BikeAthens' weekly newsletter highlights upcoming events, news of volunteers, and opportunities to advocate for multi-modes of transportation in Athens Clarke County, GA. Consider joining our organization and becoming active in our work or simply support us by continuing to be apprised of what we're about. Either way, you're important to us. ~BikeAthens
Join Us Friday, May 3, at City Hall for Athens Group Ride!
Tonight at UGA Chapel! Jeff Speck to Talk on Book, 'Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America'
Daily Grocery Staff Gets Instruction on Cycle Repair Station
Join 'Team Bike Athens' for National Bike Challenge
Down the Road and Elsewhere: BikeAthens & National Bike Month, Bike to School, Work Days; Percentage Night at Terrapin; Tour de Fat; CycloFemme; Riding for a Reason; Smart Cycling 101
Article: What's Your Neighborhood's Walkability Score?
See Athens Differently! Join Us at City Hall for the May Athens Group Ride
Join us and you're guaranteed to see Athens in a refreshingly different way!
With cyclists of all ages and abilities in mind, BikeAthens will host its 2nd group ride of 2013, Friday, May 3. Bikers will meet at City Hall on the corner of Lumpkin and Washington Streets and will wind their way through 5.2 miles of Athens' neighborhoods, ending at Little Kings Shuttle Club on Hancock St. for a social. Click on the map to see an enlarged view of the route we'll take.
For those new to the group rides, a leader guides the group at a casual pace and makes stops along the way to check on all riders. Another cyclist takes the rear and checks on all who might run into a mechanical problem.
Safety is a priority and all cycling laws will be followed. Please bring water and wear a helmet! See Group Ride on Facebook.
Author to Speak Tonight at 6PM in UGA Chapel!
Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time
Author Jeff Speck will speak on his new book Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, 6 - 7:30PM, May 1 at UGA Chapel. A book signing will be held afterwards at Transmetropolitan Downtown. The event is free and open to the public. Parking is also free at downtown decks. (See More on Event)
"Jeff Speck, co-author of the landmark bestseller Suburban Nation, is a city planner who advocates for smart growth and sustainable design. As the former director of design at the National Endowment for the Arts, he oversaw the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, where he worked with dozens of American mayors on their most pressing city planning challenges. He leads a design practice based in Washington, D.C." (from Amazon "About the Author, April 16, 2013)
BRP Tutors Daily Grocery Staff on Cycle Repair Stand for Customers
Photos: (Top) Bike Recycling Program Council member Basil Campbell talks to Daily Groceries Co-op staff Thursday about the special uses of tools on the Daily's new bike repair stand. The stand was installed Sunday by Daily Grocery as a service to their cycling customers and to promote one of their mottos, "Cycle Daily!" (Bottom left) Teaming up with Basil, Richard Shoemaker, BRP Council member, explains the use of the tire tools attached to the stand. (Bottom right) A Daily Grocery customer uses the bike repair stand to oil his bike. The unique repair stand that has essential tools to repair minor bicycle problems and make several key adjustments was built by Mike Ely, former BikeAthens Board Chairman.
Join "Team BikeAthens" for the National Bike Challenge in May!
Join Team BikeAthens, Team Georgia Bikes, or go solo! However you choose, here's a fun way to motivate yourself to cycle more for transportation, fitness, and recreation: The National Bike Challenge 2013.
This "Challenge" is a free online program that officially starts today.
In 2012, more than 30,000 Americans joined the National Bike Challenge and rode more 12 million miles between May 1 and August 31," according to
Katie Omberg, events and outreach manager for The League of American Bicyclists. "Well, the Challenge is back in just a few weeks — and this year we’re raising the bar. Our goal: 50,000 riders logging 20 million miles!"
Brent Buice, director of Georgia Bikes! posted this helpful message in April for anyone considering joining:
"1) Right now, we're in the "warm up" period. Your points will be re-set to zero on May 1st when the Challenge officially begins.
2) You *must* record your rides to gain points in the Challenge. You can do it manually on this site, through the free Endomondo app for your smartphone, or you can upload ride data from a Garmin.
3) The Challenge ain't just for roadies! Regular commuters can rack up points too, even if your ride is just a few miles. You get plenty of points for riding often ...of course, if you ride 50 miles a day, you'll blow us all away!"
May 11 - Bikes, Beer & Bemusement: Tour de Fat Atlanta 2013
"Tour de Fat, a daylong festival in the park that celebrates the bicycle, showcases New Belgium beers and provides eclectic and engaging entertainment for all." So says Atlanta Buzz. "It’s a free event, but all proceeds from beer sales goes to local nonprofits. In Atlanta the benefiting nonprofits are Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, SOPO and SORBA. Over its course, Tour de Fat has raised more than $2 million for nonprofit organizations." (Full Story)
May 12 - CycloFemme Global Women's Cycling Day Empowers Women Cyclists!
"CycloFemme is a Global Women's Cycling Day created TO HONOR THE PAST and the emancipation of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, for the freedom to choose and the chance to wear pants. TO CELEBRATE THE PRESENT and the riders who keep it rolling, bringing women's racing to the forefront, pushing the limits, breaking down barriers and sharing the love of the bike with everyone along the way. TO EMPOWER THE FUTURE of women in cycling and the opportunity for positive social change. Encourage women to ride and they will change the world," the CycloFemme website states.
May 18 - 'Riding for a Reason' Promotes 'Quality of Life'
This sagged and supported ride will benefit the Athens Land Trust in its mission to "promote the quality of life through the integration of community and the natural environment by preserving land, creating energy efficient and affordable housing, and revitalizing neighborhoods."
Athens Land Trust's "Riding for a Reason" takes place Saturday, May 18th and will feature a metric century loop
(approximately 65 miles) from Bishop to the Wiley farm in Jersey and back. The route will be through Good Hope, Jersey, Social Circle, and Bostwick with shorter options available.
The sign-up fee is $30 fee until May 3rd, and $40 after that. You can register at RIDE REGISTRATION or by printing out the registration form at athenslandtrust.org.
May 25 - Put Smart Cycling 101 on Your Radar!
Three League of American Cyclists instructors in Athens are hoping to host a Smart Cycling 101 class in late May if their plans can come together. Michael Brugger, Paul Quick, and Tyler Dewey ask persons to mark May 25th on their calendars if they are interested in learning to cycle safely and confidently in Athens.
"We think that many people are reluctant
to cycle in Athens because they don't feel quite safe. The Smart Cycling 101 course is designed to alleviate those fears through in-depth instruction," Tyler Dewey says. All three men are certified League Cycling Instructors. Look to future newsletters for updates on this course.
Article
What's Your Neighborhood's 'Walk Score'? Find Out With This Interesting Website
Walk Score's mission is to promote walkable neighborhoods: "Walkable neighborhoods are one of the simplest and best solutions for the environment, our health, and our economy," the private company says. This app is a tool of businesses and realtors to promote the location of their properties, but allows anyone to measure the walking access of any location in the United States.
According to WalkScore.com, the average Georgia city scores 35 points on the walkability scale. Measure your neighborhood's and workplace's scores to see how they rank. Here's a gauge.
We're sharing this website in the newsletter as an interesting and fun tool, not the absolute model of walkability scoring. For a more serious look at WalkScore, see this article in Wikipedia.
Did You Know?
'Share the Road' Car Tag Sales Support BikeAthens, GeorgiaBikes!
Funds from these tags support Georgia Bikes!, partner organizations in Athens (BikeAthens), Atlanta, and Savannah, and allow for statewide advocacy, education, and outreach efforts through the GA Governor's Office of Highway Safety. (Details)
