Factory Bike Blog

New York City had already won us over with their expansion of dedicated bike lanes and their municipally regulated, dockable bike share program.  In a city filled with high-rise buildings, 8 million people moving between them every day and, like any other city, way too many cars, it just makes sense to promote more efficient transportation.  Read about the city council’s new “Streets Master Plan”, a $1.7bn infrastructure program that includes the development of 250 more miles of protected bike lanes over the next 10 years.

Rails to Trails is a well proven concept already, but can they really link up a system that crosses the entire country?  The folks at The Great American Rail Trail say yes, and maybe even soon.  The proposed trail would add to several existing trail systems, offering “the experience of exploring America’s heritage, its potential, its beauty and bounty, its people and places” to more than 50 million people who already live within 50 miles of the proposed route.

Here in the U.S., being called a “bike friendly” city usually refers to bike access, like dedicated bike lanes and separated bike and pedestrian pathways.  But this city in Spain has gone a step further by removing the cars completely, making the entire city center bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

Our own Ryan Scardigli was once a master of the balance beam, regularly seen practicing his craft on the wooden rails behind the Truckee River outlet dam in Tahoe City. But if only we could find this guy, to get some real training on the finer points of bicycle skills!

Sure, we live in a rapidly changing world.  Population growth and constant redesigns of our urban environments demand that local governments and city planners find modern solutions to keep up with our modern times.

But let’s never forget the value of our favorite 19th century technology.  The bicycle has always offered a transportation solution that doubles as an enjoyable pastime!  Cities across the country continue to see positive results when they invest in bicycle oriented infrastructures, and downtown Pittsburgh continues to meet the challenge.

If you’ve been into our store and looked up on our back wall, you will have seen the matching his and hers models of this bike!  They are totally original, and part of the personal collection of our owner.  It’s been a while since they’ve been out on dirt, but they’re still ready to go when the time is right.

This remake of the original Mongoose ATB would be a great addition to anyone’s collection.  With just a few modern touches, it’s a very understated upgrade from the 80’s.  If you’ve never ridden a mountain bike from this vintage, you’re missing out!  In our current age of high tech full suspensions, these simple classics can be a lot more fun than you might expect.