Is your state one of the bike friendly states, or a menace to cycling?

The League of American Bicyclists has released their rankings of the friendliest states to cycle (interactive map).  The criteria was based on the following: legislation; policies and programs; infrastructure; education and encouragement; evaluation and planning; and enforcement.

The notable states:

Top 5

1. Washington
2. Wisconsin
3. Arizona
4. Oregon
5. Minnesota

Bottom 5

46. North Dakota
47. Mississippi
48. Alabama
49. Georgia
50. West Virginia

I guess I’m not really surprised at the listings except for Oregon being a bit lower than I would have expected.

Clarke points to Washington’s model bike laws, signed and mapped statewide bike route network, dedicated funding from the state for bicycle related programs and projects, and an active statewide bicycle advisory committee as a few examples of why Washington ranked the highest.

West Virginia was last primarily due to the fact that they have few people actually riding bicycles compared to the other states, and also have high levels of crashes and fatalities.

The full list of rankings is after the break.

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Live near Austin, TX?  Sick of the boring old bike racks?  Now is your chance to take action…

The Downtown Austin Alliance is issuing a Request for Proposals to artists and artist teams interested in creating unique, durable artwork to serve as bike racks at three specific right-of-way locations along Congress Avenue.

Download the RFP by clicking on this link.

All RFPs responses must be received by September 24, 2008.

The mission of the DAA is to promote and preserve the value and vitality of downtown. We do this through supporting the arts, promoting smart development, advocating for alternative means of transportation and working to enhance property values in downtown Austin. This project provides a chance for the DAA to realize these goals, in cooperation with downtown constituents and the City of Austin. The bike rack sculptures will also provide amenities for an eco-friendly mode of transportation while encouraging residents and visitors to spend more time downtown.

Artists and artist groups will be chosen based on a wide range of ideas, but there are several fundamental aims of the project that the selected artists/artist teams should keep in mind while designing artwork for the site. These include the importance of:
- High aesthetic merit of the work
- Functionality as a bike rack, able to support and secure at least two bikes
- Overall safety of the design
- Low degree of maintenance of the work

An Artist Information meeting will be held on Thursday, September 4, 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Downtown Austin Alliance offices: 211 E 7th Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room. We will discuss the project, answer questions and tour potential installation sites.

We encourage you to use public transportation, walk or ride bicycles to the meeting. Free parking is also available in the DAA garage, located on 7th St. between Brazos and San Jacinto.

We look forward to receiving your proposals! Please contact Lacy LaBorde at 512-469-1766 or lacy@downtownaustin.com with questions.

via MAKE Blog

Fi’zi:k is known for having some pretty good saddles, and the Arione CX Carbon doesn’t disappoint according to Cyclingnews.

The new saddle weighs a slim 149g, and includes the Wing Flex feature found in other Fi’zi:k saddles.  That’s pretty impressive considering everything it includes:

…a full carbon shell, sparser padding under the synthetic Microtex cover, and clever braided carbon rails.

It’s not cheap at $299.99, but probably isn’t too much of an issue for the cyclists that are considering purchasing it.

From Fi’zi’k’s site:

• Cover: Black or White suede w/ carbon inserts
• Thigh Glides: Black microtext
• Logo: Fading black/red or White laser
• Rail: Carbon Braided
• Weight: 149 gr

Mike McClusky of Wired has gone through a few of the different ways of fitting a new bike.  He has tried and tested the “data driven approach of the Specialized fit, which used my body’s measurements and flexibility as a starting point, to the experience-driven fit I was given by the late, great Clay Mankin at San Francisco’s City Cycle, I’ve seen most of the ways that a rider and machine can be brought together.” The only thing left for Mike to try out was the Retul fitting system.

From the Retul website:

Readings taken throughout the Dynamic 3D motion capture process are immediately processed and a report generated. The fitter then analyzes the date from this sample and evaluates the need for position change. Once the changes are made, the process is repeated to verify effectiveness. This new data then becomes part of the final report, in addition to post-fit bike and equipment measurements.

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Cervélo, along with Zipp, Speedplay, Vittoria, and 3T have created a new professional cycling team, Cervélo TestTeam.

The reason for leaving the top ranked Team CSC is due to the owner of CSC, Riis Cycling, change in priorities towards generating revenue, and profits.  This wasn’t aligned very well with the goals of Cervélo.

“Our main reason to work with a team is to develop new products, and how better to accomplish that than by owning the team.”

It will be interesting to see who will step up and take Cervélo’s place on Team CSC.

The roster has been confirmed as being filled out, but has not been announced yet.

”Cervélo TestTeam will be managed by Cycling United Racing out of Switzerland, together with the professional women’s team currently known as Team Cervélo-Lifeforce,. “As a partner of the women’s team, we have seen their very high level of professionalism and their impressive results,” said Andy Ording, President of Zipp. “So it was a natural decision to use the current platform and reinforce it with additional staff.”

The “TestTeam” name may change based on if Cervélo is able to gain a major sponsor.

The full press release.