I'm All About That Blog

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Fixing our subway system will require longer disruptions in service than New Yorkers are accustomed to. The impending challenge of the L train shutdown presents a golden opportunity to prove bicycling as a viable alternative. Enacting advocates’ PeopleWay plan for new bike and bus lanes along the L corridor, or some version of it, is an important first step.

The transit system has reached a crisis point and must be fixed once and for all. We are under no illusions that in a city as large as New York, this can be a painless process. But it can be less painful with better biking to ease the way.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/two-wheeled-transit-fix-article-1.3309174

 

It looked like he blew through a few red lights but with the editing it was not totally clear.  My big problem with my fellow bikers are the scofflaws who completely ignore traffic signs and signals, forcing automobile drivers to stop/slow to avoid running them down.  Gives us a bad reputation and provides "justification" for those few yahoos in cars who choose to give the rest of us bikers a bad time. 

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My three weeks in the Netherlands has dramatically shaped the way I think about cycling, and in particular, my perspective on the way we talk about cycling. I’ve come to realize that in its current state, public messaging about cycling in North America actually discourages it, by making it sound cumbersome and dangerous. 

Yep!

https://mattpinderblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/lessons-from-amsterdam-how-to-make-cycling-easy-and-fun/

 

Madison, Wisconsin: Places for Bikes Slow Roll

 

I don't think the bike-riding-messaging is the problem.  The problem in the US is the attitude of "roads are for cars, sidewalks are for walkers. Got a bike?  F*** you."  At least, that's the attitude I've experienced; I know some places are more enlightened than others.

Incidentally, my most serious wreck was when I was just riding my bike for fun.  It had nothing to do with any car and I was lucky that I didn't crack my head open.  So yeah, I wear a helmet and think people who don't are nuts... but it's their nutsy decision.

28 minutes ago, krupa said:

I don't think the bike-riding-messaging is the problem.  The problem in the US is the attitude of "roads are for cars, sidewalks are for walkers. Got a bike?  F*** you."  At least, that's the attitude I've experienced; I know some places are more enlightened than others.

I think messaging and the attitude are pretty much the same thing, just one is more subversive, implicit and passive aggressive.

A steady transformation:

https://twitter.com/travis_robert/status/884956538800136193

 

11 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

I think messaging and the attitude are pretty much the same thing, just one is more subversive, implicit and passive aggressive.

A steady transformation:

https://twitter.com/travis_robert/status/884956538800136193

 

First, I think it's hilarious that that tweet uses pictures from one of the few parts of Manhattan I can recognize easily (that aren't already iconic locations, that is.)

Second, I think NYC is always ahead of the rest of the world.  in terms of pedestrian safety, I feel safer crossing a street in Manhattan than I do in Ithaca.  Drivers in Ithaca do not care about walkers.  They don't look for them and they don't really care if they're there.  I truly don't understand how, with the close-calls I've had and apparently obliviousness of other pedestrians and motorists, we don't have more fatalities than we do.

Finally, I think the messaging is a reflection of the attitude.  We need to change both and until the latter changes it's a disservice to cyclists to not remind them that it can be dangerous.  The other stuff in that sign e.g., 'you need a light and water and a map...' definitely goes farther than it needs to.  

A family ride (I count 4 kids) in the brunt of NYC traffic. Probably not intended, get thee to the west side greenway. This is one way to get the real New York experience though.

 

Bicyclist runs red, does not look right, one car misses him but the second one doesn't. 

 

 

Quaxing

 

http://journal.cpha.ca/index.php/cjph/article/view/3621/2744

Riide - DC electric bike plan or buy one for yourself.

http://www.riide.com/

TIL about rear and side guards on trucks. The rear one prevents the tops of cars from being sliced if it crashes into the back of the truck, also known as the Mansfield Bar, because Jayne Mansfield died when her car hit the back of a truck, went under it, scalping her.

The side guards prevent pedestrians and cyclists from being run over should they fall under the truck. Also in the last dashcam video I posted, it would have prevented the passengers in the car from being decapitated if it t-boned between the truck wheels. Side guards also make a truck more aerodynamic, increasing fuel efficiency. Apparently these are mandatory in Europe, but not the US, haven't done enough reading on it yet. Rear underride guards are mandatory here, but some are ineffective and might as well not be there at all.

Add another thing to be paranoid about when cycling and driving. I've always steered clear of big trucks when driving and cycling but couldn't put my finger on a specific reason for driving (blind spot is obvious) other than an innate feeling that it could do much bodily harm. Now I have a gory specific one.

Blind spot:

 

That Schwinn is a classic.

 

On 7/25/2017 at 10:10 AM, nevets88 said:

The side guards prevent pedestrians and cyclists from being run over should they fall under the truck. Also in the last dashcam video I posted, it would have prevented the passengers in the car from being decapitated if it t-boned between the truck wheels.

Look at the recent wreck in Erie, right on 12th street. Those side guards are flimsy and purely about helping aerodynamics. That wouldn't have done squat to help the people in that car… who were not just decapitated, but where broken into many, many pieces.

And…

On 7/25/2017 at 10:10 AM, nevets88 said:

Add another thing to be paranoid about when cycling and driving. I've always steered clear of big trucks when driving and cycling but couldn't put my finger on a specific reason for driving (blind spot is obvious) other than an innate feeling that it could do much bodily harm. Now I have a gory specific one.

Blind spot:

 

Those are some HORRIBLY adjusted mirrors. You shouldn't have your mirrors pointing down the side of your car or truck - what is the point in seeing the side of your car/truck? You already KNOW it is there.

You are supposed to angle your mirrors out. If you can see more than a sliver of your car, you're doing it wrong.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots

On 7/27/2017 at 5:43 PM, iacas said:

Look at the recent wreck in Erie, right on 12th street. Those side guards are flimsy and purely about helping aerodynamics. That wouldn't have done squat to help the people in that car… who were not just decapitated, but where broken into many, many pieces.

And…

Those are some HORRIBLY adjusted mirrors. You shouldn't have your mirrors pointing down the side of your car or truck - what is the point in seeing the side of your car/truck? You already KNOW it is there.

You are supposed to angle your mirrors out. If you can see more than a sliver of your car, you're doing it wrong.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots

 

Those side guards are pretty flimsy, but I think they're more helpful to pedestrians and cyclists. Thanks for the link. I use the traditional mirror position as a halfway measure to see behind and also to parallel park (see the curb), but I guess I could easily keep the blind spot position and readjust when parking.

I tried the mirrors outward and I'm going to stick with it. You can see wider out, 2 lanes instead of one. And the rear view covers the area the old position did. 

PSA - Watch out for skewed tracks.

 

Automated bicycle storage and retrieval. Like a StorageTek, but for bikes.

 

3 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Automated bicycle storage and retrieval. Like a StorageTek, but for bikes.

 

Now THAT is cool!

A sobering piece. I wish collectively people would take rules more seriously. It feels lonely and yet somewhat infuriating when you're the only one actually stopping at a red light.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/opinion/traffic-bike-laws.html

As if there aren't enough things to worry about, falling trees is something I'm paranoid about. I've had a squirrel, literally, fall in front of me from 30 feet. Little fella was ok, scurried away.

 

Squirrels scare the hell out of me!

I've seen a squirrel run into a bicyclist's front spokes and take him down at 25 mph.  Have that happen in the middle of a group pace line and you can seriously screw up a bunch of people!

Doesn't do the squirrel any good either...