Running errands faster by bicycle!

The bicyclists, Adam Dattilo and Katie Ries, finished the 3rd annual Pedal Vs Metal Race in record time. They completed the three errands in 17 minutes! The motorists, Public Health Officer Martha Buchanan and MPC Director Mark Donaldson, took nearly 40 minutes to run the same errands. All racers followed the rules of the road. Specators were able to keep track of the racers' locations via GPS units. It made waiting at the finish line a lot more exciting to know where the participants were during the race.

Thanks to Sprint and the University of Tennessee's Office of Information Technology for their assistance!

This event was part of Smart Trips Month. Remember that Bike to Work Day is next Friday, May 16th. More info on the event at http://www.knoxtrans.org/plans/bikeprog.htm

Photos not available yet, but check www.knoxsmarttrips.org soon.

Get Outdoors Bike Ride

This is the first of the Knoxville By Cycle summer series:

May 17, 10 a.m.Get Outdoors Bike RideIn conjunction with the Get Outdoors Festival at World’s Fair Park, this short bike ride will showcase the new Second Creek Greenway connection to Neyland Greenway and the new skatepark at Tyson Park. Thanks to KnoxRevolution for leading this ride! Meet at World’s Fair Park on the south end of the festival grounds.

Other rides are:
June 28, Blooms and Bikes
9 a.m. Meet at entrance to UT Gardens

July 12, East Side Story
9 a.m. Meet at Caswell Park (playground), 620 Winona St.

Aug 9, Scavenger Hunt
9 a.m. Meet at Market Square

Save the Date!
Sept 27, 8th annual Neighborhood Bike Ride, 10 a.m., Market Square

Helmets required. All ages and skill levels welcome. More information at www.knoxtrans.org or call 215-3815.

Bike to Work Day

May 16, 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Whether you’re already biking to work or just starting out, stop by Market Square or in front of Hodges Library at UT to accept a token of our appreciation. Bike commuters will receive a coupon for a free coffee and pastry, as well as a tire patch kit.

Guided Bike Commutes
Want to bike to work, but aren’t sure about the best route? Or would you just like some company along the way for a change? More and more people are choosing to bike instead of drive. Meet at one of these locations to join the movement (call 215-3815 for more info or to sign up):

· 7 a.m., North Knoxville to downtown and UT. Meet at Office Depot/Food City parking lot on Broadway, 4212 N Broadway.
· 7 a.m., East Knoxville to downtown and UT. Meet at Holston River Park, 3300 Holston Hills Road (top parking lot by pavilion).
· 7:15 a.m., Bearden to downtown and UT. Meet at Third Creek Greenway trailhead, 130 Forest Park Blvd (former Bi-Lo).
· 7:15 a.m., South Knoxville to downtown and UT. Meet at Food City parking lot, 4580 Chapman Highway.

Innovative Bike Parking

Check out this underground bicycle parking system in Tokyo--stores more than 9,000 bikes!
http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/04/21/automated-underground-bike-parking-in-tokyo/

While not automated and not as cool, there are bicycle lockers in the Market Square parking garage available for day use. So if you're headed to Sundown and can't find a good place to lock your bike outside the gates, just remember to bring a padlock with you and stash your bike in one of the lockers. That way you don't have to hold your helmet all night or worry about your panniers getting broken into!

Some of the lockers are reserved for people to "rent" (at no cost) on a quarterly basis. These are geared toward bike commuters. The registration form is online.

Info on these lockers is at http://www.knoxtrans.org/plans/bikeprog/ms_lock.htm
and the ones at KAT Park and Ride lots (Cedar Bluff, Farragut, and Halls) is at http://www.knoxtrans.org/plans/bikeprog/kat_lock.htm

Smart Trips Month and Knoxville By Cycle

The 2008 Knoxville By Cycle ride series starts May 17th, with a bike ride in conjunction with the Get Outdoors Festival at World's Fair Park. Details are available on our website at http://www.knoxtrans.org/plans/bikeprog/summer.htm and I've listed the series dates below.

Also, Smart Trips Month kicks off May 1st. We have a ton of fun events and promotions going. If you pledge to use an alternative to driving alone during May, you can get an Undriver's License that comes with benefits from local businesses. The 3rd annual Pedal Vs Metal Race between bicyclists and motorists is May 9th--will the bicyclists win again? Bike to Work Day is May 16th, and there are plenty of roadside bike repair classes to choose from during the month. And there's much more! May also kicks off our special, SmartFIX 40-influenced Commuter Challenge. We'll be giving away $10,000 in prizes to people who use alternative transportation to work at least 5 days a month. Info at http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org/stweek.htm

Knoxville By Cycle series:
May 17, Get Outdoors
10 a.m. Meet at World’s Fair Park

June 28, Blooms and Bikes
9 a.m. Meet at entrance to UT Gardens

July 12, East Side Story
9 a.m. Meet at Caswell Park (playground), 620 Winona St.

Aug 9, Scavenger Hunt
9 a.m. Meet at Market Square

Save the Date!
Sept 27, 8th annual Neighborhood Bike Ride, 10 a.m., Market Square

Helmets required. All ages and skill levels welcome.

Thanks to our sponsors!
Mast General Store
KnoxRevolution
KnoxVelo
SCO
Smoky Mountain Wheelmen

Article about bike racks in Maryville

On Saturday, April 19, Boys Scouts will install bike racks at several downtown locations, including Tomato Head, Capitol Coffee, Professional Hair Designs and the Blount County Public Library.

Keith Webb, whose son Scott is a member of the troop, helped the group settle on this project after he learned Maryville College bought more than 20 racks through a state grant with Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization in 2007. “They were the first ones to take advantage of the program,” he said.

The TPO grant pays for 80 percent of the cost of the bicycle and the business is billed for 20 percent of the rack cost plus shipping. “The grant covers the cost of the rack, not the installation so we wanted to make it easer for businesses and organizations to take advantage of the program by offering installation service through Boy Scout Troop 87 out of Maryville at Broadway United Methodist Church,” he said.

Full article: www.blounttoday.com/news/2008/apr/16/place-park/

Bike Circus at the Birdhouse

BIKE CIRCUS at the Birdhouse

May 3, Saturday, 3-7 pm

Come be part of Knoxville's bike community with games, challenges, bike maintenance, and more.

Schedule of Events

3:00 Circus Opens - Huzzah!

4:00 Bike Polo Match

5:00 Inner Tube Slingshot Making and Battle

6:00 Group Bike Ride

Ongoing Events

Basic Bicycle Maintenance

Photo-portraits of you and your bike

General bike hilarity and enjoyment

Silent Auction benefiting both the Knoxville Bike Collective and the Birdhouse.

Fun for all ages! Bring your bike. Wear a helmet!

Email birdhouse.laboratories@gmail.com for more information.

Become a Genuis in 31 days or less!

Smart Trips Month is coming up in May, with a lot of fun events to get you thinking about alternatives to driving alone. With gas prices going up and up, and I-40 through downtown about to be closed, you may want to consider biking (or carpooling, transit, walking, telecommuting...) instead! Check out the schedule of events at http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org/stweek.htm.

Make sure to sign up for your Undriver's License online or at one of our Undrivers License Stations. When you pledge to undrive during May, you can take advantage of some great discounts at participating businesses.

Magazine for people who ride bikes

Sent to me by a friend who discovered this at a Portland handmade bicycle show:

Momentum Magazine reflects the lives of people who ride bikes. Momentum provides urban cyclists with the inspiration, information and resources to help them fully enjoy their riding experience and connect with their local and global cycling communities. http://www.momentumplanet.com/

The articles are available online, and there are links to various blogs. One recent posting is about a High Heels bike ride in Vancouver!

Spring Tune Up in Blount County

Please help spread the word to your friends and neighbors!
Spring Tune-Up 2008
Get your bicycle ready to ride! Local bicycle shops’ mechanics will perform basic bicycle safety checks to make sure your ride is safe and ready for the season. Minor adjustments are free and additional service can be arranged as required. We will also show you how to deal with typical roadside repairs (flat tires, broken spokes, etc.). This event is designed for all ages and to meet the needs of the full spectrum of bicycle riders in our community. It would be great to see whole families of cyclists taking advantage of this opportunity. Here are the details:

WHAT: Bicycle Basics, Safety, and Maintenance
WHEN: Saturday, April 19th, 2008 10am – Noon
WHERE: The grassy area in front of the parking garage adjacent to the Tomato Head restaurant in Historic Downtown Maryville (211 W. Broadway, Maryville, TN 37801)
PARTICIPATING BICYCLE SHOPS:
Cycology Bicycles (865-681-4183)
Mountain View Bicycles (865-977-4200)
SPONSORS:
The Tomato Head (865-981-1080)
Jeff Roth Cycling Foundation www.jeffrothcyclingfoundation.org
SIGN-UP: To sign up for the Spring Tune-Up 2008, send an email to springtuneup08@yahoo.com and type in “I want to ride” in the ‘subject’ of your email. Be sure to tell us in your message how many people/bicycles you plan to bring with you. Availability is somewhat limited, so sign up as soon as possible.
COST: Free!