This month in Norfolk, bikes rule.

Normally I’d comment on today’s news from local sources, but today, in honor of Norfolk Bike Month and this Saturday’s BikeFest, I’d like to share some bicycling news from all over.

People for Bikes

People for Bikes is an initiative of a bicycling industry group called Bikes Belong. They released the above video, shot in Los Angeles, to commemorate Bike Month. It’s funnish, and I like the idea that riding bikes in a city can sort of “light it up” and get people thinking creatively.

Inactivity Research

We are now so engorged as a population (68% of adults are overweight and 34% are obese, while over 17% of children are obese) that we have spawned a new branch of science called “Inactivity Research” to explore the root causes of our heaviness. And James Levine, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic, is the Linus Pauling of this field. He has invented a set of motion-tracking underwear that a subject can wear to measure the amount of movement in their day. This is what top scientists have been reduced to.

As it turns out, studies done with these high tech panties have revealed a somewhat surprising fact: sitting is extremely dangerous. When you sit, as people do for hours and hours a day, your caloric consumption drops to about 1 per minute, or about a third the rate of walking. Your muscles “go as silent as those of a dead horse,” says Marc Hamilton, another inactivity researcher. A third researcher, Alpa Patel, has demonstrated that, not only is sitting bad for you, but that it can be deadly.

“The men in the study who spent six hours or more per day of their leisure time sitting had an overall death rate that was about 20 percent higher than the men who sat for three hours or less. The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours a day was about 40 percent higher.” Oh. My. God.

So, it’s bad. Really bad (read the rest!). People need to move. Wiggling in your chair can help. So can riding a bike.

Riding for the Climate

Right now on one of my favorite blogs, BikeHugger.com, they are documenting this year’s Climate Ride, a 500 mile cycling road trip from New York City to Washington, DC. The 150 riders started on Saturday, and will arrive in DC today. Someday, imma do that.

Cyclists in the Redwoods. (Pic | climateride.org)

US Bicycle Route System

Did you know there’s a national system of bicycle routes? You’re forgiven if you don’t–until recently this has been a mostly theoretical conception. But last Friday it took a big step closet to reality when the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved six new U.S. Bicycle Routes (USBR): USBR 1 in Maine and New Hampshire, USBR 20 in Michigan, and USBR 8, 95, 97, and 87 in Alaska — the first official U.S. Bicycle Routes to be established since 1982.

The idea is to establish and maintain a network of bike-friendly roads that a cyclist could use to get all over the country. The US Bicycle Route System (USBRS) has its home on the site of the Adventure Bicycling Association, a group dedicated to promoting bicycle touring in the US and around the world. You can view a map of existing and proposed routes, and glean a vision of our bicycle-connected future. If you’re inspired, you can donate $10 or so to help them out.

If you’re astute, you’ll also notice that the only two routes that have already been approved and constructed are Bicycle Route 1 and BR 76, both right here in Virginia. Our very own Virginia Bicycling Federation, based in Richmond, has been vigilant in fighting for these cycleways, and they are in the process of assessing them and recommending changes and updates to the routes. The momentum for this system is building, along with the general upsurge in enthusiasm for cycling around the country. Remember, it can save your life!

More decent humans from Climateride.org.

People powered party on wheels

The CityCycle….It’s a bike, it’s a bar, it’s a party on wheels. Built by Caztek Engineering in St. Paul, Minnesota, the prototype CityCycle has just been delivered to its home in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Looks like fun….

Norfolk has a nice waterfront….maybe a CityCycle (complete with a keg of O’Connor Dismal Swamp Black IPA) could ferry people from MacArthur Mall to Tides Stadium. It’s the perfect antidote to the evils of sitting!
Franchise opportunities are available…

See you all on Saturday at BikeFest! Bike Norfolk will be providing a free bike valet service under the bamboo pagoda. And remember, sitting kills.