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Impressions from Bike to Work Day



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 12th 11, 05:03 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,477
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

Numbers: Seemed like there were a lot more people riding this year.
Maybe it's the price of gasoline. Ran into several people I knew (not
literally).

Lighting: Big change from last year. A lot more daytime lighting,
probably 20% of bicycles I saw had a front flasher going, and 40% had a
rear flasher. I saw one other bicycle (besides mine) with a dynamo
light, but other than that it's very much a battery driven world around
here.

Helmets: I did not see a single cyclist at any of the energizer
stations, or on the road, that was not wearing a helmet. So while there
is no adult MHL in most of the U.S., at least in areas where the people
are highly educated, helmet usage is extremely high. Good to see that
the facts regarding helmets are getting out despite the best efforts of
a few people!

Trouble-making: Called the Sunnyvale police about a car parked in the
bicycle lane. Didn't wait around to see if they got there in time. I
have all the police non-emergency numbers for Bay Area cities programmed
into my phone and I don't hesitate to use them when I see something like
this. It was very annoying and dangerous because you had a lot of
cyclists in the bike lane having to swerve out into traffic to get
around this car.

For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them. The 2010 San Jose
Bikeways map was also being given out.

Best bicycle I saw was a triple Bike Friday where the owner was taking
his two small children to their elementary school three miles from their
home.

Went to the Apple and HP Energizer stations. Alas this is the last year
for the HP station as they have sold all their buildings in my area to
Apple and are moving out. Unlikely that Apple will continue the HP
station and have two stations next year.
Ads
  #2  
Old May 12th 11, 07:25 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
Lou Holtman[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 881
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

Op 12-5-2011 18:03, SMS schreef:
Numbers: Seemed like there were a lot more people riding this year.
Maybe it's the price of gasoline. Ran into several people I knew (not
literally).

Lighting: Big change from last year. A lot more daytime lighting,
probably 20% of bicycles I saw had a front flasher going, and 40% had a
rear flasher. I saw one other bicycle (besides mine) with a dynamo
light, but other than that it's very much a battery driven world around
here.

Helmets: I did not see a single cyclist at any of the energizer
stations, or on the road, that was not wearing a helmet. So while there
is no adult MHL in most of the U.S., at least in areas where the people
are highly educated, helmet usage is extremely high. Good to see that
the facts regarding helmets are getting out despite the best efforts of
a few people!

Trouble-making: Called the Sunnyvale police about a car parked in the
bicycle lane. Didn't wait around to see if they got there in time. I
have all the police non-emergency numbers for Bay Area cities programmed
into my phone and I don't hesitate to use them when I see something like
this. It was very annoying and dangerous because you had a lot of
cyclists in the bike lane having to swerve out into traffic to get
around this car.

For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them. The 2010 San Jose
Bikeways map was also being given out.

Best bicycle I saw was a triple Bike Friday where the owner was taking
his two small children to their elementary school three miles from their
home.

Went to the Apple and HP Energizer stations. Alas this is the last year
for the HP station as they have sold all their buildings in my area to
Apple and are moving out. Unlikely that Apple will continue the HP
station and have two stations next year.



WTF is Bike to work day? Here people get to work by bike every day.

Numbers: I see hundreds/thousands every day.
Helmets: none;
Lights: almost exlusively dyno powered. Bikes less than 5 years old
almost all with dynohubs.
Trouble making: none. Cyclists deal with cars and vica versa.
Bikemap: ?? to go to work?

Lou


  #3  
Old May 12th 11, 07:38 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
Jay Beattie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,322
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On May 12, 9:03*am, SMS wrote:
Numbers: Seemed like there were a lot more people riding this year.
Maybe it's the price of gasoline. Ran into several people I knew (not
literally).

Lighting: Big change from last year. A lot more daytime lighting,
probably 20% of bicycles I saw had a front flasher going, and 40% had a
rear flasher. I saw one other bicycle (besides mine) with a dynamo
light, but other than that it's very much a battery driven world around
here.

Helmets: I did not see a single cyclist at any of the energizer
stations, or on the road, that was not wearing a helmet. So while there
is no adult MHL in most of the U.S., at least in areas where the people
are highly educated, helmet usage is extremely high. Good to see that
the facts regarding helmets are getting out despite the best efforts of
a few people!

Trouble-making: Called the Sunnyvale police about a car parked in the
bicycle lane. Didn't wait around to see if they got there in time. I
have all the police non-emergency numbers for Bay Area cities programmed
into my phone and I don't hesitate to use them when I see something like
this. It was very annoying and dangerous because you had a lot of
cyclists in the bike lane having to swerve out into traffic to get
around this car.

For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them. The 2010 San Jose
Bikeways map was also being given out.

Best bicycle I saw was a triple Bike Friday where the owner was taking
his two small children to their elementary school three miles from their
home.

Went to the Apple and HP Energizer stations. Alas this is the last year
for the HP station as they have sold all their buildings in my area to
Apple and are moving out. Unlikely that Apple will continue the HP
station and have two stations next year.


Some guy was dogging me to work on a Scattante. I always wondered who
bought those things -- and now I know: its guys who are excited about
"being paced" by some old dude on a anchor-weight cross bike who is
just riding to work over the hills. -- Jay Beattie.
  #4  
Old May 12th 11, 08:13 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
Jay Beattie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,322
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On May 12, 11:25*am, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 12-5-2011 18:03, SMS schreef:





Numbers: Seemed like there were a lot more people riding this year.
Maybe it's the price of gasoline. Ran into several people I knew (not
literally).


Lighting: Big change from last year. A lot more daytime lighting,
probably 20% of bicycles I saw had a front flasher going, and 40% had a
rear flasher. I saw one other bicycle (besides mine) with a dynamo
light, but other than that it's very much a battery driven world around
here.


Helmets: I did not see a single cyclist at any of the energizer
stations, or on the road, that was not wearing a helmet. So while there
is no adult MHL in most of the U.S., at least in areas where the people
are highly educated, helmet usage is extremely high. Good to see that
the facts regarding helmets are getting out despite the best efforts of
a few people!


Trouble-making: Called the Sunnyvale police about a car parked in the
bicycle lane. Didn't wait around to see if they got there in time. I
have all the police non-emergency numbers for Bay Area cities programmed
into my phone and I don't hesitate to use them when I see something like
this. It was very annoying and dangerous because you had a lot of
cyclists in the bike lane having to swerve out into traffic to get
around this car.


For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them. The 2010 San Jose
Bikeways map was also being given out.


Best bicycle I saw was a triple Bike Friday where the owner was taking
his two small children to their elementary school three miles from their
home.


Went to the Apple and HP Energizer stations. Alas this is the last year
for the HP station as they have sold all their buildings in my area to
Apple and are moving out. Unlikely that Apple will continue the HP
station and have two stations next year.


WTF is Bike to work day? Here people get to work by bike every day.

Numbers: I see hundreds/thousands every day.
Helmets: none;
Lights: almost exlusively dyno powered. Bikes less than 5 years old
almost all with dynohubs.
Trouble making: none. Cyclists deal with cars and vica versa.
Bikemap: ?? to go to work?


Same here. This is the morning commute in PDX.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdx-hobnob/214205333/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmlodge/3809799854/
-- except we wear helmets, and not so many dyno hubs. Probably lower
gears being that we have elevation changes. That little hill in the
background of the St. John's bridge has a hundred meters more
elevation gain than Mt. Vaals. Nice descent, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqllO_J9_wA
-- Jay Beattie.


  #5  
Old May 12th 11, 08:17 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,477
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On 5/12/2011 11:38 AM, Jay Beattie wrote:

Some guy was dogging me to work on a Scattante. I always wondered who
bought those things -- and now I know: its guys who are excited about
"being paced" by some old dude on a anchor-weight cross bike who is
just riding to work over the hills. -- Jay Beattie.


I'd say about half the bikes I saw today were commute type bikes where
the owner probably commuted regularly, and half were racing type bikes
of one sort or another where this was the once-a-year commute to get yet
another small canvas bag and a small Clif Bar. I was kind of hoping that
Apple would give a free iPad to every cyclist that stopped at their
campus on Infinite Loop, but no such luck (just kidding).

I did run into the woman who was the original inspiration for my Bicycle
Coffee Systems web site about 29 years ago. She was on a tour I led of
the Oregon Coast with her Melitta cone filter strapped to the top her
panniers, and she'd brew her coffee every night at the campground or
hostel. We had a good discussion of coffee today.
  #6  
Old May 12th 11, 08:34 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
AMuzi
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13,447
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

Jay Beattie wrote:
On May 12, 11:25 am, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 12-5-2011 18:03, SMS schreef:





Numbers: Seemed like there were a lot more people riding this year.
Maybe it's the price of gasoline. Ran into several people I knew (not
literally).
Lighting: Big change from last year. A lot more daytime lighting,
probably 20% of bicycles I saw had a front flasher going, and 40% had a
rear flasher. I saw one other bicycle (besides mine) with a dynamo
light, but other than that it's very much a battery driven world around
here.
Helmets: I did not see a single cyclist at any of the energizer
stations, or on the road, that was not wearing a helmet. So while there
is no adult MHL in most of the U.S., at least in areas where the people
are highly educated, helmet usage is extremely high. Good to see that
the facts regarding helmets are getting out despite the best efforts of
a few people!
Trouble-making: Called the Sunnyvale police about a car parked in the
bicycle lane. Didn't wait around to see if they got there in time. I
have all the police non-emergency numbers for Bay Area cities programmed
into my phone and I don't hesitate to use them when I see something like
this. It was very annoying and dangerous because you had a lot of
cyclists in the bike lane having to swerve out into traffic to get
around this car.
For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them. The 2010 San Jose
Bikeways map was also being given out.
Best bicycle I saw was a triple Bike Friday where the owner was taking
his two small children to their elementary school three miles from their
home.
Went to the Apple and HP Energizer stations. Alas this is the last year
for the HP station as they have sold all their buildings in my area to
Apple and are moving out. Unlikely that Apple will continue the HP
station and have two stations next year.

WTF is Bike to work day? Here people get to work by bike every day.

Numbers: I see hundreds/thousands every day.
Helmets: none;
Lights: almost exlusively dyno powered. Bikes less than 5 years old
almost all with dynohubs.
Trouble making: none. Cyclists deal with cars and vica versa.
Bikemap: ?? to go to work?


Same here. This is the morning commute in PDX.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdx-hobnob/214205333/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmlodge/3809799854/
-- except we wear helmets, and not so many dyno hubs. Probably lower
gears being that we have elevation changes. That little hill in the
background of the St. John's bridge has a hundred meters more
elevation gain than Mt. Vaals. Nice descent, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqllO_J9_wA
-- Jay Beattie.



First caption says 'bridge is normally closed to traffic'

Really? Portland built a bridge just for bicycles?

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
  #7  
Old May 12th 11, 09:17 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,477
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On 5/12/2011 11:25 AM, Lou Holtman wrote:

Numbers: I see hundreds/thousands every day.
Helmets: none;
Lights: almost exlusively dyno powered. Bikes less than 5 years old
almost all with dynohubs.
Trouble making: none. Cyclists deal with cars and vica versa.
Bikemap: ?? to go to work?


Sadly, the bicycling environment in the U.S. is very different than that
in NL.
  #8  
Old May 12th 11, 09:22 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
jcdill
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 57
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On 12/05/11 9:03 AM, SMS wrote:

For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them.


You can also get it online at:

http://www.vta.org/schedules/VTA_Bike_Map.pdf

However, it still shows the Los Gatos Creek Trail on the wrong side of
the creek from Campbell Ave to Bascom. I reported this error to them 2
years ago. Bummed that they didn't fix it when they updated the map.

jc
  #9  
Old May 12th 11, 09:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
Jay Beattie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,322
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On May 12, 12:34*pm, AMuzi wrote:
Jay Beattie wrote:
On May 12, 11:25 am, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 12-5-2011 18:03, SMS schreef:


Numbers: Seemed like there were a lot more people riding this year.
Maybe it's the price of gasoline. Ran into several people I knew (not
literally).
Lighting: Big change from last year. A lot more daytime lighting,
probably 20% of bicycles I saw had a front flasher going, and 40% had a
rear flasher. I saw one other bicycle (besides mine) with a dynamo
light, but other than that it's very much a battery driven world around
here.
Helmets: I did not see a single cyclist at any of the energizer
stations, or on the road, that was not wearing a helmet. So while there
is no adult MHL in most of the U.S., at least in areas where the people
are highly educated, helmet usage is extremely high. Good to see that
the facts regarding helmets are getting out despite the best efforts of
a few people!
Trouble-making: Called the Sunnyvale police about a car parked in the
bicycle lane. Didn't wait around to see if they got there in time. I
have all the police non-emergency numbers for Bay Area cities programmed
into my phone and I don't hesitate to use them when I see something like
this. It was very annoying and dangerous because you had a lot of
cyclists in the bike lane having to swerve out into traffic to get
around this car.
For Bay Area people, the May 2011 Santa Clara County bicycle map is
available and was being distributed. This map is generally only updated
every couple of years, and there were many changes from the previous
one. I think VTA will mail you one if you call them. The 2010 San Jose
Bikeways map was also being given out.
Best bicycle I saw was a triple Bike Friday where the owner was taking
his two small children to their elementary school three miles from their
home.
Went to the Apple and HP Energizer stations. Alas this is the last year
for the HP station as they have sold all their buildings in my area to
Apple and are moving out. Unlikely that Apple will continue the HP
station and have two stations next year.
WTF is Bike to work day? Here people get to work by bike every day.


Numbers: I see hundreds/thousands every day.
Helmets: none;
Lights: almost exlusively dyno powered. Bikes less than 5 years old
almost all with dynohubs.
Trouble making: none. Cyclists deal with cars and vica versa.
Bikemap: ?? to go to work?


Same here. *This is the morning commute in PDX.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdx-hobnob/214205333/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmlodge/3809799854/
*-- except we wear helmets, and not so many dyno hubs. Probably lower
gears being that we have elevation changes. *That little hill in the
background of the St. John's bridge has a hundred meters more
elevation gain than Mt. Vaals. Nice descent, too.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqllO_J9_wA
-- Jay Beattie.


First caption says 'bridge is normally closed to traffic'

Really? Portland built a bridge just for bicycles?


Yes, but it's not avery grand bridge: http://www.flickr.com/photos/magpie33/376758467/
On the Springwater Corridor across scruffy McLaughlin Blvd.

I think the caption was referring to the fact that on that ride, the
Bridge Pedal, the bridges are all closed to auto traffic -- much to
the chagrin of anyone who needs to cross the river in a car that day.
-- Jay Beattie.
  #10  
Old May 12th 11, 09:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech,ba.bicycles
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,477
Default Impressions from Bike to Work Day

On 5/12/2011 1:22 PM, jcdill wrote:

However, it still shows the Los Gatos Creek Trail on the wrong side of
the creek from Campbell Ave to Bascom. I reported this error to them 2
years ago. Bummed that they didn't fix it when they updated the map.


Heh, I never noticed that mistake before.
 




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