Is It The Most Unsafe Bike Lane?

 In this blog, I have written about poorly-conceived, designed, constructed and maintained cycle lanes.  There are “bike lanes to nowhere” (which can be sung to a certain Led Zeppelin tune), those that begin seemingly out of nowhere and ones that put cyclists —and pedestrians and wheelchair users—in more danger than they would face among motorized traffic. Oh, and there was one that ran smack into a supporting column for elevated train tracks.

But there is another hazard that, according to some planners and even path users, can’t be designed away:  Lanes that are safe, useful and even scenic by day become alleys of potential terror, especially for those of us who don’t present as male.

Such is the case for a popular 24km (15 mile) ribbon that connects Bristol and Bath in the UK. Because it passes through other fairly-major cities along the way, it’s popular with commuters as well as recreational cyclists—by day.

When darkness falls, however, so does the path’s safety. “It’s like walking down a dark alley on a night out,” said Bristol-based cyclist Rosalie Hoskins.  She and other cyclists have described their experiences, or recounted those of others, who have been jumped or ambushed and had their bikes or e-bikes stolen by masked moped riders. There are also other reports of anti-social behavior, such as drunkenness and drug use, along the lane.

While the B2B, as it’s commonly called, has been declared the “most unsafe” bike lane in Britain, the problems described are hardly unique. Indeed, on various bike lanes here in New York, I have nearly hit, or been hit by, people hanging out in the path, not to mention drivers—especially those of for-hire car services—pulling in and out or double-parking.

And while I haven’t heard as much about crime against cyclists, runners or pedestrians in Central Park as I did during the ‘70’s, ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, I was aware of the possibility when, on Monday, I rode the length of it uptown about an hour after it got dark. As I descended the curves to the exit at 7th Avenue (Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard) in Harlem, I thought about the possibility of someone—or some group—hiding in the bushes, ready to spring on an unsuspecting rider or runner:  a common occurrence in the bad old days. One reason why such attacks may be less common is that many more people pedal, run, jog, walk or simply hang out in the park than in times past.  And while more lighting may or may not improve safety, I think some would oppose it because they believe it would detract from the park’s ambience—which may be a reason why some other path aren’t better-lit or more surveilled.

I concur, however, with Bristol cyclist and PhD student George Rowland when he  says more emphasis should be placed on making roads safer for cyclists.  They already have lighting and open space, and making them more cyclist-friendly and -usable will do more to encourage people to pedal to work, school, shop or have fun than segregating us.

Black Friday And Why I Didn’t Start My Own Shop

 In earlier posts, I mentioned that I worked in bicycle shops, as a mechanic, assembler and salesperson, on and off from the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s.  For about four years, in total, it was my “day job;” the rest of the time, I worked during school breaks or “in between jobs” (translation: when I was otherwise unemployed). 

Although I mostly enjoyed my experiences, they are also the reason why I didn’t open a shop of my own when I had the opportunity.  Oh, most the customer interactions were pleasant:  People are usually in a good mood when they’re buying bikes or accessories and happy when you can fix whatever was ailing them (the bikes, I mean). But the business side of it is another story.

One shop in which I worked had, like most good shops, a mechanic (or, at least someone who understands quality bikes) as a proprietor. His “silent partner,” however, was cut from a different jersey material. He had been a customer at a shop where the head honcho worked and was duly impressed with his skills and ambition. So, he fronted the money the shop’s “owner “ needed to open.

He was a nice enough guy. (Full disclosure: He did a couple of fairly significant favors for me.) But he made most of his money on Wall Street because, as he said, he was “good with numbers” and, as he admitted, “had a bit of luck sometimes.”

For all of his business and actuarial acumen, he simply could not understand why, as  busy as the shop was, the return on his investment was so small. A few years after I last worked in that shop, he “pulled the plug” and the mechanic/proprietor’s dream didn’t last much longer.

I would have been in a similar situation had I taken up an offer of “seed money” to start my own shop. The person who offered it wasn’t even a cyclist, let alone someone who understood the bike business. She simply would not believe that the wholesale price of a $700 bike (which, at that time, was “upper middle class”) was around $500. I didn’t even get to explain to her that a shop would have to pay someone like me to assemble it—and rent, utilities and other expenses that are part of running a business.

I thought about that experience a while back, when I came across this article:  “Why big outsider companies (almost) always fail in the bike business.”

Among other things, automotive, tech and other capital-intensive companies don’t understand dynamics like the one I described, or much else about the bike business. For one thing, it’s composed of much smaller companies and dealers than, say, BMW. Speaking of which, cycling doesn’t have “prestige” brands like the aforementioned automaker or Cadillac—or “crossover “ names like Nike that straddle the line between sports attire and fashion. While some bike companies offer nothing but junk and a few make small numbers of high-end and custom bikes, most offer a range of models at different price points. So when someone tells me, for example, that a friend has a Cannondale or Trek, I ask, “Which model?”

Also, as the article points out, customer’s preferences in one business don’t necessarily translate into bicycles. As an example, people interested in “power” sports or vehicles (like speed boats) aren’t necessarily interested in bikes, or even e-bikes.

So why am I discussing the “weirdness” of the bicycle industry today?  Well, I’ll bring you back to the “silent”’ partner of the shop where I worked and my would-have-been partner, who wouldn’t have been so silent. Those small-to-non-existent profit margins are the reason why you won’t see, comparatively, many bicycles on sale today, Black Friday.  And most of the bikes that are marked down are lower-end models: Paradoxically, the more expensive bikes have smaller margins, percentage-wise.

So, if you are looking for bike-related bargains today, you’re more likely to find them among accessories and apparel. The latter is likely to consist of “leftovers “ (I couldn’t resist a Thanksgiving pun!), as retailers are looking to move this (or last) year’s merchandise to make way for new stuff. So, you might not find the size you need or the colors and designs you prefer.

Happy Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s raining here in New York.  I could go for a ride:  After all, I have bikes with fenders.  Maybe I will.  Or I could go to the Botanical Garden, where the air will be fresh, even sweet.

Later this afternoon, I’m going to have dinner with my new friend and riding buddy, “Sam,” and his girlfriend. I probably will take a ride, however brief, tomorrow. In years past, I’ve avoided cycling on the day after Thanksgiving, a.k.a. Black Friday because drivers lose their minds pulling in and out of parking lots and spaces by the stores and malls running “sales.” But during the past few years, I’ve noticed less motor traffic, as more people are shopping online.

Whatever you do, enjoy this day!