Happy Friday, boys and girls. Stay tuned: I have photos of President Obama & his family riding bikes.
For most of this summer I’ve biked the 22 mile distance to San Jose from my office in Menlo Park. I usually Caltrain to work in the morning, but yesterday I planned to bike in. Unfortunately, I flatted just as I got to San Jose.
The bike cars on the 8:22 AM northbound train are always empty, so I figured I can maximize my time by hopping on the train and patching my tube on the train. I finished up before we passed Santa Clara, at which point a conductor approached and said, “In the future, don’t do your bike repairs here. This is a train, not a repair shop.”
Remember, this is an almost empty bike car, and there’s nothing in Caltrain’s bike rules about performing simple repairs. I haven’t purchased a Caltrain monthly pass since last May, but hey, Mr Conductor, if you don’t want my business, I’m glad to oblige.
It’s now time for another collection of random bike happenings. As always, hover your mouse over the images for captions and descriptions…
A Guide for Fat Cyclists:
If you are fat it’s likely that the only time cycling is presented to you in a positive light is as a means to lose weight. This has bound the act of getting on a bicycle with notions of duty, poor self-image, body anxiety and more – could there be a more depressing prospect? It’s unlikely that these feelings would make anyone feel good and excited about riding.
There are lots of reasons why fat people might be reticent about cycling. Perhaps we haven’t cycled since we were kids, or maybe we never learned to ride. Maybe we associate it with punishing weight loss regimes instead of an activity that can be enjoyed in its own right. Some might worry that they are not fit enough, and this combined with emotionally damaging harassment from passers-by – or even the fear of it – is enough to put anyone off from having a go. Bigger fat people might be concerned about damaging a bike, or injuring themselves, and then there is the hassle of finding appropriate clothing that fits.
More at Charlotte Cooper: How to Ride a Bike: A Guide for Fat Cyclists. See also Super Sized Cycles, which sells bikes specifically for large people.
Bike Emotional Abuse? Gas station customers were “very disturbed as to the yelling and obscene argument the defendant was having with his bicycle.” Via Bike Hugger.
Some people complain the Toyota Prius is quiet… too quiet. So Toyota is adding a noisemaker.
Bob Mionske on the minimum passing distance law for cyclists.
BI: Cascades Green Bike Project 86% success rate.
Keep those posties riding bikes!
Style & Cycling: Bike Friendly college campuses.
Bicycle Stock Images, via Urban Velo. Almost all of the photos at my Flickr photostream are also available for free use — the only requirement is that you mention or link to Cyclelicious.
Darryl asks should you bike when you’re sick? The rule of thumb I’ve always heard: For colds you should be fine. For flu, you should rest. This pretty much matches what Darryl knows.
Is nothing sacred?! The Onion mocks Lance Armstrong.
Funny how many people seem to make up their own rules about what is and isn't allowed when it comes to bikes. I'd be tempted to take my bike on the same train and strip it down the bearings.
As for the Guide for Fat Cyclists, I admire every overweight rider I see on a bike. It's a lot harder to ride with those extra pounds, and they catch a lot more crap from everyone. And if they manage to keep it up, they won't be overweight long. When I got back on my bike after a few years of sporadic riding, I managed to drop 50 pounds over the first two years — and I've kept off 40 of that.
We spent the weekend camping at the Goodwood Vintage Festival, it was a great mix of music, fashion and culture from the 40s to the 80s.
I saw those photos from the Festival and am really curious. It looks like a cool event.
Things you'll never hear a conductor say:
“In the future, don't read you emails here. This is a train, not an office cubicle.”
One would think that a service that is supposedly “on the verge of bankruptcy” and has major route cuts pending would be a little more accepting of paying customers.
I just don't get it…