Fixpert

Reuters’ “Sign of the Times” article (Jan 23, 2009) described some of the ways that people worldwide seem to be adapting to more difficult economic times. One definite upshot to all this is the positive effects that economic slumps may have on bicycle adoption and usage.

Check it out:

Australian car sales may be sluggish, but bicycle sales are holding up much better as more commuters pedal to work. The Cycling Promotion Fund said bike sales outstripped car sales by 38 percent in 2008, the biggest margin in at least eight years. “The economic downturn and the affordability of cycling is one of the key reasons for the continued surge in bicycle sales,” said the fund’s Elliot Fishman.

Biking will save you money AND time!

On a related note, I found this graph from the Australian National Cycling Strategy Report which shows that riding a bicycle may be your fastest method of getting there over all other forms of transport.

~ via Bo (thanks Bo!)
~ via Reuter’s article “Signs of the Times: Stressed out, cheap eats”

I was in LA a couple weekends back, and my friend Jim Cadenhead of Orange20 fame invited me to be a guest on his radio show, Bike Talk. Bike Talk is on KPFK (90.7 FM) out of Los Angeles. The show is Saturdays from 10am-Noon. If you missed any shows that you want to hear, you can catch the archived shows online as podcasts.

Here’s the show: MP3 of Bike Talk, January 24, 2009

It was a good show. Jim and I just rapped about bikes, fixed gear fads, haters, messengering, friendship, oil, the future of bikes, culture — everything! There were a some technical problems scattered throughout — sorry about the sudden occassional feedback if you do listen. It’s two hours long and includes a few other guests including Kyle of Trackosaurus Rex.

Related links:

• Bike Talk radio show on KPFK.org
• KPFK’s archived shows - scroll down to Bike Talk
• Bike Talk official web site (work-in-progress I think)
• Direct link to Bike Talk show archive RSS feed

Last weekend, I went down to LA to celebrate the grand opening of BikeStyler Customs. BikeStyler is the brainchild of my friends Toons and J Swift. BikeStyler is not a bike shop, it’s a bicycle customization lab. Powder coating, anondizing, BikeStyler does it all. Just bring your vision in there and Toons and the crew will make it happen for you!

Swing by and check out their shop next time you’re in LA. These guys are super cool and ready to help you get the custom look you crave for your ride. You dream it up, they can do it for you.

BikeStyler Customs

5621 Melrose Ave (Google Map)
Los Angeles, CA
Shop phone: (323) 960-0236
BikeStyler Customs on MySpace

This particular opening party was in partnership with Quamen Bikes. I need to post my own write-up along with photos, but I’m blown away with the coverage that BikeStyler Customs in LA has already received. Just a quick lap around the web and I found at least a dozen write-ups.

Media coverage of the BikeStyler Customs Grand Opening

First, there are some really nice photos by Dippen over at Pretty Damn Dope.

Toons and J Swift at Bikestyler Customs teamed-up with Quamen for the official launch of the Bikestyler Customs gallery/workspace/hang spot and Qmania was there to celebrate with them.

~ via Qmania

Quamen has teamed up with Bikestyler Customs for a bicycle art show of sorts in Los Angeles. Bikestyler will be showing custom bikes and Quamen will showcase bike parts in an art gallery format. There’s also a group ride after the grand opening, so if you are around L.A. this Friday night, check it out. If you can’t make it the gallery will be up for a while so you’ll still have time to get over there.

~ via Action Sports Blips
~ via Ride BMX Magazine

Bikestyler Customs, an L.A.-based custom bicycle building service, in collaboration with Quamen Bikes (a leading contender in BMX, Flatland, Mountain Bike manufacturing from Buena Park, CA) will showcase custom bikes, new products, and a photo gallery featuring the work of Bholanath Studios this Saturday, Jan. 24th at 5621 Melrose Ave. Open to the public, the grand opening gallery event will go from 7-11pm, with a group ride to follow the event. For more information, visit myspace.com/bikestylercustoms.

~ Dub Daily

There are also some nice photos of the show over at Bicycle Fixation.

More Info

Previous Fixpert post on BikeStyler

Gil Kelley, Portland’s long-time Bureau of Planning Director, has written a great opinion piece in the Oregonian which spells out his vision for the city’s future, and includes some really inspiring ideas about the role that the bicycle could play.

The need to improve air quality drove much of our urban development and transit agenda in the 1970s and ’80s. Today’s imperative is to reduce greenhouse gases and increase energy self-reliance. Retrofitting the cityscape for bicycles as a primary mode of transportation needs to be a priority. By employing simpler, more decentralized and neighborhood-scale energy systems we improve our self-reliance and economic capacity.

Let’s savor this little bit, one more time:

bicycles as a primary mode of transportation

…yes!!

Check out Kelley’s guest opinion column in the Oregonian: Pair of initiatives offer paths for charting city’s future

via BillSoup via BikePortland

What?!! Awesome!!

UPS has begun a pilot program to deliver packages by cargo bicycle instead of their classic boxy brown truck this holiday season. This experiment is currently being tested in Oregon, California and Washington as a cost cutting measure for the logistics company. Although package capacity per trip is a lot smaller, the energy savings add up.

- PSFK

via Zach Beatty’s Facebook page
~ via PSFK
~~ via BikePortland