The features on Teague’s Pulse urban commuter bicycle include electric turn signals controlled from the handlebars and a luminescent frame that lights up when you need it. We especially love the specialized caged bike pedals–they’re counterweighted to always sit “the right way round,” allowing the rider to benefit from their three-fold increase in efficiency without suffering from having to clip into upside down pedals at every stoplight.

More photos and details at Core 77. Via Velo Paint.

James @ Bicycle Design hasn’t mentioned Teague yet but I’m sure he will soon. I just like the pretty colors and go “oooh ahhhh” while James, who does design for a living, makes intelligent commentary.

Who’d a thunk that there’s a National Stop on Red Week? The “National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running” works to draw attention to the problems of running red lights.

In 2007 in the U.S., almost 900 people were killed and an estimated 153,000 were injured in crashes that involved red light running.

According to the Campaign, public costs exceed $14 billion per year, and more than half of the deaths in red light running crashes are other motorists and pedestrians. There is no doubt that red light runners are dangerous drivers who irresponsibly put others at risk. In America’s cities ― where too often the yellow light has come to symbolize “hurry up” instead of “slow down” ― red light running is the leading cause of all urban automobile crashes.

Several police departments have stepped up red light enforcement this week, and I’ve seen several reports that cyclists are surprised to get caught in this sting, too. Stop at the red, please, and thank you.

Video below from red light photo manufacturer American Traffic Solutions.

Larry and his wife ride their matching folding Dahon bicycles to get around their retirement community in Scotts Valley, California.

This couple especially appreciate the low frame that enables them to mount their bikes without swinging a leg over a tall top tube. “My wife has an artificial hip,” Larry tells me, “and she can’t get on a regular bike.”

Last week, the US House of Representatives approved an additional $2 billion for the Cash for Clunkers program, in which consumers can receive a rebate up to $4,500 when they trade their old(er) car in for a brand new car. The U.S. Senate must still approve the bill.

Over the past decade, Amtrak has had to make do with about $1.2 billion in annual funding. Transit systems nationwide, who often provide the only transportation for the working poor, are hiking fares and cutting service. People who already own working cars, however, get a very substantial cash benefit with absolutely no concession expected from them.

Paul Dorn promised some thought on Cash for Clunkers also, though he hasn’t posted them yet (as of Sunday afternoon). He vented some of his thoughts on a discussion list so I hope he’ll publish them in a more public forum.

Elsewhere…

Holy Man: “Don’t give me any guff about transit and cyclists not paying their fair share, when the government is subsidizing private car ownership.”

SF Streetsblog: “The “cash for clunkers” rebate program, which promises new auto buyers up to $4,500 for fuel-efficiency upgrades as small as 2 miles per gallon, is back to life after burning through $1 billion in taxpayer cash.”

Green Grok analyzes the life cycle breakdown of how Cash for Clunkers works out.

World News Daily Blog: Cash for Clunkers benefits disappointing.

Baltimore Spokes: Your tax dollars at work to sell more horse and buggy whips.

Plan ignores bikes; 45 days to respond to DEIR

The Draft Environment Impact Review for the proposed 49ers Stadium in Santa Clara contains absolutely no provision for bicycling, and completely ignores the impact that stadium traffic will have on area cyclists who use the roads and trails.

Sunnyvale resident (and former member of the Sunnyvale BPAC) Patrick Grant urges all area cyclists to comment on the Draft EIR:

If you were considering riding the long proposed Hetch Hetchy aquaduct Trail, to Stadium, or between Cisco area and Sunnyvale or interconnecting directly between the trails in the heart of Silicon Valley tech industry, the 49 stadium EIR says nothing about bike transportation, zero, zip, its not in Santa Clara’s vocabulary. We need massive response to the EIR and to Santa Clara Council.

FYI, the Hetch Hetchy trail is on top of the Hetch Hetchy aquaduct from Cisco in First street to Sunnyvale and provides a direct route between them and it and Three Creeks trail (also endangered by car centric city planners) is the only trail interconnect central to the area. The trail route which sits yards from stadium and Great America has been in the county trail plan since the early 90’s at least. Hetch Hetchy trail parallels Tasman, a popular commuter route and access to ACE train. There is no mention of cars impact to bikability of Tasman or any other street in area either.

We need you help before it’s too late. Everyone please respond to the DEIR. Let every biker in the area know the DEIR and lack of any mitigation to bikers, will FOREVER MAKE THIS AREA UNBIKABLE!. Also, contact our VTA BPAC Representatives.

THERE IS NOW LESS THAN 45 DAYS FOR OUR RESPONSE!

I’ve been experimenting with using Energizer’s “Trailfinder” headlamps. I generally haven’t had much luck attaching hiking headlamps to my bike helmet — the sloped helmets I use makes the elastic strap just slip up and off — but I’ve managed to figure out a couple of tricks.

The first trick is to secure the strap by running a small piece of tape or a zip tie through a vent hole to hold the strap in place. That’s what my son used during our bike trip last May to Sacramento.

Because the Energizer Trailfinder light can flip up, I was also able to run the strap around the back of the helmet and put the light flat on top, like so:

At the rear of the helmet, the strap runs near the back retention straps and doesn’t seem to interfere with the helmet fit.

Another helpful feature of the Energizer Trailfinder: It has a pair of red LEDs in addition to the white LEDs!

Something like this is handy if you’re caught out later than expected without bike lights and all of the local bike shops are closed. These kinds of lights are available at any outdoor retailer and many drugstores and mass market retailers.

This is mostly a hiking / camping light. The Trailfinder will leave this weekend for a 10 day backpacking trip through the Sangre de Cristo Range so we’ll see how it holds up under harsher conditions. For urban bicycling, the light stays on and the white and red lights are both reasonably bright. Unlike most bike lights, the Trailfinder only has “steady on” modes — there are no flash or blink modes for this light.

If you use hiking headlights for your night time bicycling, I’d love to learn your tips and tricks.