Pedals & Pathways: Biketopia!, 3 Feet to Pass, Earth Day 5K, etc.
Many topics this month! A bike-themed sci-fi anthology, call for volunteers, call for donated bikes, and a ride in Nashua. Plus more.
Navigating New Hampshire’s Urban Paths
“And now for something completely different….”
— Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Hello Manchester! As I’m typing these words I can look outside and see the sun, it looks gorgeous and tempting. I know it’s not as warm as I’d like, but I also know that will come. Any day now…
As suggested by our opening quote, this time around we’ll start with something a bit out of the ordinary for us! Then we’ve got a whole bundle to talk about:
- Need a helmet or light?
- Three Feet to pass
- Veterans Count Nashua Ride
- Bike Month is coming
- Queen City Bike needs volunteers
- Bike Lanes stalled?
- Donate your used bike at Stonyfield Earth Day 5K
- Become Officially Bike Friendly
Biketopia!
Leading off with something definitely different… Sometimes you stumble across something that really jars your eyes open wide and makes you blurt, “How did I not know about this?!?” And you’re off and running, digging in to discover everything you can about it. And sometimes, joy of joys, that discovered thing leads you to a whole set of similar wonderful things!
OK, I think I just described general nerd orgasm. I’ll try to get back to family-safe fare.
Just the other day I stumbled across “Biketopia: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories in Extreme Futures,” and it looks awesome. Imagine Furiosa riding a bicycle. Then I bounced around online to find out more and I discovered that it’s only the latest (the 4th) in a whole series of similar anthologies called “Bikes in Space.” I’m so on board.
From the publisher’s website:
In a world with an uncertain future, do you imagine for the best or for the worst case scenario? Twelve writers tackle extreme utopias and dystopias―and the grey areas in between―in Biketopia, the fourth volume of the Bikes in Space series of feminist science fiction stories about bicycling. Some find love and fierce resistance in the end times; others imagine an ecological future of saving technology, with solarpunk ecotopian visions, at times paired with crushing social control. Whatever your own future or present reality, these stories will motivate and inspire you to envision something different… and maybe even better.
Need a Helmet? Need a light?
A few years back I had a crash. A BAD one. I hit my head, HARD. I sustained a skull fracture and a traumatic brain injury with intracranial hemorrhage. Doctors said I would not survive. I did, and I firmly believe that had I not been wearing a helmet, I would have died. (I still have the helmet, with its crack. Great memento!)
So I strongly suggest everyone wear a helmet.
If you need a helmet or lights for your bike, stop by Queen City Bike Collective during open shop hours and they will help you out.
Open Shop hours are:
- Tuesdays – 4-8 PM
- Thursdays – 4-8 PM
- Saturdays – 12-4 PM
Map:
Three Feet Between Passing Car & Bike
This has been law in New Hampshire since 2009 yet remarkably few drivers are aware of it. The law says that, when your car passes a bicycle, you must keep at least 3 feet of clear space between your car and the bicycle while passing.
But wait, that’s not all! The above condition holds if you’re driving at 30 mph or slower. But if you’re driving faster, you must leave even more space — one additional foot of clearance for every 10 mph over 30 mph. So, if you pass going 40 mph you must leave 4 feet between your car and the bicycle.
The law states: “Every driver of a vehicle, when approaching a bicyclist, shall insure the safety and protection of the bicyclist.” (NH Rev Stat § 265:143-a) The cyclist has many legal responsibilities too, which I’ll cover in a future column. NH has quite a few laws governing all such rules & responsibilities.
Veterans Count Nashua Ride
The 7th annual Veterans Count ride honors NH service members, veterans, and their families. It will be held Saturday, June 7th, from 9 am to 2 pm.
All routes start & finish at the Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene at 5 St. Laurent Street, Nashua.
There is an associated raffle with a prize of a Trek Domane SL 5 bike valued at $3,500.
Online registration closes on May 31 @ 11:59 am. Both adult and youth entries can be purchased on the day of the ride.
Go here for more info. And see the maps below.
10-mile route:
28-mile route:
57-mile route:
Bike Month is coming
With spring comes the time to get your bikes out of the garage, shed, or wherever you’ve stored them and ensure they’re in good working order. If you’re one of the hardy souls who actually have ridden your bike since Halloween, good for you!
For everyone, hardy or not, May is National Bike Month, and it covers a lot…
- National Ride a Bike Day – May 4th
- Bike & Roll to School Day – May 7th
- Bike to Work Week – May 12th-18th
- Bike to Work Day – May 16th
Learn more here. Expect announcements here about some local events.
Queen City Bike Collective needs volunteers
Whether you can lend a hand for just a couple of hours, or a whole day, every bit makes a difference. Click the links below to sign up.
🚲 April 12 – Stonyfield Bike Drive / Earth Day 5K & Fair
🌳 April 21 – Park2Park Spring Cleanup
🌮 May 8 – Manchester Taco Tour Valet Bike Parking
Join the QC Bike team and help us build a stronger, more connected cycling community. Maybe I’ll see you there!
And remember that QC Bike also hosts an active Advocacy group working to make Manchester safer and more accessible for people who walk and bike! Our advocacy efforts focus on creating a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly city. Current projects include:
✅ Installing more accessible bike racks throughout Manchester
✅ Speaking up at public meetings about bike/pedestrian infrastructure
✅ Celebrating and promoting bicycle culture in our community
They meet on the third Monday of every month at 5:30 PM at QC Bike, 37 Elm Street—and you’re invited! Share your ideas, meet like-minded advocates, and help make a real difference in Manchester. I’ve been, it’s a great group.
Bike Lanes Stalled?
Last week, a memo moved through the U.S. Department of Transportation directing an agency-wide review of grants, targeting any projects including DEI and “Green New Deal” efforts. The memo identified bicycle infrastructure as “green new deal” or climate-related. It pauses transportation projects whose “eligible activities included bicycle infrastructure”.
Funding such as Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants, RAISE grants, and Reconnecting Communities grants are all at risk. Thousands of bike safety projects already approved for federal funding may never break ground. Projects already in progress could stop immediately and never start back up again. Read more here.
Your voice matters. Sign a petition here.
Donate your used bike at Stonyfield Earth Day 5K
Local fave Queen City Bicycle Collective will be collecting donated bicycles at the Stonyfield Earth Day 5K in Londonderry on Saturday, April 22, 2023. 5K Race start time is 9:00 am with a kids’ fun run starting at 10:15 am. See more here.
“We deeply appreciate the donation of all bicycles with wheels 20 inches and up, as well as any new or lightly used parts. We would also like to thank Millennium Running and Stonyfield for hosting,” says Tyler Glodt, QC Bike’s Executive Director.
These donated bikes are returned to the community through sales at both market rate and steeply discounted prices at QC’s shop at 35 Elm Street, and also through Earn-a-Bike programs at Beech Street and Gossler Park Schools, in Manchester.
If you have a bike to donate and cannot make it to the Earth Day event on Saturday, you can bring the bike to the QC Bike shop at 35 Elm Street, Manchester. Hours and more information can be found on our website, www.qcbike.org,
Become Officially Bike Friendly
Become recognized as a Bike Friendly Community, Business, or University!
Across the US, there are currently:
- 460 Bike Friendly Communities
- 1,192 Bike Friendly Businesses
- 209 Bike Friendly Universities
Here in New Hampshire, we have the following:
- Bike Friendly Communities
- Concord
- Tri-Town area of Bethlehem, Franconia & Littleton
- Hanover
- Keene
- Portsmouth
- Lebanon
- Bike Friendly Businesses
- Bethlehem
- Concord
- Franconia
- Keene
- Littleton
- Portsmouth
- Bike Friendly Universities
- Keene State College
Applications are due respectively on June 5, June 25, and August 7. Apply here.
To everyone else, I encourage you to visit the communities listed and support those businesses!
Call for Input
We very much want to hear from you! Do you have any questions or concerns? What topics would you like us to cover? Send your feedback our way and we’ll get on it! We want to ensure this column meets your needs.
Stay safe and warm and have fun out there!
