Newsletter sent on 4/19/2022

Rolling into Spring! 🌷

Some things I re-learned after a year off from winter bike commuting.

Newsletter sent on 1/26

This year was Twenty Twenty FUN!

By Peter Burns

Dressing for the Weather

Dress for the weather as it is rather than the weather you hope for. Sunny spring mornings can be especially deceptive. If it is in the 40’s with a brisk breeze blowing you are in for a chilly ride if you underdressed. Sun can quickly turn into rain or snow. Always bring along a waterproof jacket, just in case.  

Newsletter sent on 10/20

Fall Newsletter: Bike Smart Is Back! 👍

We’re busy gearing up for our fall programs and looking back on another great summer!

Newsletter sent on 7/21

Summer is better by bike! 

We’re rolling out our programs and services to make biking and walking more enjoyable for all. Read all about what we've been up to this summer in our newsletter! 

By Laurie Keve, Development Manager

Rosalba Bellen seems to me a force majeure: Unstoppable, joyful, and absolutely passionate about her recumbent electric-assist bike.

One warm June afternoon, Rosalba and her Lancaster Recumbent bike zipped into my Colchester home driveway. She hopped out of the seat, introduced herself, and asked about my kinetic brass garden sprinkler and of course, I asked her about her very cool recumbent bike. The bike has changed her life, she said, in so many ways. She rode a regular bike until recently, but she decided on a recumbent bike when vertigo made riding uncomfortable and unsafe. She purchased this one last fall and now arranges her days around the best time to get out for a ride. She hits the road nearly every day, weather permitting.

Spring is one of our favorite seasons, as we’re busy planning out the year ahead and getting ready for summer!

What are we doing this spring?

• Installing a Demonstration Project to make a village safe and pleasant for pedestrians
• Sending our Bike Smart trailer to 20 schools
• Developing a new interactive mobile Island Line Map
• Prepping our Bike Ferry for a long fun season on the water
• Tuning our rental bikes for the Trailside Center
• And more! Scroll down to discover what we’re doing!

We’re excited for all our programs and services to roll out for the season and encouraging all Vermonters to experience the joy of biking and walking!

The birds are chirping and the fresh scent of spring is in the air! Been itching to get back on your bike after the long winter break? Here are some tips to help you get ready to ride again. 

By Peter Burns

Maps 

I can use the map apps on my phone, but I prefer paper maps.  In an unfamiliar place, the phone maps are  difficult to follow.  They give a micro view of where you are, but not the bigger picture.  When you zoom out, street names disappear.  Last summer when I ventured across the lake to ride south to Port Henry and then took the ferry back to Charlotte, I almost got lost. I used my phone and maps copied from a New York State Atlas, but I would have preferred a regional map. Sometimes I can tell where I am but I am not sure if I am heading in the right direction.  There is also the option of mapping out a route using one of the map apps and then printing it out.  I first learned to use maps in England, when I was walking through the countryside. I used Ordinance Survey maps which are beautifully designed. Perhaps I inherited a bit of map reading ability from my father.  He was a flight navigator for B-52 airplanes, although he was never involved in any actual bombing runs.