Tag Archives: bicycling

Pedal in the City: Need a ride? Call a Pedicab!

pedalcityNext time you need a ride, you don’t have your bicycle,  and have the urge to call a cab or Lyft, consider a bike taxi. Or if you are holding an event or would like a scenic ride through town, a bike taxi may be for you!

Bike taxi is the layman’s term for “pedicab”. One might wonder what it takes to be a pedicab driver. It’s more than you would think.  We searched the web and discovered that operating a pedicab isn’t cut out for everyone.. According to Salt Lake Cycle Club “it is a job which requires a great deal of maturity, physical strength, street smarts, and an intimate knowledge of the city’s layout.”  We also found useful information on the site “Money Crashers” (https://www.moneycrashers.com/pedicab-driving-how-it-works-earnings-potential-pros-cons/), where it describes that Pedicabs typically weigh about 300 pounds when empty, and can carry more than 300 pounds of passenger weight, according.. “To make it easier to start from a dead stop, pedicabs generally have 21 gears or more.”  Some pedicabs have backup electric or gas motors to assist drivers with fully loaded vehicles. There are municipalities that ban pedicabs with motors, Salt Lake Cycle Club uses solar powered lithium batteries to assist the human power it takes to navigate steeper grades and full loads.

The article provides details about operating a pedicab business, different types of drivers, and the pros and cons of working as a pedicab driver.

While using pedicabs are generally good for the environment, they can be a bit pricey.

Salt Lake City has a growing number of eco-friendly taxi options to get you around town.  We found two, each one with unique services and approaches to pedicabbing.

Salt Lake City Bike Taxi Company – http://www.slcbiketaxi.com

This company has a “fleet” of bike taxis for 2-3 people each. Their specialities is city/historic tours and weddings. They also will serve a variety of events.

Salt Lake City Cycle Club – http://saltcitycyclecab.com/

Offering rides “anywhere you want to go”, this company offers city tours and transportation to parties.  They also can transport you on bar crawls downtown. “You can have fun,get good and sauced, and beat last call with a private team of pedicabs speeding you around the many scattered bars in our downtown district.” Using the slogan “We ride because we care,” they consider themselves as stewards of the planet and will ride in any kind of weather.  Now that’s dedication.

GREENbike Program

greenbike_040115~0Ever wanted to take a bike ride, either around town or to easily navigate from place to place downtown, but either did not have your own bike or it was inoperable at the moment? Enter GREENbike, Salt Lake City’s bike share program!

GREENbike started in Salt Lake City in 2013. In the first 3 seasons the service shut down for the winter, starting in December and reopening again in March or April of the following year. In 2016, however, the bike share stayed open year-round, much to the delight of GREENbike members and enthusiasts.

How do you use GREENbike? For annual members with a GREENbike card (issued in the mail after signing up online), just go to the dock of the bike you want, press the metal button, wait for the lights to activate, tap your card at the designated area, and the bike will release.  For non-annual members, simply proceed to the station kiosk and follow the instructions on the screen, having your debit/credit card ready to swipe when asked. It’s that easy!

What does GREENbike cost? Passes are available for 24 hours ($7) 4 days ($15) or annually ($75 or $56 for select groups, see www.slcbikeshare.org for details). You must use your debit/credit card to access GREENbike. You can purchase a 24-hour pass at the kiosk at any GREENbike station. Annual and 4-day passes are purchased online at www.slcbikeshare.org.

Annual members are eligible for rides of up to an hour at a time. If you exceeed one hour on a single check-out you are subject to extra fees that are charged to the card on your profile. For 24-hour or 4-day pass holders, checkouts last up to 30 minutes, after which overage fees will apply. Don’t let the checkout time limits discourage you though, since you get unlimited checkouts within the timeframe of your pass. Just be sure to check your GREENbike in at any station before the checkout period ends, then feel free to check it back out to get the clock restarted on a new checkout period.

There are 20 GREENbike stations in Salt Lake City, the nearest ones to the Fairpark area are located at North Temple just west of 600 West, and at the North Temple FrontRunner station underneath the viaduct. Stations are sprinkled throughout the downtown area, going as far south and east as Trolley Square.

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Pedal in the City: Women and Bicycling: Do Men Ride More Than Women?

If you are a woman, do you ride your bicycle for recreation or transportation – or both? Do you have a functional adult bicycle in your house?pedalcity

An interesting study conducted in 2014 by PeopleForBikes revealed some interesting facts about women and bicycling.

“We decided to ask. In late 2014 we commissioned the U.S. Bicycling Participation Study, an unprecedented comprehensive survey of bicycling participation. We measured all kinds of riding by all kinds of people, including women. It turns out that much of what we thought we knew was wrong. There are some important and interesting findings from the study.”

Read about the gap between men and women who ride bikes,

Who rides more – women or men?

Do parents ride more or less?

Do men and women have similar aspirations when it comes to bicycling?

Comparing safety concerns between men and women,

Do older women ride more or less than younger women?

How are women represented in bicycle racing?

Find out more:

Article:

Download the study: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/pages/u.s.-bicycling-participation-benchmarking-report

Pedal in the City: Biking the Jordan River Parkway Trail

pedalcityIt’s summer and time to do some recreational biking!  As we eagerly anticipate the bridge to be built, connecting the last section of unfinished trail, it is still easy to travel this path for for 50 miles from Utah Lake north to the Great Salt Lake through Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties!  On any given day, one can see individuals and families pedaling the Jordan Parkway Trail.  How much do you know about this wonderful asset?

There are resources to help you get started on this journey.  Here are two:

Jordan River Commission provides a digital guide, map and information on the river itself:

http://jordanrivercommission.com/jordan-river-parkway-trail-map/

Bike SLC provides maps also, but additional information on the master plan, municipalities along the trail, and more:

http://www.bikeslc.com/jordanrivertrail/default.html
Remember your helmet and water and sunblock before you set out – and have fun!

Pedal in the City: Know your laws!

pedalcityBicycling is tons of fun, healthy and environmentally friendly. But with bicycling comes responsibility.

Here are highlights of bicycling laws in Utah.

Making sure your bicycle is street legal:

You are required to have a white headlight, red taillight or reflector, and side reflectors, all visible for at least 500 feet (41-6a-1114) any time you ride earlier than a half hour before sunrise, later than a half hour after sunset, or whenever it is otherwise difficult to make out vehicles 1000 feet away (41-6a-1603).

  • You     must have brakes capable of stopping you within 25 feet from a speed     of 10 miles per hour on dry, level, clean pavement (41-6a-1113).
  • You     cannot have a siren or whistle on your bike (41-6a-1113).

Continue reading →

Pedal in the City: Bike Commuting Winter Safety Tips

pedalcityWinter in Salt Lake began with the beauty of falling snow and crystals of ice glistening in the winter sun. While beautiful to gaze upon, with that beauty comes commuting hazards. This month’s focus is on biking safely in winter weather conditions.

Gear Junkie, based in Minneapolis, has posted 12 tips for winter bike commuting, covering everything from proper clothing to how to navigate your bicycle in the ice and snow.

Here are a few of the tips. The rest can be found at

http://gearjunkie.com/winter-bike-commuting-10-tips-to-ride-safe

Bike safely!

Follow the plow — Bike trails are regularly plowed in many major metro areas. For example, in Minneapolis more than 50 miles of trail is plowed after a snow.

Ride steady — For slippery stretches riders should slow down and stay loose. Brake only on the rear wheel to avoid spinouts on slick surfaces. And be prepared to take your feet off the pedals if the bike starts to fishtail or tilt.

Cold and clean — Unless you plan to clean it off, keep your bike cold and store it in the garage. A room-temperature bike in new snow can cause ice to form on brakes and gears more easily. Also, keep your chain and gear cassette lubricated for best operation.

Headwear — Jacket hoods are a no-no, as air funnels in as you move, inflating a hood like a sail. Instead, many riders wear balaclavas and sunglasses or ski goggles. Tight-fitting (but warm) fleece skull caps are popular. Top it off with a helmet, perhaps sized larger in winter to fit over all the insulation.

Pedal in the City: Bike Commuting ~ One of the Best Ways to Stay Healthy

Working out at the gym has its benefits, but consider something that might bring more enjoyment along with those health benefits: Bike commuting.pedalcity

A 2013 article in Grist Magazine by Jay Walljasper discusses the health benefits of bike commuting.

“Biking for transportation appears more helpful in losing weight and promoting health than working out at the gym.

This means I can spend less time wearing a grimace as I endure mind-numbing exercise routines at the Y — and more time wearing a smile as I bike to work, shopping, and social events. Just what I always thought.”

Citing a study on commuting by bike vs. car, Walljasper highlights the fact that exercise for transportation my have better health benefits than weekly exercise routines. Continue reading →