Need a 'cyclists' job? UPS Back to Delivering by Bike

UPS is looking for cyclists in Portland, Corvallis and other cities to drag around 200 pound trailers to do deliveries.

UPS's Jeff Grant spoke with Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland:

“For every three bikes we use for deliveries, we save an average of 17 gallons of fuel per day (compared to one truck). That’s about $50 in savings.” Across the entire district, Grant says for every three bikes used during the holiday season, UPS will save $38,000 in vehicle operation and upkeep costs.

Grant told Jonathan that " he’ll ask delivery staff to deliver about 25-50 packages per day, compared to 150 stops a day for a normal “package car”.

I am surprised that they can only deliver such a small proportion compared to the normal car, what with the problems of parking. I am also curious about security of the packages left on the cart when they run in to make a delivery. But I certainly can see big savings for UPS; no truck, no fuel, and a great workout to boot. What more do you need?

GreenWheel: Swap the rear to make any bike electric

The "GreenWheel" lets you turn a bike into an electric simply by swapping the rear wheel. The batteries and motor sit inside the plate at the axle, while the throttle control operates wirelessly through Bluetooth. At full charge, the GreenWheel has a range of around 25 miles, extended by the pedaling of the rider.

Discovery News:

A GreenWheel equipped bike is a smooth ride, as Discovery News found out during a recent afternoon test ride around MIT's campus. Turning the handle mounted throttle, like any motorcycle, just a few small degrees produces a noticeable increase in power and a light electric hum.

The inventors estimate a life of nearly 40,000 miles, which is pretty incredible. They're trying out different sizes and power ratios and hope to have a product on the market very soon.

Bikes Move Tomorrow

In this ad, CSX is telling the story of how you need big trains to move lots of cargo. Well, I was wondering who made all those cargo bikes!

HMX fuel cell bicycle looks like a rocket bike, but for the lazy rich

In an effort to bring their hydrogen fuel cell expertise to small electric vehicles, Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies' HMX — that stands for Hydrogen Mobility X-Tender — has finally made the moped cool.

At a top speed of 15 mph, the bike gets 180 miles on a single hydrogen charge. The bike's 36V engine does allow it to operate "pedal-assisted," although with a $3000 price tag, it's unclear why an owner would want to do any work at all.
Recharging the solid-state hydrogen fuel cell takes 30 minutes, but the six-gear motor does take 10-15 seconds to warm up. Because you wouldn't want a bike this unique-looking to be a bank robbery getaway vehicle anyway.

The HMX comes to the US later this year.

Optibike is the perfect bike for people who hate to bike?!

Biking is a great way to get around, but what if you're lazy? If that's the case, biking isn't that great, what with it demanding physical exertion to work. And who likes exerting themselves physically? (I do, Ido) But if you don't then that's why you might like the Optibike OB1. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, it allows you to sit back and pedal as little as you want, even enjoying a delicious Subway sandwich while riding if you so choose. It also has built-in GPS to ensure that you know where you're going, and a PDA to keep track of your rides. It's the perfect bike for those individuals who would rather be sitting on the couch, doing anything they can to avoid exercise.

Engadget, via Ubergizmo

Grasshopper bike generates energy, is super portable

Biking is a great way to get around, what with it providing exercise and being totally eco-friendly. But what if it could be even more eco-friendly?

Well, not only does the Grasshopper not use any energy, like all bikes, but it actually generates surplus energy that can be used for other things.
In addition, it folds up into a compact, carryable size, making it perfect for city dwellers who don't have much room to store their bikes and have to lug them up flights of stairs every day.

Oh, and did I mention it can also be converted into a stationary exercise bike? Yeah, it's that awesome. I want one right now.

Via Yanko Design

A Resolution for 2009: Around the World in an Electric Bike

Guim Valls Teruel is almost ready to go. His goal: Travel all 5 continents on an electric bike. The project is called the Electric Bicycle World Tour.

Guim decided to choose this alternative form of personal transportation to promote the use of cleaner energy and the non-reliance on fossil fuel. According to him, one person has never done this before. However, many people can participate in this “one kilometre – one hope” sponsorship program set up by an NGO, by showing solidarity and hence become part of the tour. So why go electric?

Article continues on Treehugger.com: A Resolution for 2009: Around the World in an Electric Bike

Spare Tire Belt

Green meets style in the Spare Tire Belt ($45). This smooth black belt is hand-made from reclaimed bicycle inner tube with canvas labels, pop rivets and nickel plated belt fasteners. Pair with jeans for a unique casual look.

Cycling-Induced Helmet Hair May Contribute to Climate Change?

photo by Andy Gates

Via Treehugger.com

Bicycling is a great way to get to work without using gasoline or other non-renewable resources. It strengthens the body, bolsters the immune system and adds to the overall well-being of the cyclist, but a new poll shows that some may not be utilizing pedal power for the wrong reasons.

Two Thirds of Women Never CycleAccording to a poll from the United Kingdom, the majority of women, aged 18-34, do not bike at all, and most of the women polled would not bike to work. 58 percent of those women cited the fear of sweaty dishevelment as the major deterrence. 27 percent were worried about helmet hair. Other concerns included lack of shower facilities at the workplace, safety issues, unwilling to carry a change of clothing and inadequate cycling skills. Only two percent of the women polled biked every day.

Read More about the results at TreeHugger.com

Bailout Bill includes funding for Bicycle Commuters

I’m definitely not a supporter of this bailout, but I’ve got to hand it to Blumenauer, he sure fights for cyclists.

From Bicycle Retailer and Industry News:
Employers of people who bike to work stand to gain a $20 per month tax credit per cycling employee, according to the final version of the Wall Street bailout bill, H.R. 1424, passed this afternoon.

The House passed the bill today with a final vote of 263-171, a comfortable margin that was 58 more votes than the measure garnered in Monday’s stunning defeat. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday by a vote of 74 for and 25 against the bill.
The bicycle tax provision was part of an additional $110 billion in line items added to the already $700 billion bailout package.
What does bicycle commuting have to do with credit issues or covering the debt racked up on Wall Street? Bicycle commuting advocate Earl Blumenauer, a Democratic Representative from Oregon, was one of the 228 Representatives who voted against the House version of the bailout package on Monday. House members looking to pass a bailout bill needed to convince as least 12 of the dissenters to switch their position and vote for a bailout bill.

According to a Blumenauer spokeswoman, the bicycle commuting tax credit had the Representative’s attention, according to a report by www.govexec.com. However, Blumenauer said he was opposed to the bill because it failed to include bankruptcy equity for homeowners, not because employers of bicycle commuters suffered unfair tax burdens. He is also against incentives for coal-based liquids, tar sands and oil shale also included in the Senate’s bill. Blumenauer voted against the bailout bill in today’s vote but his pet bicycling project passed with it.

Congressman Blumenauer spearheaded a seven-year campaign to extend commuter tax benefits to those who bike to work.
Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, said the Bicycle Commuter Act has been held up getting through with previous bills.
“It’s been attached to a variety of different bills or devices—climate change, energy, transportation,” Clarke said. “It’s ironic that it would wind up in a financial rescue package, but we’ll take it. I’m not going to quibble with the method; I’m glad to see it done.”
The employer tax break is laid out in Sec. 211, “Transportation fringe benefit to bicycle commuters,” which is under the Transportation and Domestic Fuel Security Provision section in H.R. 1424. The $20 a month tax relief per bicycle commuting employee is to cover the cost of any employer reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee “for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.”
“It’s definitely a day to celebrate just this one little thing that has been achieved after seven years,” Clarke said. “It may not be a total game changer—it’s still a relatively small break—but it gets us closer to the kind of treatment that cyclists in the U.K. and other parts of the world have had for years.”

Shade-Grown Coffee Ensures A Future Cup-a-Joe

Photo Via Melinda Shelton

Coffee is grown in two main ways: in the sun or in the shade. But three University of Michigan researchers show that if we want to look forward to a nice hot cup of coffee a few years from now, shade-grown coffee is where its at.

Read more: Shade-Grown Coffee Ensures A Future Cup-a-Joe

Finally! A 'Green' Hummer: A pedal powered SUV!

In my entire lifetime, never have I seen an SUV with such simple and hassle free functions. Let’s welcome the newest and wackiest vehicle that helps us get close, as close as one can get, with Mother Nature! No gas tank to fill and refill, no greenhouse gasses pouring from the exhaust pipe, no honking, no technical jargons. Just pure unadulterated fun of being one with nature is what you get with this 5-seater.

So hop on, because this is one ride you don’t want to miss.

This human powered multi-bicycle vehicle is capable of carrying 5 people as fast as humanly possible, currently 14.8 mph.

Mayor of London Announces the 'Summer of Cycling'

London Shells Out Money to Promote CyclingAs part of the $975 million USD London plans to spend on walking and cycling programs over the next decade, London Mayor Boris Johnson has launched the 'Summer of Cycling' with the simple but important aim of getting more Londoners to ride their bikes.

A press release announced that:
The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) will be promoting cycling throughout the coming months, through innovative events and the ongoing “You’re better off by bike” campaign. The aims of this campaign are to encourage existing cyclists to use their bikes more regularly, and promote cycling to the estimated 1.1 million Londoners who have access to bikes but don’t use them.

Riding a Bike? It's the Economics, Stupid!Some of the marquee events will be the September 7th finale of the Tour of Britain, a professional bike race, as well as "the hugely popular Sky Sports London Freewheel event" where the roads of central London are closed and cyclists are allowed to take over the streets. In addition to the promotional events and ad campaigns, the city will continue upgrading its network of bike lanes and bike racks as well as step up its campaigns to educate the public as to the benefits of cycling, and the keys to ensuring safety on the road. Between Britain's high gas prices and London's congestion charge, the bicycle shouldn't be a hard sell. As with so many other things, it's the economics!

Via TreeHugger

Ultra Motor A2B Electric Bike lets you call yourself a cyclist...

We Americans say we like bike riding, but we're too damn lazy to pedal. That’s why we’ll snap up this Ultra Motor A2B Electric Bike with its proprietary power plant that can go 40 miles on a charge with its extended battery. We’re wondering how they fit that 500-watt sucker inside this diminutive frame.

It’s not exactly slow, either — zipping you along at 20mph, and if you feel like pedaling its 8-gear bicycle drive train for some reason, well, you can do that, too, for even more speed and efficiency. But don’t stress yourself. You’re not riding a bike… it’s a transportation solution!

Ships next month, but brace yourself: this 73-pound beast costs $2,500, enough for quite a few limousine rides.

Ultra Motor, via Business Wire

Coffee firm converts waste to energy...

Via Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:21:00 08/09/2008

Spent Coffee Grounds are used to generate energy in the Cagayan de Oro factory of leading coffee brand Nescafe.

The Nestle CDO factory’s atmospheric fluidized bed boiler (AFBB) is a state-of-the-art technology that burns and recycles spent coffee grounds into bunker fuel, which the factory uses for its operations. Spent coffee grounds are the remains of ground roasted coffee after extraction.

“Because we burn less oil in generating steam, the AFBB helps reduce environmental pollution and save energy costs,” says Ed Legasto, senior vice president of Nestle Philippines Inc. and manager of the Cagayan de Oro factory.

He said that by using biomass or the spent coffee grounds as substitute for bunker fuel, “we prevent emission of air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which are natural by-products arising from the combustion of fossil fuels.”

Fantastic Plastic: Innervision Plastic Bike Should be Called Re-Bicyclable

Designer Matt Clark has come up with Innervision: a prototype polypropelene bike designed to be fully recyclable. And, incidentally, to look rather cool indeed.

The frame is in two parts, which are welded together: an inner frame with strong triangular truss-structure and an outer frame for a better look. Both split into two, so the bike is easy to manufacture. For now it's made of new plastic, but Matt intends future ones to be made of recycled polypropylene.

Apparently it rides well, thanks to that stiff inner body. And it's got a pretty good theft deterrent system: anyone hacksawing it free from a bike lock would have a useless half-bike. Unless they bought the toy plastic welder perhaps.

Via Bike Commuters.com

Your support is needed for a worthy cause...

Campaign to grow vegetable garden on White House lawn...

Several past U.S. presidents had vegetable gardens on the White House lawn. Eleanor Roosevelt started a victory garden on the White House lawn in 1943, which encouraged millions to do the same in their own front yards. When WWII ended, home gardeners were producing 40 percent of the United States' produce.

Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardens International (an organization that promotes kitchen gardening and home-cooking) hopes to convince the next US president to make a small vegetable garden on the 19 acres of grass surrounding the White House. His video about making a garden in the front yard of his own "white house" is entertaining and inspiring.

This Lawn is Your Lawn

I doubt if there will be any luck with the idea... As one commenter put it "Jimmy Carter did all kinds of "lead by example" stuff when he was President, and we lambasted him for it. What makes anyone believe the next President wouldn't get the same treatment?"

To solve your mosquito problem, acquire a bat problem...

So you've got a bit of a mosquito problem, do you? Well, you could get a bug zapper or cover yourself in some gross chemical spray. But you don't want to do that. I know what you need: even bigger flying creatures to eat the mosquitoes.

Because one bat can devour 600 mosquitoes or other insects in just one hour, installing a Bat Conservatory nearby can protect you and your family from insect bites and greatly reduce the need for environmentally hazardous mosquito repellents. Made of Western Red Cedar sawmill trim, this handsome slatted shelter provides respite for approximately 40 bats. Mounting hardware not included.

If you get yourself a bat conservatory, you'll attract a bunch of bats to your property. And bats love eating mosquitoes. You'll be able to sit back and relax as your winged minions take care of your bug problem.

Via Random Good Stuff

CNN Hero's nonprofit Pedals for Progress gives new life to used bicycles...

Via CNN News

Several times a year, 55-year-old Dave Schweidenback can be found prepping large shipments of used bicycles bound for a developing country. For Schweidenback, gathering and breaking down these bikes is a labor of love -- one that is helping to keep the bikes out of landfills and give them new life.

"Used bicycles can transform the economic and social condition of families," says Schweidenback. "[They] give people access to jobs, health care and education that is too distant for walking."

Since 1991, Schweidenback's nonprofit Pedals for Progress has collected and shipped more than 115,000 used bicycles to 32 developing countries worldwide

Another Fine Electric Bike Design...

I am seeing more and more electric powered (or assisted) bikes lately, could it be that gas is still around $5 gallon?I have found yet another electric bike, this one with a design that definitly catches the eye, and this is one that you can buy.

This electric bicycle uses an automatic transmission to downshift into a lower gear when it senses a hill, upshifts for rapid acceleration up to 20 mph on flats, or allows you to pedal normally because the motor can be disengaged at your command. Powered by a 750-watt electric motor housed in the horizontal chain and motor assembly that provides 1 hp, the 8-speed automatic transmission is capable of four modes of operation, all controlled by a thumb toggle on the handlebars: a setting for rapid acceleration, a low gear setting for inclines (but slower acceleration), and a setting for manual gear shifting that disengages the motor to preserve battery life.

You can pick one up for yourself from Hammacher Schlemmer for a mere $5,500...