Did you see the news item today about a Portland bike-sharing program called White Bike? On Monday, according to the AP story, White Bike organizers plan to put about seven donated bikes, which have been fixed up and painted white, at various places downtown. The bikes are available for anyone who has visited the White Bike Web site to obtain the combination lock code. I'd love to hear from people about their opinions on this. Will it really help? Are there people who would like to ride (and who already own helmets) but don't have their own bikes? What I'm really wondering is this: is Portland a big enough city for this kind of metropolitan idea to work? I'm skeptical, but I want to be proved wrong!

At last, sunshine. Finally it's time to get back on two wheels (if you're a mere fair weather cyclist), and if you're hankering for a new ride to motivate and inspire you, just in time comes the 2008 Great Maine Bike Swap. This year it has expanded to two locations (April 27 in Portland and May 4 in Orono). The Portland swap will take place at the USM Sullivan Gym from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and along with all the great deals on road bikes, mountain bikes, kids' bikes and tandems, there will also be a 4-mile bike parade around the Back Cove organized by Green Streets Portland.

Visit the Bicycle Coalition of Maine web site for full details.

Saw this sign on a streetpost on Forest Avenue the other day... what does it mean? I have to say, it doesn't give bicyclists a good name. It's one thing to add hula hoops to a pedestrian, but machine guns to handlebars? Anyone seen this elsewhere?

If you live in the city of Portland, you can now register your bike with the Portland Police Department. This seems like a great step ahead for the police department. Now, if your bike gets stolen, there is a way for the police department to get your bike back to you. You never know if/when your bike might get stolen. Take a minute to register, if for no other reason than to support the police department's efforts and to show that you appreciate their interest in all things bicycling!
The online form makes it so easy: Portland Police Bike Registry. You just need your serial number, usually on the underside of the main part of the frame, the color, make and model as well as your contact information.

The Gov signed into law the new bike safety bill today.

Against my better judgment I have to comment on one of the comments posted on today's News Update. One person says "... if a cyclist doesn't stop at a stop sign or red light, which they don't 95% of the time, you won't see them getting pulled over."

This makes me chuckle, because a few weeks ago a colleague (who shall remain nameless, boss!) told me that he got pulled over by a policeman for coasting through a red light while on his bike, though the only car at the intersection had stalled and the light was just about to turn green. He was tongue-lashed and gived a sermon about irresponsible cyclists. Why can't we all just get along?

Sorry I'm a little late on this update, but in May the town of Kittery officially declared itself to be bike friendly. Hooray!

From the May 14 Town Council meeting, the minutes state:

"NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kittery Town Council, duly assembled, hereby declares the Town of Kittery, Maine to be BICYCLE FRIENDLY, with all benefits herein described."

There are a lot of great things going on at Bradbury Mountain these days. There are lots of new multi-use trails including some fantastic single-track, increased usage, loads of volunteer hours and enthusiasm, races and events and more... all making this a remarkable example of how a state park is really serving its community and the mountain biking community is giving back.

Much of this is due to the good work being done by the park manager Mick Rogers. Rogers has a request for mountain bikers this week. He's hoping bikers will come show some support and ride the trails this Thursday. Here's why:

So, it's passed -- the bike bill that folks were debating so hotly on some of the Press Herald Web pages. The Legislature passed it Friday and the Gov is expected to sign it. As reported by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, here are some of the main features:
> Motorists must give cyclists three feet of clearance.
> Motorists may cross the centerline in no-passing zones in order to pass bicyclists when safe to do so.
> There's a $25 fine for those 15 and under who fail to wear a helmet. (Youth can be fined after the second or subsequent offense, but the fine can be waived by showing proof that a helmet has been purchased.)
> The law clarifies the rule that requires cyclists to ride to the right. The bill recognizes numerous situations when bicyclists need to move from the right portion of the roadway such as avoiding obstacles, proceeding straight near right-turn lanes or preparing to turn left.
> The law waives liability for businesses with drive-up windows that serve cyclists.

I never realized I couldn't ride up to the ATM. I hope this doesn't encourage cyclists to go through the Starbucks drive-through; I've seen a few people riding with coffee cups in one hand and really, what are they thinking?

I like the helmet fines too. At the very least, it gives parents some leverage with their kids. Now if a kid protests wearing a helmet, a parent can say, "It's the LAW" and take the fine out of their allowance.

Great news: I just heard that the Community Bicycle Center in Biddeford just got funding to the tune of $78,400 from the Maine Department of Transportation Biennial Capital Workplan for 2008-2009. If you haven't heard about the CBC, stop in for a visit. Andy Greif, the director, is making miracles happen there, teaching kids about bike safety, getting them access to bike helmets and showing them how to maintain a bike. The bike shop in Biddeford is a crowded, noisy, messy, joyful place where kids can learn to more or less build a bike from scratch, either to fix theirs or to earn themselves a cheap bike.