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  #1  
Old March 21st 10, 05:45 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default Skateboard-use?

I'm not surprised at the small, barely noticeable, increase (at least,
in Wisconsin) in bicycle use due to gasoline prices. I hope it
continues.

Besides the bicycle, I wonder what other methods of transport others
have seen. Have you noticed an increase in, say, skateboard-use?

I think people are inherently lazy, so I can easily see other methods
of transportation being used before anything that requires physical
stress. I'm waiting for the time where we resort to the old west and
go by horse.


Cullen
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  #3  
Old March 22nd 10, 03:24 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default Skateboard-use?

On Mar 21, 12:38*pm, Jobst Brandt wrote:
Tom Sherman wrote:
I'm not surprised at the small, barely noticeable, increase (at
least, in Wisconsin) in bicycle use due to gasoline prices. *I hope
it continues.
Besides the bicycle, I wonder what other methods of transport
others have seen. *Have you noticed an increase in, say,
skateboard-use?

Skateboarding IS a crime!!!
I think people are inherently lazy, so I can easily see other
methods of transportation being used before anything that requires
physical stress. *I'm waiting for the time where we resort to the
old west and go by horse.

In graduate school, I used a folding push scooter, since with the
distances I had to go it was faster than a bicycle when the time to
lock and unlock the bicycle properly was added in.


I find interesting how people and times have changed since my high
school and college days where I never locked my bicycle and had no
theft problem. *I left my clunker in front of the train station and
was off to high school all day. *Today there are rows of locked
clunkers in bicycle racks, some with parts dismantled. *I guess there
is an incentive for thieves by what is parked unlocked, but I am still
shopping downtown and parking my good unlocked bicycle in front of
stores, spending less than an hour in the store.

Jobst Brandt


I only lock my bike because it's something I've done out of habit
since I was locked my huffy to the bike rack in elementary school.

I've never actually thought about the danger of theft. I'm sure I
probably could've left my bike unlocked without danger?

I'm now tricyclist. Since my trike was so expensive, I'm immensely
paranoid about theft, so, I naturally lock it up...

Cullen
  #4  
Old March 22nd 10, 04:27 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default Skateboard-use?

On Mar 21, 1:38*pm, Jobst Brandt wrote:


I find interesting how people and times have changed since my high
school and college days where I never locked my bicycle and had no
theft problem. *I left my clunker in front of the train station and
was off to high school all day. *Today there are rows of locked
clunkers in bicycle racks, some with parts dismantled. *I guess there
is an incentive for thieves by what is parked unlocked, but I am still
shopping downtown and parking my good unlocked bicycle in front of
stores, spending less than an hour in the store.


Jobst's bike has a built-in anti-theft system. Nobody shorter than
6'5" can ride it.

I think the risk depends on the bike, as well as the location. My
area's not noted for bike theft, and my utility bike (the one I don't
worry about) is very distinctive, with a huge blue handlebar bag, dual
generator headlights, fenders, etc. It's very unfashionable. I often
use only a very simple "parking brake" - a wedge the holds the front
brake lever so the front wheel is locked. Sometimes I also use a 1/4"
cable lock I fabricated.

We recently vacationed in Washington DC. We'd been told by one
cycling friend that we dared not leave our bikes unguarded - that even
with stout U-locks, our bikes would be gone by the time we exited a
museum. (She even offered to come along and stand guard for hours!)
But when we asked a few museum security guards, they disagreed with
her, and they were right. Our Bikes Friday were fine for hours,
locked with a thick Kryptonite cable lock.

- Frank Krygowski
  #5  
Old March 22nd 10, 06:20 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
Doc O'Leary[_12_]
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Default Skateboard-use?

In article ,
Jobst Brandt wrote:

I find interesting how people and times have changed since my high
school and college days where I never locked my bicycle and had no
theft problem. I left my clunker in front of the train station and
was off to high school all day. Today there are rows of locked
clunkers in bicycle racks, some with parts dismantled. I guess there
is an incentive for thieves by what is parked unlocked, but I am still
shopping downtown and parking my good unlocked bicycle in front of
stores, spending less than an hour in the store.


Herd immunity. I sometimes do the same as you, by the logic that it
probably isn't worth the time of a thief to be out on patrol on the
chance that an unlocked bike can be had free and clear, so it is mainly
vulnerable to the unlikely opportunistic snatch. If everyone started
doing it a lot, though, bikes would start disappearing and locking would
take an upswing again.

On a similar note, I've had other bikers comment that I "forgot" to take
my pump when I locked up my bike. My response was that the odds of it
being taken are so low that it didn't make much sense for me to carry it
around all the time. Same goes for my saddle bag and a lot of other
gear I sometimes have on the bike. They're sort of my canary in the
coal mine as far as locking/security goes, and nothing has been taken
yet.

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  #6  
Old March 22nd 10, 08:02 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
dgk
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Default Skateboard-use?

On Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:20:24 -0500, Doc O'Leary
wrote:

In article ,
Jobst Brandt wrote:

I find interesting how people and times have changed since my high
school and college days where I never locked my bicycle and had no
theft problem. I left my clunker in front of the train station and
was off to high school all day. Today there are rows of locked
clunkers in bicycle racks, some with parts dismantled. I guess there
is an incentive for thieves by what is parked unlocked, but I am still
shopping downtown and parking my good unlocked bicycle in front of
stores, spending less than an hour in the store.


Herd immunity. I sometimes do the same as you, by the logic that it
probably isn't worth the time of a thief to be out on patrol on the
chance that an unlocked bike can be had free and clear, so it is mainly
vulnerable to the unlikely opportunistic snatch. If everyone started
doing it a lot, though, bikes would start disappearing and locking would
take an upswing again.

On a similar note, I've had other bikers comment that I "forgot" to take
my pump when I locked up my bike. My response was that the odds of it
being taken are so low that it didn't make much sense for me to carry it
around all the time. Same goes for my saddle bag and a lot of other
gear I sometimes have on the bike. They're sort of my canary in the
coal mine as far as locking/security goes, and nothing has been taken
yet.


OTOH I do need to lock my seat. I did have one stolen and it is tough
to ride a bike with no seat.

That crack about Herd Immunity was funny, and true.

Someone once stole a barrel adjuster from my brake. Seriously. I just
sort of looked at it, stunned. And a kick stand disappeared one day. I
thought that real bike thieves don't use kickstands. How many
kickstands does it take to equal one vial of crack?
  #7  
Old March 23rd 10, 07:21 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
Doc O'Leary[_12_]
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Default Skateboard-use?

In article ,
dgk wrote:

OTOH I do need to lock my seat. I did have one stolen and it is tough
to ride a bike with no seat.


Yeah, your initial level of trust all depends on where you're parking.
I would never leave a bike sitting around for any length of time on a
college campus, for example. But randomly parked outside of a business
with few or no other bikes isn't nearly as much of a draw.

I really do wonder what the thieves do with the parts they steal,
because I don't see much of a market for used seats and kickstands.
Maybe they're building a bike "Once Piece at a Time" a la Johnny Cash.
Seems like a lot of effort to go to, though, when most bikes aren't that
valuable.

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  #8  
Old March 24th 10, 02:26 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
dgk
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Default Skateboard-use?

On Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:21:00 -0500, Doc O'Leary
wrote:

In article ,
dgk wrote:

OTOH I do need to lock my seat. I did have one stolen and it is tough
to ride a bike with no seat.


Yeah, your initial level of trust all depends on where you're parking.
I would never leave a bike sitting around for any length of time on a
college campus, for example. But randomly parked outside of a business
with few or no other bikes isn't nearly as much of a draw.

I really do wonder what the thieves do with the parts they steal,
because I don't see much of a market for used seats and kickstands.
Maybe they're building a bike "Once Piece at a Time" a la Johnny Cash.
Seems like a lot of effort to go to, though, when most bikes aren't that
valuable.


It isn't like it was a good seat, a Brooks or something. It was a
standard cheap seat.
  #9  
Old March 24th 10, 08:31 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
It's Chris
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Default Skateboard-use?

Here in The South? I think people would revert back to horses before
"degrading" themselves to commuting by bicycle. The world's most
efficient method of transportation here is still seen as little more
than "athletic equipment".

Even amounst serious cyclists, just finding someone who will ride one
for more than 20 miles, or at speed of under 17, is a major
accomplishment!

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

 




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