Welcome to Monday.
This week’s column is sponsored by the big Shower Pass Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. Get up to 30% off jackets, pants, baselayers, gloves, socks, and accessories, and free shipping on orders over $50 now through the end of November 30th.
Now then… here are the most notable items we came across in the past seven days.
Youth cycling boom: Cycling has jumped from 16th to 3rd in a research study on youth sports activities during the Covid era and with the traditional big-three sports landscape so dramatically altered there’s reason to hope the boom won’t go bust when life returns to “normal”.
Giant sales numbers: To give you a sense of the impact e-bikes are having on the bike industry, consider that Giant Group, considered the world’s largest bike maker, says a whopping 27% of its total revenue now comes from bikes with batteries.
People like bikes: Despite what many electeds and policymakers tell us, when you ask the right way, a majority of people will have no beef with bicycling — at least that’s what this survey in Scotland found.
Strava blowing up: We figured Strava would do well with Covid keeping everyone indoors, but 2 millions users per month? Wow.
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Zwift cheats: With the rise in virtual cycling and focus on performance above all else, we should not be surprised that people cheat at it.
Opportunity strikes: The BBC explains how swift action to rethink streets in light of the pandemic is benefitting cities and (hopefully) changing them for good.
Not having it: The Maryland DOT assumed (like they always do) everyone in the path of their highway widening project would just rollover and succumb to their demands. The U.S. Navy is saying “Hell no!”.
Gladys gifts: Local shop Gladys Bikes asked Portland riders what they’d gift for the holidays and they shared some solid ideas.
Helmets and safety: Yet another data point in the helmet debate that clearly shows when people feel safe on their bikes they no longer obsess about wearing a styrofoam hat.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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