Got a lot of laughs out of this, this morning.
We’re looking at some wonderful weather this week. Be nice, ride your bike, ring your bell.
A commuter’s perspective on bike lanes in the city of Albany.
I think this picture pretty much sums it up.
This was taken a few weeks ago on Clinton Ave, headed up hill. This is one of the “new” bike lanes they put down in the fall of last year. The paint is pretty messed up and cars use it like a right turn lane.
The other “new” bike lane they put down, the sharrows on Washington Ave, was covered by snow most of the winter.
I appreciate the new riding spaces. I use them daily. I think Albany could do a lot to make the city more bike friendly by clearing/cleaning the WHOLE street, from curb to curb. If half of the sharrow paint is covered by snow, it’s not helping anyone to have put it there. If the bike lane is filled with broken glasses and potholes, it’s not helping anyone to have put it there. If the WHOLE street, curb to curb, was clean, you could actually ride in the street- whether there were marked lanes or not.
Word is they intend to make more bike lanes. Which is a great thing. But if they aren’t going to be kept clean and clear, this is going to be an ineffective gesture. If the lanes become invisible due to paint loss after a few months, this will be a complete waste of time. Please Albany, let’s do this right.
Hot word on the streets is that directions from Google Maps can now be tailored for bicycling, in addition to walking, public transport, and car. So I checked it out.
It’s directions for my morning commute take me down Lark. Which is interesting since Lark has all those annoying cobblestone intersections. And buses. So I’m not 100% sold on it.
But this is a step in the right direction. Thank you, Google!
(Also thanks to Commute By Bike and Cyclelicious)
This isn’t strictly a bicycling story, but I think it’s a smart way to get more folks out of their cars and onto buses, and to make life a little easier for people who always ride the bus.
Price Chopper AdvantEdge now benefits those who take bus
ALBANY — Participants in Price Chopper’s AdvantEdge customer loyalty program will now find it costs less to take the bus.
Officials from Price Chopper’s owner, the Golub Corp., and from the Capital District Transportation Authority said this morning that the discounts offered on purchases of Sunoco gasoline will now be offered to purchasers of CDTA prepaid bus passes as well.
For every $50 spent on groceries, participants will get $2 off the price of a prepaid pass. The discount is offered on 10-ride, 31-day rolling, and STAR Swiper cards.
“We think it’s the first such arrangement in the country … where a regional supermarket partners with a regional transit authority” to promote taking the bus, said CDTA Executive Director Carm Basile. “Price Chopper has put riding buses on the same level playing field as driving your car.”
…and really for most of 2009, too, but who’s counting?
From today’s Times Union newspaper in Albany:
Q: Will there be any provision for bicyclists on the new Route 7 bridge crossing Interstate 87? Unfortunately, I already suspect that there will be none as in many of the recent upgrades. If not, then my next question is how would cyclists cross Interstate 87?
Finally, I understand that DOT holds a number of planning meetings and presentations to the public for upcoming projects. How would the general public and bicycle advocacy groups be aware of these meetings ahead of time?
– Rob Russell, Delmar
A: Good news. Bicyclists and pedestrians were indeed taken into account in preparing for the new bridge, said Peter Van Keuren, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.
And you can learn more about it this very night. A public open house will be held at 6 p.m. today at Forts Ferry Elementary School, 95 Forts Ferry Road in Latham.
“As with most of our projects, we look closely at existing pedestrian and bicycle operations and accommodations to discern if improvements are needed,” Van Keuren said. The exception, of course, is on interstate roads where walking and biking are not allowed.
In designing the new Northway Exit 6, he said, accommodating walkers and bicyclists was a high priority.
Part of one of the gifts I got for Christmas was a copy of Boneshaker: A Bicycling Almanac. It was a joy to read.
It begins with the following, from the editors:
“Bicycling, not bicycles, because it’s an action and a purpose and a way to move and move and move.”
It goes on to be filled with lots of little short pieces. Interviews, poetry, book reviews, an advice column, thoughts one commuting by bike down south, and some excerpts from touring cyclists.
It’s a little book, it fits in your pocket so you can take it anyway. It’s rugged. It’s printed in elegant type. Highly enjoyable.
Survived another ride home in the snow, so I thought I’d offer some “tips.”
Before:
Waterproof. Lights. Don’t over-layer or you’ll sweat inside. Do not let drivers psyche you out.
During:
Go slow. Take it easy. This is not a race. Focus on keeping your bike straight and your breathing even.
Don’t be afraid to take the lane. In fact, take the lane. Trying to ride in the crap at the side of the street is often dangerous. You’re better off holding up the cars behind you.
Pull over every once in a while. This lets the cars get on their way (which, admittedly, it often not very much faster than you were going anyway). More importantly, it gives you a chance to catch your breath, shake the snow off yourself, and appreciate the winter.
Signal your turns. You do that anyway, right?
Be aware of (lazy) drivers who do not clear the snow from their cars. Many of them cannot see out their snow covered windows and will not see you. This applies to cars already on the road, but also cars pulling out of parking spaces. Refrain from yelling into their open windows as you pass by- you need to stay focused on the street ahead of you.
Side streets that don’t see a lot of traffic are nice because there are not a lot of cars on them. But they don’t get plowed as quickly, either.
After:
Get the snow off your bike. A rag is a good thing. Take a hot shower.
This looks heavenly. I’d definitely like to do some sort of tweed ride and pizza run this spring/summer. I need to get myself a nice tweed jacket. (Yard sale season is coming.)
Riding home through the “snow.”
First, let me say that I did not have my studded tires on. I will blame the weather people for that. For weeks they’ve been saying “omg blizzard we’re all going to die” and I’ll put on my snow tires. And then it won’t snow. At all. And then I have to take the tires off again. Which means I’ve wasted two hours of my life because somebody on tv lied to me. Sigh. So this time I called their bluff and did not put my snow tires on. More on this later.
I did have waterproof clothes and a ton of lights.
So we start from the bottom of Orange Street, which wasn’t bad. It was less than an inch of snow, really. After a block I turn right and climb a steep but short hill that is all snow. My back tire is slipping but I keep it upright and make it to the top to wait for the light. Studded tires would’ve been nice here, but the hill was short so…
The light turns green and I go left up Clinton. The conditions here are slush-tacular. The bike lane is at least visible, if not clear, and I easily pedal my way up the hill. At one point I think to myself “all you haters can eat my slushy wake” and then remind myself to breathe and pay attention.
I take a left on Lake, which is pretty clear. I cross Central and then take a right on Brandon. Brandon is a little one way street with no traffic. I go two blocks in peace, slowly cruising through the coating of snow and trying to enjoy what winter there is.
Left on Ontario. I have to pull over to let a bunch of cars by. No biggie. The first part of Ontario is a mess, in my opinion. It looked like they plowed it, but all they had really done with turn snow and slush into a layer of ice. I wasn’t having any problem with it, taking it slow and steady, keeping my bike straight and moving forward without any sudden movements. Cars, on the other hand, were not having as good a time as I was. Tires spinning all over the place.
The second part of Ontario, which would be after Madison, had some nice wide patches of fresh snow, so I stuck to that. Downhill past the Playdium, slowly, letting the hurried drivers go do whatever it is they’re in such a hurry to do.
Right on New Scotland I pick up a set of tire tracks. This is like one cyclist unintentionally leaving a long greeting in the snow. New Scotland is pretty heavily trafficked so it was clear enough. I took a left near Sycamore, and so did the tire tracks I was following. Those were some skinny tires.
My neighbor said “doesn’t matter what the weather is, you’re on your bike.” I replied, “hell yeah. This is the most fun I’ve had in a week.” And then I banked up the driveway. Strangely enough, the driveway had 3 inches of fresh powder in it.
A really enjoyable ride. There were only two or three spots I thought my studded tires would’ve been nice, but I didn’t regret calling the Weather Channel’s bluff this time. It was also nice to have an excuse to ride slowly, and just enjoy riding my bike, and enjoy winter.
Today, with gray skies and whatever it is they are passing off as snow, I am thinking about this.
It’s actually snowing in Albany. Did you ride your bike today? I did.
I’m a big fan of pandas. Not the bear that eats the least nutritious kind of bamboo it can find and will not breed to save it’s species. Panda portraits. The Flickr group says
Why are these called “pandas?” Well, ya see, there’s this rad chick who goes by the name faster panda kill kill. She takes rad self-portraits while riding her bike. They are so rad, in fact, that a group was formed to record similar self-portraits cuz, really, just about anyone who has a camera and rides bikes also takes these self-portraits.
Here are some examples
Here are some, done by other people, that I really like
Check out the Flickr group, get out your camera, and have some fun!
A prospective Xtracycle buyer asked the following on the Roots Radicals group (an email list of Xtracycle owners & fellow travellers):
So I’ve got a bike and I’m thinking of getting the Free Radical extension. I’ve got a seven year old and other kid-carrying options aren’t working that great (outgrew the trailer, trail-a-bike is awfully shaky). This xtracycle thing seems like a pretty great solution. However, I only have the kid and/or cargo about half the time. Is it easy to take off the long tail and make it a regular bike and then back again when you need it? Do you just ride the long tail with nothing in it? Do you have two bikes? — Karen
The responses are great (read them here) — and all in favor of just riding the X all the time. I agree. Well, maybe I’ll do this year’s Livestrong Challenge on something else…
The Albany Times Union newspaper ran this piece today:
Online sleuthing reunites stolen bike and owner
By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
Last updated: 1:46 p.m., Friday, January 29, 2010ALBANY — By rights, Wesley Leubner’s mountain bike should have been gone for good.
Stolen when his Hudson Avenue apartment was burglarized 18 months ago, the $1,200 Cannondale F600 could have been anywhere by now.
“For six months he was scouring all the want ads,” said Detective James Miller, a police spokesman. The 24-year-old former college student’s exhaustive search of local bike shops yielded only similar disappointment.
But then — in further testament to the ubiquitousness of Craigslist — there it was this week, in all its mango orange glory, for sale at the deeply discounted price of $250.
So the other day I roll up the driveway, home from work, and prop The Bastard Son of The Frost Giant King against the garage while I turn off the lights. This guy comes up the driveway on foot asking if I have a minute. High on endorphins, I say “sure.”
He’s from the cable company. I tell him we don’t watch much tv and he can understand that doubling what we pay for cable doesn’t make a lot of sense. Then he says, “one more question, where do I go to get a real man’s bike?”
To be honest, the first thing I thought of was something you’d see bombing around London in the 1920s. But I guess that’s just me. I must’ve looked confused, so he explained, “you know, you go to Toys R Us and they have ladies bikes and kids bikes. Where do I get a real man’s bike?”
Ah.
We had some conversation about getting what you pay for. I explained that I paid $500 for my bike when it was new, which may sound like a lot of money to someone who buys a bike at Toys R Us, but I’ve had it for almost a decade. It’s my winter commuter and I put it through hell. It’s worth buying a real bike.
I told him to go to Downtube, because that’s my local bike shop and I’m loyal. I also told him about Klarsfeld’s way up Central. He knew where they were, but it had never occurred to him to go there. I said, “yeah, if you go to a real bike shop, you’ll get a real bike.” He laughed and said thanks.
A week later, I still feel good about helping someone who wanted a good bike.
Bike Shop Girl has some great goals for this year. I’ve decided to take her list and tell you what I’m doing about each (today, if not recently).
Learn how to properly lock your bike
Pretty sure I’m on top of this. I have a u-lock and I make an effort to lock both my rear tire AND the frame to something secure.
Start a Commuter Challenge
Sorry to say, probably not going to happen. Although, when Bike To Work Day comes around, we’ll see what happens.
Motivate a co-worker to commute by bike
A guy I work with just bought a single-speed and is looking forward to commuting. If I’m allowed to say so, he’s a little jealous of me.
Join your local advocacy group
What local advocacy group?
Take photos to inspire others and yourself
Do this all the time and love it. A post on this topic is forthcoming.
Setup a commuter zone
That would be the back hallway of my apartment. It’s dirty and smells bad. ha hah.
Practice preventative maintenance
Seriously. I was supposed to check the tired pressure yesterday, but forgot. Will do it tonight. After this rain, the bike is also going to need a little wipe down.
Invest in your gear
Loving the waterproof stuff I got for Christmas. Have new panniers I can’t wait to try out. Lights, warm clothes, they are worth every penny.
Also in the news is this story about how Albany County purchased a stretch of unused railroad to convert it to a bike/etc trail.
The 9.3-mile stretch of the old Delaware & Hudson Railway right of way runs from the Port of Albany to Voorheesville.
Way to go, Albany!
Today’s Times Union newspaper published this story:
CDTA bike plan racks up fans
Authority begins initiative to place bicycle racks throughout Capital RegionBy ERIC ANDERSON BUSINESS EDITOR
First published in print: Friday, January 22, 2010ALBANY — Downtown Albany has perhaps a dozen bicycle racks. But a new effort by the Capital District Transportation Authority could make parking your bicycle far easier.
The CDTA, in conjunction with the Capital District Transportation Committee, is seeking to place bike racks throughout the Capital Region. The racks would be free to public and nonprofit sectors, while private sector businesses and employers would be eligible for a 50 percent subsidy.
“The Capital Region Bike Rack Program works hand in hand with the goals of public transportation: improving our quality of life and reducing single occupancy vehicle commutes,” said CDTA Chairman David Stackrow. “Businesses have the opportunity to expand their client base and improve customer satisfaction by providing close and convenient bicycle parking.”
