M55’s Terminus is an imposing, uncanny $35,000 contraption which looks and works unlike any bike I’ve ever seen. It’s heavier, too, at 65 pounds, which is offset by the output of an electric motor built into its CNC-milled aluminum frame. Engine power is mashed with your pedaling via a system of sprockets and chains which connect to the crankset. The motor is powered by lithium-ion cells which give it a range of 62 miles.
The mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania was so upset with luxury cars parking in the city’s bicycle lanes he held a demonstration to express his displeasure — using a troop carrier to crush a junked Mercedes W140, just like the Soviets used to.
Mayor Arturas Zuokas said he learned how to drive the Soviet BTR to send a message: “I want to point that if you have a car and more money (it) does not mean that you can park it everywhere,” he said. How very un-American.
Bike to Work Day 2011 - Itinerary
Bike To Work Day is this Friday on May 20th !
Here are the plans:
1. Preliminary Preparations
a. Register so you can get nice handouts at the event. (Registration link: http://www.baltometro.org/commuter-options/bike-to-work-day)
b. *Please* get yourself and your bike in order. Do some rides in advance. A rare few people in the past made this event their first ride of the season and had problems. A problem on your first ride of the season is not an unexpected problem.
c. Preview the AM and PM ride routes in the ‘Group files’ area on cooler.
d. Preview the ‘hazards’ slides in the ‘Group files’ area on cooler so you know what to look out for. In the morning the main problem is the traffic circle shown on slide 5. In the evening the main problem is gravel on the downhill shoulder of Sanner road shown in slide 4. If you ride into Main Campus, look at Slide 8 to learn about the hidden stop sign hazard. Let me know if you have questions on how to handle these situations.
2. May 20, Morning
a. (optional) Turn on GPS recording if you have it. I’m thinking we can combine routes from multiple JHU divisions into a single map.
b. 7:00 AM: drive or ride to the Columbia Mall, Sears Auto Service side. The event’s official time is 7:00 to 9:30. Getting there before 7AM is best, they will be set up and ready.
c. 7:30 AM: Ride the AM route to APL
d. 8:20 AM: Group photo at JHU/APL Main Entrance
3. May 20, Evening, all these are optional:
a. 5:00 PM: (optional) Group photo at APLFCU Main Entrance. This is the new building right on Hopkins Rd.
b. 5:10 PM: (optional) Looney’s Pub Maple Lawn Bike to Work Day Happy Hour
c. (optional) Ride the PM route back to Mall, or just ride home anyway you want to. Rides home have are not ‘organized’.
d. (optional) Send me your GPS route file after you get home.
Other stuff:
• I have a question in to the organizer about parking at the mall and riding from there. It has been done in the past with no problem. Security is higher than usual at the mall lately, I’m guessing because there was a jewelry store robbery. So I thought I should ask in advance about parking.
• Email me or text me if you can’t make it and want me to pick your freebie bag up.
Looking forward to seeing you there, it is great fun !
Thanks,
Fran Horan
“House Bill 363 - the Manslaughter by Vehicle - Criminal Negligence bill was signed into law today by Governor O’Malley. Bike Maryland (http://bikemd.org) gives thanks to the many dedicated partners (Delegate Simmons and the Maryland General Assembly, Mid-Atlantic AAA, City of Rockville, Washington Area Bicycle Association, League of American Bicyclists and more) and the advocates that worked together to bring this legislation to fruition.”
Ride up a couple or three hills the weekend before the 4th of July. Three days, three hundred miles, give or take a little (shorter options available). Registration will remain open until June 10th. I’m only coughing up one lung here, see? Easy-peasy.
Register for Bike to Work Day — Friday May 20, 2011
The annual Bike to Work (B2W) Day rally for Howard County will be held on Friday May 20th in The Mall in Columbia parking lot behind Sears. This year’s event will last from 7-9:30 am with ceremony and prize drawings starting at around 7:30. All registered participants are guaranteed a B2W t-shirt and Howard County is also providing a cycling/running hat and an athletic bag/pack; there will be additional giveaways provided by sponsors. The raffle (ticket to each participant) prize drawing will include: a Giant Cypress DX hybrid bike (19” frame), 2 tickets to a Merriweather Post Pavilion concert of your choice, and several other prizes and gift certificates. In addition, an afternoon optional Happy Hour/B2W Social is being arranged and more details will be provided as soon as this event is firmed up.
Registration and additional information at: http://www.bike2workcentralmd.com
Click on Register for B2W Day 2011 and be sure to select Howard County – Columbia Mall
Routes to various locations in the County from the Mall can be found on Bikely.com web site by searching for Columbia, MD or clicking on: http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/by/ayergey
Please pass this to all Howard County Clubs and cycling groups.
Note: BAHC will be holding a Road Biking 101 class for new road cyclists and/or aspiring bike commuters on Sunday May 1st more details and registration on: http://www.BikeHoCo.org
Jack Guarneri
Bicycling Advocates of Howard County
