I was photographed and interviewed for a Times Union article, which you can read here.
Over on EcoVelo, Alan has a really nice little article about thinking about bicycling as more than a sport.
Like most people in the U.S., I spent a good portion of my adult life thinking of bicycling as a sport. Even during a long period when I rode my bicycle to work everyday, I was concerned with things like personal bests, total miles logged, and target heart rates… Somewhere along the way, I went through a mental shift that resulted in my viewing the bicycle primarily as a tool for transportation.
Definitely good stuff.
Rochester Cycling Alliance : Rochester Bike Week 2010
The Rochester Cycling Alliance (RCA) was formed in September, 2009 to advocate for better bicycling infrastructure and a stronger voice for cyclists in Rochester and Monroe County, NY. The calendar of Bike Week events at the RCA site; www.rochestercyclingalliance.org
A 10 year old boy was riding his bike without a helmet in my neighborhood. He ran a red light and hit a car. And died. Please stop running red lights. Please, please please.
Information about our aptly timed Ride of Silence is here.
I scanned this from the Spring 2009 magazine Geico sends it’s members.
Like Ethan, I went to see the movie Veer at the Madison Theater last night. I went to the late show, and was impressed at the size of the crowd coming out of the early show – particularly on a rainy Thursday night. I recognized most of the folks, but there were also some new faces, which was cool.
Also impressive was the organized presence of the Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC) at the event. I was greeted by a volunteer named Rohan when I arrived. He had stickers, copies of magazines from one of the sponsors, Urban Velo, and sign-up sheets to collect data about the attendees for future recruitment by the ABC.
I thought the movie itself was fun and often inspiring. I’m not sure it’s a great recruiting tool for people looking to attract “just plain bike riders,” given that it focuses on the cycling counterculture of Portland, Oregon, much more than on everyday commuting cyclists. That’s not really a negative, though, because I don’t think the film’s focus is on recruiting. To me, it was a snapshot of the cycling scene in one place at one time. As such a snapshot, I think the filmmakers did a fine job capturing the freewheeling, adventurous and confident spirit of Portland cyclists.
The film also spends some time on the process of lobbying for passage of a new bike law increasing the penalties for reckless drivers who injure or kill vulnerable road users. This footage is split up throughout the film. It’s great to see an organized, professional approach to bike lobbying, even though there’s not much substance to the lobbying segments. For example, there’s no detail on the crafting of the legislation or on exactly how the lobbying occurs. Once again, though, I think that’s probably beyond the scope of the film.
One part of Veer that I wondered about was the amount of time spent on ZooBombing, in which cyclists ride mini-bikes downhill as fast as they can, starting at the top of a hill near the Portland Zoo. Some of the ZooBombing footage is interspersed with an interview with a local police officer. He’s made to look fairly ridiculous as he describes the ZooBombers’ violations of traffic laws in their downhill races. I don’t know, though. From what I could see in the movie (and that’s the sum total of my knowledge about ZooBombing), it looked like the cyclists were flagrantly and dangerously violating the law – riding with few if any lights at night through stop signs in residential neighborhoods. In most debates between law enforcement and cyclists, my experience has been that law enforcement tends to be ill-informed or unconcerned about cyclists’ rights. In this case, though, it’s hard to fault a cop who thinks ZooBombing is dangerous. And it’s odd that the cycling advocates in the film never acknowledge that. (I’d love to hear your opinions in the comments section.)
On the whole, I enjoyed Veer. I found parts of it inspiring, such as the various bike advocacy and training programs for kids and adults. It was also fun to watch people just enjoying a cycling lifestyle. And above all, kudos to Bob from Liberty On Bikes! for bringing it to us, and for everything he’s doing to make Albany a better place for cyclists.
Once again, a bicyclist beat a car and a bus commuter in the Albany commuter contest. The story and photos are at All Over Albany.
(Thanks for Claire Nolan for the link!)
Many thanks to Bob for getting us an exclusive showing of Veer.
Veer is a documentary about the Portland, Oregon, bike scene. It is large and multifaceted. They follow a couple of groups around, from the DIY bike repair shops, to the lobbyists, to the synchronized mini-bike dancers, to the bike chariot racers. There’s a lot, so it’s worth seeing, whether you ride your bike or not.
I think people in Oregon are perhaps too interested in riding mini-bikes (kids bikes) and tall bikes. But at least they’re having fun. And that’s what I think is important. The majority of this documentary is about people having fun on bikes and changing what riding a bike means. They talk about how it’s not just about fitness or transportation anymore.
If Veer is meant to be inspirational and make you think about the bike community in your city, I think it sets the bar unreasonably high. Portland has been building their bicycle community for decades. I didn’t see anyone in that documentary whining about being passed too closely by a car, or crying about a lack of bike lanes. In fact, one guy got a ticket for breaking traffic laws and actually shook the officer’s hand. Cyclists in Portland are responsible riders. In Albany, we’re still struggling to get people (drivers and cyclists alike) to recognize that bikes belong in the streets.
It’s Bike To Work Day / My political statement / Is to wear a tie
Cyclelicious has a quick write up to help you out this Friday, which is Bike To Work Day. He writes:
I would also like to add: smile.
