Well the snow hasn’t come yet but it can’t be far off. And that means the winter biking season is just around the corner.  If you are considering biking through the winter, come join us on Thursday October 28 from 6 PM to 7:45 PM at REI for Part 1 of our Winter Bike Commuting Clinic. We’ll cover gear, riding tips, and more. We’re setting aside some time for “Bike Consultations”, so if you’ve been wondering how you can convert your existing bike into a snow bike, bring it in and together with the winter biking experts from REI we’ll show you how. 

This summer I participated in the AIA Summer Bike Challenge. AIA Alaska is a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and they put on this contest to see who could commute the most miles without using cars. Small teams of five to ten were invited to participate. The challenge focused on bikes, but other forms of human powered transportation were allowed as well. The contest ran from May 21 to September 21. I was required to log my miles weekly and turn in my mileage count monthly to my team leader. Our team leader had provided me with a spreadsheet for keeping track of my miles, and the spreadsheet included formulas to calculate roughly how much gas money I had saved, my CO2 offset, and also the number of calories I had burned.

There will be bicyclists and pedestrians cleaning the Coastal Trail on Sunday October 10th from 3pm to 5pm. Depending on the number of people who show up we might cover most or only some of the trail, we’ll just play it by ear. You don’t need to bring any supplies, there are plenty of trash bags, but you might want to bring work gloves. Bikers, if you have trailers or any way to move bags, please bring them.

We’re meeting at the downtown trail-head of the Coastal Trail at 3pm, intersection of West 2nd Avenue and H Street (but you can’t take H Street to 2nd). Here is a link to a Google map:

Link to 2nd and H Street Google Map

…and in text just for reference:

Termination dust on the mountains doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up the bike. The winter biking season is just around the corner, and the BCA can help get you ready for it! Join us on Thursday October 28 from 6 PM to 7:45 PM at REI for Part 1 of our Winter Bike Commuting Clinic. We’ll cover gear, riding tips, and more. We’re setting aside some time for “Bike Consultations”, so if you’ve been wondering how you can convert your existing bike into a snow bike, bring it in and together with the winter biking experts from REI we’ll show you how. Or you can wander the floor and oggle the brand new fat tire bikes. Part 2 of our clinic is 11 AM Saturday November 13. We’re meeting at Goose Lake for a group winter ride. Helmets are required, as is suitable winter riding clothing. We’ll meet there the second Saturday of each month through the winter. The group rides and REI clinic are free.

I played in traffic this weekend. I rode my bike in some of the busiest intersections in the state of Alaska, such as Minnesota and Benson, Northern Lights and Spenard, Tudor and C St. I wasn’t in the crosswalk, I was in the lane, lined up with cars and trucks and all the other traffic. Oh, and it was raining really hard.

It was fun. It was liberating.

Come hear Preston Tyree, Director of Education for the League of American Bicyclists, speak on ‘Complete Streets’ and how they increase transportation choices at The Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center (625 C St.) on Tuesday, August 31, at 7 pm in the museum auditorium.