Posted on May 16 at 9:21 a.m.

Great Article Howard! A good bike fit is liberating! forget sore backs, butts, or knees. It's all about sore lungs and legs from miles of riding on a properly fit bike ;) And on the flip side my town bike is more comfortable then my car seat. I don't even need to take my wallet out of my back pocket...

Great point that fit isn't all about body measurements. Trial and error with stems & seats and adjustment makes a lot of sense, not just following rules of thumb.

In addition to all our great local bike shops(which have more options to choose from) , the volunteers at Bici Centro are eager to help Do-it-yourselfers make their bikes more comfortable with changing stems, handlebars, & seats.

On Pedaling Your Way

Posted on August 11 at 9:26 a.m.

There is a much more up to date description of the accident written up on Noozhawk: "UCSB Professor hurt in Bicycle Accident Expected to make a full recovery."

It is important to note that a majority of bicycling crashes do not involve cars, and these are also often preventable.

While wearing a helmet is great to protect our brain, what most bicyclists leave the house without is bike training of any kind.

We at the Bicycle Coalition have developed bicycling classes through the League of American Bicyclists for Adults and as after-school programs. http://www.bicicentro.org/adultclass

While most every bicyclist thinks that "I know how to RIDE A BIKE," there are essential bike handling and riding in traffic skills that most cyclists have not mastered. I wish Prof. Burbank a speedy and healthful recovery. I hope that his incident-which could easily happen to any of us- sparks more of us to think about how we can better learn to bicycle safely. I can't tell you how many 'rock dodge' drills we have coached cyclists through and just how common road hazards popping up at the last minute are. While a class can't guarantee your avoidance of such hazards, at least to have prepared with knowledgeable guidance can go a long way.

If I can help anyone get connected to bike education resources, please don't hesitate to contact me:
Ed France
Executive Director, SB Bicycle Coalition & Bici Centro
617-3255 or edfranceATbicicentroDOTorg

On Biker Takes Bad Spill

Posted on October 7 at 10:08 a.m.

This Voyage of Kiri really is an example of some of the great things to come out of Santa Barbara. Instead of being opposed to yet another thing, the Kiri team is actually doing something about it. I have had the pleasure to meet Kristian 'Captain' Beadle and his team as they plan out their classroom coursework and the significant five month schedule for their trip. Awareness of watersheds and planning for sustainability of local resource networks is of real importance for the youth of our fragile coastal towns streching down the California and Mexican coast.

It is inspiring to see an example of a bi-national educational effort between both the U.S. and Mexico. I know that Kiri voyage is operating on very limited resources and hope that the community rallys to support this project. I'm pledging $150 to support the five month trip. I hope that more of us who want to see positive change will do similarly.
Good Luck

On Sailing Adventure to Teach Climate Science