Greater Milwaukee Men

A friend recently posted an article on social media that got my attention for various reasons. The Adopt a rider (motorcyclist) concept in this RevZilla article speaks to me as a motorcyclist myself but also a rider, and also the concept works for other cases as well and all tie into my hope that we all could adopt the Golden Rule when driving. "Everyone' knows the Golden Rule, here's my take on it when driving: ask yourself "what if I was in their shoes?" A little conscientiousness goes a long way, and when on the road it can help everyone. If we all looked around us and treated other people on the road the way we would want to be treated if in their situation it would reduce stress, even travel times.

Don Draper on a classic bike was the inspiration for the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride We are in the middle of Summer, and here is Wisconsin that means lots of activities - almost too many - as we cram in as much in during good weather as we can before Winter. Among the things to do, it is easy to find many that are philanthropic in nature. And no offense to other groups, but I always take pride in the fact that two of my interests are very prominent in charitable, fund- and awareness-raising activities - namely bikes (I'll include both kinds - motored and self-propelled) and beer. Often both are involved - it is Wisconsin after all so beer is involved most of the time. I could explore why I think its the case that bikers and cyclists are often generous and charitable, but it is what it is. Instead, without further adieu, here are some of the upcoming socially-responsible events. Check back for updates/additions.

Watch out for Motorcyclists, but also bicyclists & pedestrians This weekend is Memorial Day, usually called the unofficial start of Summer (the astronomical first day isn't until June 20) since it kicks off the many Summer weekend activities. Summer means lots of new activity, but really that activity has started since Spring came (whenever that is in Wisconsin whether it be 1 day or 3 months). The new or increased activity I refer to is non-4-wheeled traffic: motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, even pedestrians. Oh, and also since its not Winter that means its also Road Construction season. Because of all these changes in May, the month is Motorcycle Safety Awareness month here and across the nation and Memorial Day wraps it up, but really amps it up for the rest of Summer. The combination of vulnerable traffic, road construction, and mobile and in-vehicle devices makes for a dangerous brew. I know of 2 accounts of circles of friends of motorcyclists being hit by a car in ...

Milwaukee is great, just ask us. But sometimes you want to head out of town to see the rest of the country. For many destinations, if going by car that means heading through Chicago. That means Chicago traffic, tolls, and time. Since 2004 there has been a more relaxing way to head west, especially if going to or through Michigan: the Lake Express ferry. You can skip all that and have a relaxing ride across the lake to Muskegon, MI. Of course there is a cost to that convenience. It's not cheap, you could fly to Michigan many days depending on the current airfare rates, but then we know you are taking your car for some reason. Luckily there is a great way to reduce the cost. For a few years now, the Lake Express has partnered with Milwaukee Bicycle Collective on a bike donation program on or around Earth Day. In return for a donated bike you get one free round-trip passenger fare. This year the donation event is Thursday, April 20.

Local non-profit radio station 88.9 RadioMilwaukee goes beyond being a radio station to being an organization by and for the community. Through their Community Stories, they promote other Milwaukee organizations and ways to make the city better. Tonight, they apply their mission to an event made to help people learn about the many forms of transportation available in Milwaukee beyond cars with their fun and informative Transportation Circus from 5:30PM to 7:30PM.  This free and open-to-the-public event is a celebration of Milwaukee, the public and alternative transportation options we have, and the places to enjoy it. 

Naomi Doerner from the Alliance for Biking and Walking presents Keith with the award for National Advocate of the Year. If you have been to any recent bicycling events in Milwaukee, you have probably seen Keith Holt there. As one of the city's greatest advocates for bicycling in all its forms he is out and about and is hard to miss. But at one important event, Keith was not to be seen, and his presence was missed, though not unappreciated. Though he didn't even know he was nominated, and thus missed the event, Keith, the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s Southeast Region Director, beat out 13 competitors to win the Alliance for Biking & Walking's Advocate of the Year award at a cerem ony in DC during  the 2015 National Bike Summit. “The staff at the Wisconsin Bike Fed could not be more proud of Keith Holt and the decade of leadership he has provided working to improve bicycling equity”  according to Dave Schlabowske, Bike Fed Deputy Director in Milwaukee.

Each month there are different causes, awareness efforts, or celebrations that are named and promoted. Often there are a few that work well together, whether planned or not. That is the case with May which, among other promotions, is National Bike Month , National High Blood Pressure Awareness Month and National Clean Air Month. To me these go together so well because by the simple act of biking more you can address the two other issues of reducing your blood pressure and helping keep our air clean with less vehicle emissions. There are lots of resources I could quote or link to to support the many benefits of getting out on your bike whether as a casual ride, exercise, or even as your primary means of transportation. But, whether some want to admit it or not, they all are pretty obvious so I'll leave it to you to accept it. Instead, since this is a Milwaukee blog, I want to do my own list of why you should get out on your bike here.

Beer and Gears (ok chains) make a great combo It's that time of the year again, holiday shopping season. What used to start on the day after Thanksgiving now starts on the day of - I am sure you can guess my thoughts on that - or earlier, especially for those who shop online. We men know that shopping can be hard for us in general, but especially if the gift giver wants to be socially conscious. Each year we try to highlight products for men that not only don't harm but actually help like this story from last year. This year will be no different, an updated guide is in progress and as we see things we will post hem over the next month, starting with these great gift ideas from ReBike - Quality products, handmade in the USA from recycled bicycle parts - great for the bike lover or any man really in your life.

For most of us (winter bikers excluded), this is the time to dust off our two-wheeled vehicles whether powered by man (bicycle) or machine (motorcycle) and so the month of May is both  National Bike Month  and Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month .  We all know that in the home of Harley motorcycles are a big deal here, but Wisconsin has an ever growing community of bicyclists in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Among other activity-specific bike organizations, the overall community is represented by the Wisconsin Bike Fed , which was formed ' to cultivate, motivate and unite a strong community of citizens as well as business and political leaders to move bicycling forward in Wisconsin – through education, legislation and involvement.' As part of National Bike Month, those interested in getting in on the movement this month can join in many fun events centering on Bike to Work Week  May 13-18 . More information on the Milwaukee events is here , below is a schedule of events...

The first weekend of June WI State Parks Welcomes all with free activities Wisconsin State Parks are participating in and kicking off Great Outdoors Month during the first weekend in June.

Tomorrow is the culmination of Bike to Work Week , the last day of the week and the most likely to see its highest participation as it is the official Bike to Work Day and also as a Friday likely has more casual and bike friendly dress codes for workers. Seeing as there will be such a large number of riders, it is important for drivers to be aware and respect the cyclist. Bikes, after all, are vehicles on the road just as cars, motorcycles, and scooters. A bicycle is defined by Wisconsin law as a "vehicle propelled by the feet acting upon pedals and having wheels any two of which are not less than 14 inches in diameter." Bicycles must obey the rules of the road, but in return other vehicles should treat them as such as well. When bicycles are treated otherwise, and drivers don't respect their space, accidents are more likely to happen.

Yep, it's the first week of a new month so you know what that means... 'May is ___ month' time. This time it's  National Bike Month , fitting since I  just got a new bicycle  last weekend. Per the  League of American Bicyclists , the national sponsor of Bike Month: "National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination."

May is National  Bike Month  and this year Bike to Work Week is May 16-20and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 2 0 . Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists , the event seeks to promote riding your bike to work mainly as part of the Green movement. They also serve as advocate of bicycling in general. Interestingly enough, Milwaukee despite a growing bike community - including buses having racks for bicycles - has no events under the envelope of the League. It may just be that no organization is allied with the League as we do have bicycling groups here. In Wisconsin, Bike to Work Week is actually June 6 - 10 (maybe to allow for better weather than what Wisconsinites can experience in May as we are this week and last with winds and evening frost advisories).