May is a month of bike mania! Yes, it’s National Bike Month – which includes Bike to Work Day and Week – but it’s also a time for communities to celebrate the people who have shown dedication to cycling and alternative transportation.

Despite bad weather, injury, and long commutes, these pedal pushers keep the wheels turning. And even some communities have done so much to promote cycling that they too have earned prestigious awards.

Here are just a few of the award winning cyclists and communities from around the USA:

1)  Every day during the academic year, math and natural history teacher Ken Hoffman rides his bike two miles from his home on West Street to Hampshire College. And he’s been doing it since the school opened 40 years ago. Hoffman will be recognized for his commitment to alternative transportation during Amherst’s observance of Bike Commute Week next Wednesday. He will be the first recipient of the Arthur Swift Memorial Bicycle Commuter Award, named for the late UMass professor who was a key advocate for the Norwottuck Rail Trail and the connector along University Drive. (AmherstBulletin.com)

2) Alameda County’s 2010 Bike Commuter of the Year totes electric grinders, saws, braces, scissors and the occasional prosthetic limb to work on her bike, rain or shine. T.D. Fisher logs as many as 30 miles a day round trip on her bike commute to and from work. Fisher works for Oakland’s Center for Independent Rehabilitative Services, visiting schools, therapy units and other institutions to fit patients, often children, for braces and other devices. Fisher was awarded Alameda County’s top bicycle commuter for 2010 by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. (InsideBayArea.com)

3) While not an individual, the city of Rochester, MN as a whole gets a mention on this list for recently winning the Bicycle Friendly Communities Award from the League of American Bicyclists. Not an easy award to win! (PostBulletin.com)

4) Snohomish County, Wash., was among the winners in the 2010 Governor’s Commute Smart Awards, presented recently at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, for their Curb the Congestion program that was designed to reduce traffic congestion. For 2010 they also introduced an online, monthly incentive award program where participants can log their alternative trips to qualify for prizes. Nancy Gay was the first monthly incentive award winner for the new program, and she received $250 for her participation and dedication to help “curb the congestion”. Participants who log at least 12 days of trips during April, May and June can qualify for the quarterly incentive award of $1,000 to be drawn in July. Monthly and quarterly incentives will be awarded on an ongoing basis. (SnohomishTimes.com)

5) Congratulations to the South Bay Bicycle Coalition which was recently awarded two grants totaling $246,000 from the county of Los Angeles and the Beach Cities Health District. The grants will create a Master Bicycle Plan for seven supporting South Bay communities – Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Lawndale, Gardena and Torrance. The coalition is organizing the first South Bay CEO/Celebrity Cycle-To-Work Challenge, asking local CEOs and celebrities to join in. Here’s the pledge: Personally ride to work on May 20 or another designated day during Bike-to-Work Week, encourage your employees to ride and host a “Celebration Station” to reward participation at your business. (DailyBreeze.com)

We’d love to hear from anyone participating in the CEO/Celebrity Cycle-To-Work Challenge, and photos from the event are always welcome!

Are there any cycling awards given out, or events hosted, by your community? If so we’d love to hear about them!

For many of our readers any month could be considered bike month, but in honor of National Bike Month we’re urging everyone to up their level of involvement and try something different.

For the rest of May, try to go the extra mile in supporting National Bike Month. Whether you organize a community bike ride or simply ditch the comfort of four wheels for the exhilaration of two while commuting, we’d love to hear about how you celebrate this month.

Not quite sure what National Bike Month is all about? Need some ideas to kick start your cycling endeavor? Consider the following:

If you want to help reduce CO2 emissions, consider biking to work! May 21, 2010 is designated Bike-to-Work Day, which is a part of Bike-to-Work Week running from May 17-21, 2010. Not only will you help ease congestion in the streets and relieve stress on our O-Zone layer, but you’ll also be doing yourself a huge favor: Three hours of riding per week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%! (ReadyMade.com)

In California, people are being encouraged to participate in the Team Bike Challenge. All you have to do is get a team of 2-5 riders together and compete to commute by bike as often as possible through the month of May. Get the most points in your county to win prizes for everyone on your team. This year they’ve even created an iPhone app iBikeChallenge that is designed to attract even more people and help participants keep track of their points. Sponsors of this year’s challenge include Clear Channel, Adobe, REI, and Clif Bar, among others.

On the Clif Bar blog, appropriately named Clif Blog, there are some great suggestions for fun and eclectic cycling excursions. We’d like to take a bike trip through the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Declared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), May is also the National Bike Safety Month.

The good folks over at Safe Kids USA (who have guest posted here) are taking this opportunity teach a valuable lesson about bike safety: bike helmets are a necessity, not an accessory. To help them illustrate this point they created a short video detailing how to apply the “Eyes, Ears, and Mouth” Test when making sure that a child’s helmet fits properly.

 SafeKids.org

Help us promote bike safety by sharing this video on your blog or via facebook or twitter.

Still can’t decide how to participate in National Bike Month? The League of American Bicyclists has put together a complete list of 2010 Bike Month events taking place in each and every state across the country. They also have a Find It Here search tool that allows you pinpoint events and resources by city, state, and zip code.

Cyclist extraordinaire Lance Armstrong once said, “Winning is about heart, not just legs. It’s got to be in the right place.” Armstrong’s heart seems to be in the right place, and we can see why he’s considered the United States’ most influential athlete, because he makes an impact on everyone — big and small. Recently, Armstrong stepped into a Colorado classroom as the subject of a show and tell.

It all started when Anders, a child from Armstrong’s Aspen community, placed a letter on his doorstep asking the seven-time Tour de France champion to come to his school as and talk to his class.

Without any hesitation Armstrong agreed to the invitation!

“Kid in our hood just left this on the doorstep. Wants to bring me to show and tell. #surewhynot” (twitpic)

He then braved through the snows of Aspen in late spring …

“It's late April on Main St in Aspen, CO. Really?!?” (twitpic)

 … and arrived at the school to brighten the day for the lucky students!

“Show and tell at Anders' class here in Aspen. Talking bike safety!” (twitpic)

 With bike safety as the topic, Armstrong enriched the lives of the young students giving them an unforgettable show and tell.

Anders got an exclusive photo op with the cycling champ:

“Anders and I …He's rockin' the yellow jersey and tt helmet. Too cool.” (twitpic)

 Lance’s good will and genuine enthusiasm for education, bike safety, and our children’s future is commendable!

We also loved the natural response he got from his online community:

SusanRPM4 said, “I love Anders’s GO FOR IT approach to asking you, Lance, and your GO FOR IT response. Way to go, both of you!!”

middlechamorro said, “Thanks for doing this amazing deed. A class act. Inspiring.”

tvcarls said, “Very cool Lance-how exciting for the kids, and learning safety from you – bonus!”

We try to make learning about bike safety fun also … we do ride bikes and participate in other action sports because they’re fun, right?

Head safety has always been the top priority for Bell, and with our True Fit design we’ve ushered in an era of the perfect-fitting helmet. Safety, comfort and style all rolled into one, Bell True Fit helmets are an essential biking component for children and adults alike.

We let Lance know how we feel about his impromptu classroom appearance also …

@BellTrueFit: “Kudos 2 @LanceArmstrong for taking the time to visit a group of Aspen school students for show & tell – Way to make bike safety fun!”

You should too!

Today is Earth Day 2010 – the 40^th Anniversary of the celebration. This week also marks the one-year Anniversary of the Bell True Fit blog! A year ago we started this blog in an effort to raise awareness about Bell’s advances in the bicycling, snow sports and fitness industries, while paying homage to Mother Earth. In doing so, we unveiled our True Fit technology: a perfect combination of science and human experience that resulted in the best fitting helmets ever. We kicked off this blog with a Bell True Fit helmet giveaway and some Earth Day awareness.

Since last April we’ve held numerous giveaways, offered invaluable helmet and biking tips, and covered off on some of the most relevant helmet and biking-related news with our Week In Review series.

Unlike a newspaper, radio or traditional TV sitcom, a blog is not a static thing … it requires human participation and interaction for it to be successful.

You’ve participated in our surveys and contests, you’ve shared your favorite biking trails and locations, and you’ve offered unparalleled insight into the minds of the bicycle community. So, on this anniversary we’d like to thank our community. Meaning, we thank YOU for all the different levels of collaboration offered to us over the past year.

We thank The Full Mommy for her review and giveaway of a Bell True Fit helmet last spring. TG Daily Dads and Grads Product Giveaway was a hit with the guys last summer.  Last fall we conducted a survey asking if you allow your children to ride their bicycle to school. During the winter we asked what your favorite holiday traditions are. Both times we gave a helmet to one lucky commenter. And of course who could forget our twitter contests where we gave away three sets of Tony Hawk RIDE video games and Bell True Fit helmets! We hope the winners @MomMostTraveled, @davesniadak, and @MissingLynxx are getting good use out of the video games and helmets.

While your participation here has helped our blog become a Web destination for the bicycle community, your engagement with our Facebook and Twitter pages has also made Bell True Fit one of the highest followed in the social web.  ‘Thank You’ to all of you who commented on our blog posts, wrote on our Facebook wall, or “ReTweeted” our Twitter updates. Without you this blog would not be possible. Your engagement helps us decide what kind of content you’re most interested in for yourself and others in your own social networks.

We hope you’ll continue to visit our site and provide the invaluable feedback that you do.

Be on the lookout for more contests, and once again THANK YOU for being a part of the Bell True Fit family!

Happy Earth Day 2010!

Cyclists are a diverse bunch. Coming in all colors, shapes and sizes, two-wheelers and their advocates seem to make headlines more and more each week! This week we feature a “lending library of bicycles” in Minnesota, a 20-year Bicycle Plan in Oregon, and we offer the New York Times’ definition of “bicycle culture,” plus much more.

• April 6, 2010: The most “exciting” transportation efforts being made in Utah’s capital city still involve 10-speeds and spinning spokes, says Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. In his goal to make Salt Lake City one of the most “bikeable” cities in the country, the mayor and his administration are keeping bicycles a priority despite facing substantial budget cuts – possibly as large as $20 million. Way to go Mayor! Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker wants to keep his city “bikeable” (Aaron Falk, Deseret News)
• April 6, 2010: Fargo, ND, Billings, MT, and Albuquerque, NM all made the cut in Fast Company’s list of The Top 50 Bike Friendly Cities in the U.S. Did your city make the list? (Ariel Schwartz, Fast Company)
• April 4, 2010: Funded with a $200,000 federal grant, St. Paul, Minnesota’s Sibley Bike Depot will allow low-income people who need transportation to borrow bikes for up to six months. Talk about charity! Wheeling out a new idea: A lending library of  bicycles (Chris Havens, Star Tribune)
• March 30, 2010: Five New York City cyclists received $5,000 – $30,000 apiece as they won a lawsuit claiming that they were wrongfully detained and arrested during a March 2007 Critical Mass ride. City Pays $98,000 to Critical Mass Cyclists (Anahad O’Connor, NYTimes.com City Room)
• March 30, 2010: Mexico City’s new project, Ecobici, faces an uphill climb as city officials struggle to persuade the citizens to give up driving and take a bike instead. Planners and city officials have placed 1,100 bikes at 85 stations in several busy neighborhoods near downtown and hope that by saturating these mixes residential/business neighborhoods with the three-speed bikes, they can persuade residents to consider making cycling at least part of their daily commute. Ecobici users pay a $24 yearly registration fee which gives them access to the bikes anytime for half-hour intervals. So far 2,600 people have signed up, far from the eventual target of 24,000. Mexico City bicycle program pedals uphill (Ken Ellingwood, LA Times)
• March 30, 2010: The United States Department of Transportation recently described bicycles and pedestrians as “equals” to trains, planes and automobiles and encouraged further development of cycling infrastructure at the state and federal level. As cycling becomes more and more a part of American experience, so does the culture surrounding it.  What exactly is that culture? Transportation Alternatives seeks to answer that question as they convene a “Bike Culture Summit,” on May 6, 2010. What Is Bike Culture? (J. David Goodman, NYTimes.com City Room/Spokes NYT)
  • As a side note, you can follow Mr. Goodman’s urban cycling coverage for the NY Times on Twitter: @SpokesNYT
• March 29, 2010: Portland, Oregon’s recently approved 2030 Bicycle Plan includes a $600 million proposal of 700 miles of new lanes, trails and boulevards for bikes. While the name of the plan might reach 20 years into the future, planners are hopeful to have work underway and many projects completed by 2015. Bicycle goals on table this side of year 2030 (Joseph Rose, OregonLive.com)

 Photo Courtesy BikerTony.org

Have you ever considered dropping everything, strapping on your helmet and just riding your bicycle into the distance? Well many people have, and in today’s edition of Fast Facts Friday we’re delving into the exciting topic of riding around the world on a bicycle! Two Friday’s ago we discussed a few of the many bike rides and tours taking place across the United States, but today we’re expanding our coverage for a global audience. Below you’ll find interesting personalities who have ridden a bicycle around the world, as well as resources and information on global bicycle travel including some of the biggest bicycle related events in 2010. Let us know your thoughts of travelling the planet by bicycle by leaving a comment below. And you can always weigh in on this or any other helmet or bicycle-related topic on twitter @BellTrueFit!

1. Get started on your bicycle expedition with the help of adventure cyclist Steven D. Williams. Williams has ridden his bicycle around the world, entirely unsupported, across all six inhabited continents. Steve has logged more than 120,000 touring miles in 70 countries bicycling through some of the world’s most remote regions. He is a public speaker willing to share his tips and insights to embarking on such a journey through various speaking and multimedia programs. Check out StevenDWilliams.com/Expeditions for more info. 
2. Tyler Kellen and Tara Allen are also touring the globe on bicycles. The couple started in Glasgow Scotland on April 1, 2009, and hope to reach their final destination of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by 2011. They created the Web site GoingSlowly.com to document their cycling adventure. The site includes an ongoing journal, photos, a route map, a section on accessing the internet in various countries, a section on how they planned and prepared for the trip, and an impressive gear section detailing all of the clothing, electronics, supplies they are carrying and bicycle specifications. If you want to  contribute to their journey you can make a donation via paypal, and you can contact them via email or cell phone here. 
3. Netherlands residents Paul van Roekel and Anja de Graaf have created Cycling Around The World as a source of inspiration and information for “around the world” cyclists.” They have a handy Bike News search feature which includes a blog and photo, a Destinations guide with an detailed map of the world’s biking locales, and a Tips & Advice section with an interactive planning checklist. Oh yeah, be sure to check out their photo slideshow First Impressions for spectacular photos of their bike adventures and a glimpse into the site.
4. Travelling Two is a Web site dedicated to bicycle touring around the world. Andrew & Friedel Grant are two Canadians who set off in 2006 on a bicycle adventure around the world through 30 countries and covering 48,000km, ending in October 2009. They gave notice at work, sold their house, liquidated all their possessions for the sake of making a bicycle trip around the world. Their site is an ongoing project to offer helpful advice on bike touring. Check out their trip-diary for first-hand insight to their travels. Peruse the En-CYCLO-pedia and view a photo gallery of cycle tourists from every walk of like. They also offer a thorough resources section offering info by country, touring basics, bike camping, staying healthy, tools and gear and more.
5. If you do decide to make a bike trip around the world, be sure to make a stop in New York City for the Bicycle Film Festival! Celebrating its 10^th anniversary July 16-20, this five day film festival features of all styles of bikes and biking: Bike Jousting, Track Bikes, BMX, Alleycats, Critical Mass, Bike Polo, Cycling , Recumbent. Film-buff bicyclists fear not! They’ve extended the submission deadline to March 27! The Bicycle Film Festival screens films and videos documenting, depicting, promoting and supporting bike culture in all its forms. Films can be any length, but to be eligible for their shorts programs, films should be less than 10 minutes. (Visit BicycleFilmFestival.com for more information or to submit a film.)

Lately the news has been dominated by politics and the passage of health care reform. There is a lot more news out there however, and some interesting news about bicycles (and government). From Taiwan to Mexico, to Washington D.C. and the Eastern Seaboard, cycling is in the headlines … especially in regard to bike lanes.

• March 23, 2010: To cut pollution and traffic congestion, Mexico City is initiating bike-sharing programs, installing new bike parking, and legally requiring all government workers to ride their bicycles to work once a month. Mexico City makes way for bicycles (Lisa Schroeder, Christian Science Monitor)
• March 22, 2010: United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made an announcement on his blog (FastLane.gov) last week that “People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning.” Some disagree. Read the entire article and join in the conversation here: Should Bikes And Cars Be Treated Equally? (Lisa Caruso, NationalJournal.com)
• March 21, 2010: Although bicycle sales in Taiwan dropped 20 percent to 30 percent in 2009, Chairman of Taiwan Bicycle Exporters’ Association, Yang Ying-ming predicted that bicycles sales will surge in 2010 by 10%. Taiwanese bicycle sales to see more than 10% grown this year (Staff Writer, Taiwan News)
• March 21, 2010: Northeast Illinois’ commuter rail system Metra has seen an explosion in the number of riders bringing bicycles on board. They are planning to increase the number of bikes allowed per train car from 3 to 5. Metra to allow more bicycles on board (Bob Roberts, WBBM780.com)
• March 21, 2010: Should the state of Maryland adopt the “three-foot” rule, like other states have? Simple legislative options that go further than road markings could set Maryland (and the rest of the country) on the path toward being a place where people who want to bicycle can do it when they want; where motorists are not in conflict with bicyclists; and where energy consumption is measured more in miles pedaled than in miles per gallon. Learn more about the three-foot safe-passing distance law here: Give Cyclists Some Room (Gregory T. Simmons, BaltimoreSun.com)
• March 19, 2010: D.C.’s most famous street, Pennsylvania Ave., may soon get bike lanes right along the median. DDOT plans to roll out the new bike lanes later this spring. DC Plans to Expand Bike Lanes (Beth Parker, MyFoxDC.com)
• March 19, 2010: Host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Pardon the Interruption” Tony Kornheiser made some remarks about cyclists taking up too much room on the road, and Lance Armstrong leapt to the defense of all two-wheelers! On his twitter page, Armstorng said Kornheiser was “disgusting, ignorant, foolish” (Kyle Koster, SunTimes.com)
• March 18, 2010: Auto-branded bikes are nothing new, but it seems BMW actually played an active role in designing the two bicycles announced recently. BMW Launches Two New Bicycles Including M Variant (Evan McCausland, AutomobileMag.com)

As many of you may (or may not) know, Google Maps unveiled a “bicycling directions” feature last Wednesday.

The new feature offers turn by turn biking directions with trails and bike lanes directly on the map, and just like traditional Google Maps there’s an option to drag and drop points of interest to customize your route.

“Bicycling directions” has been met with some criticism, however, as one New York Post reporter used it to plot a few routes through New York City, and it led him into some heavy traffic along the way.

The article starts out with, “A helmet may not be enough to protect cyclists from Google Maps’ latest feature.” – We disagree.

Google bicycle directions might take you into traffic jams and unfamiliar neighborhoods, but wearing a Bell helmet has proven time and again to protect riders and prevent serious head injury. Did you know that Bell  offers a GPS enabled helmet? No it’s not a helmet with a global positioning system, rather it’s a Geared Positioning System where all you do is reach back and turn a dial and it either tightens or loosens the molding around your head. Check out the Influx for more information on Bell’s Geared Positioning System technology.  Or if you’d prefer the easiest fitting helmet, check out one of Bell’s many True Fit models that make the proper fit a snap with one easy adjustment.

Not all of the reviews have been critical however, and a few outlets, like Wired.com, are asking for your input in helping them determine whether the new feature is “pretty awesome” or “full of potential fatal flaws”.

Google is currently running a twitter contest – Share Your Ride Sweepstakes – for the chance to win a $2,500 voucher for use at American Cyclery.

To enter, simply log on to Twitter and create a Twitter entry which includes the hashtag #bikewithgoogle

Above is a screenshot of San Francisco from “bicycling directions”– with the green lines representing bike lanes and trails. The Bay Bridge isn’t currently highlighted with any green lines, but people are working hard to get biking lanes spanning the length of the new bridge, once construction is complete and it is opened to traffic. In the mean time, biking across the Golden Gate Bridge makes for a great outing.

What do you think about Google’s new feature? Will you use it to find new routes? Weigh in on this by leaving a comment below.

March is upon us, and while Punxsutawney Phil, the only true weather forecasting groundhog in the business, saw his shadow back in February predicting  another six weeks of winter, we are already looking forward to the green of Spring. Daylight Savings begins on March 14, St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17 and fun bike rides and tours are popping up across the country.

In today’s edition of Fast Facts Friday we’re discussing some of the upcoming bike rides and tours taking place across the country, with a focus on some of the the more interesting and obscure events. If you know of or are participating in any interesting bike rides or tours coming up, let us know! Just leave a comment below, and maybe we’ll feature you in a future Bell True Fit blog post!

1. The Muddy Buddy Ride is coming to a city near you! From California to Virginia, down to Florida and up to Oregon, the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series is a must for the adventurous. Muddy Buddy is all about having fun (and getting muddy of course) with a friend, family member, partner or co-worker. Teams of two traverse a 6-7 mile off-road course and five obstacles. “At the start of the race, one team member will run and one will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle, find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other through the entire course,” according to the Web site. Funds raised through this meaningful program, benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and allow people with physical challenges to live an active lifestyle. So go get dirty, challenge yourself, support a great cause, get some exercise and get to know someone really well! Visit Muddy-Buddy.Competitor.com to get the “the dirt” on this awesome event.

2. Maybe getting sweaty and muddy with a boss or new girlfriend isn’t your cup of tea … maybe you’d prefer a glass of wine? Geared towards the novice rider, with an epicurean/vinophile bent Napa Valley Bike Tours offers a variety of scenic bike rides through rustic wine country. Since 1987 they’ve been offering single and multi-day guided bike tours, self-guided bike tours, bike rentals and bicycling vacation packages that include accommodations and dining. Sample and purchase wines, wine and dine at some of the best wineries and restaurants, and enjoy an “invigorating sensory experience” as you roll through scenic Napa Valley past rows of vineyards. Visit Napa Valley Bike Tours or become a fan on Facebook to start planning your trip today.

3. Register’s Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) always takes place in the summer, during the last full week of July. Sponsored by The Des Moines Register, this annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, and is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.  RAGBRAI is heading into its 38th year in 2010. A week-long rider fee is $140 and includes baggage transportation, camping accommodations, emergency medical services, daily route maps, entries into drawings for a free bike, and much more. Meals, concerts, parties and events along the way make this scenic ride all the more worth it at the end of every day (after you’ve ridden 75+ miles!). Hurry though, because the entry postmark deadline is April 1, 2009. Visit RAGBRAI.com for more information and check out their blog for interesting updates.

4. Not interested in being confined to the borders of one state? Cycle America offers Cross-State Tours and a Coast-to-Coast journey from June to August. Go from Seattle, WA to Boston, MA crossing over 13 states and one Canadian Province in 64 days. The ride will take you 4,200 miles, averaging 65-86 miles per day through “the lush mountains and forests of the West, across the grasslands of the Great Plains, to the lakes and farms of the Great Lake states and the quaint towns of New England.” The cost is $6,685, and is all inclusive. If a three month bike ride across the country doesn’t quite fit into your calendar or your bank account, you can opt to ride one of the nine cross-state tours for much cheaper (roughly $800 per event). For more information or to reserve a spot visit CycleAmerica.com.

5. Looking for something closer to home, maybe not as long? Then check out The World Wide Bicycle Tour Directory (BicycleTour.com) – a comprehensive directory of bicycle tours and events for both road cycling and mountain biking. They have an easy-to-use menu to help you find bike tours based on country, state, month, duration, and type.

Whichever tour you participate in, be sure to wear your helmet! And be on the lookout for Bell helmets along the way, as many of our models are considered the best. ConsumerSearch.com says the Bell Vela is the best bike helmet for women, the Bell Citi is the best bike helmet for commuters, the Bell Boomerang is the best bike helmet for toddlers, and the Bell Trigger is the best youth bike helmet.

Can you imagine a freeway made up of bicyclists?! A cycling advocacy group in LA can, and they’re taking measure to make this vision turn into a reality. Check out this and other tops stories in the news from last week involving two wheels!

• February 1, 2010: Organization One Less Car held its annual Smart Transportation and Bicycling Symposium Wednesday, Feb. 3 in Annapolis, Maryland. One Less Car holds annual bike symposium (Meredith Cohn, B’MoreGreen)

• February 2, 2010: Continuing the conversations around immigrants and bicycling. More Conversation About Not-So-Invisible Bicyclists (Sarah Goodyear, StreetsBlog.org)

• February 2, 2010: Team funded by Kazakhstan (split with Spanish and Kazakh riders) hopes to provide leader Alberto Contador with yet another Tour de France championship in 2010. Astana Launches 2010 Season (James Startt, Bicycling)

• February 3, 2010: The Topeka Community Cycle Project was started by Washburn law student Robert Fitzgerald and has already become home to numerous donated bicycles of all shapes, sizes and conditions. Law student creates bike co-op (Richard Kelly, The Review)

• February 3, 2010: An LA bicycling advocacy group (LA Bike Working Group) has proposed the Backbone Bikeway Network – a network of long-distance bike routes they say would be comparable to the city’s freeways. Bicyclists propose ‘freeway’ bike routes (Staff Writer, UPI.com)

• February 4, 2010: We agree!! Make bicycle helmets mandatory (Cyrus Bahrassa; Student Life)

• February 5, 2010: Bicycling’s view on the top controversies and moments for cycling in 2010: Lance versus Contador II. Team Sky versus tradition. Electronic shifting going mainstream. Riccardo Ricco trying to get through a full season without testing positive for doping. Rapha’s soon-to-be-unveiled shot at doing for performance-casual style what they did for hardcore road style. The Best Thing in Cycling This Year (Bill Strickland, Bicycling: Sitting In)

• February 5, 2010: The Bicycle Leadership Conference is asking for input from riders to help it better understand the current needs of cyclists in the US. To take the survey here. Bicycle Leadership Conference wants your input (Staff Writer, BikeRadar.com)