snugly to the bike's frame. A rugged but light-weight multipurpose carrying bag is equally needed and should be as common an accessory as a bell or rear carrier. The design and marketing techniques for bike-transit m~tchmaking is material for another article. What follows, in.the interim, are a few tips for "bike transit maneuvers." Catching the Bus Greyhound will can:y bicycles as checked baggage provided they are ' carried in "wood, leather, canvas, or substantial carrying case, which does not exceed 8" x 32"' x 60" and which is securely roped, strapped, tied, or otherwise fastene~." Greyhound accepts a bicycle as part of the regular baggage allowance of two checked pieces per person. To ship a bicycle as package express, it must be similarly enclosed so that the sum.of the extreme measurements of length, width and height is 141" or less, with the longest measurement 60" 1or less. Trailways and the Canadian Voyageur .line policies are pretty much identical to Greyhound's, 'which makes the subject of a suitable bike bag an important one. Mail Your'Bike Probably the cheapest and simplest method of shipping a bicycle long distance is by United Parcel or Federal Express, if you-don't mind dismantling your bike to fit into a carton measuring 108 ·inches combined length and girth, or 100 inches combined for Parcel Post. U_PS, for example, will-ship a 30 lb. bicycle from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Burlington, Vermont, for $4.86, a fee which includes $100 worth of insurance. The Airlines Eastern, Delta, United and National-provide bicy<;le boxes at no charge. American charges $3.50 for a box or poly bag. Like the bus lines, the airlines require that a bicycle be checked in a suitable package with the wheel(s) removed, the handlebars turned an~ the pedals reversed. Occasionally they'll accept an unpackaged bicycle, contrary to policy. As a.rule, it's a go9d idea·to let the air out of your tires to prevent a blow-out at high altitudes. While most airlines are accommodating, a nu111ber of domestic airlines now charge a $12 bicycle fee, so it's worth calling in advance and patronizing the airline that tries hardest! By Boat Probably one of the nicest connections a bike traveler can make is by boat or ferry. The Vancouver Sea Bus on weekends ahd the Staten Island Ferry any time of day are two outstanding urban connections for touring as well as ~ommuting cyclists. There are·hundreds more, and cyclists can usually make the connections without much diHiculty. • Getting a Lift . Hitchhiking with a bicycle is always possible and sometimes very necessary. One way to do it, if you need a ride in a hurry, is to hold up your front wheel. In Europe this is a familiar signal used by cyclists wanting a ride up a mountain·, and it could catch on quic~ly in • the U.S., with a little roadside practice! A cyclist holding up a front wheel tells a motorist that there's a problem: a flat tire, a departing ferry, an appro1ching thunderstorm, road construction, mountains..... In most cases a moto,rist will stop, particularly truck drivers or cars with empty trunks or a rear bike rack. Train Your Bike In the U.S., "training" your bike isn't easy. Amtrak requires that cyclists _dismantle and box their own bicycles, using their own tools and tape, with the weight of a boxed bicycle not to exceed 75 lbs.. Boxes are theor,etically available at ~ost Amtrak stations for $4. When they're not, and you haven't a box of your own, you're out of luck. Feeling boxed in? • . • Travelers in Canada and Mexico have it easier since the bicycle policy for both VIA Rail (the National Canadian Railways) and the National Railways of Mexico is to carry bicycles on all trains with baggage cars at no extra charge. Cyclists should check in advance on the avaifability of baggage cars. • John Dowlin is secretary of the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition, a cycling activist organization. For further information contact GPBC at P.O. Box 8194, Philadelphia, PA 19101. Denmark, direct action at the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, and the SUEDE (Solar Utilization, Economic Development and Employment) program in action in three • New England counties. -( RESOURCES ] sources listed are organizations, half are printed materials. Housing Resources lists 125organizations and published resources in self-help housing, housing'and neighborhood rehabilitation and reinvestment, urban homesteading, cooperative housing, and intentional communities. It also covers succe~sful community programs for saving and recycling existing housing stock, lowincome programs, government-sponsored programs, technical assistance·groups, national networking organizations, general community economic development, and housing design alternatives. You'll also find some old st~ndbys , kmong the listings: "Lovejoy's Nuclear War," on Sam Lovejoy's tower toppling and trial; "The Last Resort," on the birth and growth of the Clamshell Alliance; and a film on the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. One of the mor~ curious is a re- , cently acquired Danish film, "The Santa Claus Action" .(1975). It's a true tale of the ' Christmasmen, an army of 75 "Santa Clauses" who descend upon modern Co- .penhagen for a week of visits, gifts and . dramatic street theater aimed at helping the pbor and unemployed. It contains a scene , of the Santas being arrested and dragged off by the police while wide-eyed c_!lildren gawk in disbelief! Order, rental, sale and other pertinent information included here make ''Save the Planet" a useful resource and organizing tool.-MR Self-Help Health Resources (CEP report #65), 1980, 18 pp., $1.60 Housing: Self-Help and Reinvestment Resources (CEP report #66), 1980, 22 pp., $1.80 Alternative Education Resources (CEP report #67), 1980, 10 pp., $1.15 prepayment required for..all, available from: Citizens' Energy Project 1110-6th Street N:w., #300 Washington, DC 20001 202/387-8998 1 Jan Simps_on has compiled three more resource guides to add to the excellent Citizens' Energy Project collection. Self-Help • Health Resources emphasizes wellness and self-care, with resources on holistic health, women, maternity and chjldren's health and nutrition. About half of the 140 reAlternative Education Resources concentrates on alternative and ·community. schools, home study, experiential learning and adult education. It include.s parentorganized schools~net'Yorking organizations, .technical assistance groups, newsletters and books; , Clearly, this is a valuable collection for organizers, researchers _and librarians. -MR
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