A roadmap for bike-friendly cities

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. Tire-lessly curating the best for you.

As always, reply directly to this email with your thoughts.

Here’s what we have today.

• A route across the Western Balkans

• Gear for cold weather riding

• A film about solo bikepacking

• How to build a bike-friendly city

• Defensive Bike Riding (1974)

• Stats for the Nerds

ROUTE ON MY RADAR

Trans Dinarica

Here’s what you’d be getting yourself into.

• 3417 miles (5500 km)

• 310,039 feet (94,500 m) of climbing (THAT’S HILLY)

• 80% paved

• Cuts through all 8 of the Western Balkan countries

• bbc.com - BBC’s description of the route

• transdinarica.com - official website

• youtube.com - three friends cycling in the Balkans (not the route, because it was just completed)

I’ve never been to the Balkans, but I would probably be an expert after riding this massive route. It’s about as long as my coast-to-coast U.S. tour (3600 miles) (and triple the elevation gain). The views look incredible.

BIKE TRIP TIP

Cold Weather Riding

A little snow can stop these thighs. Here’s how I stay warm on my bike over the winter.

First, start with ski gear. This will be your warmest version. I get warmer on a long ride than on a commute, but I’ll get coldest on a bike trip. Take that into account. This gear has taken me to below 0 F (-18 C).

• Boots

• Thick socks

• Windpants (or rainpants)

• Leggings

• Ski jacket

• A wool long sleeve

• A thin hat that fits under my helmet

• Neck gaiter (I pull this up over my face)

• Ski gloves (with liners)

Remember, wind is your enemy. Those knit mittens you have might be cozy, but they’re no better than swiss cheese at stopping the wind.

Hand + feet warmers are your friends.

If you’re on a winter bike trip, there’s nothing better than a hot Nalgene filled with boiling water in your jacket.

Around 32 F (0 C), I’m wearing a bit less. Here’s what I’d swap.

• Ski jacket → light down jacket + a windproof jacket (raincoats are great for this)

• Ski gloves → Windproof midweight glove (waterproof is great to have, link to mine)

• No windpants or neck gaiter

It’s all about layers, layers, layers. You don’t need to buy fancy new gear. If you live in a cold climate you probably have everything you need.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

ON HER OWN - Bikepacking from Hamburg to North Cape

Follow Wiebke Lühmann on her bike tour from Hamburg, Germany to the top of Norway. Her friend and filmmaker Fabienne Engel joined her for parts of the 30-day journey. Together, they made a well-crafted and honest perspective of life on the road. If you don’t speak German, you’ll need to turn on English subtitles.

Watch on YouTube. You can also find Wiebke on Instagram.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

A 15-year roadmap for building a bike-friendly city.

Good news—cities can change. If you didn’t guess from the newsletter’s name, I want cities to be more bikeable. How can we make that happen?

Every 10 to 20 years, roadways need resurfacing. Sometimes it’s just the top layer. Sometimes it’s all the way to the dirt. But every time, cities get to repaint lines, change parking, or even add a protected lane. Resurfacing is a bike advocate’s best friend.

Let’s look at some examples.

Madison, WI

• Maintains a record of arterial and collector streets without bicycle facilities.

• Has a policy that every resurfacing project must look into adding bike lanes.

• Currently has 133 miles of bike lanes for its 280 thousand residents.

Austin, TX

• Passed the All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network strategic measure in 2018.

• Built 115 miles of new bike lanes and paths from 2019 to 2021.

• Does “quick build” protected bike lanes (e.g. flexposts), then builds more permanent solutions over time.

• Costs $14M per year (why does that seem cheap?).

• Link to the Austin Bicycle Plan.

Oakland, CA

• Priority for resurfacing projects with bikeways.

• 75% of new bikeways are from a resurfacing team & bicycling team partnership.

• Every resurfacing project must consider bike lanes.

To transform a city’s bicycle network, you need:

1. City officials who support biking

2. Policy to add bicycle infrastructure

3. Funding for redesign

We have a voice for all three.

You can read the entire U.S. Federal Highway Administration workbook on “Incorporating On-Road Bicycle Networks into Resurfacing Projects” at this link.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Straight Talk About Defensive Bike Riding (1974)

Schwinn Bicycles produced this video in 1974. Just watching the riders stresses me out. They don’t have helmets, there are no bike lanes, and the cars give them zero space. This quote sums up the video.

I loved all 9 minutes.

Watch on Vimeo. More details on openarchives.umb.edu.

• 1.3 million. The estimated number of annual trips on Indianapolis’s Monon trail. Rails-to-Trails wrote an in-depth article on the trail. (railstotrails.org)

• $900k. The amount of new funding for improved landscaping and arts programs along a future 2-mile bike trail in Chicago. (blockclubchicago.org)

• Priscilla’s Law. The nickname of new NYC legislation proposing DOT registration for every e-bike and e-scooter. (streetsblog.org)

• #1. Oregon’s 2024 ranking for walking and biking to school. (bikeportland.org)

• $400k. The amount of new funding approved for a hike and bike trail in a Texas community park. (communityimpact.com, prospertx.gov)

• $13M. The cost of a newly completed urban MTB trail system in a small Iowa town. (singletracks.com)

A Note From Sam

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