Checking in with LA's Blogging Elite

Over the past few days, Obamathon Man has gotten a bit homesick, and thus has been contacting some of the more established bloggers back in the LA area. First, in hopes of finding advice about going green for the inauguration, I sent an email to Green LA Girl. I asked if she had any info about cold-weather clothes that were environmentally friendly, and unfortunately she didn't. But she said she'd give some thought to other green inaugural tips - look for another post along these lines (fingers crossed!). Those interested in going eco-inagural might find plenty of good general advice on her site, or you could try contacting her directly at greenlagirl@gmail.com.

Obamathon Man has been notoriously bike friendly in earlier posts. Looking for a little expertise to add gravitas to my bike posting, I contacted Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA, a group which advocates for bike friendly development, cyclist's rights, and livable streets. He was friendly and supportive of the trip my associate and I are taking, and even offered to meet up after we get back. Damien is something of a policy guru and will have plenty to say on what effect Obama and his transportation secretary Ray LaHood will have on bike policy nationwide. Unfortunately, LaHood looks to be one of Obama's more questionable appointees. But at least my hometown has approved Measure R, a sales tax which funds more buses and new subways in LA. Ironically, some bike enthusiasts have opposed measure R because it doesn't allocate enough money to bikes; I disagree because I think bikes and transit have a symbiotic relationship. The subway is going to be finished when I get back, right guys?

Denver on One to Two Wheels

Obamathon Man has always been a big fan of bicycle commuting; it's clean, energy efficient, and not space-intensive the way cars are. However, it seems the citizens of Denver are not only fans of bicycling, but also unicycling: while hiking up a mountain, my associate and I saw a unicyclist pedaling down the other way. Such is the way of mountain-folk, I guess.

While one-wheeled riders may still be in the minority here, parts of Denver are blossoming with bicycles - particularly the area near and directly south of the Capital. Bike lock areas are seldom empty and often filled with trendy fixed gear bikes. Denver has a pretty good reputation for bike-friendliness, garnering praise from bike advocates back home as well as the extremely bike-conscious citizens in the Northwest. However, there is still room for improvement. Denver has completed a bike master plan, which hopefully will help usher in an era of even greater bike friendliness.

It has been pretty warm here (above freezing), and if this weather holds I may just have to try biking Denver for myself. But if we do get hit by a blizzard, it will be interesting to see if our unicyclist friend can still make it down the mountain when it's covered in snow.