Archive for July, 2008

Teaching Bike Thieves a Lesson

Posted by Lauren on July 24th, 2008 filed in safety

Okay so we do not recommend this. In fact we explicitly advise against it, because it is illegal and would subject you to criminal and potentially significant civil damages. However, the component of this plan that entails tracking with a pay-as-you-go cell phone seems valuable.
This gentlemen invented an interesting bicycle theft deterent and [...]

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Xtra-Cycle makes Salon

Posted by Erik on July 24th, 2008 filed in Cool bikes, Joie de vivre, imminent death of car-based culture

My favorite bike! Gets featured in salon.com.
A great story about carrying two kids and a Weber grill around town on one bike.
–Erik Ryberg

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Pashley Bicycles

Posted by Erik on July 23rd, 2008 filed in Cool bikes, TPD shortcomings

My friend J. at 43bikes.com turned me on to these folks last night on the Tuesday Night Ride. I just finished work and poked around for them on the internet and found them here. Good lord they make gorgeous bicycles!
A new object of my desire and affection . . . .

Does no [...]

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My bicycle discoveries in Mexico

Posted by Erik on July 23rd, 2008 filed in Joie de vivre, Uncategorized

I was in Mexico last week and got reminded of something.
A few years ago I visited a friend who lives in Mexico City. Naturally I asked him if he could direct me to the bike-shop district. (In Mexico City, vendors of similar products congregate, so there is for example, a wedding-dress district, a [...]

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Watch out for bike theft!

Posted by Lauren on July 22nd, 2008 filed in safety

An article in last week’s Tucson Citizen entitled “Tucson Putting the Brakes on Bicycle Thefts” states that the number of reportedly stolen bikes in Tucson is at a three year low.  I am skeptical, however, of whether this data reflects the reality of how many bikes are actually being stolen.  Perhaps this number just indicates that [...]

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Enjoy this ride through a town in Holland . . . and then join us tonight!

Posted by Erik on July 22nd, 2008 filed in Joie de vivre, Tuesday night ride

Tuesday Night Community Bike Ride tonight! Watch the above video for some great inspiration, but beware — you may find yourself looking into the price of plane tickets to Amsterdam.
Bike ride tonight, 8 PM (or a little after . . . .) at the Flagpole at Old Main. Go to Park Ave and [...]

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Utah judge says “there must be consequences” for killing cyclist; sentences driver to 90 days jail

Posted by Erik on July 21st, 2008 filed in getting off easy again

A Utah judge has sentenced a motorist who drove into and killed a bicyclist and then fled the scene to 90 days in jail. He imposed this sentence, he said, because someone lost a life and so there must be consequences.
I guess what he meant was that ordinarily he wouldn’t punish a person for [...]

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Chicago sting is designed to protect pedestrians

Posted by Erik on July 21st, 2008 filed in TPD shortcomings, safety

I was out of email and internet contact, thank goodness, during all the ghost-bike stuff Lauren reported on below. But looking over the paper that Andrea Kelly’s article was in I found this article about a Chicago sting operation in which an undercover officer acting as a pedestrian steps into a cross walk and [...]

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Jose Rincon Ghost Bike is Replaced

Posted by Lauren on July 21st, 2008 filed in ghostbikes

A opinion piece from Saturday’s AZ Star entiteld “Thorns and Flowers” extends a thorn to the thief who removed the Jose Rincon Ghost Bike.  However, Jose’s father left this comment:
“A flower to whomever replaced my son’s bike. There’s a freshly painted bike back at the accident site. Some giveth, and some taketh away. As fast [...]

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Jose Rincon Ghost Bike is Stolen

Posted by Lauren on July 18th, 2008 filed in ghostbikes

The AZ Star reports that the Ghost Bike for Jose Rincon has been stolen from its eastside location and all that remains are some of the flowers that were once part of the memorial. Ari Shapiro, who installed the Ghost Bike, was contacted by the city earlier this week and was informed that the [...]

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