Image credit: BFOC

Further details on the Bike Friendly OC site -

We’ll cycle up to meet groups from all over the city at Union Station at 8am again this year. At about 8:15am we’ll all head up to the City Hall Plaza for a quick press conference. We’ll get the update on bike plan progress and we’ll hear from our most vocally supportive City Council representatives including Scott Griggs (and maybe even the mayor?) We’ll wrap things up by 9am so folks can head off to work, but we’ll have a map of the bike plan for you to check out if you’d like to stick round.

Join us in this demonstration of the strength of our cycling community and our massive support for a bike friendly city.

The play’s the thing, Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

(Hamlet 2.2.641).

Cycle to Hamlet (presented by Shakespeare Dallas at Samuell Grand Amphitheatre) with BFKH this Wednesday, September the 21st 2011.

Na na na na na na na na na na na Bat Ride! The Bat signal is lighting up the Dallas night sky, will you answer it’s call? Join Bike Friendly Knox Henderson on Saturday, June 18, 2011 when we ride out to Main Street Gardens where they are presenting the “Moonlight Movie Series; The Dark Knight.” The movie starts at 8.30 p.m. Lets rendezvous at Sunflower Market; 1800 N Henderson Ave, Dallas at 7.15 p.m., where we will stock up on supplies and we will be riding out at 7.30 p.m. Biff! Bam! Pow! Holy smoke Batman! Looking forward to riding with y’all!

In two weeks, Dallas will elect a new mayor. As always, this is a time of great hope and great optimism. Both candidates – David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings – are proven and capable leaders and both appear to have the city’s best interests at heart. So what sets them apart? It depends who you ask.

Dallas’ city elections are a non-partisan affair, so voters have no choice but to judge candidates on the issues. Not surprisingly, an issue that matters a lot to us is bike-friendliness, which we consider a key measure of quality of life.

Recently, both candidates stopped by the newly opened Katy Trail Icehouse for some good old-fashioned American campaigning. Old-fashioned, because in truth, there just aren’t that many places in modern-day Dallas for a political candidate to talk to the “man on the street” without asking him to roll down his window first. But, that’s not how it has to be.

David Kunkle talks to voters at Katy Trail Ice House

Without a doubt, Dallas is changing. The Katy Trail Icehouse is proof of that. Judging by the number of bikes strewn about its perimeter, nearly as many people arrive at the Icehouse by their own propulsion as they do by car. Why? Because they can!

The Katy Trail has resurrected a way of life that was all but extinct in Dallas – a way of life that allows regular people to travel freely without being tethered to 3000 pounds of steel, topped off with highly flammable liquid. But perhaps most striking, is how good the Katy Trail has been for business. This is clear by the ever-growing number of businesses that are either gravitating toward the trail or clambering to add Katy Trail to their names – Katy Trail Ice House, Katy Trail Dental, Katy Trail Animal Hospital, The Travis at Katy Trail, etc, etc, etc.

Unfortunately, land along the trail is limited and only so many businesses will ever be able to benefit directly from its proximity. Luckily though, the ingredients of its success are simple – a safe, pleasant, and direct cycling and pedestrian environment – and can easily be replicated all over the city. It’s not even necessary to build separated trails. Well-kept sidewalks and bike lanes work just fine, as anyone who has visited Portland, Oregon or New York City in the last five years can attest to. So, what are we waiting for? Our leaders, for one.

As far as we can tell, neither of the two mayoral candidates quite grasps the full potential that Dallas has to be a really great bicycling city.  Mike Rawlings appears to be stuck in the paradigm of treating cycling as a strictly recreational activity.  David Kunkle seems to acknowledge that bicycling is a legitimate form of transportation, but has been hesitant to support on-steet  bicycle facilities, which have proven themselves to be highly effective in main-streaming cycling in cities all over the country.

Maybe we are wrong about the candidates’ positions. In fact, hopefully we are. There really isn’t that much information to go by. What we are certain of, however, is that both candidates need to understand that cycling and pedestrian issues are just that – ISSUES. They are important to a large and growing segment of the electorate, but the only way to make that clear is to bring it up at every possible opportunity. So, if you happen to run into Mike Rawlings or David Kunkle in the next two weeks (both are expected at BFOC’s “Hellhound on My Trail” group ride on June 12th), let them know how you feel, and may the best man win (whoever that is).

BFKH presents 'Bike to Work' group commute, and happy hour.

The American League of Cyclists have designated the whole month of May as “National Bike Month”, and May 20th as “Bike to Work Day”.

Come join us on May 20th for a group commute to work. We meet at Pearl Cup at 7.30 am, and after our caffeine fix, and some tasty croissants, one group heads south to Downtown (via Baylor and Deep Ellum), and another north to Mockingbird Station (and beyond via DART). In honor of Bike to Work Day, The Pearl Cup is offering a 10% discount to anyone who rides their bike this Friday!

After you’ve finished your daily grind, why not come meet us for a BFKH happy hour at Barcardia, which starts at 6PM. Meet other commuter cyclists and share experiences over a beer. Even if you have never commuted by bike, come on out and meet some people who have!

The facebook event page can be found here.

Meanwhile, have a happy National Bike Month.

Original photo courtesy of Dan Bailey of Pallas Athena Custom Bicycles.

Ride with Bike Friendly Knox Henderson to Jazz Under the Stars presented by the Dallas Museum of Art.

The season is kicking off on Thursday, May 12 with Dallas favorite Havana NRG! who are known for combining Latin, salsa, Timba Cubana, and jazz. Havana NRG! has a high-energy fusion sound all their own. Their contagious energy goes straight to your feet so you can dance and cycle the night away.

We will meet on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 6.45 p.m. at Sunflower Market, (1800 N. Henderson Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206) where we can pick up supplies of tasty treats and drinks. We ride at 7.00 p.m.

Hope to see you soon!

Come join our friends Cycle Celebrations on the Earth Day Dallas Bike Ride (presented by Switching Gears Cyclery), on Saturday April 23 at 1pm at Main Street Gardens. A group of Knox-Henderson cyclists are leaving the intersection between Knox and the Katy Trail at 12.30 pm.

Earth Day Dallas Bike Ride

Some more info, courtesy of Cycle Celebrations.

Dallas Cycle Chic continues this Saturday, with a picnic and Bike-in-Movie at Main Street Gardens in Downtown Dallas. The movie (“Pee-Wee’s Great Adventure”) starts around 9. Join BFKH at Sunflower Market, as we fill our bicycle baskets with tasty goodies and drinks before heading down to Main Street Gardens around 7.45pm.

If you haven’t voted for whom of the 30 selected finalists should be “Face of Dallas Cyling Chic”, do so now, as voting ends high noon on Saturday.

Meanwhile, here is the Facebook event page for the ride on Saturday.

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