theCORgroup

Ever wished you didn’t have to spend so much time dealing with gear that you were told you MUST HAVE? Well, maybe you don’t really need all the gear!

Here is a user generated Wiki on camping with less gear. Add your secrets to minimize gear and your footprint while outside.

Add to the discussion at WIRED.

Realtors peddle real estate to bike-happy clients.

“With gas prices high, bicycles flying out of stores and a buyers’ market for houses, a handful of real estate agents around the country are touting the two-wheeled appeal of their listings. Some even show houses exclusively by bike, wheeling through the neighborhood with potential buyers to show off bike lanes and bike-focused businesses and repair shops.”

Schmoozing from the bike saddle.

“For a growing number of fitness-minded business people, bike tours have become the ‘new golf.’ Where deals were once cut on the country club fairway, more and more are getting done from the saddle of a high-end road bike with a carbon fiber frame.”

A couple of us from theCORgroup attended this ride. In addition to being one of the best organized rides we’ve encountered, the organizers raised some serious money for their charities, and provided networking opportunities for engineers, architects, and planners from across southeastern Wisconsin. Many riders also used the ride as a platform to discuss broader issues of active, healthy lifestyles and environmental responsibility.

Bike commuter benefits is now USA law.

Looks like bicycle commuters can start receiving some of the fringe benefits provided to drivers and those taking public transit. The Bicycle Commuter Benefits Act was included in the $700 billion bailout/rescue plan; it provides up to $20 a month to cover expenses associated with bicycle commuting.

Our streets are lined with parking spots - what else would we do with this space? A coalition of NYC-based advocacy groups including Transportation Alternatives and The Open Planning Project just participated in the annual NYC Park(ing) Day to explore other uses for on-street parking spaces that might improve the quality of life for a greater number of urban dwellers.

Check out the video and start rethinking public space.

“A federal judge ruled Monday that the Bush administration’s plan to allow more than 500 snowmobiles a day into Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks was not in keeping with the National Park Service’s responsibility to protect the parks.”

The New York Times goes on to report that the judge contended “park planners had failed to reconcile their mission to protect the parks’ environment with the increase in air pollution, the disturbance to wildlife and the impact on visitors that the snowmobiles would bring.”

Environmentalist applauded this ruling, but I worry that the question of access is more nuanced, and we need to have a more serious discussion about what our parks and protected area mean to us ecologically, culturally, and recreationally, and what constitutes appropriate use.

Here is an example from a different perspective: American Whitewater is a paddler advocacy group that “restores rivers dewatered by hydropower dams, eliminates water degradation, improves public land management and protects public access to rivers for responsible recreational use.” They historically have been very successful in forging partnerships with other stakeholders to mutual benefit. However American Whitewater finds itself embroiled in a conflict over the Wild & Scenic Chattooga River. Many rivers with Wild & Scenic designation are open to paddlers; canoeists and kayakers are generally considered legitimate backcountry users, akin to hikers and fishers. In public comment on paddler access to the Upper Chattooga, creek boating was compared to mountain biking, adventure sports at odds with wilderness values, and ATV’s on hiking trails.

I agree that there are activities that are fundamentally incompatible with our wilderness values, and should be limited in parks and protected areas. The trouble with these debates is that our wilderness values remain undefined. ‘Wilderness values’ are interpreted by user groups to further political agendas and to exclude other users. Proponents of ’silent sports’ are quick to fight the expansion of motorized transportation in protected areas, but without a comprehensive examination of our wilderness values - as enunciated by government agencies and the user groups - we risk more political maneuvering and inconsistent policy decisions.

The National Park Service has the mission to preserve “unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” Balancing access and preservation is no easy task, but without examining what our ‘wilderness values’ really mean to us, it seems impossible.

I came across this interesting piece from Cole Nesmith in Relevant Magazine that introspectively explores the simplicity of singlespeeds within a consumer culture.

“I get made fun of for owning a bicycle with no brakes. Honestly, when I entered into the fixed-gear bicycle subculture, I didn’t know the implications it would have for my life. Eventually however, I realized that simplicity can be freeing.

My possession of one of these fine machines was a ticket into a world heretofore unexperienced. What I quickly learned is that for these hipsters, thrift-store fashionistas and grungy musicians-the bicycle is a metaphor for living. It’s a symbol of rebellion and responsibility; rebellion against a culture that values self-centered consumption and instead, taking responsibility to reduce one’s financial and environmental resource usage. Even more so, the fixed gear is a relational machine.”

Read more of Lessons From a Fixed-Gear Bicycle here.

You’ve probably already seen the pictures of masked American cyclists showing up at the Beijing airport, but the story featured in the New York Times is interesting because of this quote by one cyclist: “Why we wore the masks is simple: pollution. When you train your whole life for something, dot all your I’s and cross all your T’s, why wouldn’t you be better safe than sorry? They have pollution in Los Angeles, and if the Olympics were in Los Angeles, we would probably wear these masks, too.”

The issue of pollution is not limited to China, and hopefully will not fade after the Olympics.

A crew in Minneapolis has put together the Pedal Cloud, a 10 person bike capable of reaching 30mph speeds! It has functioning lights, brakes, and gearing, which allows this bike to use a lane of traffic without the usual onslaught of honking and annoyed drivers. In fact, Pedal Cloud riders report that “everyone who sees you smiles and says hello!” Follow the Pedal Cloud here.