tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140693462024-03-13T15:18:34.325-04:00Bike Yeara utility cycling experimentJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-83995744814981012842010-06-04T10:12:00.007-04:002010-06-04T10:59:24.627-04:00Picking the Right Bike, Part One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/TAkOmry_zfI/AAAAAAAAAKw/oQEkjudTIEw/s1600/trekbelleville.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/TAkOmry_zfI/AAAAAAAAAKw/oQEkjudTIEw/s400/trekbelleville.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478926479427358194" /></a><br /><div>What kind of bike is best for commuting and running errands around Savannah? A bike is a bike is a bike, right? Aren't they all pretty much the same? You certainly might get that impression from reading sellers' vague descriptions of their bicycles for sale on Savannah Craiglist. An ad for an automobile written in a similar fashion would look like this:</div><blockquote>Car is red in color with some black. Looks nice. Has gears. Just put air in tires. I haven't driven it too much. One of the breaks [sic] doesn't always work. Don't need it anymore so I am selling. E-mail to see photo. Location: Savannah. It's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests.</blockquote><br />Try to picture this car in your head. My image is a 1991 Toyota station wagon. Yours could be a 1975 Pontiac Gran Prix. When asked what they drive, most people will tell you the make, model and year. But ask some people to describe their bicycles and they'll lapse into some sort of bicycular <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia">prosopagnosia</a>. "I don't know, I think it's a Huffy? It's blue!"<br /><br />The truth is not all bicycles are the same and some are better for commuting and utility cycling than others. Some brands and models are better than others. And when it comes to bikes, newer isn't always better. Make, model and year are details you need to know. And there's more. Bikes set up specifically to transport you and your stuff to work and around town, day or night, have features that are usually missing from bikes designed for purely recreational use. <div><br /></div><div>Back when I stated this blog, <a href="http://bikeyear.blogspot.com/2005/08/utility-bikes-off-rack.html">I lamented the fact that it was nearly impossible to buy a bicycle equipped for commuting and daily transportation</a>. Installation of aftermarket parts was almost always necessary. But that's all changed now. Almost every major bicycle manufacturer offers at least one such model, like the <a href="http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/urban/eco_design/belleville/">Trek Belleville</a> above. Some offer complete lines. Today you should be able to walk into most of our local bike shops* and ride out on a proper commuting/utility bike.<br /><br /><div>Sometimes described as "urban bikes," they usually share some common characteristics that make them ideally suited for safe and comfortable daily use:<br /><br /><div><ul><li>Rigid forks (No shocks or other sproingy things)</li><li>Fenders</li><li>Front and rear lights</li><li>Front and rear (or both) cargo racks</li><li>Wide but smooth (not knobby) tires</li><li>A single gear or limited number of gears</li><li>An upright riding position</li></ul></div><div><br />"But I've seen bikes that have 124 gears," you say. "Don't I need all those cogs and chainrings?"<br /><br />No. It's flat here and many people do just fine on single speed bikes. Others like three- or five-speed drive trains. Ten speeds is the absolute ceiling. Anything more than that is overkill.<br /><br />"But I've seen bikes with springs or shocks on the seat, seat post, handlebar stem, and front and rear wheels," you say. "Won't I be uncomfortable on a bike without them?"<br /><br />Unless your daily commute includes riding over River Street's cobblestones or you have spine or other joint problems, the answer is no. Rigid frame bikes are perfectly capable of navigating most of our streets. And there's more good news. Without all the shocks and springs to absorb your pedaling efforts, more of your energy is transmitted into moving the bike. I strongly recommend tires on the wider end of the spectrum. They'll cushion the ride a bit. But more importantly, street surfaces and other road features such as drainage grates can grab and hold narrow tires. The bike will stop moving but you won't. I like a tire that can roll over, not into these obstacles.<br /><br /><i>* I should note here that buying a bicycle from a bicycle shop is far and away a better idea than buying a bike from Walmart or K-Mart. I know, I know. They sell bikes for less than $100. Yes, Yes. I saw that bike at Target that has almost all of the things on the list above. But here's the thing: You get what you pay for in terms of product and service. The bikes at discount stores are generally made of the cheapest components and materials, then assembled by bored teenagers. Meanwhile, the least expensive bike on the sales floor at a reputable local bike shop will always be superior to anything you find in the sporting goods department or toy aisle at the big box. What's more, the professionals at the local bike shop will see that your bike is properly assembled and adjusted before you wheel it away. Finally, they will make sure you buy a bike that fits you. This is critically important and will be discussed in a future post.</i><br /><br />Now you're asking, "What if I can't afford a brand new 'urban' bike?" Or maybe, "I already have a bike or know someone who will give me one. How can I tell if it is good candidate for conversion to commuting and transportational use?<br /><br />We'll answer these questions in the next exciting installment.<br /></div></div></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-92094575712409643272010-06-02T11:36:00.010-04:002010-06-02T17:43:48.566-04:00Taking responsibility for my role in the oil spill catastrophe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/book_shelf/2110_TMF24-2010-06-01-2100.pdf"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/TAakgpS46LI/AAAAAAAAAKU/FCaviyXirBw/s400/Picture+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478246877490636978" border="0" /></a><br />I've never been to coastal Louisiana, but I have spent plenty of time in Florida's Gulf waters. For instance, a childhood friend and I snorkeled in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_Sound">Santa Rosa Sound</a> for days on end during annual vacations with his family. We kept notebooks in which we logged the species of fish we'd seen. These are fond boyhood memories. Generations of children will likely be denied the chance to create similar memories of their own.<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10217739.stm"><br />Oil could begin washing up on the beaches of Pensacola as soon as today.</a><br /><br />There's plenty of anger to go around with blame being focused on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BP</span>, the federal government and even "<a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/02/palin-targets-xtreme-greenies-opposed-to-drilling/?fbid=YuUnkt83qQ2">Extreme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Greenies</span></a>." I'm angry, too. But I have no right to be. The truth is I am partially to blame for what's happening in the Gulf of Mexico. Each of us, who grasps a steering wheel when we have other means to get where we are going, has oil on our hands.<br /><br />It's true that many of us must drive every single day because of job requirements or health issues. Others — by choice or circumstance — live in places where automobiles are the only way in and out of our neighborhoods. As a nation we have spent the last half century and untold fortunes reconfiguring our lifestyles, landscapes and livelihoods around cars. As a result, many of us have no choice but to keep filling up our gas tanks as the oil keeps gushing into the gulf and washing up on beaches.<br /><br />Still, many of us do have a choice and we choose to keep driving. In a written statement to the House Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming last year, <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/">League of American Bicyclists</a> president Andy Clarke presented these findings from the Department of Transportation’s National Household Travel Survey:<br /><br /><blockquote>"In our metropolitan areas, more than 40 percent of all trips are two miles or less – a very manageable bike ride – and more than one-quarter are just one mile or less. Furthermore, the data shows that within that 28.3 percent of the trips that are one mile or less in urbanized areas, 65.7 percent are made by auto. This means that 18.6 percent of all trips in metropolitan areas are auto trips that are one mile or less."<br /></blockquote><br />How many daily car trips in Savannah do these statistics describe? How many of my car trips fall into this category? Too many. I helped increase the insatiable demand for oil that turned risky propositions like the Deepwater Horizon into viable (and profitable) ventures. I can feel guilty or hopeless about the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. Or I can begin to wash the oil off my hands. Bob Herbert wrote about the choice <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/opinion/01herbert.html">yesterday in the New York Times</a>:<br /><blockquote><br />"The first thing we can do is conserve more. That’s the low-hanging fruit in any clean-energy strategy. It’s fast, cheap and easy. It’s something that all Americans, young and old, can be asked to participate in immediately. In that sense, it’s a way of combating the pervasive feelings of helplessness that have become so demoralizing and so destructive to our long-term interests."</blockquote><br />Since I started this blog almost five years ago, transportational bicycling has become part of my daily life. So much so that it became too unremarkable to write about. I have, however, yielded to the temptation to drive more often than I like to admit. Perhaps I was pressed for time, worried about the weather or simply being lazy. Each time I've climbed behind the wheel when I really didn't have to, I increased my share of responsibility for the now unfolding environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. What's more, by choosing to drive I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">forfeited</span> the health, economic and overall happiness benefits I could have enjoyed if I'd ridden my bike instead.<br /><br />I'll continue to post at <a href="http://sustainablesavannah.com/">Sustainable Savannah</a>, but I will again start using this blog to track my personal progress toward the goal of riding more and driving less. I hope I can inspire others to do the same. I'm not kidding myself. I know that I will have to drive for longer trips and that oil is part of almost everything I buy. <a href="http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3124">It's even a part of nearly everything I eat.</a> While I can and will take steps to reduce my consumption of oil in these areas, I can exercise greater and more immediate control over how I move around my community.<br /><br />I am not helpless. I have a choice. Join me.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-33749781342216969062008-08-24T14:58:00.008-04:002008-08-24T15:54:58.396-04:00Signing off for now<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Head_test_card"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SLG3NlGHX_I/AAAAAAAAAGw/zz99gFsv-1o/s400/800px-TESTPATTERN_RCA_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238169285532540914" border="0" /></a><br />Maintaining this blog doesn't really require much effort from me, as evidenced by the infrequency of my posts and their generally low quality. However, feeling guilty about not updating the site is surprisingly time consuming. In addition, my situation as a cyclist is much changed since I started Bike Year, as described in <a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2008/07/ive-found-my-people.html">my last post</a>. So for now, I've decided to discontinue updating the site and reallocate the time and mental energy I previously used worrying over it. I'm going to need all I can get as a new <a href="http://valdosta.edu/pa/dpa/dpanewsarticle.shtml">doctoral student</a>. I will continue posting, often about bicycle related issues, at <a href="http://sustainablesavannah.com/">Sustainable Savannah</a>.<br /><br />I recognize that folks still somehow find their way Bike Year (again, despite my failure to update it) and sometimes find it useful, so I'm not planning to take it down. I hope to pick it up again after the end of fall semester in December. Maybe I'll even offer another installment of the <a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2006/12/gifts-for-tentative-utility-cyclist.html">Tentative Utility Cyclist Gift Guide </a> series, which the all-seeing eye of Google Analytics tells me are some of the most viewed posts on the site. Before I go away, however, I'd like to answer Adam's questions. He wrote:<br /><blockquote>"I moved here in May and am planning to join you in your commuting as soon as I get a bike for it. Besides Habersham and Lincoln, are there any other streets that you know of that have bike lanes or perhaps know of a map of Savannah with bike lanes marked? Also, I think it would be nice to have a list of places that have bike racks in town. Any idea if such a list exists?"</blockquote>Welcome to Savannah, Adam! The answers to both your questions are yes and no.<br /><br />First, as you have no doubt discovered, Savannah has very few pavement marked bicycle lanes. However, you can see a map of all designated bike routes in the county by downloading the 2000 Chatham County Bikeway Plan from the <a href="http://thempc.org/">Metropolitan Planning Commission Web site</a>. Click <a href="http://thempc.org/documents/Transportation/Reports/2000ChathamCountyBikewayPlan.pdf">here</a> for the .pdf. A word of caution about this document: As the title suggests, it is nearly a decade old and in dire need of updating.<br /><br />Another option is a map created earlier this year by the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority as part of its <a href="http://www.savannahtransit.com/?p=10">Dump the Pump</a> alternative commuting promotion. Kristin Hyser may have some left over. She can be contacted through the <a href="http://sdra.net/">SDRA Web site</a>. Or you can download a .pdf by clicking <a href="http://www.savannahtransit.com/pictures/DtPMap.pdf">here</a>.But another caveat: The map shows bike route and rack locations only in the National Historic Landmark District. And it will be out of date soon, as the City of Savannah will be deploying new bike racks, thanks to the hard work of the city's director of parking and mobility and daily bicycle commuter, Sean Brandon.<br /><br />I suppose, Adam, the real answer to both your questions is the <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/">Savannah Bicycle Campaign</a>. Bicycle facilities, including parking, are high on the group's priority list. Please consider <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/category/get-involved/">getting involved</a> or coming out for one of our <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/category/events/">events</a>. We'd love to have your help in making Savannah a better place for cyclists, which will make it a better place for everyone.<br /><br />And with that, I'll say so long for now. See you in December.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-86721793514338137582008-07-16T17:14:00.005-04:002008-07-16T17:36:32.711-04:00I've found my people<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SH5lf0yLi6I/AAAAAAAAAGo/03m-yO1KecQ/s1600-h/91050165_L.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SH5lf0yLi6I/AAAAAAAAAGo/03m-yO1KecQ/s400/91050165_L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223724215215819682" border="0" /></a>Whoops! Another Bike Year has expired and I totally forgot to mark this historic occasion with a post of some kind. In <a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2006/06/end-is-near.html">June 2006</a><a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2006/06/end-is-near.html"> I asked readers if I should continue it past the one year mark</a>. An overwhelming surge of public support (five comments) convinced me to continue. But at least I'm doing better than last year, when <a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2007/08/first-post-of-new-bike-year.html">I waited until the middle of August</a> to acknowledge the passage of another Bike Year. I'm almost a whole month ahead of schedule.<br /></div><br />If I could identify one trend in my bicycle experiences over the last year, it would be this: My cycling life has become a lot less solitary. Previously I saw myself as existing apart of the rest of the cycling world. As a transportational cyclist, I didn't fit well into the other local cycling tribes.<br /><br />But I'm no longer a lone wolf.<br /><br />You see, I've been able to meet more of my fellow cyclists. And by "meet" I mean that I've actually met with them. And ridden bikes with them. And stood around waiting for television reporters with them. This is very different from Bike Year One, when most of my bicycle pals lived on the Internet. Before April of this year, the largest group I'd ever ridden with included three other cyclists (Well, at least as an adult. I remember riding in some large pods of BMX bikes as a kid). Over the last three months I've shared pleasant rides with groups ranging from 30 to 250 others. And there's another ride coming up this Sunday.<br /><br />What accounts from the remarkable change in direction? Three words: <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/">Savannah Bicycle Campaign</a>.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-77617687203825956522008-06-13T20:41:00.006-04:002008-06-14T06:34:18.172-04:00Better car designs needed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.designsojourn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/flintstones-car.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.designsojourn.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/flintstones-car.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />While there have been advancements in automobile designs over the years, they remain in many ways very primitive machines. Sure, you can have an <a href="http://www.cartoys.com/cartoys/webpage.cfm/webpage_id/101/action/incartheater">in-car theater system</a> installed or get a GPS thingy to tell you where to turn, but the modern motorist still faces the same old problems as his or her ancestors back in the caveman days.<br /><br />For instance, facing forward is good for seeing what's in front of the car and all, but there are certain situations in which it is a major hassle. Imagine that you are trying to steer your car while simultaneously screaming obscenities at a bicyclist who is following in your starboard wake. There are really no good options. The only practical way to handle this is to stick your head out of the window, turn to your right and try to yell over the top of the car with your chin hovering above the roof.<br /><br />Detroit, can you help with this, please?<br /><br />I discovered recently how this serious limitation in car design impacts motorists. I watched a woman endure great difficulty as she offered a lengthy critique of how I was operating my vehicle, while at the same time trying to drive her own. Some of the only bits of her lecture I was able to make out were, "get your dumb ass out of the road," and what a presume was a threat. At least I think that she was insinuating with, "I'll run your ass over."<br /><br />Truth be told, I invited the chain of events that led to her impromptu, but impassioned speech. There's a squeeze point on my homeward bound commute just south of Anderson Street. Because there are almost always cars parked on the street around the intersection, my habit is to take the lane, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">communicating to</span> motorists that it is not safe to pass. In almost every case motorists recognize what I'm doing and wait until I clear the row of parked cars and move right before passing me.<br /><br />I guess I didn't move far enough left in the lane, because the motorist I've described above decided to pass me with just inches between her right fender and my left elbow. Displeased, I sounded my horn. This startled her front seat passenger, who — since he was not wearing a seat belt — nearly jumped into her lap. It took her a couple seconds to take stock of the situation, but once she had a read on it, her head and torso were outside the car. Luckily, she was not wearing a seat belt either, so she was able to quickly assume screaming position.<br /><br />She kept it up for about a block, periodically swerving into the other lane. I pedaled along watching her grapple with her car's obvious design flaw. She'd launch a burst of profanity, then pop back into the car to check her rear view mirror for my reaction. Employing a strategy I'd read about on the Internet, each time she emerged to deliver her missives, I smiled and waved. This spurred her to on to several encores. Until she eventually turned onto a side street.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the hit and run driver who injured two cyclists on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tybee</span> Road <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/2008/06/02/tybee-road-hit-and-run/">is still at large</a>.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-4646142602240734032008-06-02T21:27:00.002-04:002008-06-04T09:30:11.415-04:00Two cyclists injured in hit and run on Tybee Road, driver sought by policeWTOC-TV and WSAV-TV report that two cyclists were hit on U.S. Highway 80 near Fort Pulaski on Friday. From one of the victims:<br /><blockquote>"I've been told it was a white van and it's missing the passenger rear view mirror and passenger head lamp," said Chiang. "I hope they turn themselves in or someone find them because it's not right to leave two kids when they have been hit by a car, not right at all."<br /></blockquote>Read the full story <a href="http://www.wtoc.com/global/story.asp?s=8413175">here</a> and <a href="http://www.wsav.com/midatlantic/sav/news.apx.-content-articles-SAV-2008-06-02-0019.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/509891">A story in today's Savannah Morning News</a> gives more information and reports the driver is still at large:<br /><p></p><blockquote>"You hate to think it was intentional, but it sure looked that way," said Jim Pedrick, who witnessed the incident along with his wife. Pedrick, a Lafarge Cement Co. worker, said his wife alerted him of the bicyclists on the shoulder of U.S. 80, so he changed lanes to allow for more room. "I was going 50 miles per hour, so the truck had to be going faster than me," Pedrick said After the pickup struck both bicyclists, the driver sped off toward Savannah, Pedrick said.</blockquote><p></p>Anyone with information on the hit and run is asked contact the <a href="http://www.savannahpd.org/cityweb/spd.nsf">Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department</a> or Crime Stoppers 912-234-2020.<br /><br />This is the second time this year a motorist has hit a cyclist and left the scene. Back in January <a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2008/01/cyclist-seriously-injured-on-lincoln.html">a cyclist was hit and seriously injured</a> by a hit and run driver downtown. And last night a <a href="http://pacesavannah.org/2008/06/04/police-searching-for-hit-and-run-driver-who-killed-child/">child was killed by a hit and run driver</a> on Abercorn Street. That murderous motorist is also still at large.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-323696861695652772008-05-30T17:34:00.004-04:002008-05-30T17:54:43.296-04:00Exposing the media bicycle biasRecently on a television program called "Fox & Friends," I caught the end of a report from a youthful correspondent, who interviewed other young people about their use of bicycles for transportation. Her conclusion: While there are some benefits to getting around on a bike, that doesn't change the fact that riding bicycles is, as everyone knows, for nerds.<br /><br />Thanks for telling it like it is, Fox!<br /><br />Yet this morning on "Today," <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NBC's</span> man in Miami approvingly covered the "growing popularity" of bicycle commuting. Kerry Sanders was actually aboard a bicycle as he filed his report, which included an adult female who rides her bike to work and — get this — also rides the thing to the grocery store and uses it to handle other errands. No mention was made of her social awkwardness or fan fiction hobby.<br /><br />I became suspicious.<br /><br />Meanwhile, back over on "Fox & Friends," the crew welcomed "radio heavyweights Rick and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bubba</span>" for a segment that Fox Friend Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kilmeade</span> proclaimed "flat out fun." Take heart Americans! The "two sexiest fat men alive" have a three pronged plan to solve the problem of high fuel prices. And no, nerds, none of them involve bicycles:<br /><br />1. Eliminate all taxes on gasoline.<br />2. Drill for all the oil that's sloshing around under our feet here right here in the U.S.A.<br />3. Invade other countries and take their oil by force. This idea, they admitted, might be "a little controversial."<br /><br />Now that's some first class "family entertainment with Christian values" for you!<br /><br />Inspired by Rick and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bubba</span>, I set out to expose the "Today" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">show's</span> pro-bicycle propaganda for what it is. I quickly discovered NBC is in the pocket of Big Bike. Don't believe me? Here's something the folks at the Rainbow Chicken network don't want you to know: According to my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Lauer">secret Internet source</a>, Matt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lauer's</span> father was a "bicycle company executive."<br /><br />Still don't believe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lauer</span> is a member of the shadowy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bicycular</span> elite, determined to use his position at the "Today" anchor desk to further the agenda of radical bicyclists? Check out this incriminating photograph of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lauer</span> I found on a <a href="http://boeingblogs.com/randy/archives/2007/08/">blog</a> associated with <a href="http://boeing.com">a company that fabricates large aluminum tubes</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://boeingblogs.com/randy/images/Matt-Lauer-on-bike2.jpg%20"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://boeingblogs.com/randy/images/Matt-Lauer-on-bike2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-31860092876783240952008-05-27T18:58:00.009-04:002008-05-30T19:29:39.763-04:00Bike Month Update Part 2<span style="font-weight: bold;">Scofflaw cyclists or skewed perspective?</span><br /><br />In a <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/503136">letter to the editor</a> published last week in the Savannah Morning News (scroll down to "Cyclists need road manners, too"), a motorist catalogs traffic infractions committed by a pair of cyclists. While at least one of his charges is valid — riding without lights at dusk is a very bad idea — it's a little hard to follow our narrator's account of having "experienced" two cyclists. They are accused first of traveling fast and then of riding slowly. Our motorist claims the cyclists were riding side by side (legal under state law) but then identifies one of them as the "front rider." Did he encounter them on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Habersham</span> Street or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kensington</span> Drive? And how could they turn "into" Reynolds? As far as I can tell neither <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Habersham</span> nor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kensington</span> intersects Reynolds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SDyTEbDxA1I/AAAAAAAAAGg/jq1fu2_KQ0g/s1600-h/Picture+8.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SDyTEbDxA1I/AAAAAAAAAGg/jq1fu2_KQ0g/s400/Picture+8.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205196973525762898" border="0" /></a><br />Contradictory and confusing information aside, our motorist's chief complaint seems to be that the cyclists were "backing up traffic" as he "patiently waited," prevented from "swinging around them" by oncoming traffic. What if we look at the scenario from a different angle? Maybe these cyclists were every bit the rude, reckless and irresponsible individuals they are portrayed to be, but how does this chain of events appear when not viewed through the windshield?<br /><br />Could it be that the cyclists were taking the lane to prevent our motorist from endangering their lives? State law allows cyclists to move to the center of the lane when it is too narrow to share safely with a motor vehicle. Our motorist notes that one cyclist made an impolite hand gesture as he overtook them. Is that such a surprise? Would he not be upset if he was in the midst of a left turn when another motorist passed on his left?<br /><br />But the real question is this: Has our motorist written similar letters to the editor chronicling the hazardous driving he witnesses on a daily basis? Surely he sees many more examples of reckless behavior perpetrated by other motorists. If he doesn't see them, then he's driving around with his eyes closed. What makes the cyclists more suitable targets of a scolding letter than the inattentive and aggressive drivers, who are much more common on local streets and represent a much greater danger to our motorist and other roadway users?<br /><br />Finally, our motorist warns cyclists that "they are not going to fare as well as the vehicle they come in contact with." I've not met a single cyclist who thinks he or she is going to come out on top in a collision with a car. That's not to say that cyclists don't make bad decisions. It's just that they are not motivated by the belief that they will emerge unscathed from a car vs. bike crash. And really, which party should shoulder the most responsibility? Seems to me it should be the operator of the vehicle most likely to cause injury or death.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Another commuting first</span><br /><br />My commute to work yesterday was unlike any I've ever made. From Victory Drive all the way to Huntington Street, I saw only a handful of cars and none of them were anywhere near me. I saw them way up in the distance, but I never shared the same block of Lincoln Street with them. However, I did see a dozen other cyclists. Of course I recognize that a lot of people had the day off because of the holiday, but it sure was nice to imagine what it would be like if cyclists outnumbered motorists every day.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-54697908839161982452008-05-12T21:11:00.008-04:002008-05-17T09:13:30.975-04:00Bike Month Update<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Bob_Seger_-_Night_Moves.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 169px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Bob_Seger_-_Night_Moves.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">I've been warned</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>I awoke last Sunday morning to the sound of thunder. How far off I sat and wondered. Started humming a song from 1976 and for the rest of the day I couldn't get "Night Moves" out of my head.<br /><br />Rain was in the forecast, so I jumped on the bike and went out for a ride. I figured I'd be inside for the rest of the day. I was heading east on Washington Avenue when a silver Crown Victoria overtook me. Just before it passed, I received a blast from its horn. I caught up with the driver as she was exiting the car at the corner of Washington and Waters. I said good morning and asked if she could please resist the urge honk at cyclists as she passed.<br /><br />She said, "I honked to warn you that I was behind you."<br /><br />I said, "I knew you were there. Blowing your horn wasn't necessary."<br /><br />She said, "You were in the middle of the road and you should have a light on the back of your bike."<br /><br />For the record, I was not in the middle of the road. I was actually farther right than I usually ride. And I did my <a href="http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3034.html">Planet Bike Superflash</a> was on the back of my bike. It wasn't on. But, obviously she saw me and honked so why was she suggesting that I needed a light? Somewhat befuddled, I managed this reply.<br /><br />I said, "The problem with honking at a cyclist is that your attempt to warn them might <span style="font-style: italic;">actually</span> startle them into your path."<br /><br />She said, "You were in the middle of the road," and started to walk away.<br /><br />I said, "Please, just think twice before honking at a cyclists again," and wished her a pleasant morning.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A mirror image commute</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Monday brought a first for me. Despite the fact that I've commuted to work on a bicycle almost every day for a couple years now, I've never found myself in the company of the same bicycle commuter on both the way to work and the way home. But this morning, a guy on a gold Specialized mountain bike pulled up next to me as I waited for the light to change at the corner of Habersham Street and Victory Drive. That afternoon, he pulled up next to me on the other side of the same intersection. We started talking and I discovered he's the guy who wrote this <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/483074">excellent letter to the editor</a> (scroll down past Tom Barton's head to "'Dump the Pump' is a great start").<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Test riding the Wheelie</span><br /></div><br />After work I quickly changed clothes and pedaled over to Historic Grayson Stadium to meet up with other members of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. Our purpose was to reconnoiter the route for <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/2008/04/29/may-18-savannah-wheelie/">Sunday's Savannah Wheelie ride</a>, which will include the mysterious Police Memorial Trail and portions of the Parkside Historic District. Everyone who rides in the Wheelie can purchase a ticket to see the Savannah Sand Gnats take on the Greenville Drive for $2 off the normal general admission price.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Official Endorsements<br /><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2341/2432764358_b29d87ffd3.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 241px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2341/2432764358_b29d87ffd3.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>While I'm very pleased that Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson and Chatham County Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis participated in <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/2008/04/23/savanah-wheelie-earth-day-ride/">last month's Savannah Wheelie ride</a>, I'm even more impressed with the ongoing commitment to cycling demonstrated by other city officials. Mary Landers catalogs some of them in <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/498772">her story</a> about yesterday's Dump the Pump Coffee Break.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">From the Bike Year Mailbag</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Jason:</span> Roc Bike is the first missing link that's no longer missing.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Christy:</span> I'm presume you've tried Bicycle Link, Quality Bikes, Island Cycles and Star Bikes? If so, I guess your only other option is to keep an eye open for a trailer to show up on Craig's List or watch for a new trailer to go on sale from Nashbar or another mail order house. I have seen trailers at Goodwill, but not on a regular basis. Sorry I can't be of more help.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Matt: </span>I'm glad you're OK. You should certainly get the driver's number if you are hit by a car. What's more, I'd say you should call the police as well. Why? To understand how many car vs. bicycle crashes occur, it's important that these incidents are reported. I didn't follow my own advice when this happened to me and I realize now I made a mistake.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-40781879310469548052008-05-05T21:17:00.009-04:002008-05-06T08:14:49.328-04:00In search of missing links/First Bike Month post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SB-zzEPvdBI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/e4wsFMlw-jw/s1600-h/missing+link.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 240px;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SB-zzEPvdBI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/e4wsFMlw-jw/s400/missing+link.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197070184903308306" border="0" /></a>Last month I started work on a little rehab project here at Bike Year. As some of you may have noticed, I failed to measure twice and cut once. The result being I lopped off the links section. So, if you keep a bicycle-related blog and include Bike Year as a link from your site, please let me know in in the comments section so I can reciprocate.<br /><br />In other news, I thought I'd celebrate <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/">Bike Month</a> by returning to this site's roots. Throughout May I'm going to post boring accounts of my commutes and other utility cycling non-adventures. Not since the thrilling post about the guy pulling the lawnmower in the bike lane has this URL seen so much excitement. I'm sure everyone is hanging on the edges of their seats awaiting the first astonishing episode, so without further delay, away we ride:<br /><br />I'm noticed that dispensing stations are charging higher prices for car juice these days. Some folks are saying the prices are too high, despite the fact that my fellow Americans and I don't even pay full price for the gasoline we use. In fact, <a href="http://www.gastaxscam.com/">two of my fellow citizens are floating a crazy scheme that will actually accelerate demand and increase prices!</a><br /><br />Still, I didn't see much evidence that higher prices are influencing local driving habits this morning (nor did I notice any change two and a half years ago, <a href="http://www.bikeyear.org/2005/10/still-cheap-enough-to-waste.html">when gas prices spiked to then record levels</a>). Motorists still seem willing to burn extra fuel to escape the humiliation of driving behind a cyclist. This is the case even when the race to overtake a bicycle clearly ends just yards ahead at a stop sign or traffic signal. And vehicles of all types are left idling, sometimes in bicycle lanes.<br /><br />As I approached the corner of Lincoln and Henry streets this morning, I received a warning horn blast from a woman piloting an westbound Jaguar. My speed on approach to the intersection was perhaps 5 miles per hour. Hers was — by my estimation — at least 45. Presumably she sounded her horn, to dissuade me from pedaling into her path. In doing so, she demonstrated a mindset I often detect in rants from motorists who claim cyclists' well-being as the basis for their exhortations:<br /><br />"Don't these crazy 'bikers' realize they are not cars?"<br /><br />"If they want to ride in the middle of the street, I can't be held responsible for running over them!"<br /><br />"Why don't they ride on the sidewalk where it's safe? They must have a death wish!"<br /><br />Truly, I don't think anyone wants to hit a cyclist. But there's a sort of cognitive dissonance at work here when motorists claim to have cyclists' best interest in mind, while operating (and storing) their vehicles in ways which endanger others. If the Jaguar driver above was seriously concerned about others' safety, would she be exceeding the speed limit in a dense urban neighborhood populated by pedestrians and cyclists, including children?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-12869497321254878332008-04-15T20:09:00.006-04:002008-04-15T21:08:53.912-04:00Savannah Bicycle Campaign is front page news<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cms.images.morris.com/savannah/mdControlled/cms/2008/04/14/268437873.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://cms.images.morris.com/savannah/mdControlled/cms/2008/04/14/268437873.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I was very happy to see the Savannah Bicycle Campaign's April 14 press conference on the front page of the Savannah Morning News this morning. Above the fold, even! You can read Chuck <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mobley's</span> excellent story and see John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Carrington's</span> photos <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/480538">here</a>.<div><br /><div> </div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WTOC</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WJCL</span>/Fox 28 also made the scene. A short text summary is available on the <a href="http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=8165022&nav=menu89_2_5%201%2053997"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">WTOC</span> site</a>. And now Summer Teal Simpson has blogged about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">SBC</span> on the Creative Coast's "<a href="http://blog.thecreativecoast.org/pete-and-otis-takin-it-to-the-streets/2008/04/15">Relocated Thinking</a>."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">UPDATE: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Just found Jim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Morekis</span>' story, <a href="http://www.connectsavannah.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A7530">"</a></span></span><span class="ContentHeader"><a href="http://www.connectsavannah.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A7530">Cycling into the future"</a> in this week's Connect Savannah.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.connectsavannah.com/binary/3680/cover-30.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.connectsavannah.com/binary/3680/cover-30.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="ContentHeader"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>More information on joining the Savannah Bicycle Campaign and upcoming events including the Earth Day Savannah Wheelie Ride is available on the <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">SBC</span> Web site</a>.</div></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-25040258716464156772008-04-12T10:53:00.008-04:002008-04-12T11:11:09.278-04:00April 14, 2008: A date that will live in Savannah cycling history<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SADOFsXeHbI/AAAAAAAAAGI/MNsG9CBJP24/s1600-h/Johnson+Square.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 290px;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/SADOFsXeHbI/AAAAAAAAAGI/MNsG9CBJP24/s400/Johnson+Square.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188373367935081906" border="0" /></a><br />In his 1984 book "The Squares: An Introduction to Savannah," the late Chan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sieg</span> described Johnson Square this way: "If there is one square that can be said to represent the 'essential Savannah,' it is Johnson. The first square to be laid out and named by Oglethorpe, Johnson has never <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">relinquished</span> the title."<br /><br />The square has been the scene of many important gatherings of Savannah's citizens, including the mass meeting stirred by the news of President Lincoln's death (depicted in the Harper's Weekly illustration above). In the 1990s, the square was the rendezvous point where be-caped dorks came together to play that ridiculous vampire role playing game on Friday and Saturday nights.<br /><br />On Monday, Johnson Square will be the site of an equally historic event in the lives of Savannah bicyclists. Will they declare their <a href="http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/04/dont-tread-on-me-building-nation-of.html">independence from the United States?</a> Ride their bikes through the square in violation of city ordinance? Fashion <a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_i0PaPbAlTBM/RhpeQpMNFzI/AAAAAAAAACE/U6_WXWUZdH8/s1600-h/cutters.jpg">homemade jerseys</a> to wear in the <a href="http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/">Tour <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">de</span> Georgia</a>?<br /><br />All kidding aside, Monday will be a pretty important day for Savannah cyclists. A press conference will be held on April 14 at 11 a.m. in Johnson Square in Downtown Savannah. The event marks the official launch of the <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/">Savannah Bicycle Campaign</a>. The group was organized to work through the political, public policy, and citizen advocacy processes to develop more and better bicycle facilities in Savannah—improved bike lanes, racks, and signage—and to plan and initiate a public campaign to educate bicyclists and drivers about safe practices on and off the roadways. More information is available on the <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/">Savannah Bicycle Campaign Web site</a>.<br /><br />I'm proud to be part of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">SBC</span> and I'm hopeful that the group can make real progress in improving conditions for cyclists. The group boasts a diverse membership and is bringing together Savannah's disparate cycling tribes: commuters, racers, tourers, utility cyclists, recreational cyclists and fixed gear riding college students. By uniting under the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">SBC</span> banner, Savannah cyclists have a much better shot at success than they would working independently.<br /><br />I invite all bicyclists to join us at the press conference. I want to see diverse group of cyclists turn out for the press conference to demonstrate that citizens of all walks of life are interested in making Savannah safer and friendlier to cyclists.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-69344037017267063822008-03-29T13:27:00.010-04:002008-03-29T13:57:49.249-04:00Mr. Jalopy turns his attention to bicyclesOne of my favorite non-bicycle blogs is <a href="http://hooptyrides.blogspot.com/">Hoopty Rides</a>. It's creator, Mr. Jalopy, chronicles his efforts to find and care for <a href="http://hooptyrides.blogspot.com/2005/07/hooptyrides-honest-cars-for-liars.html">aging automobiles</a>, <a href="http://hooptyrides.blogspot.com/2006/06/uncollecting.html">cans of motor oil</a>, <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/350/520/1600/MedicineCabinet.jpg">water slide decals</a> and other objects that catch his eye. Mr. Jalopy has a unique approach to cultivating and curating these items. While he may polish up an old set of Craftsman wrenches from time to time, he is at ease with the rust, dents and other signs of age that show up on things bought at yard sales or at flea markets. Here's how he described a 1954 Chevrolet he was offering for sale back in 2004:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The paint is thin and the rust is everywhere. It is extraordinary looking in the way a giant boulder is magnificent, or perhaps, a charging buffalo. There are colors on this car that exist only in nature. Indescribable deep rich hues that are impossible to categorize but are immediately familiar. A very nice, tattered, very beat up, wonderfully patina'd car of great integrity for $2250."</span><br /><br />I've adopted Mr. Jalopy's philosophy and applied it to my attempts to rehabilitate old bicycles. Plus, since I lack the skill or patience to restore bicycles to their original condition, embracing imperfection saves me lots of frustration.<br /><br />But that's not why I'm writing about Mr. Jalopy on Bike Year. I mention him here because of his new project, <a href="http://www.cocosvariety.com/">Coco's Variety Store</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_-l2C8nYmCV0/R8gw73hv-OI/AAAAAAAAAjk/EYZqjkORiDg/S1600-R/Cocos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 366px; height: 260px;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_-l2C8nYmCV0/R8gw73hv-OI/AAAAAAAAAjk/EYZqjkORiDg/S1600-R/Cocos.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Presuming that it actually exists, I would nominate it for one of the greatest retail concepts introduced so far this century. But here's the really cool thing: As you can see from the photo above, used bicycles are one of Coco's main product lines. And here's how Mr. Jalopy describes this portion of the store's inventory:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Coco's is engaged in the refurbishment, repair and sale of used bicycles. From the scrap iron dealer's mud puddle, we buy bikes that nobody else wants. We buy junkers, clunkers, road bikes, mountain bikes, banana seat specials, fixies, department store cheapies, step through ten speeds, heavy bikes, skip tooth relics, 80's splatter paint disasters, suspension bikes, BMX tricksters, track bikes, cruisers, bruisers and midnight losers."</span><br /><br />But why bicycles?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"We believe the bicycle with the greatest positive impact on the environment is a fading champion that has already served a meaningful life and is resuscitated for a second chance at glory."</span><br /><br />And I would nominate it for one of the greatest sentences written about bicycles so far this century.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-52403753486163132822008-03-19T18:00:00.012-04:002008-03-19T21:13:06.489-04:00Cycling in the parking laneMotorists parking in bike lanes is not a Savannah-specific occurrence. In fact, I've learned that in New York City <a href="http://nyc.uncivilservants.org/">public officials are assigned special placards</a> that allow them not to park not just in bicycle lanes, but on grave sites, in the living rooms of private residences and on top of pedestrians.<br /><br />It's really not such a big deal to move a couple feet into the lane to avoid a stationary car. Still, I become a little angry when, on my way to work, I encounter motor vehicles parked in Lincoln Street the bicycle lane. My trouble is I can't ignore the fact that this is the <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> pavement marked lane in all of downtown Savannah. There are plenty of places to park, but <span style="font-style: italic;">only one</span> bike lane.<br /><br />As I passed the white Chevy Tahoe parked in the bike lane just south of Anderson Street this morning, I turned to face the woman at the wheel. She seemed to be quite happy sitting in her car listening to music. We made eye contact. I pointed to the "bike lane" and "towing enforced" signs located about 10 feet away from her windshield. Then I pointed at the pavement. Then at my bike.<br /><br />Then she looked at me like I had lost my mind.<br /><br />Hers was absolutely the correct response. After all, if it wasn't OK to park in the bike lane, the police officer driving the marked patrol car, which rolled past her about a minute before I did, probably would have stopped and said something. It's clear I'm the one who needs to get with the program.<br /><br />I used to call the police non-emergency number to report cars parked in the bike lane. Sometimes I heard a sympathetic voice on the other end of the line. Too many times, though, I was met with a different response: "A bicycle is parked in the what now?" Even when I repeated that a car was parked in the bike lane, I'm was treated as if I called to report a squirrel in the tree outside my front door. The dispatcher understood what I was saying, but there was no corresponding recognition that a car parked in a bike lane was a problem.<br /><br />Lest anyone think I'm bashing the cops, I'm not. It's just that enforcing parking regulations just doesn't seem to be in the job description. In the National Historic Landmark District, creative parking techniques will eventually attract the attention of Parking Services. But outside of the historic district, I'm convinced cars can remain unlawfully parked <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">indefinitely</span>.<br /><br />For instance, within a three block stretch of East 49<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> Street I saw four cars parked on or otherwise blocking sidewalks on a recent evening. This does not include the cars parked on the tennis courts at Savannah Arts Academy (Why does this parking lot have nets on it?) or the motor scooter that had been stored on the sidewalk near the intersection with East Atlantic Street for weeks.<br /><br />Another example: On the northeast corner of Anderson and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Habersham</span> streets, the crosswalk is connected to the sidewalk via a slightly sloped ramp covered in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">textured</span> brick. What's the purpose of this? Could it be to allow a person in a wheel chair to transition between the crosswalk and the sidewalk? Perhaps it makes it easy on older folks who have a hard time making it over the curb?<br /><br />Wrong.<br /><br />This feature marks the spot often occupied by the right front tire of the illegally parked Roberts Furniture delivery truck. I guess it's handy for the driver. When he feels the tire drop into that depression, he can be certain that the cab of the truck has completely blocked the crosswalk. There's no guesswork involved!<br /><br />The City of Savannah has recently mounted and vigorous and well publicized anti-blight campaign. According to recent news coverage, inspectors are especially interested in old jalopies languishing in residents' front yards. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Here's</span> a snip from a <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/443173">recent Savannah Morning News story</a>:<br /><br /> "People should know by now that parking a car on the front lawn is against city law, the inspectors said."<br /><br />Luckily for these people, parking a car in a bike lane or on the sidewalk or even on a public school tennis court is permitted.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-8410478072337674092008-03-05T18:20:00.003-05:002008-04-06T20:07:25.139-04:00Savannah Bicycle Campaign launches Web site<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/wp-content/themes/upstart-blogger-minim-01/images/header.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://bicyclecampaign.org/wp-content/themes/upstart-blogger-minim-01/images/header.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As I write this, the newly organized Savannah Bicycle Campaign is holding its second meeting. I'm sorry I can't be there. Here's what the SBC hopes to achieve:<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><p align="left">Our objectives are to work through the political process to develop more and better bicycle facilities for Savannah—improved bike lanes, racks, and signage—and to develop a public campaign to educate bicyclists and drivers about safe practices on and off the roadways. Ultimately, we hope to foster an inclusive approach to make our communities more livable, connected, and safe.</p></blockquote></div><p style="text-align: left;">The Savannah Bicycle Campaign welcomes members from all sectors of the cycling community. Recreational, transportational and competitive cyclists are all invited to get involved. If you ride for environmental, economic or health reasons — or just for the fun of it — the door's open. Find out how to get involved <a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/">here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://bicyclecampaign.org/"><br /></a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"> </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-73899956231661598472008-02-18T18:57:00.001-05:002008-02-18T18:59:42.876-05:00On CommutingI wrote another story for the faculty/staff newspaper at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This time the topic was how to get started in the exciting world of bicycle commuting. Want to read it? Click <a href="http://www.thecampuschronicle.com/features/articles/080208h.cfm">here</a>.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-91589238276217671842008-02-07T20:26:00.001-05:002008-02-07T20:56:29.713-05:00Who speaks for the bikes?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/R6uv0Zt_WaI/AAAAAAAAAFo/QW2cDxO-xH0/s1600-h/lorax.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 181px;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/R6uv0Zt_WaI/AAAAAAAAAFo/QW2cDxO-xH0/s320/lorax.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164414712502245794" border="0" /></a>Gather a group of Savannah bicyclists in a room and they will invariably begin to share accounts of near misses involving inattentive or aggressive motorists. They'll compare notes on which portions of the Lincoln Street bike lane are most often blocked by parked cars. It happens every time cyclists come together, just as it did in a meeting I attended today. <p>Of course, there are some communities in which cyclists <a href="http://laist.com/2008/02/06/rampart_police.php" mce_href="http://laist.com/2008/02/06/rampart_police.php" target="_blank">have it tougher</a> than we do. And there are others in which cyclists can feel confident that the <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/781816,CST-NWS-bike07.article" mce_href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/781816,CST-NWS-bike07.article">city's highest elected official has their backs</a>. I suppose Savannah is somewhere in the middle. Or maybe it's more accurate to say we are in limbo. It could be worse, but it could be much better.</p> <p>Is it time for a bicycle advocacy group to organize and lobby for infrastructure improvements, law enforcement initiatives and educational campaigns that will make Savannah's streets safer for transportational cyclists? What form would such a group take? What would be it's mission? How could it cooperate with our cousins in the realm of recreational cycling? Is there common ground to be found with those working to improve public transportation and pedestrian facilities? What would the group be called? How often would it meet? Would there be food at the meetings?</p> <p>Please share your ideas in the comments section.</p><span style="font-style: italic;">(This item was cross posted <a href="http://sustainablesavannah.com/">on Sustainable Savannah</a>)</span>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-75658372523301206302008-01-28T20:00:00.001-05:002008-01-28T20:03:53.949-05:00On SafetyLast week I wrote a story about bicycle safety for the faculty/staff newspaper at the <a href="http://scad.edu">Savannah College of Art and Design</a>. David Crites of <a href="http://georgiabikes.org">Georgia Bikes!</a> provided excellent information on short notice. I'm very grateful for his help. Want to read it? Click <a href="http://www.thecampuschronicle.com/features/articles/080125d.cfm">here</a>.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-46366174979604692622008-01-20T11:13:00.000-05:002008-01-20T11:24:21.124-05:00Cog Bicycle Cooperative is open for business<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/R5N0Co5YBJI/AAAAAAAAAFg/JZ-myEMwMmk/s1600-h/Co-op+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/R5N0Co5YBJI/AAAAAAAAAFg/JZ-myEMwMmk/s400/Co-op+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157593586955977874" border="0" /></a>Cog, formerly known as The Savannah Bike Co-op, opened for business yesterday. Mary Landers interviewed Paul McLaughlin, the co-op's president, for her story <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/433127">"Fix a bike, or build one, at new co-op called Cog"</a> in the Savannah Morning News. Here's a snip:<br /><br />"The co-op is for everyone, regardless of gender, age or income, said the easy-going, red-bearded McLaughlin. "We'll never refuse service to anyone unless they're being belligerent or something," he said. Local bike shops have been friendly, and McLaughlin said his co-op won't be competition for them. Instead, it could send them new customers by promoting cycling."<br /><br /><br />I delivered a second batch of parts to Cog (I can move around again in the bike shed!) around 1 p.m. and found plenty of customers and volunteers on hand, despite the inclement weather.<br /><br />McLaughlin's group is still looking for someone to help the co-op secure non-profit status. If that person is you, e-mail the co-op at savannahbikecoop@gmail.com.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-5384381834944477912008-01-11T06:29:00.000-05:002008-01-11T06:34:38.866-05:00Cyclist seriously injured on Lincoln Street, hit and run driver sought by police<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm not sure how many people still monitor this blog. I've devoted most of my attention recently to </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://sustainablesavannah.com/">Sustainable Savannah,</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> leaving Bike Year untended. I'm considering reviving bike year, but in the meantime, I thought the following information was critical to post here, as I've frequently written about the Lincoln Street bike lane.</span><br /><br />If you regularly operate a bicycle in Savannah, your friends and relatives will worry about you. Yesterday I was on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Southside</span> when my cell phone vibrated. The caller said she saw police cars on Lincoln Street and a cyclist on the ground. She wanted to make sure it wasn't me.<br /><br />This morning I was alerted to the alarming details (Thanks, <a href="http://coastalsense.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Clint</a>).<br /><blockquote> Savannah-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chatham</span> Police are searching for the driver of a car that ran over and seriously injured a bicyclist Thursday morning. The crash occurred shortly after 10 a.m. at the intersection of Wayne and Lincoln streets.</blockquote><br />The complete story is <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/427799">here</a>.<br /><br />I'm glad the police are taking this seriously. In a city in which residents seem perpetually obsessed with violent crime, it's important to remember the motor vehicles can be weapons. Or, as Lt. Scott <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Simpkins</span>, commander of the Savannah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Chatham</span> Metropolitan Police department's traffic division, said in a <a href="http://savannahnow.com/node/425143" target="_blank">Jan. 4 Savannah Morning News story</a>:<br /><blockquote>"Killing someone with your car is somehow more acceptable than shooting them," <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Simpkins</span> said. "This should not be the case."</blockquote><br />Police are asking for help finding the driver, a white female in her 20s, who sped away in a white passenger car after hitting the cyclist. Anyone for more information should call 652-6650 or call <a href="http://www.savannahchathamcrimestoppers.org/" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">CrimeStoppers</span></a> at 234-2020.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-49906296281916273482007-10-18T15:18:00.000-04:002007-10-18T15:24:55.195-04:00I thought I'd seen everythingI see all sorts of things in the Lincoln street bike lane: wrong-way cyclists, pedestrians, abandoned grocery carts and all manner of parked vehicles. Now I have a new one to add to my collection. Just north of 38th Street, I saw a man washing his car. In the bike lane.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-68664098048001658302007-09-13T09:41:00.000-04:002007-09-13T19:28:16.682-04:00Bike rack humorLike a lot of dorks, I use a velcro strap to keep my trouser leg from becoming involved with my bicycle's drive train. Yesterday evening I had just wrapped the strap around my right ankle, when a guy on the sidewalk stopped and asked, "How long you been on probation?"<br /><br />Classic!Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-40133556790465402312007-08-31T18:21:00.000-04:002007-08-31T18:35:29.437-04:00Bad news and good newsThe bad news:<br /><br />Last month I had a conversation with a well-meaning citizen, who was fretting about the safety of cyclists she observed on U.S. Highway 80 east of Savannah — otherwise known as "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tybee</span> Road." She wondered if there was a solution for keeping these cyclists off the narrow, high speed route to the beach. She asked, "What if the city or county built some kind of facility? Then they could all go there to ride so they wouldn't have to be out on the streets."<br /><br />Sadly her perception of bicyclists and their needs is probably shared by a significant portion of the local population. As I've so often complained over the last two years, bicycles are often perceived as toys or as exercise equipment, but not as vehicles. I tried to explain that her proposed cycling park would be absolutely useless to me and others who use bicycles for transportation. She didn't seem to get it.<br /><br />And now the good news:<br /><ul><li>The number of regular bicycle commuters working in my building has remained high throughout the summer. The bike rack usually starts emptying out as the temperature climbs. Not this year. They just keep on pedaling.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>A community activist, who has worked tirelessly to fight "road improvement projects" that destroy neighborhoods and induce additional automobile traffic, has recently taken up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">transportational</span> cycling.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Finally, there's the <a href="http://xtracycle.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Xtracycle</span></a> situation. I first mentioned the product here on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005 and early last month I finally ordered a <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/freerad.php">Free Radical</a> of my own. While I was waiting for it to arrive, I started prepping myself for the role of Savannah's only <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Xtracycle</span> owner. Then I saw a man riding one down <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Habersham</span> Street and a couple weeks later, a woman riding a Free Radical-equipped Trek mountain bike downtown. So, I'm happy to report that I'm one of at least three weirdos riding around Savannah on "<a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/sub.php">Sports Utility Bicycles</a>." I hope there will be more of us soon. </li></ul>I'm planning to write my early impressions of the product and post some photos (I'm currently between digital cameras) soon. Please stay tuned.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-62586006891506939212007-08-20T19:34:00.000-04:002007-08-20T19:38:57.761-04:00A new cycling hazard?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/RsomCOAfyKI/AAAAAAAAAEM/10GBjI6C2BM/s1600-h/CCMCNEW2002_4.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/RsomCOAfyKI/AAAAAAAAAEM/10GBjI6C2BM/s200/CCMCNEW2002_4.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100931347512281250" border="0" /></a>On Friday evening I pedaled to the Jones Red and White Market for some groceries. About three blocks north of the Habersham Village shopping center, I experienced an instant and intense stinging sensation in my eyes. It was so severe that I had to blindly brake to a stop at the curb. Only after rubbing by eyes with a handkerchief, I was able to continue (though squinting) to my destination.<br /><br />Then I saw it: A bright yellow twin engine airplane flying just above the treetops.<br /><br />On the way home I saw a yellow helicopter, working the neighborhood from the other end. Chatham County Mosquito Control was delivering a little shock and awe to the insect population of Ardsley Park and I my eyes were collateral damage. They were a little irritated for the rest of the night, but fine the next day. The real question is, how much of the stuff did I inhale?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14069346.post-38264238742596328422007-08-13T16:50:00.000-04:002007-08-13T17:33:23.406-04:00First post of the new Bike YearThe second anniversary of Bike Year passed without comment from me. My readers (if there are any left) are probably wondering what happened to me. Did I keep riding? Or did I hang up my bike? Well, it's been a little of both. I've probably driven more frequently in the last 30 days than any time since I started this blog. I'm using home repairs (which often required me to return home during the workday) and the high temperatures of the last week as my primary excuses.<br /><br />As of last Friday, however, I'm back in the saddle. And I have a new addition to my stable (more about that soon).<br /><br />While I <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/RsDN9_STTeI/AAAAAAAAAD8/r4XntW0VSKo/s1600-h/cgglogo.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 82px;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_B-c0SSOfD9Y/RsDN9_STTeI/AAAAAAAAAD8/r4XntW0VSKo/s320/cgglogo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098301243027312098" border="0" /></a>have not been on bicycles lately, bicycles have been on my mind. I attended an informational meeting about the <a href="http://coastalgeorgiagreenway.org/">Coastal Georgia Greenway</a> project and volunteered to set up a Web site for the group, which can be found <a href="http://coastalgeorgiagreenway.org/">here</a>. I'm also researching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking">shared lan</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking">e pavement markings</a> and preparing a proposal for local application for a subcommittee of a committee of the metropolitan planning organization. So I've not been completely useless.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18223412641270455438noreply@blogger.com3