I've Neglected My Bicycle

As some Broadway shows shutter their doors and community theatres across the country go dark, DC’s theatre scene braces for an uncertain future.

In today’s economy, potential theatre goers pull their wallets in a little closer and tighten their budgets. In times like these, entertainment and leisure are the first ones to get the pink slip.

Until the economy starts to recover, small non-profit theatres will continue to feel the pinch on all sides. With many theatres already experiencing a lull in attendance, box offices look to lower ticket prices as a way to draw in audiences.

Non-profit theatres will also see a decrease in donations and county and state granting. Bigger profit theatres either close shows early or scale back performances to save money. Often times, small struggling theatres will slash their marketing budget, which ends up in turn killing attendance.

Not so at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo. Artistic Director, Michael Bobbitt acknowledges the importance of advertising, “Viral marketing is the best way to market period. We have cut back on ads in publications and looked to listservs, Facebook, email blasts, etc.” The internet has become a valuable tool to small non-profit theatres from marketing, to Craigslist casting calls, even prop shopping on Ebay.

Another way theatres look to cut costs is to shy away from big, lavish musicals and turn to smaller shows, with smaller casts and smaller crews. They also move away from edgier shows and look to tried and true standbys. “We pick titles that we know will sell. I call it the Hamlet syndrome,” says Bobbitt. “If you do Hamlet, everyone will come.”

In fact, community theatre just might upstage the down turned economy. As more people stay home and look for outlets to escape life at a bargain, the value of community theatre has the potential to soar.

Community theatres, like Kensington Arts Theatre (KAT), are typically run by a dedicated group of volunteers following their passions, not pensions. They are used to staging their dreams on a shoestring budget.

Jenna Ballard, whose musical production of One Red Flower just opened at KAT, points out that they are not there to make money; they just hope to cover expenses. “We don’t usually make much, but just struggle along from box office to box office.”

It’s a sentiment heard over and over in community theatres reaching from Georgia to Oregon. You can take the glitz out of Broadway, but you can’t take the heart out of theatre. “It gets in your blood,” said Brian Dettling who provided the gun props for Ballard’s production.

Turning Kensington’s Town Hall, where the Theatre Company rents space, into Vietnam and transforming a cast of unpaid twenty-somethings into believable soldiers on a non-profit sized budget was nothing short of amazing. To the dedicated cast and crew committed to their craft, it’s simply, “what we do.”

“I’m really proud of them all for taking it so seriously,” said Ballard of her cast and crew. “Last night Jon [Keeling, who plays Michael in the play] came up to me and said, ‘would it be okay for me to chew Juicy Fruit gum?’ and Brian chimed in that Chicklets would also be okay.”

When asked what they get paid for dedicating all of their free time to authenticating this one performance the actors and crew resounded with a collective, “Nothing!”

“Getting paid is more like icing on the cake than a career goal,” said Dettling.

Wendy Baird, who plays Eleanor in One Red Flower, agreed with her fellow castmates that acting is just what they do. “Sometimes running a business, being a single mom—heck, being a human being—can be stressful, routine, or just plain hard. Singing takes me away from all that; it helps rejuvenate the soul.”

Tim Adams, also in One Red Flower, echoed sentiments of pursuing a personal passion in theatre. “Just knowing you may have helped brighten someone’s day and put a smile on their face is reward enough.”

The DC area’s theatre family is scared of the future, but for now, the show must go on.

Geared Up To Go Green

In today's tight economy more consumers are focused on green. Stop, Swap, and Save is a local event providing Swap goers with plenty of it, environmentally as well as financially.

In its 12th straight year, Stop Swap, and Save offers a venue for cyclists to converge, merge, and purge. Shop owners clean out old stock while home owners reclaim their garages. Attendees can buy, trade, or barter all things bike.

A bike swap gives the consumer the opportunity to hold the products in his hands, making it a friendlier alternative to Ebay. There were many used bikes on sale for a good price at Stop, Swap, and Save. Potential buyers could test ride the bikes and talk to the previous owners first hand before deciding.

From high end Italian components, vintage frames, or boxes of half rusted nuts and bolts, the Bike Swap has plenty to offer a bargain shopper. Even seemingly unusable parts are another artist's treasure.

One vendor, The Bicycle Escape from Frederick, put that practice to good use. They sold out of cheap key chains made from old rescued parts. Scrap metal saved from the landfills and into your pockets.

Tom Rinker, a Bicycle Escape technician, says they recycle wherever they can. They buy in bulk to reduce packaging, turn old parts into other products like key chains, and donate tires and others items to organizations such as Bikes for the World. They even sold nameplates (the curved metal plate that typically displays the logo on the stem) made out of discarded bottle caps.

Bikes for the World, a co-sponsor of the Bike Swap, collects donated bicycles and ships them overseas to individuals in disadvantaged situations. Throughout 2008, Bikes for the World delivered an average of 28 bikes every day to non-profit partner programs overseas. That's over 10,000 bikes in the hands of cyclists last year alone.

It's not all used gear, however. For the gear head shopper with funds to spend, the uber-green Bamboo frame is an excellent choice, and Mt. Airy Bikes had one on display you could fondle. The Calfee frame is made from the renewable bamboo hardwood and bonded together with resin-soaked hemp.

Give owner Larry Black five minutes and he will convince the minimalist couple, shopping to reduce its carbon footprint, to join his elite tandem club by selling you, instead of two bicycles, a bicycle built for two.

Fallies

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

Riding bike on ice while taking a picture requires special skillz. Should you not possess said skillz, please, please, please try this on a trail. There are more people there who could possibly snap a photo for flickr or even just witness the incredible show on ice. Oh, it's youtubable all right.

Dump The Pump

This ain't no 19th Century bicycle and it DOES bring solutions to 21st Century problems.

1. Dump the pump

2. Save oil

3. Ease congestion

4. Lower your carbon footprint

5. Drop pounds

6. Save quarters, park FREE

7. Lower car insurance

8. Reduce stress

9. Go green

10....should I go on?

"Stop driving, ride a bike." It IS absolutely amazing, Pat. Oh, and you don't have to feed it or clean up after it, so it beats a horse and buggy!

White Lie

I like my margaritas frozen, no salt. Ditto on my winter roads.

Congratulations cycle-hatin’-drivers, you have successfully found the impetus to confine us to the trails and off your sloppy, gross roads. Enjoy.

NaBiCO3. Sodium Bicarpedate: the chemical cocktail of salt and sand that eats at bikers, cars, and pedestrians without discrimination.

It melts away the myth. “I love snow” “I miss the white stuff” “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” This is a big fat lie.

We can’t get rid of it fast enough once it finally arrives. It’s a lot like your in-laws. You gush about how much you love it until it arrives then you count the minutes until it’s completely gone.

It’s like salt in an open wound. And we just keep pouring it in.

It should read: “I love the snow until it falls to Earth and almost kisses my asphalt, at which point I will pour upon it whatever toxic compound is necessary to erase all signs that it was ever there.”

No fender in the world is big enough to protect me from that salty spray. And so I detour my commute to the confines of the beautiful serene snowy white trail.

And I guess they dumped all the available salt on the snow because I woke up to an ice rink street. I think I even saw a zamboni drift by.

Linden Bridge Is Falling Down

It's no joke. The bridge on Linden has a hole in it. It's coming apart at the seams I tell you.

To the average driver I'm sure it looks just like a pesky pothole. To the pedestrian pedaler it's no nursery rhyme.

I'm on Linden, I lower my stance, I can see the Beltway in just one glance!

It's true, I can. Clear as the brake lights glaring back at me, I can see the Beltway through the road. Road THROUGH road. This, as they say, is never good.

I'm just saying, Be Careful out there. In your two ton tin lizzie. Bouncing along on your chassis. Motoring along the highway. Mouthing off the cyclist on the right.

You are safe for now. I am pleased to report there is a plate straddling the chasm that once was a bridge. But I would still tread lightly. And be kind to those bikers, they can see what you cannot. They are not the cause of the disrepair, but they could detect it.

iCycle DC

2040.

It’s got nothing to do with greenhouse gases, clean air, footprints, carbon-neutral anything. WAIT. It absolutely does!

On January 20, 2009 our country converged on the National Mall and paid witness to history. The Inauguration of Barack Obama. To the tune of two million.

They came by air and by sea and by foot. Oh, and bi-cycle. Over 2040 of them. Yep, a crisp January morning dipping below 20 degrees and there they were in every direction…bicycles.

I heard the news. Stay clear of downtown DC. Avoid the roads. Take Metro. Traffic nightmare. Beltway gridlock. Media love their mayhem.

And I was SHOCKED. As I turned every corner, no cars, no people. No people, no cars. Clear as far as the eye could see for blocks upon city blocks.

First it was 14th Street. Then K. And 16th. And H. To Pennsylvania, M, Wisconsin. Clear, clear, and clear. There was parking in Georgetown I tell you!

Where pray tell are the people? They are all at the Mall! Shopping for hope, and change, and peace and love no doubt. And here is was down every desserted street. (Misspelling is my cherry on top.)

I was like, well, a kid on a bicycle. I rode on every street. In the middle of the street, with no hands. I did circles in the middle of H and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Because I COULD.

Chains came to Washington alright. And we rode 'em in.

01.20.09 Arrives

Welcome Neighbors.

Another Good Day To Ride

WITNESS TO HISTORY

Easy Rider

The ingredients of a perfect economic storm, expensive car notes, steep insurance, and rising gas prices, hovered above the Washington Convention Center. Inside, wheels were turning.

Visitors of the 2009 International Motorcycle Show pulled out childhood dreams and tweaked them into today's economy. "They get great gas mileage," said one hopeful owner to his spouse.

John C. Nauss of Elizabethtown, Pa, has been living out his dream for over 40 years. Nauss bought his first motorcycle, a Honda Scrambler, when he was 43 years old. He was a bit of a late bloomer.

Back then, Nauss did not fit the motorcycle image. Bikers were typically young, 'bad boys', and covered in tattoos and leather.

Today that image has evolved to include all walks of life. At 83 years young, you could argue Nauss continues to defy that image. He's pretty spry for a white-haired guy though.

Two years ago, Nauss still rode his motorcycle, now a Honda Shadow, to his full time job. He refused to retire.

Later that year, lying in his hospital bed, recovering from quadruple bypass surgery, he promised his family he would retire and sell his motorcycle.

Before long he was back on his feet and stubborn as ever. He was back at his job and the motorcycle was back in the driveway. "I'm just gonna start it up," he would say.

His daughter, Judy Flowers is an avid bicyclist. Worried that her 5'3" father might now be too weak to handle the motorcycle, she bought him a bicycle.

He hated it and soon went for rides on the motorcycle. Out on the road, however, he was lonely.

Even in the hospital, he refused to eat his dinner unless his wife Elsie joined him. John and Elsie will celebrate 60 years of marriage this fall. They used to travel everywhere by motorcycle.

Health issues have kept Elsie from climbing back on the back. John considered a side car so she could ride along. "Are you crazy!?" she shrieked.

Despite his daughter's and granddaughter's pleadings, John still has not sold the motorcycle. He has finally retired.

Last year he purchased a trike, a three wheel motorcycle bigger than some small cars. He has not had it out yet, but yes, Elsie said she would ride along.

John and Elsie will turn 84 and 76 on July 4th of this year. "Maybe, we will take the trike down to South Carolina," said Elsie.

John no longer claims he's Superman, but when his granddaughter asks, "Papa, how old are you?" he still counts on his fingers and declares, "38!"

Lean And Green New Year

If your New Year's Resolution was any of the top five, including getting fit, saving money, or living green, pull your bike back out of the garage.

Surviving a DC winter outside is not as difficult as you might think. This isn't Nome, Alaska; studded tires are not required.

Kermit is a bit of a Drama Frog. It's actually pretty easy being green, even in the dead of winter.

Dorcus Adkins, of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, thinks the lack of sunlight is DC's biggest winter hindrance. Preparing for low-light riding is a must, especially when the days are shorter. "Good, bright, flashing lights are a necessity, as well as a legal requirement," Adkins stresses.

Lights are inexpensive and can be run off rechargeable batteries. More expensive lights can even run off your own pedal power.

Larry Black, owner of Mt. Airy Bikes, offers up some great advice, as well as thrifty green alternatives, when it comes to staying warm. Go ask him. He's been dishing up free advice for almost 40 years.

Start by covering your helmet. "This is easy," says Black. "A penny's worth of clear packaging tape over the front and top vents is a must. Leave the back vents open for letting steam out."

He also recommends tape around the toe of your shoe as a junk drawer alternative to Neoprene covers.

Black swears by layers of silk and wool from top to bottom. Whether on your torso or toesies, these fabrics are effective and natural.

Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, are also effective, but their odor retaining quality make them less desirable than wool. Recycling programs like Patagonia's Common Threads, make polyester a reusable resource.

Polyester is derived from petroleum, which is processed into polyethylene terephylene (PET). PET is what makes up those disposable plastic soda and water bottles. The Common Threads Recycling Program takes old, warn clothing and turns it into a new polyester fiber for new products.

Not every effective layer comes on a hanger, however. Don't underestimate the power of newspaper. Newspaper or a paper or plastic grocery bag can act as a good insulator between layers of clothing. For a commuter, it can draw out the moisture in wet shoes throughout the work day.

Jill DiMauro, of Proteus Bicycles, focuses on the bicycle itself as your key to greener living. "A clean bike is a green bike." Wash the salt and road debris off your frame after every ride.

Keeping the chain and gears free of excess dirt and grease can extend the life of the parts and keep them out of landfills. Plus it keeps you happy on your bike and out of a car.

Don't wait until spring. Gear up and get going. Procrastination is also high on the resolution list.

Revolutionary Inauguration

Most people wouldn’t dream of riding a bicycle in January; however, it is looking like a viable way into the city on Inauguration day.

Wait. Ride a bicycle. Outside. In January?

Welcome to your inaugural winter ride! Lines and trains and buses, Oh my! Yeah, by cycle. It's true what they say, Dress for Success.

Turn to wool and silk. Local bike shop owners all agree, these age old materials are still the best.

Pay close attention to your hands and head. Good gloves and a balaclava are a must. Check out a pair of lobster gloves, some cyclists swear by them.

Keeping your feet warm is often the most challenging part of winter riding. Again, look to a combination of silk and wool. Neoprene shoe covers also do the trick.

Cycling shoes tend to run small. Unless you sized up your winter pair, consider regular shoes. Be sure your toes are not cramped or constricted or you’ll end up with cold feet. Remember you’ll be walking around once you are there anyway.

Layer your core. Try a silk undershirt, wool jersey, and nylon windbreaker. On the bottom, spandex tights are a must. Wear pants over them if you don’t want to walk around in bike tights.

The high tech alternatives like polyester and polypropylene are just as effective. Keep in mind these fabrics retain odor. This is one of the reasons cyclists prefer wool, no sweat or odor.

Another thing to consider is backpacks will not be allowed near the Capitol or Parade route.

Dress warmer than you normally would for a ride and slow down. Stuff some toe warmers and a space blanket in your jersey pocket.

Try to get your spare tube and tire levers in a bag attached to your bike and leave your bike with the bike valet provided by the Washington Area Bicyclists Association.

Powerless

Ohhh, stationary bike. Yeah, I get it Doc. A bike that you pedal that doesn't go anywhere.

I DO ride one of those. In fact I rode one to work today. No, I don't work at home; why do you ask?

I tucked my shirt in thrice, pulled my socks up to my nipples, and buckled my helmet super tight.

Then, I navigated the street like some gnarly single track buried deep in the forest. It was a minefield of branches, debris, and trash cans.

Sadly, the helmet was more of a wind deflector than a melon protector. It would be no match for a tree trunk on my noggin.

Even a three foot bubble would be no match for Mom Nature. I wrestled my girl and I kept her in line, but only to a point. Before I knew it I was straddling the center line with a tank on my tail.

Sheesh. Home was no different. Substitute "debris and trash cans" for "drunks and ash fans". Happy New Year!

Let's go fly a bike, Gear down for the fight, Let's go fly a bike!

kNeedy Bastard

To borrow a lyric from Sir Elton John, "It's a little bit funny"....and a pocketful of not.

I don't have an ACL. I mean it's medically unconfirmed, but I watched it pop up close and personal. I'd bet the health of my 'good' knee on it, which as of late, ain't that good.

So, while I'm in, can you take a look at that good knee, Doc? It's been causing me some discomfort when I get up on the pedals--

Stationary bike? A WHAT? Is that a proxymoron? That's not a real bike! No, I REALLY ride. A REAL bike. Bike to work, work to bike, bike to live, live to bike.....et cetera and so forth.

"Patella Femoral Syndrome." Patella Who? The Spanish rice dish, in my knee? Go on. "Drugs, brace, weights"--Okay, sounds familiar. "Too much bicycling." I'm sorry, come again. Too much WHAT!?!

Sir, I mean no disrespect to your medical expertise, but perhaps you could reconsult your PDR, MRI, GFA (Grey's Freakin' Anatomy)! Google me an alphabetic trio that's simply cyclesomatic and tell me to suck it up.

Lemme get this straight--

Aerobic exercise is good for your health; you should bicycle.
Running is bad for your joints; try the bicycle.
Driving is bad for the environment; Go ByCycle.
Anti-oil? Pro-cycle.
PFS; bye-bye cycle?

Can I get a second, second opinion? "Oh, and about that dangling ACL...."

Tinsel Tune

Twas some night a’fore Christmas
When down every street
Not a motor was whirring
Just my pedalin’ feet

The tango of tiny twinkling lights. The purr of a finely lubed chain. The tickle of one overly flirtatious Jack Frost nibbling upon my ear. Forget the holiday romance, get Parson Brown TOUT de SUITE!

HOLD YOUR PRANCIN' REINDEER, RUDOLPH!!

A nip in the air? Wintry precip falling from above. Man's antithesis splashing 'round underneath! The hint of toxic salt kissing my lips, assaulting my mouth, mauling and molesting my precious frame. Cancel the flowers; Silence the bells! Call in Officer Krupke.

Oh, the weather outside was indeed frightful. But my ride was oh so delightful. I hate when it's wet when I go. Yo Shutt, can't it change o'er to snow?

Well deck the halls, great boughs of holly! This carolin' commuter is on a roll.

When all of a sudden

There arose such a clatter

An elf in a Crown Vic

Mad as a hatter

He never let on

As he passed by my side

I would learn soon enough

He hated my ride.

Nary a single bi-cycle would be found 'neath thou's boughs, of that I am sure. For upon laying a choice finger aside of his nose, the gas guzzling scrooge conveyed tidings of ill will as he drove out of sight. It did not at all resemble, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Explore Your Inner Tube

Disposal of used car tires is a service offered by most tire companies, but what about bicycle tires?

Capital Bicycle of Annapolis sells about 10,000 tubes a year. Multiply that by all the bike shops in the country and you're talking some serious rubber.

According to Parker Jones of Capital Bicycle, recycling old tubes "is not as easy as it should be." Bike shops and clubs all agree there is a need for recycling, but no clear 'how', at least not here in DC.

A few years ago, Specialized set up a tire and tube recycling program to help shops get started. Capital Bicycle in Annapolis was the first shop in the country to utilize this program.

Anyone can stop in Capital Bicycle and drop off used bicycle tubes and tires free of charge. The shop then sends the collected tubes and tires to a local company that grinds them up and reuses them.

Shredded, recycled tires can be used as cushioning in playgrounds, as an alternative to concrete for sidewalks, or even mixed with asphalt to fill the crack that caused the flat in the first place. Now that's the rubber hitting the road!

Capital Bicycle also sends tubes to Alchemy Goods, a company that turns them into belts, wallets, and messenger bags.

Larry Black of Mt. Airy Bikes is a huge supporter of reusing old tubes. "We patch tubes, thousands of them. We use them for our own bikes and you should too," says Black.

One bicycle tube can run between five and eight dollars. A patch kit can repair up to six flats for under three bucks. It just makes sense. Good cents.

Jill DiMauro owner of Proteus in College Park agrees, "you can always carry the patched tube as a spare." Proteus saves old tubes for a local doctor who uses them for physical therapy exercises in nursing homes.

If you can't patch it, be creative. Mt. Airy uses old tubes as tool grips, rubber bands, and make shift bungee cords.

Black stresses, "A worthy project would be to get people not to throw tubes 'away'. There is no away."

Opal And Her Magic Shell

Freezing rain is not nearly as undesirable as it sounds. Rain, when it's figuratively freezing, however, sucks.

Cold rain running down your leg and puddling beneath your increasingly arching foot--not exactly a thoughtful Hanukkah present. The swelling sensation of wanting to gnaw off your own bitterly cold, wet toes--not the teensiest bit like sucking on a peppermint stick.

Literal freezing rain though, ahh, like a vanilla bean cheesecake tucked away in a fruitcake box. Don't judge a cake by it's cover.

Comes down wet, goes on hard -- HO! What the ??? --Work with me here; and get your head out of your chimney ash!

There's no running, no puddling, no liquid of any kind. It freezes on contact, forming a protective outer shell if you will. Like magical chocolate sauce on a sweet hand-dipped dish of double churned ice cream. D. Licious.

Gortex, Vortex. One needs not a hi-techni-colored raincoat with the likes of a Natural Magic Shell. Like Superman and his flying cape. The Hulk and his bulgeous green skin . The Twins and their power of awe and wonder. A dramatic blogger and her liberal creative license to make up words.

Faster than a falling rain drop. More powerful than spittle off a fender less tire. Able to leap through puddles unscathed by menacing wakes and half pipes. Look! Out in the nigh! It's a turtle? It's a bike! It's Opal and Her Magic Shell!

(Beware of the frozen deck; it's a bit like kryptonite. And I don't mean the bic-able lock.)

Not Like Riding A Bike

Sometimes we all need a little support.

What In Santa Hill?

SANTA MOB DESIGNATES LOCAL BIKER TO NAUGHTY LIST

I'm no Paul Harvey, but here's The Rest Of The Story....

It was a perfectly de-lovely winter's day despite the occasional 'fill in the blank' driver and malnourished Jack Frost noshing on my toes.

The air was crisp. Holiday shoppers milling about. Tourists taking in the Blue Spruce. There was even the sparse snow flake drifting by my nose. I love a good December spin night or day.

As I approached the Washington Monument I found a peculiar sight. Red, red, red. Everywhere I Iooked I saw red. Not in an angry-road-rage kind of way, but in a rosy-cheeked-bowl-full-of-jelly kind of way.

Jiminy Christmas Batman! That's a lot of Santas! Musta been a hundred of 'em. I approached cautiously. There's nothing worse than a scary clown, except maybe an angry Santa. And every DC local knows when a group of people gather on the Mall a protest is sure to break out.

But something seemed askew with this mob. I mean despite the red suits and floppy hats. That's it! Not a single sign. Not a single chant. No wait....what are they saying....Silent who?....Christmas what? Are they caroling?!?!

The Pack-o-Santas began to disperse, or rather swarm. They were marching on...to, of course, the White House. Ah, right, here is where the protest will get ugly. I am wise to your black trash bags ways, slung across your backs just so. Wink, wink. Sack of tricks I bet. Your placards slyly hidden from Park Police.

The Santa Jam politely waited for the walk signal and purposely used the cross walk to traverse Constitution Ave. Huh? One Santa standing in front holding up traffic amongst the shouting and honking. Everyone LOVED the traveling Santas. They were honking in support. DC traffic, happy? Everywhere you looked, everyone supported this ONE cause. The Santa Cause. Jesus Christmas! A Christmas Miracle, Washington style.

Armed with a camera I snapped some photos. I crossed to the Ellipse and watched them go. Upon checking my watch I noticed time was running out; I needed to get to work. I crossed in front of them, there on the wide sidewalk. Me in my helmet, they in their hats.

That is when it happened. That is when my name was displaced. In an instant I went to naughty from nice. Or was it them?

It was a Santarchy. I read the rules. Santa Claus is friendly, respectful, and cooperative. By definition even, Santarchists should disown Government regulations. But not these felted fellas.

"Bikes belong on the street!" I heard it plain as the nose on Rudolph's tiny reindeer face. Well that's not very friendly. I simply waved and thought to myself, "and Santas belong on the North Pole, but you don't see me whining about it"

Welcome to DC, HO.

Santarchists March On Washington

Scores of Santas wandered the Mall bringing cheer and goodwill to one and all.

About one hundred Santas donned the suit of red and pranced between the Washington Monument and the Ellipse. Oh yeah, THAT Mall.

Tourists cheered and snapped photos of the caroling Santas converging on the Mall. Motorists honked in support of the Santa jam crossing Constitution Avenue en masse.

Not often in DC do you come across such a big group marching on the White House without an angry word or raised fist.

The 'impromptu' Kris Kringle Critical xMas bared no placards, no political unrest, no protesting of any kind. Just a jolly ole group of Santas, and a few elves, spreading holiday cheer.

Santarchy, as it's become known, has been breaking out the world over every December for the last 15 years.

Map Mashups

According to One World Two Wheels, 24% of all trips are made within one mile of the home, 40% within two miles. Parking the car and proceeding on foot outlines a need for identifying the safest routes available.

Google Maps is a great tool to find your way around town, but they don't have a 'Safest Route' or 'Bike There' option. Choosing a car-free alternative often brings added complications.

The District of Columbia has a solution.

DC's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) recognized the lack of neighborhood specific interactive maps available on line and offered up a challenge.

Together with iStrategyLabs, DC's OCTO recently sponsored Apps for Democracy, an innovative contest to visualize DC's Open Public Data.

OCTO's Data Catalog provides real-time data from multiple agencies to citizens, ensuring agencies operate as more responsive, better performing organizations.

The Apps for Democracy contest challenged innovative technologists to use this information coupled with applications available on line to create unique interactive maps for use in DC also known as mashups.

Apps gold medal winner iLive.at is the perfect mashup if you live in or plan to move to DC. Simply enter a DC address and iLive.at will present you with information tailored to that exact location, cleanly organized into categories.

Many of the 47 entries offer fun and exciting map mashups to help live a greener life in DC. Find a carpool, bike lane, metro stop, even a sidewalk.

All entries are listed on the Apps for Democracy Web site along with a link to each interactive map.

"The Apps for Democracy contest is part of our drive toward digital democracy in the nation's captial," said District CTO Vivek Kundra. "Apps for Democracy produced more savings for the DC government than any other initiative."

National Tree Lighting

BLUE, BLUE, BLUE, BLUE CHRISTMAS

BIKER BEWARE

You finally did it, Congratulations. You curbed your car and reached for a greener alternative; you have joined the ranks of 'Bike Commuter'.

But how do you keep your ride from being 'recycled' while you sit in your cubicle at work? Arming yourself with a few simple tools will make your bike less vulnerable and your mind more at ease.

Be prepared. Take a picture of your bike and record the serial number. If you ever need to report a bike stolen these will be the first items the Police Department asks for. Also, if you are looking to report the theft for tax purposes and you have put money into upgrading parts, BE SPECIFIC. Your ten year old bike will be greatly depreciated in the police report, so if it has a new $100 seat make a note of it.

According to the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD), "The entire national Capitol Region has experienced an increase in bike thefts. These thefts may be contributed to the high cost of fuel or the large number of bike couriers in this region." Over the last two years, 18 bikes have been reported stolen from the Takoma Metro station alone.

The MTPD has made several arrests recently for bike theft. The MTPD does not use cameras specifically targeted at bike racks, but they often deploy plain clothes officers at stations where bike thefts occur more frequently. They also use web sites and check pawn shops for stolen merchandise. You can call 202.962.2121 to report suspicious activity around Metro's bike racks.
The MTPD recommends Metro customers use WMATA bike racks and a high quality cable lock. In the District of Columbia, you can request a bike rack directly from WABA's website.

Some bike owners swear off cable locks since they can easily be cut with bolt cutters. Check out SmartLock, the latest innovation in locks specifically designed to deter bike theft.

SmartLock has cores of compressed air and liquid running through the cable. It works a bit like a dye pack used in a bank robbery. If the cable lock is cut a combination of colored dye and an invisible forensic property marking liquid is sprayed on the perpetrator.

SmartLock is not yet available to the public. In October 2008 it was featured at the London Bicycle Film Festival and it has been shortlisted to exhibit at Innovation Nation - an exhibition at the Ideal Home Show in March 2009.

In the meantime, be smart when you leave your bike. Use a bike rack, a good lock, and secure or remove loose items such as the seat and wheels. Consider 'booby-trapping' your bike to make it a little less convenient for a thief to jump on and ride away.

For example, as you are coasting to your stopping point, shift your bike without pedaling. When a thief jumps on and tries to pedal, the gears go nuts, the chain drops off, and hopefully the thief runs away.

Or, loosen the wheel skewer. The thief jumps on, the wheel starts to wobble, maybe falls off, the thief gives up.

Perhaps, loosen the seat post. The thief jumps on, the seat falls down, you can imagine the rest.

Just remember what you did so you don't hurt yourself when you go to ride home. Okay, so maybe those options aren't exactly ideal, but it sure would be fun to watch!

Purple: The New Green

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has come out in support of the controversial Purple Line.

This move offers an opposing view to the Save the Trail organization which has been very vocal along the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) through Bethesda.

Save the Trail states the Purple line, as it is proposed, will destroy the heavily used CCT. Pro CCT activists cite the impact the light rail will have on the environment, the neighborhoods, and the safety of future trail users.

WABA claims that supporting the Purple Line will not only save the trail but also improve it. WABA stresses the importance of completing the Bicycle Beltway around the District of Columbia.

The CCT is an eleven mile paved multi-use trail that runs from Bethesda to Georgetown. In a 2007 survey report completed by the CCT Coalition, the estimated weekly users topped 23,000 at the Bethesda location.

The trail connects with the Georgetown Branch Trail east of the Air Rights tunnel that runs under Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. This section of the interim CCT is crushed gravel. A completed trail would connect with downtown Silver Spring.

In the 2007 survey, the Coalition found trail use dropped significantly at this unpaved section of the trail suggesting a need to pave the rest of the trail.

WABA believes that the trail improvements that will come with the Purple Line -- especially the construction of the long-planned segment into downtown Silver Spring and the protected intersection crossings that will come with a light rail line -- make this a win-win project for both trail users and the people who will ride the new transit line.

WABA also points to the proposed Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) as an example of rails and trails co-existing and providing a valuable tool for reducing traffic congestion in the DC area.
The MBT is a proposed 8-mile multi-use trail that runs from Silver Spring in Maryland to Union Station in DC. Combining these two trails will give bicycle commuters many options into and out of the city.

Re:CYCLES

How green is your ride? Forget Hybrids; a group of Arlington teens wants to know, how green is your bicycle?

You've heard of Craigslist. Maybe you've tried Ebay. But have you checked out Phoenix Bikes?
Located on the edge of Barcroft Park in South Arlington, Phoenix Bikes is a non-profit organization that takes donated bicycles and raises them from the ash of the dump, or the dust of some garage, and gives them a second chance.

Second chances are what define a Phoenix after all. Once a county run program called Community Spokes, Phoenix Bikes was reborn when a group of citizens and committed cyclists fought to bring back the program.

Phoenix Bikes serves as an after school hub for tinkering teens looking to tune up their bike mechanic skills and help their community with affordable alternatives.

Program Director, Colin Dixon, says the middle school and high school cyclists gain valuable management and leadership skills in addition to learning about social responsibility.

Through their Earn-A-Bike program, Youth Mechanics earn points for skills learned in the shop, hours worked, and even good progress reports at school. After completing a checklist, students can redeem those points for a refurbished bike or parts to upgrade their own bikes.

Other programs involve the participants in community service by teaching their neighbors road safety skills and mechanics. Phoenix Bikes also offers an Adult Instruction Night open to anyone. Kids are encouraged to take part in weekly rides with Team Phoenix.

Phoenix Bikes serves the Arlington biking community by offering tune-ups and minor repairs at a low cost. The shop also sells the bikes it rebuilds as well as used parts. The program receives some grant money, but operates largely from donations and proceeds from shop sales.

Phoenix Bikes has been operating out of a small building right off 4 Mile Run trail since March of 2007. They are currently looking for a larger space to accommodate the 60 or so Youth Mechanics that drop in and out of the shop.

To make a donation, shop the store, volunteer, or join the program check out www.phoenixbikes.org