Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race.
~ H.G. Wells
Sep 202011
Sep 202011
We had a great Sunday afternoon at Summerhill winery. During the Organic Okanagan Festival KACC volunteers helped welcome guests and park their bicycles. Really couldn’t be a better day. Thanks to Lauren and Fae for their work.
Thanks to the City of Kelowna for supplying the racks. We have been asked to do this all over again Sunday the 25th at Car Free Day.
See you there.
Sep 192011
September 21st 7 PM Rotary Centre for the Arts (Boardroom)
Jim Couper of Bicycles for Humanity will speak on this organization’s great program of providing transportation for those in need. In rural Ghana bicycles are used for getting to work, by doctors and nurses and are easy to maintain.
Jim Couper is the founder of Pedal, Canada’s national cycling magazine, and a long-time cycling enthusiast.As a travel writer and travel addict he has wandered through more than 80 countries. In March he visited Ghana, in West Africa, on behalf of Bicycles for Humanity, to better understand the need for two-wheel transport in that country. Bicycles for Humanity, founded in Kelowna, has sent more than 2000 bicycles to various African countries. There are now eight chapters of BFH in four countries.
Following the main presentation local bike shop Fresh Air Experience will give advice on fall cycling and show off some gear.
The Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition (a chapter of the BC Cycling Coalition) will be the event host. KACC has been advocating for safe and convenient facilities for all level of cyclists throughout the Kelowna area since the early 1990s. Our wonderful weather and relatively level layout together with greater budgetary and council support and planning can attract greater numbers to bicycle and make this city cleaner and healthier.
Jun 162011
June 26 Group Ride.
Jun 122011
May 092011
I had an epiphany the other morning. Well, maybe not an epiphany exactly but a light bulb moment mixed with a touch of deja vu at least. I was running a few errands around town and it came to me (again ?), I didn’t have to look for a parking spot or even dig in my pocket for change for a parking meter. I can remember times that it took many trips around several blocks to find a parking spot and when I found one it would be a block or more from my destination. I will concede that riding a bike in the down town core has a challenge or two, but with a bit of planning and Google maps it can be done. More and more businesses are providing bike racks so I have found that with a set of panniers the world is my oyster! If the thought of riding in traffic is a bit overwhelming then I invite you to join us for some group rides, there is a lot of experience in the Coalition to be taken advantage of.
Apr 202011
The Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition (KACC) is seeking your input on how we can become a more effective cycling organization. It is our hope that this survey will help us better meet the needs and desires of cyclists in Kelowna and encourage more active participation in the cycling community.
Please click here and take five minutes to participate in the Survey.
Apr 122011
Cyclists know how to share
Hi everyone I hope the spring weather (we have had some honest) has you thinking about getting out on your bike. I’ve been on mine since the beginning of the month and want to tell you about a really pleasant encounter I had while out running errands the other day. I had stopped at a red light on Richter at the Highway waiting to go strait through when I noticed three cars behind me all wanting to turn right, and I was blocking them. I moved over to the left so that they could go by, which took almost no effort on my part. As the first driver went by she rolled down her window and thanked me for being so thoughtful and the other two drivers both smiled and waved as they went by. It was a small thing but it improved the day of three other people, as well as my own. It’s important for cyclists to be aware of of the traffic around them for safety reasons, but also to be courteous to others so that we can foster more positive feelings amongst the driving public; who knows, it might make some drivers consider riding a bike once in a while if they see how much fun we’re having.
That’s it for now everyone, keep on rolling.
Apr 082011
The Bus Stop
This year I decided to try an experiment, as foolhardy as it may seem I went the whole winter without using my car. To make sure I couldn’t cheat, and I would have, I didn’t insure the car except for storage.
Well like Kermit says, “It ain’t easy being green”. I really can’t express how glad I am that the weather has improved enough (barely) to be able to commute by bike again. I am positively giddy each morning not having to run out the door wondering what I might have forgotten, knowing I won’t be able to go back for whatever it was without throwing my whole day way off schedule. I don’t think I’ll miss standing at the bus stop wondering if the blinking thing broke down again. Or the wonderful experience of having the bus drive right by at night, like I wasn’t there! I really had no idea I knew so many swear words, I mean I saw a sailor and a truck driver taking notes, really – no poo. But the thing I like best about being back on my bike is the freedom I have to come and go when I want. It turns out that I get to work as fast as by bus (I have a 9 Km commute), and because of traffic flow and a slight downhill I can get home even faster than in my car. But in all fairness I must say that the bus drivers are good people doing a tough job, I had plenty of nice experiences . The complaints I heard most this winter from other riders were that the buses don’t run often enough and the timing for transfers needed improvement. I know that transit officials are aware of the shortcomings and are looking for solutions, but as with most problems it seems to come down to money, or the lack of it. For now I’ll just say to transit riders, come on and join me you will be surprised how easy and fun bike commuting is. To the bus drivers, see you next winter….maybe.
Out for a Sunday family ride and noticed that there are few more families out on their bikes each week this time of year. The children’s bike trailer is the first choice of most cycling parents in Kelowna. It is a reasonable choice. The trailers have excellent safety records, stable and carries all the extra stuff for a child. The bike trailer is really the only choice local bike stores offer parents in Kelowna. There is no bike store in Kelowna that stocks a front mounted child’s seat. Despite the many benefits of the child’s bike trailer the child’s bike seat seems to be making a comeback. Why are parents, apparently in increasing numbers, choosing children’s bike seat over trailers?
Initially it is easy to assume that price could the driving force behind the recent popularity. The highest rated brand child seat is still likely to come in several hundred dollar’s cheaper than the lower end child’s bike trailer. This is undoubtedly and important consideration for budget conscious parents. There are other factors to recognise because even parents with more disposable income are choosing bike seats.
The child’s bike seat offers a quicker more casual means of transporting your child. With the bike seat you do not need to wrestle with attachments and fasteners every time you want to ride with your child. You simply strap the child in the seat and ride. It is also easier to ride with the bike seat on busy urban cycle tracks or bike lanes. The seat is more compact, so if storage space is a concern its wise consideration. Front mounted seats such as the Bo-Bike Mini also offer the unique benefit of providing a more intimate cycling experience with your child.
Bike seats will likely appeal to more experienced cyclists because the weight of the seat and child will have more impact on the cyclist’s balance than a bike trailer. The simple task of getting on and off the bicycle can be more difficult with the child’s bike seat and require a greater level of confidence. If you do happen to fall or lose balance on your bike the child on the bike seat is more likely to sustain an injury than a child in the trailer. In fact, most injuries to children in bike seats are caused from the fall from the bike to the ground. So, the parent cycling with the child’s bike seat will likely have the experience, knowledge and confidence that they are unlikely to fall.
The move towards more parents choosing bike seats instead of trailers is an indication of changing bike culture in North American cities. Firstly, there are more parents that feel more experienced cyclists. Secondly, parents are cycling as part of their everyday transpiration needs and want a more convenient product. Third, more bicycle friendly facilities that make it easier for cyclists to move around town.
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