Here's one from the front page of BikeFurniture that really caught my eye. Awesome!
They have a ton of other really cool pieces, and some interesting details about where the idea behind all this came from. Check it out!
11.15.2007
Amazing Bike Furniture
An article over at Inhabitat, one of my favorite green-oriented blogs gives a great overview of Andy Gregg's fantastic furniture creations, built with repurposed bicycle parts. I think this is a really cool idea. It promotes cycling in a way, and links cycling to being green!
Here's one from the front page of BikeFurniture that really caught my eye. Awesome!
Here's one from the front page of BikeFurniture that really caught my eye. Awesome!
11.13.2007
77% of Americans Drive Alone to Work
According to the 2005 census (click here for the press release) 77% of Americans still drive to work alone. On top of that, 87.7% of workers prefer driving to work over alternative modes of transportation.
Top ten cities, ranked by percentage of bicycling commuters:
City - Percentage
- Portland - 3.5
- Minneapolis - 2.4
- Seattle - 2.3
- Tucson - 2.2
- San Francisco - 1.8
- Sacramento - 1.8
- Washington DC - 1.7
- Oakland - 1.5
- Honolulu - 1.4
- Denver - 1.4
It will be interesting to see what the next census says. I'm going to guess that these percentages go up, by just a little. An interesting fact: The national average according to the census is 0.4%. The lowest ranking city is Kansas City, MO with 0.0%. Apparently there's a ripe market in KC for selling some bicycles!
11.12.2007
Urban Commuter Cycling: Save the planet and get in shape!
Here in the icy lands of the north, known by many as Minneapolis, Minnesota, we are blessed with one of the highest cyclist-per-capita ratios in the United States. Every day, rain or shine or snow, I see people spinning to unknown destinations.
Put simply, it's a great thing. I'm becoming more and more of an advocate for the environment, and have been making efforts to curtail my own daily resource consumption. To my dismay, most days I still need to drive the 1 mile to work, because I need to transport myself between offices.
Recently, a massive walk bridge has been installed that completely alleviates the inconvenience of crossing the busiest intersection in the neighborhood. Now, trails permeate the entire suburb, and I look forward to seeing even more cycling going on.
This led me to thinking, "What is the main factor limiting people to cycling for fun, and not for a commute?" It's not for lack of bike trails and lanes. It's not crowding, either! I know for some people, planning the extra time in the morning and after work for a cycle commute seems like a major inconvenience. But, with all the additions to the trails, walk bridges and tunnels should reduce many people's commutes, as the only time you generally stop on your bicycle is at an intersection. So, if time really isn't that big of a difference, what is it? For some, it is most likely the effort needed to get the bike to move. But I would still say that it's mainly due to the huge amount of buildup around driving a car, and all the conveniences it can provide you with. Now, what they don't illuminate quite as well are the huge inconveniences that also accompanies owning a car.
Let's look at a few: (Commenters, please feel free to provide ideas to add to this list!)
-High maintenance cost (My average repair bill has stayed around $400 for my vehicle!)
-High insurance cost (You don't need insurance to ride your bicycle!)
-High infrastructure cost (This correlates with a high cost to the environment, and burdening every state's meager budget with yearly upkeep and employment costs)
-Environmental impact (Your car still kills the planet, even if it runs on batteries and sunlight. If not while operating, certainly while being constructed.)
I still forsee a large amount of growth in the USA for the cycling industry. As gas prices are still on the rise, environmental concerns are becoming a reality that can't be overlooked or refuted by shoddy journalism, and people are more concerned about maintaining their health with exercise, more and more people will turn to cycling, a fun and environmentally concious mode of transportation. Don't forget to wear your helmets!
Put simply, it's a great thing. I'm becoming more and more of an advocate for the environment, and have been making efforts to curtail my own daily resource consumption. To my dismay, most days I still need to drive the 1 mile to work, because I need to transport myself between offices.
Recently, a massive walk bridge has been installed that completely alleviates the inconvenience of crossing the busiest intersection in the neighborhood. Now, trails permeate the entire suburb, and I look forward to seeing even more cycling going on.
This led me to thinking, "What is the main factor limiting people to cycling for fun, and not for a commute?" It's not for lack of bike trails and lanes. It's not crowding, either! I know for some people, planning the extra time in the morning and after work for a cycle commute seems like a major inconvenience. But, with all the additions to the trails, walk bridges and tunnels should reduce many people's commutes, as the only time you generally stop on your bicycle is at an intersection. So, if time really isn't that big of a difference, what is it? For some, it is most likely the effort needed to get the bike to move. But I would still say that it's mainly due to the huge amount of buildup around driving a car, and all the conveniences it can provide you with. Now, what they don't illuminate quite as well are the huge inconveniences that also accompanies owning a car.
Let's look at a few: (Commenters, please feel free to provide ideas to add to this list!)
-High maintenance cost (My average repair bill has stayed around $400 for my vehicle!)
-High insurance cost (You don't need insurance to ride your bicycle!)
-High infrastructure cost (This correlates with a high cost to the environment, and burdening every state's meager budget with yearly upkeep and employment costs)
-Environmental impact (Your car still kills the planet, even if it runs on batteries and sunlight. If not while operating, certainly while being constructed.)
I still forsee a large amount of growth in the USA for the cycling industry. As gas prices are still on the rise, environmental concerns are becoming a reality that can't be overlooked or refuted by shoddy journalism, and people are more concerned about maintaining their health with exercise, more and more people will turn to cycling, a fun and environmentally concious mode of transportation. Don't forget to wear your helmets!
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