May 31, 2009
In which I prefer a bicycle for carrying all this
Here's some viral marketing for you: I saw this posted on a blog somewhere — where I cannot recall! — and looked at Madsen's site. The Utah-based cargobike builder are running a promotion in which anyone with a blog can win one of their bicycles. Splendid! I want a cargo bicycle: I can haul our groceries, the baby, and a whole lotta everything. Yes. A whole lotta everything.... Read more
April 29, 2009
I love my bicycle.
I built up this bicycle in autumn of 2002, and it went through a period of light use until the theft of the belovèd Gold Dutchess in the spring of 2005. Since moving last year, it has been the only bicycle I ride. More photos of this Kogswell in various configurations; the memory of riding the Kogswell on the last Krispy Kreme Klassic.... Read more
March 21, 2009
S[c]hluffing
Provides a splendid opportunity for picking off inane cyclists. I am somewhat embarrassed that Robert Sullivan, whose journalism I enjoyed in Rats, his account of New York City's most popular rodent (the bird is the most popular finger), endorses such pablum. I do not think that the Thoreau I know would have encouraged use of a push-cycle on a roadway shared with the fair sex. The folksy fiddle music adds a ludicrous air to the proceedings.... Read more
March 13, 2009
In which a turk sings a bicycle
A bicycle built for two thousand.... Read more
January 12, 2009
In which we have a new bicycle
Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama is your new bicycle.... Read more
January 8, 2009
December 13, 2008
Le Tour du Chocolat
Amy Thomas, writing in The New York Times, has an idea after mine own heart: cycle from chocolatier to chocolatier, covering ground and sampling chocolates. My solution: devote one full day to chocolate boutiques, and do it in style. So, on my last visit to Paris, I took to the city’s Vélib’ bike system and mastered a two-wheeled circuit of eight of the chocolatiers that had the best reputations and most glowing reviews in city guidebooks and online message boards. It was exhilarating and exhausting, not to mention decadent. It was a chocoholic’s dream ride. The Vélib’s — industrial-looking road bikes that are already icons of Parisian-chic just a year and a half after the city initiated the program — made the moveable feast more fun. Progressing from pralines to pavés, I spun by the Eiffel Tower, zipped across the Seine and careened through the spindly streets of St.-Germain-des-Prés alongside other bikers: Parisians in summer dresses and business suits, their front baskets toting briefcases, baguettes and sometimes even Jack Russell terriers. Practically speaking, the bikes were all but essential. How else could I cover five arrondissements in as many hours, while simultaneously countering a day of debaucherous extremes?... Read more
December 4, 2008
In which weasels ripped my flesh
Necessity is the mother of invention.... Read more
June 22, 2008
More on spending lottery winnings
One of the aspects of New York City's streets that has me shaking my head: the prevalence of half-stolen bicycles. Almost every block has a utility pole or parking meter with a scavenged bicycle stuck to it; I thought that, should I win sacks full of money by playing the lottery (which I don't), I would cycle around town fixing these bicycles and redistributing them. This idea now strikes me as naïve and optimistic: a more constructive approach would be to repair everyone's bicycle, for free, with priority to people who use the bicycle for everyday work (deliveries, commuting, et c.). Roadies and recreational riders probably don't want me wrenching on their bicycles, anyhow (me, tired after fixing on bikes). I began taking photographs of these, which I call Unhappy Bicycles. See the slideshow of this neglected and picked-apart bicycles of Manhattan.... Read more
April 21, 2008
In which we valet-park, with robots
From JapanProbe: "Customers who come to the station by bicycle need only place their bike on a small platform and hit a few buttons, and the system will automatically store their bike in an underground parking garage that can accommodate 9,400 bikes. When the reporter asks the machine to retrieve his bicycle, it only takes 23 seconds to accomplish the task. The parking system costs 100 yen for a single use, or 1,800 yen for a monthly pass." More video at the JapanProbe site. San Francisco's own master bicycle valet parker kash runs the Warm Planet bicycle shop at the Caltrain station in San Francisco [PDF].... Read more
April 17, 2008
In which my eyes are plate-wide
Aram brought to mine attention this month-old post on Craigslist (San Francisco, for reasons that will become quite clear): http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/608546617.html. Craigslist has collected it under the "Best-of", which is a user-driven distinction. This post is a splendid successor to Theodocious Ferocious's "One Less Fixie" post of a few years ago, which commemorated the brief popularity of freewheeling front-brake-only pista bicycles and their numbskull riders. "my eyes are usually plate-wide with terror"... Read more
February 4, 2008
Sheldon Brown
Sheldon Brown died last night. His writings on cycling, photographs of his bikes and exploits, and peerless attitude towards creating community will live on. Several years ago, I made a detour in to the Harris Cyclery to see just where this man held court. Sheldon "CaptBike" Brown was the personality that characterized all that is good about cycling and about community. In an era of instantaneous, plentiful communication, he had a distinctive and constructive approach to writing email; he posted excellent, informative essays on practical and technical aspects of cycling on his web site; and his many other interests revealed him to be a lively, loving man.... Read more
December 7, 2007
In which he has to be crazy, a little bit.
The Palo Alto Daily brings Martin "cycle-across-America" Krieg to our attention, again, but omits the interesting piece of the vehicle code . The first (and only!) time I rode a high-wheeler was by the good grace of a fellow from the East Bay, whom I met at Crissy Field last spring (or autumn; I'm not good with seasons).... Read more
November 6, 2007
In which Portland is Bicycle City, USA
The New York Times has a nice piece on Portland as the City of Bicycles: cycle-friendly streets, trains, and business. Especially intriguing: "Sam Adams, a city commissioner in charge of transportation, joined development officials to help lure the show to Portland. It seemed a natural fit. The city regularly ranks at the top of Bicycling Magazine’s list of the best cycling cities and has the nation’s highest percentage of workers who commute by bike, about 3.5 percent, according to the Census Bureau. Drivers here are largely respectful of riders, and some businesses give up parking spaces to make way for bike racks." New York City had a hell of a time getting this going in Williamsburg.... Read more
November 3, 2007
In which we watch fixie football
Fixie football: Fixed-gear hijinks previously and more recently.... Read more
November 1, 2007
In which we bike for life (and bus)
Bogota's bus system has been a planning and implementation marvel for a long time, but one aspect that recently impressed me upon reading about it: the integration of bicycles into the system. "For every 25 people who ride bikes to the terminal," Gil said, "That is one less 'feeder bus' we need to run through the neighborhoods. You do the math and pretty quickly you see it makes financial sense to set aside some space and hire a security guard to help people to ride their bikes." That's Gil Penalosa of Walk and Bike for Life.... Read more
September 12, 2007
On cycling in Amsterdam and San Francisco
The perspective of a San Franciscan in Amsterdam, including reader-contributed photographs of kids, dogs, working bicycles, regents on cycles, and plenty more. I always take lots of snaps when in the Netherlands.... Read more
August 22, 2007
How to stay clean while cycling
&A bicycle enthusiast and entrepreneur makes all-natural soap by pedalling: "The bicycle helps us to make larger batches of handmade soap while keeping our commitment to human scale eco-friendly production."... Read more
August 10, 2007
In which we go back to the future
To file under "Recent outrages in American politics", we have North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry railing at the "naïve ... ridiculous" idea of others' suggesting that a bicycle might provide a solution to the fuel crisis. Never mind that the infernal combustion engine was itself developed in the 19th century, as was the bicycle he ridicules.... Read more
July 18, 2007
In which he has a different sort of revolution
&tThis guy checked out all 171 Starbucks in New York City, beginning by bicycle in Washington Heights and winding up, no doubt with frappucino-coloured stains on his gums and sugary pits in his teeth, 12 hours later traipsing in a car. I won't throw stones: a few weeks ago I did something similar (length, perhaps, not quantity) with doughnut shops and the Bay Area. He made a video, which I didn't. But I did ride a goddam fixed-gear. And I'm into these snacks now (they be a tasty simulacrum of the pieces of my each and every day). And I have long known that cycling is about embracing the philosophical question best put by Eddy Merckx: "Eat to ride. Ride to eat." The New York Times has also put into print its assurance that chubby people can rock the ride as well. (Walking home today, I walked next a woman talking loudly and into a 'phone. She said, quite interested, "Yes, I read the article. I didn't know that cycling can make you fat. Is biking the same as cycling? How does it make you fat?" I can tell her: it does make me fat. I like all the delicious places that cycling takes me.) Yo, Eddy!... Read more
July 9, 2007
In which we ride the red bike
Bicing, the popular Barcelonabike- sharing scheme, might come to New York. And so our newspaper of record: Barbara Held lives in Barcelona but is from Buffalo, Minn. She lived in New York before moving to Spain 15 years ago. Ms. Held stopped by the SoHo art gallery to visit friends. She did not need to test the program because she participates in the one in Barcelona. She had her bike card in her purse. It was the size of a credit card. An image of a red bicycle with the word Bicing, the name of Barcelona’s program, is on the front of the card. Barcelona started its program in March with 1,500 bicycles and 100 stations. “The city didn’t think it would take off,” Ms. Held said. “But the program is so popular. People ride the red bikes all the time.” I have doubts; as the story notes, vandalism and theft are rampant, and the sense of community is not strong enough to maintain a program of sharing such as this. I have recently seen a similar program enacted at a large company (not a university, but similiar in concept and spirit), which runs a massive corporate "campus" in Silicon Valley spread across a mile long and hundreds of yards across. The company deployed dozens of cruiser-style bicycles, unfettered, in order to promote easy movement amongst buildings. The repairs, theft, and rebalancing are all tricky: nightly sweeps are necessary to identify broken equipment (as people have no ownership of the bicycles, they casually discard them when broken, or perhaps even treat them as disposable); to retrieve discarded, misplaced, and far-afield equipment (users have taken the bicycles to the nearby towns, to far-away towns, and even to their own houses); and to ensure that a reasonable mix of equipment is available at the beginning of the next day. These are important and difficult obstacles that New York will need to overcome in order to have such a program become effective. Tying it to the MTA, as Paris and San Francisco are proposing, and requiring an annual membership plus a nominal usage fee, might make this more feasible.... Read more
July 2, 2007
In which we complete a revolution
Fifty-eight thousand and some revolutions, in fact, on the 81-gear-inch Kogswell. Aram rode his Kokopelli Ti bike, with the beautiful Suntour track hubs, RyanPC was decked out in wool and a stylish ten-speed (times three!) Lemond, Socolow had his Bianchi AXIS and an old Timbuk2 bag, James his Lemond and a whole bagfull of gumption, and Greg his dirt-dropped Trek (but no sunblock). I got the only flat of the ride, and I changed the tube (I had energetically pulled out the valve stem) on the wind-swept western approach to the Dumbarton Bridge.... Read more
June 29, 2007
In which he sees a shadow of an object
The Daily Californian has a sobering story about two cyclists run down by an elderly driver: one subsequently died from the injuries. Corinne Crawford, a UC Berkeley graduate student in the classics department, died Tuesday evening after being taken off life support following a collision with a vehicle Sunday. Crawford, who was a member of the Cal Cycling team, was returning from a bike ride to Mt. Diablo with teammate Jan Christian Claussen when both were struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Newell Avenue in Walnut Creek, said Lauren Tompkins, a captain on the cycling team and Crawford’s friend. Crawford was taken to the John Muir Medical Center Intensive Care Unit in Walnut Creek, where her family kept her on life support long enough to donate her organs to others in need.... Read more
June 23, 2007
In which we cycle safely
Is New York safe for casual cycling? Even as traffic accidents claim lives daily, some of the more dense, more recently-developed areas of the city receive more attention for different modes of transportation (and recreation!), and "bike boxes" allow for sensible mixing of bicycle lanes, intersections, and auto traffic. ObRant: Bike lanes suck. Much of cycling safely comes down to one rather abstract concept: respect. In specific instances, this includes the respect that cyclists need to pay to the rock-and-a-hard-place position we are in, between two-ton juggernauts of steel and the unyielding asphalt; the respect that we merit from drivers, commercial and private, who often fail to understand how a few seconds of their time means a safer, more comfortable road; but, most importantly, the respect due from cyclists to pedestrians and to cars, to all other users of the road. The common resource of the road cannot be shared equitably, but all users must respect that they are not alone on the road. Double-parking is selfishness, and undercuts respect for other users; cycling the wrong way down a street, ditto. Myriad examples I might mention, but all come back to the notion of respect.... Read more
June 18, 2007
In which he'll flip you for real
SFist has a fascinating, gruesome story about the legendary intersection at Octavia and Market.... Read more
June 3, 2007
In which we ride the bluegreenway
Paul and I took an early-morning cycle ride along the Third Street corridor in San Francisco, where we saw lots of abandoned warehouses, plenty of new loft-style condominium construction, and many, many playgrounds. We were turned away from Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by a finger-wagging guard, but rode over the adjacent hill towards Candlestick Point. Photos.... Read more
June 2, 2007
On recovery
A good piece by Joan Ryan, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle: Trauma transforms doctor. The impact snapped the cyclist's spinal column. He slid backward under the Range Rover, clear through to the other side, folded at the waist like a napkin. The SUV's undercarriage left a streak of motor oil on his cycling shirt. ... The driver panicked and took off. Witnesses helped police track the vehicle to Fairfax. They found Frazee's chinstrap snagged on the SUV's undercarriage. The driver served 60 days in jail for leaving the scene and driving with a suspended license but was not found at fault in the collision. He claimed Frazee had gone out of control and hurtled into the vehicle. Frazee has no memory of the accident except that he was going fast enough to pass two cars on the downhill.... Read more
May 31, 2007
In which the two tons of metal win over the twenty pounds of aluminium*
The gentle folks of SF Party Party speak out on the smack-down that San Francisco's boys in blue have put on cyclists breezing through stop signs. The video (not available directly, for permissions reasons I do not understand) shows the same intersection where I narrowly avoided becoming part of some jackass's spokes on two separate occasions Tuesday, once in the morning and once at night. The man-on-the-street (bicycle, in this case) interviewed in the video notes that the neighbourhood suffered through two recent murders, and wonders why the police go after cyclists like him who "slow most of the way down". Don't they have anything better to do? he asks. Better than protecting your stop-sign-flouting ass? Probably. But it's not just about you: their job is to protect everyone, and to ensure order and respect amongst the community. That job is in addition to tracking down drug-dealers, murderers, sham artists (of w. we in the Lower Haight have plenty), and ignoring the dope-shops further down the block (lowest-priority). Bringing awareness to the importance of road rules is a significant part of the "gold in peace" job: not only do cyclists die at this intersection after failing to stop, but pedestrians are jeopardized. I am all in favour of the police pulling over all vehicles -- private cars, taxis, delivery trucks, cycles, and skateboards -- that don't stop. In the spirit of American innovation, I propose another solution: instead of the motorcycle police stopping you, how about a Mini Cooper? Don't worry, folks: that cyclist was still breathing when he was pulled away from the wreck. I have seen others die at this intersection, and at others around San Francisco. Die, as in never again able to weave around pedestrians, never able again to flip off a car, never again able to pop a a wheelie. Let us look to the law, the law, and plain ol' common sense. On the other hand, a picture is worth a thousand words -- and I have a half-dozen. * and hundred-seventy-five pounds of hipster flesh UPDATE: jimg (as in yojimg!) sez: Same roads, same rules. UPDATE: I should also point out, in the case that it is not blindingly obvious, that I feel none of the camaraderie that one might expect of people who form cliques based on the "we're all in this together" groupthink. The "we" is every person on the streets: cars and peds and skaters and bikers and weirdos in wheelchairs. I do not have the knee-jerk reaction that cyclists are right, or in the right, because they are not in death monsters or in fossil-fuel-burning SUVs (or hybrids ...); cyclists are right only when they are right, each as an individual. And ditto motorists, to whom I also give a hearty raspberry for blowing through stop signs at the intersection near my house, for roaring down the short block at forty m.p.h., and for blocking the bicycle lane anywhere.... Read more
May 1, 2007
In which I pack it up
... I should point out that this video is the reason I am rocking out to De Stijl and speeding 'round town on a fixie. For crying out loud. During a weekend bike-ride not one but two pedestrians pointed out that we cyclists stopped for traffic controls. The second, along the Great Highway, actually crossed the street, came back to the intersection shaking his head, and said, "I don't think I've ever seen a bicycle stop at a red light." Rdiing a track bike does entail a full-speed-ahead mentality (see video, above). I ride a fixed-gear, which has some old-man sense built into it.... Read more
April 29, 2007
In which we are driving through Nevada
Thanks to the New York Times for pointing out that track bikes are the hipness, especially at King Kog in Billberg. The shop (and its propriertor, whose voice narrates the multimedia feature in the Times) does nothing for me with respect to fixies (powder-coated rims? five-spoke wheels? coloured 1/4" chains? Not for me!), but does remind me of the exuberant "uh-oh, I got a little problem" song by those wacky guys from Louisville. 30,000 fixed-gear frames sold in the U.S. last year; I swear, all of them wound up in San Francisco's Mission District. Or in "certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn": Riders of fixed-gear bikes are as diverse as bike riders in general. Messengers are big fixie aficionados, but more and more fixed-gear bikes are being ridden by nonmessengers, most conspicuously the kind of younger people to whom the term “hipster” applies and who emanate from certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn. You see these riders weaving in and out of traffic without stopping, balancing on the pedals at a stoplight and in the process infuriating pedestrians and drivers alike.... Read more
April 26, 2007
In which we rouse the rabble
A movie showing NYPD harassing cyclists. UPDATE: The video is available on YouTube as well, so I have updated the link. The old link, remains (hobbled). It's a higher-quality video, but not on as humungous a pipe as YT.... Read more
April 12, 2007
Hail Mary and Paternoster
Named because it resembles a massive, mechanical rosary, the Paternoster is a continous elevator device; although it was most popular in the third quarter of the twentieth century, some still survive and operate in Britain, Scotland, and those islands. A related device carries weary cyclists, pram-pushers, scooter-riders, and sundry up a hill in Trondheim, Norway. Alleluia. UPDATE: What do you know, this was on BB today as well. And with this additional explanatory text. And this nice photo gallery.... Read more
April 10, 2007
In which I have a new toy
My new messenger bag is far from a toy: it's quite practical, in fact. But it brings me the same sort of delight, with its details and bright colours. I ordered it through Zugster Bags, a one-man shop in San Francisco, after my Timbuk2 literally fell apart at the seams (Timbuk also declined to repair the bag, from which a compression strap had detached, the stabilty belt ripped off, and the bottom seams separated. This has nothing to do with their new, shabby, not-made-in-SF-or-even-in-the-US, manufacturing process; I had the bag for more than eight years). The Zugster Bag has pride in the gorgeous details: the glow-in-the-dark thread in the shape of a "Z"; the straps that tuck neatly everywhere; the "Double-D" chest strap; the mass of inner pockets, some with velcro, some without; and the front flap design. All the work is custom, and lovingly hand-made by Adam.... Read more
April 5, 2007
April 2, 2007
In which the truth will out
The LA Times has a story on the experience of having a bicycle-theft taken seriously, a story which the esteemed Mr Aram Shumavon brought to my attention. I often bitch about bicycle theft.... Read more
February 19, 2007
In which the weekend might have two days
The Fog City Journal has a précis of the issues surrounding Saturday road closures in Golden Gate Park.... Read more
February 16, 2007
In which we commute by cycle, or not
A report on American cycle-commuting habits, written by Mr Effective Cycling and published by the American Dream Coalition, notes that Americans who commute by cycle: Work in professions in which technical excellence is valued above conformity Prefer to think for themselves Think in objective terms Rarely have to be involved in persuading people (as opposed to participating in objective discussion) Are inclined to be physically active Are not frequently required to travel during the work day or for multi-day trips Meanwhile, back at the ranch, "The Internet has revolutionized bike theft, just as it has done for dating, porn, and cat videos": the San Francisco Bay Guardian has a lengthy article on the seamy bicycle-theft underworld economy in this fair city. I read about other forms of the underground economy last year in Eric Schlosser's excellent "Reefer Madness", but that didn't make me miss the gold Dutchess; the stolen-bicycles article did. Somewhere out there in a chop shop or being swapped for drugs is my favourite bicycle ever.... Read more
February 13, 2007
In which it's hard to be a cyclist
Neither cyclists in the city nor in the country are safe: the first, shot in the head while running errands; the latter, ploughed over by a BMW. Although the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is lobbying hard to make the intersection of Octavia and Market safer, cycling in San Francisco feels distinctly less safe than it used to. Or perhaps it's all the jackasses on track bikes with freewheels.... Read more
February 12, 2007
In which we play by ice-cream-parlour rules
I spotted a stunning boneshaker at Crissy Field, and the owner indulged me with a couple of rides. I had never even considered riding a pennyfarthing bicycle, and had not the foggiest -- but Christian kindly and patiently helped me out. His pennyfarthing was a relaxed model, with a slightly smaller wheel (48") and more clearance, made by Rideable Bicycle Replicas in Alameda. It had a gorgeous (and comfortable!) sprung saddle. I was like hell on wheels, careering all over the place, and I was very grateful that the many people enjoying a respite from the rain indulged me while I swerved all over the path. This happened after the nice folk at the Blue Bottle kiosk told me they played by ice-cream parlour rules. I had just spilled a gorgeous, fresh macchiato, but they saw me pout and hooked me up. Looking again at the illustration of the "Invincible" Bicycle, I wonder: who thought that a combination of the push-bicycle and odd-sized wheels was a reasonable idea? The modern bicycle, with two equally-sized wheels, seems a work of engineering genius. And as we were leaving Crissy Field, we saw a unicyclist on a huge wheel -- it must have been 27" or larger.... Read more
January 31, 2007
In which we take our chocolate foot to the Left Bank
Paris will promote cycling through a public service program. The City of Light wants to soon become a city of bicycles. Paris City Hall announced it has selected French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA to operate a new free bicycle service in the capital. Joining other European cities like the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, Paris wants to make thousands of bikes available for free to commuters, strollers and tourists — in part to help cut down on pollution. JCDecaux's Somupi unit is to have some 14,100 bikes deployed in the capital by this summer. City Hall's choice of contractor was announced Monday. The company was chosen over a consortium of rivals including U.S.-based Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., and several major French companies.... Read more
January 26, 2007
In which I get a sinking feeling
Why do we not have something like this delightful grassroots site for Pittsburgh, city of pothole after sinkhole? Here's something to fill the emptiness:... Read more
January 23, 2007
In which we have sad proof that Octavia Boulevard is bad for cyclists
A cyclist was seriously injured today at the on-ramp bit of Octavia, at Market St.. This bicycle lane is a proven recipe for disaster. A bicyclist was seriously injured this morning when she was struck by a truck making an illegal right turn onto a Highway 101 on-ramp on Market Street, police said. The truck left the scene at Market and Octavia streets without stopping, but was soon pulled over by a San Francisco Police Department motorcycle officer, said Sgt. Steve Mannina. The driver, who did not realize he had hit the woman, was cited for making an illegal right turn, Mannina said. The 28-year-old bicyclist was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, Mannina said. She was wearing a helmet, he added. The collision occurred about 8:25 a.m., when the truck, which was traveling east on Market Street, turned right onto the Highway 101 on-ramp. A right-hand turn in that direction is illegal at the intersection, Mannina said. Google Maps has out-of-date imagery for this intersection, but it's hairy, despite being recently designed and built. Octavia was designed and built for cars, not for pedestrians: witness the horrible medians, the light timing that prevent people from crossing along Page or Haight in a single cycle); and definitely not for cyclists: the level crossing with a freeway onramp and no physical barriers at Market St., the abrupt grade changes between Fell and Market. UPDATE: some movies and diagrams of the madness at the intersection of Octavia and Market.... Read more
December 18, 2006
In which I pine for Da Burgh on Da Bag
This bag design, from Zugster Bags, is my new favourite: yum.... Read more
November 6, 2006
In which San Francisco may be a cyclist's heaven
The New Yorker has a decent article about cycling advocacy in New York City. Tom Bernardin knows the traffic laws as well as anyone. In fact, he has often dreamed, while looking out his apartment window at midday, of sketching the intersection of Fourteenth Street and Seventh Avenue t document all the traffic violations he observes. “You know, like those line drawings from when you were a kid—‘Circle everything that’s wrong with this picture,’ ” he says. He has never encountered a Critica Mass rally (“I actually time my activities to avoid people as much as possible”), but he occasionally engages in his own kind of protest theatre, marching into a nearby noodle shop on Sixth Avenue to deliver wha he calls “performance pieces,” in which he complains loudly about civic transgressions Several years ago, Bernardin, who works as a freelance tour guide, started an anti-noise group called FANNY (Friends Against Noisy New York), but lately he has concluded that the problem is intractable. “Noise is the bastard child of the environmental movement,” he says. His latest cause, which he announced in the winter, 2006, edition of the Greenwich Village Block Association News, is pedestrian safety, and by his reckoning the enemy is not S.U.V.s but Schwinns. “No doubt the most egregious assault on the lives of all New Yorkers in recent times is the relatively new phenomenon of sidewalk bicycling,” he wrote. “Remember the sidewalks before the Pooper Scooper law? . . . Without the mayor, police commissioner, and media stepping up to the plate for this problem, perhaps, we all had better be prepared to continue to dodge these louts.” Bernardin’s rant prompted a follow-up in the spring edition, entitled “Back to Bikes,” with many more Village residents weighing in. Ostensibly, the piece was about the “problem” of bicycles, like Paul White’s beater, that remain locked (or “leashed”) to public street furniture for extended periods, cluttering the neighborhood. “Every time I round the corner on to Morton Street, the first thing I see is the bikes everywhere, rather than the tulips and daffodils,” one man complained. But others evidently perceived Manhattan bikes as akin to hybrid cars in Hollywood: conspicuous presumption. “They don’t care how what they do affects others and you’re not going to change their attitude,” one resident said of bikers. “They’re morally superior because they are not polluting the atmosphere.” The hierarchy of urban piety is ever delicate. Still another Villager, a biking enthusiast, railed against the unctuousness of the anti-bike pedestrians. “I’m tired of joggers using the bike path, getting in the way,” he said. “They tell us to get off our bikes and jog because it’s more environmentally sensitive. To them bikes are manufactured things. The metals that go into them are mined. And there’s the plastic, too . . . made from oil.”... Read more
October 17, 2006
In which the best lake costume wins!
The Southern Exposure-sponsored Mission Lake Perimeter Bike Race takes place Saturday. The artist Ledia Carroll will supervise the race and celebratory barbeque. This is a very cool piece of urban archaeology. Another interesting water-themed fixie ride is the Los Angeles River, which has become a more-or-less annual event.... Read more
October 16, 2006
In which he rides 24 hours
My buddy David is riding the 24 Hours of Moab mountain-bike madness along with some of his co-workers, and they are keeping a blog. Crazy stuff: beer, mud, five-year-old kids on bikes, and non-stop rain. Plus these guys are punishing their bikes and bodies more than I can imagine.... Read more
September 21, 2006
Oak and Scott
jimg did some crackerjack research about this photo of a sign requesting information about a bicycle accident, and found that A 64-year-old woman riding her bicycle on a San Francisco street was badly hurt when she collided with another bicyclist as she pulled out from between parked cars and was struck by a cyclist travelling at the speed of rush-hour traffic on Oak, just past Scott.... Read more
September 15, 2006
In which life runs on twa wheels
The New York Times report on the increase of affluent bicycle use in the Netherlands.... Read more
September 12, 2006
In which have a moment of silence
Reading an article about another hit-and-run in which a motorist kills a cyclist and then drives away makes me all the sadder for Sarah Tucker, who was killed in San Francisco nine months ago, and whose murderer has not been caught. Oddly, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has taken its memorial for Sarah Tucker off-line. I read about cyclists killed in the middle of the day, in the middle of busy areas, and wonder: how do people escape, or think they can escape, the responsibility for these incidents? Do they think that cyclists wearing helmets make better targets?... Read more
September 11, 2006
replevin
Today I encountered another legal term: replevin means "An action to recover personal property said or claimed to be unlawfully taken." Apparently having a writ of replevin can help one regain property unlawfully taken (!!). I do miss that bicycle. The poor Kogswell sure had a lot to live up to. That bike, in one fixed-gear incarnation or another, rode Marin fire trails, down Highway One (and, in fact, up that damn highway all the way to Point Reyes, one brutal and blisteringly windy summer day in '00 or '01), and got me to and from bookstores, friends' places, markets, parks, and pretty much anywhere I wanted to go.... Read more
September 2, 2006
August 1, 2006
No, fixie.
Bike Portland reports that a Multnomah County judge has fined a fixed-gear rider for not being equipped with brakes. The judge additionally censured the rider for having a store-bought trucker cap, faux alleycat cards in her spokes, powder-coated rims, and for not living in the Mission. The ramifications for San Francisco, where forty percent of the 15,000 new fixed-gear and track bicycles were sold last year, are tremendous. No-one wants to look like a sissy, stopping at traffic controls or using a caliper instead of a skip-stop -- or simply going hell-for-leather through traffic.... Read more
July 22, 2006
In which we are stunned into silence
Tomorrow is the Tour de Fat in Golden Gate Park.... Read more
June 27, 2006
In which they ride the divide
Last week I was looking out over the Continental Divide, thinking of Kent Peterson and his amazing single-speed ride down the Divide. This evening, talking stoop-side with jimg, he mentioned that frame-building and monocog advocate Matt Chester and a handful of others are riding the Great Divide Race on fixed-gear bicycles. Is that one better than single-speed, or one crazier? I do not mind climbing on a fixie, but always shudder on descents. I have pedalled furiously coming down the back side of Pescadero, or once, gloriously, on Mount Diablo, and neither my legs nor my arms can contemplate the furious pain of holding the brakes while coming down such long descents. The 200,000 feet of climbing on the 2500 mile race imply a very very similar amount of descending. Cellerrat's bike was stolen while he napped at the side of a Montana road. The race blog has more.... Read more
May 16, 2006
In which the Mayor gives it forty whacks
With his anti-environmentalist hatchet, the Mayor of San Francisco has axed the proposal to close vehicle traffic in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays. The stretch of JFK between the Panhandle and 14th Avenue has closed every Sunday and holiday for the past thirty-odd years; the Mayor objected to the extended closure on the grounds that its impact was not well understood, and that voters have previously voted against this. However, with the new underground parking in Golden Gate Park, motorized vehicles continue to have access to the park's facilities, museums, and whatnot; Newsom's formal veto, which overruled the Board of Supervisors, flies in the face of his public person as the Green Mayor.... Read more
May 11, 2006
In which three speeds cover the world
From The Mirror: 10 May 2006 WORLD TOUR BIKE STOLEN A MAN who has spent 44 years cycling round the world had his bike stolen within four hours of arriving in England. Heinz Stucke has ridden 335,000 miles through 193 countries on the same three-speeder - the world's longest cycle ride. But yesterday the distraught 66-year-old was desperately searching for the old-fashioned machine. German Heinz, aka the Bike Man, said: "I'd just got off the ferry. It's an old clonker so I don't see why anyone would want it." It was stolen outside his tent in Portsmouth. Police are now set to lend him a bike from lost property. World Sausage, at the forty-way intersection of Market, 15th, and Church, has shuttered its doors. The eponymous world-weary bicycle that was hanging on its walls disappeared some months ago, and the word is that the genial owner had sold it to another couple. It is being remodeled as a old-style Fishe Restaurante.... Read more
April 10, 2006
On the aerodynamics of bicycles
From The Boston Globe, whose online archives are inscrutable (and whose web site is irritating at best): Figuring ways to go faster with the flow By Phil McKenna, Globe Correspondent | April 10, 2006 Mark Cote a researcher at the MIT Center for Sports Innovation, has an impressive list of clients -- from Tour de France stage winners to some of North America's leading bicycle manufacturers. Now the wind tunnel specialist plans to use his expertise in fluid dynamics to develop and, he hopes, patent his own advances in aerodynamic cycling gear. Not bad, considering that Cote, 21, is still an undergraduate. A competitive cyclist since eighth grade, Cote, who wears a yellow ''Livestrong" bracelet -- a nod to cycling superstar Lance Armstrong -- came to MIT seeking an outlet for his passion. ''I didn't know if there was a wind tunnel at MIT, but if there was, I wanted to put bikes in it," Cote recalled. Two weeks after arriving on campus his freshman year, he became the bike specialist for the Center for Sports Innovation, whose mission is to involve undergraduates in the development of improved sports equipment. Kim Blair, the center's director, said he was looking for a senior to fill the position but was won over by Cote's enthusiasm. ''Students that work for me who have a passion for sports -- particularly the sport they are working on -- tend to be far more productive," Blair, a former world-class triathlete and ex-NASA engineer, said. Last fall, equipment designers from Specialized, one of the leading high-end bicycle manufacturers, brought their latest prototypes to the university's Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel for Cote to test. He hustled between the tunnel and a connecting monitoring room, blasting the company's latest prototypes with a constant 30-mile-per-hour gale while explaining the significance of each new data set to the Specialized team. One of the company's ''aero" helmet prototypes yielded a whopping 13 percent reduction in the overall drag of bike and rider when compared with a rider wearing a regular helmet, Cote told them. ''In a 40 km time trial, that's two and half minutes and perhaps the difference between first place and fortieth place," he said. The company has since signed him on for an ongoing internship at their Morgan Hill, Calif., headquarters during winter and summer breaks. While equipment is important, Cote spends as much time helping athletes fine-tune their position on the bike. In the past three years, Cote has tested close to a dozen cyclists, including Ivan Basso, a favorite to win this year's Tour de France. Cote gave Basso the wind tunnel treatment in the spring of 2004 when the young Italian rider was, as Cote puts it, ''just gaining his wings in the cycling world." The tests helped Basso shave 18 percent off his overall drag by doing simple things like raising his saddle and bringing his elbows closer together. The improvements helped vault Basso to a third-place finish in that year's tour. Cote still wears a hat given to him by Basso's Computer Sciences Corp. cycling team. A mechanical engineering major, Cote takes a full load of coursework, including classes in marketing that he hopes to put to use developing his own streamlined gear. Not all of Cote's work is for the business world. An avid cyclist, he also keeps himself and his peers on the MIT cycling team streamlined on race day. His work appears to be paying off. Last year the team won the eastern collegiate conference title and dominated in time trial competitions -- races against the clock where increased aerodynamics can yield huge advantages. This year they are a favorite to win next month's national championship. ''It's good to see that being a geek works out in the real world," Cote said.... Read more
March 25, 2006
On spending lottery winnings
Everyone has a plan for what they will do when their ship comes in. A few years ago, while unhappily noting the number of jacked wheels, bent tubes, and looted remnants of bicycles chained to New York City -- artfully realised in John Glassie's book, Bicycles Locked to Poles -- I vowed that I would make whole each bicycle, and true each wheel, oil each chain, repair every broken cable. But then something like this gives me pause:... Read more
March 21, 2006
In which we paint inside the lines
from the San Francisco Bicycle Program: This project includes several improvements to what bicyclists commonly refer to as “The Wiggle,” a portion of Bicycle Route 30 that “wiggles” between Market Street and The Panhandle along Duboce Avenue , Steiner, Waller, Pierce, Haight, Scott, and Fell Streets. This route helps bicyclists avoid streets in the area with steep grades. The proposed project will stripe a northbound bike lane on the east side of Scott Street between Haight Street and Oak Street . On Scott Street between Oak and Fell Streets, a northbound left-turn bike lane will be striped for bicyclists turning left into the existing Fell Street bike lane. Refer to the striping drawing for details of Scott Street (Fell to Oak). A bike box will be added for northbound bicyclists at the intersection of Scott and Oak Streets to help position bicyclists in front of the queue of motor vehicles waiting at a red light. A bike box is a striped area for bicycles located behind a crosswalk but ahead of a motor vehicle stop bar. Bike boxes will allow bicyclists to wait in front of a queue of motor vehicles and position themselves for turning movements. In this location, a bike box will help bicyclists access the left-turn bike lane on the block of Scott Street between Oak and Fell Streets. San Francisco has installed one bike box on eastbound 14th Street approaching Folsom Street, as shown in the photos below. MTA Bike Program staff is currently examining the feasibility of adding a bicycle-only traffic signal at this intersection to provide bicyclists with a head-start phase in front of motor vehicle traffic. Other proposed improvements include shared use lane markings and enhanced route signage along several portions of “The Wiggle,” and a widened westbound lane on Haight Street between Pierce and Scott Streets to allow bicyclists and motorists to travel more comfortably in a shared lane. This project was approved by the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation (ISCOTT) on January 12, 2006 . The project will be heard by the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee next, prior to going before the full Board of Supervisors.... Read more
February 24, 2006
In which we eschew riding in the cold
I got no pix of the Omloop het volk, which has as its claim to fame one of the coldest starts in all European cycling. The Belgian race was significant more interesting, somehow, than the local Tour of California. The prologue followed a route kind of similar to the tour de lunch that Phil and I rode almost daily in '01, returning sweaty and happy to our desks in SOMA after forty-five minutes of pedalling along the Embarcadero, along Fisherman's Wharf, and over to Aquatic Park and along the beautiful Marina.... Read more
February 9, 2006
In which it takes the (ice-cream) cake
Coup des glaces, the well-organised winter cycle sports event, sounds more daredevil than the X Games. ... I think I have ice-creams on the noggin because the weather in San Francisco these past few days has been anything but wintry. At nine o'clock th' other evening we found the inspiration to jaunt down to Mitchell's: Chocolate-dipped alpine whatnot, yum.... Read more
February 5, 2006
In which we like art
Taliah Lempert paints bicycles, hers and her friends'. I wonder if her paintings are the ones shown at Maire Rûa last year? I really wanted one: the subtle views of a part of a bicycle, the seductive handlebars (track drops! bullhorns! no-groove rando!), the crankarms and chainrings.... Read more
January 14, 2006
Sarah Tucker
Sarah Tucker was struck by a car while riding her bicycle yesterday down Polk Gulch in San Francisco. She died from the injuries. The car did not stop; police have not arrested anyone.... Read more
January 11, 2006
In which we wish you a happy birthday
Albert Hofmann turns 100 today. Most famous, perhaps, for the colourful bicycle ride he experienced after administering his synthesized hallucinogen to himself, he also fits in well to the words and sentiments of REM's song "Man on the Moon": "Albert Hofmann / on a bicycle ride / yeah yeah yeah yeah / Albert Hofmann is the chemist of shrooms / (etc) / now Albert did you ride along this street (etc) ..." I have a very handsome edition of his memoir, "LSD: My Problem Child", which is readily available online.... Read more
December 18, 2005
In which we have a pipe dream
The San Francisco Chronicle has a nice piece about the long-suffering effort to build a contiguous Bay Trail.... Read more
December 13, 2005
In which we see further evidence that people are mean
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/13/BORP.TMP" title="Offsite: San Francisco Chronicle: Theft of disabled children's customized bikes discovered Nonprofit's entire fleet of 30 vanished from storeroom">Theft of disabled children's customized bikes discovered Nonprofit's entire fleet of 30 vanished from storeroom . Dozens of disabled kids lost an exhilarating link to freedom -- and a hallmark of childhood -- when thieves stole about 30 of their specially-crafted bicycles from a locked storage room in Berkeley. The bicycles, which were owned by a Berkeley nonprofit called Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program, were snatched from the north end of Aquatic Park, where the children often rode with their able-bodied families and friends. "These kids are going to be heartbroken," Arthur Combs, BORP board president, said. "Riding a bike -- feeling the wind in your face -- for anyone is magic, but for these kids it's much more. For a lot of them it's the only self-powered locomotion they've had." The bicycles offered the children -- who have cerebral palsy, brain injuries, paralysis, blindness and other disabilities -- a rare taste of freedom, said BORP executive director Rick Spittler.... Read more
December 9, 2005
In which I see pretty things
thanks to jimg, I keep checking out the antbike web site.... Read more
December 6, 2005
In which the burly trifecta is complete
This guy rode the steepest streets in San Francisco (39% grade! wow). It's a 6MB QuickTime movie, but the site does'n't render in Safari (what the hell?!). Burly, burly, burly!... Read more
December 3, 2005
In which Lance strong-arms the bicycle messengers
Skidstrong bicycles, made in Ohio, have been bitch-slapped by Lance Armstrong's legal posse and have briefly changed their brand to "Skidmark", an even more unfortunate name than before. They have settled on FISSO, from the Italian for 'fixie'. The bicycles, frames and gear alike, are sold to raise money for the Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund. They have some very nice-looking wool jerseys. In more promising bicycle-related news, swobo report that they are looking for a new supplier for their warm wooly woven gloves: their previous supplier was decimated by Hurricane Katrina.... Read more
December 1, 2005
In which no-one pulls the wool over my eyes
Six months after promising a long-awaited return, wooly cycling-gear iconoclasts Swobo are back in full effect. Their comfortable if anchronistic cycling clothing is unassuming, but best of all, it is awesomely well-constructed and lovingly made. Well, this was certainly true of the gear they made through '01, when Tim sold the company and the brand became dormant. Other cycling-gear manufacturers have tried to fill the gap, including one erstwhile fellow peddling knickerbocker leggings at $140 per at the recent San Francisco Bicycle Expo; longtime specialists Kucharik; and sundry others like REI and deFeet. I try to adhere to the adage, and am wary of ventures which require new clothes, but I adore to pieces (literally: I have worn their cosy wool cycling gloves to rags) the various lush pieces of Swobo gear I have. And now I can replace my long-lost Kucharik beanie with a swank piece of new Swobo. Swobo swobo swobo swobo. Swobo swobo swobo swobo. Swobo swobo? Swobo swobo. Swobo swobo swobo swobo. It's fun to say, and it's fun to type. Swobo swobo swobo swobo. Swobo swobo! Swobo swobo.... Read more
November 30, 2005
In which Aram conquers all; Or, Burly, Part Two
Aram, true to his word, ascended haleakala on a fixed gear bike. I do'n't know why he has the FBI Witness Protection black bar in the photograph, but I'm pretty certain that is he triumphant (and above the cloud-line!). The already-impressive ride hit me with a double-whammy when I realised that, after he got all the way up, he had to get back down. Now that is burly. Hey! Burleigh would be a nice name for a glam-rock band. Wonder if we could practice in Greg's basement?... Read more
November 26, 2005
In which the word is 'burly'!
Gerry Kraynick has choice words, of course, for the riders of the Dirty Dozen hill-climb in Pittsburgh. "You go past some of these guys and think what's wrong with these people," said Mr. Kraynick. "My idea of nice ride is finding the best 13 hills to go downhill." The Dirty Dozen -- the name deceives us for the sake of superstition: the ride actually consists of thirteen grueling climbs, including Beechview's 37º Canton Avenue -- began about twenty years ago, and relegates to second place the ten nine ascents of Fillmore St, a mere 18%, that form the main challenge of the San Francisco Grand Prix. "Back in the early years (the 80's) a macho attitude prevented any rider from using gears lower than a 42x24. In recent years, the ride has gotten easier due to lower gearing and several of the hills being paved (asphalted) which used to be rough cobblestone or wavy blacktop killing what little momentum the rider had." I am a little shame-faced to note that Negley between Fifth and Dunmoyle, one of the toughest climbs I ever finished in Pittsburgh, checks in at a sissy 18% for two blocks or so, and does not figure in the Dirty Dozen route (great illustration!) at all. Sycamore St, for many years the heart of the Thrift Drug Classic professional race, fits in the Dirty Dozen just past the half-way point. Ad-propos of gruelling climbs, Aram reports that he made it up the exhilarating 35 miles and 10,000 vertical feet, from beach to peak, of some volcanic mountain in Hawai'i. Details to follow ...... Read more
November 15, 2005
In which we are on a downward cycle
San Francisco Supes are all atwitter about fiscal improprieties in the Barclays Global Investors Grand Prix (nee San Francisco Grand Prix) When this race, billed as "America's toughest bicycle race", moves to Topeka, it will be in time to clear our sights for the Tour of California. And in the even shorter term, we can push our pedals over to Golden Gate Park this weekend to check out Grand Prix Clark Natwick cyclocross event. Somehow it's not quite as thrilling when sponsors, merch, and ca$h enter into it, but hell! it's cyclocross. Gotta find a cowbell before this weekend .... Thanks to jimg for pointing it out.... Read more
November 8, 2005
In which I told you so
------------------------------- ** Saturday, November 12th ** ------------------------------- BEAT MUNI CHALLENGE! 10:30am, Glen Park BART Station In this bike ride, we will experiment with the age-old question: is cycling really faster than Muni? As everyone knows, beating Muni is often a cinch, but can you match the fabled 24 line? If you can beat this line, you can beat any line. The person who passes the most busses gets a free lunch. Meet at Glen Park BART and we'll ride together to the start of the 24 line. Wear a helmet. Contact brandonbaunach@dbarchitect.com for more info. A terrible, terrible map of the 24 route is on the 511.org site. Do you remember that stifling summer when MUNI automation meant that Mayor Willie Brown walked the stretch of Market between City Hall and the Embarcadero faster than any of the LRVs?... Read more
November 4, 2005
In which we defend against the rainy season
As the rain begins falling in San Francisco, some comments on fenders: Kent Peterson and his amiably-recycled coroplast; Drew on wooden fenders, cheerfully recycled from discarded window-frames; the River City Bicycles' Full Wood fenders are beautiful to behold.... Read more
November 2, 2005
In which multicast is our king
Stuart Cheshire, designer of Zero-Configuration Networking (that's RFC 3927 to you IETF fans out there) quoted Antoine de Saint-Exupéry today with respect to protocol design: "You know that you have finished not when there is nothing left to add to the protocol, but when there is nothing left to take away from the protocol." Saint-Exupéry was an aviator, and I suspect that he was referring specifically to aircraft design when he said that "La perfection est atteinte non quand il ne reste rien à ajouter, mais quand il ne reste rien à enlever." I think the same applies to bicycles!... Read more
November 1, 2005
In which we sing the Internationale
Two of my colleagues stood outside my office, poring over the bicycle parked in front. They finally came in and commented on "What an international bike you have!" 'tis true: an American-designed, Chinese-built frame hung with a French chainring and crankset, Japanese cog on an American hub laced to a much-beloved French wheel (with an Italian tyre in the rear, French on the front). The pedals are a Japanese copy of the classic Italian track pedal, with French leather straps. My California panniers mount to a gorgeous lightweight German rear rack. The stem and bars are a mix of Italian and Japanese components, mounted on an American headset. The corks stuck in the handlebar ends are American and French. And the saddle is, of course!, English.... Read more
October 23, 2005
In which it is a solemn occasion
A Memorial Ride for Michelle Mazzei takes place on Canada Road today. A "distracted" driver drifted into a bicycle lane where Michelle was riding, killing her. Her school has a memorial page with links to news stories.... Read more
October 17, 2005
In which we check the record
The Bikes on Transit database has a new home and plenty new features. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority will hold another public session on the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Corridor tomorrow: ( more after the jumpity jump jump )... Read more
October 13, 2005
In we go faster, and pay people to help us out
Alec posted some exciting photographs of the human-powered vehicles speed trials a few weeks ago. My favourite is the slightly-blurry snap of Sam Whittingham in the Varna Diablo, the current land-speed-record holder. Aram pointed out that for the slower amongst us, the Better World Club provides roadside assistance, triple-A-stylee, for bicycles (!!).... Read more
October 5, 2005
In which The Governor tells pedestrians and cyclists to keep it local
The Governor vetoed AB 748, which would prohibit tolls for cyclists and pedestrians on state roads. He also vetoed the bill to maintain the current level of state funding for the Bicycle Transportation Account. The Governor's veto means that the funding for bike facilities, bike parking, and signage, et al., will decrease to $5 million/year, from the current $7.2 million per annum. The Governor's veto does note the benefits of cycling and walking, but suggests leaving management of the toll to the local districts. My response: I strongly support Assembly Bill 748 and any efforts to prohibit bicycle tolls on all public bridges and roadways, and I was disappointed to learn that you vetoed it. You are sending a message to Californians that cycling has the same environmental effect as driving, and, implicitly, that cycling and physical activity are not especially important. Not only does cycling promote useful physical activity, an interaction with one's community and environment, it is less wasteful and costly than driving. As fuel prices continue to rise, I am dismayed that you do not come out strongly in favour of low- and no-emissions, renewable transportation. Walking and bicycling reduce traffic congestion, vehicle emissions, and oil dependency. In addition, bicycling and walking provide the kind of physical activity necessary to fight the growth in obesity, diabetes, and asthma. AB 748 will encourage Californians to take advantage of the most sustainable and healthy modes of transportation possible, and ensure that they are not penalized for cutting down on traffic and harmful pollution. I ride across the Bridge several times each month, to commute and for recreation. Were the toll in place, I will be less inclined to do so: I will ride elsewhere. Placing a monetary toll on activities which are good for tourism, the environment, and place little additional stress on the bridge infrastructure is simply not a good idea. I also use my feet as my primary mode of transit, wherever I am. I walk and cycle to work, to almost all my errands, and around my neighbourhood. I strongly oppose the Golden Gate Bridge District's efforts to penalize people who walk and bike on the Bridge. Please support AB 748 and a healthier, safer Bay Area. Please reconsider your veto, and send a positive message that walking and cycling are special to California.... Read more
September 12, 2005
In which we are not equal under the law.
Today's Examiner discusses community-planned intersections: Most importantly, the studies will seek input from the community on those improvements and then offer suggestions on how to make them a reality within five years, by identifying funding and resources for the project, said project manager Julie Kirschbaum, who works with San Francisco County Transportation Authority. "We want to create a tool kit so neighborhoods can help themselves," said Kirschbaum, adding that there could be many more similar projects in the future. "And we want to focus on showing real returns for implementation." Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, whose district includes Mission Terrace and the Excelsior, has lobbied hard for the project and other traffic-calming measures. He said the area is especially dangerous because both Mission and Geneva streets are used as thoroughfares. Five years? That's all we've got? I mean: that's how long it takes to implement traffic-calming solutions? In other intersection-related news, an Oregon bicyclist was charged with manslaughter: A bicyclist was charged with manslaughter after he ran through a stop sign and struck and killed a 71-year-old woman, police said Monday. Jean Calder died at Good Samaritan Hospital after she was struck Friday night as she crossed a street at an unmarked crosswalk, Corvallis police Capt. Ron Noble said. Christopher A. Lightning, 51, was charged with manslaughter and reckless driving. "A car and a bicycle are both vehicles and if they are operated in a way that could be criminal, then charges are filed equally in both situations," Noble said. "He was going right through a stop sign." Lightning was being housed in Benton County jail with bail set at $57,500. He will be given a court-appointed lawyer at his arraignment in Benton County. I do not believe that a motorist would be incarcerated or even charged for a similar offence. I know this to be fact in San Francisco, Marin, and San Mateo counties.... Read more
September 9, 2005
In which the disbelief continues
While cycling home from the bus-stop yesterday evening, I saw yet another fixie (a converted late-model Bianchi Pista) hauling ass down Market St., with a freewheel and no rear brake. Although technically feasible, the rear-brake-less fashion is a frightening and stupid trend. There are a lot of fixies, off-the-rack and custom, speeding up and down Market these days. It's a little ridiculous, especially with all the playing cards tucked in the rear spokes.... Read more
September 6, 2005
In which we circumcycle Stanley Park
Anna and I pedalled our way around Stanley Park in Vancouver.... Read more
August 31, 2005
In which the traffic circles stage a comeback
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition fondly recalls some traffic calming measures in District 5 and thinks that the short-lived traffic circles were just the beginning. They call for the city to build a bike boulevard along this "quiet, residential" street, along the lines of what the City of Berkeley has done. After the inept design and construction of the traffic circles in the Lower Haight, I am none too eager for the City of San Francisco to undertake this. A bicycle boulevard treatment applied to Page St. could dramatically reduce the volume and speed of traffic, and reduce or eliminate stop signs, making bicycling along Page much easier, safer, more efficient and pleasant. It would not "close" the street to cars- drivers would still be able to access every point along Page, but using this neighborhood street as a speedway or auto cut through would be a thing of the past. For example, a driver would not be able to use Page St. to get from Golden Gate Park to Market St. (Oak St. is a better alternative) as they might be required to turn left at Masonic and Divisadero. This would dramatically reduce through traffic on Page while maintaining resident and local access. I do not like the Lower Haight traffic circles. Best intentions and all that, but no: these were a failure from the minute they were constructed, shabby pieces of workmanship in narrow intersections and without clear signs.... Read more
August 30, 2005
In which we ask for whom the bridge tolls
The Golden Gate Tranportation District plans to impose a $1 toll for cyclists and pedestrians on the Golden Gate Bridge. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition strongly opposes this plan, as do I: A bike/pedestrian toll is at direct odds with San Francisco’s transit-first policy, which encourages sustainable, non-congesting modes of transportation, such as biking, walking and public transit, over individual automobile trips. This proposed toll would send the exact wrong message about the priorities that San Francisco voters have approved. A bike/pedestrian toll is environmentally shortsighted. We know that auto trips are a major generator of air and water pollution, and a major problem for the Bay Area. To discourage people from choosing sustainable modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, will result in increased pollution. This is unacceptable. A bike/pedestrian toll is an inequitable “user fee.” As an SFBC member pointed out recently in a “Letter to the Editor” in the SF Chronicle, bicyclists could, at most, be charged pennies, based on their weight and related wear-and-tear on the Bridge. For instance, if the average vehicle weighs 4,500 pounds and is charged a $6 toll, then the average bicycle at 20 pounds should be charged 2.5¢. Flipping this equation around, if a $1 toll is levied on bicyclists, this would equate to a $240 toll on auto drivers. I sent a letter to Senator Migden: I strongly support Assembly Bill 748 and any efforts to prohibit bicycle tolls on all public bridges and roadways. Walking and bicycling reduce traffic congestion, vehicle emissions, and oil dependency. In addition, bicycling and walking provide the kind of physical activity necessary to fight the growth in obesity, diabetes, and asthma. AB 748 will encourage Californians to take advantage of the most sustainable and healthy modes of transportation possible, and ensure that they are not penalized for cutting down on traffic and harmful pollution. I ride across the Bridge several times each month, to commute and for recreation. Were the toll in place, I will be less inclined to do so: I will ride elsewhere. Placing a monetary toll on activities which are good for tourism, the environment, and place little additional stress on the bridge infrastructure is simply not a good idea. I strongly oppose the Golden Gate Bridge District's efforts to penalize people who walk and bike on the Bridge. Please support AB 748 and a healthier, safer Bay Area. The San Francisco Chronicle published a nice feature article on cheap and friendly transit on two wheels in San Francisco, and the New York Times reported that the NYPD arrested 49 cyclists during last Friday's Critical Mass.... Read more
August 25, 2005
In which we get there from here (Or, In praise of portland)
Once again, the pdx puts two and two together in a wicked way. This page details a bicycle-trip planner using freely-available online tools. The Cycle! Bicycle Advocacy route planner uses Google Maps to provide cycling route information. The Bay Area Bicycle Trip Planner offers less invigorating, but more functional, route planning.... Read more
August 24, 2005
In which we scramble through the stacks
1st San Francisco Public Library Bike RaceSat., Aug. 27 race starts at 1 pm, the Bike Kitchen, 18th and Alabama* Check it out, bookish bike worms — this well-read road race takes thealleycat concept to a circuit of SFPL branch libraries — teams of racers must pedal from branch to branch and check out an item at eachof ten libraries (Richmond and Sunset branches are obligatorystations), returning to the finish line with a magical mix of borroweditems and receipts. On-site Registration 11:45-12:45 pm, $3/rider (towards cash prizes) —pre- register via email and pay only $2 the day of the race. For moreinformation or to register, contact Adrian Leung atsflibrarybikerace@yahoo.com A few years ago, the Dutchess and I rode 'round to all the branch libraries (this was before West Portal closed for renovation). Took purt near the whole dang day, and I wasn't even checking out books at each stop.... Read more
August 19, 2005
In which I am Salim's complete lack of surprise
A nice write-up about two ex-ess-eff messengers who started a courier service in Boise ID asks the question "What would surprise people to know about you?" Their reply? "People might find it surprising that we both ride track bikes. They are fixed-gear, one-speed bikes with no brakes."... Read more
August 18, 2005
In which I request bicycle parking at Waller and Fillmore
After seeing the bicycle rack at the south-east corner of Fillmore and Waller vandalized (probably during a theft: the bolts securing the u-rack to the concrete sidewalk were pulled completely out on one side!) and subsequently removed, I began to wonder how the city of San Francisco treats these racks. I requested a replacement rack via the San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic's Bicycle program site. About two years ago, I placed a similar request (over the telephone: the web site had not yet appeared) when a speeding car took out the bicycle-rack outside Jack's Oak Fair Market at the corner of Oak and Scott. The replacement rack did not arrive for almost six months, but Jack was gracious enough to allow me to leave the bicycle inside while I shopped (invariably for Mexi-Snax tortilla chips, coffee ice cream, or Payday candy bars).... Read more
August 17, 2005
In which we abate mosquitoes
The San Francisco Examiner reports that the city employs six bicycle messengers as part of the mosquito-abatement efforts. The Chronicle has a simliar story, noting the name of the curiously effective pellets: The pellets, a larvicide called Altosid, target only mosquitoes and will not disturb fish or other animals, health officials said. Cyclists will drop about 150 to 200 pellets a day and will distribute them multiple times to various catch basins throughout mosquito season, which runs through October.... Read more
August 4, 2005
In which we spread the love
theodocious ferocious sings the praises of Darwin, who will surely take care of all the idiots-come-lately in San Francisco (and Manhattan/Bklyn, and Philadelphia, ...) what ride the fixed-gear. It's the killer lifestyle.... Read more
July 31, 2005
In which we pedal a century
jimg posted an excellent write-up of our century ride last week. I would like to emphasize how excellent the lunch was: not only did we have the meal at the half-way point, mile-age wise (50.1 miles, by some odometers), but after all the heavy climbing was complete, including the awful Marshall Wall, and I enjoyed having a plate of fresh-shucked oyster (sans biere, alas, but still!). Next time I'll crank up the Wall in anticipation of more oyster, and plan for the beer in company. This was the first century I have ridden in three or four years, and an exceptionally pleasant one. The bridge was fogged-in both times we rode it, and the sonorous foghorn sounded its warning. This photograph shows our regroup just before the Marshall Wall. jimg called it "the middle of nowhere" because we had'n't seen any other riders or cars for several miles, since the one-horse town of what's-it-called, and weren't likely to see for the next several miles, until we reached Tomales Bay and Highway 1.... Read more
July 28, 2005
In which I protect the noggin
The fate of my last four helmets: one stolen from a northbound Caltrain; one cracked (sun? accident? who knows); one stolen along with the Dutchess et al.; one has the styrofoam peeling away from the shell. Time for new noggin insurance. I got a (couple: always have a spare, for guests or in case of larceny) of new helmet(s), and promptly received a compliment as I was pedalling furiously down Market St. Really: a man waiting for an inbound bus on one of the centre islands yelled something at me, and I slowed to hear him repeat the "Nice helmet, man!" with a sincerity that surprised me.... Read more
July 21, 2005
In which others write of walking to work
I do not walk to work, but many others do.... Read more
June 24, 2005
In which Critical Mass reaches critical mass
I just heard Critical Mass ride past, and I was thrilled. The legal adage "possession is nine-tenths of the law" illustrates part of my new-found enthusiasm for Critical Mass. As private cars become increasingly favoured,, even in this so-called transit-first city of San Francisco, I become irritated that the de facto ownership of the public right-of-way goes not to pedestrians nor to cyclists, nor even to public transit or cartage, but to private automobiles. San Francisco makes plodding efforts to build transit corridors, but continues to expand freeways, rebuild roads designed for cars, and shunt cyclists and pedestrians off to less-convenient and half-baked schemes for getting around. Probably the only advantage that a pedestrian or cyclist has in this city are its stairways, beautiful, and inaccessible to cars. I first rode in a Critical Mass when I moved to Pittsburgh in 1995. The entire experience was forced and without vibrance. I tried again in the Bay Area, and was intimdated by the sheer volume of cyclists (and Venice-Beach-style freaks) who turn out at Justin Herman Plaza every Friday, and especially the last Friday of each month; I also rode a stilted Peninsula Critical Mass ride down El Camino, from San Francisco to San Mateo. That ride seemed more intent on flagrantly and illogically flouting traffic laws. For years afterwards, I shrugged and told myself that I ride in Critical Mass every day, when I am on the streets and using (asserting?) my rights as a cyclist. Lately I have realised that cyclists must forcefully assert the right to be on the streets, to take the lane, to refuse intimidation either by private motorists or by poor civic planning. Civic planning: SPUR has been calling for system-wide reform for thirty years. At this point, I doubt that their message gets across to the hopelessly foundering Board of Supervisors. The San Francisco Charter includes such lush and promising language as: 2. Public transit, including taxis and vanpools, is an economically and environmentally sound alternative to transportation by individual automobiles. Within San Francisco, travel by public transit, by bicycle and on foot must be an attractive alternative to travel by private automobile. 3. Decisions regarding the use of limited public street and sidewalk space shall encourage the use of public rights of way by pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit, and shall strive to reduce traffic and improve public health and safety. 4. Transit priority improvements, such as designated transit lanes and streets and improved signalization, shall be made to expedite the movement of public transit vehicles (including taxis and vanpools) and to improve pedestrian safety. Now I am again excited about Critical Mass: it is joyful and over-the-top, and reminds cyclists and non-cyclists alike that we need to share the roads. For autos, every day is their Critical Mass.... Read more
June 22, 2005
In which a bicycle is locked up
This sequence of still photographs assembled into a Flash movie and set to Vivaldi's Four Seasons (witty, that) illustrates a phenomenon similar to the one John Glassie documents in his recently-published photo-study, Bicycles Locked to Poles.... Read more
June 20, 2005
In which I go to Spain and wear a helmet
Spain adopted a mandatory helmet law for cycling outside of cities in 2004. Helmets are not compulsory in towns and may be removed while climbing steep hills. France has a lively discussion on helmets going on. The best summary is probably this page on the Mieux se Déplacer à Bicyclette site. They analyze deaths in Paris and in France as a whole and conclude that helmet usage is a personal question but can save lives. I began reading Randy Cohen's The Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine when a friend pointed me to his discussion of (motorcycle) helmet laws. Although he tends to the snappy and glib, he was spot-on in saying that the financial and social cost borne by people other than the helmet-wearer offsets the personal liberties infringed-upon by requiring helmets. I still shudder when riding with someone who isn't wearing a helmet. I think I value my noggin and what's inside, and will take all reasonable precautions to protect it. On the other hand, I rarely wear gloves when cycling, and I learned a hard lesson a few years back when I tumbled down a briar-covered hillside in Joaquin Miller Park. Some of this may have its root in my cracking open a Kiwi helmet when I was 11 or 12, and walking my 10-speed bicycle across a busy intersection when an elderly Unitarian barrelled around the corner of Beechwood and Wilkins and sent me flying. Of course, not everyone who wears a helmet is doing so sensibly: I cringe when I see people flying down Haight St. with their helmets perched ever-so-saintly on their heads, but fail to stop at the intersection (controlled by a STOP sign), or wearing headphones, or both. Fer crying out loud: I've seen people eat a chrome meal at that intersection, and it ain't pretty. Somewhere I have a picture of me in Barceloneta, 2001, on a bicycle but without a helmet.... Read more
June 18, 2005
In which I ride across a bridge, again
After last week's exhilarating and brief ride north'ards, jimg and I headed up an' over Camino Alto and then up an' over White's to have a snack (alas, too cold outside for that really appetizing bottle of Lagunitas IPA! -- next time!) at the Woodacre Deli. I found myself not at all tired, but each climb or long flat stretch had me working the ol' cardiovooscular system on all cylinders. We wound up at Box Dog Bicycles ogling the odd assortment of tandems. Especially the dark-green track tandem. This was also the second weekend running that I was smoked by someone riding a fixie. Last weekend Jimg handily schooled me from start-to-finish, and especially while heading back up Conzelman Road. This week, while I was huffing and puffing up the south side of Camino Alto, I heard a cheery "How ya doin'" over my left shoulder, and I turned to see a fellow clad in a flannel shirt, with a canvas bag over his bag, riding a beat-up old frame and pushing a single gear at full steam. I did not see him again: he pulled away from me so quickly that though I strained to reach him at the next curve, he was lost from sight.... Read more
June 15, 2005
In praise of the chainguard
I wonder why chainguards disappeared from most bicycles. A nice, sturdy chainguard on my commuter bicycle would make a huge difference to keeping my cuffs clean, and also maintain a sand- and muck-free chainline. Many older and "leisure"-style bicycles have chainguards; why doesn't my Bianchi? And to balance a rare, positive thought, I read all over the internet today that Karim Cycles got busted for running a fencing ring. Bicycle theft on the Berkeley campus should go down appropriately.... Read more
June 14, 2005
In which I suffer pangs for Pittsburgh
Okay, Pittsburgh holding a BikeFest!, replete with an umbrella circus, trumps Bikesummer in Los Angeles. I've never ridden the Bicycle Oval in Highland Park, and am somewhat jealous that Da Burgh has a nice track within riding distance of where I'd want to live (were I to live there). And here I am in San Francisco, an impossible distance from an 8.30 Saturday start at Hellyer Velodrome.... Read more
June 13, 2005
June 11, 2005
In which I exit with an octopus.
Down at the Ferry Building, we saw Matthew making up all sorts of creatures (and hats, and flowers, and mediaeval weaponry) from ballons and a hand-pump. He bit off the ends of balloons, twisted lengths of the brightly-coloured plastic into odd shapes, and charmed the young 'uns, all while keeping the crowd of onlookers entertained with his patter. Asked by one of the crowd, "Where'd you learn to do this, kid?" he answered, without missing a twist, "Prison." He kept up his spiel while passers-by interrupted, and would occasionally ask somone waiting for a particularly elaborate hat, "Do you mind if I make a flower for the pretty girl?". And then we saw naked cyclists, once, twice, three times. Part of World Naked Bike Day in protest of oil-something-or-'nother, not quite as appealing as the good sports at The Fixed-Gear Enthusiass, a nicely-done site that may not be safe for work.... Read more
The count
Today I went through one patch kit, two tyre irons, and four tubes, all within the first sixty miles. Riding with Birdsong, Rob, and Loops, I barely made the first two miles before I ran through some glass and punctured the front tyre. I replaced the tube -- which had not come off the rim in so long, it adhered to the tyre and had to be peeled out! -- and that promptly blew out from dry-rot around the valve. Birdsong a.k.a. "Bat out of hell" tossed me his spare, and we were on our way. Just as we saw the sun peeking through the heavy fog at San Bruno Mountain, I pulled over at the head of the Sawyer Camp Trail with a flat on the rear, a nice snakebite puncture. I used two self-adhesive patches, and we were off again. At the other end of the Sawyer Camp Trail, I got a second snakebite when we turned towards Cañada Road and road over some steel plates. I stopped at the head of Cañada Road and a generous roadie not only gave me a tube and loaned me a floor pump, but then gave me a second tube, saying, "You may need it." He pointed out that the second snakebite no doubt came from an under-inflated tyre: "You can't get up to 110 PSI with that thing," indicating my Zefal HPx. I tootled along merrily and caught up the gang cooling their heels outside Robert's, and we sped down Whiskey Hill Road (a misnomer if ever there was one: no hill, and definitely no whiskey!) to the Stanford Campus. On the other side of Palo Alto, just before crossing the freeway, I got another puncture in the rear tyre, and pulled over to change it. And a mile later, a thumb-tack or push-pin or something went neatly through into that tube. I walked the remaining mile in to the office, showered and changed, and collected my thoughts. As I have intended to put new tyres on the Reparto Corse, I caught a lift with Vikram over to the Freewheel and got me some new 700x23 serfas, all-black, as dictated by the new chic. And I made it home under my own steam, hurrah. I still ca'n't believe I broke two tyre irons, but, then again, they were nylon.... Read more
June 8, 2005
In support of your Local Bike Shop
Against my better judgement, this evening I headed willy-nilly for the new branch of a Big Chain Bicycle Store (no pun intended). I should have known better! After talking to three completely disinterested clerks (one had me rifling through their parts bin looking for the chainring I needed), and spending half an hour doing nothing but cooling my heels while they ignored me, told me I needed to speak to a manager, that they needed to speak to their manager, that they had to help someone else, et cetera, I grabbed my bike, my wallet, and decided to wait and head to American or The Freewheel later this week. I had really wanted to change out the drivetrain on the Kogswell, from a 45x14 (88" effective) to a classy 42x16 (71"), but I learned me a lesson but good. I rolled out of their parking lot and headed to Zeitgeist ("Warm beer, cold women") for a quart. On the way I viciously cut off a suit riding a Segway down 4th Street. I pulled up to Zeitgeist ("Leave drunk, or don't leave at all") and the bouncer waved me in. I settled down with a nice jug o' Racer 5 and caught up with Clint, whom I have not seen in years and years. Everything turned up roses.... Read more
June 6, 2005
Biciverano
Bike Summer hits Los Angeles this year. In 1999, San Francisco hosted Bikesummer loveliness.... Read more
June 2, 2005
Monkey got your back?
jimg pointed out this awesome photo: Alas, the monkey is now gone, purloined, shanghaïed, removed.... Read more
May 31, 2005
ED's ed
Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, has an outstanding editorial in today's San Francisco Chronicle in which she notes that, although the city of San Francisco will host World Environment Day 2005 this week, we are far from exemplary in putting people first in our transit and urban planning.... Read more
May 25, 2005
Drink before you're thirsty
The time-honoured advice, "Drink before you're thirsty, and eat before you're hungry" indeed rings true. On a day as warm and sunny as today, when I, sudoriferous as ever, found that construction on that nice long bike-friendly stretch of Cañada Rd. means delays of as long as 20 minutes while a pilot car (bearing a sign with the legend "Cyclists do not pass") slowly leads traffic in one direction, and then another, delays due to a drainage upgrade (if I read the sign correctly). I had not been on that stretch of road in three or more years, even though my commute takes me quite close to it. I think that if I ride vigourously (20% faster: 18 kph, rather that my usual 15) I might complete this ride in three-and-a-half hours, which is only slightly longer than the usual commute. I need to leave home around 6.30, in order to avoid the construction delays on Cañada, which begin at 9.00; and this should also steer clear of the rush-hour of walkers and rollerbladers on the Sawyer Camp Trail. ... of course, I always feel more ready to ride when the weather is as glorious as it has been this week. Last week's riding was quite muddy and damp.... Read more
May 24, 2005
One Less Fixie
Seeing as how, as part of my "one front wheel" scheme, I have sold the stock Bianchi Pista wheels, I needed to sort out the replacement wheels. Birthday-boy jimg supplied two washers to accomodate the thin fork ends of the Pista (he compared them to the substantially-thicker Sub-11 fork-ends on one of the frames hanging in the workshop, and I realised that the Pista is a poseur bicycle indeed): these washers enabled the 120mm Phil flip/flop rear wheel to fit securely on the Pista. The front wheel, however, posed another problem entirely: the tyre, stiff as an leather saddle, refused to seat on the rim. One vise, two tyre-irons, and several sore hands later, it was in place, but we managed to puncture the inner-tube in the process. I suggested shelving the works until daylight: I'll ride either the Reparto Corse or the Kogswell tomorrow. I did sell the wheelset for a fistful of dollars and a nice "One Less Fixie" sticker, which I suppose would look perfect on a car (ah, yes: the web site advises "these really look best on your h2"). If I had this bike, I would eat more pizza from Arinell: P.S. I love chain-guards.... Read more
Miscellany about bicycles
Yesterday I took stock of the bits and pieces of bicycle scattered through the house, workshop, and storage rooms. I wonder whether my "one front wheel to ride them all" approach will work: a low-flange Phil Wood hub, laced 4x to a box-section MA-3 rim. Beautiful, simple, and strong. I couldn't fit the tyre onto the rim, though, so I was happy to unearth the old pair of Suntour Sprint road hubs laced to older Mavic rims. I threw one of those onto the Kogswell and rode off this morning, only to see, by morning's light, that the tyre on the front was agèd to the point of rot. Nevertheless, with good fortune I made it all the way to work without incident. At Mahayana (aka Salon des Biciclettes, a proper bike shop), where I picked up a length of Velox rim tape yesterday, I always get a chuckle out of the sticker on the side of the cash register: I park in bike lanes, like a dumb-ass. We always joke that we should print up a batch and slap 'em on cars parked in bike lanes. I'd run out just on the way to Civic Center, I swear: there are always so many dumb-asses idling in the bicycle lanes on Market between Van Ness and Eighth.... Read more
May 20, 2005
Is that a bicycle when it rains?
Today I got a good morning's wear on my Burley rain jacket, and began wondering if there really is something to riding a bicycle with gears (lots o' them). All in all, a great Bike to Work Day (rain or shine!).... Read more
May 16, 2005
It's good to be back
Swobo are back in effect! ... almost. Now that I am fashion-conscious, it's time to get some warm an' wooly cycling clothes. Swobo's disappearance (was it five years ago already?) caused lamentation, not only for the loss of their spectacularly beautiful and functional clothing, but for their home-grown attitude and local presence. I also like their logo (apropos of which: while riding a 22 Fillmore past Dolores and 16th yesterday afternoon, one of the women seated next to me hollered out that she saw a lamb! Just like that! Walking with the dogs! And, lo and behold, 'twas a brown-eared little goat or some-such, in the company of two handsome dogs and a human couple).... Read more
May 12, 2005
As we vanquish the manxome foe
Striped bicycle lanes come as a mixed blessing -- a double-edgèd vorpal, if you will -- in San Francisco. They provide an ostensible safe haven for cyclists, a path away from the door zone, in a lane clear of motor vehicles and separate from pedestrian traffic (never mind that this morning an absent-minded walker stepped off the kerb directly into me as I pedalled up to Van Ness Avenue!). However, cyclists might become inured to the hazards of cars turning right across their visible right-of-way; cars sometimes resort to using bicycle lanes when frustrated with heavy traffic, as on Guerrero before Army St. Enforcement barely addresses this violation: after all, possession, nine-tenths and all that. Cyclists must use the lanes once they become available, and must reïnforce the public perception of bicycles as having the right to a full lane. Yesterday the City of San Francisco finally designated a continuous bicycle lane on Market St., after years of wrangling. And traffic turning right onto 10th St. was queued down the length of the new lane. The lack of a continuous bicycle lane on Market St. has long frustrated me, because of the volume of car and bus traffic makes cycling difficult and, for the inexperienced cyclist or driver, very dangerous. Market St. is a wonderful, flat and well-paved path from the waterfront and parts east to my neighbourhood, but pedalling in perpetual paranoia of a motorist turning abruptly right, or of the 71 Noriega roaring across the bicycle lane where Haight meets Market makes for an unnverving experience. The sections of Market where the bicycle lane vanishes to make way for street parking or a turn lane result in a confusing experience (perhaps not as much for motorists, who have the right of way by dint of weight and presence); they also result in erratic behaviour by cyclists (do I move to the sidewalk? do I nervously stick close to the kerb? what do I do?).... Read more
May 11, 2005
These are the people that you meet Pt XI
What a convivial ride to work I had this morning: while I was pedalling through the city, I stopped at a red light with a handful of other cyclists. The fellow on my left, riding a fire-engine red track frame, looked at me and said, "Great day for riding, isn't it?" I concurred, and said, "They almost always are." Then, thinking about the ride home last night, added: "Sometimes the roads make for rough going." He laughed and agreed. What happened last night? Well, jimg and I met up at Giordano Bros. to sample their wings (dry but yummy) and rode home on roads reminiscent of Pittsburgh: full of potholes and patches. At Menlo Park, I saw a familiar fixie get on the train, armed with a cup full of Borrone coffee: Mike and I chatted for a bit, and then rode together from San Antonio to Shoreline Amphitheatre. The weather was warm, and comfortably so. Someday I will run in to Kent Peterson, who does nothing but ride bicycles and obsessively write about it.... Read more
May 9, 2005
Get it together, Part II
After missing the Five Boro Bike Tour, you'd think that I'd have my tickets all set for the LA River Ride. But no. Next year.... Read more
April 29, 2005
A different city
To kick off the merry merry month of May, New York hosts the annual Five Boro Bike Tour. I do'n't have my act together for this year, but riding over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge sounds glorious. The faithful will attend the Blessing of the Bikes tomorrow morning at St John the Divine (and perhaps go down the block for some wings and a pint afterwards). What would it take to organise a Four Bridges bicycle ride in the Bay Area? The Al Zampa bridge already has a bike lane; a token bicycle path is in place on the Dumbarton Bridge; the new Bay Bridge (a "bridge of superlatives") will feature a bicycle lane, at least half-way (!!); all that remains is to close the Golden Gate so that cycles can pour across it. CMWC is on -- on th' other side of the Hudson, that is (nicely pinched and ps'd map!).... Read more
April 19, 2005
There is no frigate like a fixie
After losing the second Dutchess, I've been trying out the Kogswell (photos to come) and the Bianchi Pista (photos to come). The Kogswell, a beautiful buttercream colour with a matching honey Brooks saddle. The geometry is classic, 80s 10-speed: luxuriously long chainstays, gentle steerer tube, and a beautiful rake on the fork. The concession to modernity comes in the rear fork ends, which are track-style (but with two sets of eyelets, for fenders and a rack!). Unfortunately, I picked up a 58cm frame, which is a little uncomfortable with stand-over (I'm shy of six foot). I think I can remedy this by cutting the steerer down (it's stacked with spacers presently), and putting a shorter stem on it. The kogswell is a looker, too, and t'ain't none like 'er in the area. As for the Pista: Whoah nelly. I have the earlier chrome model, which features the tricolore decals. This bike is not meant for commuting! it's for the track. Or for long stretches in Golden Gate Park. Riding it with a brake seems wrong, although I'd be foolhardy to do so on the streets. It's a smooth, quick ride, but not yet comfortable over long distances. I even saw some kid riding one while I scooted down to the bus this morning -- though he had a noisy freewheel and two cool-kid 'cross brakes. No love, no recognition: everyone's got one of these bikes.... Read more
April 16, 2005
Light 'em if you got 'em
Greg has very enthusiastically mentioned his hip new bike lights, and after pedalling 'round town with him last night, I picked up a set of the new Cateyes. They are small, but bright. Their claim to fame is that they mount almost anywhere, with elasticized cords that cinch around a bicycle frame, through a helmet vent, on a handlebar, et cetera. And they're magnetically-activated, which is, well, a gimmick. But they sure are convenient. Being seen is the hardest part of cycling in a city. Car drivers rarely look to the side, where a cyclist is likely to be riding between parked and moving traffic; nor are cyclists especially visible, as most municipalities have no regulation concerning bike illumination. San Francisco's Department of Parking and Traffic publish a brochure showing how to light up, and have been promoting cycle safety on the side of buses, ironically enough. A few years ago the SFPD nailed me as I was pedalling up Steiner past Herman. Their cruiser didn't stop at the stop sign controlling westbound traffic on Herman, and nearly collided with me as I travelled north on Steiner. They pulled me over, asked for ID, and started to write a citation for not having (of all things) side reflectors (I was sporting both front and rear LEDs). And just as the officer was getting to the meat of the ticket, a call came over the radio. The officer glared at me as the radio sqwaked, and tossed my ID back at me. "Lucky for you we've got bigger fish to fry!" he said as he jumped back into the car and roared away.... Read more
April 6, 2005
Scott and Haight, Part II
Eastbound cyclists and skateboarders rarely heed the stop sign at the bottom of Haight, where the street meets Scott. Sometimes this has dire consequences. The car did not fare well, either. Three prowlers, two police motorcycles, two hook-and-ladder trucks, and one ambulance later, the cyclist was taken to hospital. He was at least alive: five years ago, I saw a cyclist receive severe cranial injuries at this same intersection.... Read more
April 3, 2005
One hot week pays for all
It's true: I have left San Francisco and moved to Portland to be my own boss. Hell yeah. (Thanks jimg for the link!)... Read more
April 1, 2005
NYC beats down on cyclists
... are being held in NYC this summer: Cycle Messenger World Championship web site. Mmm fixie. The dates (originally 30 June through 4 July, yeee-haw) are now up in the air as the NYPD have not granted approval for that weekend. I was amazed to see a sign in the window of the meeting place on Houston explaining that advertising Critical Mass was illegal: the Parks Department huffily claims that gatherings of more than 20 people require a permit. I was tickled to see the menu board at florent bearing the day's special omelet and a subversive advert for the previous night's Critical Mass.... Read more
March 23, 2005
A junky way of getting around
In this fawning article, entitled "Four Bike Heroes", Larry Gallagher stumbles on a very good reason to bike or walk through San Francisco: In this stretch, one stands an extremely good chance of inadvertently witnessing someone either injecting something into or extruding something from his or her body. In a car, one is exposed merely to the constructed problems of congestion, freeways, and toll plazas (cf. the Examiner's current series on traffic).... Read more
March 7, 2005
Deer me!
After almost three months of not cycling in to the office, I finally got off my duff and into the saddle this morning. Spectacular! I even saw deer frolicking in the meadow. How bucolic.... Read more
February 28, 2005
Pay to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge?
I need to come up with a good argument to stick in the comments box here, where the Golden Gate Bridge Authority is requesting feedback for its proposed bicycle / pedestrian toll. I love the Golden Gate Bridge, but do not want to pay a toll to amble or pedal it. Why?... Read more
February 21, 2005
Beerstorming
From Cody comes this suggestion: write mountain-bike haiku suitable for a pint glass. nature and bike, one egg, nuclear, face are three plants you must avoid Win a Case of Dirt Rag Pint Glasses By: Jeff Guerrero Here at Dirt Rag we've come up with more than a handful of ideas in the basement over a pint or two?we call it "beerstorming." While our latest idea came about without the aid of hoppy performance enhancers, the notion still smacks of malty genius. Our own fermented intellectual editor has been kind enough to summarize: Here?s the idea: a poem, a verse, a haiku or just a few short lines of beer and bike meditation to be printed on an entire run of Dirt Rag pint glasses. In an email to editor@dirtragmag.com, with ?Beer Storming? in the subject line, send in your own idea. Make it funny or catchy or just plain brilliant! If we choose yours, we?ll send you a case of pint glasses with your phrase printed on each one!... Read more
February 10, 2005
I've got a new rose
jimg pointed out this awesome video of choppers, frankenbikes, and mayhem.... Read more
February 8, 2005
The more the merrier!
From Brad comes word that another bicycle shop has opened nearby: BOX DOG BIKES GRAND OPENING Box Dog Bikes is a new worker-owned bike shop in the mission. Box Dog Bikes specializes in used bike sales and repairs. Join them Friday, February 11th at 7:00pm for a grand opening celebration. Meet the owners, peruse our huge frame selection, pet the box dog, and party the night away with fellow SF bikers. Music and snacks too! 494 14th St. near Guerrero.... Read more
February 7, 2005
Gears are cool! We've got gears in our school!
Today really was an outstanding day for a bicycle ride. Peter and I rode to the Golden Gate Bridge, thence through Crissy Field to Frog Hollow for a cup of Blue Bottle coffee. I also ate a delicious ham-and-cheese savoury: a little more than two bites, and with a pastry ever so buttery. On the way back home I was having some trouble adjusting my seat-post, since my handy Park tool was confiscated at LAX a few months ago. I spun past Carlos' Salon des Biciclettes, but they're never open on Sundays. I turned right at the corner of Fillmore and Haight and voilà, I see Refried Cycles (Bicletas Refritas, keeping with the 'hood's multi-lingual cycle-shop theme). Benjy and dog Linus were behind the counter, and helped me out with the loan of a tool. They're open on a schedule complementary to other shops (closed Tuesday; most other shops close Monday, or in the case of Salon des Biclettes, Sunday and Monday), and he was very happy to direct me to other nearby shops where I could buy the various parts I needed. I ended up ordering them through him, partly because I'm lazy but mostly because I like having more bicycle shops in the area. They even have a nice seat in the window, so you can stare out at the tree-stump carving on the sidewalk. And I rode the Bianchi today, replete with gears. I needed it, too, up the shamefully short one-block grades around the bridge. How did I ever race up and down that route on a fixed-gear? Heavens.... Read more
January 27, 2005
January 26, 2005
It's the Einstein Flip
The International Year of Physics, as the United Nations has officially designated 2005, has already had its zany moments of physics fun, with more to come. This month, Ben Wallace, 18, a professional stunt cyclist, flew off a ramp in the London Science Museum and did a back flip 12 feet in the air while folding his bicycle sideways - a maneuver designed by a Cambridge physicist who said she was inspired by a tale that the 26-year-old Einstein had invented his theory of relativity while riding a bicycle.... Read more
January 24, 2005
Contagious media
Joshua Kinberg's case was dismissed (technical details). Kinberg, a student a Parsons, built a bicycle that uses a biodegradable, water-soluble chalk to print political messages on the sidewalk. He was arrested during the protests against the Republican National Convention.... Read more
January 13, 2005
Get your freak(bike) on.
Chicagofreakbike has an amazing collection of chopper, tallbike, trashbike, and et cetera photographs. Hotcha! (and thanks, jimg, for the pointer). This led me to thinking about the Blackstone Bicycle Coöp near my old stamping grounds in Chicago, and a link on that site led me to the Bike Furniture shop. And that reminded me of another link jimg sent: the Oklahoma Bicycle Society.... Read more
December 21, 2004
Steal this bike
Someone stole Reed's bicycle. The most recent issue of Tube Times discusses bike theft in San Francisco, but doesn't talk about the open-air parts market at Civic Center, right in front of City Hall.... Read more
December 17, 2004
workbike
Over the summer, I cleaned out the basement, and gave away a half-dozen bicycles that I knew I wouldn't use (but were still eminently serviceable). One of the recipients, Kim, said that the bicycle has changed how she gets around the neighbourhood. And today at work, I saw an old Raleigh Sport fixed-gear, replete with fenders and a rack, propped against a cube wall. Turns out the owner moonlights as a wrench at a lbs.... Read more
December 8, 2004
The strength
Ironically, Kryptonite locks, long the emblem of the urban cyclist, had a flaw: they could be opened with a common-or-garden ballpoint pen (biro to you!). They set up a RMA process for consumers to exchange vulnerable locks for a new model. I got my long-awaited return label from Kryptonite yesterday, entitling me to 9 pounds of locks. I'm returning the two New York short-shackle locks, the sort you see messengers tucking into a back jeans pocket) and the longer U-lock I bought when I got my first bicycle in Chicago.... Read more
December 1, 2004
3 Rivers, 2 Wheels
Although they have one of the most irritating web sites ever, Bike Pgh! offers tools, a lending library, and advocacy for the City of Three Rivers. See if you can get the link about bike racks to work. I was pleasantly surprised to read that the city has a bike plan.... Read more
Was it worth it?
After weeks of hearing Greg sing the praises of public transit, I finally rode Caltrain's Baby Bullet express service today; it's the first time my bike and I have actually ridden this service. My door-to-door time was one hour and thirty minutes, including fifteen minutes' waiting time at the Mountain View platform, where a Stanford psychology student tried to engage me in some sort of study. If I take the limited in the evening, the door-to-door time is about fifteen minutes longer, or, barring wait time, as much as half-an-hour longer! Caltrain has a progressive policy towards bicycles on board: no additional fare and ample space for bicycles and gear. However, with the Baby Bullet, Caltrain has really let down cyclists. The rolling stock is significantly less bicycle-friendly: we have to move bicycles through the seating area to place them in cages which are significantly less roomy than the racks on the older carriages; the capacity has diminished, so that only 16, rather than 32 or 64 bicycles, fit -- as a result, cyclists line up 20 minutes early to board the Bullet, thereby negating much of the speed gain. The faster travel time of the Bullet is due to its less-frequent stops; it runs at a top speed of about 70 mph, just as the regular locals and limiteds do, but stops only four times between Mountain View and San Francisco (irritatingly, at both 22nd and 4th streets).... Read more
November 27, 2004
Keeping your brains on the inside of your body
The Bicycle Kitchen in L.A.'s Eco-Village offers advice, tools, and alley-cat racing for urban Angelenos.... Read more
November 16, 2004
Symbology
Went down to Jay's new pad today. I arrived at the address, found a bar occupying ditto and transvestite prostitutes milling about. Jay came downstairs to meet me, and led me upstairs to a patio door with a brick wall behind it. He's across the hall from a noisy Thai karaoke bar, and faces on one of the more dense and urban scenes in San Francisco. Jay hooked me up with some grocery-bag panniers, which I am going to add to the Surly. I think I'll turn that into a 'round-town/grocery bike. On the way back home, I dropped the chain on the Dutchess. A passerby hollered that he heard that shit up the block!... Read more
October 31, 2004
Suiting up for a ride in the park!
Anna and I went for a sun-shiney ride in Golden Gate Park: her first ride in several years; I was breaking in a new saddle on a new bicycle ('05 Bianchi Pista). All 'round, a spectacular morning. Traffic was extra light because of Daylight Savings Time.... Read more
October 24, 2004
He ... is ... nuts!
Three fixed-gear riders completed this year's Furnace Creek 508 race.... Read more
October 14, 2004
radiocicleta
Bollocks to the network media, the three-finger salute to your dot-com, and a big ol' Bronx Cheer to the newsweeklies: this is how you get the information (and the exercise). Listening to the beautiful purple-box Galaxie 500 anthology. Little did I know that the label that issues Zappa's back-catalogue (you can buy 65 albums for ten benjamins) would someday put out a suitably understated and beautiful box set for this lovely band.... Read more
October 13, 2004
How to be a millionaire
Did the bike-and-train thing today, with Mr Bolsinga. I don't have any kids to put through college, nor do I have to put a down payment on a house, so what should I spend my money on?... Read more
October 11, 2004
September 30, 2004
Bay Area Anti-derailleur and Single-speed Society
Riding to work today for the first time all week, inspiration overcame me. I re-worked the Bay Area Anti-derailleur and Single-speed Society web site, which consists of a single page. I took elements from gmail (clicking on a div does something!), and innerHTML wizardry from Cody. The old page will remain on the site for a while, for no good reason.... Read more
September 28, 2004
The man who killed Alan Liu
Sure, it was buried on an inside page, but the drunk driver who killed a Bay Area cyclist this spring received a prison sentence yesterday. This sets a good precedent, although the eight-year sentence is too light (the charges to which he pleaded guilty carry small prison terms), especially since the driver was without a valid licence. I wish that a prosecutor could construe this as wilfull, or first-degree, manslaughter, rather than vehicular manslaughter. The guilty party is a lawyer -- he has special knowledge of these circumstances! -- and got behind the wheel of his car voluntarily, while intoxicated. Is this comparable to firing off a gun randomly into a crowd?... Read more
September 22, 2004
Can't stop this!
Messengers on fixed-gear bicycles think they're so hot. On the other hand, cyclocross is hot. Beware of any enterprise which requires new clothes.... Read more
September 13, 2004
He makes the sign of a wave
While riding to work with Peter this morning, I churned through a pile of construction debris near the San Bruno Pedestrian Overpass, and immediately got a pinch flat. I dread getting flats on the bianchi, because the Wolber rims are slightly oversize. Peter whipped out a spoon and said, "This works well." And it does. Magnificently in fact. If I hadn't filed down all my spoons to use as shivs, I'd stick one in my timbuk right now. Maybe I can lift one from the café. Peter got a flat when we rode over a recently resurfaced section of Polhemus Road, where two nice bicycle-tyre-sized potholes made him almost ditch. We heard the 'sproing' of breaking spokes (a common sound on Peter's wheel these days!) and he pulled over to the side of the road and whipped out the spoon. We decided to shoot for the 10.03 train, which was about two miles away, and rolled up to the station just as it pulled away. We waited for the next train equipped with donuts and chocolate milk from a convenient nearby bakery.... Read more
September 4, 2004
Sucks to your derailleur
Chuck Shepherd writes: Least Competent Criminals: Two men were arrested in Dearborn, Mich., in July and charged with robbing a Bank One branch, done in by a glitch in their getaway plan. They had hopped on mountain bikes to make their exit (which bank robbers have used with success from time to time), but they were apparently unfamiliar with the concept of a gearshift, and both men rode away in first gear (or perhaps second), so slowly that one witness followed them easily on foot, and a bank guard got close enough to shoot one of them in the arm. They were quickly arrested.... Read more
September 3, 2004
Wrong place, right time
Protestors in NYC (that's the USA ... ) were being arrested for having a bicycle*. And, of course, Joshua Kinberg was arrested. The right to assemble peacefully is what separates us from them? They're all going to hell. I've eaten at that restaurant. Mediocre, indifferent, the fish was no good. And it's right across from the 2nd Ave Deli! How could anyone pass up a meal at that place? Mmmmm, pickles.... Read more
Multi-modal, with mousse
Aram points out the word on the street: that fixed-gear stylee has jumped the shark. Well, duh. Some guy on the CalTrain this morning was chatting up a girl with his track bike as bait. She said, disdainfully, "It looks so plain". I was riding a bike with gears this morning. A woman who spent a year student-teaching my 6th- or 8th-grade English class works here: http://citiesthatwork.com/ as an urban planner. I wonder why the city of San Francisco, despite its much-vaunted, voter-approved 1999 mass-transit plan, insists on have bicycle lanes overlap with MUNI bus stops? This only further delays bus service on busy streets.... Read more
September 1, 2004
August 7, 2004
jimg like
jimg pointed me at these bike photos. sw33t (and some are are pleasantly risque!)... Read more
July 29, 2004
This is the bike against itself
Cody was generous enough to throw my bicycle into the back of his car and scoot us all over to the bike shop to pick up my newly-minted wheel. This wheel ain't no ordinary dealie, though: it's a duallie. I can kind of make the chain work with 14t and 18t cogs, but the bigger cog hangs precipitously on the edge of the dropouts (not fork ends!). Kill 'im already!... Read more
July 27, 2004
Pedal steel
For the first time in months, I rode a derailleur bicycle to work. The exhilaration of speed -- of being able to go quickly up hills! -- of racing down hills without have to and brake with my knees! -- wore off as I heard all the clanking and mechanical motion of the gears shifting, of the jockey wheels spinning, the chain slapping, the rear axle breaking. Oh yeah, as I was turning at speed from 24th on to Valencia, the wheel slid forward in the drops and the chain slipped off the gears as the plastic end-cap of the skewer cracked. The washer underneath didn't come off, but without the knurled cap to hold it in place it wouldn't stay tight. I've never trusted those wheels -- I was saying as much to jimg just yesterday. Well then! Time to find a new 130mm 8speed wheel.... Read more
July 25, 2004
The ill perambulation
It doesn't beat Jo Mendi, but it's close.... Read more
July 19, 2004
Stray and junkyard
NYC are patching up the Kissena Velodrome in Flushing, Queens. Couriers and track racers held races in April to celebrate the track's grand re-opening. Meanwhile, the world is my velodrome [50MB movie].... Read more
June 29, 2004
Four syllables, or five?
Ever wonder about sensors">the physics behind traffic signal sensors? The sensors measure changes in inductance, but that still leaves a lot of issues, like ferrous vs. conductive, and contributions of frame vs. wheels. If you've got aluminum rims, your frame material doesn't matter, because they operate at high frequencies, where the key component is a conductive piece of metal -- not carbon fibre, you weight weenie -- that allows an induced eddy current (e.g. closed loop). Rims get closer to the wires than the frame, align the wheel with one of the wires, so the maximum number of magnetic flux lines pass through your rim. If the sensor is a figure-8 pattern, the middle wire is twice as sensitive as the edge wires. California has codes designed to address the engineering of cyclists in intersections. Isaac Asimov wrote an excellent short story called "Unique is where you find it" about a problem posed to an eager young chemist by his antagonistic professor. There, I've spoiled the story for you.... Read more
June 22, 2004
The lowest order of insect is the litterbug.
While I was cycling down Polk past City Hall, a black Jetta was in the lane next to me. The passenger wound down the window and chucked a crumped up -- cigarette pack? parking ticket? something associated with being moral turpitude, surely -- which bounced against me. I told the man, who was inches -- inches! -- away from me, that he was inconsiderate, and he replied, "I didn't see you there." I suggested that he was inconsiderate not just of me, but of the streets, and he looked blank. I put it plainly: "You shouldn't litter, and you shouldn't throw things at people." He became angry. Traffic in the bicycle lane was moving faster than autos, and I pulled ahead.... Read more
June 6, 2004
Arresting axe-murderers means bad news for woodcutters
Dr Gridlock fulminates against sidewalk-riding cyclists: But according to [Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists] spokespeople, ticketing cyclists for breaking the law is only a "deterrent to cycling." But it seems that many readers lump all cyclists into a category that is stereotypical: the flame-breathing bike courier who rides like a kamikaze pilot. What about law-abiding cyclists who follow the rules, such as reader Ian More? He writes: "I find that when I obey the traffic laws that I get quite a bit of abuse from fellow cyclists. There have been a couple of incidents where I stopped for a stop sign and was run into by another cyclist. "My philosophy is to gain respect on the road by following the rules of the road."... Read more
June 5, 2004
We are getting soft ...
I often hear the question: "Why only a front brake?" when I'm riding a fixed-gear. Font of wisdom Sheldon Brown, of course, has the answer: You really should have a front brake. A front brake, all by itself, will stop a bicycle as fast as it is possible to stop. This is true because when you are applying the front brake to the maximum, there is no weight on the rear wheel, so it has no traction. One of the wonderful things about fixed-gear riding is that the direct feel you get for rear-wheel traction teaches you exactly how hard you can apply the front brake without quite lifting the wheel off of the ground. This is a very valuable lesson for any cyclist who likes to go fast; it could save your life. There is really no need for a rear brake on a fixed-gear bicycle. By applying back-pressure on the pedals, you can supply all the braking that the rear wheel really needs. In fact, it is fairly easy to lock up the rear wheel and make it skid, unless you are running a rather high gear. Some fixed-gear fans make a point of not using their brake except in an emergency. I am not sure that this is a good idea. Heavy duty resisting is widely reputed to be bad for your legs, and to be counterproductive for building up muscles and coordination for forward pedaling.... Read more
May 28, 2004
When you come to a fork in the road ...
Reports of larceny in the 'hood abound: this morning we walked in to Coopers and greeted Peter, only to hear the startling story of how his bicycle was parted in five minutes. He arrived to open the shop at 6h10, and locked his 26" BMX -style cruiser to a street sign immediately outside the shop. Eight minutes later he looked up from his preparations and saw that the front wheel, fork, and sundry parts had been stripped off the chromed bike. Bicycle thieves in this neighbourhood congregate, ironically, in the Duboce Bikeway, between the U.S. Mint and the urban strip mall. Shopping carts full of bike parts litter the narrow path. Peter said that he accosted a raggamuffin who was loitering nearby; the kid said that yeah, he saw someone around ten minutes ago, he could maybe find out something. Why a fork? Taking the fork has destroyed the use value of the bicycle -- Peter's transportation -- and will have very low resale value. Goddam junkys.... Read more
May 25, 2004
Yo fixie!
A commercial for Nike shows Lance Armstrong speeding past a diesel engine, a herd of buffalo, and a pack of San Francisco messengers.... Read more
May 19, 2004
The power of independent trucking
After about two hours of steadily pounding the keys yesterday, I took off my headphones and wondered why I was feeling so energetically angry. And then I looked at the iPod and realised that I'd been listening to a mix called "Surgically Precise" full of Shellac and Big Black. And I've got the 8-track playing really fucking loud. The mix also has a song ("Il Duce") from one of the very first CDs I bought: The Wailing Ultimate. I got it from the Phantom of the Attic back when they sold vinyl as well as comix. Independent truckers in the Bay Area are on strike to protest rising gas prices (an increased monthly expense of $1500). Me, I'm a-lying on my back enjoying the sunshine. To-morrow is Bike-to-work Day.... Read more
May 18, 2004
Because they were squirrels
While waiting on the Palo Alto platform for the 20h21 northbound Caltrain, a tattooed youngish man rolled up on a tricked-out downhill bike. We were talking about how or why the train was late ("possibly because they're testing new electronic switches," offered a cheerful German riding a bike-boom Fuji). The very shaved-scalp young man wandered around the platform. "That's your bike?" he asked. "That's sick!" and I felt a swelling of pride. On the train he and the German talked triathalon ("You swam Escape from Alcatraz in 40 minutes? That's sick!"), and I saw jimg climb on board at the San Mateo stop. He had been counting on the train running a few minutes late. We rode back to the Lower Haight together. Today was a good day and a bad day for trains. Caltrain has enjoyed successful tests of its new "Baby Bullet" high-speed Peninsula rail service; but the long-rumoured high-speed rail from North to South is stuck on the siding.... Read more
May 10, 2004
Old Men Who Get Fat In The Winter
A 50-year old mustachioed man, wearing shorts with the motto "Ride to Eat / Eat to Ride" ("It was a Father's Day gift from my wife," he said. "She thought it was a joke." I nodded knowingly), told me that the railroad right-of-way from Samuel P. Taylor out to Point Reyes Station will be made accessible as a bicycle path sometime this summer. Perfect for a summer weekend ride: spend the night out at a B&B, and then bike back the next day.... Read more
April 28, 2004
April 25, 2004
'swell
After several months of languishing in the workshop, the Kogswell F58 finally came into its own. I picked up a few last-minute parts (and a *cough* new saddle) at American. I swear, threading the leather straps through the clips and pedals took longer than assembling any other part of the bike. And after I finally got one pedal done (I sat out in the park, acknowledging that it would take a long time), I discovered that I had the buckle on the wrong side; I patiently re-threaded.... Read more
April 16, 2004
Before and after
From the DPT: Bicycle volumes on Valencia Street during the PM peak hour increased 144 percent, from 88 to 215 bicyclists per hour. The "before" data were collected on "Bike to Work Day" in May 1997 when an entire southbound motor vehicle lane was closed for cyclists. In March 2000, 215 bicyclists were counted on a typical weekday. Given that more cyclists traditionally ride on "Bike to Work Day," the increase in bicyclists is most likely even greater than these numbers indicate. During the "after" count, motor vehicles were also counted to determine the modal split (percentage of motor vehicles versus bicycles). Comparing total motor vehicles to bicycles made up 16 percent of the vehicle traffic along Valencia Street.... Read more
April 14, 2004
Assess signal timing?
One of the most physically challenging intersections for cyclists and pedestrians is the apparently simple intersection of Fell and Masonic. The hazards come partly from the lack of visibility for cars heading west (left-most lane of Fell St.) turning south onto Masonic: the broad intersection (five lanes by four lanes, plus parking) allows for at-speed turns; and partly from traffic heading crosstown on Masonic, timing lights between Haight and Geary (it is possible, although very difficult, to drive white-knuckled straight through from Haight, the first traffic signal, to Pine -- at which point you're as good as downtown). These hazards make the simple crossing extremely nerve-wracking. To add insult to injury, this intersection cuts through the middle of a park, and the crosswalk is part of a multi-use trail. The lame addition of a "Yield to Peds and Bikes" sign about 18 months ago hasn't affected the speed of turning traffic -- they don't see the sign until they're in the turn -- and the crosswalk doesn't have a dedicated "Walk" phase. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition have posted their endorsement.... Read more
April 13, 2004
RTFM(anual).
A few weeks ago, I found a chromed Diamondback BMX street bike lying in the street behind a Chinese restaurant in San Rafael, with a sign reading "Free Bikes" taped to the top tube. Done. Today Lupe was learning me on manuals, bunny-hopping, and scuffing (the latter on his bike, which has a front brake). After about an hour, we retired to the café for lunch; lo and behold, just as I pulled up to the door the brake cable snapped. Of course, none of this coolness was at all apparent when I walked into a meeting with a fresh mug of coffee, sat down in a comfy conference-room chair, and found out that the back was broken. I fell backwards, and the coffee spilled all over my hoodie and trousers.... Read more
March 16, 2004
Knuckle down.
Aram, logorrheic author of fixed-gear field studies, pointed out this 1925 Retrodirect cycle.... Read more
February 11, 2004
Jackasses abound.
Local to my hood o' hoods, where I was a hooligan and rode around on a phat ol' BMX bike and shot off bottle rockets, we discover that stupidity abounds on both sides of the cyclist-trucker divide: MONROEVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A bicyclist shot a truck driver in the arm during a confrontation that began when the man pedaling the bike made an obscene gesture, police said.... Read more
January 13, 2004
"Surely nothing on earth ..."
Francis X. Clines has a meditative editorial on cycling Manhattan in yesterday's New York Times. Happily, Clines points out one of the most enjoyable aspects of urban cycling: "... storefront bars can be found for cold beer or hot coffee."... Read more
January 4, 2004
Why do I scream?
This is mos defbaadasss. (So is all of this.) Tip o' the brain bucket to Aram. Compare to the sport played summer (or, dry) months in Golden Gate Park: Bike Polo.... Read more
December 15, 2003
Two wheels on line!
Magicbikes promise wide-ranging, free wireless internet access through the everyday bicycle. By using the bicycle as an amplifier for already-available Wi-Fi signals, artist and teacher Yuri Gitman hopes to broaden the reach of wireless to previously inaccessible spots: subways, wide avenues and parks, outer areas of the boroughs ...... Read more
November 28, 2003
The path to righteousness.
Riding east on the Panhandle bike path, riders can now gracefully turn north onto Baker, so as to start the Wiggle in style.... Read more
November 25, 2003
A bootiful thing, is a properly-fixed tyre.
More biking to work, alleluia. Just as I was about to pedal home for the evening, Lupe mildly pointed out that a ugly bubble of inner-tube was poking through the sidewall of the rear tyre. I only had finifs and sawbucks in the ol' wallet, so I booted the tyre with a fiver; belatedly I realised that I kept a single in my patch kit for this very reason. More incentive to take off this bad piece of rubber (two big holes in the past week, and this one on the sidewall is just Bad News). I am going to replace the tyres on the commute bike -- either the Kogswell or the Dutchess -- with the reflective-sidewall tyres that this guy on Caltrain was telling me about.... Read more
November 19, 2003
Every day is bike-to-work day.
Today I rode the fixie to work, for the first time in months. Thanks to a new pair of rat-traps from jimg, a few minutes in the shop, and a little encouragement from my lethargic body, I hopped on the Dutchess and got moving. Within fifteen minutes, I rode over something sharp and ripped the rear tyre (it's always the rear!), and had to boot the tyre in order to keep moving. Of course I didn't have a spare tube with me, but fortunately I had some big broad patches and a tube of vulcanizing fluid.... Read more
October 5, 2003
And the bike you rode in on.
Kai chose as his favourite pic of the week. It's mine too.... Read more
September 19, 2003
Bright in the night.
This morning I rode the Crystal Springs route to work -- for the first time in a month! -- and felt glorious. Later in the day I spoke with aram and he pointed out the Kogswell fixed-gear frame. Not only does it have tidy rear fork-ends (or drop-outs, whatever), but it's fully lugged! I decided then and there to get a rainy-day frame; ever since I cracked the frame of the Blue Dutchess, I've needed a spare frame. A nice relaxed road-geometry fixie setup with fenders. And the Kogswell has eyelets! Later in the evening, sitting on the stoop with jimg, who was explaining half-step gearing and his desire to build up an audax bike, we saw a bright set of lights pedal past. I called out "Nice Bike!" and the rider wheeled around and pulled up to the stoop. jimg recognised the bike, a custom Sycip, as the idiosyncratic three-speed that recently rode PBP. Turns out that the rider, Joel Metz, recently organized a race from SF to Portland.... Read more
September 16, 2003
You might think.
I used to think that I would ride four miles for every mile I rode in a car. And I did, for three years. But after getting a car and a job, I find myself driving more and more and more and more. And biking less, alas.... Read more
September 12, 2003
What a good name for a city!
As I was thinking fondly of PDX, was thrilled to receive a phone call from Justin. He shares my high opinion of The Kells, where happy hour extends to tasty burgers, plates of oyster, and Jameson's-battered wings. Sitting out front, one can watch bicyclists heading home.... Read more
August 22, 2003
PBR vs Lance.
Read an article by an Atlanta freelance writer today: http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/rant.html. The guy named his bicycle Buchephalus! That's sweet. However, I'm not sure that bicycling while loaded is a great idear. The swerving, don't you know?... Read more
