"So you ride your bike to work?"
"Yes. It's great."
"What do you do when you get a flat?"
"Yes. It's great."
"What do you do when you get a flat?"
09 February 2020
08 February 2020
Who Owns The Road In Gaborone?
I own the road: I pay road tax.
I've heard some version of this argument over the years. What drivers often forget is that those of us who don't drive are paying all of the same taxes as those who use their cars to get to the corner store. As I pointed out to someone who accused me of taking "his" parking space, the only tax I don't pay that a driver pays is the one levied on gasoline. But, in a sense, I pay for it, as other taxes, at least to some degree, subsidize the relatively low cost of petrol here in the US, just as the deductions from my paychecks help to pay for road building and maintenance.
The "I pay, I own" argument is even more emphatic, or vehement, in those places where a newly-emergent middle class is forsaking two wheels and pedals in favor of four wheels and gas pedals. That, of course, was the story of Chinese cities early in this century. Now it seems to be the narrative in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.
Whereas most people rode bikes to school or work just a few years ago, now the bicycle has a double stigma: It is seen as archaic and something that you use only if you're poor.
I've never been to Gaborone, but according to BBC correspondent Sharon Tshipa, it's "the worst place in the world to ride a bike." Not only are the drivers as reckless as the worst kinds of teenagers, they are quite open in expressing their hostility toward cyclists. Some even threaten or promise to mow down riders.
These dangers to bicycle riders’ physical safety and mental well-being are compounded by hazards to their internal medical condition. Gaborone has some of the world’s worst air quality. The sheer volume of vehicular traffic would, by itself, be enough to degrade the city’s environment. But a particular quality of the city’s fleet makes things worse. While some new cars are imported from neighboring South Africa, many more used vehicles come from other countries, where they failed to meet emission standards.
Whether or not Gaborone is the worst place to cycle, it’s sad to see people forsake their bikes, and disturbing that such hostility has developed against remaining cyclists. From what I understand, some Chinese cities are re-discovering the bicycle. Perhaps Gaborone will do likewise one day.
I've heard some version of this argument over the years. What drivers often forget is that those of us who don't drive are paying all of the same taxes as those who use their cars to get to the corner store. As I pointed out to someone who accused me of taking "his" parking space, the only tax I don't pay that a driver pays is the one levied on gasoline. But, in a sense, I pay for it, as other taxes, at least to some degree, subsidize the relatively low cost of petrol here in the US, just as the deductions from my paychecks help to pay for road building and maintenance.
The "I pay, I own" argument is even more emphatic, or vehement, in those places where a newly-emergent middle class is forsaking two wheels and pedals in favor of four wheels and gas pedals. That, of course, was the story of Chinese cities early in this century. Now it seems to be the narrative in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.
Whereas most people rode bikes to school or work just a few years ago, now the bicycle has a double stigma: It is seen as archaic and something that you use only if you're poor.
I've never been to Gaborone, but according to BBC correspondent Sharon Tshipa, it's "the worst place in the world to ride a bike." Not only are the drivers as reckless as the worst kinds of teenagers, they are quite open in expressing their hostility toward cyclists. Some even threaten or promise to mow down riders.
These dangers to bicycle riders’ physical safety and mental well-being are compounded by hazards to their internal medical condition. Gaborone has some of the world’s worst air quality. The sheer volume of vehicular traffic would, by itself, be enough to degrade the city’s environment. But a particular quality of the city’s fleet makes things worse. While some new cars are imported from neighboring South Africa, many more used vehicles come from other countries, where they failed to meet emission standards.
Whether or not Gaborone is the worst place to cycle, it’s sad to see people forsake their bikes, and disturbing that such hostility has developed against remaining cyclists. From what I understand, some Chinese cities are re-discovering the bicycle. Perhaps Gaborone will do likewise one day.
07 February 2020
The Novel Coronavirus And New Bikes
Perhaps the novel coronavirus hasn't gotten you sick--yet. It might, however, keep you from buying the new bike you want.
Even though some major bicycle manufacturers shifted their production to Vietnam, Cambodia or Taiwan in response to the tariffs imposed on Chinese goods, there is a chance that the new Bianchi or Rocky Mountain machine you've been eyeing is nonetheless made by Chinese workers. Some of those factories are, out of caution or fear (depending on your point of view), shutting down temporarily. While some company executives and factory managers believe they are protecting their native workers from possible contamination, others may be acting out of anti-Chinese sentiment sparked by the virus outbreak.
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Even those factories that haven't shut down could experience (or are experiencing) slowdowns because they're supplied with parts or machinery made in other affected factories. As an example, one factory in Vietnam is a major supplier of frame tubes to plants in Cambodia and China that turn out bicycles for Trek, Specialized, Norco and other familiar brands.
Stoppages or slowdowns in production at Asian factories could, moreover, disrupt the manufacture of bikes in other countires, as many depend on Asian suppliers.
So, be well and, if you want to buy a new bike, be patient!
06 February 2020
Will The Velo Continue to Vive After The Greve?
I can recall three transit strikes in New York City. The first began with the new year in 1966. I was a child then, and the main thing I recall is my father missing a couple of days of work, then taking cabs with co-workers.
The second lasted nearly as long, and began on April Fools' Day in 1980. I was a student at Rutgers but was making frequent trips into New York. Back then, buses along the Princeton-to-New York/Port Authority Route had large luggage hatches on their undersides. Since they were almost never used for the intended purpose, and because the bus operating company didn't seem to have any written policy against using those hatches for any other purpose, I and a few other cyclists would stow our bikes in them. I recall one friendly driver who'd help us angle our bikes into the compartments and make sure the door was shut; other drivers simply looked the other way. So, once I arrived in the city, I had a convenient way of getting around.
The last strike I recall began just before Christmas in 2005. Subway and bus workers walked off their jobs for three days. I was teaching at another college and, since the strike coincided with the end of the semester, we were concerned that exams would be postponed until January--and that I'd have to postpone or cancel a trip I'd booked for then. Thankfully, that strike ended before the holiday and only a few classes and exams, none of which were mine, had to be rescheduled.
During the 1980 and 2005 strikes, many commuters walked or rode bicycles to work. (In fact, the practice of wearing a business suit with sneakers and carrying dress pumps or wingtips in a bag is said to have begun with the 1980 strike.) I have had a difficult time finding statistics to confirm my observation that, while some continued to pedal to their offices, stores, factories or schools after each of those labor stoppages, more people continued to ride to work after the 2005 walkout than after the 1980 halt to the trains and buses.
If my observation can indeed be borne out by empirical data, it would indeed be interesting, especially because the conditions of each strike were very different: The 1980 strike unfolded with some of the blooms in the city's gardens, while the 2005 strike coincided with both the official beginning of winter and that season's first cold spell.
Also, because the 1980 strike was much longer, one might expect the habit of cycling or walking to become more ingrained than it would have during the 2005 stoppage.
Then again, some who weren't so inclined to ride or walk might have seen having to do so during the long 1980 strike in the way people viewed shortages and other privations during World War II or other protracted national emergencies: They were eager to get back to their old ways. On the other hand, having to bike or walk for only three days might leave people with more pleasant memories.
Moreover, as I recall, 1980 was a "year without a spring". A cold, damp April gave way to a heat wave in early May that presaged a hot, dry summer. Perhaps such weather was a disincentive to continue cycling, at least for some people. On the other hand, after the cold wave during the strike, the winter of 2005-2006 was mild. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the surge in the number of commuters and recreational cyclists began to surge right around that time.
I mention all of these things because the strikes in France--which include greves on the Transports Parisiens et Transiliens--have ended. The trains and buses, with a few exceptions, came to a halt for most of December and January. So there is a valid basis for comparing the change in transportation habits as opposed to the previous year.
Turns out, on the whole, the number of January cyclists in the City of Light--at least as measured on its major bike lanes--increased by 131 percent--over the first month of 2019. That is to say, the numbers more than doubled and on two--the Voie Georges Pompidou and le Pont National--more than three times as many cyclists rode by.
It will be interesting to see how many of those "new" cyclists continue their riding habit as Metro and bus services return to normal. I suspect they will, simply because cycling culture, while not as prevalent in Paris as in other parts of France, existed to a greater degree than it did in the Big Apple when its conductors, drivers and maintenance workers walked off their jobs. Also, Paris' system of bike lanes and other infrastructure is more extensive and generally more useful than what New York has even now, let alone 15 years ago or 40 years ago, when it was all but nonexistent.
All I can say is to Paris is Vive la Velo!
The second lasted nearly as long, and began on April Fools' Day in 1980. I was a student at Rutgers but was making frequent trips into New York. Back then, buses along the Princeton-to-New York/Port Authority Route had large luggage hatches on their undersides. Since they were almost never used for the intended purpose, and because the bus operating company didn't seem to have any written policy against using those hatches for any other purpose, I and a few other cyclists would stow our bikes in them. I recall one friendly driver who'd help us angle our bikes into the compartments and make sure the door was shut; other drivers simply looked the other way. So, once I arrived in the city, I had a convenient way of getting around.
The last strike I recall began just before Christmas in 2005. Subway and bus workers walked off their jobs for three days. I was teaching at another college and, since the strike coincided with the end of the semester, we were concerned that exams would be postponed until January--and that I'd have to postpone or cancel a trip I'd booked for then. Thankfully, that strike ended before the holiday and only a few classes and exams, none of which were mine, had to be rescheduled.
During the 1980 and 2005 strikes, many commuters walked or rode bicycles to work. (In fact, the practice of wearing a business suit with sneakers and carrying dress pumps or wingtips in a bag is said to have begun with the 1980 strike.) I have had a difficult time finding statistics to confirm my observation that, while some continued to pedal to their offices, stores, factories or schools after each of those labor stoppages, more people continued to ride to work after the 2005 walkout than after the 1980 halt to the trains and buses.
If my observation can indeed be borne out by empirical data, it would indeed be interesting, especially because the conditions of each strike were very different: The 1980 strike unfolded with some of the blooms in the city's gardens, while the 2005 strike coincided with both the official beginning of winter and that season's first cold spell.
Also, because the 1980 strike was much longer, one might expect the habit of cycling or walking to become more ingrained than it would have during the 2005 stoppage.
Then again, some who weren't so inclined to ride or walk might have seen having to do so during the long 1980 strike in the way people viewed shortages and other privations during World War II or other protracted national emergencies: They were eager to get back to their old ways. On the other hand, having to bike or walk for only three days might leave people with more pleasant memories.
Moreover, as I recall, 1980 was a "year without a spring". A cold, damp April gave way to a heat wave in early May that presaged a hot, dry summer. Perhaps such weather was a disincentive to continue cycling, at least for some people. On the other hand, after the cold wave during the strike, the winter of 2005-2006 was mild. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the surge in the number of commuters and recreational cyclists began to surge right around that time.
I mention all of these things because the strikes in France--which include greves on the Transports Parisiens et Transiliens--have ended. The trains and buses, with a few exceptions, came to a halt for most of December and January. So there is a valid basis for comparing the change in transportation habits as opposed to the previous year.
Turns out, on the whole, the number of January cyclists in the City of Light--at least as measured on its major bike lanes--increased by 131 percent--over the first month of 2019. That is to say, the numbers more than doubled and on two--the Voie Georges Pompidou and le Pont National--more than three times as many cyclists rode by.
It will be interesting to see how many of those "new" cyclists continue their riding habit as Metro and bus services return to normal. I suspect they will, simply because cycling culture, while not as prevalent in Paris as in other parts of France, existed to a greater degree than it did in the Big Apple when its conductors, drivers and maintenance workers walked off their jobs. Also, Paris' system of bike lanes and other infrastructure is more extensive and generally more useful than what New York has even now, let alone 15 years ago or 40 years ago, when it was all but nonexistent.
All I can say is to Paris is Vive la Velo!
05 February 2020
Capital Fine
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I could say something like that on those rare occasions when I agree with the Automobile Association of America or the Washington Times. Well, today I hit the "daily double," if you will.
The District of Columbia's Department of Public Works says that, later this month, it will begin to levy $150 fines on drivers who stop or park in bicycle lanes. Perhaps not surprisingly, both the WT and AAA hate the idea.
One point on which I agree with them is that the move probably won't help to improve cyclists' safety or the flow of traffic. I am not familiar with that city's bike routes, but if they're anything like some that I've seen here in New York, they're worse than no lanes at all for cyclists. And, of course, they frustrate drivers.
Perhaps more to the point, though, is this: New York's ban against stopping or parking in bike lanes is rarely, if ever, enforced. Will the Capital City do better in making drivers better at respecting the rights and safety of cyclists as well as pedestrians?
If it doesn't, the result will most likely be more injuries and fatalities--and frustrated drivers, which could lead to more deaths and injuries.
Even more important, though, is the design of both lanes and streets. Unless that is improved, no other policy or piece of bicycle "infrastructure" will do anything to help both motorists and cyclists navigate often-chaotic conditions.
I could say something like that on those rare occasions when I agree with the Automobile Association of America or the Washington Times. Well, today I hit the "daily double," if you will.
The District of Columbia's Department of Public Works says that, later this month, it will begin to levy $150 fines on drivers who stop or park in bicycle lanes. Perhaps not surprisingly, both the WT and AAA hate the idea.
One point on which I agree with them is that the move probably won't help to improve cyclists' safety or the flow of traffic. I am not familiar with that city's bike routes, but if they're anything like some that I've seen here in New York, they're worse than no lanes at all for cyclists. And, of course, they frustrate drivers.
Perhaps more to the point, though, is this: New York's ban against stopping or parking in bike lanes is rarely, if ever, enforced. Will the Capital City do better in making drivers better at respecting the rights and safety of cyclists as well as pedestrians?
If it doesn't, the result will most likely be more injuries and fatalities--and frustrated drivers, which could lead to more deaths and injuries.
Even more important, though, is the design of both lanes and streets. Unless that is improved, no other policy or piece of bicycle "infrastructure" will do anything to help both motorists and cyclists navigate often-chaotic conditions.
04 February 2020
03 February 2020
Am I Worth Half?
Nobody likes it when somebody gets away with murder.
At least, that is my belief. Too often, though, it's put to the test when the dead person is a cyclist. It seems that too many police officers are unwilling to arrest intoxicated or negligent drivers who run down people on bicycles. And, if the cops do their jobs, too many jurors and judges are willing to let such drivers go with a "slap on the wrist."
In fact, hostility is directed toward the cyclist in much the same way it was, not so long ago, directed at rape victims: Somehow, in the minds of some people, the cyclist or rape victim brought it on him/her self.
So, it catches my attention when a hit-and-run driver who kills a cyclist is actually brought to account for her actions.
I used the female pronoun because, in this case, the perpetrator is indeed female. Lacey Jade Jordan of Oakdale, Louisiana was driving a Chevrolet Silverado south on U.S. 165 when she struck Taurus McQuarn, who was cycling in the same direction. She struck him and fled the scene.
Notice that I said "her actions." You see, it's not the first time Ms. Jordan has done something like that. In November 2012, she struck and killed another cyclist along the very same road. Then, she and the cyclist were both traveling on the northbound side.
So, it took two cyclists' deaths before a negligent driver was arrested and charged. Does it mean that, in the eyes of Louisiana law enforcement, each of our lives is worth half of a non-cyclist's life?
At least, that is my belief. Too often, though, it's put to the test when the dead person is a cyclist. It seems that too many police officers are unwilling to arrest intoxicated or negligent drivers who run down people on bicycles. And, if the cops do their jobs, too many jurors and judges are willing to let such drivers go with a "slap on the wrist."
In fact, hostility is directed toward the cyclist in much the same way it was, not so long ago, directed at rape victims: Somehow, in the minds of some people, the cyclist or rape victim brought it on him/her self.
So, it catches my attention when a hit-and-run driver who kills a cyclist is actually brought to account for her actions.
I used the female pronoun because, in this case, the perpetrator is indeed female. Lacey Jade Jordan of Oakdale, Louisiana was driving a Chevrolet Silverado south on U.S. 165 when she struck Taurus McQuarn, who was cycling in the same direction. She struck him and fled the scene.
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| Lacey Jade Jordan |
Notice that I said "her actions." You see, it's not the first time Ms. Jordan has done something like that. In November 2012, she struck and killed another cyclist along the very same road. Then, she and the cyclist were both traveling on the northbound side.
So, it took two cyclists' deaths before a negligent driver was arrested and charged. Does it mean that, in the eyes of Louisiana law enforcement, each of our lives is worth half of a non-cyclist's life?
02 February 2020
If He Sees His Shadow....Let Him Eat Crepes!
Happy Groundhog Day!
As far as I know, Daniel Rebour--who made the drawing of the early Deore crankset in this illustration--never drew an image of Punxsutawney Phil.
Then again, the French (at least as far as I know) don't celebrate Groundhog Day. On the other hand, until recently, they--like other predominantly-Catholic countries--observed Candlemas, a holiday that falls on the same day, exactly 40 days after Christmas and commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the temple.
(Actually, I remember going to Mass on that day when I was a kid. I don't recall whether it was actually a day of obligation or one of those days when you kinda sorta oughta go to church.)
As with many other Catholic/Christian holidays, it coincides with another holiday that preceded the Church. In much of Europe, a feast occured on or about that day to celebrate the winter harvest and commemorate the mid-point of winter.
The French, being the French, made this day about food. (That's one of the things I love about the French.) They still call it "La Chandeleur" (Candlemas), but the real "point" of the day is to--are you ready for this?--eat crepes.
Now there's a holiday I can get with. Of course, simply eating one of those tasty treats won't do: There are all sorts of rituals and superstitions around it. As an example, in some parts of the country, you have to hold a coin in your right hand while flipping it with the left--or simply place a coin on top of the crepe while cooking it. L'argent is for good luck.
Oh, there is one parallel between Groundhog Day and La Chandeleur: People believe that if it rains that day, there will be another 40 days of unsavory weather, while bright and sunny skies mean that winter is almost over.
Hmm...If Punxsutawney Phillippe finds a crepe when he pokes his head out of the ground, what does that mean?
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| From More On Cycling |
As far as I know, Daniel Rebour--who made the drawing of the early Deore crankset in this illustration--never drew an image of Punxsutawney Phil.
Then again, the French (at least as far as I know) don't celebrate Groundhog Day. On the other hand, until recently, they--like other predominantly-Catholic countries--observed Candlemas, a holiday that falls on the same day, exactly 40 days after Christmas and commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the temple.
(Actually, I remember going to Mass on that day when I was a kid. I don't recall whether it was actually a day of obligation or one of those days when you kinda sorta oughta go to church.)
As with many other Catholic/Christian holidays, it coincides with another holiday that preceded the Church. In much of Europe, a feast occured on or about that day to celebrate the winter harvest and commemorate the mid-point of winter.
The French, being the French, made this day about food. (That's one of the things I love about the French.) They still call it "La Chandeleur" (Candlemas), but the real "point" of the day is to--are you ready for this?--eat crepes.
Now there's a holiday I can get with. Of course, simply eating one of those tasty treats won't do: There are all sorts of rituals and superstitions around it. As an example, in some parts of the country, you have to hold a coin in your right hand while flipping it with the left--or simply place a coin on top of the crepe while cooking it. L'argent is for good luck.
Oh, there is one parallel between Groundhog Day and La Chandeleur: People believe that if it rains that day, there will be another 40 days of unsavory weather, while bright and sunny skies mean that winter is almost over.
Hmm...If Punxsutawney Phillippe finds a crepe when he pokes his head out of the ground, what does that mean?
01 February 2020
Backpedaling on Brexit?
Today is Day 1 of Brexit.
In this post--or this blog--I want neither to endorse nor denigrate the move. I can understand why some people wanted it. On the other hand, it's hard not to think that it will ultimately hurt the country in some of the same ways the trade war with China is harming the US. Also, a good chunk of the British economy is fueled by London's financial industry, which owes much of its strength as a "bridge" between America and Europe and, to some extent, Asia.
As a writer and lover of the arts, I also have to wonder how London's and England's cultural communities will be affected: At least some of its vibrancy has to do with its diversity, facilitated by the free flow between the island and the continent--as well as other continents.
Anyway, I got a kick out of this:
In this post--or this blog--I want neither to endorse nor denigrate the move. I can understand why some people wanted it. On the other hand, it's hard not to think that it will ultimately hurt the country in some of the same ways the trade war with China is harming the US. Also, a good chunk of the British economy is fueled by London's financial industry, which owes much of its strength as a "bridge" between America and Europe and, to some extent, Asia.
As a writer and lover of the arts, I also have to wonder how London's and England's cultural communities will be affected: At least some of its vibrancy has to do with its diversity, facilitated by the free flow between the island and the continent--as well as other continents.
Anyway, I got a kick out of this:
31 January 2020
Maybe, After Buying The Bike, She Couldn't Afford The Outfit
Some folks have nightmares about showing up for a ride in the "wrong" outfit. Never mind having a flat or other bicycle malfunction: They worry about not wearing the right team kit, or cycling clothes that are "out". Or--horrror of horrors!--embarking on a ride clad in "civilian" clothes.
The temperature was 5C (40F), but the air was dry. So, after emergency crews treated him, he was OK.
Time was when I had such fears. These days, I ride either whatever I think will be most comfortable or strikes my fancy. The only bike-specific garments I now own are gloves (Do they count?) and a couple of pairs of cold-weather tights.
Worrying about whether you have the "right" bike clothes is what might be called a "first world" problem: more specifically, one endemic to certain segments of cyclists in the developed world.
I'm not sure that children anywhere worry much about what they wear when they're riding. Their nightmares might have to do with not wearing clothes at all: Children often wake up in terror after going to school or some other place, naked, in their dream-world.
Unfortunately, for one 4-year-old boy in Gastonia, North Carolina, such a nightmare was all too real. At half past midnight on Thursday, he was seen riding his bike naked, in the middle of the road in front of--are you ready for this?--a nightclub.
The temperature was 5C (40F), but the air was dry. So, after emergency crews treated him, he was OK.
Things didn't end so well for his mother, though. She now faces charges of child abuse and resisting her arrest.
In an earlier post, I wrote about Naked Bike Rides. I don't think this is what they had in mind, though!
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