When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man’s convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man’s brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle. — Elizabeth West
All too often, motorists attempt to justify their poor treatment of bicyclists by blaming so-called “scofflaw bicyclists”, as if somehow it’s OK to mistreat a bicyclist simply because some other bicyclist disregarded the law at some point in the past. Even if there are hordes of outlaw bicyclists who disdain the law (this has certainly not been my experience), it would still not justify the poor treatment at the hands of motorists I occasionally experience and often hear about.
What I believe is really at work here is the fact that bicyclists are vulnerable and somewhat powerless when up against motorists, and that this inequity emboldens a few motorists to abuse bicyclists (and other motorists too) in a way they would never do if they came face-to-face with the same person outside of their vehicle. The anonymity of being inside a car causes some people to behave more aggressively than they would otherwise, and when up against a bicyclist who has very little ability to defend or retaliate, it’s just all too easy to mistreat the bicyclist. In my opinion, these are the underlying thought processes fueling the mistreatment of bicyclists by a handful of motorists, not the behavior of a small group of mysterious “scofflaw bicyclists” who are “ruining it for the rest of us”.
Bob Mionske summed it up for me when he said, “If every cyclist obeyed every traffic law, do you think we’d have harmony? No. Look at how motorists treat each other.”
According to an article in yesterday’s New York Post, starting this spring, approximately 225 parking meters in New York City will be converted to bike racks. The new bike racks will replace every third or fourth parking meter.
The other day, we briefly reported on the Shimano Alfine 11 internal gear hub. Now there’s a full review on this exciting hub at road.cc. Of particular note is the fact that the 11 is a new design from the ground up, and it will, in fact, live in an oil bath like the Rohloff. The days of stripping and greasing are over. With this new hub you’ll simply draw out the old oil with a special syringe, and pump in the new oil with the same tool. Shimano says the service interval with the Alfine 11 will be three times as long as with the Alfine 8. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these puppies; unfortunately it’s likely to be no sooner than 2011.
Please welcome our newest sponsor, Joe Bike. Joe Bike has been supplying Portlanders with practical bikes for cargo hauling, commuting, and getting around the city since 2008. From the Joe Bike website:
Joe Bike is here to help you live better by biking more and driving less. Whether you’re carrying kids, cargo, groceries, or all of the above, our lineup is designed to get you there with a smile, a stronger body, and a healthier world. The revolution will not be motorized!
Up until a few years ago, we rode predominately for fun, entertainment, and exercise. Typically, we’d go for long rides in the country or load the bikes in the van and drive to a riding destination outside of the city. We did very little riding to replace car trips.
Now we ride predominately for transportation. We use our bikes for commuting, shopping, and general errands around town. We still own one car, but bikes play a much more important role in our lives than they have in the past.
There are a couple of unexpected benefits that came out of changing how we use bikes. One is that we actually put in more annual miles now than we did when we rode solely for sport. Our typical rides are shorter, but we ride more frequently, sometimes getting on the bikes numerous times throughout the day. The second is that we actually enjoy riding more now than we did when we were riding only for “fun”. This is probably the most unexpected result of changing our focus. Now, riding is fully integrated into our lives and there is absolutely no competitive or sporting aspect to it. This change of emphasis and attitude has made our time on the bikes more relaxed and social, which in turn has made it more enjoyable.
We’d be curious to know how you approach bicycling. Do you ride only for transportation? Do you also ride for sport, participating in organized rides and/or races? What kind of mix works best for you, and what type of riding do you enjoy the most? Feel free to elaborate in the comment area below.
We’re in the process of consolidating our Facebook presence onto a single page. If you’re on Facebook and you’d like to track our updates from within your Facebook News Feed, visit the following page and join us!
Our good friends over at Sacramento Tweed are hosting a pre-Tweed Ride event featuring Nan Eastep of B. Spoke Tailor and Lorena Beightler of Sac Cycle Chic. From Sacramento Tweed:
Still wondering what to wear to the next ride? Need to bounce some ideas off some tweed-y oriented fashionistas? Then we’ve got something for you!
Nan Eastep of B. Spoke Tailor is coming to town! Along with Lorena Beightler of SacCycleChic, Nan will be at Hot Italian on Sunday, the 21st of February from 12 noon to 4pm to show you her clothing line, take measurements, and discuss how to make your Tweed Ride wardrobe better than ever!
So come on in, grab a beer and/or a pizza, look at some great clothing, and get inspired for the next ride on… March 28th!
This is a good looking new pedal from Brev.M. They’re still prototyping, but this may end up being a nice, lightweight alternative to the MKS Touring for those who love old style platforms but wouldn’t mind saving a few grams. From the Brev.M website:
Here’s some photos of a prototype pedal we’ve been working on. This isn’t the final version, but it’s getting real close. So far it’s about the same dimensions as an MKS pedal just a lot thinner and a lot lighter. Each pedal only weighs 3.6 oz! That’s half the weight of an MKS pedal and they’re sealed. These pedals are extruded and CNC’d to exact tolerances. We’re pretty excited about them and have been riding them to make sure they work and feel right. Stay tuned for updates on the final version.
I’m a big fan of bike lockers (aka boxes). They’re secure, they hide your bike from view, and they protect your bike (and other belongings) from the elements. Usually they’re grouped together in busy public areas, so they’re unlikely to get broken into. And since a potential thief can’t see inside the box, there’s no way to know what type of bike is in there, or even if there’s a bike in the locker at all.
I feel a little guilty because I just obtained a second bike locker, so now I have one on both ends of the train portion of my multi-modal commute. I wouldn’t have been so greedy, but according to the City, there are approximately 10 bike lockers in the area near my work that are sitting unused. It’s hard to believe this resource is not being taken advantage of.
If bike storage is an issue for you, you might consider checking with your local transportation department to see if they have a bike locker program. I get the feeling that these programs may not be well publicized (they certainly aren’t in my city), and I suspect that many people aren’t even aware they exist.
In October of last year, the Cadbury company sent 5,000 bicycles to Ghana as part of their Cadbury Cocoa Partnership. The project, called the “Cadbury Bicycle Factory”, raised funds through the sale of Cadbury products in Canada.
“We have been rooted in the African community for over 100 years and today we are as committed as ever to give access to everyday social and economic services we take for granted,” says Luisa Girotto, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Cadbury North America. “In Africa, a bicycle can mean access to clean water, medical care and education. Through The Bicycle Factory program we can improve overall mobility and therefore livelihood and we know Canadians will be empowered to help us realize our goal.”
Tobie from North Central Cyclery sent me this photo of wheat grass growing in the front rack of their Civia Loring. Tobie explained, “We’ve been planting wheatgrass everywhere so we can see grass grow all winter. It’s a good reminder that spring is on the way.” I should say so!
The German website Aktiv Radfahren is reporting on an 11-speed Shimano Alfine internal gear hub and matching Rapid Fire shifter. Specs are listed as follows:
Gear range: 409%
Weight: approximately 1600 grams
Oil lube gearbox (yes!)
Silver only (initially)
Price: approximately 300 Euro
Due out September 2010
This is all very preliminary and I can’t confirm the details, but so far this hub looks very interesting!
A new study just out from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reports that bicycling contributes $1.5 billion annually to the state’s economy. From the press release:
Recreational bicycling is among Wisconsin’s top outdoor activities in terms of economic impact, and increasing bicycling has the potential to deliver impressive health benefits and savings, according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The report, produced by the CHANGE program of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, estimates that the economic impact of recreational bicycling in the state exceeds $924 million. Of this amount, $533 million is annual direct spending while an additional $391 million is due to indirect and induced effects, such increased purchases of supplies and labor by restaurants and hotels serving cyclists. These indirect and induced impacts may also occur on an annual basis or may extend over a longer time-frame.
Combined with previous estimates of the state’s bicycle manufacturing, sales, and services industry, this means bicycling generates more than $1.5 billion a year in total economic impact, according to the report. By comparison, deer hunting in the state generates $926 million, according to the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. And in a 2001 report, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism estimated the impact of snowmobiling to be just under $250 million.
The New York Times recently published an article on the electric bike phenomenon. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, e-bikes are spreading like wildfire and they’re here to stay.
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition created City of Lights to better help and nurture our Latin cyclist brothers and sisters to ride safer and create a more bike friendly community.
What is City of Lights?
The objective of City of Lights is to increase working-class Latino immigrant bicyclists’ safety and empower them to educate and spread bicycle safety information and advocacy to their communities. We have given out bike lights and safety vests every Friday at the CARECEN center since April 2009. Helmets are to come soon. Additionally, we have done safety, maintenance, and legal rights workshops since June 2009.
A new study out from the Natural Resources Defense Council has linked “location efficiency”—a measure of the transportation costs in a given area—and mortgage foreclosure rates. From the report:
The study shows that factors such as neighborhood compactness, access to public transit, and rates of vehicle ownership are key to predicting mortgage performance and should be taken more seriously by mortgage underwriters, policymakers, and real estate developers. With transportation costs accounting for roughly 17 percent of the average American household’s income—and the ongoing foreclosure crisis still garnering much attention—the need for better land use planning and better lending practices has never been more clear. NRDC recommends changes both to planning-related policies and mortgage underwriting procedures that can reduce transportation costs and risk of foreclosure while offering significant environmental benefits.
The best way we know of to reduce transportation costs is to get out of a car and start riding a bike instead. Doing so saved us at least $7000-$8000 last year.
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