Bikecar

4 avid cyclists/snowboarders/adventurers build a bikecar, and take a rather involved snowboarding roadtrip, pedaling all the way.

Trying to curb global warming? Making a grand statement? Or just having some serious fun adventuring?

Thats for the viewer to decide.




(Via C.I.C.L.E)

Rock The Bike

A partnership between two cutting edge cyclepreneurs in the bay area, Rock The Bike is about making bike-street-party culture hipper than ever, taking fun on two wheels to new heights, and keepin' it fresh.


"We're developing a new school of bicycle advocacy, working off of the old writer's adage "Show, don't tell." If you want more people in your community to ride bikes, then get out their and make it look fun, cool, and sexy."

My Xtra moved to Ecovillage!

My Xtracycle headed out last night for an extended home stay at LA Ecovillage, under the expert care of Somerset Waters.

A musician, journeyman electrician, bike mechanic, and renewable energy wizard, Somer lives CARLESS IN LA so will no doubt put the Xtra to good use.

Last night we gathered at my friend Dan's house for the bike swap. Was highly impressive watching these two super-skilled bike mechanics perform the operation......wish my night photography were clearer!
















Heres Somer getting to know his new sidekick.....



I will now be riding my friend Riley's Xtracycle - as a spin instructor/trainer, her marathon daily sessions running/spinning leave her too tapped to bike commute. So I'll adopt her "princess", while mine gets a taste for life on the east side......thrilled to know my favorite little companion will be tooling around LA in such good hands, tapping into the unique Eco-Village/Bicycle Kitchen east side culture. Go get 'em tiger!

Water lite: 40% fewer chemicals

Than leading plastic-encased brands.

I recently lost my Soma water bottle, so thought I'd take this opportunity to remind people about plastics' pernicious leaching propensities.

Plastic may or may not leach toxic chemicals into our water bottles, at levels that may or may not have long term impacts on our endocrine system, that may or may not affect our reproductive system.

So we may or may not want to play it safe, by avoiding plastic when possible.

On the cycling front, I've searched for an eco-friendly, non-plastic, lightweight alternative for some time now. The front runners thus far:


*My lovely new SIGG bottle. This I use for commuting. For distance/sport cycling, doesn't quite meet most cyclists' featherweight criteria;

*The Soma Bottle. Though plastic, at least a better alternative for cyclists, a special non-leaching plastic that won't make your water taste like a chemical reduction sauce;

*That light-weight, bio-plastic bottle that won't disintegrate after a few rides......damn, isn't out there yet.

When in doubt, avoid the plastic altogether.

Freaked out by Global Warming

Thats right, Kipchoges freaked out.

Watch how he deals with his freaked-out-ness.

You're freaked out too?

So what are you going to do?

Green Living Workshops in Santa Monica

A bit of a departure from strictly bike related, but as biking fits into the larger "sustainable living" family, going to plug this great local resource....

Sustainable Works, the organization I currently work for, offers ongoing "green living" workshops, 6-week community classes on how to adopt clean, green lifestyle changes into your daily routine. Next cycle starts Wednesday, March 7th, 7-8:30 at Wild Oats.

With no personal bias involved (of course) classes are fun, informative, and actually inspire people to make real changes - saving water and energy, cutting back on waste, slashing utility bills etc. in a social, group setting.

Instructor Barent Roth, who some may know as the local Green Drinks organizer, is an industrial designer, former professor, and extremely knowledgeable about all things sustainable.



Additionally, members learn alot from each other....classes often attract people who are experts in a particular area, and want to broaden their knowledge. Photo here shows one of our workshop members Dave Chameides leading a discussion on transportation. A renewable energy expert, (Dave has retrofitted two cars to run on vegetable oil) he now gives inspiring talks to school groups all over Los Angeles, and was kind enough to share with us, his class was a hit!














Note the rapt attention....and can you spot the bike in the background?

Groups meet weekly for 6 sessions, each week covering a different topic (water, energy, waste, transportation, chemicals, and food/shopping) in various community venues around town.

To sign up for next weeks workshop at Wild Oats, or to keep informed about upcoming courses, just drop me a line: cummins_anna@smc.edu or call (310)458-8716.

And if you do join, do your best to bike, bus, walk, or carpool.