New Linden Hills Shop Tailors to Fit—in Carbon Fiber and Aluminum

City Velo slated for a mid-march opening.

The rumors are true—in mid-March, the first of an expected three new stores will open in Linden Hills. City Velo, a custom bicycles dealer, expects to open in the former salon space next to the former Linden Hills Florist space on or about March 12, according to manager Randy Fox. City Velo's stock-in-trade will be custom-fit, high-end bicycles. Think of them a bit like a local Savile Row for two-wheelers, applying boatloads of technical knowledge and some sophisticated tools to find the perfect bike for long-haul road riders, racers, and cyclists with health issues. The model has proved highly successful at City Velo's other location in Denver, CO, Fox said, and the small company wanted to expand to another bike-heavy city. "We'll be like…

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Randy Fox

9:24 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013

These are some great ideas for the neighborhood!   more ›

Everyone's to Blame in New Bicycle-Car Crash Report

Drivers caused slightly more crashes than cyclists.

Monday morning, City of Minneapolis officials released the outline of a new report sure to provoke ire from some on either side of the bicycle-car divide. The report, to be presented to the City Council's transportation committee at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan 15, says drivers and cyclists are nearly equally to blame for the city's bicycle-motor vehicle crashes. The report took a comprehensive look at crashes from 2007 to 2010, and found that cyclists were at fault or partially at fault in 59 percent of crashes, while driers were at fault or partially at fault in 64 percent of crashes. Often times, both parties were at fault. Most crashes happen at major intersections (see map at right), the study found, and were caused by drivers not seeing…

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Top 10 Winter Bicycling Tips

Now that the cold has arrived, obvious—and not so obvious—tips for pedaling in comfort.

Did Monday morning's biting cold make you think twice about trying commuting by bike this winter? Not to fear—the Twin Cities Daily Planet is here. They've just published a list of the 10 essential tips for biking in the winter. Some of it is obvious stuff, like get yourself a set of warm gloves and fenders to ward off the cold and the slush. But other items may seem pretty counter-intuitive. "Don't be worried to start off cold," advises one expert the website interviewed, (correctly) pointing out that the faster and farther you're biking, the more your own body heat keeps you warm. Read the full list of tips, over at the TC Daily Planet. If you're looking to buy some of the specialty gear, check out Tommy T's Cyclery in Linden Hills, or …

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Teenage Bicyclist Injured in Lynnhurst Hit-And-Run

Collision happened Monday night.

An SUV traveling on the wrong side of Lyndale Avenue South smashed into a 17-year old cyclist around 7:40 p.m. on Monday evening. The cyclist told police he was turning south onto Lyndale Avenue from Minnehaha Parkway’s eastbound side when the truck hit him, sending him flying over the vehicle’s hood and off its back. The report filed by officers with the Minneapolis Police Department didn't say if the teen had been using bicycle lights, although the collision occured close to or at sundown. The victim suffered only minor scrapes, went home to call the police, and refused medical attention when police responded, although the report did not comment on the state of the 17-year old’s bicycle. The SUV involved, described by the victim as …

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Could Fulton and Linden Hills Get Bike Lanes?

Road construction an opportunity.

Follow us on Facebook | Sign up for our free daily newsletter Alongside some new, smooth blacktop on roads that haven't been paved in far too long a time, Fulton and Linden Hills residents could get something new out of the paving projects going on right now—bicycle lanes. With a good chunk of its roads being resurfaced this year, a group of locals calling themselves Southwest Pedal Power is trying to convince neighborhood residents and city planners to back bike lanes on West 44th Street connecting 44th and France and Lake Harriet, and another set running from Lake Calhoun to Highway 62 down either Sheridan Avenue South or Upton Avenue South. In some places along the two routes, the group is pushing for "sharrows" like those on Bryant …

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Editor's Notebook

Does Bryant Avenue Work for Cyclists And Drivers?

City surveying commuters this week.

Last year, I stood with a small group of bicycle boosters and city hall denizens in a small and slightly overgrown garden at the intersection where Bryant Avenue South curves eastward to avoid the Hennepin-Lyndale interchange at the top of The Wedge and link up with the bicycle bridge across Lyndale Avenue South. A cold, wet wind swept south over the tangled mass of concrete and cars, but that didn't depress the crowd, who enthusiastically whooped at the official opening of the Bryant Avenue Bicycle Boulevard.  As I wrote at the time, the Bicycle Boulevard improvements were meant to provide a safer, north-south route for bicycle commuters—and get them out of drivers' hair by attracting them off other north-south streets: The northern end …

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Minneapolis, Edina Propose Changes To 54th Street

Traffic safety improvements could include roundabouts.

The 3500 and 3600 blocks of 54th Street West might not seem like likely places for out-of-control traffic. None of the roads lead to major destinations, and the roads involved—54th Street and Beard and Drew Avenues—make sharp turns into other side streets only a few blocks away, in order to dodge Minnehaha Creek. However, the cities of Minneapolis and Edina are proposing to plop roundabouts in the middle of the 54th and Beard Avenue and 54th and Drew Avenue, intending to reduce accidents. According to a flyer emailed to area residents by the cities of Edina and Minneapolis, similarly situated traffic circles reduce accidents by 94 percent. These circles of concrete and flowers will still let cars and emergency vehicles pass safely, but …

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Want Company When Biking To Work?

Thursday, the Twin Cities celebrate Bike to Work Day.

Thursday is supposed to Bike to Work Day in Southwest Minneapolis and across the Twin Cities. However, with temperatures climbing into the low 80s, and a chance of rain in the forecast you'd be forgiven for not wanting to be the only soul showing up to your job damp from either. Good thing there are some celebrations that day, where you'll get to hang out with other virtuous souls. Tell that to your car-borne coworkers who raise an eyebrow when you plunk a helmet down tomorrow morning—it's your ticket to a party, all part of Bike Walk Week 2012. Do you normally bike to work? Why or why not?

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Bicycle workers wanted -- now

Dec. 10 is the deadline.

Finding Room For Bike-Car Coexistence

Will bike-skittish residents be persuaded to hop on the roads?