This year,SMART rail stations to have bike racks as service launches

Bicycle racks will be part of SMART rail stations when service begins later this year.

Last week the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit board of directors approved an additional 68 secure bike lockers and 42 bike racks. That is in addition to 100 — 10 per station — bike rack spaces that had already been programmed.

“Some of (the racks) are already installed at our stations,” said Bill Gamlen, SMART’s chief engineer.

The secured parking involves installing a box-like locker that holds up to four bikes. Access is electronically controlled by each user with a “BikeLink” card.

The plan calls for four of those spaces at the Marin Civic Center station and the downtown San Rafael station. In Novato, the Hamilton station would have four spaces, and the San Marin station would have eight spaces.

There will be 142 of the inverted bicycle U-racks and other rack spaces designed for short-term parking across the stations in Marin and Sonoma.

The plan met with approval from bike advocates.

Bjorn Griepenburg, policy and planning director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, thanked the board for “acknowledging the need for these baseline bike parking facilities at the start of service.”

Ridership forecasts estimate about 3,070 daily passengers and 300 on each weekend day. About 9 percent of peak commuters are expected to be bicyclists, according to SMART officials.

Adding more bike parking was important for bike advocates, who are waiting for an adjacent SMART pathway project to take form.

The pathway has been on shaky ground ever since voters passed a quarter-cent sales tax in Marin and Sonoma counties in November 2008 to fund SMART. The understanding was a complete 70-mile rail line and adjacent bike and pedestrian path would be built from Larkspur to Cloverdale.

In 2009, that plan collapsed under the weight of a poor economy, which weakened the sales tax base on which the system is fueled. SMART is forging ahead in phases, with an initial San Rafael to Santa Rosa segment, but some bike advocates feel the path needs more attention. SMART officials say they are working diligently to complete the pathway.

Rail officials will have some time to get bike parking readied. The start of SMART rail service was pushed back to spring due to a potential problem with train engines.

SMART officials had hoped to start service before 2016 ended, but the discovery of a design flaw with the crank shaft in the train engines will require all 14 SMART engines to be rebuilt by the manufacturer. That work will last until April.

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Laser Lamp For Bikes To Improve the Driving Safety At Night

Citi Bike rental service is is constantly improving its latest initiative. They are installing a laser lamp on bikes to enhance the driving safety at night.

Citi Bike is going to install a special laser lamp at the front of bikes and a special "bicycle" logo can be projected in front of the ride. So that roadside pedestrians, motorcycles, motor vehicles and other commuters can clearly aware of the existence of the bike.

This laser not only guarantees safety, but it’s also waterproof, rechargeable and USB-compatible, and can run for up to 13 hours. In addition, it has energy-saving mode optional. It is also a very intimate design, even wearing a thick gloves, you can also use it normally.

Research shows that nearly 80% of bicycle accidents happen when bicycles moving forward while other motor vehicle turning, which also shows the necessity that bike should remind other transport vehicles about its existence. After a period of statistical data, studies have found that the probability of a motorist seeing a rider increases by 30% at night after installing laser lamp. This is necessary to avoid possible accidents.

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Choosing the Right Kind of Bike Rack

There is no doubt that bike racks are very useful especially when you love biking and also love carrying your favorite bike along with you wherever you travel. Now, when you have to choose a particular type of bike rack for yourself you may get confused!

You won’t if you know the different types of bike racks that go best along with your vehicle. Normally you will get 4 types of bike racks that can be used for your bike. Once you know about them you can surely decide which will be best for you.

Roof Mounted Bike Racks

For bike storage and transportation, roof mounted bike racks are becoming popular. The racks are mounted on the car roof and whether it’s a SUV or estate you can use it for keeping your bikes while you travel. With a roof rack mounted on your car from before it becomes easier to use a roof mounted bike rack. You will also get some types that can be mounted without a car roof rack.

Only problem that comes with this rack is that your bicycle comes in contact with the elements. Sometimes debris or rocks on the road may damage the bicycle.

Hitch Bike Rack

Another choice for bike rack is hitching bike rack provides you have a hitch or a receiver to attach the bike rack. Those versions that are fixed properly with the back of the vehicles make your bike safe and secure. Those who are afraid of debris destroying their bikes, this type of bike rack prove to be very useful. Apart from that the downside of this type of bike rack is that you cannot enter the back side of the car easily if you do not have a swing style opening door.

Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

For short trips common type of bike rack used are racks mounted on the trunk. They are less costly among the different types available. The bikes will not be attacked by any debris and is good for those cars where there is no hitch. However, there is an issue with such bike rack. They are not very firm and hence they may bounce a bit. Even it may become difficult to access the trunk or the rear hatch.

Truck Bed Bike Rack

Sometimes when you get the option to drive a truck the best choice for bike racks is truck bed bike racks for transporting your bikes. As theses bike racks firmly get attached to the bed of the truck you do not have to worry about their safety. Sometimes if you are transporting your bikes from one place to another then using this type of racks are very useful. They won’t let your bikes get damaged as if you just throw them away there are chances that they may get damaged while in transit.

So, depending upon the situation you can choose any one type of rack that will help you carry your bike along with you safely. There are other choices too that may be tried depending upon the situation.

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China bike rack:Bike rack will be your best friend

As is known to all, popular now advocate environmental protection, many teenagers have begun to exercise or the boss, choose green travel!

Many people begin to ride to work or go out to play!Here you are worried about is that I lost my car?Now car little is several thousand, many tens of thousands, a car is very distressed.But don't worry, your good friend, with the help of bike racks when you are riding a bike to go out with parked the car in the shelf and then rest assured to play, come back after the car is still in situ, obediently waiting for you, think of this mood become cool and happy!

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Carry Your Bikes with You by Using Bike Racks

Love biking and cannot think of travelling somewhere without your bicycle? The ideal solution for you is bike racks. They are the ideal way through which you can easily transport your bike on your vehicle and carry it anywhere you want! Whether you are going with friends for camping or going to picnic with your kids, have a bike rack on your vehicle and carry your bike along with you. It’s that simple.

If you are worried that you will be losing space when you travel with a bike rack on your vehicle you can be ensured you will not. Why? These racks can be mounted on the roof of the vehicle or at the back of the vehicle. Thus, whether you have a saloon, hatchback, jeep or estate you can surely find a bike rack that will suit your need and fulfill your requirement.

They are of more use too!

If you are feeling that a bike rack can be used only for travelling one place to another then there is more surprise for you. There are many other purposes for which you can use a bike rack. It’s true that the purpose of using it will be always same that is a safe stand for your bikes, but they can be used even at your home!

Nowadays, when every inch of your home matters it is necessary that you plan out things in such way that you can save as much space as possible. Hence, by using a bike rack you can easily hang your bike and the aesthetic look of your bike won’t change much for that.

You can use the bike racks in different situations provided you know about the different types of bike racks available in the market.

Different types of bike racks

There are many types of bike rack available that are designed by the companies so that people can fulfill their purpose. Let’s find out some of them that are more popular.

Wall mount bike racks: these are individual bicycles racks that are mounted on the walls and can be useful in schools or at home. They are easy to assemble and then use. Normally bolts are used so that the racks are connected to the walls.

Vertical bike racks: these vertical bike racks are also mounted on the walls and can be used for indoor and outdoor purpose. They are mostly made up of steel and hence they are very sturdy.

Spare tire mount bike racks: they are best suited when you are travelling and do not have much space inside your car. They can be attached to your spare tire and then mount your bike on that to carry along with you.

Roof mounted bike racks: they are commonly used when travelling and with the help of these bike racks one can easily mount their bicycle on the roof of the car.

These are just few of the different types of bike racks available. When you need some for your place you can surely have a good choice as there are lot of options available.

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Choose the Best Bike Rack for Your Car

Although now it is age of modern cars and motor bikes, yet no one ignore the fact that they love cycling. Not only because it is fun to do cycling, but because it helps have you commuted short distance easily. You do not have to spend anything for its fuel. Your energy will be enough for using a bicycle for going to one place to another. Apart from that there is no need to mention that while you use a bicycle you are doing a lot of exercising.

The question that arises is if you are travelling to a mountain vacation or beach holiday and you want to carry your bicycle along with you can you do that?

Even if you are not a pro cyclist you must be aware of the fact that you can do that easily. With the help of bike racks installed at your vehicle with which you will be commuting to the distance place you will be able to carry your bike along with you. So, what are the different types of bike racks that will help you carry your bike along with you while you travel?

Roof top bike racks

If you are planning to travel with your family and there is not space available at the base of your car, then you can always opt out for a roof top bike rack. If there is a car rack install at the roof of your car then installing the roof top bike rack will be quite easy. If you do not have one then you can ask for help from the dealer who is selling you the bike rack.

Hitch bike racks

Another common type of bike rack is one that is installed at the car are hitch bike racks that will let you carry your bikes at the back of your car. Sometimes with a hitch bike rack you may face problem in opening and closing the back door. However, it is most convenient in other ways that your bike is not open to the damages that may happen if you use a roof top bike rack.

There are other types of bike racks too and you can look for them online. There you will be able to choose one that is quite useful for your purpose and comparing the cost of the bikes will also be easy.

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Bike Rack: The Welding Arc Stability

Welding is a kind of processing technology which make a permanent connection between the materials. Fusion welding is used most widely among a variety of welding methods. And the most important method of fusion welding is arc welding.

The main source of heat of arc welding is the arc generated between the electrode and the base material. People use arc to melt welding wire and base metal. There is bath on the base metal and it becomes welding line after cooling. The effect of arc on the arc welding is crucial as the main heat resource.

What is arc stability? It’s the extent that arc in the welding process to maintain a stable combustion without breaking arc, magnetic partial blown phenomenon. The stable arc has the advantages of stable smelting process, small variation of arc length and less short-circuit flying. The weld penetration depth, melting width and excess height are all suitable. The welding seam is beautiful and the welding quality is high. On the contrary, if the arc combustion instability, making the molten droplet transition when the phenomenon of serious irrigation, poor weld formation, welding seam shallow, as well as the formation of pores or slag defects, welding quality will be low. Factors affecting the stability of the arc includes power type and characteristics, welding current, welding voltage, electrode coating and flux composition, as well as partial magnetic arc blowing etc. The operator's proficiency and the cleanliness of the workpiece surface will also affect the arc stability.

How to improve the stability of welding arc in production?

1.For the welding method using AC power source, the arc stability problem is mainly the difficulty of arc re-ignites when the current crosses zero, and the stability of the arc can be improved by adding the pulse current or series inductance in the welding circuit.

2.The distance between the two welding wire affect the stability of the arc in double wire welding, so the two-wire spacing should be properly adjusted.

3.The addition of arc stabilizer in the welding wire increases the ionization degree of the arc space, and the charged particles are more likely to be generated, the arc stability can be improved.

Welding plays an important role in industrial production and modernization. It is very important to monitor welding quality. Arc stability is an important factor affecting welding quality. It is impractical to achieve the desired steady state of the arc, so the influence of other factors on the stability of the arc should be minimized to improve the welding quality.

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Maryland plans to add more bike cars to MARC commuter trains

Traveling with a bike from Baltimore to downtown Washington could become a lot easier next year for riders of Maryland’s MARC commuter trains.

The Maryland Transit Administration plans to install bike racks on its trains to allow daily commuters to take their two-wheel vehicles aboard. The goal, officials say, is to have at least one bike car on every train servicing the three MARC lines by the end of next year.

Officials say they want to provide a first- and last-mile solution to commuters and offer an alternative transportation option as more people in the greater Baltimore and Washington regions embrace cycling.

“We recognize that our train doesn’t pull off right to your doorstep or right to your work, so we want to give options to be able to get you to and from where you want to go,” MTA spokesman Ryan Nawrocki said.

MARC began testing the option on the Penn Line’s weekend service two years ago. Demand for bike racks grew quickly after the service was introduced in December 2014, and the MTA doubled the number of cars outfitted with bike racks in 2015, officials said. Now, all Penn Line weekend trains, which travel between Baltimore and Union Station, have the bike-car option.

“The next logical step is to have them on all trains even on the weekday,” said Erich Kolig, director of MARC Train and Commuter Bus Services.

State transportation officials say there is a growing demand from riders who want to take their bikes aboard trains and then ride to their ultimate destination. In introducing the service for daily commuters, MARC would be catching up on a national trend to provide bike carry-on options aboard rail cars.

A similar program is so popular in the San Francisco Bay area that the Caltrain commuter-rail system expanded bike capacity. Still, people get “bumped” because of limited bike space.

This year, Amtrak, in expanding its bike options, began to offer carry-on bike service on its Vermonter line, which operates daily between Washington and St. Albans, Vt., with stops including Philadelphia; New York; Hartford, Conn.; and Springfield, Mass.

Amtrak allows passengers to ride in designated cars equipped with bike racks. But the service requires a reservation and a $20 fee for the bike in addition to the ride fare. Riders using the service must arrive early at the station, board a bike car and remove the front wheel of the bike so it fits into the rack.

In the Washington area, Virginia Railway Express, with routes from the District to Spotsylvania and Manassas, allows riders to take full-size bikes only on specific trains and only on specific cars on those trains. VRE’s chief of staff said the agency doesn’t have plans to retrofit any of its cars for bikes at this time.

Bike advocates welcomed the expansion of bike racks aboard MARC, saying it is another step to better integrate the two modes of transit and facilitate multimodal travel. But they said that if the expanded bike program is to be successful for daily commutes, the key will be to have the bike-car option on all trains.

“Then it becomes a real transportation option,” said Greg Billing, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. If you ride in with your bike in the morning, there has to be a rack on any train going back, he said. If that option isn’t available, transporting a bike on the train doesn’t really work, he said.

Currently, bike riders are allowed to bring full-size bikes aboard the train and secure them in one of 23 racks. There is seating for 40 people in the bike car, according to MARC. There is no charge to use the bike racks, but they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

As the agency moves to expand the service, some bike advocates expect MARC’s biggest challenge will be to work with the jurisdictions it serves along its routes to try to make the areas around stations more bike-friendly.

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Bike racks bloom across city thanks to Wellness Coalition

HARLINGEN — Red, green and blue loops anchored in concrete are becoming a sight to see across the city.

The bike racks — eventually 100 will be installed — are being positioned outside businesses and municipal buildings and in parks gratis thanks to a donation from the Harlingen Wellness Coalition.

“Right now what we’re doing is different businesses around the city are asking us to install them,” Javier Mendez, parks and recreation director, said yesterday. “So what we’re looking at is a map just to make sure that we’re being as efficient with those as possible where we install them.”

The Harlingen Wellness Coalition promotes multi-modal transportation, health and wellness in the city and Cameron County. Its funding of the bike racks is derived from a grant from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation, Mendez said.

So far the colorful bike racks can be found outside City Hall, Carlito’s Wine House on Jackson Street, Lozano Plaza and Arroyo and Pendleton parks, among other spots. Around 90 of the racks are still available.

“Our installation costs are very minimal — it doesn’t take much,” said Jeff Lyssy, parks superintendent. “We go and drill out a couple holes and fasten them with anchors.”

“It takes the guys like 15 minutes to put them in,” Mendez added. “It’s real quick.”

The bike racks are loops of steel, stand about three feet high, and have cutouts of bicycles on the crossbeams of each side. Bike riders stand their bikes against one of the rack loops and affix a lock to secure the bicycle.

The Parks and Recreation Department applied for funding for the racks and the Wellness Coalition granted the request.

Mendez and other city officials have made it a mission to promote a healthy use of bicycles by making it easy for local residents as well as tourists.

Earlier this year, 10 Zagster commuter bikes were placed in locking racks at McKelvey Park and another four bikes are available at a station at the Regional Academic Health Center on the campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The Zagster bike-share program allows a user to download an app for a mobile phone, create an account and register a credit card. Then when a user wants to unlock a bike, he or she enters the code and receives a text with a number that unlocks the bike.