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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.77

We come across a lot of articles about new cycling infrastructure being installed all across the world, but the one below was a bit unexpected. As it turns out, Pyongyang, North Korea, has a thriving cycling community. So much so that the government has begun to install separated lanes for cyclists to reduce the number of accidents, which have been on the rise as of late as more and more citizens turn to two wheels for transportation. Read more at the link below.

BIKE LANES IN NORTH KOREA (article)

Gavin Munro, a young man from Derbyshire, England, has developed a whole new method of producing wooden chairs: he grows them! As Gavin puts it, growing chairs is like 3-D printing them, except that air, water, and sun are the raw materials he uses. Learn more about his business, Full Grown, by watching this short report from the BBC.

THE MAN WHO GROWS TREES INTO CHAIRS (video)

Bicycles, and those who ride them, have played an important part in the development of the United States. Many technologies that were originally invented to service the cycling community have made a major impact in many elements of our lives. The hollow steel tube, for instance, which was developed for use in bike frames, as well as ball bearings and air filled rubber tires. The list is rather large. Read this fascinating piece about the bicycle and the ride to modern America.

THE BICYCLE AND THE RIDE TO MODERN AMERICA (article)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.76

Last week, a new scientific study out of University of Chicago built upon what a growing body of research has shown for years: living amid a thriving urban forest is good for your health. The sample included 30,000 residents of Toronto and 530,000 trees that have been catalogued by the city, and comparative analytics revealed some amazing findings. For the first time, quantifiable benefits of having mature trees in a neighborhood became available. One notable quote, for instance, was "having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger." Interesting stuff! Read more about "Treelaxation" at the link below.

TREES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH (article)

Some people are content to rest in the shade beneath the trees, but others need a view from the top down. Professional climber Chris Sharma returned to his home state of California after nearly 10 years of living in Catalunya, Spain, in order to climb giant sequoias for scientific research. After an extensive career that established Chris as one of the best climbers in the world, this chance to reconnect with trees, the very reason he got into climbing in the first place, was one he couldn't miss.

FREE CLIMBING REDWOODS (video)

Also from the world of Red Bull, downhill mountain biker Aaron Gwin pops a tire just a few seconds after his start and, while he doesn't win the race, he puts a seriously epic run into the books. Amazing video!

ON FIRE WITH NO BACK TIRE (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.75

Did you know that, in 1900, Los Angeles had a bicycle highway and the US was a world leader in bike lanes? Or that Smithville, NJ, was home to a bicycle railroad that stretched two miles in 1892? This fascinating article takes a look at the history of bike lanes in America, and offers more than a few surprises.

HISTORY OF BIKE LANES (article)

New Zealander Barry Cox, who once aspired to be the Pope, spent 4 years building a church out of living trees. He just opened the structure and surrounding grounds to the public and made the location available for weddings. Each event involves 8 hours of primping, the results of which are glorious. Check out this architectural treasure!

THE TREE CHURCH (photos/video)

Detroit's Silverdome, once home to the Detroit Lions, Wrestlemania III, Supercross, and World Cup soccer games, was shut down for good a few years ago. Now, as the building slowly decays, a new kind of athlete is giving it a final farewell. BMX cyclist Tyler Fernengel made the abandoned structure his personal playground, to epic effect. 

A BMX FAREWELL TO THE SILVERDOME (photos/video)

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BOULDER RETREET
June 20+21, 2015

On BOULDER RETREET, 25 RETREETers planted 96 trees at 21 homes in Jamestown, CO, making a major impact that will last for generations to come. A small community of 275 up in the mountains west of Boulder, Jamestown was once a prospecting destination, as thousands of men inundated the area in the late 1800s searching for silver and gold. 

In 2003, most of the trees covering the hillside behind Jamestown burned in the Overland Fire. A decade later, on September 11, 2013, the community experienced a 1,000-year flood. Seventeen inches of rain fell in a single day, almost the average annual precipitation. With little to absorb the immense amount of floodwater pouring down the mountainside, nearby gulches were quickly overwhelmed. Floating debris damned up the main bridge in town and caused the river to breach its banks. Much of the town was buried in several feet of rubble; the landscape forever altered. Under a mandatory evacuation order, 90% of residents were airlifted to safety. Jamestown remained inaccessible by the main road for months. After nearly two years of rebuilding housing and infrastructure, the time came to replant trees and make it feel one step closer to home for those who live there. 

RETREETers READY TO REPLANT JAMESTOWN

The first RETREETers arrived in Denver on Wednesday afternoon, the 17th, having made the long haul from Dallas. After settling into the funky Washington Park home we'd reserved on Airbnb, the group devised makeshift costumes to fit the theme of that evening's Denver Cruiser Ride: "Cardboard, Bubble Wrap, and Duct Tape." We hopped on our bikes and joined the vast menagerie of cyclists snaking through the streets, whose number eventually culminated in one of the largest two-wheel gatherings we have ever seen!  

DENVER CRUISER RIDE

Thursday morning we rode to Golden, where the west begins and where Coors is brewed. The 45 mile jaunt was filled with diverse terrain and scenery. We observed the effects the recent rains had on the local trail system and, after a bit of wandering and a spot of lunch, we rolled back to the homestead and converged with newly-arriving members of our group. That evening, we enjoyed pizza just a stone's throw from our abode.

THE RIDE TO GOLDEN

On Friday, the day before the planting, RETREET staff oversaw the delivery of trees from Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, a long-term partner whose stock is top notch. We then visited The Home Depot in Boulder, with whom we had filed a successful $2,000 grant application through the The Home Depot Foundation, in order to acquire compost, mulch, and tools needed for the planting. After a quick stop at Whole Foods Market on Pearl to pickup a $250 gift card given by the store to cover the follow day's lunch, RETREET staff reunited with the main group in Boulder, whose tally had grown significantly during the preceding hours as new RETREETers arrived from afar. After dinner, our caravan climbed up the mountain to Balarat Outdoor Education Center, where we stayed for the weekend.

PICKING UP SUPPLIES AT THE HOME DEPOT

On planting day, RETREETers were welcomed to town by local representatives and treated to a presentation about the flood and its effects on the community. After a proper planting demonstration, given by members of Colorado State Forest Service and RETREET staff, the company broke into small groups and headed into the neighborhood. Six hours later, the majority of trees were planted, and the RETREETers were ready to celebrate. Jamestown Mercantile cooked up a delicious feast, with local brews and music on tap. Quite a few folks danced the night away! The rest went back to camp and made cookies.

Sunday, last few trees were planted and the remaining RETREETers went for a hike up Moorhead Gulch. There, evidence of the flood was clearly visible. We took a break to pan the river and struck gold!

PLANTING THE LAST TREE IN JAMESTOWN

BOULDER RETREET was a very community-based effort. Our team really plugged into the local scene. CLICK HERE to view the photo album and CLICK HERE to see the town's press release regarding the event. Our efforts marked a noticeable transition in the Jamestown's recovery efforts. Check out the letter below, which was sent to us by Nina Andaloro, Jamestown's volunteer and donations coordinator. A heartfelt and special thank you is offered to Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation, whose $10,000 grant underwrote the event. RETREET is proud of the work we accomplished in Jamestown and we look forward to further plantings this coming winter, soon to be announced!

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.74

There are some truly monumental bicycle rides out there, among them The Swiss Epic. Watch this stunning short film about five teams from different backgrounds attempting to win "Europe's Toughest Mountain Bike Race," facing a whole host of incredible obstacles along the way.

THE SWISS EPIC: EUROPE'S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE (short film)

Electric bicycles are all the rage these days, but a legitimate question remains: how to generate all of the electricity required in a green fashion? Iranian inventor Mojtaba Raeisi has a smart answer. Behold his sleek concept, the Ele Solar Bicycle. Instead of spokes, its wheels have automatically adjusting solar panels that give it the juice it needs to go farther than the competition, in a more Earth-friendly way.

ELE SOLAR BIKE (video)

We love spending time amongst the trees, and revere the advice of our elders. Take a moment to enjoy the company of these trees, the ancient masters that have lasted for millennia. Surely, there is something to be learned.

OUR TREE ELDERS (photo essay)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.73

Peppermint Bike Park in Thailand takes recreational cycling to a whole new level. An amusement park designed for cyclists, it looks like a race course for bikes. Who wouldn't want one of these in their neighborhood? Watch the promo video below and be jealous!

PEPPERMINT BIKE PARK (video)

A Polish architect built a house that, employing a clever use of mirrors, seems to disappear into the surrounding forest. The following set of photos is truly dazzling. It looks like a white box floating off of the ground!

FLOATING HOUSE IN POLAND (photos)

Inspired by the Dutch, Salt Lake City, Utah, will become the first city in the US to install a protected intersection. This model has become known as the safest for cyclists and is rather attractive to boot. Maybe other cities across the country will follow suit.

PROTECTED INTERSECTION IN UTAH (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.72

A movement is underway to put the Oak back in Oakland, which is perhaps the largest city in the US named after a tree. Read all about efforts to reconnect the city's current residents to its forested past. 

PUTTING THE OAK IN OAKLAND (article)

Remember when we posted about Solaroad, the solar-power producing bicycle path in The Netherlands? Well, it's been up and running for a while now, and the results are in: Solaroad is generating more power than expected. We certainly hope that its amazing success leads to a rapid spread of this technology across the globe.

UPDATE: DUTCH SOLAROAD WORKING BETTER THAN EXPECTED (video/photo essay)

We all know books come from trees, right? Well now, trees come from books! Pequeño Editor, a small publishing company in Argentina, created a book that teaches children about paper production and can be planted once it's been read. The book puts back into nature that which it took out, eventually growing into a mature Jacaranda. They even display germinated books in stores. What a great gift for young ones.

THE BOOK THAT GROWS INTO A TREE (video)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.71

As Saudi airstrikes in Yemen lead to continuing fuel shortages across the country, many have taken to two wheels for transportation. "Let's ride a bike" was organized by young women as a group ride across the capital, much to the chagrin of the country's most conservative element. In fact, some find the idea so incredulous they insist pictures, like the one below, must be Photoshopped. Read more about this powerful movement!

WOMEN IN YEMEN RIDING BIKES (article)

Do you use the expression "it's like riding a bike" to refer to something that is impossible to forget once learned? Have you ever considered what it takes for your mind to master that art? In this amazing thought experiment, people have to unlearn how to ride a regular bicycle in order to ride this one. Who wouldn't want to take a stab at that?

BICYCLE THOUGHT EXPERIMENT (video)

Last weekend, nearly 45,000 volunteers set a new Guinness World Record for single-day reforestation, planting 647,250 saplings in more than 220 species all across Ecuador. Go trees!

TREE PLANTING WORLD RECORD (article)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.70

Looking for a new game to play on you phone or tablet? Check out Tree Story, a new app from Zig Zag Zoom that allows you to grow a virtual sapling to maturity, which then becomes a real tree in an area of your choosing. There are also tons of minigames included. Entertaining an impactful! Below is a photo of our tree. Share one of yours!

TREE STORY APP (game)

San Francisco is trying out a new tactic to make bike lanes more recognizable in an effort to keep cars away from cyclists: raised bike lanes. This new system should lead to fewer injuries and make the roads safer. Looks like a great plan. Check it out!

RAISED BIKE LANES IN SAN FRANCISCO (article)

Some trees just can't even. Spend a moment visiting with a number of specimens who just couldn't care less about the rules.

TREES WITHOUT RULES (photos)

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SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.69

We all love bicycles, but the folks BBC Autos spent some time compiling a list of the 10 bicycles that most tickle their fancy. How do you feel about their particular selections? Any you would swap out?

10 MOST BEAUTIFUL BICYCLES (slideshow)

Do you love classic Disney films and trees? This video is for you. Walt Disney takes us into the studio to show us how four of his most famous artists illustrated his best-known films, then leads the whole group into a field where we see all of them paint the same tree in their signature styles. Love it. 

4 DISNEY ARTISTS PAINT 1 TREE (short film)

The Korean government has constructed a bike trail from Daejeon to Sejong, two cities about 2-3 hours south of the capital, Seoul. Not only is the trail shaded, it generates solar power!

KOREAN SOLAR BIKE TRAIL (drone footage)