All Comer’s Meet

October 10-20, 2012: Kyoto & the Inland Sea Islands of Japan

Explore ancient Kyoto’s World Heritage temples, shrines and gardens on 2-wheels and ride the premier cycling route in western Japan – the Seto Inland Sea Islands. Fall is an ideal time to visit Japan and you’ll see first hand how bicycle-friendly a country it is. Experience the old and new, urban and rural settings – including citrus farms and fishing villages on 10 islands linked by a series of spectacular bridges. Ride the bullet train with your bike, take a hot spring bath, and stay in a traditional inn.
Tour begins and ends in Osaka, 500km west of Tokyo.

Your Personal Guide: Ruthy Kanagy, GEARS member and owner of Japan Cycle Tour LLC.
For details, email info@japancycletour.com

For more inspiration see this series of photos on Picasa of the tour.

Recycle Your Bicycle

GEARS will hold its annual meeting and Bike Swap on Monday November 28th from 6 to 8 pm at Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St.  All GEARS members are invited to join for free Pizza and a soft drink ($5 for non members)!  We will vote on a By-Law change, have a presentation about the bRamble and elect and present the Executive Board. A Bike Swap, from 7-8pm, that will offer cyclists an opportunity to sell and exchange bicycles, bike parts and accessories, will follow this. Each “seller” who is not a GEARS member will be charged $5. Memberships are available starting at $12/year at the event or online at http://eugenegears.org/membership

Both events are open to the general public.

The exhibit, which is free, opens Thursday, Nov. 3, at Humble Beagle, 2435 Hilyard St., from 6-8 p.m. Photos will be on exhibit until Thursday, Nov. 17.

Hi , I’m Paul and I’m in need of some help. After many months on the road I have to end my cycle trip in Eugene. Its been no normal trip. I have been cycling a 4 wheeled 2 seated bike car more than 8000 miles. Due to family & personal reasons I have to return home to England. I’m trying to find my bike car a new home and I was wondering if you might possibly be able to help? I’m either looking for a Sale or possible Trade for a normal bicycle. I hate to leave the bikecar behind but sadly we cant continue our journey together.

I will be staying at the HI-Hostel, 970 West 3rd Avenue, for the next few nights (I hope to arrive this evening).
Maybe you could circulate this around your cycling community and friends to help me relocate this machine as I would hate to see her on a scrap pile. I can be contacted on this email: everittpaul@hotmail.co.uk

going-solo.co.uk is my website for more details.

Thank you for your time and help.

Paul Everitt

Blind Stoker on Co-Motion Tandem (via Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

The City of Eugene Adaptive Recreation program needs some assistance this Tuesday with a group of 8 teenagers from Mobility International USA who are blind. The City will be providing an adaptive bike day with them from 1:45-3:15 at the Amazon Center and they are looking for some folks with tandem bikes who could come and give these kids a biking experience.

They have 4 tandems, but not experienced captains. If there are some folks who have their own tandems and could bring them that would be great if not they can use the City bikes.

Contact Patty to volunteer:

Patty Prather
City of Eugene- Adaptive Recreation
2580 Hilyard St.
541-682-6365
www.eugene-or.gov/recadaptive

More information on Adaptive Recreation Services:

Located at Hilyard Community Center, Adaptive Recreation Services provides year-round, community-based recreational, social, and educational programs for Eugene area children, teens and adults with disabilities. We provide participants with the opportunity to develop new skills, enhance awareness of their community and natural environment, build self-confidence, and recognize personal potential.

The Lane Arts Council and Saturday Market will offer attended bike parking for this Friday’s Eugene ArtWalk on Kesey Square in Downtown Eugene. About 20 bike spaces are available. There is no fee, but users must bring their own lock. Bike parking is available from 5:00 PM to 8:15. The ArtWalk runs from 5:30 to 8:00. Here is a map.

For more information on the ArtWalk, click on this link: http://www.lanearts.org/communityarts/firstfriday.php

–Racks loaned via the Eugene Safe Routes to School program and service provided by VeloGuy Mobile Bicycle Service and BikeLane.

What does the future hold for active transportation in North American cities?  With each passing year, walking and bicycling rates increase as more people choose to get around on foot or by bike based on interest in improved personal health, environmental considerations and simple economics.  While some North American cities are already figuring out how to accommodate these increasing numbers, others are playing catch-up after years of auto-centric development.  The City of Eugene, an early innovator in non-motorized transportation design, is preparing an updated Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan to help guide transportation decisions for the foreseeable future. How does creating more transportation options build a more livable community?  How can we make our public spaces, including our streets, more family friendly and usable by more people?  What are other communities doing and how can Eugene become an innovator again?

On the evening of Friday, October 22nd, you are invited to join us as we explore the topic of emerging and innovative bicycle and pedestrian design with a panel of speakers including Edward Fischer, former ODOT State Traffic Engineer- FHWA International Ped/Bike Scan Trip Report, Jessica Roberts, Alta Planning and Design- “Homegrown Innovation”, Tools & Projects from around the US, and Hugh Prichard, retired developer and real estate broker- Report from Velo-City Copenhagen.  Our panel will be moderated by Sheila Lyons, the ODOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Manager.

When: Friday, October 22. Happy Hour 5:00-6:00 PM Panel Discussion 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Where: Oregon Electric Station, 27 E. 5th Ave.
Details: Free valet bike parking, light refreshments and no-cost entry. Beer, Wine, & Food available for purchase

Event sponsored by, City of Eugene, point2point Solutions, GEARs, Eugene Safe Routes to School, and Envision Eugene

More Information: www.eugenepedbikeplan.org, or call Dave Roth, Associate Transportation Planner at 541-682-5727

Mark your calendars and be sure to come down for the Delta Ponds Bridge Dedication on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 11 a.m

Join Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and members of the community in celebrating the substantial completion of the new bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Delta Highway and through Delta Ponds. Put on your marching shoes! All non-motorized modes of transportation are welcome to participate in a short parade over the new bridge.  Note that this is a “dedication” and not an opening. With construction delays for the final touch of some ‘mood lighting’ the bridge won’t open until sometime in October.

On that same day (Saturday, Sept. 11th) Valley River Assembly of God (900 Robin Hood Street, where the East side of the bridge terminus is) will be holding a special celebration called “All Paths Lead to the Crossing” from 9:30-2:30. It will be both a celebration of the bridge and their annual community event that has a health, wellness, family, and community focus to it. It sounds like it will add quiet a bit to the celebration with a 10K run, bike stunts, lots of community booths, a bouncy house, and more. (link coming soon to that event…)

Information about the Delta Ponds Bridge project can be found at: www.eugene-or.gov/DeltaPondsBridge

**This write up by Paul Adkins originally appeared on Eugroove.com**

If you were in the right place at the right time on Sunday morning, you could have added your own, “So Eugene, I love it!” to the chorus of drivers, runners and pedestrians who stopped to gape at (and cheer for) the 20 or so intrepid bicyclists, hauling an entire household along the paths and streets of Eugene.
The bicycle devotees — who came on their bikes with trailers or cargo hauling capacity — began their journey at what appeared to be a moving sale in the front yard of Steve and Annette Leibhardt and their two children. But this was no moving sale. This was Bike Move, the Eugene equivalent of an Amish Barn Raising. Tons of work, and tons of fun.


The starting point: West Amazon. The destination: Marion Dr. off of River Road. A total of 6.5 miles across four zip codes.
Together they hauled everything from mattresses to furniture, to appliances, to electronics, to packing boxes. Everything that usually gets dragged onto a truck and driven.
Kids and adults alike carried giant loads, and every conceivable bicycle hauling method was represented. The only thing bigger than the loads were the smiles as the crew rolled north along the Amazon Path to High St. and traversed westward on 11th through the Fair traffic to Monroe, one of Eugene’s Bicycle Boulevards. The group headed north into the heart of Eugene, the Whiteaker Neighborhood, and connected with the River Path system.


The band of Bike Movers made two trips over the course of the day. Roughly 400 bike miles were logged (with no injuries). Local Oakshire beer and Mezza Luna pizza were waiting as the final group rolled in weary from the road.


Many of the onlookers offered their help for the next Bike Move in Eugene. If you’re interested contact Paul Adkins at paul@eugenegears.org.

Here’s the full slideshow of the event from Paul: