Grid schedule coming soon
Seminars
Advocacy Through Data: How Pittsburgh is using 311 data to improve bicycling safety
Saturday March 8th, 12:00 PM
Seminar room: 125 (Atrium Level)
Armin Samii, dashcam.bike
Riders in Pittsburgh have reported thousands of bicycling hazards to 311, including cars parked in bike lanes, near-misses, close-calls, and dangerous road conditions. Riders record video footage of their entire commute using dashcam.bike, and when they’re safely at their destination, they can label all the hazards they encountered and rapidly submit video evidence to the city’s non-emergency 311 line.
This advocacy has sparked meaningful change. Learn how Pittsburgh has used 311 data to harden bike lanes with concrete, create automated enforcement for bike lane parking, and redesign dangerous intersections. We’ll discuss the successes and limitations of 311 reporting, and what it takes to bring dashcam.bike’s hazard reporting system to your city.
How much of a cyclist’s power (Watts) is associated with frame flex while pedaling?
Sunday March 9th, 12:00 PM
Seminar room: 123 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Bob Rose
Assuming a more flexible frame is more comfortable, is there a meaningful ‘power penalty’ associated with a more flexible frame? After discussing that the power penalty (i.e., Watts) of a cyclist flexing a frame while pedaling is very small, join in a conversation of what these findings mean going forward. As a bonus, does the bicycle community actually understand how the frame (just the frame in this case) impacts comfort? Thoughts on this will be presented as well.
Safety First Cycling & Riding in Groups
Sunday March 9th, 1:30 PM
Seminar room: 124 (Atrium Level)
Presented by George Yarnell, Bicycle Club of Philadelphia
Putting “Safety First!” when cycling should be a matter of habit for all cyclists. This seminar highlights some of the important and basic things we can each do to cycle more safely. Through presentations and demonstrations from several long-time cyclists, we’ll look at conspicuity (The art of being seen by motorists and other cyclists), basic safe cycling behavior when alone and in groups, and safe cycling equipment. This is a good seminar for novice cyclists and a nice refresher for experienced cyclists. Those who love you will want you to put safety first when cycling.
Cycling with a group of people can be fun and enjoyable, but it’s a little different from cycling alone. A group of trained and experienced ride leaders from the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia will highlight some of the most important aspects of riding with a group, including safety and riding etiquette, planning a group ride, leading a group ride, and how and where to find or publicize group rides.
The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World
Sunday March 9th, 10:30 AM
Seminar room: 123 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Cyrille Vincent
More than a hundred years ago, when bicycle races drew crowds that filled Madison Square Garden, the biggest draw of all was Marshall W. Major Taylor. As a superstar athlete in the most popular sport of his era, 1899 world bicycling champion Major Taylor saw his racing victories well chronicled in mainstream newspapers as well as cycling publications right as the bicycling industry was starting to boom.
In a post-Civil War era governed by Jim Crow laws in the South and overt racism nationwide, Major Taylor managed to be the first Black champion of the world in cycling and one of the first black world champions in any sport. His fame grew not only in America but in Europe and Australia as newspapers around the world reported his triumphs. The Boston Globe labeled him ‘‘The World Beater’’ in a headline in August 1899.
The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World is an engaging presentation that traces cyclist Major Taylor’s meteoric rise to become the first Black international athlete super-star. Dubbed the “Black Cyclone,’’ Taylor’s legacy lives on as an inspiration to both aspiring and professional athletes and more broadly to anybody facing unfair barriers erected by society.
This presentation is the by-product of four years of research by documentary filmmaker Cyrille Vincent who is producing a groundbreaking documentary film about Major Taylor and the men who helped him achieve worldwide fame. The presentation blends rare unpublished archives, contemporary imagery, compelling commentaries and behind the scenes of Whirlwind, the Major Taylor upcoming documentary he is producing.
Ky Plaskon, 2023 President of the Truckee Meadow Bicycle Alliance said of the presentation that:
”The audience for Cyrille’s presentation was delighted to not only be entertained but also provided valuable feedback for his upcoming and much-needed documentary film on Major Taylor. Bike and historical groups nationwide and around the world should be scrambling to support this important story and the passionate producer behind it.”
The Jersey Devil Hunt: Bikepacking in the New Jersey Pine Barrens
Saturday March 8th, 1:30 PM
Seminar room: 124 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Julian Bender
The Pine Barrens is a sprawling wilderness right in Philadelphia’s back yard. Last year, I created the region’s first bikepacking route, the Jersey Devil Hunt. The route makes it easy to discover these vast woods, avoiding all the deep sand and swamps that make biking in the Pines so difficult.
In this casual talk with Q&A, I’ll share about bikepacking in the Pine Barrens and how the route was created.
Bike Fit Unplugged
Saturday March 8th, 12:00 PM
Seminar room: 123 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Happy Freedman, The Center for Bike Fit
The science of bike fitting without a computer. Determining the proper positions on a bike through the use of gait evaluation, postural corrections, and exercise recommendations for a more stable, comfortable, and efficient ride.
Hill Climbing Tips and Tricks
Saturday March 8th, 12:00 PM
Seminar room: 124 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Brian Williams, Major Taylor
Techniques to help you ascend those dreaded hills properly, climb efficiently with minimum wasted effort and boost confidence.
Principles of Bicycle Wheel Aerodynamics
Sunday March 9th, 1:30 PM
Seminar room: 123 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Bill Mould
Many aspects of wheel building science are counterintuitive, i.e., things that would seem to be true but aren’t. Wheel building at the expert level requires a deep understanding about topics such as these that Bill will explain in depth: optimal spoke length, rhythmic tension changes in wheels under load, impact of weaving spokes in a lacing pattern, tensile strength, spoke elasticity, and fracture modes of aluminum and carbon rims.
Facts and Fiction about Wheel Building
Saturday March 8th, 1:30 PM
Seminar room: 123 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Bill Mould
Many aspects of wheel building science are counterintuitive, i.e., things that would seem to be true but aren’t. Wheel building at the expert level requires a deep understanding about topics such as these that Bill will explain in depth: optimal spoke length, rhythmic tension changes in wheels under load, impact of weaving spokes in a lacing pattern, tensile strength, spoke elasticity, and fracture modes of aluminum and carbon rims.
University Handmade Bicycle Curriculum
Saturday March 8th, 10:30 AM
Seminar room: 123 (Atrium Level)
Presented by Steve McGuire, Professor
Over the last 13 years, the Design, Build, Ride curriculum – part of 3D Design and Jewelry and Metal Arts – in the School of Art, Art History & Design at the University of Iowa has become a top handmade bicycle curriculum nationally and internationally, with over 300 art and engineering students having designed and built a handmade bicycle, attracting internship opportunities for students and international acclaim. The curriculum, comprised of four courses, is the place for art and engineering majors to meet as makers.
The proposed seminar will present, in a discussion format, curriculum and facilities considerations, and initiatives occurring now at other universities.
The proposed exhibition (2027), Let’s Build a Bicycle, will showcase 30 of the finest bicycles in the world. The exhibition’s goal is to bring to attention the aesthetics and craft of science and engineering in handmade bicycles. The exhibition will be comprised of independent framebuilders.