Bikes

City of Durham is trumpeting that we were named a bike friendly city at the Bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists.

My first reaction was that i must be living on the wrong side of town, because i felt far safer cycling in Brooklyn than i ever did in Durham. But i've been chatting with a few of my friends and they tell me that things are definitely getting better on the roads for cyclists, and this designation is well deserved.

So keep up the good work, and share the road, OK?

UPDATE: One of my grouchy friends agrees with my original thoughts, via FB:

It is nice to see slightly more people cycling in Durham, but someone has been hitting the pipe a little too hard if they think Durham is worthy of award and recognition on this front.

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Bikes For The World

The Durham chapter of the group Bikes For The World is holding its second annual bicycle collection drive on Saturday, June 27, from 10 am to 2 pm. The group is DC based, but is now holding collection drives in upstate NY, Baltimore, Charlottesville, VA, and here in the Triangle.

From their website:

We accept ANY serviceable bicycle, adult or children’s, accompanied by a suggested $10 per bike donation to defray a share of the costs in getting bikes to quality programs overseas and get information back for donors and the public. Flat tires or a missing seat or pedal matter little. Mountain bikes are the most-desired models. Also highly desirable are fat-tired one-speed “cruisers”, three-speed touring bicycles, and good-quality men’s road bicycles. We also accept tandems, recumbents, adult tricycles, trail-a-bikes, and even unicycles. We accept scooters in good condition.

We DO NOT generally accept: children’s tricycles, “Razor” scooters, bicycle frames lacking any or most components, or “rust-bucket” bikes whose painted frames are beginning to rust through or whose chains are frozen solid with rust.

We welcome children’s bikes, because (1) they get children to school, (2) servicing a kid’s bike overseas generates mechanic employment just as an adult bike does, and (3) they fit well into the interstices of a shipping container (and increase the value of the shipment)!


In addition, we gratefully accept most bicycle spare parts and components (e.g., tubes, tires, chains, cables, and mountain bike handlebars, but not “drop” handlebars), accessories (e.g., pumps, locks, helmets, gloves), bicycle books and manuals, bicycle tools (including wrenches, screwdrivers, and hammers), and operating portable sewing machines. These items fit well within the shipments of bicycles, adding value without displacing bicycles, and are much welcomed.

Got a bike lying around the house that you're not using? do some good with it.

The collection site is in the parking lot of Family Health International at Headquarters Park, 2224 E NC Hwy 54, Durham (RTP) NC 27713. For info, write wennywigley AT gmail.com or call 919-688-9347.

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