A non-governmental, nonprofit organization promoting bicycle transport, economic development, international understanding and safety education.

INTRODUCTION:

We hope that the weather and road conditions around you are conducive for you do all the bicycling that you desire.  Meanwhile we are helping individuals and organizations to promote sustainable transport and understanding, worldwide. 

A giant “thank you” to everyone who has donated to us, participated on a travel program, purchased a publication, volunteered or in any other way supported IBF recently.  To the rest of you, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved and get a thank you – see below.

Here is a program update:

WINNERS OF THE 2009 STUDENT BICYCLE ESSAY CONTEST

The 2009 edition International Bicycle Fund Student Essay Contest attracted several hundred entries this year.  The essayist wrote about personal experiences, bicycling personalities, and bicycles and the economy, environment and society; past, present and future.  After difficult deliberations, the winners, in their respective categories are: "Bicycle Safety" by Delaney Murphy, age 8, Carrollwood Elementary, Tampa FL; "BMX Racing" by Andrew Klug, age 11, St Matthais Parish School, Milwaukee WI; and, "Morning Ritual" by Connie Shi, age 16, Okemos High School, Okemos MI..  Each writer receives a cash prize and certificate.  Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all the students who submitted essays.

Overall, this year’s entry strongly reflected the issues of the times; personal health, climate change and the economy. But the winners were all a little bit unique:  Delaney address the topic of bicycle safety.  Andrew examined the development of the sport of BMX.  And, Connie’s essay captures the feelings and experiences of her personal relationship with her bicycle and bicycling.  All of these essays and a number of the runner-ups may be read on the IBF website, http://www.ibike.org/essays/2009.htm

International Bicycle Fund Student Essay Contest is open to anyone 16 years old or under.  There are cash prizes for the winners in age group categories:  Essay may be on any aspect of bicycling (history, touring, racing, commuting, role in society, learning, teaching, etc.)  Girls and boys from all countries are encouraged to participate.  You need not be a bicyclist.  The deadline for entries is every year on May 1^st (mailed entry must be postmarked by 1 May and arrive by 15 May.)

The essay program takes a surprisingly large number of hours to administer.  If you would like to support this and other IBF programs, it can easily be done online at http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp?ein=91-1286223

NEW AT IBIKE.ORG

 “Learning to Bicycle without Pain; Teaching Bicycling Without Strain”

We have produced and posted our first video! It also has a nice soundtrack. You don’t need to worry about the trials and tribulations of the process but you can see the product at http://www.ibike.org/education/teaching-kids.htm. It will help students young and old learn to bicycle.  Share it with parents with young kids and everyone else who would like to learn to bicycle without pain.

“Heat Related Illness and Bicycling”

At some time of the year, almost everyplace, temperature (at least in the afternoon) get to be high enough to be a health issue for bicyclists.  We have pull information on this issue together is our essay “Heat Related Illness and Bicycling”, http://www.ibike.org/education/heat-illness.htm. Annually, before hard bicycling in the hot season, it is wise to review this information.

“Green Bicycling: Pushing the Green Envelope”

Anything to be more of an "un-driver" (get out of an automobile and reduce your mileage in a car) is huge, whether you walk, skate board, bicycle, paddle, or take mass transit.  But even within the lower carbon-footprint and lower poison-footprint modes there are more and less sustainable ways to do them.  As time goes on and as the world's population counter keeping clicking on millions and millions people, we are going to have to increasingly keep pushing the envelope on what is model behavior to keep minimizing our destructive impact. We have collected some considerations for greener bicycling at http://www.ibike.org/environment/green-bicycling.htm.

“Green Travel: Planning a Better Vacation”

As human beings we are going to consume.  The goal is to be aware and knowledgeable about our consumptions so that it strikes a balance between minimizing impact on resources and maximize the quality of life for ourselves and others.  The issues are a lot the same whether you are staying at home or traveling, but there may be a few nuances when you travel.  These are discussed at http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/green-travel.htm.

“Airline Baggage Regulation for Bicycle”

The airlines continue to reduce the allowances and raise the fees on baggage faster than we can keep up with them.  Those we learn about we post.  Surcharges for a bicycle can now be US$600 per trip.  We generally get new information a couple times a month.  To see what we have learned see http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm.

 “Celebrities on Bicycle”

For something a little less serious: Many people seem to have a fascination with the rich and famous.  We thought we would investigate what happened when you cross famous and bicycling, and post the results.  Does seeing or knowing that celebrities bicycle make you want to bicycle more? Is there a difference between those who bicycle for health and the environment and those who seem to be mostly "cycle chic." We are sure there are many celebrities that we have missed (throughout the world).  If you have suggestions for the list please let us know.  Check the list at http://www.ibike.org/library/celebrities.htm.

UPCOMING IBIKE TRAVEL PROGRAMS: COUNTRY YOU SHOULD SEE:

One of the goals of our travel program is to help people get out of the travel ruts – heading to the tourism destination enclaves.  We do this by offering programs to really interesting places that are not mainstream destinations, and by giving people an opportunity to see a mainstream destination through a different and more interesting lens.  We hope you will take on one of these opportunities.

Up-coming Programs Include:

South Korea: September 12 to 25, for more details see http://www.ibike.org/ibike/korea.  Half of South Korea in pretty industrial, and the other half in picturesque rural, riverine, forested, coastal and mountainous, continuously culturally rich and dazzling -- it is the latter half that we explore!  We can’t understand why touring cyclists are not swarming all over the back roads of South Korea.  Come be the first on your block to discover the elation of bicycle touring in Korea.

Mali: Traveling in Mali is a very rural-based, village-based, people-to-people experience.  Mali is a perennial favorite because of its distinctive, friendly and flourishing indigenous cultures.  The tour, from November 8 to 21, explores the multi-ethnic character of this region of Africa, which is reflected in different architecture, economies, languages, cultural rituals and social structures.  Besides getting a feel for the ordinary rhythm of life, we stop to wander through stunning markets and certified World Heritage Sites.  For more information see http://www.ibike.org/bikeafrica/mali.

Cameroon: Consistent with our goal, from November 22-December 6, we are again offering a program to Cameroon.  It is often called “Africa in Miniature.”  Just one measure of how diverse this country is:  In the coarse of two weeks will be passing through the areas of the Duala, Bankon, Mbo, Bakaka, Bassa, Bamunka, Mendankwe-Nkwen, Kom, Lamnso’, Oku, and Bafut ethnic groups, to name a few.  It is unlikely that these names will mean much to you now, but in the course of the tour you will get a context for this and much more.  It is an extraordinarily beautiful route as well.  For more information see http://www.ibike.org/bikeafrica/cameroon.

Vietnam: January, 2010, for more details see http://www.ibike.org/ibike/vietnam.  The recipe is: one part capitalism, one part communism and a dash of assorted religions, then stir – a very intriguing society, with beautiful bicycling.

Seattle: Year around, if you visiting Seattle please consider on of our custom Seattle Heritage Bicycle Tours.  For more details see http://www.ibike.org/ibike/seattle.

Future File - Save the Date: In May 2010 we will be offering a Botswana-Namibia Bicycle Tour.  This promise to be an extraordinary cultural trip, with visits to the Okavango Delta and a World Heritage Site.  Preliminary details are posted at http://www.ibike.org/bikeafrica/botswana.htm.

Our cultural travel programs are our main source of revenue.  We hope you will support IBF by joining one of these programs:  These may not be mainstream destinations, but that is part of their value.  The full schedule is posted at http://www.ibike.org/ibike/schedule.htm.

SAMPLES FROM OUR TWITTER

Twitter is the primer way to stay current with develops at IBF/Ibike.  We tend to post a short message a couple times a week.  The following are messages that we have posted recently on Twitter that aren’t covered elsewhere in the Update.  To follow our Twitter posts in real time visit http://www.twitter.com/intlbike.

Join global sustainable transport action called Ride Planet Earth. Rides on all continents 6 Dec 2009. More at www.rideplanetearth.org. 11:56 AM May 4th

One of the most impressive demonstrations of bicycling we have ever seen: http://bit.ly/13rUz9. Drop your jaw! 6:34 PM May 16th

Historic video of unusual bikes in Europe from the late 1930s and early 1940s, http://bit.ly/wO7TV.  10:55 AM Jun 12th

'Cycle chic' is the new rage in the West - it can't match the decades of Vietnamese school girls cycle chic, see http://tinyurl.com/mv836c. 11:51 AM Jun 12th

UK, http://tinyurl.com/n9ql7k, & NYC bicycle orgs, http://tinyurl.com/lfsuyb, show that there is safety in numbers for bicyclists. 2:28 PM Jun 18th

For something a little lighter here is a bicycle race prank video - http://tinyurl.com/lg3tcp. 10:39 AM Jun 19th

Jennifer Aniston as a pedicab jockey, http://tinyurl.com/l9lfw4 - it is just for a movie.5:16 PM Jun 25th

8 bicyclists, w/ Type 1 Diabetes, completed the 3000 mile Race Across America bicycle marathon in record time, http://tinyurl.com/kqy3ws. 6:45 AM Jun 30th

Scientific American writes about bamboo bikes, http://bit.ly/sNWvN. 3:39 PM Jun 30th

More excitement about bamboo bikes in Africa, this time from the BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8125274.stm. 8:12 AM Jul 1st

Detroit as the non-motor city, http://bit.ly/4B0Cfp. (NYT Op-Ed) 9:27 AM Jul 5th

DONATE TO IBF ONLINE

To continue our work we depend on donation from people like you who support promoting sustainable transportation.  You can now donate online through a secure link.  Go to http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp?ein=91-1286223. 

Bicycling In Africa
Comprehensive how-to book if you are planning to travel to Africa or other less developed regions. 192 pages of information. US$14.95. Please include postage and handling for mail orders (North America US$2, to other continents US$5)

Bicycling In Africa Country Supplements
Supplements cover cycling season, routes, getting maps and spare parts, accommodations in rural areas & special comments for cycling.
Bicycle Touring In Kenya. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Ethiopia/Eritrea. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Zimbabwe/Botswana. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Malawi/Tanzania/Uganda. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Ghana/Togo/Benin. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Tunisia/Algeria. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Senegal/Gambia/Guinea. US$10 *
Bicycle Touring In Mali/Burkina Faso/Niger. US$5 *
Bicycle Touring In Cameroon. US$5 *

IBF Trailer: Assembly Instructions
Plans & instructions for building an IBF Bike Trailer. US$5.00 * (free to development workers in "less developed countries.")

The Bicyclist's Dilemma In African Cities
Impact on individuals, society & the environment of not accommodating & encouraging bicycle use in African cities. 26 pages US$3.00 *

Transportation, Bicycles And Development In Africa: Progression or Regression
Transportation in Africa is primarily by foot. Is encouraging bicycles progressive or regressive? 18 pages, US$2.00 *

Transportation Patterns In Nairobi
The history of transport in Nairobi that has led to traffic jams and filthy air. With strategies for encouraging bikes. 17 pages, US$2.00 *

Flying With Your Bicycles (1996)
Summary of baggage regulations for bicycles on 40 major airlines. Hints and strategies for packing and flying with a bike. US$4.00 *

Selecting & Preparing A Bicycle For Travel In Remote Areas / Annotated Detailed Packing List
A comprehensive how­to essay on special considerations. US$4.00 *

Language In Cross­Cultural Understanding
Essay on cultural bias in language. A must for travelers who want to see different cultures with a clearer vision. US$2.00 *

* Suggested donation. On mail orders, please include additional payment for postage & handling: North America; US$1 for 1^st item and US$0.50 for each additional. Beyond North America US$2 for 1^st item and US$1 for each additional (US$5 minimum). Quantity discounts are available. We accept payment by check, credit card and through Paypal (direct payment to "ibike@" our domain name).

IBF News '91/2: Tips on Responsible Travel.
IBF News '93/1: Trans: Who Pays? / Sustainable Tourism.
IBF News '93/2: Sustainable Access.
IBF News '94/1: Least Cost Planning.
IBF News '94/2: Land Use Planning.
IBF News '95/1: Multi-mode Level-of-Service.
IBF News '95/2: Promoting Bicycle Tourism.
IBF News '96/1: Bicycling In India And Eritrea.
IBF News '96/2: Free bike programs / Social attitudes.
IBF News '97/1: 15 Myths On Bicycling in Africa.
IBF News '97/2: Bike decline in Asia / Bike history.
IBF News '98/1: Policies: Cuba, Poland & Honduras.
IBF News '98/2: Critical Mass.
IBF News '99/1: Bike to Work / Tanzania Cultural Tourism.
IBF News '99/2: Women In Tunisia
IBF News '01/1: Biking with Infants
IBF News '01/2: Impact of Sept 11, 2001
IBF News '02/1: Pan-Africa Bicycle Information Network
IBF News '02/2: Student Bicycle Essay Contest 2002 Winners
IBF News '03/1: Bicycle Messenger and Activism in San Francisco
IBF News '03/2: Student Bicycle Essay Contest 2003 Winners

Annual Student Bicycle Essay Contest

SUBJECT: Your essay may be on any aspect of bicycling (history, touring, racing, commuting, role in society, etc.).
ENTRY: Essays should be in English, legible and 2-3 pages. Entrants should base their paper on interviews, research, and/or personal opinion. Include you name, address, telephone number (if possible), age on the day that its mailed, grade, name of your school, school address and your teacher’s name. All essays become the property of the International Bicycle Fund.
ENTRY CATEGORIES AND FIRST PRIZE AWARD:
A) Age 8 and under, US$20 (up to half of entry may be illustration)
B) Age 9-12, US$30
C) Age 13-16, US$50
Open to girls & boys of all countries. You need not be a bicyclist.
DEADLINE: Must be postmarked by 1 May and arrive no later that 15 May, each year.
SEND ENTRIES TO: International Bicycle Fund

Editor: David Mozer
IBF News is published semiannually by the International Bicycle Fund, 4887 Columbia Drive South., Seattle, WA 98108­1919 USA. Tel & Fax: 1­206­767-0848. Email: "ibike@" our domain name. Internet: www.ibike.org

IBF is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, promoting sustainable transport and international understanding. Coverage of an event does not constitute an endorsement by IBF. Material in IBF News, developed by IBF, may be reproduced in whole or in part, provided prominent credit is given to the International Bicycle Fund.