Dirt oval track bike racing will begin Sept. 15th at William E. Smith Field in Allston. Should be fun to watch. All for the glory of a six-pack.
Time: Mondays (beginning Sept. 15) at 6:30pm
Location: William E. Smith Field, 250 Western Ave., Boston, MA
Cost: Free
Young guides will lead an 8-mile bike tour on Sunday June 22 in what could be an interesting perspective on the city. "MYRIDE, Multicultural Youth Riding in Diverse Environments, is a youth-led bike tour of Boston's South End, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods, followed by a celebratory barbecue."
You can register online in person from 9:30 am to 10:00 am before the tour starts at 10:00 am
Cost: $15
The ride starts at Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue, at 10 am. We’ll take about three hours to ride about seven miles, stopping along the way at railroad-related sites and at such historic landmarks as the Prospect Hill Tower and the Old Powder House. The ride will end at the Somerville Museum, where we’ll enjoy refreshments and an exhibit of the Somerville Preservation Awards.
Rain date is Sunday, June 1, same time and starting location. For more information, e-mail rnewman@thecia.net or call 617-628-8895.
We will ask for a voluntary $3 donation to support the activities of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission."
"Boston's bike initiative now headed by former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman is receiving mixed reviews with some grateful for the renewed attention while others still bemoan the hazards of Boston biking.
"For some of the bikers who ride on the streets of Boston every morning,
a major concern is resistance from city drivers and scary street
conditions. Malcolm Purinton, a Northeastern graduate student, has
found his two-mile commute from Jamaica Plain to class to be dangerous
and even, at times, life-threatening.
"I feel every time I get on my bike here I am risking my life," he
said. "You have to be on. There are no bike lanes on any roads and the
drivers have no respect for bikers."
***
While the appointment of Freedman may be a push in the right direction,
there is still much to be done in order to improve the conditions for
cyclists across Boston, some bicyclists said.
Some bike lanes end randomly (one stops at the crowded intersection at
Massachusetts and Huntington avenues). Weather conditions and
concurrent construction projects also stand in the way. Dennison said
these are only minor obstacles, and that although Boston has fallen
behind in the past few years, the city still holds immense potential to
act for the betterment of bicycling conditions."
(Image: Cambridge-based bike advocacy group: Bikes Not Bombs)
A psychiatrist decided that using delivery tricycles could help wean America from its dependence on cars and trucks so he started a company, the New Amsterdam Project, to test it out:
"In a city choked with diesel-spewing delivery trucks, the fledgling New Amsterdam Project (NAP), a Cambridge-based cargo-hauling company, is pedaling toward profits aboard an emissions-free fleet of urban "cargo trikes."
China, India, and other developing nations have long utilized bicycle-based delivery for many goods – but are shifting toward engine-powered vehicles. Across North America, bicycle delivery services exist in several cities. Yet pedal-powered hauling for cargo has been largely a no-show in the United States.
That makes NAP stand out for its sole focus on human-powered cargo delivery, says Andrew Brown, the company's founder and CEO. A psychiatrist by training and lover of all things bicycle-related, Mr. Brown launched the company last fall and now finds himself dividing time between cycling to companies where he counsels workers – and making deliveries."
The idea could be compelling for companies concerned about their carbon footprint but Mr. Brown needs to consult a branding expert. The New Amsterdam Project is a really obtuse name; it sounds like a wonky think-tank or nonprofit in New York and then there's that TV show about a detective who can't die.
Does Boston have a bike lane that's worse than the nominee in car-worshipping L.A.? Mike Mennonno thinks we can find one. Ideas?
