88 Bikes
88 Bikes is a non-profit organization that specializes in bringing bicycles to children living in orphanges around the world. I first heard about the organization in 2008 when they were collecting funds to deliver 120 bicycles to orphans living high in the Andes Mountains near Huancayo, Peru. I donated funds for bicycle #64/ In addition to the funds, they request a photo to give to the child receiving the bike you donated.
The founders Dan, Nick and Jared write about a recent endeavor.
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Ghost Bikes
A movement started in 2002 by an artist in San Francisco, Ghost Bikes are memorials erected at the site where cyclists have perished while riding their bicycle. The first installation of such a memorial happened in St. Louis in 2003 and has spread to 21 Countries and includes 35 US States.
Now Meaghan Wilbur, a documentary filmmaker. is making a film about the Ghost Bikes. Meaghan was in Chicago and filmed during the Chicago Ride of Silence. Her endeavor is completely independently funded and she’s seeking the funds to continue her filming. Meaghan is joined by Thomas Perry on this project. She in looking for backers, small donations are acceptable.
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Rock River Trail
I went to the Green Fest in Chicago on May 23rd. Working Bikes Cooperative had a booth at the festival and I spent most of the day in the booth talking about Working Bikes to people who visited the booth. Fortunately I had some time to walk around and visit with many of the other organizations hosting tables at the festival.
I was pleased to visit the Rock River Times booth and learn about the new Rock River Trail under development.
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Newspaper delivery
Thanks to Garry V who sent me this photo. It shows a set of children who deliver the newspaper by bicycle. The photo file name is “Sentinel Carriers 1956″ so the assumption is that the photo was for those who delivered teh Sentinel newspaper. There are several newspapers named “Sentitel” including: Orlando, Santa Cruz, Lewistown, and Bowling Green. If anyone knows the source of this photo, can you please let me know?
Mostly I think of kids delivering newspapers by bicycle as something from the past. There are however a few papers which are currently delivered by bicycle. The Iowa State University daily is delivered by bicycle. Papers have been delivered for 52 years in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico by bicycle.
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Red Huskers
Red Huskers are also known as Tall White Beardtongue and Penstemon digitalis.
I went out to take one photograph of the flowers on these plants and discovered a honey bee crawling inside the flowers. I took several photos as it flew from flower to flower.
I planted the Red Huskers a few years ago and they have spread throughout my yard. If I didn’t keep after them, I think they would take over. They were originally planted in the front yard, in the shade of a honey locust tree. I’ve since transplanted seedlings to the back yard as well.
Red Huskers are one of the few perenials that that rabbits have not eaten and destroyed. Despite its name, these plants have nothing to do with Nebraska Football. They are native wildflowers of Florida.
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Zombie Walk Redux
As promised in last Saturday’s blog post, more photos from the June 5th Zombie Walk.
Click on individual photos below to view larger images.
Read more…
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Zombie Walk
Zombie marches are a cultural phenomena. They happen peridoically in cities around the US, maybe even around the world.
Chicago Zombies assembled at Millenium Park on the afternoon on June 5th, 2010. It was great fun for Zombies and spectators too.
From the Zombie Web site: “It’s that time again, zombies! We are having another zombie march in June. The rules are very simple: Dress and be made up as a zombie and just shamble and act like one.
We will all meet at Millennium Park and take it from there. The last few years we have walked to the museum campus, then taken a stroll down Michigan Avenue. We’re also considering having some zombie kickball or wiffleball.”
Read more…
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Bike Ride to Riverwoods
On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, I took a short bike ride to Riverwoods. It was above 90 degrees but another beautiful day.
Early in the ride I stopped to watch a Blue Heron. Later there was a Canada Goose with her goslings and Mr and Mrs Mallard. After getting to Riverwoods I headed home down Everett Road and cut through Dan Wright Woods. The shade of the trail was very cooling.
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Bike Ride to Algonquin
Last Saturday I joined other Arlington Heights Bike Club members on a 53 mile ride to Algonquin. it was a beautiful day, temperature around 83 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.
We stopped at Penny Road Pond for a short break; then at the lunch stop in Algonquin. Some of the riders skipped the lunch stop to return home.
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Business and Bicycles
Most businesses are not bicycle aware or bicycle community aware. Sure, some retail stores might have a bike rack out front for people to park and lock up their bikes, but that is done to attract shoppers or to meet local ordinances rather than providing services to cyclists.
For each retail store which does acknowledge cyclists by installing a bike rack, there are an equal number that shun cyclists with no bicycle parking signs. Businesses with drive up windows are notorious for refusing to serve people on bicycles especially banks. They usually claim “insurance” or “security” as the reasons. Use Google or another web search engine to search drive up window bicycle for some examples or read this one.
Bicycle and multi-sport retailers sell bicycles and accessories and clothing to cyclists and are inherently part of the bicycling community. Sports drink providers and protein bar provides sell to cyclists as part of selling to active people. There are hundreds of bicycle touring companies that sell bicycle tours. One of my favortites is ABB.
Perhaps all this is changing?
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