I've been working in Beautiful Downtown Burbank this week so I haven't been getting my daily constitutionals on the bike. I miss that. But I know the rest of you early-adopters are out there, building up your quads, reducing your footprints, raising those LDLs, being closer to your community. And hopefully staying clear of the obstacles to a progressive approach to transportation that might do you harm.
Sometimes when I have a near-miss I think, "I was just really lucky...". And other times I think, "I was just really unlucky...". I'm never really sure which it is. I saw this video which takes that to an extreme - the luckiest cyclist in the world, or almost the unluckiest. Either way, someone was looking out for him on this day as he rode to work...
Showing posts with label bike commuting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bike commuting. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
A Bike Commuter's Wet Dream
My brother lives in downtown L.A. I've been visiting him a lot lately and I was thinking today about riding from Santa Monica, where I live, to downtown L.A. where my brother lives. I thought I'd try Google Maps new bike route finder to see what it came up with.
The majority of the route it found across town was on Venice Blvd., which I know has some good bike lanes for at least part of it, so it seems like a good enough choice. It's about a 17-mile route each way which sounds like a nice ride - maybe next weekend or something I'll give it a go.
As I was thinking about navigating the mean streets of L.A. by bike a friend posted this vid on Facebook - kind of an L.A. cross-town cyclist's wet dream. Maybe I can play it on my iPhone as I ride, imagining a peaceful trip, ticking off the miles as I pedal from neighborhood to neighborhood...
.
The majority of the route it found across town was on Venice Blvd., which I know has some good bike lanes for at least part of it, so it seems like a good enough choice. It's about a 17-mile route each way which sounds like a nice ride - maybe next weekend or something I'll give it a go.
As I was thinking about navigating the mean streets of L.A. by bike a friend posted this vid on Facebook - kind of an L.A. cross-town cyclist's wet dream. Maybe I can play it on my iPhone as I ride, imagining a peaceful trip, ticking off the miles as I pedal from neighborhood to neighborhood...
.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
El Porvenir, Clean Water and Bike Commuting
OK, I’ll get right to the point. El Porvenir is a small, grassroots organization that helps local communities build clean water and sanitation facilities for themselves in the rural areas of Nicaragua. Here's how they get water before El Porvenir gets involved - the women carry it from wherever a source is...
Photo by Patrick Xavier Bresnan
Clean water for people who deserve it - it’s a fundamentally important thing. (They also build washing/shower facilities, healthy cook-stoves and have begun reforestation projects - but it all starts with the water.)
Here's a picture of my Mom and Step-dad about 15 years ago when we went on one of their work trips. My folks were on the board of El Porvenir for many years.
(My folks also dabbled in helping kids over the border into the States to reunite them with their families trapped by INS laws, and protesting things like the School of the Americas - with the arrest record to show for it. They look so innocent, don't they?)
Anyway, if you ever wanted to see your charitable (and tax-deductible) dollar have a direct, tangible, deeply satisfying effect on the lives of others - this is it. Bringing clean water and sanitation facilities to these communities has a life-saving effect on their health, and a profound effect on the lives of the women that are the core of family life. Clean, accessible water and sanitation is a BIG DEAL that we take for granted.
I’ll provide more info below, but here's my brother-can-you-spare-a-dime/bike-related pitch...
We’re having an event at our house on November 6th to provide information about what El Porvenir does (and of course eat and drink and tell stories and goof off). Doors will open at 7, and we'll have a speaker from Nicaragua at about 8:30. We want people who work late (like me) to be able to attend. So there’s that, you are invited to come on the 6th.
If you can’t make it or if you just like additional reasons to part with a little cash, we will be doing our transportation bike riding in November as a fundraiser as well. We ride as a family about 10 miles a day to get to school and work. We are looking for pledges based on our commuting miles in November - probably about 200 miles - rain or shine! You can set a limit to your contribution or do it any way that works for you. Email me with your pledge and I’ll follow up with any more info you need. We’ll love you for it.
Please RSVP to me at bikedate(at)me(dot)com if you plan on coming so we can be ready, and we'll send you the specifics. Also, please come even if you can’t give right now. We mean that, we want to see/meet you and share what El Porvenir does more than anything. You can even just stop by for a drink and then head off to that exclusive Hollywood party that you didn't invite us to!
The bottom line is, this is a great organization. Very low overhead, and your hard-earned dollar will make life better for men, women & kids. It’s that simple. (We set up Quicken to send a small monthly check - that works for us.)
OK, here's a short video about El Porvenir:
Here’s the link to El Porvenir's site.
Friend them on Facebook here!
That's it. We hope to see you on the 6th! RSVP! RSVP! bikedate(at)me(dot)com
Photo by Patrick Xavier BresnanClean water for people who deserve it - it’s a fundamentally important thing. (They also build washing/shower facilities, healthy cook-stoves and have begun reforestation projects - but it all starts with the water.)
Here's a picture of my Mom and Step-dad about 15 years ago when we went on one of their work trips. My folks were on the board of El Porvenir for many years.
(My folks also dabbled in helping kids over the border into the States to reunite them with their families trapped by INS laws, and protesting things like the School of the Americas - with the arrest record to show for it. They look so innocent, don't they?)
Anyway, if you ever wanted to see your charitable (and tax-deductible) dollar have a direct, tangible, deeply satisfying effect on the lives of others - this is it. Bringing clean water and sanitation facilities to these communities has a life-saving effect on their health, and a profound effect on the lives of the women that are the core of family life. Clean, accessible water and sanitation is a BIG DEAL that we take for granted.
I’ll provide more info below, but here's my brother-can-you-spare-a-dime/bike-related pitch...
We’re having an event at our house on November 6th to provide information about what El Porvenir does (and of course eat and drink and tell stories and goof off). Doors will open at 7, and we'll have a speaker from Nicaragua at about 8:30. We want people who work late (like me) to be able to attend. So there’s that, you are invited to come on the 6th.
If you can’t make it or if you just like additional reasons to part with a little cash, we will be doing our transportation bike riding in November as a fundraiser as well. We ride as a family about 10 miles a day to get to school and work. We are looking for pledges based on our commuting miles in November - probably about 200 miles - rain or shine! You can set a limit to your contribution or do it any way that works for you. Email me with your pledge and I’ll follow up with any more info you need. We’ll love you for it.
Please RSVP to me at bikedate(at)me(dot)com if you plan on coming so we can be ready, and we'll send you the specifics. Also, please come even if you can’t give right now. We mean that, we want to see/meet you and share what El Porvenir does more than anything. You can even just stop by for a drink and then head off to that exclusive Hollywood party that you didn't invite us to!
The bottom line is, this is a great organization. Very low overhead, and your hard-earned dollar will make life better for men, women & kids. It’s that simple. (We set up Quicken to send a small monthly check - that works for us.)
OK, here's a short video about El Porvenir:
Here’s the link to El Porvenir's site.
Friend them on Facebook here!
That's it. We hope to see you on the 6th! RSVP! RSVP! bikedate(at)me(dot)com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What do bike lanes and cozies have in common?
So I went over to The Atlantic for a dose of Sullivan and up popped a promo for another story at their site with the tantalizing title "Bike-Only Roads". Whether it's just an example of "The internets know you better than your mother" targeted marketing or another sign of the coming Cycopalypse I can't say, but they had me at "Bike-Only Roads". (And P.S. I am totally trademarking "Cycopalypse". ™. There, I did it.)
The whole area of bike infrastructure and progressive urban planning can be a daunting and disheartening place, and that's just from my outsider POV - God bless the hardy souls that commit their time and energy in the bowels of city planning. Seriously. Bless them. They are the lonely ones reminding our representatives that riding a bicycle to work shouldn't feel like this:
Sometimes I can have positive, helpful ideas, and sometimes I think as riders we should just claim our right to the road with a more aggressive, neanderthal grip. Imagine if we all rode these through our own Mad Maxian sub/urban jungles?
Now, that would command respect! Nothing screams street-cred like a raging two-wheeled steer-cycle covered with matte-black loufa. Truly an epic ride - a testosterone-fueled cross between this:
and this:
And yes, there's an app for that...
And wow, there's even this, the Wooly Willy Dildo Cozy...
Google can really take you places you don't want to go. [UPDATE: Reader Adrienne saw the above item and tipped me off to a whole world I didn't know existed, including the alarming Yves Saint Laurent Full-Body Knitted Bride-Condom. You think you just happened on a random nugget, only to realize you've stumbled on a Mother Lode:]
Apathy isn't the only reason I haven't fully joined the ranks of the bike advocates (though there are days I could go toe-to-toe with anyone in a bare-knuckles apathy-off). Sometimes I feel that debates about a bike's place in the urban landscape are a perfect storm of zero-sum intractability, it's-always-been-like-this inertia, and well-intentioned promotion of ineffectual ideas. I know, I should be more positive. And then there's my resistance to enthusiastically joining groups that don't precisely mimic my own personality, which I reserve the right to alter at will. So, I've yet to be much of a contribution to the cause.
In my defense, I do have a blog, so I'm not sweating it.
Now clearly some people aren't waiting for stimulus dollars to Copenhagenize their personal Pamplona. Here's a concept for a personal bike lane projector...
Bringing the idea of "wherever you go, there you are" to new illuminated heights. My 2¢ - I think the little bike-rider icon's arm should animate appropriately when the traveling bike lane is not respected. Maybe in LightLane 2.0.
I do have a few ideas knocking around that I hope to develop, allow to evolve and ultimately take out for a public spin - some I've mentioned here before. Such as:
"Ride the Last Mile", or "Dude, Where's Your Car?" - Encouraging commuters to drive the bulk of their normal commute, park a mile or two short of their destination, and ride the last mile. Point being, there has to be a way to get past the perceived (and legitimate) road blocks of distance, dangerous routes and ineffective public transportation (to name a few) that keeps people in their cars, particularly in a sprawling metropolis like L.A. With some promotion of the idea I think we could get a decent number of cars out of dense commercial areas and more bikes taking their place. A little infrastructure - like parking out on the periphery of commercial areas geared to bikers - would help.
My own commute is totally rideable, but I'd love to get someone to try this out and tell me what works, and what doesn't. Any guinea pigs out there? Maybe as a trial balloon we work with the private sector - have people park on the outskirts of town and then ride to Trader Joe's, because it's a well-known fact you'll never find parking at the actual store...
"Make Love, Not War", or "Taking the Road Less Traveled" - Often the thinking seems to be, "Bikes should be part of our transportation mix, so let's cram bike lanes into busy auto-arteries. Problem solved!" Yeah, if the problem is, "How do we make driver's hate bikers with a more blinding, white-hot rage?" I understand the complications, but to me the solution lies somewhere in the next street over - that one that has (almost) zero cars on it!
I know the reason it's car-free is because there aren't lights to traverse major cross streets, or ways of making it past other obstacles like freeways or waterways or whateverways, but clearly that is where the bikes should be. So I say we shouldn't advocate for the running of the bikes amongst the automotive beasts - forcing us riders all up in some Escalade's grille (which is one of the least desirable places for a bike to be...). Let's turn The Road Less Traveled into Where The Bikes Are.
My other half-baked, hair-brained idea is "The Sepulveda Shuttle". A small fleet of ten-person vans towing ten-bike trailers, shuffling back and forth over the Sepulveda Pass from the Valley to the Westside of L.A. and back again, carrying bike commuters who do a bike-shuttle-bike routine, cutting out the daunting ride over the pass, and getting a few more cars off the road. Like I said, half-baked, but I think it's not completely crazy.
Well that's a start. And once I finish implementing all these programs I'll move on to the Holy Grail of cycling...
The No-Pinch Kid's Bike Helmet Buckle...
If you have kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about...
The whole area of bike infrastructure and progressive urban planning can be a daunting and disheartening place, and that's just from my outsider POV - God bless the hardy souls that commit their time and energy in the bowels of city planning. Seriously. Bless them. They are the lonely ones reminding our representatives that riding a bicycle to work shouldn't feel like this:
Sometimes I can have positive, helpful ideas, and sometimes I think as riders we should just claim our right to the road with a more aggressive, neanderthal grip. Imagine if we all rode these through our own Mad Maxian sub/urban jungles?
Now, that would command respect! Nothing screams street-cred like a raging two-wheeled steer-cycle covered with matte-black loufa. Truly an epic ride - a testosterone-fueled cross between this:
and this:
And yes, there's an app for that...
And wow, there's even this, the Wooly Willy Dildo Cozy...
Google can really take you places you don't want to go. [UPDATE: Reader Adrienne saw the above item and tipped me off to a whole world I didn't know existed, including the alarming Yves Saint Laurent Full-Body Knitted Bride-Condom. You think you just happened on a random nugget, only to realize you've stumbled on a Mother Lode:]
Apathy isn't the only reason I haven't fully joined the ranks of the bike advocates (though there are days I could go toe-to-toe with anyone in a bare-knuckles apathy-off). Sometimes I feel that debates about a bike's place in the urban landscape are a perfect storm of zero-sum intractability, it's-always-been-like-this inertia, and well-intentioned promotion of ineffectual ideas. I know, I should be more positive. And then there's my resistance to enthusiastically joining groups that don't precisely mimic my own personality, which I reserve the right to alter at will. So, I've yet to be much of a contribution to the cause.
In my defense, I do have a blog, so I'm not sweating it.
Now clearly some people aren't waiting for stimulus dollars to Copenhagenize their personal Pamplona. Here's a concept for a personal bike lane projector...
Bringing the idea of "wherever you go, there you are" to new illuminated heights. My 2¢ - I think the little bike-rider icon's arm should animate appropriately when the traveling bike lane is not respected. Maybe in LightLane 2.0.
I do have a few ideas knocking around that I hope to develop, allow to evolve and ultimately take out for a public spin - some I've mentioned here before. Such as:
"Ride the Last Mile", or "Dude, Where's Your Car?" - Encouraging commuters to drive the bulk of their normal commute, park a mile or two short of their destination, and ride the last mile. Point being, there has to be a way to get past the perceived (and legitimate) road blocks of distance, dangerous routes and ineffective public transportation (to name a few) that keeps people in their cars, particularly in a sprawling metropolis like L.A. With some promotion of the idea I think we could get a decent number of cars out of dense commercial areas and more bikes taking their place. A little infrastructure - like parking out on the periphery of commercial areas geared to bikers - would help.
My own commute is totally rideable, but I'd love to get someone to try this out and tell me what works, and what doesn't. Any guinea pigs out there? Maybe as a trial balloon we work with the private sector - have people park on the outskirts of town and then ride to Trader Joe's, because it's a well-known fact you'll never find parking at the actual store...
"Make Love, Not War", or "Taking the Road Less Traveled" - Often the thinking seems to be, "Bikes should be part of our transportation mix, so let's cram bike lanes into busy auto-arteries. Problem solved!" Yeah, if the problem is, "How do we make driver's hate bikers with a more blinding, white-hot rage?" I understand the complications, but to me the solution lies somewhere in the next street over - that one that has (almost) zero cars on it!
I know the reason it's car-free is because there aren't lights to traverse major cross streets, or ways of making it past other obstacles like freeways or waterways or whateverways, but clearly that is where the bikes should be. So I say we shouldn't advocate for the running of the bikes amongst the automotive beasts - forcing us riders all up in some Escalade's grille (which is one of the least desirable places for a bike to be...). Let's turn The Road Less Traveled into Where The Bikes Are.
My other half-baked, hair-brained idea is "The Sepulveda Shuttle". A small fleet of ten-person vans towing ten-bike trailers, shuffling back and forth over the Sepulveda Pass from the Valley to the Westside of L.A. and back again, carrying bike commuters who do a bike-shuttle-bike routine, cutting out the daunting ride over the pass, and getting a few more cars off the road. Like I said, half-baked, but I think it's not completely crazy.
Well that's a start. And once I finish implementing all these programs I'll move on to the Holy Grail of cycling...
The No-Pinch Kid's Bike Helmet Buckle...
If you have kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Infrastructure & Incentives
My friend Mark sent me a couple photos he's taken while working in NYC. Though I'd been aware of a substantial cycling culture there, I hadn't thought much about New York as some kind of bikes-as-transportation Mecca. But as a recent NY Times feature confirms, NYC is looking at bikes with fresh eyes. For starters, these bike lanes:
Photo by Mark Imgrund
I would love to see this kind of thing in Santa Monica. Bike lanes separated from traffic (between parked cars and the curb, not between parked cars and the traffic...), and with the I-must-be-dreaming anti-dooring zone built in. Now that is some real Portland-on-the-Hudson enlightened infrastructure there. I mean seriously, if New York City can carve out a couple feet for safe bike riding in a dense urban area, can't we? [UPDATE: Commenter Alexander posted a link to this interview with the Commissioner of the NYC DOT. Amazing glimpses of the improvements in NYC and the leadership at the top that makes it happen. Can we get some leadership like that here in LA/Santa Monica?!]
Then in the next photo, a local business takes it upon themselves to make a difference:
Photo by Mark Imgrund
As you can (vaguely) see on the sign in the window, "Arrive by bicycle - 25% discount"! There is nothing in it for this business (I mean 25% off! That's real money), nothing except the love and devotion of local biking customers. It's just the right idea - that's the upside. I also notice the Revolution Rickshaw out front for deliveries...
Santa Monica should get with this - provide some actual incentives to people who ride their bikes to our business district. Of course they could start by creating actual bike lanes TO the business district.
This is one of my pet peeves - as you can see in the map, the pink bike lanes all end about 3 blocks before you get to the Promenade... I know 3 blocks isn't much, but they are 3 blocks where the streets and sidewalks are totally jammed. If Santa Monica wants people to ride there (which appears questionable), spend some cash at a local business and then ride home, you need to create a safe route (that a family could ride). Us hardy, everyday riders can wing it, but it's a real barrier to new riders. And don't let the green "Bike Routes" fool you - they are totally useless for anyone but the most daring (Lincoln Blvd.? A bike route? Really...?).
Whenever we get to the "Bike Route" sections of our daily ride towing the kids to school, marked with the "Share the Road" signs discreetly tucked behind trees and such, it translates consistently as "Get on the Sidewalk". They really are a (well-intentioned) joke...
What if there were actual incentives to ride to the Promenade? The benefits to overcrowded parking structures and general congestion are obvious. What if we had at just one route in - say Arizona Ave.? That would also serve the Farmer's Market. Maybe have a bike valet like the Sunday market down on Main Street. Maybe some actual discounts for people who ride there (maybe a coupon for a dollar off the next time you get stung $50 for leaving your car at home on street cleaning day...).
While we face depressing cutbacks in bike infrastructure, we need to find creative ways to encourage people to use the bike that don't cost much to local government. Though as we see stimulus money flow into the state, if we could carve out just a tiny fraction of those millions it could go a long way if the ideas are responsible, practical, and truly encourage riding. This map shows where transportation dollars are going, and as you move the mouse over the counties in California an obvious pattern develops - roads and highways are getting the cash. You move up to Oregon and you see another story - Trails and other alternatives are seeing some real love.
But California? Not so much...
But there are some positives. Obama announced new national fuel standards today, with both auto workers and executives at his side. Matt Yglesias offers some praise (and a bit of silver-lining darkening...). And I'll link here to his earlier post pointing out that George Will is, in fact, a tool, and takes particular issue will Will's (now regular) ignorance of the facts. In this case, ragarding the number of Americans that commute by bike... [UPDATE: Oregon Congressman Blumenauer (co-chief of the Congressional Bike Caucus) throws down, challenging Will to a transportation tie-off - defending Portland's approach. What's the matter GW? Ya chicken?]
Photo by Mark ImgrundI would love to see this kind of thing in Santa Monica. Bike lanes separated from traffic (between parked cars and the curb, not between parked cars and the traffic...), and with the I-must-be-dreaming anti-dooring zone built in. Now that is some real Portland-on-the-Hudson enlightened infrastructure there. I mean seriously, if New York City can carve out a couple feet for safe bike riding in a dense urban area, can't we? [UPDATE: Commenter Alexander posted a link to this interview with the Commissioner of the NYC DOT. Amazing glimpses of the improvements in NYC and the leadership at the top that makes it happen. Can we get some leadership like that here in LA/Santa Monica?!]
Then in the next photo, a local business takes it upon themselves to make a difference:
Photo by Mark ImgrundAs you can (vaguely) see on the sign in the window, "Arrive by bicycle - 25% discount"! There is nothing in it for this business (I mean 25% off! That's real money), nothing except the love and devotion of local biking customers. It's just the right idea - that's the upside. I also notice the Revolution Rickshaw out front for deliveries...
Santa Monica should get with this - provide some actual incentives to people who ride their bikes to our business district. Of course they could start by creating actual bike lanes TO the business district.
This is one of my pet peeves - as you can see in the map, the pink bike lanes all end about 3 blocks before you get to the Promenade... I know 3 blocks isn't much, but they are 3 blocks where the streets and sidewalks are totally jammed. If Santa Monica wants people to ride there (which appears questionable), spend some cash at a local business and then ride home, you need to create a safe route (that a family could ride). Us hardy, everyday riders can wing it, but it's a real barrier to new riders. And don't let the green "Bike Routes" fool you - they are totally useless for anyone but the most daring (Lincoln Blvd.? A bike route? Really...?).
Whenever we get to the "Bike Route" sections of our daily ride towing the kids to school, marked with the "Share the Road" signs discreetly tucked behind trees and such, it translates consistently as "Get on the Sidewalk". They really are a (well-intentioned) joke...
What if there were actual incentives to ride to the Promenade? The benefits to overcrowded parking structures and general congestion are obvious. What if we had at just one route in - say Arizona Ave.? That would also serve the Farmer's Market. Maybe have a bike valet like the Sunday market down on Main Street. Maybe some actual discounts for people who ride there (maybe a coupon for a dollar off the next time you get stung $50 for leaving your car at home on street cleaning day...).
While we face depressing cutbacks in bike infrastructure, we need to find creative ways to encourage people to use the bike that don't cost much to local government. Though as we see stimulus money flow into the state, if we could carve out just a tiny fraction of those millions it could go a long way if the ideas are responsible, practical, and truly encourage riding. This map shows where transportation dollars are going, and as you move the mouse over the counties in California an obvious pattern develops - roads and highways are getting the cash. You move up to Oregon and you see another story - Trails and other alternatives are seeing some real love.
But California? Not so much...
But there are some positives. Obama announced new national fuel standards today, with both auto workers and executives at his side. Matt Yglesias offers some praise (and a bit of silver-lining darkening...). And I'll link here to his earlier post pointing out that George Will is, in fact, a tool, and takes particular issue will Will's (now regular) ignorance of the facts. In this case, ragarding the number of Americans that commute by bike... [UPDATE: Oregon Congressman Blumenauer (co-chief of the Congressional Bike Caucus) throws down, challenging Will to a transportation tie-off - defending Portland's approach. What's the matter GW? Ya chicken?]
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Last Mile. Again.
So I've been thinking (again) about this idea of "the last mile". Generally that term is used in regards to public transportation and how to get people "the last mile" to their destination.
After all, we all can't live in Vauban...
But I've been thinking of it others ways too. Many people I know and work with just live too far from work to make biking it practical. They're interested, but the realities of time, distance, traffic and sweat are too great. So I've been suggesting this idea to them - put the bike in the car, drive towards work, but park a mile or two from the office. Then bike the rest of the way.
There are a few benefits to this. Most importantly to me, it gets them some exercise and it adds them to the visible bikes-as-transportation community. Second, it reduces some traffic in the area of their office - which is usually a fairly high-density traffic area. And to a lesser degree, it cuts down on a bit of carbon burning. All of those are good things.
The thing I like about this idea is that it can work for anyone. They don't need to have the ideal situation I have - 2 1/2 miles to the kid's school, and 2 miles to my office. (I also make a bikeable commute a priority - before taking my current job my first question was, "I don't have to drive to Burbank, do I?" But I know I'm lucky in that regard. )
One consideration is where to park when they hop on the bike for the last mile. That issue will be different in all cases, but it doesn't seem insurmountable.
So, I think there's something to this. This could be a good outreach idea, since many people aren't joining us in the bike lane because of distance. But if you remove that hurdle, maybe they'll join us?
At least for the last mile...
After all, we all can't live in Vauban...
But I've been thinking of it others ways too. Many people I know and work with just live too far from work to make biking it practical. They're interested, but the realities of time, distance, traffic and sweat are too great. So I've been suggesting this idea to them - put the bike in the car, drive towards work, but park a mile or two from the office. Then bike the rest of the way.
There are a few benefits to this. Most importantly to me, it gets them some exercise and it adds them to the visible bikes-as-transportation community. Second, it reduces some traffic in the area of their office - which is usually a fairly high-density traffic area. And to a lesser degree, it cuts down on a bit of carbon burning. All of those are good things.
The thing I like about this idea is that it can work for anyone. They don't need to have the ideal situation I have - 2 1/2 miles to the kid's school, and 2 miles to my office. (I also make a bikeable commute a priority - before taking my current job my first question was, "I don't have to drive to Burbank, do I?" But I know I'm lucky in that regard. )
One consideration is where to park when they hop on the bike for the last mile. That issue will be different in all cases, but it doesn't seem insurmountable.
So, I think there's something to this. This could be a good outreach idea, since many people aren't joining us in the bike lane because of distance. But if you remove that hurdle, maybe they'll join us?
At least for the last mile...
Friday, April 10, 2009
My Hothouse Flower - the perfect commuter bike
OK, so I finally solved the riddle - what bike would be perfect for my bike commuting needs? And while it hasn't solved every issue (like I can't tow the bike trailer with it, and it's not a minimalist, single-speed hipster steed), this bike has solved many of them in a truly environmentally sound way - since it's one of the two bikes I already own!!
I know that the bike world can be consumed with the need for the new (well maybe that's more about me...), the need for the super-specific fit between bike technology and bike use, the need to not just be heard, but seen... But isn't not buying anything the truest form of minimalism?
So here's how I commute now. On this - my road bike.
It's been waiting for me patiently all week, pining for the time to free up for that weekend ride to Palos Verdes, kept from the pedestrian chores of errands and my cruise to work like some hothouse flower. Finally I just went, "Crap, I LOVE riding that bike. I should ride it everyday! Why in God's name would I leave that bike at home?"
Now admittedly, I'm not going to leave this bike parked outside some bar for hours while I pound back Jeagers with visual effects data-crunchers from DD and their data-crunching girlfriends (actually anyone that knows me knows I'm exactly 100% more likely to be in bed by 8:30 watching the Daily Show with my lovely wife...). Yes, this bike needs a little love. But my commute isn't filled with hardcore curb-jumping or wheel-tacoing potholes. If it can handle the weekend road-miles it can certainly handle a couple miles through West LA to work. Right?
Obviously, when the confluence of desire and dollars meet somewhere down the line in a lusty surge of materialism, I will succumb. I'm human, after all. But until then you'll see me, waiting for the light to change at Olympic & Centinela, in pin-stripes and wing-tips, clipped in to a logo-encrusted road machine, with my laptop on my back (and a pack of Action Wipes waiting for me next to the Avid...)
I know that the bike world can be consumed with the need for the new (well maybe that's more about me...), the need for the super-specific fit between bike technology and bike use, the need to not just be heard, but seen... But isn't not buying anything the truest form of minimalism?
So here's how I commute now. On this - my road bike.
It's been waiting for me patiently all week, pining for the time to free up for that weekend ride to Palos Verdes, kept from the pedestrian chores of errands and my cruise to work like some hothouse flower. Finally I just went, "Crap, I LOVE riding that bike. I should ride it everyday! Why in God's name would I leave that bike at home?"
Now admittedly, I'm not going to leave this bike parked outside some bar for hours while I pound back Jeagers with visual effects data-crunchers from DD and their data-crunching girlfriends (actually anyone that knows me knows I'm exactly 100% more likely to be in bed by 8:30 watching the Daily Show with my lovely wife...). Yes, this bike needs a little love. But my commute isn't filled with hardcore curb-jumping or wheel-tacoing potholes. If it can handle the weekend road-miles it can certainly handle a couple miles through West LA to work. Right?
Obviously, when the confluence of desire and dollars meet somewhere down the line in a lusty surge of materialism, I will succumb. I'm human, after all. But until then you'll see me, waiting for the light to change at Olympic & Centinela, in pin-stripes and wing-tips, clipped in to a logo-encrusted road machine, with my laptop on my back (and a pack of Action Wipes waiting for me next to the Avid...)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Brodie Ocho - A commuter bike for me?
So it seems my posts on some of the more "comfort" oriented bikes have not come with sufficient disclaimers that I just think they look cool and would be useful for a lot of riders. And if I had unlimited funds (and space), I'd have about 6 bikes - one for each narrow need - including a sit-up-and-beg dream machine.
But that is not the case, so I need to find one new bike to replace my Bridgestone MB-1 since I need 700c wheels to keep the kid's trailer level. In addition to pulling the kids in the trailer I commute all over the Westside of L.A. I've gotten myself in pretty good shape (and lost about 8 pounds at this point) so I'm not really looking for a laid-back cruiser. One commenter even suggested an electric-assist bike - I think they are great to have out there, but I'm not dead yet!
What I'm after is a bike with some decent gear range for towing, but a lean and fast commuter the rest of the time, leaning toward a basic road-bike geometry, and honestly not a full "commuter" in the sense of a ton of goo-gaas and bags and excess hardware. That's just what I'd use it for, but think "slightly relaxed, fender-ready road bike". I just think things like the Giant Suede Coasting are cool bikes to see available in the States! Go Giant!
So to clarify I now bring you the Brodie Ocho, listing for $1,199. This is a bike I might actually buy. While stylistically this bike is edging a bit close to a mountain bike for my aesthetic sensibility, it is redeemed by hardcore utilitarian cred.
The riding position is just right for me - straight-ish bars (allowing you to ride with your hands right on the brakes for easy, unpredictable city braking) placed level with the saddle. It's a nice riding position for both speed and athleticism as well as for pretty easy-going towing and family riding. That works for me. I have a drop-barred road bike for when I have a chance to take a long, carbonized, logo saturated ride (but no logos on the clothes - I have my limits), but that isn't what this bike is for. This bike is for getting me (and my kids) places we need to go so I can leave the car at home.
The Shimano Alfine internal hub has the low gear range I need for towing, and also has a nice clean, derailleur-free look. I'm intrigued by the clipless pedals on a commuter, but I'd probably switch to something with clipless on one side and standard treads on the other, if not just a standard set-up with clips for going-to-work practicality. I also like the small chainguard surrounding the chainwheel that would at least help with chainwheel-to-slacks grease transfer issues.
I wish this Brodie had a steel frame (and that might be a deal-breaker) but they've included some shaping of the seatstays to smooth out the aluminum ride. It's got full fender and rack mounts and a pretty clean, minimal paintjob and sticker deal going on - all good. It has disk brakes, which I find clutter the looks and lean it dangerously mountain bikey, but they seem to be popular on commuter bikes these days. I've never had any trouble with the good old cantilevers on my Bridgestone in rain on city roads. The disk brakes lose some of the clean simplicity that the internal hub gained.
The Ocho comes with 32c width tires which seem a good choice for urban riding. So all in all it's a bit pricey, but crap, you get what you pay for.
So there you go. Maybe this will dispel the impression that my ideal ride would be a motorized tricycle with a built in defibrillator and an AARP bumper sticker on the back. And speaking of that, could someone tell the AARP to stop sending me mail? It's really depressing...
But that is not the case, so I need to find one new bike to replace my Bridgestone MB-1 since I need 700c wheels to keep the kid's trailer level. In addition to pulling the kids in the trailer I commute all over the Westside of L.A. I've gotten myself in pretty good shape (and lost about 8 pounds at this point) so I'm not really looking for a laid-back cruiser. One commenter even suggested an electric-assist bike - I think they are great to have out there, but I'm not dead yet!
What I'm after is a bike with some decent gear range for towing, but a lean and fast commuter the rest of the time, leaning toward a basic road-bike geometry, and honestly not a full "commuter" in the sense of a ton of goo-gaas and bags and excess hardware. That's just what I'd use it for, but think "slightly relaxed, fender-ready road bike". I just think things like the Giant Suede Coasting are cool bikes to see available in the States! Go Giant!
So to clarify I now bring you the Brodie Ocho, listing for $1,199. This is a bike I might actually buy. While stylistically this bike is edging a bit close to a mountain bike for my aesthetic sensibility, it is redeemed by hardcore utilitarian cred.
The riding position is just right for me - straight-ish bars (allowing you to ride with your hands right on the brakes for easy, unpredictable city braking) placed level with the saddle. It's a nice riding position for both speed and athleticism as well as for pretty easy-going towing and family riding. That works for me. I have a drop-barred road bike for when I have a chance to take a long, carbonized, logo saturated ride (but no logos on the clothes - I have my limits), but that isn't what this bike is for. This bike is for getting me (and my kids) places we need to go so I can leave the car at home.
The Shimano Alfine internal hub has the low gear range I need for towing, and also has a nice clean, derailleur-free look. I'm intrigued by the clipless pedals on a commuter, but I'd probably switch to something with clipless on one side and standard treads on the other, if not just a standard set-up with clips for going-to-work practicality. I also like the small chainguard surrounding the chainwheel that would at least help with chainwheel-to-slacks grease transfer issues.
I wish this Brodie had a steel frame (and that might be a deal-breaker) but they've included some shaping of the seatstays to smooth out the aluminum ride. It's got full fender and rack mounts and a pretty clean, minimal paintjob and sticker deal going on - all good. It has disk brakes, which I find clutter the looks and lean it dangerously mountain bikey, but they seem to be popular on commuter bikes these days. I've never had any trouble with the good old cantilevers on my Bridgestone in rain on city roads. The disk brakes lose some of the clean simplicity that the internal hub gained.
The Ocho comes with 32c width tires which seem a good choice for urban riding. So all in all it's a bit pricey, but crap, you get what you pay for.
So there you go. Maybe this will dispel the impression that my ideal ride would be a motorized tricycle with a built in defibrillator and an AARP bumper sticker on the back. And speaking of that, could someone tell the AARP to stop sending me mail? It's really depressing...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Fisher Simple City 8M
So I've been trolling the internets, diving down endless link-holes in search of a new bike. A speedy commuter, a well-geared trailer hauler, a minimally cluttered steed. Just when you think you've suffered through every manufacturer's ill-conceived website (although there are some that are very cool) I find yet another option. But I have nominated a few rides I'm considering, and a few that are just neat. So here's one:
The Fisher Simple City 8M - $969.
This is a nice looking bike. It's got a vintage vibe without being too kitchy (well the rack is a tad kitchy...), it's ready for real-life commuting and errand-running with some nice modern touches. (I should say real-life commuting for me is usually just me and a messenger bag with my laptop. I like the practicality of panniers, but too often they are too "backpacky" for me. I'm still looking for a nice looking, removeable pannier with a shoulder strap, that when removed just looks like a nice bag. Nice in this case meaning it is more stylish than outdoorsy.)
This Fisher is my old 3-speed brought up to date. I probably want something a bit more roadie/sporty at the end of the day, but I like this bike. It has the internal 8-speed hub, which I'm considering but have never ridden. I like how the internal gears clean up the overall look by not having a rear derailleur hanging there. From what I've read it has a gear range similar to having a 12-38T cassette in the back, which is mountain bike territory (though the front chainwheel is more moderate). I like the rack aesthetic, but I bet I'd ditch that rack and go with one on the rear since I read the balance with a load in that particular front rack is pretty crappy.
This has the Shimano Nexus internal hub, but I'd probably prefer the higher-end Shimano Alfine. There is an extensive write up on the different internal hubs here, and one point it makes is comparing the steps between each gear - how some models are more evenly spaced and others can jump pretty wildly. The Shimano's were not at the top of that list. Also, I'd need to make sure that I could attach the hitch for the kid's trailer to that type of hub.
I like the straight(ish) handlebars, since for some of the riding I do (think lots of stopping and starting towing a trailer) I need easy access to the brakes. I like drop bars, but it's not practical having to reach for the brakes considering this ride's job. Having the bars even with the seat suits the way I would be riding this bike. The Simple City comes with fenders (though that front one would need a flap for full coverage) and a nice chain guard/chainwheel guard combo - nice for commuting. The frame is aluminum which I'm not sure I'll go for - I'd need to be convinced I won't miss the steel Bridgestone I'm riding now.
So the pros: Clean, classic look and design, internal hub, straight(ish) bars and nice medium riding position, fenders and chainguard, and the brakes aren't disks (which can clutter up the clean look). The price isn't crazy, but on the higher end of what I'd like to pay. Oh, and it's a very respectable date bike.
Cons: Might lose the rack (if I found it didn't work well), Nexus hub not my first choice (on paper anyway), the price is pushing it, the aluminum frame and at the end of the day I may want something sportier. I mean, I'm a 50 year-old dad with all the obligations and responsibilities, so I really enjoy the times I get to open it up and fly (even if half the time I'm towing a trailer...).
The Fisher Simple City 8M - $969.
This is a nice looking bike. It's got a vintage vibe without being too kitchy (well the rack is a tad kitchy...), it's ready for real-life commuting and errand-running with some nice modern touches. (I should say real-life commuting for me is usually just me and a messenger bag with my laptop. I like the practicality of panniers, but too often they are too "backpacky" for me. I'm still looking for a nice looking, removeable pannier with a shoulder strap, that when removed just looks like a nice bag. Nice in this case meaning it is more stylish than outdoorsy.)
This Fisher is my old 3-speed brought up to date. I probably want something a bit more roadie/sporty at the end of the day, but I like this bike. It has the internal 8-speed hub, which I'm considering but have never ridden. I like how the internal gears clean up the overall look by not having a rear derailleur hanging there. From what I've read it has a gear range similar to having a 12-38T cassette in the back, which is mountain bike territory (though the front chainwheel is more moderate). I like the rack aesthetic, but I bet I'd ditch that rack and go with one on the rear since I read the balance with a load in that particular front rack is pretty crappy.
This has the Shimano Nexus internal hub, but I'd probably prefer the higher-end Shimano Alfine. There is an extensive write up on the different internal hubs here, and one point it makes is comparing the steps between each gear - how some models are more evenly spaced and others can jump pretty wildly. The Shimano's were not at the top of that list. Also, I'd need to make sure that I could attach the hitch for the kid's trailer to that type of hub.
I like the straight(ish) handlebars, since for some of the riding I do (think lots of stopping and starting towing a trailer) I need easy access to the brakes. I like drop bars, but it's not practical having to reach for the brakes considering this ride's job. Having the bars even with the seat suits the way I would be riding this bike. The Simple City comes with fenders (though that front one would need a flap for full coverage) and a nice chain guard/chainwheel guard combo - nice for commuting. The frame is aluminum which I'm not sure I'll go for - I'd need to be convinced I won't miss the steel Bridgestone I'm riding now.
So the pros: Clean, classic look and design, internal hub, straight(ish) bars and nice medium riding position, fenders and chainguard, and the brakes aren't disks (which can clutter up the clean look). The price isn't crazy, but on the higher end of what I'd like to pay. Oh, and it's a very respectable date bike.
Cons: Might lose the rack (if I found it didn't work well), Nexus hub not my first choice (on paper anyway), the price is pushing it, the aluminum frame and at the end of the day I may want something sportier. I mean, I'm a 50 year-old dad with all the obligations and responsibilities, so I really enjoy the times I get to open it up and fly (even if half the time I'm towing a trailer...).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Searching for the perfect Commuter/Trailer Tow-er/Foxy Minimalist/Utilitarian Date Bike. Why so elusive?
OK so it's a bit ambitious, and maybe I'm a niche market of one, but I am nothing if not obsessive and something like a hound with a scent. I will search the internets and beyond for a solution to my various biking needs. I am on a quest.
Here is what I do with my bike:
I tow 100 pounds of kids + trailer about 5 miles a day, with one small hill. So I need a sturdy frame with a pretty decent low gear and the ability to attach a hitch to the rear quick-release skewer. Currently I get down to about a 23T in front and an 18T in the back. I get stronger all the time, but that gear makes me laugh in the general direction of the hill on our regular route. The other hills in our neighborhood still instill a bit of fear. Is there an internal hub (for a cleaner look than a triple + granny derailleur) that can give me what I need? I'm not yet sure about that. This rig is also used for grocery shopping and other cargo situations you'd think you might need a car for. So this is my Family Man ride.
I commute and generally leave the car at home when possible, on easy 4-10 mile routes depending on the destination. For this I'd probably be fine with a single-speed with a slightly forgiving gearing, and I love the clean, stripped-down look. I don't carry too much back and forth, usually just a laptop and maybe some clothes, but I'm not totally opposed to panniers or some other bike-mounted bags/racks. My messenger bag works OK, but I do like the feel of getting the junk off my back, especially as the weather warms up here in L.A. But racks and cargo space and lights and locks can quickly turn into a mishmash of utilitarian debris, loosing the simplicity I love. I also like to really fly when on these rides, so I like something on the sporty side. This is my Bread-Winner, Eco-Proselytyzer ride.
I also like just getting out with the wife, for a lazy shopping run or a Bike Date (as the blog title implies) so I like something a bit relaxed and elegant. Not a full-on Dutch bike necessarily (though I love those, too) but something with some élan, some form to go with the function. Something I can wear nice clothes on, an eye catcher as we pull up to a swanky L.A. valet. This is the Date Bike.
Writing this reminds of the scene in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories where he is in love with specific elements of two different women, so he has this fantasy of taking the best parts of one and combining them with the best parts of the other, Frankenstein style. But then once he completes the transformation, he falls in love with the one with all the bad traits!
I am also more aware of the challenge, the impossibility you might say, as I write down the contradictions. But my journey in the wilderness, my search for this Two-Wheeled Grail of Transportation goes on. So I will post some of the bikes that catch my eye, and how they attain or fall short of my ideal. I will continue my quest, because it is something bigger than me.
Oh, I forgot. It needs to be reasonably priced. I need a pile of cash left over for one of those sweet Rapha Tweed Softshell Jackets...
UPDATE: I like some of these...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Bike trailers, stalkers & Whippets, Oh My!
Here's a picture of us out on our morning routine hauling the kids across town to school. Our friend Andrew was stalking us apparently and snapped this shot of me, our craptastic trailer filled with two kids, my wife and our Whippet Zipper (in his coat - it's a bit brisk today).
The great thing about using the bike for transportation is that you get your exercise in while doing things you have to do anyway (like take the kids to school). People are always surprised when they pass us in their cars on the way to school but we still beat them there, since we don't have to park and walk the kids in. We pull right into the playground and we're there. After you get used to that, searching for parking feels even more galling.
And re: the trailer, we actually put in our order today for its replacement. We could only find one trailer that could fit growing kids, since the industry seems to think trailers are for weekend jaunts to the park with a couple toddlers, not an actual way to leave the car at home for most trips. So we ordered the Chariot Corsaire XL, for the whopping cost of almost EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS!! You read that right. You can find cheaper ones, but none this big (and it's not even that much bigger...).
But dang, 800 bucks...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Freedom!
I've been off work since before Christmas so I haven't been doing the work commute. As commutes go, I have it easy. It's about 2 miles each way, a few busy streets to manage but mostly smooth sailing, not much at all in the way of hills.
Leaving the office tonight it was completely dark, but that perfect January in L.A. temperature - balmy with a just a hint of brisk. I'd picked up a bunch of slacks at Banana Republic a couple weeks ago when they were dumping things for like 20 bucks, so I was stylin' in new black pin-striped slacks and a gray T-shirt. I'm not sure why it feels great to fly by on the bike in pin-stripes and wing-tips, but it does.
Pulling out alongside traffic, seeing my opening to take a left, and loving that feeling of stepping on it and moving at the same speed as the cars, then banking off onto a side street, wide open, all to myself. Feeling the muscles wake up, pumping, the efficiency of the bike a thing of beauty.
After being in a chair all day that ride is just sensational. Inspirational. Free.
Leaving the office tonight it was completely dark, but that perfect January in L.A. temperature - balmy with a just a hint of brisk. I'd picked up a bunch of slacks at Banana Republic a couple weeks ago when they were dumping things for like 20 bucks, so I was stylin' in new black pin-striped slacks and a gray T-shirt. I'm not sure why it feels great to fly by on the bike in pin-stripes and wing-tips, but it does.
Pulling out alongside traffic, seeing my opening to take a left, and loving that feeling of stepping on it and moving at the same speed as the cars, then banking off onto a side street, wide open, all to myself. Feeling the muscles wake up, pumping, the efficiency of the bike a thing of beauty.
After being in a chair all day that ride is just sensational. Inspirational. Free.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Does L.A. suck?
I was in Chicago recently and you've got to hand it to these commuters I saw from my (cozy) hotel room window. Nothing is going to keep them from their appointed rounds. I have real admiration, and would actually like to try that. I love me some hardcore weather!
Still, a lot of things might suck about L.A., strolling the Farmer's Market in January is not one of them.
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