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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.111

Happy July 4th weekend! Did you know that the first act of defiance against the British leading up to the Revolutionary War took place in 1765 under a stately elm? Dubbed The Liberty Tree, this symbol of resistance was felled ten years later by the British in order to crush the spirit of revolt. It didn't work. In fact, their actions had the opposite effect. Learn about this incredible tree at the link below.

THE LIBERTY TREE (article)

Have you ever wanted to ride a bicycle from coast to coast, through amber waves of grain and over purple mountains majesty? There's no better way to experience the incredible diversity of people and geography that the United States has to offer. If you ever decide to scratch that itch, check out this blog, which is meant to prepare would-be adventurers for the trials and tribulations of the road ahead.

BIKE ACROSS AMERICA (blog)

The next time you have to cut a tree down, or if the British show up in your yard and fell your favorite elm, here are loads of amazing ideas for what to do with the remains. Don't let that stump go to waste!

31 USES FOR TREE STUMPS (photos)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.107

It's well known that counting the rings of a tree reveals its age. Each ring represents a year, a 12-month growth cycle starting with a boom in the spring and ending in winter dormancy. Hidden within the rings is every iteration of the tree, including the original sapling. Italian artist Guiseppe Penone carves out the young tree from its final form. This is something amazing to see!

CARVING OUT SAPLINGS (photo essay)

Why cut down a tree to build a home when you can build a tubular glass structure encapsulating it? If and when this idea becomes a reality, sign RETREET up for a tour. Perhaps our future HQ?

BUILDING AROUND A TREE (photo album)

Taking the previous concept to the next level is this vertical eco-village. A design that creates more energy than it consumes and is entirely sustainable, this concept is an engineering marvel. Watch a short video and be dazzled. Hopefully, this will be a major element of cities to come.

INCREDIBLE VERTICAL ECO-VILLAGE (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.105

The magical creations of Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy have mesmerized us for many years. This week, we came across a collection of some of his natural wonders that is definitely worth sharing. Who knew you could do so much with just leaves and sticks?

THE ART OF ANDY GOLDSWORTHY (photo essay)

Retrofitting old airplanes to turn them into carpet tree bombers: there's an idea we can get behind. An experienced forester can plant 1,000 saplings in a day. And the plane? 900,000. We'd love to see this in action.

AERIAL REFORESTATION (video)

Looking for a new ride? Not sure where to go and what to ask? Check out this post about buying a new bicycle, in which all of your most embarrassing questions are answered. Happy shopping!

BIKE SHOP QUESTIONS (article)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.102

Last year, cyclist Eric "The Red Baron" Barone, 54, beat his own world speed record on a mountain bike in the snow, topping out at 138.75mph. The video speaks for itself. Woah. What a rush!

MOUNTAIN BIKE SPEED WORLD RECORD (video)

Trees hold a special place throughout American history, as previously mentioned in our recommendation of the book "American Canopy" by Eric Rutkow. If you don't feel up to the task of reading an entire book about the subject, the following article might inspire you. In colonial New England, trees were a prominent feature of everyday life. A pine tree even adorned the first local currency produced, the pine tree shilling. Interested? Keep reading.

SYMBOLIC TREES OF NEW ENGLAND (article)

Artist Stephen Lund, based in Victoria, British Columbia, frequently rides 50 miles in a day to create GPS sketches using the cycling app Strava. His imagination, and legs, seemingly know no bounds. This is a really fun gallery to browse.

DRAWING WITH GPS (photo essay)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.93

Hopefully, a bicycle crash isn't in your future. That being said, there are 7 things that EMTs want you to keep in mind when you wreck. Good advice that may save your life.

TIPS ABOUT BIKE CRASHES (article)

While representatives from around the world worked long hours to hash out a deal on climate change, the light of thousands of digital trees danced across the Eiffel Tower. The installation, called 1 Heart 1 Tree, was the brainchild of artist Naziha Mestaoui, who created the work to draw attention to global reforestation efforts. Each tree was sponsored by a random member of the public. Beautiful!

DIGITAL TREES ON THE EIFFEL TOWER (photo essay)

Developed in The Netherlands by inventor Bruin Bergmeester, the LOPIFIT is the world's first walking bike. Bruin really wanted to take his treadmill outside, so he spent hours creating the LOPIFIT in his living room.

LOPIFIT - THE ELECTRIC BICYCLE TREADMILL (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.92

A 1,400-year-old ginkgo tree in China has been making quite a scene this fall. Thousands of people have flocked to the site of a glorious ocean of yellow leaves raining down upon a Buddhist temple. These are some stunning images.

YELLOW LEAVES RAIN ON BUDDHIST TEMPLE (photos)

Next year, construction begins on The Copenhagen Gate, a bicycle bridge that's suspended 213 feet above water and connects two high rise buildings. The most interesting feature is the midpoint connection of the two protrusions, where the bridge appears broken. Check out this odd design.

THE COPENHAGEN BRIDGE (photos)

Have you ever seen The Blue Trees? An ongoing project of artist Konstantin Dimopoulos, it raises the level of social consciousness about the importance of trees by using nontoxic paint to change their color, making their irregularity impossible to ignore. We really like this.

THE BLUE TREES (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.85

This week, we feature a whole host of bicycle and tree related art projects, all of which should bring a smile to your face.

Are you a fan of Monty Python? A big enough fan to attach a coconut clapping device to your bicycle so that it sounds like a trotting horse while you're riding? Yes, there is an app for that.

TROTIFY (video)

This 16-year-old artist uses fallen leaves as her canvases, and creates some strikingly beautiful cityscapes in paint. Her work also promotes a simple idea: we do not need to cut trees down for paper. Take a look at her inspired offerings.

PAINTING ON LEAVES (photos)

Before there were iPhones and bluetooth speakers, there were record and gramophone players. Now, thanks to the ingenuity of a couple of Dutch designers, you can turn your bike into one of the latter and rock your preferred tunes with a stroke of the pedal. Talk about a soundtrack to life!

BICYCLE THAT PLAYS RECORDS (photos)

Most of us treat cardboard as a disposable form of packaging. One artist, Evan Jospin, has given the product a profound second life. Invoking the strong and durable yet raw and impermanent qualities of the medium, which mirror those of trees, she carves intricate and dense forests by gluing several layers together and slowly excising the interior. Hers is some incredible work.

DENSE CARDBOARD FORESTS (photos)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.83

This week, we bring you a rather international smattering of fascinating projects. First up, South Korean artist Young Deok-Seo spends months welding and forming discarded bicycle chains into striking sculptures of the human form. Truly, this is powerful repurposing.

BIKE CHAIN SCULPTURES (photos)

Second, Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia designed three 22-story buildings in Ho Chi Minh City that each have a giant roof garden. The roofs are all connected by suspension bridges, making the completed structure a giant linear garden in the sky. Now that's what we call green architecture!

DEVELOPMENT WITH CONNECTED ROOF GARDEN (photos)

Finally, Donhou Bicycles, a London-based company, set off to construct a bicycle with a chain ring big enough to achieve pedaling speed of 80mph. Theirs is a great story of determination and innovation.

THE 80MPH BICYCLE (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.81

An artist in South Korea has mastered his ability to transform discarded pieces of wood, mostly tree trunks, into magnificent and functional sculptures. This gallery of photos is one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. If only we could partner with Jae-Hyo Lee in some of the areas in which we work!

JAE-HYO LEE TREE FURNITURE (photos)

Believe it or not, the image below is of a compact bicycle that, when dissembled, can fit into a large suitcase. The ECO 07 is also a remarkably attractive ride: an urban bicycle that is designed to save space and turn heads.

COMPACT URBAN BICYCLE (photos)

About 1,500 years ago, the Roman Empire completed their campaign to wipeout the Judean date palm tree, formerly a staple crop of the Kingdom of Judea. Previously, the tree was so influential that King David named his daughter after it in the Old Testament. During excavations of Herod the Great's palace, scientists discovered a jar of seeds for extinct tree and several were planted in 2005. In 2011, one even produced its first flower. This ancient tree has been brought back to life and the seed from which it sprung is the oldest know to germinate. What an incredible story!

ANCIENT TREE LIVES ANEW (article)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.80

In 1982, artist Agnes Denes proposed a monumental artistic planting in the wilderness of Finland. Tree Mountain was created by 11,000 people from all over the world each planting a single tree in a specifically designed pattern that evokes ancient artworks as well as mathematical precision found in many of the works of painting masters. Planting took place over four years, from 1992 to 1996, and resulted in the world's first virgin forest built by humans. Check out this amazing artwork, meant to last for hundreds of years.

TREE MOUNTAIN (photo essay)

Sometimes, a tree stands in the way of a proposed construction project. Too often, such trees are removed. The following photos show beautiful examples of architects who decided to not only save the trees, but also incorporate them beautifully into buildings. 

BUILDING AROUND TREES (photos)

Believe it or not, bikes are good for business. They take up less parking space, encourage riders to make purchases more often, and make finding that random specialty shop across town a lot more fun. Learn more about the advantages of cyclist consumers by clicking the link below. Some great reasons to install more cycling infrastructure!

BIKES ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS (article)