“Bikes vs Cars” Set to Launch
A new documentary film that advocates for bike-friendly cities in the 21st century will be released in select theaters around the U.S. Friday. The film, and a related app, has been inspiring a new approach to urban planning that could lead to better designs, smarter political decisions and reduced CO2 emissions.
“Bikes vs Cars” is a documentary “about the bicycle and what an amazing tool for change it can be. It highlights a growing conflict in city planning between the bicycle, which supports a diverse city with a human scale, and the car, which engenders urban sprawl and reliance on fossil fuels.”
From Copenhagen to Los Angeles via Sao Paulo, director Fredrik Gertten explores the ongoing efforts of bicycle activists, who are fighting for their right to ride on city streets against the combined forces of multi-billion dollar auto, oil, and construction lobbies, who are determined to keep our cities car-dependent. A companion app will help cyclists track how much they reduce their CO2 imprint and oil consumption for every mile they ride instead of drive. The app is a campaign tool to support activists and cities to work toward bike-friendlier cities.
Cities screening the film starting Friday include New York, Los Angles, San Francisco and San Rafael, California, Seattle, Vancouver, Columbus, Ohio, and Albuquerque. It will open later in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, New Orleans, Hartford, Connecticut, and other cities.
Information about where the film can be seen, background material, and the film’s trailer can all be found at http://bikesvscarsfilm.com/index.php.
LBS Visits Down Sharply Since 2012
A recent report in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) cited the third annual American Bicyclist Study, which showed that from 2012 to 2014, visits to bike shops dropped 17 percent.
More telling, perhaps, the study showed a 117 percent increase in consumers who visited a shop but then purchased a bike from a discount/mass merchant.
At the same time, the percentage of those who visited an LBS and purchased a bike from the LBS fell by 20 percent.
As is almost always the case, reading the comments to the article – nearly all of which were from LBS owners, or former owners – proved even more enlightening than the study data, painting a picture of just how tough it is these days to run a small business in the cycling industry.
RBR, of course, is one of those, and I urge all of our readers to do what you can to support all the small businesses you value in the cycling industry. To be sure, it is a tough, tough industry to be in because it is dominated by so many big bike makers and product companies, corporate publishers, and big retailers.
So when you’re buying bike gear or considering subscribing to an industry publication, consider supporting RBR, your LBS and other small-fry bike businesses, like our sponsors. I can personally attest to how much your support means to me (and the other minnows in the cycling industry).
—John Marsh
Pinarello to Launch Dogma F8W with SRAM RED eTap Wireless Groupset
If you’re still formulating your holiday wish list, you might consider crossing through everything else and adding the new Dogma F8W.
Pinarello just announced that it is rolling out a limited number of the new bikes in January – complete with SRAM RED eTap, the new wireless groupset we reported on in September.
The bikes will be sped’ed with SRAM RED group eTap, Zipp 303 Firecrest carbon clincher wheels, Most Aero 3K stem and handlebar.
The new F8W is a hot bike, to be sure, but what really stands out to me is just how clean it looks, with only the two brake cables and those flowing lines. Nice!
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