tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post372891203211579260..comments2024-03-29T04:01:31.445-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Frames of Mind: Why Did We Not Cycle?Velouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-17800282658723190992017-05-14T10:18:56.920-04:002017-05-14T10:18:56.920-04:00I rode all around campus in college, but it wasn&#...I rode all around campus in college, but it wasn't until five years later that I thought of cycling as a real and realistic form of transportation, mostly because most of the roads here (Durham, NC) are either multilane highways or narrow two-lane roads with nowhere near enough room to pass safely. Oddly enough, having children (especially one who will spend hours happily in a bakfiets but cries as soon as she sees the carseat) made me rethink what was possible. Now we cycle pretty much everywhere within a five-mile radius, but prefer sidepaths, greenways, and bike lanes because of our very slow speed, and disliking the smell of exhaust while biking.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12119977983352617582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-27856213566871913992011-10-04T11:47:03.994-04:002011-10-04T11:47:03.994-04:00Just saw this. Don't know why I didn't cyc...Just saw this. Don't know why I didn't cycle before - it just never occurred to me to take it up again since childhood. A weekend in Brussels at the beginning of 2008 with 3 others where we hired city bikes reignited my interest. Still, no regrets as in my opinion, as a fan of hubgeared city and commuting bikes, I don't think it's ever been a better time to be a cyclist.<br /><br />I'll tell you something though - I'm in the UK BTW: your comments regarding unappealing cyclists and bikeshops that don't sell anything you want to buy hit the nail right on the head for me - you write exactly what I think!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-13123781530035588582011-09-13T08:05:44.382-04:002011-09-13T08:05:44.382-04:00Wasn't reading your blog till just recently, s...Wasn't reading your blog till just recently, so didn't know about the Urbana. Bike Stop in the MM Trail has a Torker Cargo, that's another option for a serious errand bike.<br /><br />I think they are still mostly selling the wrong bikes. The Big Brand manufacturers seem very slow to change, and are much more about selling the style of a utility bike, instead of the fact of a utility bike. The myth of "skinny-tire = low rolling resistance" simply must die; it's not true, at least not when Big Apples are in the mix. Notice how few shops around here stock Big Apples (or Fat Franks, or anything else by Schwalbe)? Imagine all the crap mountain bikes around here, refitted with really nice tires, and what an improvement that would be.<br /><br />My fat tires of choice are Big Apples. For roads around here, I'm still trying to decide if front shocks are worth it. My gut reaction is that they are not, but when I had an xtracycle with front shocks (which I wore out), I inadvertently rode through at least one pothole at 30mph that I would have expected should have collapsed a "normal" front rim. All I got was a sharp smack in the hands as the shock bottomed out.dr2chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16320828055999939449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-2469290329505809102011-09-12T23:37:55.898-04:002011-09-12T23:37:55.898-04:00"One issue with consulting current cyclists a...<i>"One issue with consulting current cyclists about infrastructure planning is that we are Not Normal"</i><br /><br />It's so healthy that we can admit it : )<br /><br />Do you really think bike stores are still selling the wrong bicycles compared to, say, 2 years ago? I have sen some radical changes, including overhearing salespeople recommending wider tires and upright step-through frames. If you like slickish 2"+ tires, you should try the <a href="http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/05/urbana-review-of-true-transport-bike.html" rel="nofollow">Urbana bike</a> I reviewed a few months back. It laughs at Beacon St's potholes. I am going to miss it this winter.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-52274545213585508042011-09-12T23:32:13.562-04:002011-09-12T23:32:13.562-04:00@Merlin: One issue with consulting current cyclist...@Merlin: One issue with consulting current cyclists about infrastructure planning is that we are Not Normal. See http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?a=237507&c=44671 (PDF) for one discussion of this. A fair number of us either are, or were "Effective", and have probably developed a truckload of skills to cope with our crappy infrastructure and indifferent drivers. And we have had about 40 years to try Effective Cycling, and it is a proven ride-share failure, so we should try something different if our goal is to increase ride share (to get people out of cars).<br /><br />I've been thinking a bit about how we're supposed to "get to Amsterdam", and I am a little stumped. It's a great goal, but no-way-no-how do we have generally have the political support for that kind of change. The most I can hope for is that we would start targeted and small in places where it almost could not fail to succeed (e.g., Somerville, Cambridge -- super dense, mostly flat, lots of students).<br /><br />And also, bike shops are mostly selling the "wrong bicycles", especially for our undermaintained winter-beaten roads. For me, two inches is the minimum tire width (but they need to be slick or nearly so, for the usual case of rolling on a road); I want to be able to regard traversing a bump or pothole as merely a vertical swerve. Of the people I know who have recently been badly hurt in crashes, it was potholes that caused the crash. This is unlike the Netherlands, where they apparently spend money to maintain their roads and paths.dr2chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16320828055999939449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-11078511197034178332011-09-12T22:40:49.775-04:002011-09-12T22:40:49.775-04:00Here's what drives me crazy:
I stopped drivi...Here's what drives me crazy: <br /><br />I stopped driving in 2001 because I couldn't afford it anymore. I just walked and took public transit. <br /><br />I lived in a suburb with *terrible* public transit. It was awful. It took me absolutely goddamn forever to get anywhere. I frequently had to accept rides from coworkers and friends. <br /><br />And I don't have any idea why I didn't ride a bicycle. The only thing I can think of, is that I tried riding to work (a mile each way) one summer and thought it was too much work. In hindsight, the bike was a piece of crap, my saddle was too low, and the tires were underinflated, so yeah, it was hard. So I guess I assumed that riding everywhere would be too difficult. <br /><br />I didn't start cycling until 2006, when I moved into Portland (as opposed to a suburb thereof) with friends who all had bicycles. <br /><br />But now I think of all the time I wasted waiting for buses in lonely suburban bus stops and I'm aghast at myself. What in the hell?Aprilhttp://aprillikesbikes.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-5515033846659831162011-09-12T19:30:55.481-04:002011-09-12T19:30:55.481-04:00For me, geography (geology?) had everything to do ...For me, geography (geology?) had everything to do with whether or not I cycled. I grew up in a very hilly suburb right outside of a mid-sized city. Very hilly. There were no flat roads, anywhere, that weren't highways. I would ride a bike to my friends' houses on my street as a kid, but not beyond that. All of the roads were narrow, winding, and steep, generally with no shoulders at all, and certainly no bike paths or sidewalks. I only lived about two miles from school, but if I plug the route into mapmyride, I see two categorized climbs. Same to get to any sort of grocery store, library, park, etc. If you're starting from zero, with no cycle-specific fitness, this makes cycling seem basically impossible. Even for a fit person on a light roadbike, cycling in the area would have been challenging. It would not have been possible at all, really, on any kind of heavy city bike laden with books or groceries.<br /><br />So no one cycled, except... my dad, who would drive his bike over the hills and into the flatter bits at next to the rivers/streams in the valleys, where he would park and unload the bike for a short commute into downtown. So I guess that's where I got the idea that you could, in theory, commute by bicycle.<br /><br />I also didn't cycle in college at all, for similar reasons, I guess. The town(s) immediately surrounding my university were flat and perfect for cycling (as you well know), but the university itself was perched on a hill, which was frankly just easier to walk up and down. So walking and public transit it was. I wish now that I had thought to have a bike in college, but no one else did at the time, so it never really crossed my mind. I did, however, spend a semester abroad at a university on the outskirts of a small town, and used a bicycle to get around everywhere while I was there.<br /><br />It wasn't until after college, when I was out in the "real world" that I got into cycling. There was a bike path (off road, through the woods, etc.) behind my first apartment bldg, and I thought it would be fun, so I got a hybrid and started hitting the trails every weekend. Then I started commuting occasionally, making farmers market runs, etc. <br /><br />And the rest is history. I never considered driving to be a viable option for a commute, so I've always lived somewhere where I could easily bike or take transit to work. I just do whichever is easiest/quickest. Right now I take transit, but would like to switch to cycling if I can find a way to somehow still look professional at work (warm climate/no showers/business formal). I've also recently started road cycling for fitness purposes, which is fun and challenging.<br /><br />For me, it has never been about fear, just logistics. I think this puts me in the minority. Most people who I talk to about cycling in my current city (LA) are terrified of riding in traffic. I think the danger/fear factor here is what keeps most people off of bikes, and I definitely think that if the goal is to get more people cycling, it's just as important to consider the non-cyclist's viewpoint when making policy/planning decisions as it is to consider the veteran cyclists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-78622195119738484592011-09-12T14:11:19.615-04:002011-09-12T14:11:19.615-04:00I believe that those transportation planners who f...<i>I believe that those transportation planners who feel it best to ignore the views of experienced cyclists in designing bicycle infrastructure, should commute to work on roads designed by non-drivers, and eat lunches planned for them by people who do not cook.</i><br /><br />I find these analogies to be quite thought-provoking, in assorted different directions...<br /><br />The argument against listening to the existing cyclists presumes that the goal is to increase the numbers of people cycling. Clearly, the existing cyclists have at least had their minimum requirements met, but the non-cyclists have not, so it makes sense to pay them more attention. This tacitly assumes a few things about the existing cyclists which are not necessarily true:<br /><br />1. They are cycling by choice, not because they have no other options.<br /><br />2. They won't increase their bicycle usage (and decrease motor vehicle usage) in response to infrastructure changes.<br /><br />3. They won't decrease their bicycle usage, regardless of what changes are made.<br /><br />None of these assumptions are valid. A false line has been drawn between "cyclists" and "non-cyclists", and a further assumption has been made that the existing infrastructure does not vary significantly based on destination for an individual cyclist. I think that there's an even better group for the authors of the study to focus on: people who cycle for some trips, but not others, based on the routes available. For example, my wife goes almost everywhere by bicycle, except to work -- because it would be necessary to take either a much longer-than-necessary route, or travel on roads that make her feel very uncomfortable on a bike.<br /><br />That's really all I ought to say, but I cannot resist pointing out the irony of the "commute to work on roads designed by non-drivers" comment (so, "commuting" == "driving", does it?).Merlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13350335129704993638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-8623345259538103522011-09-12T08:31:56.433-04:002011-09-12T08:31:56.433-04:00I rode a lot as a kid (raced, wrenched, centuries,...I rode a lot as a kid (raced, wrenched, centuries, crashes, one bad hit and run), continued to ride to work some days when I lived in California (including the day of Loma Prieta quake; traffic was pretty awful), quit when we moved to Boston (traffic, confusing roads, potholes, snow).<br /><br />Restarted because of bad blood chemistry, oil war, global warming. A 300-mile bike trip with boy scouts was a big help. I have a ten mile commute, which I do several times per week on a bike. Nowadays, I ride a cargo bike (can handle most shopping trips) with platform pedals (no cleats or clips -- I ride more that way) and with a chain case and IGH (keeps my pants and leg clean). Has lights because it gets dark, has upright handlebars, but very narrow (because I tried many different styles, and liked this best). Has snow tires in the winter because the MM trail gets icy.<br /><br />Used to be Effective, but quit after a few decades. John Pucher's Simon Fraser University lecture was a big help there; the Netherlands have the numbers to prove what works, both for ride share and safety. Also quit caring about The Law, again because of the numbers -- it never did anything to get me respect as a cyclist (old, male, large, that helps), the law doesn't prevent us from hurting other people because we pretty much don't hurt other people already (1 pedestrian death per year by "pedalcycles", 3000 by "cars and light trucks") and the law fails the rational nanny state test, because far more people are killed from driving-induced lack of exercise than are killed in bicycle crashes.<br /><br />To get more people on bikes, I would copy what worked in the Netherlands and other parts of Northern Europe. About a third of the US population lives in places that dense; some of us (Cambridge, Somerville) live in places that are denser than Dutch cities with a 50+% ride share (Groningen).<br /><br />On bike lanes, agreed, not so safe. I would paint the door zone red, and leave a green strip far from the doors. On the other hand, a bike lane would have prevented the nonsense I had to put up with yesterday riding into Harvard Square, where some clown decided he would squeeze in on the right to prevent me from filtering forward to the stop light, and then tried to squeeze forward to prevent me from cutting back to the right after passing him on the left. (Didn't work, of course). I don't have time to "negotiate" with jerks like that, and neither does anybody else. Bike lanes get rid of that irritation -- assuming that they are unobstructed, of course.<br /><br />I am much more anti-car than I used to be; based on the numbers, I think that is a rational attitude. I do still own one and drive it often, but I make a continuous effort to be careful and try not to be in a hurry.dr2chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16320828055999939449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-40958622869128160822011-09-12T03:44:12.243-04:002011-09-12T03:44:12.243-04:00I believe that those transportation planners who f...I believe that those transportation planners who feel it best to ignore the views of experienced cyclists in designing bicycle infrastructure, should commute to work on roads designed by non-drivers, and eat lunches planned for them by people who do not cook.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00032772582955539985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-11745879411110761352011-09-12T03:38:27.062-04:002011-09-12T03:38:27.062-04:00Sorry for being slow to respond, but...
"I&#...Sorry for being slow to respond, but...<br /><br /><i>"I'd say it's because the strategies used by cities in the NL and DK are not necessarily applicable to American cities. I know that's a contentious idea in itself, but I believe that cultural differences and topographical differences do matter. That is not to say that something similar is impossible in the US. The approach just needs to take lots and lots of US-specific factors into consideration. "</i><br /><br />Balderdash. After the second World War, bicycle usage declined sharply in the Netherlands as automobile usage rose. It wasn't until the mid-1970s when a campaign for safer streets for children got support that they started building what would become their current transportation infrastructure. The alleged "Dutch bicycle culture" is a <i>result</i> of that infrastructure, not it's cause. And as for population density and topography in North America, that's sheer nonsense. Manhattan, for example, has a much higher population density than anyplace in the Netherlands, with plenty of room on its streets for Dutch-style infrastructure, and basically no hills to speak of. In fact, very few American cities are so hilly that bicycling is particularly difficult -- hilly terrain is not particularly suitable for building cities, after all. The big advantage of having such infrastructure is to make short trips within cities safe and convenient by bicycle.<br /><br />Claiming that we need to take special "US-specific factors into consideration" just provides a cop-out for those who would rather paint some lines and stencils in the existing door zone so they can pretend that they've built high quality bicycling infrastructure. What you say sounds eminently reasonable, but upon careful consideration of the evidence, it amounts to hollow excuses.Merlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13350335129704993638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-1900789175491554622011-09-11T22:46:31.066-04:002011-09-11T22:46:31.066-04:00One thing that hasn't been mentioned re: non-c...One thing that hasn't been mentioned re: non-cyclists/non-PTers is safety. Not even traffic safety, per se, but total terror at the idea of being out of your pod for more than three minutes at a time and interacting with others who might be poorer and darker than you. When I first moved to a city and started taking a bus everywhere, my mom worried every single day, absolutely certain I'd be robbed or murdered. She, herself, has never taken public transportation in her entire life, because of this fear. This sounds insane (and quite racist!) to city dwellers, but when I've talked to other third-generation small town residents or suburbanites who've moved to the city, most of them have experienced something similar with their own parents. I don't see a way around this fear, other than the inevitable depletion of oil reserves.<br /><br />And honestly, my mom's a retiree, and I think she would rather pay $10/gallon and almost never leave the house than explore alternatives. Sad but true, there are just some people that will NEVER, EVER be "converted." And while it's important to know these people exist I don't know how consulting them about cycle or PT facilities will help anything. It's like asking an ethical vegetarian what it would take to get them to try some meat. Just not going to happen.Erica L. Satifkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17134032079725071000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-60590890559686709212011-09-11T20:42:23.070-04:002011-09-11T20:42:23.070-04:00I totally forgot, but there was a recent canadian ...I totally forgot, but there was a recent canadian study stating that something like 75% of canadians have never taken public transportation to work/school. That includes cycling, walking etc..<br />mind boggling, but ties into the comments about our culture being built around the automobile and the 'freedom' it brings. <br />Now, my mom recently came to visit and she rented a car. It was nice being able to get around quickly and go to some nice lakes further away. But for me to be able to afford a car, insurance, gas etc I would have to have another full time job and it would in fact ruin my health and quality of life.<br />so biking with the occasional bus ride it is!Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-40492502695664095982011-09-11T20:35:57.800-04:002011-09-11T20:35:57.800-04:00I think it is valuable to ask noncyclists what the...I think it is valuable to ask noncyclists what they think and what they would want in cycling, but in the end, people who do bike should be forming policy etc.. A noncyclist has many unjustified fears and inexperience. The UK is also grappling with major obesity rates and trying desperately to get people exercising- anyway to get people on bikes is being sought.<br />As you found out, it wasn't that hard to let go of the car, to bike for transportation, to share the road etc. As scary as it looks, 99% of the time it is fine to bike with traffic.<br />As a life long cyclist I cannot fathom why people do not bike more. I just figured it out as I grew up, learned the legal rules of cycling on the road and got out there and did it. I did not have a car, hated the bus and discovered a wonderful network of trails and streets to get me around the city when I was young.<br /> It hasn't always been easy when I grew up in a car crazy bike hating town and now live in a rural area. But I also lived in Vancouver that has some of the best bike networks I have seen and used. <br />You surely realize that your aversion to cyclists with attitude had as much to do with your lack of experience cycling as with certain individuals' bad attitudes. Also remember people-especially guys in their early 20's can be such know it alls acting like they are doing something nobody has ever ever done before. <br />The annoying cyclist in your class did not by any stretch of the imagination represent most cyclists. In university loads of students biked with no fuss. We got asked alot of questions and were treated like crazy people though. In fact, it was more like we had bad attitude tossed at us from noncyclists! Now that you bike, you can imagine how marginalized some of these cyclists must have felt-hence their attitude. With little or no infrastructure, rude drivers and absence of the current culture, I can tell you they would have been having a tough time 'sharing the road'.Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-64737641477857330312011-09-11T04:56:22.871-04:002011-09-11T04:56:22.871-04:00Given that I *walk* up the hill home if I have tim...Given that I *walk* up the hill home if I have time, I really doubt that I don't cycle from laziness.<br /><br />I think I have two reasons. <br /><br />1. My knees really don't like the motion, whenever I've tried an exercycle.<br /><br />2. I find the idea of coping in traffic without indicators and decent rear-view mirrors terrifying.Maire Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04502000427390555852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-22891491842927043102011-09-10T19:59:25.594-04:002011-09-10T19:59:25.594-04:00@ Velouria
"I know it's unfashionable to...@ Velouria<br /><br />"I know it's unfashionable to dislike public transportation"<br /><br />There's another reason here: it take double the time. <br />http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Commuters+prefer+their+cars/5303796/story.html<br /><br />Service has not followed sprawl (which is normal, we should encourage urban densification) and whole areas are transportation deserts.Montrealizehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08689176985812848399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-68907568117302196282011-09-10T19:51:48.062-04:002011-09-10T19:51:48.062-04:00@Velouria
"We live by a centralised schedule...@Velouria<br /><br />"We live by a centralised schedule, not our own. It's kind of scary if you think about it."<br /><br />Montreal is a total island, so coming from the suburbs, you need to cross bridges. Well, guess what, it so happens that everybody converge on said bridges at the same time everyday!<br />Personally I know of nothing more centralised or more scary than Montreal's rush hour traffic jams. <br /><br />"The car on the other hand gives the illusion of being entirely independent. I call it an illusion, because in a city you will in fact be stuck in traffic most of the time, trapped inside that car, but the illusion remains and society reinforces it."<br /><br />Exactly.<br />The question now is how do we burst that bubble, if feasible even? <br /><br />Yet, you also have hardcores who tell you: "Well, in my car, I am comfortably seated, I have air conditioning, I can grab some McDo and wait patiently, I listen to the radio/CD/ipod, I have heated seats, bla bla bla".<br /><br />I think we underestimate the number of these and the severity of their case.<br /><br />There was a study that came out recently (I only have ref in French unfortunately) that revealed that most motorists have a 45 min tolerance each way in their commute... <br />That's 1h30 in a day!!! And plenty do more, and they're ok with it because that's the key to their lifestyle. Altering said lifestyle is never an option...Montrealizehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08689176985812848399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-17974037063716620662011-09-10T18:39:17.763-04:002011-09-10T18:39:17.763-04:00I think Neighbourtease just nailed it!
Build infr...I think Neighbourtease just nailed it!<br /><br />Build infrastructure for the most vunerable user. I know of very few parents that would allow or even want to allow their elementary school aged child to ride on a street.<br /><br />I don't expect to ever see what exists in the Netherlands here in the US, but we could certainly do better than what we currently have.<br /><br />Aaron2whls3spdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16954543886269776858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89832377049311045132011-09-10T14:41:44.909-04:002011-09-10T14:41:44.909-04:00@Beery - I'm not sure that your opinion of cyc...@Beery - I'm not sure that your opinion of cycling in the Netherlands is shared by <a href="http://hembrow.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">David Hembrow</a> - a blogger who lives over there.<br /><br />He has a few videos on the website that show both masses of commuters on bikes, and also plenty of fast cycling in the form of velomobiles.<br /><br />They also show children cycling in what appears to be a far safer environment than the road network around where I live - where I cycle with my kids. Would I let my 9 year old ride from one side of town to the other alone on her bike? Kidding myself that she is safe amongst motor traffic?<br /><br />No, the idea is ridiculous...and tends to be propagated by people who the report suggests should be ignored.<br /><br />And I used to be of that opinion too, until looking at it from a parental point of view - a view that shares the same concerns of those less confident or less able to ride amongst fast traffic...current conditions in the UK exclude a heck of a lot of people from getting around on a bicycle without feeling safe doing so.Isla...https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569097700652272494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-2823516979552219962011-09-10T10:26:01.950-04:002011-09-10T10:26:01.950-04:00I can only speak for my little corner of Australia...I can only speak for my little corner of Australia but one of the most helpful 'transitional' bits of infrastructure for me as an adult returning to cycling was the pavement. Cycling on footpaths is allowed here and was actively encouraged in the 1990s. Before the idea of cycle lanes running alongside cars shoved bicycles into a purgatory between pedestrian and driver, the footpaths were constructed from square pavers like you might find in a suburban backyard. These were prone to sinking and creating a hazard for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Gradually they replaced the cracked, worn and uneven pavers with smooth, rectangular sections of poured concrete almost twice the width of the old pieces (room for overtaking!), with almost seamless joins and gentle ramps where they met road. The city introduced them as 'Cycle paths' although they certainly would have made footpaths more accessible for people in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and even people on foot. The suburbs have wide roads anyway, providing for a comfortable environment to regain cycling confidence but having the knowledge that if I feel unsafe I can always zip on to the pavement until the hazard passes is a valuable psychological 'assist' when I'm cycling on busier streets. Of course, the newer cycle lanes which run by the train lines here are the height of cycling confidence as they are almost completely separate from cars. Inner city cycle lanes are still terrifying to me as some of them run down the centre of the two car lanes! I've only tackled them once so far and that was following a Lycra wearing 'Roadie' friend.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00017567199169362903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-75138876523906877402011-09-10T10:03:47.527-04:002011-09-10T10:03:47.527-04:00Oh dear lord, your peanut butter bike girl has bro...Oh dear lord, your peanut butter bike girl has broken me. I have not had the best of times with super commuters, myself. The mixture of exclusive and nerd is just too much. <br /><br />The report made me think of the story of the kitchen tool company OXO who make the good grips line of products. The founder's wife has serious arthritis and they love to cook. He wanted to make her life easier so hired industrial designers to re-imagine kitchenwear. It turns out lots of people appreciate a can opener that's easier to hold, not just those with arthritis. I think approaching cycling infrastructure from this perspective of taking care of our most vulnerable would help all of us. So, I'm all for it!neighbourteasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17571138655370581828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-46448658996426312802011-09-10T06:34:31.074-04:002011-09-10T06:34:31.074-04:00Cheap and plentiful gasoline over a 60-year period...Cheap and plentiful gasoline over a 60-year period has resulted in a living arrangement where distance (and with it – topography and the elements) hasn’t mattered. Wealth accumulated over the period was invested in building stock and hard infrastructure, as well as methods of conducting commerce, under the premise that this massively-dispersed automobile-scaled living arrangement would continue in perpetuity. Some have said this will go down as the greatest miscalculation and misinvestment in human history. I think that just may be true.<br /><br />It is possible to live well in some neighborhoods in some American cities where walking and riding a bike are workable transport modes for attending to all of a family’s basic needs. But most people do not live in these conditions and couldn’t if they wanted to. A family needs a good job, good schools, affordable rent, access to goods and services, and a social life. Our current arrangement can provide for this if you drive a car and/or in some urban areas (or parts of urban areas) if you use transit. I can see where the thought of walking or riding a bike would lead to concerns of surrendering on some of these things, or compromising on quality, security and comfort, whether that’s real or perceived.<br /><br />Because gasoline was readily available and cheap, distance didn’t matter, density was no longer necessary, and we dispersed our living arrangement far and wide. This is what we built and we now have to live in it. Deliberately changing this boondoggle to something more livable can only be done very slowly or it presents disastrous economic, social, legal and political problems. A modern American family has inherited what we have steadily built over the decades, and is trapped (whether they consciously think of it that way or not) in the arrangement. They can only hope to hold a good job, send their kids to good school, realize cheaper gas, and obtain a bigger/nicer car for making it all happen.<br /><br />Higher energy prices and difficulties in keeping all the cars running should drive people back toward living in denser and less auto-dependant arrangements because proximity and distance will once again matter and present obvious advantages. With this comes new and local economies and community. As things begin to trend toward those conditions, walking and biking will begin to make a great deal of sense to people. <br /><br />Presently I think we are in a denial phase about this being where we are headed. Partly cultural (i.e. car = freedom) and partly because we are massively invested in something and hate the idea of it not working out. Anger goes with denial, so it’s not surprising to me that issues of bicycle transportation are often met with such disdain or smug indifference by car lovers and strip mall fanatics.<br /><br />Where cars have conquered distance, the great disappointment is we haven’t addressed the problem of time as well as we’d like to, what with the alternating of sitting in traffic jams and our being compelled to speed whenever we can get away with it. How frustrating. Funny thing is how often people underestimate how long it takes to get somewhere by car, and overestimate how long it takes by bike or on foot.Bifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05543158648103470697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-17001209113593122892011-09-10T03:10:13.610-04:002011-09-10T03:10:13.610-04:00I think what got me into cycling was the promotion...I think what got me into cycling was the promotion of a different type of cycling from the City of Sydney coupled with what I had seen and experienced in Japan , Copenhagen (Amsterdam and London came later) .Finding a bicycle shop called Tokyo Bikes in Sydney that reflected my experiences overseas, was important and continually reading blogs like lovely bicycles where a sharing of ideas and product reviews create a community that I can identify with.The separated paths stared in Sydney made the beginning riding easy and made me feel legitimate. I was lucky in that my daughter who had ridden track and road made the switch with me to transport cycling so I had a knowledgable companion.A lot has changed in a year -I now will ride with cars ; it doesn't mean I like it but in some areas it is the only way to connect up the cycling paths. I have ridden in Assen, Netherlands for a day and that was heaven.I could only ride in London because I was use to vehicular riding. I wouldn't ride if I had to have the rigmarole of having special cycling clothes or shoes and if it wasn't for practical modes like getting myself around .This is what I enjoy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-26768487382724311812011-09-09T23:04:40.578-04:002011-09-09T23:04:40.578-04:00"I know folks like this. One of them, in a he...<i>"I know folks like this. One of them, in a heated discussing, declared that even if a metro station was to open across the street (i.e. less than 10m), she would still drive."</i><br /><br />I know it's unfashionable to dislike public transportation, but I think it is understandable why so many people are resentful of it: It forces us to give up control. We live by a centralised schedule, not our own. It's kind of scary if you think about it. The car on the other hand gives the illusion of being entirely independent. I call it an illusion, because in a city you will in fact be stuck in traffic most of the time, trapped inside that car, but the illusion remains and society reinforces it. I think that cycling and walking can be quite appealing to those who dislike public transportation, precisely because these are more independent means of getting around a city than both pt and cars.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55794934757484045512011-09-09T22:58:34.614-04:002011-09-09T22:58:34.614-04:00" I would say that niether American cyclists ...<i>" I would say that niether American cyclists nor non-cyclists are at all well-informed about what it would take to substantially increase the mode share of transportation cycling. It is demonstrably a solved problem, but the English-speaking world seems intent on disregarding the evidence from those few places where cycling is successful, and trying to (badly) re-invent the wheel. Why?"</i><br /><br />I'd say it's because the strategies used by cities in the NL and DK are not necessarily applicable to American cities. I know that's a contentious idea in itself, but I believe that cultural differences and topographical differences do matter. That is not to say that something similar is impossible in the US. The approach just needs to take lots and lots of US-specific factors into consideration.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.com