Today I commuted along the route that includes the promenade along the World's Fair Marina. I went there, in part, to see the condition of the path. It was surprisingly good.
However, the shore it skirts didn't fare quite so well.
Nor did the Marina.
Still, I was able to commute with Vera. In short, I could still ride my bike. There are some things for which I am grateful.
Whatever their flaws, dedicated bike lanes seem to increase the number of cyclists, particularly commuters and utility cyclists. At least, that's what I'd conclude from my own observations, however representative they may or may not be.
I, along with WE Bike, are going to do some research on the topic. We'd like to know not only whether (and, if so, by how much) the number of cyclists increases after bike laned are constructed or set aside. Also, if the number does indeed increase, we'd be curious to know what types of cyclists are increasing in number. Are they mainly commuters, recreational cyclists or some other kinds of riders? Also--as you might expect from WE Bike--we'd like to know whether the number of female cyclists increases as a result of lanes opening.
Why does that last question matter? Well, even though the number of female cyclists has certainly increased, the vast majority of pedalers one sees, at least in this city, are male. Are there actual or perceived barriers to cycling for women (and girls) that are, at least partially, eliminated when lanes are opened?
Although there was a time--in my days as Nick--when I was lifting weights and doing other kinds of training in addition to my cycling, I don't think I ever became a "gym rat." In fact, I have not spent much time in gyms since I was in college. The atmosphere in most is oppressive, albeit in different ways: Some gyms are simply physically depressing, others were little more than glorified singles bars and still others--the ones used mainly by young men--were just terrifying to me.
In other words, I never felt the safety or solitude that I have on my bike. Riding a stationary bike in a gym never had the same appeal for me that the open road or trail has.
I guess other people feel something like I feel. That might be the reason why someone invented this:
I guess the inventor of this figured that if one couldn't bring a bike into the gym, one could instead bring the gym to the bike!
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