RocBike.com | The RocBike Review » Cycling Thoughts

State of the Lane

Ethan — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:34:28 +0000

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.

People For Bikes

Ethan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:14:06 +0000

This is great. I like the video. I like the message. People For Bikes: Why Do You Ride?

(via EcoVelo)

Boneshaker

Ethan — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:08:11 +0000

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.

Some Tips on Traffic and Snow

Ethan — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:18:44 +0000

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.

Pizza + Tweed

Ethan — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:52:59 +0000

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.)

The Most Fun I’ve Had In A Week

Ethan — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:29:15 +0000

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.

Handsome Devil

Ethan — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:42:11 +0000

Today, with gray skies and whatever it is they are passing off as snow, I am thinking about this.

Pandas

Ethan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:46:11 +0000

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!

Ten Things Dale Favier Learned in Six Months of Commuting By Bicycle

Ethan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:31:43 +0000

This is a good read. Funny and true. And I’ll second Jarred Walker’s favorite:

9) It’s just as fun as when you were a kid. You go zoom! and whoosh! You’re a sky creature, not a miserable earth-crawler. And you get to the end of your commute feeling invigorated and intensely alive.

Elvis

Jason Crane — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:39:49 +0000

‘Nuff said.

I got this photo from here based on a link from here.

A Real Man’s Bike

Ethan — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:32:55 +0000

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.

A bicycle built for two … lighter guys (Part 2)

Jason Crane — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:51:31 +0000

(Be sure to read Part 1 before you read this post. It may not help, but it probably won’t hurt.)

An elevation map of the completed portion of our ride.

It doesn’t look all that bad when you map out the elevation on the graph above. A few hundred feet of climbing, a couple 4% and 5% grades, but not too bad.

Oh wait, I forgot that there were 400+ pounds of Rotarians on one bike. That’s why it was so hard.

The plan was a simple one: Keep the gears low. Have the SAG wagon stop every couple miles and wait for us to pass. Take a break whenever necessary. Don’t fall of the bike, get crushed by a tractor trailer or keel over from the exertion. No problem, right?

We rode and climbed and rode and climbed. A few miles along, there was our SAG wagon. Pren gave us the mileage count (there was no computer on the bike) and we kept going. We had enough air in our lungs to chat most of the time, and we told each other about our careers, our families, and why we would never, ever, ever, ever, ever volunteer for anything at Rotary ever again. Ever. Really.

Bill and me, smiling through our tears.

You know how when you have a really nice bike seat that’s like a couch cushion and you’ve been riding it for years and then you switch to a hard bike seat with no cushy properties at all and your rear end really hurts? No? Well I do. The seat on the tandem was apparently an unpadded piece of steel, possibly studded with spikes. I neglected to wear padded cycling shorts under my clothes. I never do, because the seat on my Xtracycle is so comfortable that I could bike naked if I wasn’t afraid Marlin Perkins would be overhead in a helicopter with a dart gun.

This bike seat, though, would have been better suited to transporting prisoners during the Spanish Inquisition. A few miles on this thing and they’d be converting to Catholicism faster than you can say, “Fetch the comfy chair!” I could go only a couple miles at a time before I had to stand up and stretch my … um … whatever it is that stretches down there.

Bill, meanwhile, had seat issues of his own. His seat wasn’t actually screwed tightly onto the bike, and it was constantly shifting position, forcing Bill to hang on for dear life like a rodeo rider on a bucking bronco. To Bill’s credit, he never said a word about it. Hey wait a minute — he kept offering to switch seats. Biiiillllllll! (Picture me shaking my fist.)

Another few miles, more hills, Pren in the SAG wagon. Nine miles (halfway there), more hills, Pren in the SAG wagon. Twelve miles, more hills, no Pren, but he must be just up ahead. Thirteen miles, more hills … uh … where’s Pren, exactly? I’m sure we’ll see him over the next hill. Nope. Maybe the next one. Nope. Maybe–

What’s that noise?

At about 13 miles we heard a sharp metallic pinging sound, followed immediately by a rubbing sound. (Excuse all the technical language.) I don’t know about other physical activities, but those sounds usually don’t accompany successful cycling trips. We hopped off the bike to see what was what, but we didn’t spot anything. I thought it might be the rear brake, which I’d had to disconnect and then reconnect when we changed the tire at the gas station back in Part 1. Soon, though, Bill figured it out: We’d broken a spoke and the wheel was becoming less round than is ideal for a wheel. The rubbing sound was caused by the now elliptical wheel wobbling into the brake pads.

I don’t know how well you know Bill and I, but although we’re renowned for our looks, charm, virility and spring-fresh scents, we are not, apparently, known for our brains. “What the heck,” quoth we in beautiful harmony, “it’s only six more miles. And we’ve got no tools! And our SAG wagon is missing! Let’s do it!”

We were entering East Greenbush, which meant a long downhill into the town of Rensselaer before we crossed the Hudson River and reached Albany. Bill suggested we go slowly down the hill, using only the front brake and the gears to control our speed. I did my best. We made it gently down the first hill and up the next.

Well, we made it most of the way up the next hill. At about 14 miles into the trip, we heard, and I quote:

Hisssssssssssss…

I’m sure you’re way ahead of me here, but unless you’ve brought a snake on your bike ride, hissing ain’t great. The wheel, which had been rapidly deteriorating, finally got to the point where it pinched the tube, which popped, letting out the air in our rear tire.

We pulled into the first driveway we came to — a Burger King. We had no means of repairing the bike, and no SAG wagon. Even better, as I might have mentioned earlier, Bill didn’t have the cell phone number of the SAG wagon driver, so we had no way to contact him. Nor did we have any idea where he was. “Maybe he went on to the auction without us,” we thought.

We sat in a booth in the Burger King, where I put on a paper crown while we tried to figure out what to do next. I used Bill’s cell phone to call my wife, but she wasn’t home. While I was calling her, I noticed that the phone was nearly dead. Bill said he’d charged it fully before we left. We hadn’t reckoned on the cold, though, which must have sapped the battery. We probably had enough charge for one more phone call.

It was then that Bill remembered that he had the number for Wolfert’s Roost Country Club, where our fellow Rotarians were having lunch and the auction at that very moment. Also at the meeting was Greg, who had brought his pickup truck for the express purpose of delivering the tandem bike to the winning bidder after the auction. Bill called the Roost, the Roost found Greg, Greg found us, and all was well.

As we crammed into the cab of Greg’s truck, we inquired about the health and safety of our SAG wagon driver. “He’s in the buffet line at the Roost,” Greg said. Ah.

Within a few minutes we were at the club, where we entered to thundering applause. We auctioned off the bike (and many other items) to raise more than $5,000 for various international projects, including ShelterBox, clean water projects, and Rotary’s nearly complete effort to eradicate polio from the face of the planet.

In the days since our ride, Bill and I have received even more money than was pledged to us, which will enable the club to buy a third Shelter Box.

Richard, who won the bike, discovered that in addition to the broken spoke, we’d also bent the axle of the rear wheel. He had it repaired and all is well. He will now be tormenting his teenage daughter by making her ride tandem with him.

My rear end has recovered, and Bill and I are already planning our next adventure. It will probably involve bikes. And maybe weight loss. And definitely cushier seats.

A bicycle built for two … lighter guys (Part 1)

Jason Crane — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:17:15 +0000

First, some background points that will help make the story clearer:

I’m a member of Rotary, and specifically a member of the Rotary Club of Albany. I love Rotary, not least because being a Rotary exchange student in 1991-92 completely changed my life and led to most of what I’ve done since. I also appreciate the way my membership and activity in Rotary helps me have a positive impact in my own community and around the world.
Rotary is involved with an organization called ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide. It’s an incredible organization, and you should give them some money if you can, and maybe see if your workplace or school would be interested in sponsoring a box. Right now, they’re on the ground in Haiti providing immediate shelter:
This year, the Rotary Club of Albany gave approximately $2,400 to ShelterBox from the 2008 edition of our annual auction. That’s enough to buy 2.4 boxes.

And so, the story:

At a Rotary meeting several weeks ago, Charlotte, the president of our club, announced that she had a tandem bike to donate to the 2009 auction. The bike was used by two people during the Cycling The Erie Canal event. These two folks rode the tandem from Buffalo to Albany. When they got to Albany, Rotarians from my club were there to give all the riders rides to their hotels or to the train station. The tandem crew surprised the volunteers by donating their tandem bike for use at our auction. Cool, right?

So now this bike was at Charlotte’s house, and she didn’t have a way to get it the 16 miles to Albany. Either my fellow Rotarian Bill Corbett or I — I’m not sure who gets the blame — suggested that we should ride it. (You make recognize Bill’s name because he’s contributed to RocBike in the past.) I chimed in to say that we should be paid for doing so through charitable donations toward the auction proceeds. Everyone in the room agreed to pay us $16 each ($1/mile) if we rode the bike from Niverville to Albany. We agreed. It was on.

The auction was supposed to happen in December, but a blizzard ended up canceling our meeting, and we rescheduled for January 6. Bill and I met that morning at Wolfert’s Roost Country Club, where we hold our meetings. Another Rotarian gave us a ride to Niverville to get the bike. That person was also going to serve as our SAG wagon in case any problems occurred.

It’s at this point that I would like to make note of one difference between drivers and cyclists. Our club president, who drives from her house to the meeting, told us it was 16 miles. It’s actually 19.4 miles. That doesn’t mean much when you’re driving, but when you’re riding in 20-degree weather up big hills, those extra miles count. And no, 19.4 miles isn’t that far. Bill and I have both ridden farther than that on many occasions. (See here and here for the tale of my most recent long ride, which was also a fundraiser.) But it’s far enough, as you’ll see.

Our first mistake occurred in Charlotte’s kitchen. Pren, our SAG driver, got Bill’s phone number and put it in his cell phone. Then he asked Bill a question that would resonate later on: “Do you want my number?” Bill replied: “No, I’m not going to be calling you.” Foreshadowing, anyone?

Bill and me with the bike in the garage

We encountered the next problem as soon as we looked at the bike — the rear tire was flat. We already knew this, though, so Bill had brought a pump. As it turns out, this was the only useful item either of us had brought along. All of the other useful things that became necessary later on? Not so much.

Bill pumped up the tire, we said our goodbyes, handed over the life insurance paperwork, and prepared to ride to Albany. We got as far as the end of the driveway before the rear tire was flat again. Luckily, the donors of the bike had also donated two brand new tubes. So we got out our tire levers and–

Oh wait, we didn’t have any tire levers. Nor did we have a wrench to take the wheel off. As it turned out, neither did Charlotte or her husband Paul. Not to worry, though, down the road about a half-mile was a gas station. Off we went, pushing the bike. Surely, even in this day and age, a gas station would have a wrench or two, right?

Wrong. The gas station attendant had a screwdriver large enough for a sword fight, but no wrenches. As it turns out, though, the cycling gods were with us, because there in the gas station parking lot was a Snap-On Tools truck. Yes, a truck with every kind of wrench and useful implement known to man was parked at the out-of-the-way country gas station to which we happened to push the bike. Within a few minutes we had the tire changed and inflated and we were pedalling toward Albany.

It was cold that day. Very cold. And windy. Very windy. And I made what can only be classified as a rookie mistake. Having never ridden a tandem before, I told Bill that he could choose his seat — front or rear. He chose the back because, as it turns out, he’s not an idiot. He knew that it would be much nicer to have a very large guy blocking the wind for 20 miles than to be the windshield. (In his defense, he did offer to switch after several miles, but by that time I had warmed to the role and was enjoying being in front. That decision also saved me from the blame for … well, I’m getting ahead of the story.)

In the next installment: 400+ pounds is heavy … we climb and we climb … the SAG driver and the buffet line … axle me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies … we meet the Burger King and obtain his crown … and more!

READ PART 2

Bicycle clubs of old

Jason Crane — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:10:27 +0000

The New York Times ran a piece today on bicycle clubs of yore. Here’s the intro:

The Bittersweet History of Bike Clubs
By J. DAVID GOODMAN

Neither snow, nor sleet, nor bone-chilling cold can keep the members of New York’s assorted recreational bicycle clubs from the swift — or, often, leisurely — completion of their appointed rides around and out of the city. The New York Cycle Club, the Five Borough Bicycle Club and Fast and Fab, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender bike club, are some of those that lead outings and other events year round. And while none of these was around at the turn of the last century, each traces its lineage back to the ubiquitous clubs that dominated the earliest years of cycling.

In the 1880s and 1890s, growing middle-class participation in cycling lead to the formation of hundreds of clubs across the United States. The first to form was the Boston Bicycle Club, created on Feb. 11, 1878. The following February saw a club formed in Buffalo, and the first New York City club came in 1880, also in February (something about the cold seemed to drive riders to associate in those days, perhaps for the warmth of the pack).

Read the rest of the article.

Why I get off the couch

Julie — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:10:48 +0000

It’s not specific to cycling, but some RocBike readers may be interested in my post today at HandCraftedLife on reasons to get out and be active despite the weather.

You know what? They ride bikes in Copenhagen

Jason Crane — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:57:31 +0000

Democracy Now! is covering every day of the climate summit in Copenhagen. The segment below features Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Damon Moglen, who works on global warming for Greenpeace. I’m posting it here because midway through, Hickenlooper talks about bicycling in Copenhagen. He mentions that 30+% of the population commutes by bike now, and the city’s target is 50%.

Bicycle comedy

Jason Crane — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:06:37 +0000

Thanks to Utility Cycling for the link

Bicycles and civil disobedience

Jason Crane — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:59:20 +0000

The Guardian is featuring a story today by Peter Walker about the bicycle as the vehicle of civil disobedience. Here’s an excerpt:

So what is it that makes the bicycle and the demonstration such good companions? To me, there are two factors at play.

Firstly, if you’re in a group, there is something undeniably liberating about riding around a city surrounded by cyclists. I’ve never been on a Critical Mass ride, so going to Blackheath was a strange sensation – no longer a vulnerable solo rider lined up against the massed metal forces of the motorised traffic, I was part of an entity too big to ignore or shove unthinkingly into the kerb.

Second, if you’re a solo campaigner in an urban environment then the bike is the mode of transport most guaranteed to get you to your protest on time and – perhaps more important still – give you the best chance of slipping away from pursuing authorities. When I worked for another news organisation in Beijing I’d regularly pedal to meetings or protests, nipping down narrow lanes to shake off the unmarked police cars, which routinely trail foreign journalists in China.

On the benefits of being nice

Julie — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:05:08 +0000

There seems to be a lot of hostility in bike blogs these days. Everyone has an opinion about wearing helmets (or not), vehicular cycling (or not), bike trails (or not), and so much more. Having an opinion is a great thing; forcing it down others’ throats with vitriol is not.

I just have 2 things to say about all this. First, cycling is not an individual act; it is inherently social, simply by the fact that other people are using the trails/roads/sidewalks. I am both a driver and a cyclist. When a cyclist is biking erratically or is not visible in the dark, it affects me as a driver, by increasing my stress level as I am driving and trying to be safe. Further, if I were to hit that cyclist, it’s not just the cyclist who would be affected. I would be emotionally devastated. Our health care system would take another hit. My loved ones as well as the cyclist’s would be impacted. Insurance costs would go up. So, yes, individuals have the freedom to make choices about how they want to bike. But that freedom does not exist in a vacuum.

Second, could we be a little nicer to each other and to those with whom we share the transportation infrastructure? There’s a great post at EcoVelo to this point.

Read the comments too, where you’ll find, among others, this gem from the post’s author:

“The idea that acting courteously as opposed to confrontationally is somehow going to put us on a slippery slope leading to “laws demanding that all cyclists get out of their way” is a fallacy that has been used all too frequently to justify rude, aggressive riding tactics. What’s going to get us kicked off the roads is disregarding traffic laws, riding irresponsibly, and treating other road users as if we bicyclists operate under our own set of rules (see it too often). You are right, the car is “almighty”, but fighting its supremacy with a head-on frontal assault is not the answer in my opinion. I believe we need to build good will with the general public and politicians to gain the political capital necessary to instigate the infrastructure and policy changes that would make our roads (and trails) more attractive to new bicyclists, thus growing bicycling to the extent we’re all hoping for. In my opinion, the “us versus them” mentality is counterproductive to this goal and has gotten us nowhere in the U.S.”

Why Take The Chance?

Adam — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:26:44 +0000

This image of a helmeted girl with face-trauma makes me sad. This billboard is near my house so I have to ride past her every day, and I’m getting really sick of seeing it.

One of the sign’s sponsors, Injury Free Coalition for Kids, has some interesting statistics on their site:

Head injuries incurred while riding a bike result in two-thirds of hospital admissions and more than 60 percent of the bicycling deaths.

If two-thirds of hospital admissions were actually from bicycle head injuries, I’d stop riding a bike!

I was also reading this sad story about Bradford Berk, head of the URMC, who sustained a serious spinal cord injury after losing control of his bicycle. This news report transcript doesn’t mention why he lost control, or talk about how to prevent spinal cord injury. It does, however, launch into a bizarre helmet advocacy piece. Two paragraphs about the accident, and then 5 about why helmets are so important.

If I had 5 paragraphs worth of space (or that much time on TV), I’d include a whole bunch of useful tips on top of the helmet tip, such as: ride in the road in the direction of traffic; take it slow on bike paths; use a bell or horn, lights, and a mirror; and give yourself some space on either side to avoid running into things or off the road. We don’t know if that kind of advice could have helped Mr. Berk, since there is very little reporting on the actual accident, but the media should really clear up all the bicycle safety misconceptions.

By the way, The Bagel Bin in Brighton has set up a wishing well to support Mr. Berk and his family. Ride safe out there folks — no matter what you put on your head.

Ride of Silence (Albany)

Ethan — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:03:43 +0000

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.

For Drivers

Ethan — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:37:49 +0000

I scanned this from the Spring 2009 magazine Geico sends it’s members.

Veer

Ethan — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:31:05 +0000

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.

Welcome to Bike Month

Ethan — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:38:16 +0000

Lately I’ve gotten a smidge more involved in things. At the very least I’ve started writing more helpful articles. Turns out, they are only helpful for starting heated debates. Which is really very disappointing. It makes one think that nobody really wants to change anything, they just want to get upset tell everyone how terribly they’ve been treated.

Gandhi said “be the change you want to see in the world.” I think about this every day. I’ll write an article about riding with traffic, and then I’ll go out and I’ll see somebody riding against traffic, and I hope they see me, riding with traffic, and I hope they get the hint. I’ll write an article about obeying red lights, and not riding like a jackass, and I hope that every time I stop at a red light and be courteous to the other people on the road (and I mean drivers, too), that they see that, and recognize that. I hope that for every drunk-in-the-afternoon college jock who sarcastically calls out “nice bike,” there’s some kid who sees a grown up riding a bike with his lunch in a basket on the back and thinks “that’s cool.” I hope that a driver sees me signaling my intention to turn, or waiting for a green light, or stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, and says “whoa, a cyclist who is not a self-righteous punk.”

(To be honest, I always thought this was the point of Critical Manners. That as a group we would teach each other how to ride safely and responsibly, and we would show the rest of the world that not everybody on a bike is a jerk. And maybe we could get some new people to show up once in a while, and if we were nice to them, and made friends with them, maybe they’d stick around and learn something and pass it on.)

I don’t think we all have to go to Capital Hill with bikes and signs and protest. What we all have to do is be nice and ride our bikes. Be nice. Ride your bike. Ring your bell. Wave to other cyclists. Say “hi” to people raking their lawns. Be happy, smile, and enjoy riding your bike.

Thanks

Ethan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:59:05 +0000

Apparently there is some confusion. The state law is not to HONK AT pedestrians in a crosswalk, the law says you must YIELD TO pedestrians in a crosswalk.

That said, I would like to thank all the nice people who stopped to let me make a left turn. Your courtesy is a glorious beacon of hope. I know letting me turn in front of you cost you precious seconds, and I want you to know I appreciate your sacrifice. Which is why I waved and smiled.

Nice day for a bike ride

Julie — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:35:16 +0000

Nice Day for a Bike Ride
(In 4 parts)

Ride to work
First day in the seat since my whiplash injury.
A few aches, but I’m feeling okay.

Ride home
Three teenage guys are blocking the path.
Two move, but one stays square in the middle and looks me right in the eyes.
I know a challenge when I see one,
and I’m not in the mood for it.
There’s room for me to pass, but barely.
As I pass, I sarcastically say, “thanks for moving.”
Not really smart.
But ignoring men who harass me gets old.
The guy mocks me, “thanks for moving.”
On a good day, I figure I can out-bike someone who’s bikeless.
But my first day in the seat, with an achy back, is not really my best day.
I’m a little concerned they’ll take chase.
I look in my rear view mirror. No sign of them.
I hear “Fuck you!” yelled at my back.
I want to flip them off, but I refrain.

I start to fume, reflecting on every rude act I’ve experienced or heard about over the past few weeks.
I’m pretty sure that the phrase, “Kids these days,” pops in my head.

As I near my home, I see a boy on his bike, meandering along the sidewalk.
He cheerfully yells out, “Hello!”
I say hello, though not so cheerfully.
Undaunted, he says, “Nice day for a bike ride!”
Smiling now, I say, “Yes, it is!”

Ride to yoga class
Feeling stronger now.
I come upon a couple of young boys on their bikes.
One says hello.
The other rides up alongside me.
I say, “are you gonna race me?”
He smiles and starts pedaling.
I shift my gears and start to pull ahead.
He says, “Oh, you’ve got gears, that’s why you’re faster.”
I smile and keep moving.

Ride home
Twilight.
Sounds of the neighborhood as I pass by.

Yep, nice day for a bike ride.

Rocking the Tie

Ethan — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:58:58 +0000

This? Rocks.

My New Bike, and a “Vision”

Ethan — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:19:34 +0000

This is my new bike. It’s a Trek Allant. I got it from Downtube in Albany. I’ve been riding it to work and loving it. I sit upright, instead of all hunched over. It’s smooth and agile, nimble, unlike my beastly mountain bike. As you can see, it’s got fenders and a rack. I had mixed feelings about the grips. They look weird to me. But they’re really comfortable. They provide a lot of support, and cushion my hands when I hit a pothole. Which I try not to do, but I mean, it’s Albany, right? My only “complaint” with the bike is that if I have to stand up to pedal up some hill, the handle bars are not really angled for that and it’s hard to keep it in a straight line. Fortunately, it’s easier to just downshift and slide up the hill.

Here’s my “vision.” The ABC website puts some useful content up there. Things like “how to ride safely” and “how to keep your bike from being stolen” and “how to buy a new bike.” Then they make up little cards and tags bike, like this.

On the last Critical Mass, I rode a bit with Rohan, who runs the ABC website. He agreed that they really need some content up there and offered to sign me up. I agreed. I haven’t heard anything. But seriously people. You can’t spend all your time and energy bitching at the government because they won’t make you a dedicated bike lane. You have to help people have fun riding their bikes.

Death Rides On My Left

Ethan — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:16:06 +0000

This video is worth watching. I appreciate a cyclist admitting he does dangerous things. I also appreciate his calm explanations of why things are dangerous.

Why I love Yehuda Moon

Jason Crane — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:14:46 +0000

It’s because of little moments like this one:

From Yehuda Moon & The Kickstand Cyclery

Ramsey on two wheels

Jason Crane — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:52:48 +0000

Doug Ramsey, who writes very entertainingly about jazz at his site Rifftides, has this to say about getting back on the bike this year.

On a side note, I’ve interviewed Doug on my show, The Jazz Session. You can listen to the show, if you’d like.

Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Off-Road/On-Road War!

Adam — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:42:24 +0000

Jack did a little bit of rabble rousing on Saturday when he came out against cycling! Check out his post to understand his reasoning. I myself prefer to walk on trails that are not all torn up by mountain bikers, so I understand where Jack is coming from.

Tryon Park is the central front in this war, as it’s one of the more popular parks for mountain bikers, but seems less utilized by foot traffic. I dropped by there last night on a scouting mission.

No obvious signage indicating lesser class status for bikers.

The drier parts of the park seem to be holding up well, even with the bike use . . .

. . . but the wetter parts of the park have uneven and torn-up paths. These tracks had pretty much hardened.

What sort of jerk is tearing up the park with his shoes? Oh, that’s me.

In the interest of a truce, I suggest letting the mountain bikers try to coexist with the foot traffic at Tryon Park first. Let’s take it slow.

P.S. While I was standing at the entrance to Tryon Park, I got to witness a pole-mounted transformer explode! I waited around until the fire trucks came:

News Channel 8 Promotes Thursday’s Bike Event, Also, Helmets

Adam — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:15:46 +0000

Don’t forget, this Thursday in Rochester: Let’s Talk Cycling.

News 8 ran a short interview with Jean Triest and Frank Regan about the event.

I liked what Frank had to say, though he could probably cut his soundbytes down a bit (the reporter had to kind of drag his point out of him).

Also, I’m glad Jean is talking about cycling as someone from the county government. And I know Traffic Safety is her job. So I mean the following criticism with full respect and appreciation.

But I do feel that her helmet lecture was too much. I know she means well. But if helmets prevent 89% of head trauma as Jean says, why not tell motorists to wear helmets? Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of head injuries in America. Head trauma in motor vehicle accidents kills many thousands of people a year, with head injuries occurring in 70% of severe crashes.

If you’re going to tell cyclists to wear helmets, you should probably add that with or without a helmet, safe cycling will raise your life expectancy while safe driving lowers it. And remember: the few studies that we’ve done on this topic show that the “weight of evidence is against the encouragement of cyclists to wear helmets.” I’d like to see more studies on this, and until then, I’ll wear my helmet in most contexts and stop telling other people that they should.

One way we could make Monroe County’s road really safe is to convince everyone to stop driving cars and to ride bikes instead. That may take a few millennia of advocacy (and some serious global warming), but it’s not going to come any quicker if people think that bike riding gets their heads smashed more than car driving does.

Anyway, Jean gets bonus points for saying that bikes have a right to be in the road, for giving some real practical advice on how to ride safely, and for spending time on the county dime covering bike safety issues. I’ll see you all on Thursday.

Forty Thousand Tragedies

Adam — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:49:41 +0000

On Saturday night, Henry Sun was out walking near his house in Brighton, a Rochester suburb, and was struck and killed by a motorist. He was 14.

We had our first thunderstorm of the season that night. The details are vague and contradictory on the various news web sites, but it appears that Henry was walking in the shoulder of the road, was struck at about 8 p.m., he then later passed away at the hospital, and police have not charged the motorist.

The police have stated that there are sidewalks in the area, but news sources have quoted some who say there are no sidewalks (and Google Street View backs up the lack-of-sidewalk claims). A story in the Democrat and Chronicle discusses neighbor complaints about speeding on that stretch of road, which is known as “The Elmwood Expressway.”

Henry’s death moves me more than most deaths I read about. I was riding just south of the neighborhood where Henry was walking that night, on my way to a dinner, where I complained about the walkability issues in that part of town. But I haven’t actually done anything constructive to make the area safer for pedestrians.

The mother of a six-year-old girl who was struck on the same stretch of road in 2007 shares her frustration in the comments of this story:

I went to the town of Brighton and asked them to help slow Elmwood down before someone else was hurt or killed . . . I want to start a petition of all Brighton residents to present to both the town and the county to get the road right with sidewalks on both sides and if needed, speed bumps.

These are good ideas, I fully support them. They help to mitigate a serious problem. I doubt you’ll see the county install speed bumps on a 35 mph road, but you might see them try other traffic-calming strategies. For example: a narrower street, with a reduced shoulder size (or bike lane!) and raised sidewalks with curbs, can help signal to drivers that this is a neighborhood and not a highway. This is a response, but it doesn’t eliminate the problem.

The statistics are a little old, but the late bike advocate Ken Kifer’s site has a long rundown of the various dangers cyclists (and pedestrians) face. Ken notes that in his calculations (based on 1997 data), one out of every 69 people will either be killed by or kill someone else with a motor vehicle. Sadly, Ken was one of those people – he was killed by a drunk driver in 2003.

We know that motor vehicles are the problem here, directly causing over forty thousand deaths each year in the US alone.

The convenience of owning and operating our own cars is no good reason why so many people have to die violent, tragic deaths.

Of course, there’s a lot of work to do.

How to ride your bike forever

Jason Crane — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:32:07 +0000

Want to know how? Head over to Albany Bob’s Liberty on Bikes! site.

The Potholes Emerge

Adam — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:51:27 +0000

The snow has thawed and spring is fast approaching. It’s that time of year when we have to decide between riding over potholes or riding closer to the center of the road than motorists prefer. I’m ready for another season of angry honks and middle fingers in the face!

One of the worst-planned roads in the city has to be Norris Drive, at the base of Cobbs Hill. I wrote a bit about it back in January when it got flooded out. After all that flooding and freezing, it’s no surprise that the road is a wasteland at its edges:

C’mon Obama, stimulate this road back into good shape!

Luckily, it’s not too hard to avoid the potholes if there’s not a lot of traffic.

Know of any rough streets in your neighborhood?

Contrail

Ethan — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:00:45 +0000

This? Looks awesome. Via BikeHacks.

Charles Olson’s bicycle

Jason Crane — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:38:04 +0000

I found this essay by Albany cyclist Nathaniel Ward via Ron Silliman’s blog:

In many ways I feel like I didn’t really know the area in which I live until I started riding bikes seriously. Things are both much nearer and much farther than I had imagined them to be, more accessible and less, too. The immediacy of the Self to art, to politics, to society at large, as experience by the pedestrian is what de Certeau is getting at. From the perspective of the cyclist, though, it is different yet again in that the physiological transformation that equates to greater fitness allows spatial relationships between geographic points to become diminished. So my world is larger as a competitive cyclist in that I can ride my bike from Albany, NY to visit my brother in Northampton, MA, for instance–a ride of roughly 85 miles–and at the same time it is smaller. Smaller in the sense that an average day’s training ride has the potential to bridge a social and emotional distance, and larger because what this amounts to is a choice. And choice amounts to social mobility.

Read the rest of the article.

Watch This

Ethan — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:05:02 +0000

And smile: Around The Block

Commuting gear

Jason Crane — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:05:50 +0000

From the always delightful Yehuda Moon & The Kickstand Cyclery:

A Pundit’s View on Winter Biking

Adam — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:28:00 +0000

Matt Yglesias is a political blogger who takes an interest in the politics of transportation. He makes an interesting point about biking in winter:

The top bike commuting city is Copenhagen, not San Diego. If people can bike to work in Denmark’s winter (I even saw plenty of people biking around Helsinki in December) then it can be done wherever you might be in the USA as well. Unfortunately, American mindspace about bicyling tends to be dominated by the insidious recreational bikers, who’ve gotten it into people’s heads that even on a lovely day for a bike ride the act of pedaling requires intricate performance gear including funny biking outfits. But bike commuting is a whole different ballgame — you’re just trying to get to work, so you should wear what you would wear.

Gosh, he makes it sound so easy! Check out his post for the rest of his thoughts, and some debate in his comment section.

A Vehicle for All Road Conditions

Adam — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:54:04 +0000

A couple weeks ago, when we were in the first major melting phase of this muddled winter, I found myself on a partially submerged road near Cobbs Hill. Apparently all of Cobbs’ snow was melting and pooling on the street. I stopped for a couple minutes to take pictures of motorists as they pondered whether to spend two minutes on a detour or risk severe damage to their cars.

Maybe if I go slowly the water won’t notice that I’m here

Winters bring the most difficult conditions for motorists to get through, be they giant puddles of indeterminate depth, deep snow to get stuck in, or icy hills that send climbing cars backwards. I haven’t had those problems yet this winter on bike. And if I do, I make the point in my Ten Reasons Why Bikes Are Better for Winter Commuting that when the going gets tough on a bike, you can walk or carry it until you’re in the clear.

I can carry 12 lifejackets in my Freeloader bags

It’s OK to feel a little bit of smug self-satisfaction as a winter bike commuter. People think it’s so rough. Oh, you must be really dedicated. I could never do that.

The secret is that, sometimes, it’s much easier on bike.

I Love Studs in the Wintertime

Adam — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:53:43 +0000

I picked up some studded tires from Towners about a month ago, and have been tearing up the roads with them since. I’ve experienced and seen my fair share of wipe-outs in past winter seasons, and after reading about Ethan’s experience this morning, figured that I’d share some thoughts on the studded life.

My tires, basking in the ice-cold neon power of the Chicken Avenger

The Right Tire for You

My particular Nokian tires seem comparatively low-end, as Nokians go. They have just 160 studs per tire compared to the meatier Nokian Extremes that our own Jack Spula uses. Plus, it seems that the $65.00-per-tire asking price at Towners is a bit high compared to what other people are paying around the country for this particular model. So if you can spare the time to research the best value you can find, I suggest you do.

But even lower-end overpriced studded tire models receive praise from their users. I’ve spent time on icy roads with road tires, mountain bike tires, fat balloon cruiser tires, and of course these Nokians, and this winter season (with the studs) is really the first time I’ve felt comfortable in all road conditions. I’ve gotten away in the past with “knobby” mountain bike tires, but they’re only good when there’s snow on the road. Those knobs do nothing to grip onto the ice.

How Far Will Studs Take One?

I still ride with extra caution on nights like tonight when it gets cold after a bit of a thaw. That’s my sensible nature.

Yet studs really speed up my winter commutes. I used to get off my bike and walk it on side streets when there was a lot of sludge build-up. Poorly plowed back roads are still not my preferred route to take in winter, but they’re navigable with the Nokians.

White and black ice usually isn’t much of a problem, either, though I make sure to slow down a bit when the street looks shiny. Turns are easy to take, which is a huge relief at intersections. I was riding with Joey Mac last winter, and we went to take a left at an icy intersection, but Joey’s bike kept going straight. A busy intersection is the worst place to fall off your bike, and avoiding that situation just once is worth the price of at least one studded tire.

The brown frozen sludge that cars deposit next to their path, which Jack affectionately calls “car snot,” is probably the most difficult surface to ride on with studded tires. It builds up the most on roads with moderate use, where there is enough traffic to push the sludge next to the motorists’ path but not enough to help melt it all away. When possible I just ride closer to the center of the road, in the right tire track, and let motorists try to figure out how to pass me safely. But when I have to ride in the snot, I drop the bike down to a low gear and take my time. I’ve even ridden uphill through the snot (on Empire Boulevard, by the bay) and that’s something that can’t be done with standard road tires.

Incidentally, the studs handle fine on clear roads. There’s a bit of a humming noise, and a hardly detectable increase in rolling resistance, but nothing that makes me look forward to the end of the season when the road tires go back on. These tires are welcome to stay on my bike for as long as the weather demands.

Cuts through the snow like a hot knife through Earth Balance.

Now, To Find Studded Boots!

One hilarious drawback of these studded tires is that they’ll take you to places where you can’t walk. I’ll stop my bike and get off, only to stumble around on the icy surface. I’m happy that my studded tires have made me stop cursing my decision to live in a northern climate while I’m on my bike. Now, for some boots that will do the same while I’m walking.

Observations on Bikes in New Orleans

Ethan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:14:54 +0000

In early December, I spent a few days in New Orleans. I saw a lot of bikes, which was surprising to me. They have a different mentality about their bikes down there- it was eye-opening.

I saw a lot of trikes with rear baskets. Bright, fun colors. Most of the bikes I saw were cruiser types. People don’t ride around all kitted up. I saw no spandex, no bike jerseys. I didn’t see many helmets and almost no day glo. At night, the streets are so well lit, and wide, that you don’t have to disguise yourself as a Christmas tree to ride around. I was shocked. I kept thinking “that is NOT safe” and my brain threw red flags all over the place. But then I started to realize that all of the defensive measures are not really necessary in The Big Easy. It didn’t seem to me that anybody was going to be hit by a car there.

I saw a lot of really nice bikes locked up in less than perfect ways, but at least reasonable ways, which meant to me that people know how to lock their bikes and are not worried about having their nice bike stolen. This is a far cry from our little town, where people break into your house to steal your beat up piece of crap bike.

A neat thing was the Canal Streetcar. It goes up and down the center of Canal Street. Reasonable public transportation, for sure, but I saw a lot of bikes riding up and down the streetcar lane. I don’t know if it was “legal” but the cops didn’t mind. I thought it was a really clever use of public transportation space.

(Oh, yeah, yay RocBike is back up!)

Sweat & Hypothermia Century

Jenn Clunie — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:07:19 +0000

“Men invented war so they could be among themselves. In peacetime, they have bike racing.” Gabriele Rolin

But what does it mean when we insist on waging war upon ourselves, flagrantly dismissing dubious weather forecasts, common sense, and good advice from friends in some perverse determination to ride 100 miles in bitter cold temperatures at the end of November—just because we could? Nearly 72 hours have passed since I completed the coldest century ride of my life and I’m still trying to figure that one out while I de-thaw.

Background: over the past eight years, Heather Rizzi’s (in)famous Sweat & Ice Century has become an annual tradition cyclists from around the region (and those willing to travel) look forward to and swap tall tales about. Starting in Clifton Park, you traverse mostly rural and low-traffic roads through Saratoga County, into Corinth, up and over West Mountain, around part of Sacandaga Lake, over the Bachelorville Bridge and then hit a series of (perpetually-upwards) rolling hills in Edinburgh and Fayetteville before shooting through Charlton and back to the starting line. Designed to test a cyclist’s strength, hill-climbing capabilities, pace and endurance levels, many return to the Sweat course through the Adirondack Park year after year as a means of testing and benchmarking their fitness.

Three years prior, having purchased my first road bike that August and only completing one century in my life two months beforehand, Heather duped me into signing up that fateful day in November 2005 by promising: “You’ve only done one ride before this distance? And you haven’t ridden much at all the last 4 wks. b/c of rain? And you’re still riding in sneakers with toe clips & basket pedals? No problem! It’s a flat course. I tell people it’s a flat course—only one small hill.” Ummm, yeah…she failed to mention that her definition of “flat” included almost 5,000 ft. of total elevation gain, and “one small hill” was named WEST MOUNTAIN. During my first introduction to that beast I had to stop 4 separate times to bring my asthma under control. I ended up finishing in the dark that year…But from that experience, a biker chick addicted to long-distance rides that push one’s boundaries of endurance all definitions of “reasonable” was born.

Flash forward to this past Sunday: 7 cyclists assemble in a frozen parking lot and assess the situation. Thermometer is currently reading 21 degrees (and that’s not factoring the fierce winds blowing upon us). Wool? Check! Winter gloves and booties? Check! Craziness? Double Check! Let’s get moving before we change our minds.

Decked in my finest layers of winter cycling attire, I came prepared for the cold. Weather.com predicted a high of 37 degrees for the day; I figured as long as we kept moving, we’d be fine. After all, I rode last year’s Sweat & Ice Century in 28 degree temps, enjoyed myself thoroughly, and rocked it with a 5:48:33 course time (a new personal record). What I was NOT prepared for were the galling headwinds that plagued us for nearly 90 miles: factoring wind chill, 21 degrees become FIVE. Any body heat generated on the hills or climb up West Mountain was rapidly whisked away by the ferocious winds blowing off Sacandaga Lake: pedaling along the naked shore with trees stripped to their bark, you could see large waves being blown toward you churning in a dark and angry maelstrom. In desperation, I put my head down and cranked those pedals as hard as I could in hopes of escaping that wind.

When I arrived at the Edinburgh General Store, our 58 rest stop, I was dismayed to learn our warm-up oasis was closed and a bunch of cold and tired cyclists were forlornly huddled on its front stoop. Jon Stillman, along with Terry and Bryna, had ridden out to say hello and join folks for part of the course: it was nice to see them, at least for the first 5 minutes until I got dropped. :) No hard feelings, guys: Sunday’s ride was all about SURVIVAL.

Words cannot begin to describe how damned cold I was the entire ride, or how much extra force had to be exerted to battle the wind, simultaneously draining you of your energy and will to live. My lips and fingertips were quite literally turning blue and it was difficult to form words or sentences—not that I was in a coherent state of mind, regardless. LUNA bars and bananas, frozen solid, became difficult to chew and swallow. Good luck washing it down or replenishing liquids lost during your hard efforts: water literally froze in our bottles, preventing you from drinking unless you stopped to pick a few slushy ice chips out of desperation—the consumption of which only cooled you down further. According to the sag vehicle’s thermometer, the maximum temperature of the day was 24 degrees, which quickly plummeted after the sun disappeared behind the clouds ~1:30pm or so. True to the ride’s namesake, it was eerie to feel sweat trickling down your back while at the same time shivering so hard I had difficulty maintaining a straight line. When it started snowing on us around mile 75 and I spotted solid ice formations within the longitudinal cracks and potholes in the roads around Charlton, it was a surreal experience.

Never had I been so thrilled to roll back into the parking lot and peel off those cold and sweaty cycling clothes so I could ensconce myself in all the layers of the thickest wool clothing I own. Sunday’s ride was more difficult than the Riedlbauer`s Round Top Rally MTB Race in the Catskills, or the ADK 200K and 300K Brevets back in March and April…and it had very little to do with the course.

So, if you’ve read this far, you might be asking: why put yourself through such an endeavor? Are you trying to prove something? Have deep masochistic tendencies that need to be fulfilled? Or just plain nuts?

My answer: perhaps D) all of the above? But I’d like to share a quote from A Cherokee Feast Of Days that’s served as my mantra on more than one occasion: “The effort put forth to move gives strength to do it-and moves us to more effort. But like the tide, the effort to move is followed by a rest, and then movement again. Each effort makes the next time a little easier until there is maximum strength or full growth. Some things challenge our very existence. It is the nature of things. But every effort we make weakens the challenge. If we will not give up, but we move and rest, move and rest, the breakthrough will come.”

I have put forth great effort…and now I look forward to reaping the benefits of a great rest. (Well, at least until Friday. :) )

Read Paul Lambrie’s ride report: http://web.mac.com/paullabrie/Paul_Labrie_photos/Winter_Nutz_Blog/Entries/2008/11/24_Sweat_%26_Ice_Century.html

For the number-crunchers and data geeks: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7194998

T-Shirt Idea

Ethan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:52:52 +0000

(or maybe a sticker, or patch to be worn on one’s messenger bag)

You’re just jealous because you’re a wuss.

Bicycles Rock!

Jason Crane — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:03:45 +0000

I received a link recently from lonerider, who directs us to the blog Rock’N'Bike, which looks at the history of bicycles in music:

Enjoy!

Why we love him

Jason Crane — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:13:56 +0000

This is from today’s entry by Bike Snob NYC:

The New York Times also points out that in particular the number of cyclists crossing the Williamsburg Bridge has quadrupled from 2000 to 2008. This particular statistic is an excellent example of how important semantics are when it comes to interpreting data. While at first glance you’d take this to mean that more people are cycling, it’s also possible that the same number of people are cycling but that they’ve only been able to successfully cross the bridge since the city finished renovating the bike path in 2002. Before that, crossing the Williamsburg Bridge was like crossing a rope bridge in the Himalayas. So it wouldn’t suprise me if just as many people set out on their bikes to cross it before 2000, only to either give up and choose another bridge or plummet into the East River below.

How can you top that? Answer: You can’t.

Now head over there and read the rest.

Cool Things I Saw On My Morning Commute

Ethan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:47:32 +0000

Ice around the edge of a puddle. First time I’ve seen that this season.
Horizontal sunlight hitting a tree on the Sage campus, lighting it up like brass.
My steaming breath, looking into the sunlight at the intersection of Myrtle and Delaware.

Was Robert Frost a cyclist?

Jason Crane — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:28:36 +0000

I drove to Shaftsbury, VT, today to visit one of the houses in which poet Robert Frost lived. It was in this house — known as the Stone House — that he wrote “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Just as most of the classic Xmas albums were recorded in the summer, this quintessential poem about winter was written in July.

After touring the house, I took a stroll over to the barn, where I found this:

From Robert Frost's Stone House

Was Frost a cyclist?

Here are my other pics from the trip:

Quote

Ethan — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:08:06 +0000

“WORK TO EAT, EAT TO LIVE, LIVE TO BIKE, BIKE TO WORK”

Rant: More Power

Ethan — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:56:04 +0000

I am upset about how someone passed me while I was riding my bike, and since it seems like all anybody in the Albany Bicycle Community does is complain about how unfairly they are treated, I’ll chime in today.

I’m biking home from work and a guy on a road bike passes me. I’ve never seen him before. We say hi. I’m feeling good about this. A lot of people on bikes, you wave or say hi and they don’t even acknowledge you.

Then he says, “you know, you’d get more power if you lower your seat.” He does not say “nice day, huh?” He does not ask where I’m headed. We are not building a friendly relationship. We are not comrades. He is telling me what I’m doing wrong.

Later, I see him passing stopped cars on the left side.

Again, I say, why would anybody want to ride a bike if they’re going to be harassed by everybody else on a bike. “Wear a helmet. Lock your bike. Ride with traffic. Lower your seat. Smile.” Stop telling me what to do.

I’ve got a great idea: shut up and ride.

Ditch The Meter

Ethan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:45:58 +0000

Liberty On Bikes! has a nice little post about finding happiness on a bicycle by ditching the bicycle computer.

Want (I Like Today)

Ethan — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:35:38 +0000

Via Sonadei

Doom And Gloom

Ethan — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:01:37 +0000

Saturday I biked waaay out to meet the Constantino brothers as they rode in to Albany. Then I listened to their speech and sat through the questions. And I want to make an almost desperately frustrated plea.

Please, for the love of Cog, stop whining.

I understand that it’s dangerous out there. I understand that people (in cars) don’t like us out there. I understand that people (on bikes) are getting hurt and killed out there. But is this all we’re going to talk about?

They didn’t make a new bike lane. They won’t stop bike thieves. They don’t give you three feet of space when they pass you. So what? Does anybody ever have fun on their bikes anymore?

Given all the doom and gloom, why would anybody want to start riding a bike?

Pirate Bicyclists

Ethan — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:54:23 +0000

I had wanted to do something like this for Talk Like A Pirate Day. And then I forgot when that was. Turns out it’s today, and I missed it. Bummer.

Via Cyclelicious

Success!

Julie — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:28:51 +0000

As I had hoped, for the first time since her scary but fortunately quickly-recovered-from accident, my daughter Brianne got out on a bike this weekend!

She said she felt like a 7-year old, but she quickly got right back into it.

I’ m very proud of her!

Bike spotting in the Big Apple

Julie — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:16:54 +0000

Back in April, I visited New York City to see my son’s orchestra perform at Lincoln Center. I took some photos of real live New York city cyclists, and here’s a sampling of what I saw.

Get that person an Xtracycle (or at least some panniers!).

The first beautiful day of Spring in Central Park.

Lots of pedicabs.

It cracks me up that this woman is on her cell phone.

And in this election season, here’s the one political pedicab that I saw.

If you’re interested in more pictures (not all cycling related), you can find them at my Flick page.

Cycling in the Wrong Direction

Ethan — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:13:50 +0000

Paul Dorn writes:

Bicycling against traffic is extremely dangerous to the miscreant rider, as motorists don’t expect bicyclists coming the wrong way and make turns into the bike rider’s path. But wrong way riding is also hazardous to other bicyclists.

Amen to that. Every day I encounter people riding in the wrong direction. We have to figure out who is going on which side, which is not something you want to do in traffic. I’ve started to take the lane, slowing all of traffic, and calling out “please ride WITH traffic” as I pass. It’s not very effective. Sometimes there’s too much traffic and I can’t take the lane, and it’s a scary couple of seconds.

(And don’t get me started on these kids who weave back and forth from one side of the street to the other, in between cars, for “fun.”)

This (ie: riding safely) is, in my opinion, THE issue bicycle advocacy groups need to be tackling right now. How do we educate these people?

Read Dorn’s article here.

PS- Jason, we have no “Safety” category?

From New England to La nouvelle France

Jack — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:26:54 +0000

I owe RocBike a follow-up post about my biking in Italy – but for now I want to write about a follow-up bike trip I took with Ian, my son, in New England and Québec.

Ian’s living in Providence, so we arranged to meet in Boston and head north from there. I chose to, or made the mistake of, going from Rochester to Beantown by plane, mostly because I had a leftover credit from AirTran. The credit reduced my fare to a staggering 10 bucks! But… the airline charged me $69 to take my boxed bike along. (I could have taken my folder in a large suitcase for nothing, but I wanted to ride my hybridized Kona, which has a gear range more suitable for the kind of “mountaineering” the route entailed.) Lemme tell ya: there’s nothing pleasant about standing outside the busy terminal at Logan Int’l and reassembling a full-sized bike, especially in the dark, and most especially when your bike-mechanical skills are as basic as mine. But this prefatory transpo-adventure had a happy ending. I got the bike together, made my way to a subway station a mile or so from the airport, and got to downtown Boston without entirely losing my sense of direction or my cool, such as it is.

Ian had an easier time: he took his bike aboard the commuter train from Providence and met up with me in the heart of Boston. Then, after a stop at an excellent Back Bay bikeshop for some last-minute adjustments, we boarded Amtrak bound for Portland, ME.

On this route, Amtrak accommodates bikes the right and proper way: for a $10 surcharge, you can roll your bike aboard (loaded with panniers or not) and stow it in the oversized luggage area. I can’t see why this service couldn’t be added to every Amtrak run, but as a rail enthusiast and member of the Empire State Passengers Association, I understand the train folks have got bigger fish to fry.

Portland, which I hadn’t visited in 35+ years, is a fine city indeed. Ian and I enjoyed the waterfront and restaurants, and frankly, I could have been persuaded to stay seaside for a few more days. But the Open Road beckoned… at least till it became clear that the road we’d chosen, largely because in this region there are practically no viable alternative routes that actually get you where you’re going without unreasonable “detours,” was not beckoning but in effect hollering, “Watch out, stupid.” In short, Route 302 north from Portland is not a cyclist’s dream: it’s got incessant heavy truck traffic, plus in the summer, an endless stream of moto-vacationers seeking fresh air even as they foul it.

The part of our route that took us through central and northern New Hampshire was much better in terms of road conditions – but of course we were hauling loaded bikes over some serious hills and mountains, too. I do love riding in hill country – the flats can get pretty boring, and besides, steady headwinds in the lowlands or plains can be mighty discouraging, much more so than even demanding ups-and-downs. Overall, I think NH is prime biking territory. Especially prime is the Dixville Notch area. Ian and I went through this high pass during a series of thunderstorms; we kept ourselves safely away from lightning (which should be one of the bike traveler’s biggest concerns) but we couldn’t dodge the raindrops.

After an exciting but wet descent, we holed up at The Balsams, a historic hotel complex, set on a mere 15,000 acres, that “donated” us a gazebo for shelter. When the storm cleared, we pushed on through a wetland plateau that gave us the best wildlife sighting of the trip: a moose that was browsing at roadside jumped and ran through the spruce thickets as we zipped by. We hadn’t noticed this fine specimen of the natural SUV of the North (maybe the label does a disservice to a noble animal) until it moved – and luckily the movement was not in our direction. You’ve got to take “moose crossing” signs seriously in this neighborhood, even if you’re nonmotorized.

When we left NH, via a seriously short trespass into the extreme NE tip of Vermont, we thought we’d conquered our quota of hills. Not so. This past of southern Québec, which despite many Anglo names on the map is a solidly Francophone region, is similar to the Southern Tier/Finger Lakes in the quality and quantity of long, long inclines. And even the major roads, which are wondrously free of heavy traffic, can be challenging when you’re packing lots of gear.

We went through towns like East Hereford, a sawmill town that’s surrounded by forests (duh!), lots of Xmas tree plantations (destined for, among other places, Long Island and Westchester, one local farmer told us when we stopped in St. Malo for lunch) and a dwindling supply of dairy farms. We also stopped for libations in the college city of Sherbrooke, from which we accessed La Route Verte, the newish Québec system of bike trails and designated roadways. (Check it out online – maps, etc.)

You notice how different the ambience is in Québec from that of NH and even VT, even though both the latter are heavily populated by descendants and relatives of Québécois/Québécoises. Ian posits that Québec Francophones are more European in their vehicle choices: smaller, more efficient and cheaper cars and trucks overall. What we saw on the roads, and what we didn’t see, tended to confirm the theory. I do hope that this and other aspects of what various commentators see as the province’s ongoing “Europeanization” drift down our way against the prevailing winds, both meteorological and political…

To be continued… with short notes about cycling in Québec City, hearing Paul McCartney almost by accident, tenting among the Vanbagos in a surprisingly (amazingly) quiet and pleasant private mega-campsite (again, that Québec ambience), and other stuff.

Nostalgia

Jason Crane — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Remember these days, kids?

The original Team RocBike: Jason Crane, Julie White, honorary member Liz Henderson, Jack Spula, Adam Durand

Viva EPO!

Jason Crane — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:57:08 +0000

Context: EPO is the drug of choice for pro cyclists. Nuff said…

Thanks to Bike Snob NYC for the link!

From Stockbridge to Boston

Julie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:17:57 +0000

That supremely well-lit bike welcomed me and my partner to the Sugar Maple Trailside Inn in Florence, Massachusetts on our luxuriously long summer vacation (well, not as long as those who summer on Nantucket, another one of our stops, but long for us). The inn is filled with bicycle decor and bike and rail-trail related reading materials, is right next to a rail trail, and has two cruisers available for guests to borrow. Not only that, one of the hosts is an experienced advocate for rail trails.

Jason recently wrote about plans for expanded trails in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and rail trails do indeed abound in the parts of the state I’ve visited, which include the Berkshires, Pioneer Valley, Cape Cod, and Nantucket.

So if you’re looking for a good cycling destination, check out Massachusetts, and I recommend a stop at the Sugar Maple Inn!

Five reasons to take the sidewalk

Adam — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:46:12 +0000

As any good bicycle safety resource will tell you, bicycles belong on the road. That’s where cars are going to see you, and it’s where pedestrians are going to hop out in front of you a little less. And although if you’re just getting into cycling you may find that riding street-level with cars may be a little unnerving, you’ll be much safer if you do.

That said, there are a few exceptions to riding on the road. I’m going to go over some of them here. Remember, if you choose to ride on the sidewalk for any length, be extra cautious. Anytime you cross a street from the sidewalk you should assume motorists aren’t looking for you. Be nice to pedestrians when you encounter them and don’t ride much faster than the speed they’re walking (here are some more tips for you sidewalk-using renegades).

OK, on with the list:

1. Momentary motorist distrust

It’s best to assume, as a cyclist, that every motorist could go veering in any direction at any moment. In practice, this would make cycling on city streets prohibitively slow and paranoid. But it’s still good to have a handle on which cars are approaching you when. If a motorist seems unusually prone to veering, or if they are driving towards you in a way that indicates they have no idea you’re there, hopping up to the curb until they pass is the best idea.

You can, in part, rely on the sounds cars make (and perhaps the occasional head twist) to monitor traffic behind you. However, mirrors, invented 8,000 years ago, make a wonderful accessory to your bike and clue you in to approaching trouble you may not otherwise notice. They also allow you to do double-takes at other bikes out on the road without being so obvious about it. And they cost about $10.

Spot suspicious cars driving backwards towards you with a trusty mirror.

2. Inclement weather

You’re in an ice storm in the middle of winter, but no matter how big the metal studs on your tires are, you can be sure the motorist next to you is knuckling it on bald all-seasons. The best you can do when a 2-ton metal brick starts sliding around next to you is to put a curb between you and the brick.

Downpours can pose a different problem – potholes and poorly designed storm drains have their way of hiding underneath vast puddles. And as visibility drops, not only will motorists have a hard time seeing you, but vice-versa. Although you may be anxious to get out of the rain, playing it safer and slower up on the sidewalk may be the most prudent option.

3. Awesome shortcuts

Part of being a safe city cyclist is using side streets when possible. Riding down the nearly-abandoned side streets in smaller cities like Rochester can be calmer, smoother, and often more picturesque.

The calmest of sides streets are that way because they aren’t open to “thru traffic,” but cyclists don’t always have to heed these traffic rules. Sometimes a pathway, a park, a footbridge, or a sidewalk connects dead ends to other roads and allows the street-smart cyclist to take these alternate routes.

Spend some time riding around side streets you otherwise may think you can’t get through, and you may be surprised at the options little footpaths give you.

My favorite shortcut in Rochester, which takes you from S Goodman and 490 to Oxford and Monroe. The numerous bike tire tracks in the snow indicate this shortcut’s popularity.

4. Construction

Construction often provides motorists with the terrible combination of sensory overload with confined shoulder-free lane space. Unless you’re prepared to take a lane and infuriate a motorist in standstill traffic because they need to wait 8 feet farther from their destination, it’s often a good idea to avoid construction traffic altogether.

Remember to be even more extra cautious if you choose to take the sidewalk. Motorists stuck waiting are prone to quickly turn off the main road and right into your path.

Henrietta + nighttime + construction = jump on the canal path as quickly as possible!

5. Mixed use paths

The long mixed use paths that may intersect your city like they do Rochester provide a great alternative to vehicular cycling. You’ll have to be aware of pedestrians, rollerbladers, unleashed dogs, woodchucks, etc. but oftentimes these paths are underutilized anyway. Unlike most sidewalks, mixed use paths are often specifically designated for bicycle use, but that doesn’t make them any more safe when you cross paths with motor traffic.

And in conclusion

So those are my top five reasons for getting out of the way of cars and into the way of pedestrians. Like many things in the world of cycling, common sense and caution will go a long way. Do you have any good reasons for breaking the cardinal rule of vehicular cycling? Object to any of mine? Let me know in the comments.

Back from Italy, but not completely

Jack — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:52:24 +0000

It seems like I’ve been away from RocBike for a long time – and yes, it’s been a couple weeks since I even checked in. But my absence was for a good cause: a trip to Italy, with lots of biking there (I brought my Dahon folder, which fits easily into a couple suitcases for air travel) and now some impressions to pass along.

My trip took me to several northern Italian cities: first to Modena, home of fabled tenor Luciano Pavarotti, almost equally fabled soprano Mirella Freni, and oddly fabled, expensive, gas-guzzling Maserati, whose headquarters are not far from downtown. Modena’s population is about 177,000, and I’ll bet the figure includes about 40,000 regular cyclists. As in many European communities, regular Modenites in huge numbers get around by bike, doing the shopping, dropping around to the caffe/café, going on dates (two per bike, and not on tandems), and otherwise getting through the day. If you wander the deliciously narrow and pedestrian-friendly streets and alleyways of the old parts of town, you see hundreds of bikes locked up everywhere. The bikes tend to be utilitarian, affordable models, some of them decades old and well-worn. (It’s only out in countryside, on the beautiful but narrow ancient roadways, that you see helmeted, bright-jerseyed riders on fancy road bikes.) Partly for economic reasons, and helped along by a human-scaled urbanscape and bike-friendly traditions, Italians depend heavily on appropriate transport technology.

The principle held true for two other communities I visited: the small city of Vignola, mid-sized Parma, and sizable Bologna (ca. 400,000 people in the urban core). I recommend all three to bikers and walkers – again, it’s the traditional urbanscape that makes the difference. Bologna, with plenty of piazzas and 38 km of “arcades,” i.e. Gothic-arched covered walkways, is especially attractive to pedestrians. I think this town’s Renaissance and Baroque architects could teach our RenSquare planners a thing or three. (And isn’t it odd that not long ago, Rochester was courting Parma interests for a deal to redevelop Midtown Plaza – without so much as considering the physical features that makes the city of Parma a resounding success?)

Not that Italy is a total biking Paradiso. At least in the Emilia Romagna region that I toured, the secondary highways are miserably clogged with trucks and cars moving at excessive speed, and there’s precious little space for bikers or pedestrians. And in the suburban zones, you see many working-class cyclists pushed to the margins, same as you see around home. But in Italian town centers, everything’s rosy: ample bike paths and lanes, urban traffic that’s respectful of cyclists, and an official commitment to alternative transportation. Modena also has begun a bike-borrowing/rental program. You just put down a deposit and get a key, then access publicly-owned bikes at any number of parking stations around town. There’s no fee for the first three days – perfect for travelers, though I must say the bikes themselves are a little stodgy in design, solid and serviceable but not suitable for long rides.

Well, I’m now coping with transpo-culture shock. I went to the Rochester Public Market this morning and did a few errands. Amazing how few bikes you see around the market (I counted about a dozen), considering the huge turnout (thousands on- or just off-site) on a Saturday morning. Part of this is the durability of the Auto Craze, part is the result of the Rochester’s failure to create the infrastructure that would seduce people into going to the market by bike. Why, the city only recently added another parking lot, this one on Railroad St. And still – as any competent traffic planner should have foreseen – the cars and “light trucks” jam the access roads and turn the market grounds into ground zero for air pollution and conflicts with mere persons who make such daring, self-indulgent moves as trying to cross a street! Maybe RocBikers, joined by Critical Massers and others, should target the market for some kind of actions. City Hall shouldn’t be allowed to ignore or downplay bike issues any longer. (I note with pleasure the departure of Dumbass Supremo Steve Minarik, the Republican boss who did something to offend everyone – and did everything to maintain the status quo that barely acknowledges alternative transport. Not that I expect M’s replacement will be much better.)

One last note: Italian towns also are home to vast numbers of motorbikes and scooters. This was especially evident in Bologna. But the odd thing is, I didn’t hear any straight-pipe monstrosities like those that take over Rochester-area roads every summer. Interpret that as you will.

Still Ridin’

Adam — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:35:51 +0000

Caitlin and I started bikepooling together last summer, back when we both had jobs on the other side of the city. Now that I work out of my home, I ride with Caitlin for the pleasure of her company.

Bikepooling rocks.

NYC ain’t no joke

Jason Crane — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:33:16 +0000

I’m typing this in Blue Smoke, the barbeque joint above the Jazz Standard on E 27th St in Manhattan. I’m in town to interview saxophonist John Ellis for my show The Jazz Session.

This is the first time I’ve been in the city since becoming a regular bicycle rider, and thus the first time I’ve really looked at the city with cyclist’s eyes. Let me tell you, you’ve really gotta want it to ride here.

I’m amazed at the bike handling skills of the messengers I see, and amused at the lack of skills of the pseudo-messengers. Yes, it’s cool to have more folks on bikes, but some of these riders are asking to be killed.

I also got a good laugh out of several of the bike lanes, which are little more than additional parking spaces for cars and delivery vans. Not a new observation, to be sure. In fact, BSNYC has written about it several times.

All that said, I’d love to try riding a bike here. I almost brought my bike today, but decided not to add one more complication to the joy of driving here and navigating to the club. (Tip: OnStar is useless in Manhattan. At least mine was.)

I did spot one thing I’ve never seen mentioned — a cycling map of New York City. It was outside the Barnes and Noble in Union Square, on one wall of a covered bike rack. The map shows various “bicycle-friendly” routes through the city, and it also shows the location of quite a few bike shops. I forgot that I had my camera with me, or I would have taken a picture.

Anyway, my hat’s off to all the folks who make riding a bike here part of their regular day. Huzzah!

Modeling Yehuda Moon

Jason Crane — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:19:56 +0000

So here’s me, modeling my new Yehuda Moon t-shirt. And by “modeling” I mean “wearing” as opposed to “causing to look attractive and therefore enticing you into buying.” That said, the shirts are cool, the comic strip is cooler, and I recommend outfitting your cycling wardrobe with one or two of these.

When the “model” isn’t tubby and hunched over, the shirt looks rather more like this:

Here’s the link to the swag at CafePress.com, and here’s the official Yehuda Moon site.

I would also like to point out that I took this shot in front of my 1957 Raleigh Sprite, thus enhancing my Yehudaness.

Why I Love Bike Snob NYC

Jason Crane — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:47:00 +0000

I love Bike Snob NYC for many reasons, one of which is writing this good:

But as cruel a fate as that may be, he knew perfectly well when he swung a Docker-clad leg over that gel saddle, flipped up the kickstand with the heel of his Rockport, and set out on his way to the comic book store that he risked feeling the cruel sting of Anserine ire.

(Read the rest of this post.)

And lest you think I’m making fun of other cyclists, I will come clean and admit that while I don’t wear Dockers, I have flipped up my kickstand with my Rockport on the way to the comic book shop.

If you’d like even more BSNYC, give a listen to his appearance on our podcast, The RocBike Review.

Joining the New York Bicycling Coalition

Jason Crane — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:04:21 +0000

Today I went to the annual meeting of the New York Bicycling Coalition to do a presentation on bike blogging … and I ended up on the board. More on that later, but you can see pictures from the event over at Fort Orange Cycling.

Cool bike rack

Jason Crane — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:50:04 +0000

Thanks to Bruce at Scenic Route for the tip!

Bicycle cooking

Jason Crane — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:38:11 +0000

No, not cooking a bicycle. Let’s let Darren explain:

I run the website at www.bicycletouringpro.com … and this week I am doing an interview with a German cookbook author about cooking while traveling by bike. We’re going to be talking about the different types of stoves and fuels… and a bunch of other cooking related issues.
I thought that you might be interested in hearing the interview … and maybe your blog’s readers would be interested in hearing the interview as well? It’s free … and it should be good!
So if this sounds like something your readers might be interested in, please direct them to this page.
All the details can be found there.
It’s going to be a good interview, so I hope you’ll check it out!
Thanks for your time… and keep up the good work!
Darren Alff

Nice, used bikes

Jason Crane — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:34:26 +0000

I received this message from Ryan Tucker:

Over the past few years, I’ve had a rather cyclic bicycle operation:

Spent $300-$500 on a nice shiny new bike.
Enjoy the bike greatly.
Find bike missing one day.
Have bike no more.

This spring, I’ve decided that trying to fix step #3 is impossible so I might as well make step #1 more affordable by getting one or two used bicycles.
Would you know of a good source for good used bicycles in the Rochester area? I’m not looking for a competition-grade multi-thousand dollar luxury bike, but I don’t want a rusted-out Huffy either.
Any pointers would be appreciated :-) Thanks! -rt

The local Craigslist bicycle section is the first place I’d try. Anybody else got any ideas? You can leave a comment or contact Ryan directly at rtucker (at) gmail (dot) com.

Cycling toward the future

Jason Crane — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:23:18 +0000

Photo by Joey Mac

So.

Over the next weeks and months, I’m probably going to write here about my wife’s and my attempt to get back to the values we started with as a married couple. Ever since we had our two lovely boys, I think we’ve been sliding away from the course we had charted as we are being slowly but surely co-opted by modern cultural “norms.”

For months now, I’ve had this really positive, hard-to-pin-down feeling that something good is coming. I told Jen then other day that I feel like I’m simultaneously riding many tributaries on the way toward a great river, and that once I hit the main body of water things will be clearer and brighter and better. I think the way to get there — the way to find the river — is to take intentional action, not just to be swept along by the current.

One intentional action we’re going to take is to severely limit our car usage on the way to eliminating it entirely. I have a car that’s provided by my work (as I’ve written about here and here) and we also own a 2001 Subaru Forester that’s a year from being paid off. I think we’re going to get rid of our car and park my work car except when I need it for work, which is very seldom. In addition to the workers I represent in downtown Albany, I also represent two hotels in Schenectady. I discovered that it’s a fairly easy bike trip to Schenectady if you go straight there, so that cuts out another need for the car. And I can take my weekly trip to Saratoga Springs by train and then walk a mile to the office.

Anyway, I don’t have this all fleshed out in my mind yet. But good things are afoot. Positive change is happening. Life is starting to come into focus in a way it hasn’t before. And bicycling is part of this new world.

Whenever I want to remind myself about the beauty of the bicycling lifestyle, I ride my bike. And I watch this:

Cycling toward the future

Jason Crane — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:19:53 +0000

Photo by Joey Mac

So.

Whenever I want to remind myself about the beauty of the bicycling lifestyle, I ride my bike. And I watch this:

Bicycle Repair Man!

Jason Crane — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:14:18 +0000

From Monty Python, via the fine folks at Urban Velo:

Bicycle Repair Man!

Jason Crane — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:16:18 +0000

From Monty Python, via the fine folks at Urban Velo:

More on unions and personal transportation

Jason Crane — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:53:04 +0000

That’s the topic of my new post on Veloquent.

More on unions and personal transportation

Jason Crane — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:54:29 +0000

That’s the topic of my new post on Veloquent.

Keeping track of your bike miles

Jason Crane — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:29:27 +0000

If you, like me, enjoy tracking your human-powered mileage, here’s a handy Excel file that keeps those records quite nicely:

2008 Ride Log (.xls file)

I believe I cribbed this from the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club. Thanks!

Keeping track of your bike miles

Jason Crane — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:33:56 +0000

If you, like me, enjoy tracking your human-powered mileage, here’s a handy Excel file that keeps those records quite nicely:

2008 Ride Log (.xls file)

I believe I cribbed this from the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club. Thanks!

“Adore Your City” bike ride to raise money for Rochester

Jason Crane — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:03:16 +0000

Here’s the latest cool idea from the folks at Full Moon Vista bike shop:

Sunday June 1st, 2008, 9 a.m. — 1 p.m.
A bicycle ride to benefit the city of Rochester, NY

Adore Your City was created to raise funds, awareness, and community involvement to directly aid in the beautification of our city. Let’s face it, as cyclists we enjoy the good life! It almost seems unfair at times that non-cyclists don’t know what they’re missing, but we can do something to show the world how thrilled we are to be on our bikes… We can start a bike ride with the purpose of making our city a more beautiful place!

The event has three parts:

Entry fee: Every participant raises $180. The proceeds go directly to the City of Rochester project Clean Sweep.
Cleaning up: All participants commit to four hours of community service in May, 2008.
Ride: Here’s the fun part — riding your bike all over the greater Rochester area with people who are enthusiastic about cycling and the world we live in. There are four routes that will be ridden consecutively. Each route is a loop that starts and ends at Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport. Some riders may choose to ride one route, and others may choose to ride all four. Everyone can ride as little or as much as they want.

For more information and to register, visit the Adore Your City site.

Google Maps for Cyclists

Adam — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:55:53 +0000

Many of you are familiar with the usefulness of Google Maps for planning bike trips. It’s designed primarily for use by motorists, but with a few tricks it makes finding your way somewhere by bike very easy.

Start planning your trip by clicking on the “Get directions” tab under the Google Maps search bar. Enter your start and end addresses, and Google offer you its best guess on how you want to get there, which will often take you over highways:

Luckily, there’s a checkbox called “Avoid Highways” that you can click to have Google Maps find the shortest route that doesn’t use highways:

But it gets even better. Many cyclists feel that traveling on back roads can be more pleasant and safe than sticking to high-capacity arterial roads. Google Maps puts you on the major arterial roads when it can, but lucky for us, the interface allows you to click and drag your route and find better ways to get to your destination:

This should take one-way streets and “no left turns” into account, so you hopefully won’t run into any surprises on your route. Click the “Link” button to generate a link to save or share. Click “Print” to print out a handy guide you can put in your pocket. And then get on your bike and try it out! Google Maps was quite useful in helping Caitlin and I figure out our morning route across Rochester.

There’s plenty of room for this web application to improve. Since it isn’t built for cyclists, it has no information on mixed use paths or bike lanes. Sites like byCycle.org and Bikely have built some interesting services on top of Google Maps, but wouldn’t it be cool if there was a “Bike There” feature as part of the Google Maps interface?

In fact, there is an online petition you can go sign right now (thanks, Nicole!) to ask Google to do just that! I don’t know how effective these online petitions are, but at the very least it lets the Google Maps team know that there are thousands of people out there who would love to use this feature.

Kicking the Car Habit

Adam — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:50:10 +0000

I contribute to a Seattle “Zine” called DMFDP, and here’s one of my past essays on bike commuting:

Americans love their cars. Cars are rites of passage, status symbols, objects of affection, and utility vehicles. They’re protective moving cages with environmental controls and sound systems, suitable for both long trips or short errands. For decades, cars have been at the center of American life.

But our cars are without a doubt hurting us. Automobiles are a major cause of death and injury. They run on fossil fuels, which create both short and long term problems. They contribute to noise pollution and encourage infrastructures that fracture communities and lead to sprawl. We spend a large portion of our incoming purchasing, maintaining, and fueling them. And to many, operating a motor vehicle is a stressful and sometimes scary experience.

But automobiles are a basic necessity in modern America, right? Perhaps to some. But others are turning to vehicle that preceded the automobile, and which never development many of its vices: the bicycle.

The bicycle is the most efficient form of transportation ever invented. Bikes are far less destructive, takes up less space, and can often travel faster than cars in urban environments. Bikes can be quite inexpensive to own and operate, and cycling can be an effective workout without the cost of a gym membership.

Plus, riding a bike is an adventure. When you’re on a bike, you’re not isolated from the outside world and moving so fast you can’t take in the scenery. You can interact with pedestrians and other cyclists, notice things you may have not noticed in your car, and travel on paths and to places inaccesible by motor vehicles.

Utility cycling, while quite common in many parts of the world (and, in fact, the most common form of cycling worldwide), is still rather rare in North America’s middle class communities. But that’s beginning to change. Some American cities are seeing exponential growth in bike commuters. Bike manufacturers are starting to build specialized bikes for the new commuter market. Transportation planners are recognizing the positive benefits of bicycles and are taking cyclists’ needs into account in their projects.
People looking for ways to improve their life while reducing their impact on others are turning to cycling.

If you’re interested in getting into bike commuting, here are some useful tips to get you started:

1. Get a bike! Check out Craiglist and other local classifieds, garage sales, friends, or fix up that old bike you had in high school. Visit your local bike shop. Try to avoid bikes from big box stores, as they’re usually unreliable.

2. Grow comfortable with riding on the street in the same direction as motorists. It’s much safer than the sidewalk. The book The Art of Urban Cycling is loaded with tips on how to handle the road. Try social rides like Critical Mass to help build bike confidence.

3. Be safe! Find a good helmet. If you might be riding after dark, put lights on your bike! Be cautious about motorists, they can do just about anything at any time.

4. If you’re planning on riding to work, scope out the route on your day off before your first real ride. Plan your route so you avoid major roads for a more enjoyable ride.

5. Be prepared to fix a flat or weather a sudden rainstorm. Have a backup plan in case mechanical or meteorlogical problems arise — riding near a bus route is often a good idea.

And here are some web sites with in-depth info on commuting and safety:
http://www.runmuki.com/commute/

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/commute/

http://commutebybike.com/

http://bicyclesafe.com/

Ode to clips

Jack — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:13:10 +0000

Today one of my trusty toe clips, which was semi-fastened to a pedal not with trusty but very rusty hardware, broke and fell off as I was tooling down Mt. Vernon Ave. I just undid the strap, put the broken item into a pannier and moved on. Later, when doing errands downtown, I stopped at Full Moon Vista and bought a new pair of clips. And once back home, I put the new ones on – after resorting to cutting off the old bolts with a bolt-cutter. So now I’m good to go again.

Maybe you’re thinking I should just have taken the clips and straps off altogether and left them off. And there’s something to be said for that route. On short rides, especially around town, there’s no terrible need to be strapped in or otherwise be attached to your pedals. Pedaling efficiency, which surely is improved by clips and SPD/clipless systems, isn’t such a big deal for routine, everyday kinds of riding.

But I like old-fashioned clips for things other than efficiency. Indeed, I keep them pretty loose when I’m doing my commutes and errands, so the boost in efficiency is minimal. No, what I like about clips is how they make it easy and natural-feeling to position your foot just right on the pedal (assuming you’ve got the right size of clips and they’re installed right).

Even more important, I’ve found that clips can improve safety – crucially, once you’ve had adequate practice getting your feet in and out – by keeping your feet from slipping off the pedals. This is a real issue when it’s snowy, slushy or very rainy (and of course it also depends on the pedal style and the type of sole on your shoes or boots). You can imagine what kinds of accidents you could get yourself into if you’re pedaling like mad in traffic, your foot slips off the pedal and hits the ground, and your shin or calf is struck by the still-rotating crank. Ouch, and then some.

I do understand why people avoid using clips or similar devices. When you’re new to serious biking, they seem to just get in the way – very distracting, as you’re tempted to stare at your feet while trying to slip your toes into the damned things. Sort of like the questionable habit of staring down at your drivetrain as you go through the gears, which allows you to know precisely how many gear-inches you’re using in that dreamlike moment just before you slam into a parked car. But come to think of it, here’s one advantage to a recumbent, whose drivetrain is easily visible ahead of you, so you don’t lose sight of the road ahead, even if you’re not exactly focused on it.

Cargo Bikin’ in Albany & The Art of Cycling

Jason Crane — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:02:49 +0000

I went for my second ride of the week tonight. It was a lot warmer — and drier — than the last ride. Almost 40 degrees! So I rode naked.

I’m still learning my way around the area, and I was looking for a grocery store or an interesting restaurant. As it turned out, there was a Price Chopper about 3/4 of a mile from my place, so I got to use the Packet Boat (Xtracycle) for its intended purpose — as a lean, mean, cargo transportin’ machine. It’s goofy, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of jamming as much stuff as possible into the oversized bags on the Packet Boat.

I’ll say one thing for the city of Albany: It sure has a lot more hills than Rochester. I’m originally from the Berkshires, a range of hills across the border in Massachusetts, but I didn’t do much riding there as a kid. Mostly on a Big Wheel, probably. So I’m getting my first taste of the Hudson Valley hills, and they’re fun. Even in the city, you can find some nice climbs and nice descents.

I’ve been wanting to read The Art of Cycling: A Guide to Bicycling in 21st-Century America by Robert Hurst for a long time. Julie White’s recent post on RocBike finally spurred me to order a copy. It’s great. I’m about halfway through, and I really like the mix of “vehicular cycling” and “adaptive cycling” that Hurst proposes.

My own experience bears out the need to break free from Forester’s vehicular cycling when circumstances warrant. When my 5-year-old son Bernie and I were bike commuting each day, we’d spend some time on the sidewalk in the busiest sections. You just can’t expect a little kid to make the right decision every time. Or to make it quickly enough.

If you’d like to check out the book for yourself, here’s the link:

Sex and Cycling

Julie — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:30:46 +0000

Not THAT kind of sex!

In a recent round-up of “Links of the Day,” Gordon Price at planetizen.com quotes columnist Thomas Friedman:

“Being green, focusing the nation on greater energy efficiency and conservation, is not some girlie-man issue. It is actually the most tough-minded, geostrategic, pro-growth and patriotic thing we can do….”

Friedman goes on to comment about our current leaders: “when it comes … to making ourselves energy efficient and independent, and environmentally green – they ridicule it as something only liberals, tree-huggers and sissies believe is possible or necessary.” In Price’s words, the underlying message is,” Real men don’t ride bikes.”

Does environmental sustainability have to be justified in terms of its supposed masculinity? Conservation is only okay as long as it’s “pro-growth,” “patriotic,” and “tough-minded”?

Of course, not all who ride bikes are doing it for environmental sustainability. For some, it’s simply an athletic exercise, a sport; it’s about competition, equipment, gear, speed, duration, and length (oops, my mind drifted to the other meaning of sex for a moment).

Anyway, I imagine for many RocBike readers, some level of commitment to reducing our contribution to environmental degradation is also a factor in our cycling.

This all reminds me of a conversation I had with media critic and anti-violence activist Jackson Katz (who will be speaking at the MCC Damon City Campus on April 30–email me for details) during the 2004 presidential election, who spoke of the role of gender in that campaign. He has a new lecture, in which he analyzes “images like George Bush in the flight suit, Kerry as a war hero, Michael Dukakis in the tank, Reagan on horseback and Clinton as a good ol’ boy … and shows how male voters are powerfully influenced by cultural constructs of presidential masculinity.” Listen to the language of the current campaign for how stereotypically “masculine” characteristics are spoken of, and, in a new twist, how the view of those characteristics changes based on the sex of the candidate.

And while you’re at it, pay attention to the culture of cycling. What characteristics are valued? What voices are heard? And, if we’re being honest, do we sometimes work to present ourselves in the “butchest” way possible, even when it might be a bit of a stretch?

I’ve been writing quite a bit lately at my blog about issues that affect women. Here’s one I hadn’t gotten to. The message I take from the kind of rhetoric by Friedman: Ladies, we may as well take our overly sensitive, on-the-rag, crybaby selves somewhere else, because we’re just in the way of the real men getting on with the geostrategic work of saving our planet. Nothing we need to worry our pretty little heads about.

Oh, and you girlie-men, tree-huggers, liberals, and sissies? Come on over to our little corner. You may not be women, but in the political rhetoric, you’re a little too much like us, and therefore just as easily dismissed.

Riding Into the Bay

Adam — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:08:00 +0000

It’s been a very bizarre winter this year (get used to them), but last night we got hit with big snowflakes that actually stuck to the pavement for a change. I rode out to the Rochester suburb of Webster to visit my parents and get some exercise in the process.

Here’s half the hill I brave with every visit to and from Webster:

This is where Empire Boulevard drops down to Irondequoit bay. It’s a long hill, but it actually has a shoulder — which isn’t always the case on four-lane roads in Great Rochester. And when things get hairy, there’s a generous sidewalk alongside so one can walk their bike. With last night’s slippery shoulders, low visibility, and ice cold winds, things did indeed get hairy. By this blog’s standards, I was emasculated, though I brave this hill enough in less inclement weather to credit it for my calf muscles. I have great respect for Gary Young, who I believe frequents this hill on his journeys into Rochester.

The bay itself is a great place to stop for a sip from the water bottle or to snap eerie photos like this one:

My dad asked me last night if I miss my car, and I can honestly say that I much prefer bikes in all types of weather (I should note that I haven’t ridden in a monsoon yet). Last week, I drove a motor vehicle for the first time in almost 6 months. I took a simple trip to the grocery store and back home and I was anxious the whole time. I did not want to be in control of a mass I couldn’t carry, especially around pedestrians, in the dark, and on slippery pavement. There is just no sense in it at all.

When people see me show up at their house coated in a thick layer of snow, beard filled with icicles, face beet red, their natural reaction is to feel sorry for me. I try to level with them — “Do you know how much fun I just had?” Winter commuting is challenging, invigorating, almost soul-nurturing. It’s better than meditation, or maybe it’s more accurate to say it’s a special kind of meditation. Why did it take me so long to figure this out?

I often draw parallels between my “conversion” to bike commuting and my switch to a vegetarian diet a few years back. In both cases I had been following the conventional wisdom all my life, but slowly began to realize how my day to day actions were separate from my values. And I think most people recognize the goodness and benefits in vegetarianism, and the goodness and benefits in bike riding, but it takes a bit of introspection and self-confrontation to bring one’s life in line with one’s beliefs. I think it’s no fluke that almost everyone on Team RocBike is a vegetarian (everyone, that is, except Jason!), and also that many of the Rochester-area vegans I know are cyclists.

Now it’s time to get back out there and ride. Tonight’s looking to be cold but less precipitous, which is good news for the Joey Machine’s last Rochester Bike Cruise. I’ll try to get some footage of the event and post it in a timely fashion.

What I read on winter vacation

Julie — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:36:59 +0000

So, I was driving along listening to holiday music on WARM 101.3, and on comes John Tesh. (Okay, that’s a sentence you won’t often hear from me.) Anyway, he does these little segments on the radio called “Music and Intelligence for Your Life.” Maybe you all knew about this? Me, if it’s not on NPR or in the Utne Reader, I pretty much don’t know about it. (Well, just so you don’t think I’m a total stereotypical liberal The Socialist Worker makes its way into our household occasionally as well.)

To my surprise, he gave a plug for a book called How to Live Well without Owning a Car by Chris Balish. If you’re reading RocBike, you probably don’t need this book. But if you’re looking to give a nudge to someone in your life who’s looking to make some changes, this is a good book. Recognizing that not everyone is able and/or ready to go completely car-free, he also gives good tips and examples of going “car-lite.”

There are also some interesting factoids, to wit:

–40% of car trips are two miles or less.

–80% are within eight miles of home.

–49% of Americans live within one mile of a transit stop.

–Every time a cyclist makes a four-mile round trip commute by bike rather than car, she prevents 15 pounds of toxic tailpipe emissions from entering the air.

Good talking points for more sane commuting options.

I also read The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street, which is linked over there in the sidebar. Our local library only has one copy in all of its branches, and it took me 2 months to get it. Right now 4 people have it on hold.

It was well worth the wait. A former bike messenger, the author contrasts the vehicular-cycling principle (bike as though you’re operating a motor vehicle) with the invisible cyclist principle (assume that no one sees you but acknowledge that you are vulnerable). The first advice I got on commuting was “bike like a vehicle.” But that never sat quite right with me. Most of the time I bike like a vehicle, but there are times when there’s no way I’m gonna share the road with hundreds of people in SUV’s who just got off work and have one thing on their mind…get on 490 and get the hell home. This book made me feel more confident in my urban cycling “style,” and also presented a lot of situations I hadn’t considered that I should be prepared to deal with.

One caveat–this book is not for the new, faint-of-heart cyclist. Had I read it right after my daughter’s accident, I may never have gotten back on a bike. There’s a whole section on injuries, which basically says…you’re gonna get hurt, get ready for it. While that may be a badge of honor to some, I prefer to stay as much in one piece as possible.

He skillfully weaves in cycling history, research about cities and what makes communities work (and how bikes contribute to that), and effective cycling strategies, with a realistic attitude (don’t expect car drivers to change,the modern city isn’t going anywhere fast, deal with it and take responsibility for keeping yourself as safe as possible).

These quotes encapsulate his philosophy: “Bicycling is better. Life is too precious to spend it in a car,” and his last admonition to readers, “Be considerate to other road users, especially the noncyclists, poor fellows. Ride with fear and joy.”

All in all, you should read it…me, I’m going to pay the out-of-print price to have my very own copy.

p.s. What’s up with bicycle tag? Was my picture too blurry? Have you all given up? Has the cold gotten to you? Have I really stumped you?

Ode to Toronto

Julie — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:07:44 +0000

Although I have many reasons not to move away from Rochester, if I do ever move, it will be to Toronto. I took a brief trip there over the holidays and it has tons of resources for both crafting and cycling. I’ll stick to the cycling aspects here.

First of all, bike lanes, lots of them.

Second, community-based resources for bicycling.

Third, cool cycling art.

There were also bike racks everywhere, and in every store, there were people who were clearly using their bikes as their primary form of transportation. On top of that, electricity-powered streetcars, a bus system, AND a subway.

And to top it all off, a a 10-year Bike Plan. They’re having a Coldest Day of the Year ride on January 30, their statistically coldest day of the year.

With a burgeoning bike culture here, and steps to reduce climate change, including “Curb Your Car Week” coming from Brighton, dare I hope for such amenities here in Rochester?

What do you think?

Ten Reasons Why Bikes Are Better for Winter Commuting

Adam — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:44:02 +0000

Thinking about switching from car to bike as your commuter machine, but holding off until Spring before you do it? Here are ten good reasons to make the switch this season:

No need to brush/scrape your windows
Unless your car is perpetually stored in garages, one of the worst parts of winter driving is frequent window brushing and scraping. Some motorists cut corners on this important step and dangerously operate at reduced visibility. A bike’s complete lack of windows makes visibility a non-issue.
You can skip shoveling the driveway
Unless you’re expecting company, there’s little need to shovel, blow, or plow the driveway if your bike is your mode of transportation. Spend that time you saved in the morning reading the paper, or in the evening cozied up by the fire.
Bikes never get stuck in the snow
Digging your car out of its on-street parking or making it over that hard packed snow at the end of your driveway can build character, but why bother when you can ride a vehicle that you can walk or carry if the going gets tough?
Biking: a low-cost winter sport
Cars can get you out to remote mountains so you can pay to strap fiberglass to your feet and fall down them. But what if you could avoid the price of lift tickets and season passes and still get your fill of quickly moving past snow-covered stuff? While you make your way to work? Bikes can help you with that.
Pumping gas is a bad excuse to stand still in the cold
Have you ever filled your tank with less gas than you usually would, just to get out of the cold? Bikes don’t have gas tanks, and the time you spend outside is time when you’re active and generating more than enough heat to stay comfortable.
Avoid “Winter Weight Gain“
You are a beautiful person no matter how much you weigh, but excess weight can lead to chronic health problems and lower activity in the winter can also contribute to “seasonal affective disorder.” Ride a bike to help avoid these winter problems.
Studded tires rock
Studded car tires are popular in Scandinavia, but in the U.S. they’re often illegal due to the road damage they cause. Studded bike tires are unregulated and easy to come by in regions with snow and ice. I’m pretty sure a bike with studded tires is one of the best things imaginable for handling icy roads.
Losing control of a bike is a bit less scary than losing control of a car
Drive or ride around after a big snowstorm and you’ll see cars in ditches, left abandoned after their operators lose control. You can’t just bail when your 2 ton cage hits some ice and starts recklessly sliding about. While it’s not always fun to bail from a bike, it’s certainly much easier, and both bike and operator often come out fine in the end.
Bikes are easier to maintain
Winter can be a real disaster to cars. Combine repeated freezing/heating of the vehicle with road salt and other melt chemicals — it’s easy to understand why cars in colder climates depreciate faster. Bikes basically just require a quick rinse after the ride an an occasional deep clean and oil change (on your chain) to keep in good working order.
Bikes let you enjoy the season
Winter is beautiful. Why experience it through fogged up windows with the radio blaring when you can be out in the middle of it all? There is a lot to enjoy: the invigorating cold air entering your lungs, the sights of your town blanketed in white, the satisfying sound of your bike crunching snow. Winter is often ignored because people are too cold and depressed to pay attention. Biking gets you out there and keeps your blood flowing.

Another baiku

Jason Crane — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:28:00 +0000

Sighs of bike longing,
No riding since November,
Where art thou, my quads?

Guest Essay — Youth Bike Share Program (Eric Larsson)

Jason Crane — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:40:52 +0000

Jason sez: Eric Larsson has contributed links to the daily list before. Here’s his first essay. Welcome, Eric!

Rochester needs a youth bike program.

I like the earn-a-bike model. Kids come to the shop, learn a hands-on repair curriculum working on donated bikes, and ride away on a bike of their own (with a helmet on their head). Two great examples are Bikes not Bombs and Recycle a Bicycle. We could go well beyond that. Maybe incorporate a local chapter of Trips for Kids. It could offer adult classes and a community workshop like the Broadway Bicycle School. If a few engineers, welders and machinists stepped up to the challenge it could be a human powered business incubator something like the Center for Appropriate Transport.

Rochester has all the elements to build and support something great: a well-developed bike culture, a large population of college students, a vibrant network of non-profit organizations, and plenty of kids to serve.

If I wasn’t so old and lazy I wouldn’t be writing this — I’d have already launched a youth bike program in Rochester. But, I co-founded one in Worcester, Massachusetts ten years ago, and now it’s time to step aside while the new talent steps forward. I’m happy to offer up free advice tempered by experience. I’ll share some good contacts. I might make a few phone calls or go to a meeting. I will make one concrete promise: I’ll secure at least one startup grant for anyone serious enough to take this on. Why wait? Let’s roll!

We’re blushing!

Jason Crane — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:37:58 +0000

Perhaps the best part of the Messenger-Post story on bicycle commuting is that it caused the wonderful Paul Dorn to refer to RocBike.com as “the popular commuting site” RocBike.com. Thanks, Paul!

Down in Lugged Land

Jason Crane — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 14:59:39 +0000

I’m down in Ride Lugged country visiting Jen’s family, so I’ll be out of the loop for a few days. However, Adam will be part of today’s Buy Nothing Bike Ride (3 p.m. at the Liberty Pole), so watch this space for updates.

Stuff to read

Jason Crane — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:02:28 +0000

If you’ve got some extra time off this week, use it to peruse these two fine cycling zines:

Identity politics

Julie — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:45:28 +0000

On the RocBike podcasts, Jason refers to me as the “knitting cyclist.” Actually, I should write that as the “Knitting cyclist.” Note the capital “K.” There are knitters who knit more than me, knit better than me, have knit for longer than me. But that doesn’t mean they are a Knitter. Knitting with a capital “K” means you have a Knitting Identity. Inevitably, you have gone through the painful stages of:

–questioning (will my family still accept me as a Knitter?);

–isolation and reaching out to community (where can I meet other Knitters like me?);

–acceptance (okay, I’m a Knitter, now what?);

–coming out and proud (I knit wherever and whenever I please, damn it, and you will just have to deal with it! This phase also often includes the procurement and display of various knitting-related tools, jewelry, and bumper stickers); and

–identity synthesis (yes, I’m a Knitter, but I’m also many other things…don’t fence me in).

Today it occurred to me that I may be in the process of becoming a Commuting Cyclist. I needed to run some errands, which could have been done quite easily by bike. But it was a bit rainy, I was tired and pressed for time, and I thought, “Oh, what the heck. I do my part to save the planet. Today I want to drive!”

Wouldn’t you know, while in Abundance Co-op, I ran into Jack, still with his helmet on. Oh, the shame!

But it was more than shame that sparked this realization of a newly-forming identity. On the drive home, I really did wish that I had biked. It would have been so easy, it wasn’t raining that hard, and the fresh air would have helped me wake up.

I see some more bumper stickers in my future. Do you think they make any that say “Knitting Cyclist”?

The wayback machine

Jason Crane — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:23:02 +0000

RocBike.com’s man at Seabreeze, Gary Young, sent a couple cool links this week. One is to a book called Rochester Ways by Charles Mulford Robinson, published in 1900. Here’s Gary’s note about the book:

By scanning whole libraries of books into its databases, Google has uncovered some wonderful old cycling books. While searching for stuff on cycling in Rochester, I came upon “Rochester Ways,” by
Charles Mulford Robinson, which portrays Rochester in 1900 as a veritable paradise for cyclists:

[Insert text from p. 65, beginning with, "What a swarm these bicyclists are! It has been said that has more of them than any other city in the country...."]

Of course, the entire book is a rather one-note exercise in civic uplift, so it’s difficult to say how much truth there is to this idyll. Still, it does make one hope for better days.

You can read the book at Google Books. You’ll notice a search box on the right side. Just type in “bicycle” and it will list the relevant pages.

Gary also sent a link to this video of clowns liberating bike lanes.

Vintage car safety video

Jason Crane — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:01:02 +0000

This features comic actor Jack Gilford. Thanks to News From Me for the link!

Attention suburban cyclists! (Again!)

Jason Crane — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:37:14 +0000

Jason sez: Someone responded to Amy from the Messenger-Post Newspapers, but there’s been a snafu, as Amy relates:

Hello y’all. It’s the reporter again.

I’d like to thank whoever replied to my posting, however, unfortunately I lost your email. I believe I deleted it in an email clean out frenzy on Friday, as our IT guy here is constantly “riding” our butts to keep our systems from being bogged down.

I apologize if my initial email made it sound like I believe being a bike commuter is hard. My purpose is to talk to someone who does it and to talk about the benefits and the challenges to riding a bike. Yes, the internet is a great way to do research, as in this case where I was able to identify a source to tell the story. However, if you are at all familiar with our newspapers, you would understand that I can’t write a story based on research off the Internet. I need a local source who can illustrate the story for my readers. The Internet can be useful to fill out my story with fun facts, but I can’t just write a story based on facts taken from the Internet.

Who knew that my request for a source to help tell others about what it’s like being a bike commuter could possibly elicit a negative response. I hope that’s not reflective of the commuter community in general.

Thank you for your help and again, if you corresponded with me via email last week, can you please resend me your contact information so we can get the ball (or bike) rolling.

Whoever you are, please contact Amy via e-mail.