My Bike to Work Day plans. Feel free to join in if you’d like! I’ll be running video and have my still camera on me for photos. I’ll be running at about a 18 to 20 mph pace, though the morning run will have long(ish) breaks as I take photos at the Energizer stations and stuff my face with Hobee’s coffee cakes.

Morning: This one’s a little iffy because it depends on my arrival time in San Jose. I plan to be at San Jose Diridon Station about 7 AM or a little before, so I’ll catch one of Caltrain 313, 215, 217 or 319 depending on when I arrive. I’ll then detrain in Mountain View or (if necessary) Sunnyvale. Follow me on Twitter if you’d like to meet up with me, and send me a @reply message so I know to look for you.

After I detrain, I plan to hit the Energizer Stations at Mountain View Castro Street Caltrain; Castro & California; Wilkie Way bike bridge; California Avenue Caltrain; Palo Alto City Hall; Palo Alto Bike Station; EPA Community Church; and Dumbarton Bridge.

Evening: I’ll be in the evening Mountain View to San Jose commuter convoy meeting at 5:30 PM at Mountain View Caltrain in the parking lot at the north of the southbound platform (next to Aki & Sho’s “Cafe Maison” hot dog stand). We’ll go down Evelyn -> Monroe -> Park before cutting across to the Alameda toward the “Bike Away from Work Bash” at Plan 51.

Transit haters talk of how much public transportation loses and the public subsidy they receive, but they almost universally ignore the money lost on roads and highways and the public subsidy they receive. From the Texas Department of Transportation…

[An analysis of road building and maintenance costs] revealed that no road pays for itself in gas taxes and fees. For example, in Houston, the 15 miles of SH 99 from I-10 to US 290 will cost $1 billion to build and maintain over its lifetime, while only generating $162 million in gas taxes. That gives a tax gap ratio of .16, which means that the real gas tax rate people would need to pay on this segment of road to completely pay for it would be $2.22 per gallon.

This is just one example, but there is not one road in Texas that pays for itself based on the tax system of today. Some roads pay for about half their true cost, but most roads we have analyzed pay for considerably less.

Props to Bicycle Fixation.

Bike to Work Day is tomorrow in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere around the United States. If you haven’t been on your bike since the day you bought it at the local Sports Mart, these five tips will make your bike trip to work more enjoyable and hassle free.

1. ABC Quick Check! Air, brakes, cranks and quick releases. Check the air in your tires, ensure your brakes work, make sure the moving parts such as the cranks, chainring, chain and cogs won’t fall off, and be certain your tires are attached tightly to the bike. More here on things to check quickly on your bike. Be sure the bike fits approximately correctly, too: your knees, butt, back and arms will thank you for it.

2. Follow the rules of the road. That means ride right, signal turns, avoid sidewalks, stop at stop signs and red lights, and yield the right of way where appropriate.

3. Ride defensively. If you drive, you know by experience how other drivers will behave. Watch for potential right hooks, left crosses, the ‘door prize’ and other surprises. Bicycle Safe has specifics on the types of collisions and bone headed moves to watch for.

4. It’s not a race. If you’re not conditioned for that 10 mile commute to the office, you’ll poop yourself out after mile two if you push yourself to go too far too fast. It’s okay to take it easy, go slowly and enjoy the ride. I know in the San Francisco Bay Area nobody gives a flying patootie how fast you are.

5. Clean up tips. If you don’t have shower at work, shower before your ride and wipe down after you arrive at the office. In spite of what some people tell Mr Roadshow, a shower isn’t really necessary. When I bike commuted across Fort Worth, TX, I used a washcloth, some soap and a sink in the men’s room. Action Wipes are handy, too. The Bay Area is mild enough right now that you can get away with wearing your office clothes if your commute is short. You may need to change your clothing in warmer and more humid climates.

Don’t forget to enjoy the ride! For more good information on biking to work, check out Robert Hurst’s The Art of Cycling.

What are your tips for the bike commuter?

Dahon announced a recall of 2008 model year Dahon and REI Novara folding bicycles after the US CPSC received 25 reports of cracks in the handlepost hinge on these bicycles.

About 11,500 model year folding bicycles are affected by the recall. Dahon models affected are Ciao P8, Curve D3, Curve SL, Glide P8, Jetstream P8, Mu P8, Mu P24, MU SL, Mu XL Sport, Vitesse D7 HG, Speed D7, Speed P8, Speed TR, Speed Pro TT, and Mariner D7. Novara Buzz FlyBy and FlyBy Shuttle branded bikes sold through REI are also recalled.

Consumers with these bicycles should contact their Dahon dealer or REI store for a free inspection and repair.

More:

• Dahon recall info.
• REI product recalls.
• Biking Bis.
• UK recall was three weeks ago!
• Treehugger.

By the kind folks from Xtracycle.

Bike Rumor:

Almost overshadowed by the cover story & photo spread of Megan Fox was an article “The End of Car Culture.”

There was no “?” after it the title. It was, in fact, a statement. And it was backed up with actual numbers and charts.

More at Bike Rumor.

I was unable to locate any photos of Megan Fox riding a bicycle to illustrate this post.