The Monday Roundup

Permanent tattoos not your thing?
Try a temporary bike tattoo instead.
(Photo: Will Vanlue/BikePortland)

Here’s the news and other cool stuff that we found this past week…

– We’ve been reading about the waning love teens have for cars, and this article by the New York Times shows just how desperate U.S. automakers are getting to reverse that trend. About young adults these days, the article states, “They think of a car as a giant bummer.”

– Two physicians are opposing a mandatory bicycle helmet law being considered by the British Parliament, saying the evidence to support helmet use is inconclusive and contradictory.

– The Ovarian Psycos, an L.A.-based “all-womyn bicycling brigade”, is looking for people to plan the first Clitoral Mass Ride, an all-female response to the “testosterone energy” of Critical Mass.

– City councilors in Ashland, Oregon voted against spending $385,000 to install lights along a bike path where a man died after nearly being decapitated. The Ashland Police Chief recommended against installing the lights because they would create “shadowed” areas on the path.

Recent Wall Street Journal cover.

– New York City is taking another bold step to improve the safety of a major street by removing a motor vehicle lane and adding a second bike lane on Terrace Drive through Central Park.

– Warm temperatures over St Patrick’s Day drew hordes of people on Capital Bikeshare bikes to the National Mall.

– A small, ultra-light concept car created by a French designer is supposed to “befriend bikes, not fight them.”

– Officials in Two Rivers, Wisconsin decided to eliminate the city’s bicycle registration fee. The Police Chief supports the move saying officers can “better serve the community by waiving that fee and getting more licenses onto bikes.”

– A man had his bicycle stolen while it was in police custody after officers stopped him and cited him for not wearing a helmet.

– In case you missed it, last Tuesday was the inaugural Bike Hour, a twice-annual international event created by Steven Fleming to encourage anyone with a bicycle to get out and ride at the same time.

– March 25th will mark another inaugural biking event, Jerusalem’s first annual bike to work day. It will be followed by the city’s Bike Festival, Festigalgal, on March 30th.

– Communities in the Australian outback are benefiting from the work of a psychologist and a philanthropist who teamed up to provide second-hand bicycles to people in need.

– As gas prices continue to climb, bicycling for transportation is receiving national attention from the likes of USA Today.

– ‘Kid with a Bike’, a movie about a boy who loses his father and his bicycle, is posting great box office numbers at its three screening locations in New York and Los Angeles.

– Riding in the snow is much easier than most people think and it’s quickly becoming one a popular activity on the snow-packed trails around Salt Lake City.

– In celebrity bike news, Shia LaBeouf and his girlfriend went for a romantic bike ride while Russell Brand is accused of pinching a pair of rented bicycles.

– It’s nice to know people can have a change of heart: a stolen bike turned up outside an Aspen police station with a hand-written apology from the thief.

– If you’re looking for a way to stand out in the crowd as the weather gets warmer and more people get on their bikes, you might want to try one of the temporary bike tattoos found by the folks over at Urban Velo.

– And finally, if you’re looking for another accessory for the bike that has everything, you should have a look at Chalktrail, a bicycle- or scooter-mounted toy that would make a great addition to any bike train or ride through Sunday Parkways:

Did you find something interesting that should be in next week’s Monday Roundup? Drop us a line. For more great links from around the web, follow us on Twitter @BikePortland.