicycles as well as a sense of empowerment when approaching bicycle repairs at home or in the shop.
Through our ongoing class series, clinics, and rides, WAAM promotes continued learning among cyclists in the Madison community.

We Are All Mechanics
Madison, WI
info@WeAreAllMechanics.com
www.WeAreAllMechanics.com

Freewheel Community Bicycle Workshop

2009-02-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

http://free.mildmedia.net/

Madison, WI

FreeWheel is a community bicycle workshop run by volunteers with a range of bicycle skills. During our open shop hours anyone can come and participate. You can bring your bike and repair it or tune it up using tools and parts from the shop. You can build a whole bike from scratch and get help from the volunteers. You can be a volunteer and help someone less-knowledgeable with their bike, or teach someone the skills you just learned, or just help organize. FreeWheel accepts bikes, bike parts, tools, supplies (lubricants, patch kits, etc.), and monetary donations. Our general rule of thumb, besides maintaining respectfulness, is:Give what you feel you owe.If you can't afford a donation (and we know not everyone can), then put in some time helping out, cleaning up, or even just baking some cookies is nice. Happy biking!

Minneapolis Bike Share

2009-02-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

Minneapolis's bike-sharing program just needs federal funds
Bike program could benefit collective health and economy

By Bradley Campbell for the Twin Cities' City Pages

Published on February 16, 2009 at 4:38pm

As a college student jerks at the handlebars of a bike, a metal clank echoes in the back parking lot of Coffman Memorial Union, followed by a pleasant chirp, letting the student know he's free to pull the bike from its docking stand. The student smiles, places his backpack on a front rack, and pedals around the vacant strip of road. A built-in light illuminates his path. He clicks through three gears and picks up speed. A small group watches him, waiting for their turn to do the same.

Minneapolis plans to use BIXI, which is billed as the most innovative and sturdy bike-share system in the world

All are here to test the proposed Minneapolis bike-sharing program, an ambitious plan that could be a benefit to our collective health and economy—but only if it receives federal funding.
Among those watching is Bill Dossett, a volunteer with Nice Ride Minnesota, the nonprofit that would run the bike-sharing program. He smiles as the student pedals around. Transit for Livable Communities, the local nonprofit tasked with allocating the federal funds, meets on March 3 to determine the fate of bike sharing in Minneapolis. If everything goes well, Dossett will be smiling for years to come.

Under the program, 1,000 bikes would be placed at 75 kiosks throughout the city. Folks could purchase a season pass (for about $50 annually) and check out a bike anytime they want and return it at any kiosk they choose. The first 30 minutes are free; more time costs cash. For visitors, day passes are available. It'd be open from April through November, with the goal of turning skyway prowlers into pedal pushers and getting them into the streets, where strained businesses would welcome the traffic.

"It absolutely increases the vitality of downtown, helps out mom-and-pop shops, and benefits the health of the employees," says Andrew Rankin, a Projects and Programs Specialist for Downtown TMO. "It will be something that changes mobility for a lot of people."

The city's proposed bike-share program grew from the yellow-bike systems of the '80s and '90s and, more recently, the Paris Velib program in France. But designers of the local program only took what worked and left out what didn't. For example, while Paris installed the kiosks directly into their streets, the Minneapolis kiosks are movable and can be repositioned as needed. That keeps costs down and operations running when the inevitable construction project comes along.
Detractors of the program cite theft and vandalism as their top concerns, and for good reason: This is what destroyed the yellow bikes. In Paris, the Velib program, after a miraculous start, has seen almost half its bike fleet damaged or stolen.

But here is where numbers, business models, and direct comparisons break down. Minneapolis is no Paris. "A better comparison is the French city of Lyon," says Dossett. "This city only saw 153 bikes stolen in their first year, 5 percent of their fleet. We're prepared for a 10 percent theft rate. When you compare crime rates, we're more like Lyon than Paris."

Minneapolis also plans to use a beefed-up bike that is more resistant to abuse. Time magazine listed the bikes and kiosks as the 19th best invention of 2008, just behind the New Mars Rover.
And they look fly when pedaled in dress pants. Which is the point. These bikes are for folks who don't normally ride. They're built with business suits in mind, and the hope is to change the bicycling culture of the city.

"We want bicycling to be a mainstream activity," says Nick Mason, the point man for Dero Bike Rack Company. "It's a question of how you take it to the next level. You can spend hundreds of millions on infrastructure, which is important, but nothing has the potential to shift mode share as quickly as a successful bike sharing program."

Think of it as Field of Dreams in reverse: If they come, you'll have the support to build it.
The perfect example of this is Councilwoman Betsy Hodges. She represents the West Calhoun/Linden Hills area and describes herself as a timid rider. Last year, she took the opportunity to ride a bicycle downtown, and whatever she experienced, be it the freedom of movement or the way a downtown opens up from behind a set of handlebars, she enjoyed it.
"Yes, I am an ardent advocate," says Hodges. "I think it is an innovative program. It extends and deepens our capacity to increase bicycle use while decreasing car use. If it would happen, it would be great."

While European cities have two types of mayors—those who have a bike-sharing program and those who want one—mayors here are still racing to launch the first large-scale program in the United States.

Paul DeMaio runs the Bike Sharing Blog out of Washington, D.C. He believes the genius of the Minneapolis bike-share program is that a nonprofit will run it. This is critical, because if there is one unifying theme among Americans, it's our undying love of lawsuits. "By having a nonprofit run the program, it doesn't place the liability on the local government," says DeMaio. " Europe did it their way. But Minneapolis is doing it to fit within the fabric of our culture."

But the fabric cannot change without federal support. The bike-share program is currently fighting for $1.75 million of transportation-program funding. If they don't get it, the program is DOA.

"The 1,000-bike program is approximately the minimum size needed for success," says Dossett. "You can't achieve it with a smaller system."

Saturday 1pm

2009-02-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Satuday (2-7-09) we'll be down at the Banbury tinkering with bikes. Come on down. Bring your tools, air pumps, and a friend!

See ya Saturday

Good Times and Good People

2009-01-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who made it on Martin Luther King Jr Day!!! We stripped almost all of the parts from the messy pile of disfigured bikes. Stay tuned for the next workshop!

Bike Repair Workshop Honoring Martin Luther King

2009-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. loved bicycles. When not fighting for civil rights, the Reverend could be seen enjoying a liesurely ride on his 10-speed or engaged in a riviting match of Bike Polo. Though this little know historical "fact" may be ficticious (he rode a fixed gear) we will be holding a bike repair workshop in his honor.

MONDAY! MONDAY! MONDAY! JANUARY 19th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We'll be in Building 17 at the Banbury Place starting at 2:30pm. Bring your tools, a friend, and your spirit for service and let's get busy fixin' bikes!

Holiday Donations

2008-12-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

Last week was a big week for us. We received an additional 25 bikes in decent condition. Also we donated 6 children's bikes to the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters, who gave them to kids who wanted a bike for Christmas and wouldn't have received one without our donation. Thanks again for everyone involved! We are looking to start up the repairs again in January so stay tuned!

2008-12-23T21:15:00.000-08:00

The worst bike ride of the year

2008-12-16T20:41:00.001-08:00

Heres some ideas for biking in eau claire,

The Worst Bike Ride of the Year
I saw this on some bike coop website, they organized a bike ride on one of the coldest, darkest days of the year and had tons of fun doing it.

Midnight moon light rides

Write letters or request that businesses without bike racks install them. Maybe we could even make a request letter that people can just print out and give to the managers of these places.

Petition to the city counsel to erect bike road signs like:

BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMISION MEETING TONIGHT 7 PM CITY HALL

2008-12-16T10:02:00.001-08:00

We are presenting our project tonight to the City of Eau Claire Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission tonight at 7 in the North Conference Room, City Hall, 203 South Farwell Street. You should come!

winter biking

2008-12-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-news_local.asp?id=BIJKQ6F4H3P

As published in Monday's Leader Telegram: (feel free to comment and add other tips for fellow winter bikers)

Winter Biking Tips

Tips from the new brochure "Winter Bicycling in Eau Claire: Quick Guide to Winter Biking," which should be available at City Hall and other sites in about two weeks and posted on the city Web site, www.eauclairewi.gov:

- Any bike can be ridden in winter, but a mountain bike or bicycle with studded tires helps with traction. Some cyclists add fenders to block flying winter sludge and prevent snow buildup on tires.

- It gets dark earlier and visibility can be bad even in daytime, so lights on the front and back are a must. Most states require them year-round after dark.

- Skip heavy, padded clothing. Use lighter layers, but don't overdo it; a little chill when you start out is just right. You'll warm up.

- Avoid moisture-absorbing fabrics such as cotton, especially for the layer closest to the skin; try fabrics that wick sweat away from the skin.

- The top layers should be a material that keeps out water and wind.

- Hands and feet are most likely to get cold. Several pairs of gloves and socks are a good idea, as are shoes or boots that are warm without being clumsy.

- In extreme cold leave no skin exposed. That means a ski mask and goggles.

- A helmet is a must; wipeouts are even more likely on wintry streets.

Greasy Fixins- A Great Success!

2008-12-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it, Greasy Fixins was a hit! Delicious grub and good times were had by all. Hats vs No Hats Bike Polo was a treat!

Due to the holiday season, the Community Bike Repair Workshop may take a break until January. Stay tuned!

The Bike Forge

2008-12-05T23:19:00.000-08:00

I have a new blog you all might be interested, it's about bikes as a way to change the world. bikeforge.blogspot.com

dan

Saturdays Greasy Fixins

2008-12-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hey folks if you have any questions about this Saturday's Greasy Fixins email Kyle at zanderkj@gmail.com

Greasy Fixins 12/6 Noon

2008-12-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

THIS SATURDAY! Saturday, December 6th we are having our first "Greasy Fixins" Luncheon at the Banbury Building 17 at noon. Bring your friends, some food and tools and lets get busy with our greasy fixins.

update: also, please bring a plate, bowl, spoon or fork, cup, etc. as we won't have this for everyone.

also, there's talk of bike polo if you can bring a bike and mallet!

Greetings from Texas!

2008-11-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

What do you think about creating a name for this bike project idea group thing? If we did, it'd be easier to advertise for events and donations, and it's kind of the next step to establishing ourselves as a legitimate entity. The only somewhat good thing i'v ever come up with for a name is "Boneshakers Bicycle Initiative" or collective or cyclery, or community bike shop or whatever. I like boneshakers because back in 1860, before the advent of the highwheeler, it was one of the first bicycles to really start a social movement, wiki it or something to learn more.