Staff Blog Archives - Hawaii Bicycling League

Strange Times Cycling Challenge!

We want to keep things fun, even while we’re stuck at home. Biking seems to be a source of comfort to us, and we hope that you think so too. We thought up a little challenge for you all to do during these “strange times”.

Announcing… the Strange Times Cycling Challenge!

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES:
– Each week of April HBL will release eight (8) challenge tasks. You can complete all of them, or choose a minimum of five (5) to do per week.
– Participants who complete at least 5 tasks each week will be entered to win a set of sweet front & back lights and a gift card to a bike store! The names of those that have successfully completed the 20 (or more) tasks over the 4 weeks will be acknowledged publicly via HBL’s social media (Facebook and Instagram). The drawing for the one (1) winner will be selected at random on May 1st and announced in the following days. The winner will be contacted via email (we will ask for your email in Week 4).
– Participants must complete each of the week’s challenges in April (at least 5 tasks out of 8) to be entered in the winning drawing.

– The next week’s set of challenge tasks will be released every Tuesday at 12:00pm noon (HST), both on this page and on HBL’s Facebook (facebook.com/HBLridealoha).
– Don’t be a cheater! Your answers don’t have to be elaborate, but be prepared to back your answers up if you are chosen as the winner.
– Anyone can participate in the challenge but you must be a current HBL member to be entered in the prize drawing.

Questions? Email Malia at Malia@HBL.org.

Get started with WEEK 1!

Click here for Week 1 (April 1st – April 7th) Challenge Tasks.

Click here for Week 2 (April 8th – April 15th) Challenge Tasks.

Click here for Week 3 (April 16th – April 22nd) Challenge Tasks

Click here for Week 4 (April 23rd – April 30th) Challenge Tasks

Please do not do anything we would advise against! This challenge is totally voluntary. The idea behind this is to have a little fun, keep the mind creative, and keep the stoke for biking strong.

Be well, be safe, and ride a bike (responsibly!)

– The HBL Team

Find out more about our other “Strange Times” Strava Art Competition here (going on till the end of April).

Biking is NOT Cancelled Due to Covid-19

All you need to know about biking during the Covid-19 crisis

A word from HBL’s Acting Executive Director, Malia k Harunaga

At the Hawaii Bicycling League, we’re all about biking for health, recreation, and transportation – it’s in our mission! We think that bicycles can change the world by providing a sustainable, clean, and green way to get to work or school, to get groceries, to see a friend, to go to the beach, and more. Bicycles provide us a sense of freedom, of connecting with community, exploring our island and experiencing the ‘āina. Riding a bike offers not only great physical health by boosting one’s immune and cardiovascular system, but also provides large mental benefits by making one’s mind more alert and productive. And on top of all that, this low impact physical activity that HBL fights for everyday just happens to also be FUN.

Amazing, right?

But in the midst of this troubling and stressful time where daily life is disrupted in an unprecedented way by the Covid-19 pandemic we at least have one thing to hold on to. That is biking.

Under both the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawai‘i Emergency Order, bicycling is permitted as an outdoor exercise activity as long as social distancing is maintained.

Here’s some tips and helpful information put together from your friends at HBL. We’re all in this together.

First, please do NOT go out if you are feeling under the weather, think you may be sick, or may have been exposed to someone that is sick. Click here for an infographic on the math behind social distancing.

Bike AKAMAI – Ride Responsibly

Like always, be mindful when you bike. But now more than ever, you need to be attentive to your surroundings and obey the rules of the road. Brush up your knowledge of the bike laws for Hawai‘i at HBL.org/BikeLaws. Keep in mind that hospitals and medical professionals are overwhelmed due to the pandemic, so now is NOT the time to practice some sweet one-handed wheelies or jumps, or to try out that super technical trail.

If you’re out riding during the Covid-19 outbreak, you need to maintain social distancing (6 ft apart from others).
Wear a legit helmet that fits you properly. Check for the CPSC sticker and that the helmet isn’t more than 5 years old. When worn the helmet should cover your forehead and the chin strap should be buckled and snug under your chin.
Do an “ABC Quick Check” before you ride – Do your tires have the right amount of air in the tubes? Do your brakes stop your bike in a safe manner? Is your chain, cassette, and chainrings spinning smoothly? Are your quick releases snugly closed?
Ride in a visible manner. This doesn’t just mean having good lights in the front and the back (day-time running lights are not a bad idea!), but where you place yourself on the roadway to be more visible to cars. Don’t be a gutter bunny!
Fill your water bottles at home and bring enough snacks for your ride. Don’t share bottles or food.
Don’t be “riding dirty”. This is very relevant particularly at this moment for two reasons:
- Is your bike street legal? Make sure it has the bike registration sticker on, and that if you’re riding in the dark you have the proper lights and reflectors.
- Wash your hands! Properly. Do NOT touch your face with unwashed hands. Bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer on your ride and use it after your hands come into contact with any public surfaces. The latest data says that sunlight creates an inhospitable environment for the virus to live in, but we still recommend that when you get home, the first thing you should do is wash your hands well. For a fun site that converts your favorite song into a “handy” hand washing infographic poster, click here.

Bike Stores are Essential Businesses!

Anyone that has had to get their derailleur fixed or wheel trued know that bike stores are certainly essential businesses. But the Emergency Order reinforced that fact by having them remain open for bike repairs and bicycle supply. HBL has reached out to each shop and compiled a list of who is open (most are!), what their new store hours are, and if they have any updated policies or procedures. To find out about your favorite bike store’s modified hours are, go to HBL.org/BikeStoreUpdates. This site will be updated routinely.

Solo Cycling

#RideSafeRideSolo. HBL has paused all of it’s group rides through April 30th. We know that biking with others is greatly important for many – the camaraderie it brings, the safety in numbers, the friendships that can develop. But even though we need to maintain physical distance from one another this does not mean we should disconnect with each other – instead, it is a time that we should make efforts to connect with our friends and family even more, just in a different, non-physical, way (phone calls to catch up, virtual face-to-face time, etc.).

Tell your friends or family where you’re planning to ride and what time you expect to be home before you leave the house (like hiking).
Have a cycle computer or riding App on your smart phone? Connect with others via Strava, Endomondo, Garmin Connect, or Relive.
We may be riding individually for the time being, but please, let’s still be friendly! Send a shaka or a wave to a passing fellow bike rider if you can.
Please, no spit or snot rockets. If you need to, either pull off to the side or make sure no one is around you – that means other cyclists, pedestrians, or even cars.

Bike Sharing

You may be wondering if public bike share is a good idea right now. Our friends at Bikeshare Hawaii, the nonprofit that runs Biki, have implemented additional cleaning procedures to further protect Biki riders and crew members. You can see what Biki is doing to help here. But just like any public surface, we think it should also be up to the individual to be mindful for their own health and take their own precautions. We recommend wiping down the handles bars of any shared or rented bike with disinfectant before going for your spin. Bikeshare Hawaii has also noted that although all Biki stations are still operational at the moment, people should only use it for commuting to and from “essential businesses/establishments” or for exercise.

And hopefully this goes without saying at this point, if you are feeling sick we implore you to stay at home! We all have a responsibility to take care of not only ourselves, but others as well, and we need to do what we can do stop this virus from spreading.

Advocating for Bikes & Safer Streets

As of March 16, 2020, the “Legislature is currently in recess until further notice. All previously scheduled hearings have been cancelled and no additional hearings or public meetings will be scheduled until further notice”. Does this mean that all bike advocacy and our push for safer streets is stopped? No! HBL advocates Chad Taniguchi and John Rogers are still working to get bike projects going with the City and the State. There are many things that can be done to make sure that bikeways are put in properly and in a timely manner. If you would like to help, sign up to be a part of the ever-important Bike Advocacy Team mailing list to get to be part of the insider loop at HBL.org/AdvocacyTeam.

HBL Updates

The HBL Office is closed as of 3/23/20, 4:30pm, per the Emergency Order from Mayor Caldwell. We look forward to being back in the office after the stay-at-home order is lifted (April 30th, subject to change). Although our physical office has temporarily shut its doors, our email inbox is fully open (24/7)!

For general inquiries email Bicycle@HBL.org
HBL Events: email Sateash at Events@HBL.org
HBL Membership: email Malia at Membership@HBL.org
Adult & Senior Education: email Carlos at Carlos@HBL.org
Youth Bike Education: email Andrew at BikeEd@HBL.org
Please allow us some time to respond to you as we settle into this new routine. We appreciate your patience!

Please note we have suspended all of our free adult cycling workshops & senior cycling program until the end of April. Our BikeEd program, that teaches 4th graders how to ride, is paused with DOE extending the school closures till April 30th. HBL-affiliated group rides (Start the Week Off Right Monday ride, Thursday Kailua for Brunch ride, Heavy Breathers Sunday ride, Red Hot Ladies Sunday Riving Rides & Cruisers Ride) are cancelled until April 30th.

But fret not – everyone will be giddy to jump on their bikes once this is over and ride with one another. Let’s make that happen. The Haleʻiwa Metric Century and Aloha Fun Ride is moved from April 26th to June 7th (Sunday), and the Honolulu Century Ride & Aloha Fun Ride is still on for September 27th (Sunday).

Why Do You Bike?

Gyms are shutdown. Parks are closed. Residents are told to minimize their use of public transit. People are looking for ways to not go crazy cooped up in their home. Stress of the uncertainty runs high. Many are turning to their trusty two-wheeler to get out of the house and get some liberating exercise. People are looking to their bicycles to bring them serenity (riding on these almost car-less roads is beautiful, is it not?!), to bring them peace of mind, and positivity. Biking to me seems more important than ever. And the Hawaii Bicycling League is here to help get more people bicycling. If you like bikes, and want to show your support and help our organization keep going, we hope you’ll consider becoming a member of HBL or renewing your membership at this critical time. Every member helps make our voice stronger to enable more people to ride, and push for safer streets for all.

Be well, and ride on.

Helpful resources:

State of Hawai‘i Emergency Order

On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 9:15 PM DOD Covid Exemption <covidexemption@hawaii.gov> wrote:

Aloha,

Cycling as exercise is an allowed outdoor exercise activity as long as social distancing is maintained.

Here is a link to the Governor’s March 23, 2020 Third Supplementary Proclamation:

http://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/third-supplementary-proclamation-covid19/

Mahalo

City & County of Honolulu Emergency Order

From: Covid Response <covidresponse@honolulu.gov>
Date: March 23, 2020 at 5:52:28 PM HST
Subject: RE: Stay at home and work from home

Aloha,

Yes, bicycling on roads or off-road is permitted under Mayor’s Executive Order 2020-02.

Please note the overarching intent and spirit of the Mayor’s Emergency Order 2020-02 is to ensure that the maximum number of people self-isolate in their places of residence to the extent feasible in order to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus while enabling essential services to continue. When people need to leave their places of residence, whether to obtain or perform vital services, or to otherwise facilitate authorized activities necessary for continuity of social and commercial life, they should at all times comply with social distancing as much as possible.

Sincerely,

City and County of Honolulu

Covid-19 Response Information Team

For additional information, go to: www.oneoahu.org

For State Department of Health information and updates on COVID-19, go to: https://hawaiicovid19.com

For other referral services, go to: www.auw211.org

County of Maui

Maui County COVID-19 UPDATE: March 24, 2020 Presentation

Resources from other bike organizations:

Bicycle Colorado – Colorado (Shelter-in-place and Stay-at-home Orders)

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance – Washington (Stay at Home, Stay Healthy)

Cascade – Washington

San Fransisco Bicycle Coalition – SF, California (Shelter in Place Order)

California Bicycle Coalition – California

Bike PGH – Allegheny County (Stay-at-Home Order)

Mountain Bike Safety & Covid-19 – International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA)

How to Ride Safely Amid Coronavirus Concerns – Bicycling Magazine

2017 Mānoa Christmas Parade

Come join us in the 2017 Mānoa Christmas Parade on December 9th, 5-7:00pm (Saturday)! We’ll be decking out our bicycles with fun decorations and cheer as we cruise along in the parade that begins at Noelani Elementary School (in Mānoa). The event is expected to have 1,100 marchers, 12 vehicles, & 5 bands. Other participants including state and local government VIP’s, local businesses, community organizations, and youth clubs, have made the Mānoa Christmas Parade a festive and colorful holiday season event.

It starts at 5pm but we will need to meet at 4pm at the Noelani School for bicycle decoration and staging. Bring your best holiday attire!

Please email Bri at bri@hbl.org or sign-up below to be part of the festivities!

We will bring some garlands and things to dress up our rides, but if you have some festive accessories to deck out your bike then please feel free to bring them. We’ve found cheap battery operated lights at various drug stores around town. Make sure you are wearing comfortable clothing and none of your decorations get caught in the way of riding.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season and hope to see you on the 9th!

Mānoa Christmas Parade 2017

First & Last Name *

Email Address *

Please use a current email that you check, we will be emailing you info about the event.

Phone Number

Date of Birth *

Riders under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Emergency Contact & Phone Number *

(Optional) Interested in helping out with the parade (before, after, or during)?

I would love to help!

You'll get to ride in the parade but if you would like to lend a hand in making sure everything goes extra perfect for our cycling group click the button above! You will be contacted by our Small Events and Volunteer Coordinator, Bri, with more details before the event.

Waiver & Indemnity Agreement: I am 16 years or older and accept the waiver. Please enter your signature by typing your name. *

Waiver & Indemnity Agreement. I understand, agree and represent (for myself, assigns, heirs, personal representatives, and next of kin) that: (a) The Activities will be on public roads open to vehicles, where many hazards can be expected. I can be seriously injured, permanently disabled, paralyzed, or die. I will read, listen and follow safety instructions and warnings on the course. (b) I am qualified, in good health and proper physical condition to participate. I am personally responsible and will use my own judgment for my safety. If conditions are unsafe I will immediately stop participating. I accept and assume the risk of injury caused by me, the negligence of others, the course and conditions, including risks and social/economic losses not known or readily foreseeable at this time. (c) I release, discharge, and agree not to sue HBL employees, directors, members, volunteers, participants, owners/lessors/lessees/ licensees of land where the Activities take place (Releasees). If a claim involves me, I will indemnify, save and hold harmless each of the Releasees from litigation expenses, attorney fees, loss, liability, damage, or costs. (d) I give free use of my name, voice, or picture in any broadcast, advertising, or other account of this event. (e) I will wear a buckled helmet, use front and rear lights wen riding, and my bicycle will be in well-functioning condition. (f) I have read and understand that I have given up substantial rights by signing this agreement.

Additional Comments

Safe Windward Passage – Pali Resurfacing – Staff Blog

Creating a Safe Town to Windward Cycling Route

Staff Blog – Travis Counsell

** The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of the Hawaii Bicycling League. This is a staff blog entry. **

Please attend the informational meeting on Wednesday, July 26th at 6:30pm – More Information Here

With the Pali Highway scheduled for repaving in the upcoming years from N. Vineyard Blvd to Castle Junction (Kamehameha Highway/Auloa Rd Junction), we’re presented with an opportunity to create a much-needed safe passage for cyclists from Town to Windward Oahu. The route is currently popular among both recreational and commuting cyclists, but it isn’t for the timid.

Section A – Vineyard Ave to Wyllie St Overpass

Section B – Wyllie St Overpass to Nuuanu Pali Dr

Heading out of Town you have two options to get up to the Wyllie St overpass: up the Pali Access Way, or on Nuuanu Ave. The Pali Access Way is more direct, has some wide shoulder areas, and has no stop lights or parked cars, yet has higher traffic speeds and random curb jut-outs that push you into traffic. Nuuanu is a more residential street, but has cars traveling quickly and parked cars just waiting to pull out or open their doors. Neither option is perfect. I often find myself taking Pali due to the wide shoulder.

Riding up Pali Access Way – Shoulder comes and goes, pushing you into traffic.

With the unfortunate and devastating death of David Niau on Nuuanu Ave in 2015, and the solutions meetings that followed, there has been a push to make Nuuanu Ave a more complete street; restriping the road after repaving to be more suitable for all users, not just cars. This could include bike lanes, pedestrian crossing islands, potentially small roundabouts and other traffic calming measures. If this comes to fruition, this would become the obvious preferred cycling route from Vineyard Ave up to the Pali Highway. I hope the safety of all road users, will outweigh the resistance over removal of some on-street parking. Embracing Complete Streets and reclaiming Nuuanu Ave as a residential street instead highway bypass, will result in a stronger community and more pleasant street.

Here is a link to the Complete Streets Implementation Study for Nuuanau Ave

As you head up the Pali Highway, the road goes from 2 lanes to 3 lanes as the Wyllie St overpass feeds in.

At the Wyllie St Overpass, a lane is added.

This is a residential section with a 35mph speed limit. However the 3 wide lanes encourage much faster driving speeds. Cars routinely travel 40-60mph during this section.

3 wide lanes, with no shoulder. 35mph section.

With zero shoulder, this makes for a very unpleasant 1.2 miles for people riding bicycles. Some decide to ride on the sidewalk (which disappears for small sections and isn’t very wide). I find myself using the full right lane, with multiple flashing rear lights, and trying to move as quickly as I can. Some people driving do not like this, as they using the right lane as a passing lane, but per Hawaii state law a person riding a bicycle may take the lane for safety when it is too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to share the lane. After all, I am trying to get home safe and sound, just like them.

A church uses the left lane as parking on Sunday.

Dangerous corner with no shoulder, or sidewalk.

A 1 foot shoulder! But I still take the lane.

Hawaii DOT is considering narrowing those three lanes (currently 12+ feet each) in the residential section to a more agreeable width of 10′ or 11’. This will have multiple effects. Most notably, it will allow for a shoulder on the right side. While only 4 or 5 ft, this will be a vast improvement over the current nonexistent shoulder. Secondly, this will encourage cars to travel slower. Numerous studies have shown that by simply narrowing the lanes, people travel slower. Being closer to the car next to you makes it less desirable to speed. This might actually result in cars traveling the speed limit (35mph) along that section! But I’m really excited about the shoulder. I would love to see DOT mark these as an actual bike lane (like on Kalanianaole Hwy), but I have my doubts. Markings or not, this will create a safer riding environment from Wyllie St to Nuuanu Pali Road.

Relief is ahead! Bike route takes Nuuanu Pali Drive

One can relax a little once the route veers right onto Nuuanu Pali Road. This quiet back road is great. While it is rather creepy and dark after sunset, it’s relatively lightly traveled and quite peaceful. This is already marked as a bike route and it certainly the preferred route.

The dense tree cover and moss covered roadway is a drastic difference to the three lane highway only 500 yards to the left. With the City’s recent repaving of Nuuanu Pali Road is it an even more enjoyable section. It’s a much-welcomed back road that comes to an end too quickly.

At the top of Nuuanu Pali Road, the route merges back onto the Pali Highway. The highway quickly shrinks down to 2 lanes from 3, and presents a great shoulder during the merge…

Only to fade into a very small 2-3’ shoulder that runs the remaining distance to the tunnels. This shoulder has plenty of room to be widened, while the lanes can also serve to be narrowed. DOT is discussing have an 8’ shoulder during this part. Much of this shoulder is already there, it’s just grass instead of pavement. This will be a very simple fix but present a much nicer riding situation.

At the top of the Pali Highway you have two choices. Ride through the tunnels, or take the Old Pali Highway from the lookout.

I often ride down through the tunnels and depending on the time of day, have no problem keeping up with traffic! Take the lane and let the cars pass you in the left lane. Remember this section is also 35mph, but I’ve never encountered a car going less than 45, unless it’s bumper to bumper traffic. An alternative route, to avoid the tunnels, is the Old Pali Highway, which leads down from the Pali Lookout. While it does require some carrying of your bike and descending a small ladder, the majority of the Old Pali Highway is a pleasant car-free abandoned highway. At the first traffic light (Castle Junction/Kamehameha Highway) the future repaving will meet up with a previous improvement and you’ll have a nice shoulder all the way down to Kailua. Or turn left and head to Kaneohe.

Wide shoulder further down towards Castle Junction

As I mentioned, this overall route is an important connection between Town and the Windward side. Some currently choose to take the bus over, or ride around Hawaii Kai (about 8 miles further), but with simple improvements this could be a great route that would only increase its popularity. I also see this as a tourist benefit. More and more people are riding bikes on vacation, and it’s important to have safe and planned routes to send them on. Currently the Pali Lookout is only accessible by private car or tour bus. The public bus doesn’t stop anywhere near there and it the route is currently not bicycle friendly. By improving Nuuanu Ave / Pali Highway to be a more bicycle friendly route, this provides another way for tourists to access a great site, in a far more rewarding way than driving there!

At this point all these improvements are just discussion, nothing set in motion. I’m hoping DOT goes above and beyond on this project, but it will take persistence and encouragement from organizations like HBL, the residents who live along this area, and the community as whole. These improvements benefit all users of the road. Fewer crashes, safer streets, and a more livable community. We need to design the streets with the future in mind. Now’s the time to make the change we want to see. I encourage you to send a letter to DOT, your representative, the newspaper, and anyone else who’s willing to listen! Let’s not let this opportunity go to waste. Also let’s not stop with this project! Every project should be a complete street project and always be improving the streets and way our communities are connected. Ride Aloha, Drive Aloha, Live Aloha.

Click Here for Hawaii DOT Contact Information – Pali Highway Improvements

Click Here for Honolulu Dept. of Transportation Services Contact Information – Nuuanu Ave Improvements

Please attend the informational meeting on Wednesday, July 26th at 6:30pm – More Information Here

Happy Holidays from HBL

Wishing You A Wheely Good Holiday Season!

We hope you’re able to enjoy time with family and go for a bike ride! Burn off those extra calories!

We’ve been on our best behavior this year – always riding with our helmets on, pushing for more bike lanes, and working hard to help more people bike. We hope that Santa or his holiday menehune could put a few of these things on our list under our Christmas palm tree this holiday season (or drop them off at the HBL office)! Mahalo and Mele Kalikimaka, from our HBL family to yours!

HBL Holiday Wishlist:

iPhones or 3G enabled iPads (new or gently used)

For course marshals during our large events, out of office credit card donations, and more.

Apple iMac desktop computer or laptop

As we grow, we need more workstations.

Mid-sized Refrigerator

More space for staff brown bag lunches! Need a bit more fridge space. If you have a fridge larger than a mini-fridge, but not exactly full size, we’d love it!

Silent Auction donations

For the HBL Annual Members Dinner & Fundraiser

Cargo bike or other unique bikes

We’re looking to create a bicycle-power system, which involves a cargo bike.

Good relationships between all users of the road!

Donate or Renew to help support our efforts!