Biking for Your Health
Created by: Healthcare Management Degree
Bike Lane
After years of waiting, Boston’s waterfront finally has a bike lane! We first got wind of this plan in late September, and then saw the actual product in November. Finally, the finishing touches of bike symbols, bike boxes, sharrows and dashed lines have been put in place, and the Atlantic Avenue/Surface Road bike lane is fully fledged.
The northbound bike lane begins on Atlantic avenue at Essex st, right next to South Station. It continues along the waterfront, turning right when it passes our very own Mercantile Wharf, and changes into sharrows up by Langone Park, at Commercial and Charter streets, on the upper side of the North End. At nearly a mile and a half long, this makes it one of Boston’s longest bike lanes, after Commonwealth Avenue.
The Southbound side beings at the intersection of Causeway and North Washington streets, and continues all the way down Surface Road one and a half miles, all the way to Kneeland street. In addition, there is another bike lane which goes southbound on Commercial street, paralleling the one which comes off of Atlantic avenue.
Not only are these lanes functional, they are also quite scenic – the ride down Surface road affords you beautiful views of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Downtown, and going up Atlantic Avenue allows you to enjoy the Greenway as well, but also intermittent views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Bike travel along these sections has improved significantly, and car traffic has calmed as well. North End resident and Urban Adventours customer Mike Hodgson mentioned that before the addition, the multiple lanes often snarled traffic during turns. “Now, it’s much safer for cyclists and drivers. It’ll also be interesting to see what happens in the summer next year, when heavy bike traffic picks up.”
Happy Holidays and a Contest
I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season and about to gear up for some festivities. Have fun!
Sweeten those days off by coming up with a witty comment for Andrew the Giant and win a ‘I Bike Boston‘ jersey. Either post your response on our Facebook wall under the picture or hit us up on twitter @urbanadventours.
For note we will be closed for the holidays from December 24th through January 8th. If you need to get a hold of us give us a call 617.670.0637.
Be safe out there and we will see you next year!
Winter Gear is Here!
Whether you like it or not, winter has arrived! Perhaps not today with our 50 degree weather but it’s right around the corner, right? This late fall were having is a great reason to keep the momentum rolling and keep riding right into the winter months. We have been stocking up on cold weather gear to keep you on the bike through all the snow, ice, and wind. If you are going to be riding throughout the winter, it is a good idea to invest in some warm, dry clothing. From our classic Louis Garneau Enerblock commuter jacket to the Louis Garneau Seattle Rain Pants we can help take the bite off those subzero wind chills.
In addition to keeping your core warm, your fingers, toes, and head will be the first to feel the cold. We carry waterproof booties from craft, a wide range of gloves from both Craft and Louis Garneau, and a selection of hats and warm socks from Louis Garneau and Craft. A staff favorite is the Louis Garneau Typhoon Lobster glove for those days when many people opt to stay inside. Looking cool never felt so warm.
Winter riding is very tough on your bike, and the last thing you want is to sitting on the roadside repairing you bike while your fingers freeze. Fenders are one of the most important accessories you can put on your bike to help it last throughout the winter. Our classic full coverage, the SKS Commuter Fender, keeps all the water and salt off you and all the exposed metal in your drivetrain. Just like any machine, it is always a good idea to perform a little preventative maintenance. Make sure you keep you chain clean and lubricated with a “wet” lube such as Rock n’ Roll Gold Lube or Pedro’s Syn Lube.
Stop by Urban Adventours before the winter really sets in. We will be your one stop shop to keep you riding throughout the coming months!
Graduation Day – Sustainability
Like the millions of students that have endeavored in higher education in Boston, we finally earned a degree of our own. For the past year the staff at Urban AdvenTours have been working closely with the team at the Sustainable Business Network to enrich our green practices.
The program started by measuring baselines in many different categories. From there we came up with measurable action items in each category like energy consumption, waste management, transportation and more. The breadth of the program was quite exhausting from the top to bottom; every aspect of the business was considered.
In action we were able to partner with companies like ThinkLite to overhaul our archaic lighting system to cooler (literally) and more efficient LED lighting. Beyond that we were given the contacts and resources to have the rest of our lighting/heating/cooling audited for free and were given incentivised upgrades to these systems.
We have always considered ourselves a green organization but it was very helpful to have a third party look at our company from a holistic perspective and be able to give us measures and objective standards and goals to meets. In the long run all of our upgrades both save energy and pay for themselves in energy savings. There is no reason that responsible energy use can’t be a priority for everyone.
The Foliage is Coming!
For the past two weeks we’ve been getting back to nature on our Emerald Necklace fall foliage tour. This three-hour tour leaves daily from our shop on Atlantic Ave. and winds its way through some of Boston’s best green spaces. The 15+ mile route is a great way to see parts of the city unknown even to many locals.
The Emerald Necklace is a series of linear parks designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead, the famous landscape architect responsible for Central Park in New York City. The Necklace is over 1,000 acres and includes the Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Olmstead Park, Jamaica Pond, and the Arnold Arboretum. Much of the riding is on wide carriage paths and paved trails. The tour also makes its way along the Charles River, the Boston Commons, and the Southwest Corridor to admire the beautiful fall foliage.
Peak foliage is expected to hit Boston mid-October, so book a tour in the next few weeks to get your yearly fix of leaf peeping. Or stop by the shop to pick up a map or rent a bike and explore the area for yourself!
NEMBAfest is Coming Up
Calling all lovers of dirt trails and good people, NEMBAfest is coming up on October 8th and 9th in Allentown, NH.
If you haven’t been before it is a celebration of all things mountain biking at Bear Brook State Park. Come do some epic mountain biking or bring your family on some gentle offroad trails. Our main-man from Kona, Dale Plan, will be up there with 15 new 2012 demo bikes. So if you have been hankering to check out a new new Satori or or try out their Magic Link suspension make your way up to New Hampshire for a great event that supports a great association.
There will be a 4-mile gentle kids/family ride, along with a 10 mile beginner/intermediate loop and a 20-mile intermediate/advanced loop. Ride fast or just cruise, the trails are arrowed so everyone knows where to go and you don’t have to worry about getting lost!
If you can’t make it up stop by the shop and check out our selection of Kona demo mountain bikes as well as some their full selection of cyclocross bikes including the all carbon Major Jake.
5th Annual Bowtie Ride
5th Annual Bowtie Ride – Cambridge MA
Upon arrival in Cambridge Common for the 5th Annual Bowtie Ride, we were greeted by the Cambridge Bicycling Committee with a table of water and snacks for the ride. Over 180 people showed up, and more people are getting into the spirit of the ride with bowties and other classic regalia.
The ride organizers did a fabulous job, handing out maps of the well-marked route and support staff was on hand to pump up tires. During the ride, which was very casually paced, there was an excellent police escort maintaining safety for all of the riders. Even the route was themed – we coasted about 10 miles along the Cambridge city boundary, which is coincidentally bowtie shaped! And of course, the greatest part of the ride was waiting at the end, in the form of pizza! Overall, another fun fall ride with our friends at Cambridge Bicycling Committee!
Hub on Wheels 2011: Recap
First of all, thank you to everyone involved for making this years Hub on Wheels one for the ages! Rain was out of the question and we were up at 6am getting out rental bikes for riders – from there the rest of the day was an exciting and smile-filled blur. We can’t imagine anything better than a day filled with bikes, bikers, professional crit racing; and all this right in our back yard. Thank you Boston for coming out and supporting cycling.
All of the riders that we spoke to said they had a great time riding down the closed Sorrow Drive on their way around the 10, 30, and 50 mile loops of Boston and its extended neighborhoods. Young and old, experienced and fresh we had all kinds of people on bikes and enjoying a beautiful morning together on two wheels.
We met so many fantastic people at our tent while doing the bike valet and getting our “I Bike Boston” gear to the masses. Thank you all for supporting our company and rocking our gear around town. It’s always great to see someone in an IBB shirt or riding with a sticker on their bike. Boston is certainly home to one of the best cycling communities out there.
Another huge congratulations to our one-and-only Dan Barry for refusing to heed the symptoms of a cold and absolutely kill the Mayor’s Cup Professional Criterium. Calling the ball at the last minute to start the race, Dan held on as half the competition fell off the back and got pulled. At the last minute getting tossed off the bike Dan slid into home just off the race pace. You killed it!
We hope to see you all next year for another great event!
Don’t forget to stop by our shop and keep us company as we are open all winter (almost) keeping you on the road and keeping the salt and rust of those chains. We have new winter gear and cyclocross bikes to keep that cycling-excitement alive all winter.
Until next year,
The UA Crew
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