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?]

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...

The NYT gets bike friendly

Thanks to M.I. for sending me the link to this NYT feature on Dutch bikes coming to this side of the Atlantic. They present biking as a way to get from one place to another, and in style at that (Complete with details on the $1,900 Prada suits the models are wearing, etc. Personally, I'd rather buy another bike...)

They bring up a lot of good points (that will be familiar to anyone who already rides), but kudos to them for spreading the word. (And some of the photos have the Simple City bike I talked about here.)

I like how they emphasize the state of biking in the States, which is still saddled with a pretty exclusively "athletic" image. That's all fine, but it limits bikes integration into regular family and commuter life - simply as a mode of transportation - and keeps many people's bikes in the garage except on weekend outings to the beach or the park.

There's also a nice multimedia feature too (the NYT produces some really good ones) and while the content attempts to address the impression of a Dutch bike as too feminine (Europeans don't see the step-through frame style as exclusively for women...) the "queer eye" voice over doesn't do much to help that stigma!

But hey, it's all a step in the right direction, and the fashion element of city bikes is a nice part of changing people's attitudes of what bike riding can be about.

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...)

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...

The Giant Suede Coasting DX - The Dutch city bike gets a makeover

So here's the second in my series on interesting bikes (is two a series?). I'm looking for something for myself, but sometimes I just find stuff that I just like, even if it doesn't suit my particular needs. Case in point, the Giant Suede Coasting DX (also garnering an honorable mention in the most inscrutable name contest). Seems to sell for just under a grand.


This is just a sweet looking bike. I love the way they have taken the Dutch city bike idea and really made it new. Many companies try this in different ways, but I think Giant really nailed it. It looks retro, but it looks totally modern at the same time - it pulls in both directions. It's like one of those concept cars you see that are so cool looking, but never really get mass-produced. But you can actually buy this. If I could justify it, I would totally buy one of these just for kicks. And just like in politics, good behavior should be rewarded.


That gorgeous pannier jumps out first (can I just buy one of those?!). And then the tried-and-true upright, step-through geometry. (And don't think that's just a "girl's bike", in Europe that design's not gender-specific, just practical. They are confident in their masculinity, so nut-up guys.)


Then there's the details like the chrome hubs and crank/chainwheel cover thing - those gleaming things rock. Then there's the nice, uncluttered paint job (this bike could have easily been ruined with a ghastly paint job) and continues with the nice fender details, the little handlebar bag, the sleek chainguard, the centered, symmetrical kickstand, leather grips and simple, comfy saddle.

I mean seriously, how many things did they get right on this bike, designwise? That is a real accomplishment. Working in the creative field myself, I know how downright impossible it is to get a clean, simple new idea through the swamps of group-think. If they haven't won awards for this bike, they certainly should have.

On the technical spec side it's mostly typical: Aluminum frame with a steel fork, coaster brakes and a suspension seatpost. The unusual thing is the "Coasting automatic drivetrain", some kind of, well, automatic drivetrain. I'd imagine it's controlled by that little box on the tube above the cranks, but (and here's my one complaint) I searched the Giant website and couldn't really figure out what a "Coasting automatic drivetrain" is! A search brings up no results, and it's not covered anywhere I could find. Seems like something that unusual would be featured, but there you go. [UPDATE: Here's info on that...]


They have others in this line that are nice, like the Suede GX shown here, but they tend to be more typical, lacking the Jetson's flair. And that woodgrain chainguard might need further, in-person inspection! All the bikes in their Metro series have good points, addressing different needs.

So hat's off to Giant. You had me at... sweet panniers? Hmm, doesn't exactly roll off the tongue...

Australian bike stairs make me go all mushy inside

OK, we have our bike lanes, where you can choose between being clipped by a passing car or doored by a parked one. Hey wait, you could do both at the same time! And if some other driver nuzzled up to your rear wheel, revved their engine and yelled, "Get off the road!" you'd have the bike commuter hat-trick!

We deal with these things, and you know what? It's still fun. But man, our legislators and civil engineers could really make our life easier. They could make a bike route that you could actually let your kids ride on, because God knows that isn't the case in most places now. That is really the criteria designers of bike infrastructure should use when considering improvements for bikes - Would you let your kids ride on it? Bike Boulevards anyone?

Anyway, where was I...

So with that feeling of persecution in mind, I was working on a project recently and these images rose before my eyes, like some apparition. These were taken in Australia and show that they see bikes in a different way. They obviously thought, "How can we make life better for people that actually pull their weight in this whole we-are-on-a-collision-course-with-unsustainability issue by leaving their cars at home?" So they dedicated some space for those bike commuters. They realized, getting people on foot and people on bikes down the same stairways has problems, so how about making one set of stairs just for bikes? The image above shows that this stairway is not for pedestrians, it's just for bikes!

And in this photo you can see how it works. They put this ramp in the middle of the stairs so that a bike can be rolled while the rider walks. No more cyclo-crossing it. Some of these guys (and gals) are actually riding up (and down), but I doubt that was what was intended. (Also note everyone there wears a helmet. Just sayin'.)

In some quick googling I saw this entry at Copenhagenize. Of course they have similar things over there. They love their bike commuters. They have embraced bikes as transportation. They aren't being dragged kicking and screaming into a more sustainable society. But hey, we got Dylan and the Snuggie...

So, the U.S. is a little slow, but we can do it. I have faith. And a bike. And a helmet. And maybe a date with a door...