Dana tells up about the Girls and Gear event that took place at a bike shop in Portland, Maine. In the video from the event, Fuji Marketing Director Karen Bliss talks about women’s specific design bikes from Fuji.

More bicycle news

Bikes for Kids Utah received a $40,000 grant from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation to help provide new bicycles for 1,000 underprivileged third graders during Bikes for Kids Utah’s annual bicycle giveaway.

“Bicycles give children the chance to exercise, learn about safety, develop great skills and just have fun,” said Joe Sorenson, trustee of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation. “We are delighted with this unique opportunity to enrich the lives of kids in our community.”

On Saturday, May 31, Bikes for Kids Utah will give new bicycles and helmets to 1,000 pre-qualified third graders from the Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the Salt Lake City region. Visit Bikes for Kids Utah for more information.

Megabus cancels San Jose to Los Angeles Service. More here. Remaining bus options include Greyhound and California Shuttle Bus.

Silicon Valley Ride of Silence takes place Wednesday evening, May 21st, beginning at the Homestead High School student parking lot in Sunnyvale at 6:45 PM. The ride will be in silence and will proceed at about 12 mph. Riders are asked to wear black arm bands, or red arm bands if they have been injured in an accident caused by a motor vehicle. The 4 ¼ mile ride will go to the Stevens Creek Reservoir Parking, passing by a memorial for Matt Peterson and Christy, the cyclists who were killed on Stevens Canyon Road on March 9.

Santa Cruz Ride of Silence on Wednesday meets at Sprockets Bike Shop (1420 Mission Street at Trescony) at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, May 21. The 10 mile ride begins promptly at 7:00 PM. Helmets are required. The ride is open to any and all riders who would like to show their support, young or old, beginner or expert, recumbent or fixie, road or mountain.

Cozy Beehives links to a cool video on how bicycle helmets are made.

CyclePong 2.0. Wow.

WIRED blog’s tips on Five ways to make bike commuting easy.

Instructables: Solar powered tricycle.

100,000 to bike to work in Bay Area

East Bay Business News: Up to 100,000 in the Bay Area expected to bike to work.

Mercury News: Oh so smug in spandex: I bike to work

Palo Alto Weekly: Bike commuters of the year.

Palo Alto Weekly: List of Palo Alto Energizer Stations [PDF]

Mercury News: Panel of judges overturns manslaughter conviction of truck driver who hit and killed a cyclist.

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Dead cyclist’s parents sue over death on Mission Street.

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Cycling along Mission Street is awful. Doh!

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Mission Street cyclist ban impractical.

Trips for Kids National (TFK) today announced it is hosting a Pre-Conference for TFK chapters in conjunction with the 2008 International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) World Summit taking place in Park City, Utah, this coming June. The conference will cover how to start a Trips for Kids advocacy program, promote it, respond to challenges and how to ensure long-term chapter success.

The TFK Pre-conference is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Park City Marriott, and is for current TFK chapters and those interested in starting a new TFK chapter.

“Trips for Kids is honored to partner with IMBA at its upcoming World Summit,” said Marilyn Price, founder and director of TFK. “Many TFK chapters consist of IMBA members, and IMBA clubs are natural vehicles to start TFK chapters, so it made sense to meet together before the conference to share ideas and best practices.”

The TFK Pre-Conference Workshop will address how to start and promote a program, respond to challenges, use the bicycle as an education tool and guarantee the long-term success of an individual chapter. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 18, there will be a facilitated workshop for TFK and other youth biking groups.

“The goal of adding youth topics to the IMBA Summit agenda and including Trips for Kids in the session is to identify barriers, find solutions and ultimately inspire more youth biking programs around the globe,” said Mike Van Abel, director of IMBA.

To that end, Quality Bicycle Product’s Advocacy Director Gary Sjoquist requested that QBP’s sponsorship of the IMBA World Summit be directed toward making Summit scholarships available to Trips for Kids chapters.

“With more than 60 chapters nationwide, it made sense to use our sponsorship funds to help get these folks to the Summit,” said Sjoquist. “Kids are the future of mountain biking, and both IMBA and Trips for Kids are helping get kids on mountain bikes and out on the trails.”

The 2008 IMBA World Summit begins immediately following the TFK Pre-Conference on Wednesday, June 18, and ends Saturday, June 21. Price and TFK Chapter members are also participating in panel discussions concerning mountain bicycling and trail stewardship among youth during the Summit.

Bikes Belong is celebrating the joy of cycling and trailbuilding this spring by awarding six recreation-focused grants to grassroots groups across the country. The projects—all made possible by dedicated volunteers—include a riverfront path, a freeride trail, a BMX freestyle park, and some really sweet backcountry singletrack. From all of us at Bikes Belong, enjoy the ride!

The Willimantic Whitewater Partnership will receive $10,000 to help build the Hop River/Airline Trail Extension bike path as part of their riverfront recreation park. Bikes Belong’s grant will match SAFETEA-LU and Recreational Trails Program funding for the dynamic project, which also includes a whitewater park for kayakers.

Willimantic Whitewater Partnership is an innovative community coalition of corporations, families, and nonprofits working together to revitalize the historic riverfront and create a recreation hub in the town of Willimantic. The multi-use path will link to the East Coast Greenway, a national trail extending from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine.

More about WWP. . .

The Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association (CORBA) will use their $10,000 award to help build a freeride trail in the Mount Hillyer area of the Chilao Recreation Area and enhance the surrounding trail system. Bikes Belong’s funding will leverage pending grants from local businesses as well as donations from CORBA members and other local riders.

CORBA has gained the full support of the Forest Service for this exciting project, which sets a huge precedent: It will be the first legal freeride trail in Angeles National Forest.

More about CORBA. . .

The Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) will receive $9,200 for their Green Mountain National Forest Access Program. This grant will help VMBA in its effort to reconstruct and extend three sections of singletrack in the Green Mountain National Forest’s Moosalamoo National Recreation Area—previously off-limits to mountain bikes. Bikes Belong’s funding will leverage a National Forest Foundation grant as well as state funding for this important mountain bike initiative.

VMBA, the state’s stellar mountain bike advocacy group, works to increase ridership in Vermont while minimizing impact on public lands through sustainable trailbuilding and stewardship. They also foster active, healthy lifestyles through Trailheads, their youth mountain biking program, and are working to promote mountain biking at eastern ski areas in the summer months.

More about VMBA. . .

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) will use their $5,000 grant to help complete the final 4 miles of the North Yuba Trail—referred to as the Golden Spoke—which will connect 14 miles of singletrack. This non-motorized trail will enable cross-country mountain bikers to ride to the renowned Downieville trails from town instead of drive.

SBTS has established itself as a strong partner with the National Forest Service and promotes community support for trails through their innovative Trail Adoption program. They’ve also garnered state funding for this project.

More about SBTS. . .

Friends of Pathways will receive $5,000 for their “Order of the Arrow” initiative, which will replace 10.5 miles of eroding, illegal trails with fun, sustainable singletrack on Teton Pass. Bikes Belong’s funding will bolster grants and volunteer hours from the National Forest Foundation and the Teton Freedom Riders. More than 650 Boy Scouts from the trail’s namesake service team will donate their time to trail construction this summer.

Friends of Pathways promotes active healthy lifestyles through great trail facilities. Their advocacy and fundraising work helps to connect and enhance communities and recreation opportunities—from paved paths to backcountry trails—in and around Jackson Hole.

More about Friends of Pathways. . .

The Village of Mexico, New York, will use their $5,000 award to complete the Freedom Skate/BMX Park. Bikes Belong’s funding will go toward bike-specific elements in the park and help leverage city funding as well as money raised by the BMX and skate communities. The Tony Hawk Foundation has also contributed to this great project.

The shared-use facility, which has strong support from the city’s mayor and parks & recreation commissioner, will provide a place for freestyle BMX riders and skaters to coexist happily—and free of charge. It will also be a venue for events, clinics, and after-school programs.

If projects like these get your adrenalin pumping, head to Park City, Utah, June 18–21 for the IMBA World Mountain Bike Summit. Bikes Belong is a proud sponsor, and we’ll be representing (and riding) at the event. Hope to see you there!

More about the IMBA Summit. . .

About Bikes Belong

Bikes Belong Coalition is the U.S. bicycle industry organization dedicated to putting more people on bicycles more often. Bikes Belong lobbies to increase federal bike funding, awards grants to support innovative bike projects, promotes bicycling and its benefits, and backs crucial national efforts such as Safe Routes to School, Bicycle Friendly Communities, and the National Bike Summit. The affiliated Bikes Belong Foundation focuses on improving bicycle safety and enhancing children’s bike programs.

Since Bikes Belong’s Grants Program began in 1999, we have funded 166 grant proposals in 44 states and the District of Columbia, awarding nearly $1.3 million in cash and leveraging more than $476 million in federal, state, and private funding. Our facilities grants alone have helped finance nearly 1,400 miles of bike paths and trails that link close to 6,400 miles of trail facilities.

For more information, visit bikesbelong.org.

Teacher Joyce McCusker of Herndon, Va., owns a bicycle for the first time in years. She bought it last month and uses it to make the eight-mile trip home from work.

Bicycle shops across the country are reporting strong sales so far this year, and more people are bringing in bikes that have been idled for years, said Fred Clements, executive director the National Bicycle Dealers Association.

Mark Krenz, 48, is giving it a try. The Bismarck auto-parts store manager recently spent $750 on the 24-speed bike and is building up his mileage to prepare for his hilly commute.

“In this business, everybody is constantly talking about how to save gas,” Krenz said. “I bought a bike because I figure it’s a good way to save money, get in shape and save wear and tear on my pickup.”

Rocky Schell, owner of Val’s Cycle in Minot, said this may be one of the best years in the history of the shop, started by his father in 1960.

It’s seeing a spike in the number of tuneups and repairs, which had been declining for the past 15 years. Schell said he’s also selling lots of bike trailers designed to haul children — customers are using them for groceries instead.

Dahl, the Bismarck bike shop owner, said he’s worked several on “dusty and rusty” bicycles that hadn’t been ridden in at least 25 years. He said many families have told him that that they intend to go on a bicycle tour this summer instead of driving somewhere for vacation.

“Millions of people have bicycles hanging in the garage and they’re getting them down and riding them,” said Rebecca Anderson, advocacy director for Trek Bicycle Corp. “People are looking at the bicycle as more than just a toy.”

Read more in this Associated Press article.

See also:

• Drivers turning to bicycles because of high gas prices. (Video also available)
• Some commuters prefer pedaling to work.
• Los Angeles: Riding a bike to work is more than a healthy commute: It’s a sign of adulthood.
• Wasau, WI: Let’s go for an easy bicycle commute.

Remember, May is National Bike Month in much of the United States. Bike To Work Day is Thursday, May 15 in California and many other locations.