Bike commute incentives: U.S. V UK

The juxtaposition of bike commuter benefits offered by the United States and the United Kingdom is in a Word, revealed.  1 January 2009 has bicycle commuter Act, the part of renewable energy tax credit legislation is employer in the United States the opportunity to workers commuting expenses as non-taxable persons fringe benefit help given.  In the United Kingdom, employers and workers have cycle work schema enjoyed since 1999.  The idea behind both government programs is to promote and support people who decide to go to work, but the incentives that could be offered in any program not be more different.

  The bicycle commuter Act can offer participating U.S. companies employees up to twenty dollars per month if the workers in the work regularly on a bicycle commutes and receives no other transportation reimbursement benefits.  That's $240 in the pocket of the whole American bike year dedicated commuter provided that commuters law is his or her employer on board with the bike.  An employee of anywhere from $34,000 to $82,400 per year great pays approximately 25% in federal income taxes, which means that the Government to over $60 per commuters in this category loses the employer the transport through a tax-free use this alternative form to help an incentive (Note: I'm no accountant and the actual tax rate is not a full 25% of the gross wage, so please excuse my back of-the envelope calculation).Compared to the U.S. Government funded the Car allowance rebate program or cash for clunkers, $2,000 was estimated in 2009 with $3 billion of old, promoting driver Fumé exuding saving cars on new fuel cars to reduce pollution to aktualisieren.Die cost of the program per person. 

In the UK the cycle work schema allows employers, bicycles and cycling safety equipment tax-free to engineers for transport purposes loans to erwerben.Solange of employee the bike regularly for is to use at least part of his or her your commute there is no specified limit can be issued with regard to how much on the bike and safety equipment is defined by common sense (although bicycles, more than 1,000 £ [1600 US$] now additional approval required).In some cases of the employer which covers the cost bike and equipment as well as in other cases right of employees to a salary sacrifice, where he gets the advantage, tax free, instead of a part of his salary.

The concept is dasselbe.Die execution is nicht.Es considerations are infrastructure, culture and education, also understood before a blanket statement on each country's commitment to bike pendeln.Aber, the priorities within the US transport budget are evident when you cycling as incentives to the drive incentives compare and UK shows that it is possible to place a greater emphasis on alternative transportation solutions.

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Commute by bike's holiday gift guide 2010

Are bike commuters generous as a group? Do we take a piece of what we love and try to bestow it on others to enable their bike commute.

As a bike commuting advocate, is it better to give or receive? The answer is Yes.

We recommended giving simple usable bike commuting gifts that inspire your friends and family to try out bike commuting.

It’s been awhile since Commute By Bike has published any product reviews. You can consider any of these gift ideas as recommendations from folks here at our world headquarters. These are products that we use, love, and endorse.

If you are looking to receive a gift, we offer suggestions on how to drop hints at the bottom.

Sometime during the Fall, that wind-in-your-face feeling changes from being a “joy of cycling” into a disincentive. A balaclava not only protects the face, it covers the ears so you can’t hear the car whispering its temptations.

In an urban area, or for a multimodal commute, you can’t beat a folding bike. Once you’ve had one, it’s hard to understand why everyone doesn’t. Dahon makes quality, affordable folders. Use their dealer locator to find a dealer online or near you.

Even for those without a folding fetish: The Burley Travoy and the Carry Freedom City are two great trailers for errands on the way to work, or on the way home. Both fold up small and don’t take up much space at the workplace.

For someone who wouldn’t dream of ever sullying their precious road bike or full-suspension mountain bike with a rack, bag, or trailer hitch. The Extrawheel Voyager attaches to the rear skewers for in-town errands or touring. Compatible with most panniers, or get the Extrawheel Panniers. This lightweight trailer tracks so closely, it’s easy to forget its there.

Showers Pass makes high quality cycling gear that looks right on or off the bike. The company is based in Portland, so they know about bike commuting. Showers Pass is consistently among the best-ranked brands on the market for bike clothing. Check out their commuter section.

This light recharges via USB, making it easy to recharge at work. The charge stays bright as long as the battery is juiced up.

If you or your gift recipient happen to live in The Netherlands, a Bspot will help you find your bike in those pesky overcrowded bike parking areas. (I actually have no idea what that would be like.)

This very-bright light can clip to a seat post, clothing, panniers, or to a stocking hung by the fire.

You can go crazy with multitools. Some try to pack an entire bike shop tool box–more tools than most people would ever realistically ever use. The Lezyne SV5 has the basics needed for most repairs and adjustments.

It’s hard to know what kind of rack a gift recipient might want, so this is probably more in the drop-a-hint category. If you want a rack, you probably want a Tubus Rack. Drop that hint.

This is for someone who needs a little more than just some encouragement to commute by bike. A Bionx kit provides a power assist for experienced as well as tentative commuters.

These can turn trip to the store into a pleasant ride. The Jannd Grocery Bag Panniers come with a shoulder strap, making it easy to carry into a store or around a farmer’s market.

Uvex helmets adjust easily to when the size of the rider’s head changes, such as is caused by a balaclava, ear muffs, or a smug ego of a self-righteous bike commuter. (Come on, you know at least one.) These helmets are well made, with many well-thought-out details.

Bike backpacks make good gifts for students, or anyone who needs to switch between biking and walking throughout the day.

For people who spend a lot of time on their bike, and like to keep their things within reach, handlebar bags make a great gift. Most standard handlebar bags have the opening snaps or zippers facing towards the rider, so they can even been opened and accessed while in motion.

Would you like one of these accessories as a gift for yourself? Here are some ways you can drop hints:

Leave a comment on this page, saying how much you’d love one of these gifts, then post this page to Facebook.Send a product URL by e-mail, with the subject, “I’m saving the earth. It’s the least you can do for me.”Cut out the middleman: Buy what you want for yourself.

If you didn’t see enough here, check out these gift guides:

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EPIC commute & the tale of two folding bikes

I’m a young working professional from the suburbs trying to make it in the big city. I’ve lived in the NYC metro area since 1996, and I’m currently revisiting my passion for cycling that began as a little girl when I used to ride my pink Huffy to the library. In addition to my city commute, I also enjoy cycling locally along the Hudson River in my town of Nyack, NY and surrounding areas.

I have tried two different kinds of folding bikes since I started biking to the office. The first of the folding bikes is a Strida, and the second (and current) bike is a Dahon. Here are their stories.

The distance from where I live in the Hudson Valley to where I work in lower Manhattan is about 35 miles. I can get there in a multitude of ways, ranging from driving my car, to taking a bus to the Port Authority on 41st St., or a combination of mass transit modes: bus to a train to the subway, or the bus to the train to a ferryboat. Ironically enough it takes about the same amount of time to get there, regardless of how I travel – almost always two hours door to door.

The best way is to take a folding bike and ride from Midtown down to the Battery. This involves bringing a folding bike onto the bus that takes me across the Hudson River to the train. The train takes me to midtown Manhattan, and I can ride from there to my office. The only kind of bike that is allowed on the bus or train during rush hour is a folding bike; the railroad has specific rules regarding bikes on trains. It’s roughly six miles to my office via the East River Greenway.

I started commuting by bike when I found the Strida in the attic of my house. I happened to be up there with my landlady, and it sat abandoned in a corner covered in dust and pigeon feathers. I brought it down, cleaned it up, and put on new grips and fenders. Riding in NYC seemed to be downright frightening, and I wasn’t sure I was brave enough. But I tried anyway; it worked out to be both scary and fun.

The Strida I found up in the attic is a Strida2, the second iteration of the line that was first manufactured in 1997. It has 16? wheels, a greaseless Kevlar drive belt, and drum brakes. What I like best about this bike is the speed, compactness, and way that it folds. It’s pretty skinny compared to other folding bikes. You can easily wheel it around when folded, and it’s very easy to get on and off the bus and train. The bike can be folded in about 30 seconds when you get the hang of it. It weighs about 26 lbs. and a little more if I have the rack bag on with my lunch inside. What’s not so great is that it’s a single-speed and has a narrow saddle. You can change out the saddle, of course. It mounts in a very unconventional way, but is easy enough to adjust. The handlebars are flat and narrow, not unlike some of the fixies you see in Brooklyn. They fold inward, as do the pedals, so that you can wheel it down the aisle of the bus without hitting anyone.

Riding the Strida is unique. Because of the nature of the frame design, there is no turning fork; the whole front end of the bike turns. There’s a little sticker on the frame that warns not to do any stunts or wheelies. I can only imagine that a botched landing would be pretty painful. The A-frame never bothered me because it feels like I’m riding a horse. Even though the chainring is oversized, it takes a bit of effort to get any speed out of it, maybe a little like a BMX-style bike. While some new models have gears, I have yet to see a geared unit on the road.

It didn’t take long for me to outgrow the Strida. My second folding bike has a somewhat less exciting story.

I bought a Dahon Vitesse D7HG about three months after I started commuting by bike. It was secondhand from one of my co-workers. The ride up and down to my office was just too much effort with the Strida. The Dahon has seven speeds, an internal gear hub, and 20? wheels. What a difference gears make! The trip became about 10-15 minutes shorter. This opened up a whole realm of possibilities, including earlier trains home.

The Dahon is a much better ride. It feels more like a full-sized bicycle than the Strida does, and the saddle is more comfortable. There is a great deal more adjustability than the Strida in the seat and handlebar height. In fact, the seat post doubles as a pump. There is a chain guard that tries to help your pants from getting greasy, and while it adds a little weight, the bike I have is fitted with a rack and fenders.

The downside to the Dahon is that the way it folds isn’t as convenient for portaging on the bus and train. It fits down the bus aisle, but I can’t wheel it; it must be carried. If there are people overflowing their seats on the bus, I have to excuse myself as I brush past them, which almost always results in dirty looks. The Dahon feels a little heavier than the Strida, even though that difference is pretty marginal – maybe a pound or two. Because it isn’t as narrow and doesn’t wheel well when folded, it’s a little more awkward.

Both the Strida and the Dahon are well-constructed, fun-to-ride folding bikes. Each has some advantages over the other. The Strida may be better suited for folks who have a shorter distance to ride and need to bring it on a bus or a subway. The Dahon is less easy to bring on mass transit, but is better suited for longer rides.

I feel safer riding the Dahon on city streets and am more likely to ride around the city after work to other destinations on it than I would the Strida. I would often get stopped and asked about the Strida in the city at times when I’d rather not answer questions such as, “What is that?” and “Is that a real bike?” It is funny looking when compared to the standard frame shapes, and because of that it almost feels like a toy. Even though it’s a bigger pain to schlep, I’ll still continue to ride the Dahon to work.  It’s better suited to the kind of ride I have to the office.

If you commute to work using a folding bike, what make and model do you use? Please share some pros and cons about your folding bike in the comments.

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A thought experiment on bike safety commute

Josh King's guest post "10 rules for urban commuting" sparked a lively debate, not only in our comments but about the blogosphere. Now, the bike commuters corner of the blogosphere anyway.

If you missed it, the essence of the article (if I should a summary risk) is this: If security and survival decisive for an urban bike commuters, then laws and courtesy secondary subtleties sind.King was praised and criticized for its style and substance and people responded strongly to both.

Let's go ride a bike posted a thoughtful and passionate criticism of King's article, and it is "macho sound."In this article moved more comments as King's original article. (And Yes, we're a little jealous about it.)

Here we have in our Headquarters, which had several discussions about King's 10 rules (plus one), as well as responding to you.One of these discussions evolved this thought experiment.

Think of the fragile and valuable thing in your life, be carried out on a bicycle konnte.Es could your child, your cat or your Tom Selleck collector plate sein.Diese is valuable thing along your regular bike commute, during the time of the day with the busiest traffic, are performed on the bike of a robot holdings.

Trust me.

For example, you can the robot to say:

Follow all traffic with no exceptions.Obey all traffic laws, except for certain nonsensical ones.Obey all traffic unless laws, certain situations laws arise.Be indifferent against traffic but remain upright and to avoid collisions.

And if you are looking for loopholes are: the robot looks like a man (so it anti robot militias will not alert) is it not more or faster than you, and has the same reaction time as Sie.Wie it can say usually the difference between a person, a dog, a car, a mailbox, etc..No, it can not fliegen.Es has unbewaffnet.Es cannot turn otherwise invisible, even in a tank, a sofa, or anything to verwandeln.Genug with looking gaps! it suffice it to say that the robot has the physical abilities, but it behaves exactly as you sit behavior with no judgment.

Oh, and you will be liable for any damages or injury caused by the robot.

Their precious thing is loaded, and the robot expected your instructions.

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Bike commute part of your training?

Years ago I had a friend of a century (100 mile bike) drove without training for it.

He said commute as much during the week he felt would bike that he needed to train for the great trip. I'm curious to know if there bike commuters out there, to use your time on your bike during the week as part of your training. I participate in downhill mountain bike racing and have my commute often used as my training ground. From light, I would do sprint intervals of 20-30 seconds.I would these sprinting techniques while flat sections of track verwenden.Tun someone else something similar?

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The shame of commute by bike: same attitude, various infrastructure

With the tour de France almost ("" is almost pretentious for "close"), I am pleased to announce, I will render a tour de France-themed blog on the sports-website ("Rendering" is curating 2.0) universal. As with my universal I will seek Giro d ' Italia blog, to bring the type of insight you only from someone can get that just is the action on TV, that by the time you read my blog at least twice from the actual race deleted meaning. However, I would not want my objectivity and impartiality corrupted by close of the procedure, which is why I Universal's offer passage to France, as even my own BSNYC/RTMS stickered smart with huge roof of mounted RIP torn bobblehead car in the caravan, completely turned off. The blog will start sometime tomorrow, and blog or my Twittular account will I directly to it about this as soon as I know what happened to me.
But during the tour de France world (unless you in France, apparently a real place where are actual people lives), it is probably more worth a look at the kind of ordinary cycling many of us every day practice. If "Habitual cycling" means pizza binges in Portland, or wandering off somewhere and yoga to do, but for the rest of us who inhabit that little neighborhood called it "Reality" simply means commute.Of course, bicycle commute varies from city to city and from city to city, and each locale has its own unique and endearing Funktionen.Beispielsweise in New York, we have "Depths" and here is a typical, I recently made:



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