Sophisticated, trendy, worldly, and refined.  These words pop into mind when I think of the people I encountered in my European travels.  With cycling integral to the Dutch culture, the Netherlands-based Batavus creates a city bike to couple the style of Europe with the practicality of a daily commute.  These bikes are characterized by their upright posture and low maintenance design.  They’re comfortable, relaxed, and the perfect way to get around town.  At Cycle 9, we’re pleased to bring some

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Are you an every-day hero? Being an aware citizen and taking action can do more for keeping our streets and communities safe than most any other measures we can take. It’s been proven that the more people that are around witnessing a crime, the less likely it is that any one will do anything about it. It’s a psychological thing – we don’t want to be bothered and hope one of those other people will take action instead, so

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Friends can give us that much-needed kick in the pants Getting and staying motivated to make a life change like biking more is sometimes hard. And that’s where our friends can come in. In today’s episode of Go By Bike, I talk about motivation and the role people can play in it. Did you have help making a bike lifestyle change? If so, share it in the comments below. -Elise Go By Bike is a daily video series that

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Environmentalists need to examine if their words and actions go together As the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the gulf continues to wreak environmental havoc, I’m sure the reaction from many environmentalists will be loud calls to stop drilling and curtail offshore oil drilling. This may be something we should do, but I wonder how many of these same environmentalists will continue to drive their cars every day, mindlessly burning up oil while they wait for electric or alternative vehicles

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Why do we go by bike, car, or feet? I’ve been thinking lately about what motivates us to bike versus drive or take other forms of transport. There is certainly a big contingent of people in the US who believe the “car is king” philosophy. I was talking with one of our city planners recently who had just returned from a regional meeting to discuss pedestrian facilities. After a full day of discussion, he said one of the other planners

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What Can Chapel Hill Learn From Durham? In today’s episode of Go By Bike, I talk about what makes a downtown a nice place to hang out – at least in small to mid-size towns? Downtown Chapel Hill has been on a quest to “improve” downtown for as long as I’ve lived here, but I think they’re missing one key element. What is is? Listen and find out. What do you think are the critical elements to making a

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What can you learn about biking from Hollywood? In today’s episode of Go By Bike, I talk about how bicycles are portrayed in the movies now and in the past. Welcome to Go By Bike! I started this series to talk about how to ride more and use your car less, including electric bikes, electric kits, cargo bikes, bike safety, and getting motivated to bike. Using your car less reduces your carbon footprint, saves energy, helps the environment, keeps you healthy,

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What can you save by not parking your car? In today’s episode of Go By Bike, I tell a story of trade-offs and how biking can win out over driving. Welcome to Go By Bike! I started this series to talk about how to ride more and use your car less, including electric bikes, electric kits, cargo bikes, bike safety, and getting motivated to bike. Using your car less reduces your carbon footprint, saves energy, helps the environment, keeps you healthy,

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Give your kids a cleaner, brighter future Welcome to Go By Bike! I started this series to talk about how to ride more and use your car less, including electric bikes, electric kits, cargo bikes, bike safety, and getting motivated to bike. Using your car less reduces your carbon footprint, saves energy, helps the environment, keeps you healthy, and makes your community a nicer place to live, so overall most people would agree it’s a good thing. In today’s episode of

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We’ve had a lot going on this week, with moving our store to a smaller, temporary space while we sort out our permanent retail showroom. Nonetheless, the wheels of my mind are always turning, and here are a few resulting random thoughts: —–On the financial situation in the US. This is the big, big news. I can feel it in the air – everyone senses change is coming. Yes it is. The current blow-up in

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