Grove rider recovers old friend

Among the happy bicyclists at Bike Miami Day yesterday, the one I'll remember best is Bob Deresz, riding his beloved Raleigh Gran Sport. This bike was stolen from Bob on 27th Avenue 39 years ago. He recovered it just this summer after sighting its gleaming chromed steel leaning on a railing during the Washington's Birthday Regatta last year at The Barnacle. Bob spoke to the rider, a visitor who had borrowed the bike from a local. Through gentle persuasion over the course of more than a year, Bob eventually regained his prize ride. Telling about it now, he is full of appreciation that he was able at last to take the Raleigh home again. Where the bike's been in the meantime is mostly a mystery. If only bicycles could talk!

Miami-Dade trail planners honored

Trail planning by Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation was honored this month by Florida members of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The group recognized the department's Trail Design Guidelines & Benefits Study, which sets out standards for county trails and greenways. The work also provides a framework for analyzing trail benefits such as increased access, reduction of motor trips and air pollution, and effects on property values. Project manager for the study was Mark Heinicke.

These wheels are made for walkin'

I'm not sure where Bill Bohrer found this little gem, but it's too good not to share. Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?

Bike stamps an incentive to stock up

Here's another way to show your bicycle passion, thanks to the U.S. Postal Service. You do still write letters and mail things, don't you? Details at the Newark Star-Ledger.

What's where on Bike Miami Day

Here's where to find the fun and facilities on Sunday as Bike Miami Day celebrates Miami's 115th anniversary.

Bike vs. BAT a GOP joke

That fun bunch in the Alachua County Republican Party has dreamed up a lunchtime diversion for this Friday -- a bike vs. BAT (big-ass truck) race around Gainesville. They're poking fun at their mayor, Craig Lowe, who held a car vs. bike event back in May. Lowe was elected by a 42-vote margin last year in a non-party election after three terms as a city commissioner.

River Rat racing

This in today's mail might be of interest to the hardier readers here:

For more detail on this Sept. 3 race, visit South Florida Fixed.

FBA leader a practical realist

Lowering Florida's alarming bicycle crash-death rate is Job 1 for Tim Bustos, the new executive director of the Florida Bicycle Association. Tim is in Miami to meet South

Florida cyclists at The Grove Spot this evening, and during the day he's taking stock of how our town fits into Florida's statewide bicycle picture. During breakfast at the Bagel Emporium, he struck me as a level-headed guy who will keep his eye on our shared needs when rhetoric and politics might derail less-seasoned advocates. Another sign of his practical streak was his choice to make his base of operations in DeLand, much closer to the state's population center. That's good news in Miami, where despite our numbers we often feel overlooked by the folks upstate.

I hope you'll come hear Tim at the happy hour social organized by Green Mobility Network. We'll gather at 5:30 p.m. to socialize and aim to end the program by 7 p.m. Grove Spot is at 3324 Virginia St., just around the corner from the Mayfair shops. There is lots of room for off-street bike parking.

Why curbside parking is seldom a bargain

Bike to the Grove to hear Tim Bustos

Tim Bustos, the new executive director of the Florida Bicycle Association, will appear at a happy hour event tomorrow (July 15) at The Grove Spot, 3324 Virginia St., Miami. All bicyclists are invited to enjoy the happy hour specials at the cash bar. It's a great chance to share in the returning Floridian's views of what's right and wrong about Florida bicycling -- how to get more out of the good and improve what needs to change. You'd be most welcome at this Green Mobility Network event.

Enforcement curbs driver texting

A publicized crackdown on driver texting and cellphone use did reduce both dangerous practices during an experiment in two cities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported today.  The agency funded the crackdowns in Syracuse, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn., carrying out U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's campaign to cut down on distracted driving. Read more at the Detroit News.

Bear broadsides Panhandle cyclist

Commuter cyclist John Hearn was toppled by a running bear that struck him early Saturday during his ride to work at Tyndall Air Force Base.  “It was like getting tackled by a furry, toned, boney body in football, ” Hearn said.  He is OK but his bike lost a tire and needs some work.  Read more at the Panama City News Herald. 

Florida's Mica low-balls transportation funding

House Transportation Chairman John Mica wants to hold federal transportation spending to the declining sum pulled into the Highway Trust Fund every year -- $30 billion to $35 billion a year. That would require cutting 30 percent off current spending, despite widespread concerns about deteriorating transportation infrastructure. He'd even ax the puny sum spent making streets and roads safe for bicyclists and walkers. Here are some of today's reports on his proposal:

• From the Journal of Commerce

• From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

• From The Hill

• Also from The Hill, commentary by Kevin Mills, a vice president at Rails to Trails Conservancy.

• And via my activist alter ego, comment at Green Mobility Network.

Bike-share your business? Here's a Miami connection

At a reader's request, here's where to apply if you'd like to provide the bike-share service the City of Miami is interested in. Your contact would be Terry Byrnes in the city's Purchasing Department. The proposal deadline is Aug. 2, 2011.

Road less traveled is best for cyclists' health

We've long known that exposure to automobile exhaust wasn't good for us. Now comes a report from Health Canada that documents how bicycling on a car-crowded street can affect heart function even for a healthy person. Pollution from car exhausts makes it harder for our hearts to speed up when we're trying to work harder, the researchers found.

"The closer you are to the source of the fresh exhaust, the worse it is," said Patrick Ryan, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Cincinnati. Near the tailpipe, exhaust particles are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs, triggering heart attacks and hospitalizations from lung diseases such as asthma. Tiny particles can also cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially harming the nervous system. Farther away from the tailpipe, these particles clump together, growing too large to lodge deeply, said Ryan.

The solution: Avoid the main roads and find a route with less traffic. You'll probably also enjoy the scenery better. You can read more at Environmental Health News. Thanks to Gloria Joannou for spotting this article!

Villaraigosa orders up 1,680 miles of bikeways

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ordered his administration to start work right away on creating a bikeway system throughout the sprawling city. He said:

"The Bicycle Plan will help improve the quality of life for every Angeleno, by providing another clean transportation option for their daily commute, improving the quality of the air and make it more accessible to lead a healthy, active lifestyle."

Now, THAT's bicycle-friendly! Read more at the LA Daily News.

Bike signboard is a moving message

Mark Soldevilla hit the streets in The Falls area this weekend as he launched Green Wheel Marketing, a people-powered concept in neighborhood advertising. Mark plans to have other bicycles on the street soon reaching Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, Dadeland, Kendall, South Miami, Coral Gables, and Miami. Sure beats some guy standing on the berm waving a cardboard arrow!