Cyclelicious

The Neverending Story

2009-11-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Besides a two year hiatus when my son was born, I've been riding my bike to work almost every day since 1987. It doesn't change with rain, shine, hail, snow, thunderstorm, a plague of frogs, zombie apocalypse or the expiration of an obsolete calendar system: I ride my bike.

Yet when I roll in on a day like today, when rain is forecast, people at the office still ask me, "What are you gonna do when it rains?"

How do you answer that question?

Sexual locomotion

2009-11-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

You lay down on this Argentine-designed Cheetah trike and make humping motions to make it go.

More at Treehugger. Video of Pablo Lopez's "Pardo" device in action might be fun to watch.

Firefighter who shot cyclist pleads out, sentenced

2009-11-20T10:44:00.002-07:00

Former firefighter Charles Alexander Diez pled guilty yesterday to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to killand was sentenced to 120 days in jail, according to news reports.

While Alan Ray Simons pulled his son in a child trailer behind a bike, Diez yelled at Simons telling him he put the boy's life in danger before shooting at Simons' head. The bullet passed through Simons' helmet but missed his head by a hair.

Diez testified that, “I was the one who felt truly, truly threatened” by the vicious cyclist out in the open as Diez sat inside of his car and pulled out his gun.

I haven't heard if Simons got a new bike helmet to replace his damaged one.

Read more.

SF Bike Expo

2009-11-20T10:00:00.001-07:00

The San Francisco Bike Expo is tomorrow (Saturday, November 21) all day at the Cow Palace in Daly City. I'll be there taking photos and drinking coffee and meeting you. If you see me please feel free to say hello.

Also on Saturday: iMinusD Fixed Gear Boutique grand opening at noon. They're downtown San Jose on Paseo San Antonio.

Tonight: San Jose Bike Party "Where's Waldo" theme ride, rain or ... well, not "shine," since it starts at 8:30 PM. Let's call it "rain or dry." There's a pre-party at Hellyer Velodrome, a food donation drive (bring canned goods for Second Harvest), and other fun stuff. I'm staying later than usual in San Jose Friday night, but the ride goes way out to southeast San Jose so I'm not sure I can make it. I'll play it by ear.

Rain Friday

2009-11-20T00:00:00.002-07:00

Just in case you haven't checked the forecast, it's supposed to rain pretty much all day in the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday. You won't melt when you bike in the rain, but it helps to have fenders and wear rain gear. We're also supposed to have gusty winds out of the south, which means headwinds for my evening riding.

Mountain Bike San Francisco

2009-11-19T14:30:00.005-07:00

Gregg @ MTBR posted his Top 10 Mountain Bike YouTube video list. He didn't choose any of my short Santa Cruz trail videos, and thankfully none of those lame-o Xtranormal movies made the cut.

The blow up doll is perverse, but I kind of liked the clip from Fat Tire Fury of Bobby Root mountain biking in San Francisco, maybe because I hadn't seen it before.

Paul of Bike Intelligencer posted his faves from that list. Which videos do you like? What do you think of Bobby pulling those manuals right along side the cable car tracks?

Stanford cyclists

2009-11-19T12:53:00.002-07:00

Cute essay on cyclists on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. The students, staff and faculty just ride bikes there.

And what aids the differencing is that few people wear helmets, and everyone is wearing ordinary clothes — none of the sleek and gaudy costumes you see on cyclists pumping through the peninsular hills and whistling down Sand Hill Road to the Caltrain station. They are themselves on wheels.

There is a deeply pleasing randomness about the campus cyclists, as though one morning university officials had assigned a bicycle to every member of the Stanford community, come as you are, without considering for a moment matters of fit — or fitness.

Read more in the New York Times.

Elsewhere: Biking at Stanford University.

Kid Bike!

2009-11-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sarah Goodyear wants your Kids on Bikes photos for her next Streetsblog slide show. Kids on their own bikes, kids in cargo bikes, kids on trailer bikes -- show them what you've got. Tag your photos with "streetsblog" and "kidbikes" in Flickr. Get them to her by Tuesday, November 24.

The slideshow below is from the KidBike! photo pool at Flickr.

Letter to D.A. Mary Stone

2009-11-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Christopher Thompson's defense apparently will present a large pile of letters as character references to the judge during Thompson's sentencing. Cyclist Dave Zabriskie has organized a letter writing campaign to help Los Angeles prosecuting attorney Mary Stone give her own evidence at the level of interest and outrage among cyclists nationally about Thompson's assault in Mandeville Canyon.

Murph has already posted the letter he sent. I'll compose and send my own letter shortly after I post this note. Please feel free to leave a link in the comments to your own letter.

Related:
* Doctor in cuffs: What's the lesson?
* GUILTY all seven counts.
* Those cyclists had it coming.
* LAPD arrests Thompson.

SF City College, bike theft, and vigilante bait bikes

2009-11-18T16:19:00.003-07:00

Malcolm McMahon, a student at City College in San Francisco, had his bike stolen. He was upset enough about it to talk to police about a bait bike program run and financed by a volunteer posse.

More --> Bike vigilantes: Victims strike back.

It doesn't look like McMahon's "Concerned Cyclists Community Program" has gotten anywhere yet and his original Craigslist posting asking for volunteers has expired.

I don't go up into San Francisco often, but when I do I see literally dozens of bicycles locked very poorly. It's unfortunate that the newbies who don't read bike blogs are the ones who often get burned.

Veronica Moss returns!

2009-11-18T11:57:00.003-07:00

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reports that their Market Street experiment to restrict cars has, so far, resulted in faster Muni service along Market. Bicycles are now 75% of traffic on Market Street, up from 60%. More at San Francisco Examiner.

The infamously sassy Veronica Moss of the Automobile User Trade Organization (A.U.T.O.) would be horrified, I'm sure, by this evolution of a busy motoring corridor, just like she is by the pedestrian friendly transformation of Times Square in New York City.

Are bike people friendlier than the average transit rider?

2009-11-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

I don't have an especially outgoing personality, yet I generally have little problem approaching complete strangers when we're on bikes, talking with them and often enough shooting photos of them. I have little in common with many of the bike riders I see on Caltrain and the bus, but I know about their families, where they work, where they live, and what's going on in their lives. I even know some of the train conductors and bus drivers by name, where they grew up, and their retirement plans. This guy -- who I met at a Caltrain meeting -- even rode his bike all the way over the Santa Cruz Mountains for my wife's college graduation party. This guy has shown incredible kindness to me and my family.

I've assumed this was part of the magic of public transportation: instead of the forced anonymity of the single occupant vehicle, we have the social interaction of a lively public space. The old timers help the newbies, we share food and drink on the train, and sometimes might see the impromptou onboard bike repair clinic. A few of us are even joking about a rolling Caltrain onboard bike film festival some day, which might be a good way to weed the non-cyclists off of the bike car.

Murph describes the Caltrain love as he writes about the 49ers victory over the Chicago Bears last week.

I am of the Caltrain ilk, where everyone helps each other out, we share a bond formed through numerous Caltrain disasters that have forced us to finish our commutes like the Israelites heading out of Egypt, where we rely on each other. The cyclists form a paceline and head to Millbrae BART. Those without bikes gather 'round the twitter and call cabs to split to various destinations, or offer rides in their own cars when a loved one comes to the rescue. This all seems very natural.

In his latest blog post, Tom Vanderbilt (author of Traffic), though, mentions old sociology studies that observe the "civil inattention" on subways -- the movie version of public transportation where your fellow riders are all strangers who don't talk with one another. We have nothing in common, so we avoid all social interaction.

Or is public transportation an opportunity to meet people and even, as Vanderbilt concludes in his Slate article, a way to fall in love?

One recent study conducted by officials at the Paris Metro—which looked at "missed connection" ads placed by urbanites looking for love in the city—found that the Metro "is without doubt the foremost producer of urban tales about falling in love." The seats closest to the door, it seemed, offered the best opportunities for falling in love with the proper stranger. "The Metro is not the emotional desert, the social vacuum, that we sometimes believe it to be," observed the chief of the Paris Metro.

If you ride transit, what do you think? Do you avoid eye contact with the same group of strangers your ride with everyday? Or have you made friends among your fellow bus, train and subway passengers? Does it make a difference if you ride a bike or not?

Sanyo Eneloop Bicycle

2009-11-17T16:09:00.004-07:00

I'm reviewing the Sanyo Eneloop bicycle -- an electric assist bike -- for Momentum Magazine. Watch for the review in a month or two.

I can't say much about it here yet, but suffice to say that my wife absolutely loves it. She's always been of the opinion that electric assist is cheating, but here she is trying it on a grocery run and having a blast.

I quit cycling at 32 because I had the bones of an old woman

2009-11-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

UK Cyclist Chris Boardman won the 1992 Gold Medal in the 4,000 meter track race at the Barcelona Olympics.

Yet within seven years, he was to receive a shocking diagnosis that was to end his cycling career. Chris was told he was suffering from osteoporosis. Although in its early stages, the disease, which causes bones to become fragile and prone to breakage, was enough to stop this elite sportsman in his tracks.

Yellow Bike

2009-11-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Award winning folk song writer / singer Tracy Jane Comer grew up poor but happy in a shack near the beach in North Carolina. She sings about the freedom of her bike in the lovely title track of her album Yellow Bike.

And I rode my yellow bike on that beach road
Never thought about where I might go...I just rode

Riding, flying, on that road
Laughing, smiling, all alone
Living poor, but living free
Happy on that yellow bike on that road beside the sea

Amazon.com Widgets

Carnage in Menlo Park

2009-11-16T14:02:00.003-07:00

Last Thursday evening I wondered why Menlo Park police were hanging out at the office campus where I work. I noticed the fresh glass and car parts at the parking lot entrance and figured yet another scofflaw motorist running the red light at that intersection. The city installed red light cameras there, and it wasn't because of hordes of light running cyclists.

What happened was this, less than 300 yards from my office:

As a Ford Mustang and a white compact car sped through the intersection southbound on Bayfront, the Mustang clipped a blue Toyota, spinning it around and leaving at least two occupants injured, according to witness accounts. The Mustang then hit the white car, and both spun out on opposite sides of the Bayfront median.

"They were racing," said Kim Arrowood, a Sun Microsystems employee who saw the crash. "They had to have been going 70 mph."

The Mustang was wrecked, but it didn't stop the driver from getting away, Arrowood said. He ran over to the white car, yelled "Let's go!" to the driver and hopped in. The two then turned around and drove off.

The news gets worse:

A 6-year-old Menlo Park girl died Friday afternoon from injuries she sustained in a car crash a day earlier.

[Lisa Xavier] was traveling in the back seat of a blue Toyota Camry with her parents at about 2 p.m. Thursday when a black Mustang headed northbound on the Bayfront Expressway ran a red light at Willow Road and plowed into the car.

Police located the crashed Mustang's owner, and that person apparently pegged one Shannon Fox as the driver, who police so far have been unable to locate.

More, similar stories from around the nation at Streetblog's weekly carnage.

Girls and skirts and boots and bikes

2009-11-16T10:57:00.004-07:00

Happy Monday!

The "Buck Brothers" from London sing about girls, skirts, boots and bikes. I'm totally using this song for my next bike video.

Amazon.com Widgets

If you want some bike porn, take a look at sexy bicycles.

Yowza! Pedal straps with metal spikes!!

Bay Area Coming up...

San Jose Bike PARTY FRIDAY! Theme: "Where's Waldo."

SF Bicycle Expo is THIS SATURDAY.

Mountain bike Delaveaga Park Santa Cruz

2009-11-15T10:00:00.003-07:00

Delaveaga is a large city park nestled between Branciforte Drive and Brookwood Drive north of Highway 1 on the east side of Santa Cruz. Cyclists may ride their bikes on the roads and trails within Delaveaga. The park can be very busy with different activities so watch for other users on the trail. Remember, downhill yields to uphill and cyclists are supposed to yield to walkers.

The trails are mostly redwood forest duff, with some short sections of slick limestone near "The Top of the World" (the disc golf last hole). Trail maintenance is inconsistent, so watch for fallen limbs and trees. It's super easy to go fast on a straightaway then wash out in a sandy turn, so take it easy until you know the trails. If you crash, landings are mostly soft, though rocks, large trees and poison oak are hazards like anyplace else in Santa Cruz County. Small children and off leash dogs are very common in this park so keep your eyes open for them.

Directions: Most mountain bikers park at the lower trailhead in a dirt parking lot just north of where Market Street becomes Branciforte Drive. I usually ride my bike down Glen Canyon Rd from Scotts Valley, make a left on Branciforte (towards the Mystery Spot) and enter the ballfield area of Delaveaga.

Trails: The Redwood Loop and La Corona Trail are the main out and back trails used by mountain bikers. If you like pain, the Branciforte Trail has some steep, challenging sections. A couple of trails will take you to the golf course, and La Corona ends a the final hole of the disc golf course, so watch for people playing through. Unfortunately, as of this writing the city of Santa Cruz reorganized their website and the park trail map is no longer available.

This video features Erik and his friend Paul shooting down the trails of Delaveaga on a pleasant November morning.

Nichelle Nichols rides a bicycle

2009-11-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

"Lt Uhura" of Star Trek fame tries a Moulton folding bicycle.

Via Jym.

"Negotiate with God"

2009-11-14T00:03:00.003-07:00

This interview with Lance is a year old but is fascinating because it's as much about business, politics and social media as about cycling. Nonetheless there's plenty for race fans to obssess over.

Friday night ride

2009-11-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

Friday night cyclist downtown San Jose, California.

Follow Friday: The cost of driving

2009-11-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, all. I totally missed it's Friday the 13th until I saw this comment.

Steve in Chicago posted thoughts and photos of damage caused by car wrecks, especially when those cars run into bike facilities. He's asked for more photos of auto imposition, so I sent him this.

That sign might have cost roughly $500 to replace, but this stuff adds up. There are about 6.4 million car crashes annually in the United States. Beyond the human cost of 2.9 million injuries and 40,000 deaths from these crashes, there's a direct financial impact of $230 billion.

Rich Risemburg in Los Angeles looks at the financial benefits to commuters and businesses when you encourage cycling in Bucking the Cycle.

Is car sharing good for cities?

It's the Department of TRANSPORTATION, not the Department of Cars.

One of many 2010 Bike Ladies Calendars.

Have a great weekend! I'll be at the south Branci40 Dr entry of Delaveaga Park in Santa Cruz 10 AM Saturday morning if you want to say hello.

More Federal dollars for bike projects

2009-11-13T13:11:00.004-07:00

Federal Transit Agency seeks public comment on proposed policy change for pedestrian and bicycle access projects

Local governments can apply to several programs administered by the U.S. Federal Transit Agency (FTA) to improve pedestrian and cyclist access to transit centers. Under Federal law, any capital project to enhance pedestrian and bicycle access must have a "physical or functional relationship" to the transit center.

FTA guidelines for these types of programs are vague, but a standard of 1,500 feet is generally applied -- any project more than 1,500 feet away from a transit stop or station is currently not eligible. For many large stations, that barely gets you into the parking lot. The FTA now acknowledges, however, that this 1,500 distance is too short. According to the FTA, research shows people are willing to travel about 15 minutes to their bus stop or station. That equates to about 1/2 mile for walking and three miles bicycling.

The FTA proposes to expand the radius they'll consider for grant requests: pedestrian projects can be up to 1/2 mile away; bicycle projects can be up to three miles from the transit center to receive Federal Transit capital grants. That could potentially make almost every bike facilities project in the San Francisco Bay Area eligible for FTA grant funding.

The FTA proposed this change after Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood challenged the Department of Transportation to improve the livability of our nation’s communities. A livable community, according to LaHood, is "a community where if people don’t want an automobile, they don’t have to have one; a community where you can walk to work, your doctor’s appointment, pharmacy or grocery store. Or you could take light rail, a bus, or ride a bike." According to Secretary LaHood, "livable communities are mixed-use neighborhoods with highly-connected streets promoting mobility for all users, whether they are children walking or biking to school or commuters riding transit or driving motor vehicles.
Benefits include improved traffic flow, shorter trip lengths, safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, increased trip-chaining, and independence for those who prefer not to or are unable to drive. In addition, investing in a 'complete street' concept stimulates private-sector economic activity by increasing the viability of street-level retail small businesses and professional services, creating housing opportunities and extending the usefulness of school and transit facilities."

To view the entire proposal and submit your comment electronically, visit regulations.gov. If this link doesn't take you directly to the proposal, search for "FTA-2009-0052."

Props to Nate Baird.

Bike Video: 30 Seconds to Mars - The Ride

2009-11-13T10:58:00.003-07:00

Remember when 30 Seconds to Mars asked for cyclists to show up for a video shoot in Los Angeles? Remember when we all wondered if Jared Leto rides a fixed gear bike?

Well, now we know -- it's a freewheeling singlespeed.

"The Ride" by 30 Seconds to Mars.

The blinky lights are really cool, especially in the tunnel. Now if only I knew what the lyrics, the music, the song, the random imagery of cyclists, horses, fires, and the wreck are all supposed to mean. Enjoy!

Update: And I just noticed BSNYC already posted about this video. I need to move to the east coast!

View from the photo moto

2009-11-13T08:00:00.002-07:00

Photographer Jonathan (Jono) Devich shares his view from the motorcycle as he rides on back and shoots during the 2009 Tour of Missouri. Fun stuff!

Via SoCal Cycling.