Russ and Laura have published their first eBook from the road. Subtitled The Path Less Pedaled Bike Camping Guide, it’s full of tried and tested essentials for bike touring. Get your copy here.
Don’t Ride In The Door Prize Zone,
a haiku by everyday bicycle commuter Ethan Georgi
riding along and
A DOOR FLIES OPEN OH NO!
no door prize for me
The door prize zone is the area three feet to the left of cars parked on the right. When a car door opens, it opens into this space and it can kill you. I am not kidding. You might be thinking, oh, I can just swerve around it. If you do that, you are swerving into the traffic on your left. This is why I don’t ride in the door prize zone.
I do tend to call out “Door!” when I see one open.
Fun video.
EcoVelo, one of my favorite bicycling blogs, is running a series on Bike Commuting 101, which is shaping up to be very nice. Today Alan posted a bit about a subject dear to my heart: lights. While Alan is based in CA, the law is pretty much the same here. More importantly, the message is applicable here.
I’m famous, for a day, on BikeRumor.
I made up this song on Lake, near Madison, this morning, while cycling through the wet streets of Albany. I don’t know why I sing so much when I’m riding. Usually I do so with this almost cheesy, shower voice, like a big, slow Sinatra. Anyway.
You – can pass me – if you want to
You – can just go – around
I don’t – appreciate – being followed
So please, just safely go around
Digging these tweed messenger bags from SF. Eighty bucks? Seems like a steal to me.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, is not exactly the sort of place you’d imagine to be in dire need of a facelift and urban renewal. Images of a gorgeous coastline and old colonial architecture come to mind, but guess what? The old part of the city, “the Isleta,” is rife with poor urban planning scars, such as inaccessible beaches due to ports and an excessive reliance on cars. The government has decided to infuse the city with $1.5 billion dollars to re-develop San Juan and, most of all, make it a walking city, with no cars allowed.
More here.
Today I was riding home on Pearl Street, like I do every day these days. One of the things that frustrates me as a pedestrian on Pearl Street is that drivers do not stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks. Even though they put those big dayglo signs up, drivers don’t stop. Even a big black SUV with the Mayor in the passenger seat does not stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk. So today I was riding The Watson home from work and I stopped for two pedestrians in a crosswalk. One of them said to me, “thank you.” I smiled and said “sure.”
(Side note: you are not isolated or cut off from the rest of the human race when you are on a bicycle. You can talk to people, instead of trying to run them over. Let’s get back to humanity, eh?)
I was proud of myself for stopping the line of cars behind me to let two hardworking people cross the street. And then I rode on.
Later, on Hackett, I saw a car stopped at an intersection. Cars in this area often stop IN the crosswalk, blocking the whole thing. Pretty sure this is illegal but it isn’t enforced. I usually go around behind them and ring my bell. Well today, the car stopped in the crosswalk saw me coming, put his car in reverse, and backed out of the crosswalk before I got there. I was astounded by his act of humility and courtesy. He had his window down, and I called out “thank you” as I passed.
Have any similar stories?
