Cycling Miscellany

[BrutusBuckeye]

In case you don't read the movie reviews thread in Critics Corner, I'll mention here that we saw Premium Rush tonight and enjoyed it. Watching bike messengers careening through Manhattan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt rides a fixie) was surprisingly entertaining, and watching them biff in countless ways was more than a little disconcerting--no way could I ride in heavy urban traffic. The film doesn't spend a lot of time with it, but the bike messenger subculture was interesting. As they're cranking along through midtown and Central Park it almost feels like you're out on a bike yourself. Not a lot of substance to the movie, but a fun ride.

I watched Fixation the other night and recommend it. It's a short documentary about fixed gear bikes and the subcultures in LA, San Francisco and San Jose. I found it to be pretty interesting. Another one I found interesting is To Live and Ride in LA.

[wuapinmon]

It's simply a collection of quotes and facts about cycling some informative some amusing .

Unclear antecedent. -20

[bluegoose]

Have anyone been following the proposed bike tax in the state of Washington?

Ed Orcutt, who I believe is a state Senator, has endorsed a bike tax of $25 to help pay for road maintenance, which he says bicyclists are using but not paying for as they are not buying the gas that motorists are, and in turn, are not paying their fair share of taxes.

In addition, he says that bicyclists are emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere due to their elevated heart rates and respiratory rates, thus polluting the environment.

Here is a copy of an email sent by the senator defending the tax:



It sounds like he has recently recanted his statement about the CO2, but is standing by the bike tax legislation.

[bluegoose]

Have anyone been following the proposed bike tax in the state of Washington?

Arrgh. I just wandered over to the water cooler and saw that Clark beat me to the topic. The Water Cooler, Clark??? Really??? What exactly do you think we talk about all day here in the Bike Shop, anyway?

[NorCalBYUFan]

This looks like an appropriate place to post this. Since PAC has noted this thread can have anything in it
You mentioned movies and fixies above. It reminded me of this short:
http://vimeo.com/8191217
If you have a couple minutes I highly recommend it. It's not about bikes, but has some great shots of a custom in it.
It's won a number of awards on Vimeo. I keep coming back to it.

[Tim]

I've really fallen in love with urban riding the last few weeks. We live a block from FDR Drive and the belt of bike/walking paths and greenways that follow it up and down, but for some reason I've continually been drawn to riding up 1st Ave or down 2nd Ave, both of which have dedicated separate bike lanes. The surface isn't as nice and you have to stop for a red light every now and then, but I find it thrilling every single day. Anyone else prefer the chaos of riding on busy city streets over the solace of a secluded/separated road?

[Joe Public]

Anyone else prefer the chaos of riding on busy city streets over the solace of a secluded/separated road?

I don't, but I take what I can get during the week.

[PaloAltoCougar]

This could go in the Weekend Rides Report thread, but since it's Monday.... Mrs. PAC and one of her regular riding buddies are doing a lot of training for next week's Wine Country Double Metric. I should be training as much as they, but during the week I've been opting for a variation of Dr. Harold Hill's Think Method. Anyway, today the ladies headed over Patterson Pass (a ride we did with Piney a year or so ago), down into the valley and back over Altamont Pass. Unfortunately, at the farthest point from home, her friend's rear derailleur cable snapped--not a good thing under any circumstance but especially bad 35 miles from home and several climbs yet to come.

But shortly after they stopped a group of 20 riders went racing past. One member called out to ask if the women were okay and my wife, said simply "No", thinking they wouldn't even hear. But three riders dropped out of the peloton and circled back, ascertained the nature of the problem. They told the ladies to get to a spot a couple of miles ahead where their club was regrouping. Once there, the women discovered that one of the group riders, a bike shop owner, carried an extra cable and other items for just such emergencies. They fixed the bike and the ladies went on to finish a 70-mile ride. My wife's friend said her bike hasn't shifted this well since it was new (it's an Orbea). Anyway, I love the camaraderie that exists among cyclists, and thankful there are people looking out for my womenfolk.

BTW, if anyone needs bike help in Tracy we now strong recommend Silva's Bicycle Service.

[NorCalBYUFan]

Glad to hear it.
I too have never found so many friends that are strangers, out in the most remote wilderness mountain ranges. If you're a mt biker and in need, simply pray for another mt biker to pass along. I've been fortunate a few times myself.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Yesterday my lunch was interrupted by the sound of sirens that were very close, but I ate on while wondering what was going on nearby. It turns out a teenage driver had hit a husband and wife who were cycling on Foothill Rd., just a few hundred yards from our house and at a spot Mrs. PAC and I have ridden past literally hundreds of times, most recently the day before. The woman was killed instantly and the husband was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

No more details at the moment, but as this is along one of my running routes as well, I jogged over there this morning. There weren't any police barriers or other identifying marks, however I saw skid marks and a small hole from which a pole had apparently been uprooted (there chunks of concrete lying around, presumably from the post hole). Farther off to the side, and approximately 25 yards from the hole, I saw a pole that was very badly bent, at the top of which were two signs: "No Stopping Anytime" and "Bike Lane." A small bunch of flowers and a single rose had been placed in the hole. Imagining my wife and me laid out on the spot is simply nauseating, and my heart really goes out to the poor guy who thought he was just going out on another fun ride with his wife.

Interestingly, the house nearest the accident is the home of John Madden.

And another cyclist, a guy in his '50s, was also killed out in Oakley yesterday by another inattentive driver. We can take every precaution while riding, and still we're no match for a driver who only for a moment isn't paying attention.

[RC Vikings]

Yesterday my lunch was interrupted by the sound of sirens that were very close, but I ate on while wondering what was going on nearby. It turns out a teenage driver had hit a husband and wife who were cycling on Foothill Rd., just a few hundred yards from our house and at a spot Mrs. PAC and I have ridden past literally hundreds of times, most recently the day before. The woman was killed instantly and the husband was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

It's hard to read stories like this and not worry about how safe you are on the road. All it takes is one driver reading a text and being distracted. Please try and do everything you can to be safe out there.

[BigPiney]

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/06...he-gravel.html

200 miles on gravel. No thanks.

[PaloAltoCougar]

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/06...he-gravel.html

200 miles on gravel. No thanks.

Ugh, throw in some wind and miles of ugly flatness--miserable.

[marsupial]

Just dropped a wad on a Trek mountain bike for my 11-year-old. Ugh! Are we crazy to get a kid a nice bike? I was tired of buying him Walmart shit. What kind of wheels do your kids ride?

[BigFatMeanie]

Just dropped a wad on a Trek mountain bike for my 11-year-old. Ugh! Are we crazy to get a kid a nice bike? I was tired of buying him Walmart shit. What kind of wheels do your kids ride?

My kids ride Walmart shit. They'll continue to get Walmart shit as long as they continue to leave their bikes outside overnight, leave them where the sprinklers will get them wet, forget to lock them up when they ride to school, and leave them lying in the garage where they have the potential to get backed over by our cars.