Volunteer and Mechanic meeting

Hey Kids, want to help? Already helping? Either way, we need you to come to this meeting.

Thursday, May 14
8pm, Bici HQ
(1211 28th Street South G2)
Behind Rhodes park

We will go over what we need, how to help, what a typical Bici shift looks like, etc


See you soon

bike love

Bike to Work Day

This Friday, May 15 is Bike to Work Day. I hope you all will chose the 2 wheeled steed as your transportation that day.

Does your bike need a little tune-up? come in this week, Monday and Thursday and get it ready to go!

There are also events in town Friday. We are working on getting some happy hours specials for cyclists during happy hour and will keep you posted. Stay tuned.

In the morning, I am planning to participate in the event below. Hope to see you there! meets in 5 Points at 7am for a ride through downtown. Come out and show the city that we exist and we need some infrastructure!

see you.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday May 4, 2009

For more information contact:
Tom Maxwell, Regional Planning Commission, 205-264-8445
Barbara Gower, Birmingham Bicycle Club, 205-790-6487

Birmingham Bike-to-Work Day 2009 Event
Friday May 15, 7:00 a.m.
May is National Bike Month! The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week
from May 11-15. Bike-to-Work Day is on Friday, May 15 at 7:00 a.m. A bicycle commuter convoy
will depart from the fountain at Five Points South (Birmingham’s Southside). The group will ride a 6-
mile route throughout Birmingham’s City Center to tour ongoing and future downtown revitalization
projects and to raise cycling awareness. The ride will terminate between 7:45 and 8:00 a.m. at the
Center for Regional Planning and Design, 1731 1st Avenue North, where there will be a photo
opportunity, news media, cold drinks, and distribution of giveaway items for all participants. For
complete route information visit the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization’s website:
www.bhammpo.org

The event is sponsored by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham with support
from the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Birmingham Bicycle Club, Vulcan
Triathletes, Jefferson County Department of Health, Alabama Partners for Clean Air and
CommuteSmart Birmingham.

Citizens throughout America participate in this annual initiative by conducting group rides to highlight
the benefits of cycling as a viable mode of transportation and means of regular exercise for better
health. Taking your bike to work instead of the car improves regional air quality by reducing vehicular
emissions and can result in weight loss, stress reduction and improve cardio-vascular function. Biking to
work makes for good use of commute time and reduces costly fuel consumption for many Americans.
For metro Birmingham it makes more sense than ever! The League has set up an event website
providing information on events all across the nation: www.bikemonth.com





bike love.

Shop Open

Thanks to everyone for coming out to the Grand Opening party! It was a raging success.

The shop is now open!

Hours: M/TH 6-9
Sat. 1-5

Memberships available now:

$80 yearly
$50 student (with valid student id)
$60 6 month membership

come by and fill out a embership form to join! We need members in order to keep it running smoothly. See our Membership Drive post for the benefits of joining.

Bici Grand Opening May Day Relay TONIGHT!

Membership Drive!!

Hello friends! A question we are often asked is "How can I become a member of Bici?" Well, fret no more, tonight I answer that question.

FAQ:

1. How much does it cost? $80 per year
2. What do I get? A wicked awesome membership card. Oh, AND unlimited use of our tools and mechanics. You only pay for parts. Crazy, I know! Did I mention that we have members only nights? Third Thursday of every month is just for you guys! You are also supporting a really great thing in Birmingham.
3. How do I pay? Get us some cash money or write a check. We take both. One day soon we will have a Paypal account and you will be able to pay that way.
4. What don't I get? Us bothering you about money (like NPR...who we love, btw).

If you can't afford the $80, holler at us. We can probably work something out. We need committed volunteers. Nothing is free, but no one will be turned away for monetary reasons.

If you are interested in becoming a member, come by the shop. Answer some questions (so we can remember that you paid!) and you are golden. We can also start taking memberships on Friday night.

Who will be the first member? How cool would it be to be THAT person?

Ready......Go!

bike love

Bicycling for Transportation and Health

My pal April sent me this article from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation about a study out of Portland earlier today.  I thought it was so great that I wanted to share it with you all.

The aim of the study was to see how people utilize their bikes, and to determine whether biking for transportation is a feasible way of achieving the recommended amount of physical activity.  Basically, the researchers put GPS tracking devices on bikes and tracked the number of miles that were rode over a seven day period. They found that 60% of riders were active even more than recommended, and the participants rode mostly for utilitarian purposes rather than for exercise.  

They also found that the majority of riders utilized bike lanes and separate paths, and that this type of infrastructure is an important element for riders.  From the article: "This study underscores active living can be achieved for adults through routine cycling for transport if the environment is supportive".

Hear that Birmingham? Wondering why we're so fat? One explanation: WE NEED A SUPPORTIVE BIKING ENVIRONMENT!

You can find a link to the RWJF article here, and the full journal article here.

Working hard and trying not to get electrocuted!

We had another workday last night, and now have a kickin' bench for you all to work on. The shop is almost ready folks; we look forward to seeing you all there this coming friday for our grand opening bash!

*wes, now that I've taken your picture you owe us some of that membership moolah*