Help Re-Design City Infrastructure

From livable streets:

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Have you ever found yourself at a Boston area bus stop and thought, “this could be better”? If you could do it over, what would you change? Would you add more seating? Some public art and shelter from the elements?

Now’s your chance to put your ideas to the test! Submit a proposal to the BRT Station Design Competition.

BostonBRT is teaming up with The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to find creative visions for what bus rapid transit stations could look like in Boston. Winners will receive cash prizes and a travel package to ITDP’s global Mobilize Conference in Santiago, Chile.

Registration for the competition is April 5th, and the submission deadline is due April 12th. Check out the BostonBRT competition webpage for more important dates and guidelines. We can’t wait to see what you think up!

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Last Winter Riding Pic!

Hurray, got one more entry for the winter rider contest, I am sadly out of books, so if you want to send in any more pics, I will be happy to post it, but can’t offer any books.

Looking good Brian!

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Win A $5000 Bike Shopping Spree!

From the email, this looks pretty sweet:

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“Reliance Foundry “Bike to Work Day” Competition- Pedals for Professionals

In honor of Bike to Work Day, bike rack supplier, Reliance Foundry, is hosting a competition designed to engage those who cycle the commute. Dubbed “Pedals for Professionals,” we’re aiming to unite cyclists and share our passion for pedaling with the world.

We’re offering a grand prize of $5000 of cycling equipment to the cyclist who can best express how biking to work has impacted their life and/ or the lives of their coworkers or employees. Whether you’re hitting the bike lane for your health, convenience, or out of love for your environment, we want to read, see, and hear your experience.

Put together a slide show, make a video, or write an essay- submit your story in whatever medium best allows you to communicate. Submissions can roll in until May 24^th and a winner will be announced on May 26^th, the official “Bike to Work Day.”

Let’s make the most of this celebration of cyclists and encourage new participation in the practice. Join us in spreading the word (and maybe win $5000 dollars of cycling stuff while you’re at it). We look forward to hearing from you!

Check out the official “Pedals for Professionals” page for more details: http://www.reliance-foundry.com/bike-storage/pedals-4-professionals-bike-to-work-contest-2014“

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Types Of Snow (Prize Give Away)

This winter I have felt like a native of the northern reaches, developing dozens of words for snow. Here are a few:

Play-dough: When the snow has been thoroughly mixed with road salt, but its just too damn cold to melt, you get play-dough snow.  Has the feel of clay, and squirts out from between your front fork like a play-dough fun factory.

Rump Braille: When the snow hardens to the ground in little archipelagos of solid ice.  These seem to form when the snow has been packed down by cars, and then it warms up real fast and rivulets of water run through the snow only to freeze again real fast,  leaving little islands of solid ice.  So named because of the feeling on your ass as you roll over them.   If only I could read their secret language.

Solid Water: A type of snow that for all intents looks totally solid, until you hit it with your front wheel and it explodes into water.  MAGIC!  I would imagine that there are just enough ice crystals in the slush to keep it solid until impact.  This snow can be cause brown shorts, as you think you are about to hit a giant ice ball and crash only to have it splatter harmlessly all over the road.

The Good Stuff: Crunchy for traction, but light and fluffy enough not to stick to your bike.  This is the snow we all dream about riding on.  Makes a satisfying “Crrrrssshhhh” as you ride on it.

Road Boogers: Much like ancient boulders left behind when the glaciers retreated, these mounds of snow are left after the plow comes through.  Ranging in size from “golf ball” to “holy shit I’m going to die!”  These clumps are usually not attached to the road, and therefor wander about as cars and pedestrians paw at them.  Avoid the big ones and you should be ok.

Salt Lick: Not snow at all, but looks like snow.  Its when the plow trucks lay down so much salt that it appears in heaps like snow on the ground.  Usually solid, but sometimes like a big pile of sand.  Avoid.

Trails of our Ancestors: When you ride on snow that many other cyclists have already ridden over.  You can see the tracks of all the wheels that have come before you, giving you a sense of security knowing its a good route, as well as letting you know that you are not the only one braving the storm.  Gives you sense of camaraderie even if no one else is around.

These are but a few of the many names that could be applied to biking snow.  What are some you have thought of?

The first 3 people to leave good snow names + definitions in the comments will get cycling books sent to them free in the mail. (I will decided which ones are good)

If there are more than 3 good ones, I might go find some more cycling stuff and mail that out as prizes as well.

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ID The Bike Win Clothing

got this in the email:

Just a quick note that a Stoneham based clothing company is giving clothing away to the person who can ID the bike in the blog at –

http://blog.osmium.com/uncategorized/id-this-bike-win-osmium-clothing/.

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