1. Learn Stuff - Day Touring: The Perfect Mini-Vacation

In her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard wrote “Spend the afternoon, you can’t take it with you.” With the long days of summer upon us, there’s no better way to spend a summer day than in your saddle for a day of bike touring. Load up you panniers with a lunch and a blanket and hit the local bike path or rail trail for a cycling and picnic adventure.

To keep unwanted surprises to a minimum, Benj Vardigan, a senior editor for Consumer Health Interactive, put together a great list of essentials to bring along on your trip.

If your appetite for adventure is bigger than the afternoon, have a look at the routes mapped out by Adventure Cycling.

Give yourself a little break from the hustle and bustle of the daily work routine and energize your mind, body, and soul - you deserve it! Pack up a bag, load the kids in the trailer, and hit the trail. There’s no better way to get away.

2. Accessory Handbook – Escape Pod

Our new Escape Pod allows cyclists to expand their horizons by carrying more and going farther. This rear rack cargo box mounts to a rear bike rack and works perfectly for hauling your lunch, a change of clothes, or any other gear when you don’t want to wear a backpack. It’s become a favorite of bicycle commuters and tourers because of its long list of utilitarian features including being lockable, water tight, and roomy. Better yet, it’s made from 100% recycled plastic.

3. Advocacy Update – Green Mobility Network

This month the Alliance for Biking and Walking and Planet Bike awarded a $30,000 matching grant to Miami-based Green Mobility Network. The grant was made possible by Planet Bike and is the first in a series of special grassroots bicycle advocacy grants to be given by Planet Bike in 2009.

Green Mobility Network is a young non-profit with the mission to make Miami-Dade County a healthier, more livable community by promoting bicycling, running, and walking for daily transportation, leisure, and fitness. In its short history, the Green Mobility Network has been a key leader in Miami’s efforts to improve conditions for bicyclist and pedestrians by crafting the city’s first bicycle master plan, orchestrating six successful “Bike Miami Days,” and beginning the development of a Safe Routes to School initiative.

The grant will help fund Green Mobility Network’s “Complete the M-Path” campaign. The Mobility Path, or M-Path, is Miami-Dade County’s most important multi-use path. Currently, however, there exists a 1.25 mile “Dadeland Gap” which prevents bicyclists and pedestrians from safely and easily connecting with the area’s wider network of paths. Once the goal of closing the gap is realized, there will exist a seamless 30-mile bicycle-pedestrian corridor running from downtown Miami to the county’s southern border.

The Alliance, in conjunction with Planet Bike, selected this project for the dramatic impact it will have on improving biking and walking within a major American city. Planet Bike President Jeff Frehner said, “We were really impressed with the deep commitment of Green Mobility Network leaders, and we feel they have the organizational strength to see this project through to completion.”

"This grant will propel our work to close the gap that has kept many potential M-Path users away from jobs and opportunities.” said John Hopkins, chairman of the Green Mobility Network. “This will be a major step in offering alternatives to the historically car-centered community of South Florida.”

4. The Return of the Super Commuter

Super Commuter - Billy Knudson, Madison, WI

A number of years ago, the now defunct Bike Culture Magazine partnered up with us to honor a bicycle “Super commuter” in each issue. We, at Planet Bike, always loved reading about the dedicated commuters who rode through every season, in all weather. As a result, we decided that it was high time we resurrected the award. For the Supercommuter relaunch, we’ve decided to feature Billy Knudson, a 39-year old organic farmer and 4-season veteran bicycle commuter.

Billy commutes the 23-mile roundtrip to the vegetable farm where he works 10 months out of the year. The two months that Billy isn’t commuting to the farm, he’s still consistently on his bike doing grocery store runs and transporting household items including plywood, patio furniture, bicycles, and attic insulation. You name it and Billy has probably transported it with his bicycle. Last summer, he even moved 90% of his belongings to his new house on his Surly Big Dummy. Currently, Billy commutes on a 1997 Bianchi Trofeo road bike equipped with a rear rack and panniers.

Billy is no greenhorn when it comes to riding bikes. When he was growing up in the Milwaukee area he frequented the neighborhood dirt track. “My Dad would bring home BMX bikes and frames from the police auction, and I’d ride those on the track and around town until they wore out, broke or got stolen,” Billy said. “Then I would piece together another bike with parts off other beater bikes we had in the basement.”

The thrill of fast-paced BMX riding lead him to try his first cyclocross race two years ago. “I rode one cyclocross race in 2007 and was hooked. I raced 8 more this last season. What I like about cyclocross is that it’s only as competitive as you want to it be. For me, it's a day of fun hanging out with bikes, bike people, beer, and cowbells," Billy said.

As far as we can predict, telecommuting will never be an option for vegetable farmers but Billy doesn’t seem to mind. Instead of sitting in traffic stressing out about whether or not he’s going to be late for work, he uses his commute as a fun way to start and end the day. “I am getting good exercise and warming up for my day on the farm. I get to the farm feeling energized and ready to start my work,” Billy states. “On the ride home, I am winding down and relaxing."

If you would like to nominate a Super Commuter, please contact us at info@planetbike.com.

©2009 Planet Bike.