Steve Buchtel, executive director of Trails for Illinois, was a great speaker at the Illinois Bike Summit held in Normal, Illinois, in May. One of his hot-button issues? Inadequate bicycle facility signage. It’s not enough to put up a small sign with the name of a trail or, worse, the generic phrase “Bike Route.” You need destinations and the distances to them. In some instances, poorly signed trails are invisible to people who live nearby. Want to encourage bicycling in your community? Remember the basics: parking, maps and signs that encourage bicycle travel–and commerce. They work everywhere you go. (Two Wheel Travel)
Speaking of maps, if you’re headed to Moline, Illinois, or another of the Quad Cities, the “Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has created a new online bicycle guide on their website at http://www.visitquadcities.com with maps and descriptions for places along the Mississippi River Trail, Great River Trail, Duck Creek bike path, and Arsenal Island.” (Quad-Cities Online)
Michael Embacher has a World War 2 BSA Paratrooper bicycle in his show at the Portland (Oregon) Art Museum. This folding bicycle was designed to be dropped out of an airplane under its own parachute and descend wheels up. Its fully extended and loosely secured handlebar stem and seat post would push into the frame during the landing, helping to cushion the blow. Can’t make it to Oregon this year? If you can find a dealer for the Diopark model, you can have your very own British Military bike in 1/35 scale. (Oregon Live)
Tom Allen says the Tern Link P24h, a folding bicycle with 20-inch wheels and 24 gears, makes a capable touring bicycle, especially when combined with British train and ferry travel. One reason? You avoid all the disassembly, packing, reassembly and repacking at transit stops. (Tom’s Bike Trip)
Imagine a handlebar compatible with a 25.4 stem clamp that combines the forward reach of bullhorns with the relaxed, upright position of flat, swept-back bars. You just imagined a handlebar with four ends and a possible alternative to your current setup. Especially if you never ride in the drops, because there aren’t any. Check out the prototype. (Velo Orange)
My original career, as a bicycle mechanic, began when I decided to fix the broken rear axle on my Sears Hawthorne. Susan Lindell’s career started with a busted 10-speed. But Susan still makes her living fixing bikes. Find out why she set aside her guitar for a truing stand. (League of American Bicyclists)
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