Anyone interested in night riding? If you are, meet us Thursday evening, 6:00 pm, at the intersection of the Jack Rabbit Trail and the V&T bike path.
Expect temps to be in the 40s, with 12 mph winds from the N.
Feel free to bring along a beer or two for an after ride (or mid-ride) trailhead BS session.
Here’s a bit of interesting news. Did you know a Bicycle Commuter Act was part of the recently signed Financial Bailout Package? The League of American Bicyclists says:
After seven long years, the bicycle commuter tax provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the financial bailout package. President Bush has said that he is eager to sign the legislation. “We are delighted that the bicycle commuter benefits act has passed after a lengthy and persistent campaign spearheaded by Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR),” said League President Andy Clarke. “Bicycle commuters will now be extended similar benefits to people who take transit and drive to work – it’s an equitable and sensible incentive to encourage greater energy independence, improve air quality and health, and even help tackle climate change. Thanks to everyone who has helped reach this milestone, especially Walter Finch and Mele Williams, our government relations staff over the years who have worked tirelessly with Congressman Blumenauer, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and many others in Congress.”
So what is in this plan exactly? According to Tim’s Bicycles and Icicles blog, “In a nutshell, this thing provides money that will allow employers to reimburse bike commuters up to $240 per year “for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.”
As Tim says, this plan won’t be automatic, and employers will actually have to participate and work with the federal government. If you were able to get the reimbursement though, this would easily pay for expenses like tires and brakes, making your bicycle commute even more affordable.
Of course this is all assuming we still have a government by the end of the year, haven’t passed into martial law, or haven’t regressed back to the stone age. The news is getting scarier every day!
Keep checking back at League of American Bicyclists for the latest news on the implementation process.
For the first time in a long time (weeks, months?) we got some rain this weekend! The trails in Ash Canyon were starting to feel like you were riding on the beach. I didn’t get up on the trails immediately following the rain, and rode for the first time on Monday. Wow! What a difference. Some sections of the trails felt like someone had gone up with a tamper and packed the sand immediately after the rain…concrete.
Fall Skies
Here are a couple pictures from Sunday when the family and I took a little hike up near the water towers with the dogs.
Ash Canyon Bouquet
P.S. You may have noticed a lack of updates this last week. I believe I am coming out of my blogger burnout, and will start churning out the content once again. The Bike Rodeo was my last bicycle advocacy obligation of the year, and after it was over, I was in need of some down time!