Mixte Results

Those lovely mixte frames are everywhere lately:

• meligrosa has a hand-me-down that no one would turn down, The Frenchie.
• Dottie is debating buying Betty.
• T.A.O.S. knows how to spot the special ones.
• And you know they must be stylish if the Danes ride them.

There's also an entire Flickr group devoted to mixte bikes if you need more of a mixte fix (including many mixte fixies, no doubt).

The road ahead

The road ahead is looking smoother for bicycles in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, according to recent posts by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Here are a few highlights: (read more details on the BCGP blog)

• Bicycling has increased by 104% since 2005 in Center City and West Philadelphia (location of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, among others), much faster than in previous years. The Coalition conducted bicycle counts at a number of major intersections and bridges and has released a report showing the results.


• A whopping $31 million in funding has been committed to the Chester Valley Trail in the suburbs west of Philadelphia. This trail will eventually extend from Exton to Norristown, where it will connect with the wonderful Schuylkill River Trail leading to Philadelphia. More trails mean more bike commuting possibilities, in addition to recreation.


• The esteemed Danish architect Jan Gehl will be giving his presentation, “Public Spaces, Public Life” in Philadelphia on December 5, 2008. He is an Urban Design Consultant and Professor of Urban Design at the School of Architecture in Copenhagen. I hope all the right ears will be in the room taking notes on how to “Copenhagenize” the Philadelphia area.

Thanks to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia for keeping us informed and working hard for better bike facilities in the area.

Stealing Beauty

Sad but true, the sight of anyone riding a bike in this little suburb is relatively rare. So rare that my daughter and I play a kind of spotting game and shout, "Bike!" when we see one. A little less enthusiasm upon sighting riders wearing bike shorts, and much more when a briefcase or groceries are included (extremely rare). Usually, it's a teenage boy on a tiny bike that he never actually sits on, just does the one-legged-lean (note to self: get a photo).

So you can imagine the sensory overload I would experience if I ever had the good fortune to find myself in Amsterdam or Copenhagen amidst scenes like these:



The Green Wave in Copenhagen from Colville Andersen on Vimeo.

Oh, if only I could Amsterdamize or Copenhagenize my hometown...