We’re doing our part to help support cycling in town thanks to the help of many talented contributors. The Bike To Work Challenge is a result of those talented people- and things are really starting to heat up. The sponsorship brochure is out and we welcome inquiries from potential sponsors. We think the evolution of the challenge and the related web site are really going to put a lot of eyes on Columbus as a leader.

Thanks to Ray for being so quick at posting these images. I have borrowed them from his blog.

Sponsor Brochure - Page 1

Sponsor Brochure - Page 1

Site updates are complete. Some things have changed- hopefully for the better. I’ve made every attempt to preserve the database content in between the time I started in on this and tonight- had to sync up the data. Do let me know if you are missing anything.

There will undoubtedly be issues- hopefully minor.

The previously attached documents- well, I will have to go back and fix those. There is an easier way to post images and documents now (hopefully easier…). By doing that you can upload an image or linked file and do it right in the editor (inline, versus as an attachment after the fact).

As promised I will be doing some massive updates on the site this weekend. It will load faster, be easier to use, contain vastly fewer bugs, and will have some cool surprises too. I will throw up a maintenance splash page for a bit while doing the heavy lifting… to prevent all hell from breaking loose.

Some parts of the site are going away, some parts are changing, some features will be on temporary hiatus. Don’t worry, these were mostly underused sections… and will be redone smarter and added back in at a later date.

Thanks!

Dearest Cyclist

In the most joyous spirit of the holidays, Yay Bikes! thanks you for your kindness, patience, creativity, and generosity in 2009. Without you, Yay Bikes! cyclists wouldn’t have celebrated a successful Bike to Work Week, opened an office, launched a new website, educated seven cycling instructors, provided Pedal Instead bicycle valet service at major events, helped Columbus attain the League of American Bicyclists’ Bronze Award, and organized rides as diverse as Bike the Cbus and Night of 1000 Tacos!

If you’d like to support the work of Yay Bikes!, there are several options in the left-hand column in this newsletter. But other (already-nonprofit) local cycling organizations could also use your help! Please read on to learn more about these projects and how you can help advance their missions with even a small donation.

And stayed tuned for next month’s newsletter, when we’ll lay out a timeline for May Bike Month planning! Start thinking about YOUR contribution NOW!

Happy Holidays, Yay Bikes!

The Bike Lady

In 2008, the Blacklick woman now known as “The Bike Lady” organized an impromptu bike drive that collected enough cash, bikes and gear for 125 children of Franklin County Children’s Services to wake up to a new bike from Santa! You can help The Bike Lady fulfill the holiday wishes of a vulnerable child this year with a cash donation – any amount is appreciated; $125 will get a child on a bike with a helmet and lock.

Learn More & Contribute!

Pedal Instead

Volunteers with The Enrichment Association’s bicycle valet service parked an impressive 5,436 bikes this year (up from 3,871 in 2008!) for cyclists at events like Buckeye Football, ComFest, Latino Fest, and more. This year the team was also awarded the WTS International Innovative Transportation Solutions Award! Your sponsorship of or donation to Pedal Instead allows the bike valet to maintain its equipment and to attend events that couldn’t otherwise afford the service.

Learn More & Contribute!

Third Hand Bicycle Co-op

The primary goal of the Third Hand Bicycle Co-op is to promote cycling as safe and environmentally responsible transportation. The shop provides community members with the facilities and tools, and the skills and knowledge, to help make cycling an essential part of their everyday lives. Weekly open shop hours are Weds 6-9pm and Sat 12-6pm, with a Womyn/Trans night on Thursdays 6-9pm. Your donation to Third Hand helps with overhead during the winter off-season and with the purchase of tools.

Learn More & Contribute!

Ways To Support Yay Bikes!

Give Now Happy Holidays, and a warm thanks for your ongoing support to Yay Bikes!	Wish List We’re aquiring books, zines, magazines, and films for our resource library. If you’d like to gift bicycle media to the community, check out our wish list for ideas!	Office Hours Summit on 16th 82 E. 16th Ave. Columbus, OH 43201 TUES 6-9 FRI 2-5 SUN 12-3
	Official Tee Please visit our shop at Skreened, where $3 of every purchase goes to support our work. Special Offer Buy $35 worth of merch from Skreened & get a $10 gift certificate for more (thru 12/31)!

Bike on,
Meredith Joy
Yay Bikes!

For reference, this article Best Practices of Cycling Advocacy, Fred Oswald, PE, LCI #947 came across my radar again in hearing local cycling advocates discussing the recent meeting of the Hilltop Area Commission and contention over the installation (or not) of bike lanes on Broad Street. Disclaimer: I am LAB educated in their LCI program and as such I am an advocate of vehicular cycling. I’m not strictly anti-facilities, but I’m not strongly convinced that these treatments (such as bike lanes) should be knee-jerk adopted. The Bicentennial Bikeways Plan’s purpose is to evolve a bicycling network that “has been developed to serve all types of bicyclists for all types of trips.” It is the spirit of that inclusive vision that keeps me, personally, more moderate toward facilities. There are varieties of cyclists and types of trips that I am sure certain facilities would empower, so it is difficult for me to come out against them as strongly as my natural disposition might have me do.

In this post, subverita gives a recounting of the meeting and a synopsis of what was discussed. I was saddened to hear that pro-facilities advocates are referring to the sensibilities of vehicular cyclists as “crackpot”- but if you give the article above a read you’ll note that Fred indicates fairly early on that there are many pro-facilities type cyclists who have difficulty seeing both sides of the argument. Still, I think that kind of language is divisive and is a kind of misinformation in and of itself. This is an age old debate and I hope that we can learn (locally) how to engage in spirited debates about a topic we all are very impassioned about and maintain some mutual respect. Let’s keep it positive- that’s the spirit of my intent now and going forward- and I hope that pro-facilities folks can find it within themselves to have a try at the same. Further, dragging citizens and Civic Commissions into the heart of this debate doesn’t really serve to move pro-cycling initiatives ahead. Read the rest of this entry →