Here's an interesting video illustrating some of the hazards of riding in the bike lane. Man, this guy is dedicated to his cause.
Showing posts with label bike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bike. Show all posts
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Monday, November 22, 2010
Winter Riding's Here Again!
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| Thankfully, I did not have Yehuda's troubles today. (Click the image to see the full-size version at Yehudamoon.com) |
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saskatoon Bike Map
The folks over at Saskatoon Cycles have created a bike map which allows Saskatoon cyclists to submit reports of good bike routes, accidents, problem intersections, etc. Not only does this tool then allow folks like me choose where to cycle and which areas to avoid, it will also hopefully be of use to the bike advocacy people of Saskatoon Cycles and the city planners to see where the current situation is working, and where some improvements are required.
I have submitted a handful of reports, both the good and the bad. The more people that add their reports, and comments on existing reports, the better.
Check it out at http://www.saskatooncycles.org/?page_id=160
I have submitted a handful of reports, both the good and the bad. The more people that add their reports, and comments on existing reports, the better.
Check it out at http://www.saskatooncycles.org/?page_id=160
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, December 07, 2009
Rules of Winter Cycling
It was -31°C with a -40°C windchill (9 km/hr head wind) this morning. It took me an hour to get the kids to school and the sitter, then in to work. Never mind the amount of time it took to get suited up this morning (and to figure out my 'system' anew this year). I guess my winter cycling season is officially here.
Three Golden Rules of Winter Cycling:
- No Whining
- No Whining
- No Whining
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Bike For Sale
I have a bike for sale, a really big bike. That's the problem see, it's too big for me since I'm just a short guy at 6'3". This bike deserves someone that's better than 6'4".
The bike is a Kuwahara Apollo, Prestige XL. It seems these bikes were pretty ubiquitous in Vancouver once upon a time.
It's about 30 years old so it knows it's way around the streets. It's familiar with both Vancouver and Saskatoon. Gord used to ride this bike over the Lions Gate Bridge on a regular basis. The height of this bike, combined with the considerable height of Gord, put Gord well above the low railing of the bridge. Combine that with the height of the bridge, and Gord commented that it was always something of a precarious feeling crossing hundreds of feet above the barges and freight ships below.
Have a look at the length of the headset!
The bike is in decent shape but is definitely well-used. One of the tires is just about new, the other maybe a year or so old. The rear wheel is about 3 years old or so (replaced after I bumped sideways against a curb with the back wheel and it tacoed) and I think the front is original. The wheels are true. It has never been (Saskatoon) winter ridden, but this was my foul weather commuter. It likely needs a bit of TLC. I have done some of my own maintenance, but mostly it has been done at the local bike shop (not every shop knows what to do with a bike of this vintage but Doug at The Bike Doctor does). It has a certain amount of heft to it, but it beats my winter beater by a long shot in speed and weight.
If you are tall and want a fast commuter bike, this might be the one for you. I'm asking $100 but am open to offers.
The bike is a Kuwahara Apollo, Prestige XL. It seems these bikes were pretty ubiquitous in Vancouver once upon a time.
It's about 30 years old so it knows it's way around the streets. It's familiar with both Vancouver and Saskatoon. Gord used to ride this bike over the Lions Gate Bridge on a regular basis. The height of this bike, combined with the considerable height of Gord, put Gord well above the low railing of the bridge. Combine that with the height of the bridge, and Gord commented that it was always something of a precarious feeling crossing hundreds of feet above the barges and freight ships below.
Have a look at the length of the headset!
The bike is in decent shape but is definitely well-used. One of the tires is just about new, the other maybe a year or so old. The rear wheel is about 3 years old or so (replaced after I bumped sideways against a curb with the back wheel and it tacoed) and I think the front is original. The wheels are true. It has never been (Saskatoon) winter ridden, but this was my foul weather commuter. It likely needs a bit of TLC. I have done some of my own maintenance, but mostly it has been done at the local bike shop (not every shop knows what to do with a bike of this vintage but Doug at The Bike Doctor does). It has a certain amount of heft to it, but it beats my winter beater by a long shot in speed and weight.If you are tall and want a fast commuter bike, this might be the one for you. I'm asking $100 but am open to offers.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Some Frosty Pictures
On Tuesday evening when I arrived home from work my wife was outsided taking the dog for a (very short) walk. She took a couple of pictures of me in the -30C temperatures.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Nice Day for a Ride
I rode my bike to work this morning. Here's the weather stats pasted from Environment Canada at about the time I was on the road early this morning:
It turns out that with the windchill Saskatoon is apparently the coldest spot in Saskatchewan right now.
The ride itself wasn't bad, albeit quite slow. My goggles started to fog up after a kilometer or so, and I took them off for the last 1 km (6 km ride). My outfit included polypro liner socks, merino wool socks, long underwear, cotton pants, army surplus wool pants, rain pants (as a windproof shell), two fleece sweaters, Helly Hansen parka, winter boots, polypro liner gloves, army surplus mitts with wool liners, Carhartt helmet liner balaclava, fleece scarf, toque, ski goggles and, finally, a helmet. With all that stuff on my upper body was a bit too warm (I could have stopped to open up my zippers, including the pit zippers, but didn't), my legs were just right, my head & face were warm, and certain other parts were a tad cool (I need to find fur-lined boxers!). At -35C the bearings and rubber are stiff and the extra clothes help to slow the pace. Add to this the fact that I don't want to push too hard & overheat and it means the ride that takes 15 minutes in the summer, takes half an hour or more. It also takes a considerable amount of time to get dressed up.
It's too bad nobody was here to take some pictures of the frost which covered my head quite completely by the time I got to work.
Now I'm at work toasty warm while my grizzly bear samples incubate in a labelling reaction (hence the reason I had time to post).
| Time (CST) | Conditions | Temp (°C) | Humidity (%) | Dew Point (°C) | Wind (km/h) | Pressure (kPa) | Vis (km) | Wind Chill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 December 2008 | ||||||||
| 6:00 | Clear | -35 | 65 | -39 | SW 13 | 101.9 | 24 | -47 |
| 5:00 | Clear | -35 | 70 | -39 | W 13 | 101.9 | 24 | -47 |
It turns out that with the windchill Saskatoon is apparently the coldest spot in Saskatchewan right now.
The ride itself wasn't bad, albeit quite slow. My goggles started to fog up after a kilometer or so, and I took them off for the last 1 km (6 km ride). My outfit included polypro liner socks, merino wool socks, long underwear, cotton pants, army surplus wool pants, rain pants (as a windproof shell), two fleece sweaters, Helly Hansen parka, winter boots, polypro liner gloves, army surplus mitts with wool liners, Carhartt helmet liner balaclava, fleece scarf, toque, ski goggles and, finally, a helmet. With all that stuff on my upper body was a bit too warm (I could have stopped to open up my zippers, including the pit zippers, but didn't), my legs were just right, my head & face were warm, and certain other parts were a tad cool (I need to find fur-lined boxers!). At -35C the bearings and rubber are stiff and the extra clothes help to slow the pace. Add to this the fact that I don't want to push too hard & overheat and it means the ride that takes 15 minutes in the summer, takes half an hour or more. It also takes a considerable amount of time to get dressed up.
It's too bad nobody was here to take some pictures of the frost which covered my head quite completely by the time I got to work.
Now I'm at work toasty warm while my grizzly bear samples incubate in a labelling reaction (hence the reason I had time to post).
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Another Rant: Hold Up Your Right Hand
Another rant, copied from my old web site which will eventually either move or die.
First posted: May 10th, 2005.
Hold up your left hand. OK, now hold up your right hand. Good. So now why do so many drivers & cyclists out there not know their left from their right? The rule in this province is at an "uncontrolled" intersection you must yield to the vehicle on the right. Seems simple enough right? So why is it then that so many people seem confused by this? In Saskatoon we have many uncontrolled intersections, especially, it seems, on my normal cycling route to work. It has nothing to do with how wide the street is, or how fast you're going, or how big your SUV is, or how important you think you are, or whether your heading North-South or East-West, or whether it's a bike or a truck. About every other day I yield to a vehicle on my right, performing a precariously balanced track-stand and hoping they will hurry up and get through the intersection so that I can get on my bloody way, while they also come to a complete stop, look at me questioningly, then try to wave me on wondering why I'm stopped in the middle of the road where that truck behind me is surely going to run me down. Of course on the other days, someone else tries to run me down by blazing through an intersection, often at speeds way too fast for a residential neighbourhood, without heed to anything that may be coming, whether it's me on my bike or some other unlucky soul. I see so many near misses every week that it really makes me wonder why these people haven't weeded themselves out of the driving population yet. Too bad they're also quite likely to weed several other innocent folks out of the breathing population in the process. The cyclists I meet on the road are often no better in this regard than those operating motorized vehicles, but at least they are less likely to cause serious damage to anyone other than themselves.
So, please remember, if you are approaching an intersection and you don't see signage to indicate right-of-way, yield to the vehicle on your right [even at a t-intersection]. Of course, you must also keep a sharp eye out for the fool who skipped that day in driver's ed, or that day in kindergarten, when these lessons were taught in the first place.
To review the local rules, see page 45 in the linked pdf, a section of the Saskatchewan Driver's Handbook.
First posted: May 10th, 2005.
Hold up your left hand. OK, now hold up your right hand. Good. So now why do so many drivers & cyclists out there not know their left from their right? The rule in this province is at an "uncontrolled" intersection you must yield to the vehicle on the right. Seems simple enough right? So why is it then that so many people seem confused by this? In Saskatoon we have many uncontrolled intersections, especially, it seems, on my normal cycling route to work. It has nothing to do with how wide the street is, or how fast you're going, or how big your SUV is, or how important you think you are, or whether your heading North-South or East-West, or whether it's a bike or a truck. About every other day I yield to a vehicle on my right, performing a precariously balanced track-stand and hoping they will hurry up and get through the intersection so that I can get on my bloody way, while they also come to a complete stop, look at me questioningly, then try to wave me on wondering why I'm stopped in the middle of the road where that truck behind me is surely going to run me down. Of course on the other days, someone else tries to run me down by blazing through an intersection, often at speeds way too fast for a residential neighbourhood, without heed to anything that may be coming, whether it's me on my bike or some other unlucky soul. I see so many near misses every week that it really makes me wonder why these people haven't weeded themselves out of the driving population yet. Too bad they're also quite likely to weed several other innocent folks out of the breathing population in the process. The cyclists I meet on the road are often no better in this regard than those operating motorized vehicles, but at least they are less likely to cause serious damage to anyone other than themselves.
So, please remember, if you are approaching an intersection and you don't see signage to indicate right-of-way, yield to the vehicle on your right [even at a t-intersection]. Of course, you must also keep a sharp eye out for the fool who skipped that day in driver's ed, or that day in kindergarten, when these lessons were taught in the first place.
To review the local rules, see page 45 in the linked pdf, a section of the Saskatchewan Driver's Handbook.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
A Rant About Traffic vs Bikes
While I'm away, a rant from the past. In other words, I'm making use of the delayed posting feature on blogger to move material from my old out of date web site to my blog while I'm on vacation.
First posted: March, 2005.
Why do I as a cyclist on the road feel I have to apologise to automotive traffic for taking up road space? I am not contributing to increasing fuel prices, I am not contributing to congested traffic (or do so only slightly), I am saving the healthcare system and in turn the taxpayer money by getting off my ass, I am not contributing to deterioration of the roadway and soaring infrastructure costs, I am not contributing to a myriad of environmental problems (CO2, CO, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, rubber, plastic, junk), I am not going to kill anyone if I fall asleep, I'm not going to kill anyone if I drink, I'm not going to kill anyone if I don't know how to proceed through an uncontrolled intersection. But I'm in THEIR way? Go figure. OK, so not everyone is capable of cycling/walking/taking a bus everywhere but imagine if 30% of the population biked to work or the store three seasons of the year in reasonable weather (seems pretty reasonable to me, especially in a small city like Saskatoon where most things are within a 30 minute ride). Suddenly the roads would be less congested allowing goods and commerce to proceed more smoothly, parking would be possible for those that need it, civic infrastructure costs would drop, we'd be physically & mentally healthier, the world would be safer. We'd be happier.
OK, tone down the rhetoric, I'll finish with a simple question.
First posted: March, 2005.
Why do I as a cyclist on the road feel I have to apologise to automotive traffic for taking up road space? I am not contributing to increasing fuel prices, I am not contributing to congested traffic (or do so only slightly), I am saving the healthcare system and in turn the taxpayer money by getting off my ass, I am not contributing to deterioration of the roadway and soaring infrastructure costs, I am not contributing to a myriad of environmental problems (CO2, CO, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, rubber, plastic, junk), I am not going to kill anyone if I fall asleep, I'm not going to kill anyone if I drink, I'm not going to kill anyone if I don't know how to proceed through an uncontrolled intersection. But I'm in THEIR way? Go figure. OK, so not everyone is capable of cycling/walking/taking a bus everywhere but imagine if 30% of the population biked to work or the store three seasons of the year in reasonable weather (seems pretty reasonable to me, especially in a small city like Saskatoon where most things are within a 30 minute ride). Suddenly the roads would be less congested allowing goods and commerce to proceed more smoothly, parking would be possible for those that need it, civic infrastructure costs would drop, we'd be physically & mentally healthier, the world would be safer. We'd be happier.
OK, tone down the rhetoric, I'll finish with a simple question.
When was the last time you had fun driving to work?
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The Slow Bicycle Movement
I seem to be in a bicycle frame of mind lately so why fight it? The Slow Bicycle Movement has been launched & I herewith resolve to slow down. Not much I can do about style though.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Two Wheeled Trucks
The other day I saw a bike leaned against the tree outside of Boomtown that caught my eye. The bike was a bright orange single speed "Mondo Utility Bike" made by Yuba and it was unlike any bike I'd seen. Constructed of some serious steel, this long wheel-base bike had a sticker that said "maximum load 440 lbs." That's a lot of lumber on a bike. I talked to the fellow that owned the bike and he turns out to be an owner of nearby Escape Sports which is the local dealer for these heavy haulers. The spokes are heavy gauge to take the load and are at least twice as thick as any spoke I'd seen before. 
Available in the single speed version he was riding, or a 6 speed, these bikes are being sold for about $1000. My interest was certainly piqued, but I doubt if I can convince my wife that I can drop that kind of money on another bike.
I've been quite interested in another option for a while now, a few years at least. It's a conversion kit which turns any standard bike into a load hauler. The Xtracycle Sport Utility Bike is also sold by Escape Sports and I though he told me they cost a couple of hundred dollars, but the conversion kit is listed on the Xtracycle web site for $399. I've seen these around town a couple of times and it seems likely that it was probably the same fellow from Escape Sports, or his brother. The Xtracycle kits come with the bags shown, and numerous accessories are available, including a wide load carrier, and a $350 blender.
All this reminded me that I saw this week that Surly is now making a frame for (with?) Xtracycle (after having a look at Surlyville after seeing Ryan's Surly Karate Monkey, and Tim's Surly Crosscheck - I hadn't been to the Surly web site to drool in a couple of years).
The Big Dummy is a "cargo long-bike" frame that uses the Xtracycle components. The Surly blog has some interesting comments about the handling of a long wheel-base bike. The frame is listed at Xtracycle for $900 (US) and the complete bike at $1800.
Finally, today while waiting for a car tire to be repaired I walked over to the local bike shop, Doug's Spoke n' Sport. Right beside the entrance they had a Kona UTE "utility bike," yet another bike that I didn't know existed until this week.
My daughter was sleeping in the stroller so I took it for a ride around the parking lot. It rides like, well, a solid bike that's a bit too small for me. I didn't raise the seat (it wasn't quick release) and I should have to better evaluate it. At $800, I'm very interested in this bike. Perhaps I could get rid of my beater mountain bike that I ride in the winter, and the 1978 road bike that is my rain bike/all-round commuter (it's officially for sale so let me know if you want it, or want more information!).
Looking at these options, they each have some advantages. The Xtracycle option is the least expensive, makes use of a bike I already own, and they come with some really good (large) bags for hauling the groceries, etc. The other bikes have the advantage of being purpose-built with a higher bottom bracket, tougher wheels and stronger frame (than my beater winter bike). That seems especially true of the Mundo as it seems to be far and away the toughest, and therefore heaviest, of the set. If I were to haul bricks on a bike, this would be the one I'd pick. The Big Dummy comes with a truckload of Surly coolness, but that's the only advantage I really see with that option. The UTE is a reasonably priced complete bike and has 700c wheels which ought to improve the ride a bit. The Kona also comes with a pair of panniers, similar to but maybe somewhat larger than the Nashbar townie basket. However, these saddle bags really under utilize the UTE's load bearing capacity. It would be nice to see this bike in a larger size (I'm 6' 3" so a big bike is good), with bigger saddle bags. As soon as they get those two things, I'll be snapping it up, err... if my wife lets me, someday, maybe.
For more on utility bikes, here are some additional links I have found:
Available in the single speed version he was riding, or a 6 speed, these bikes are being sold for about $1000. My interest was certainly piqued, but I doubt if I can convince my wife that I can drop that kind of money on another bike.I've been quite interested in another option for a while now, a few years at least. It's a conversion kit which turns any standard bike into a load hauler. The Xtracycle Sport Utility Bike is also sold by Escape Sports and I though he told me they cost a couple of hundred dollars, but the conversion kit is listed on the Xtracycle web site for $399. I've seen these around town a couple of times and it seems likely that it was probably the same fellow from Escape Sports, or his brother. The Xtracycle kits come with the bags shown, and numerous accessories are available, including a wide load carrier, and a $350 blender.
All this reminded me that I saw this week that Surly is now making a frame for (with?) Xtracycle (after having a look at Surlyville after seeing Ryan's Surly Karate Monkey, and Tim's Surly Crosscheck - I hadn't been to the Surly web site to drool in a couple of years).The Big Dummy is a "cargo long-bike" frame that uses the Xtracycle components. The Surly blog has some interesting comments about the handling of a long wheel-base bike. The frame is listed at Xtracycle for $900 (US) and the complete bike at $1800.Finally, today while waiting for a car tire to be repaired I walked over to the local bike shop, Doug's Spoke n' Sport. Right beside the entrance they had a Kona UTE "utility bike," yet another bike that I didn't know existed until this week.
My daughter was sleeping in the stroller so I took it for a ride around the parking lot. It rides like, well, a solid bike that's a bit too small for me. I didn't raise the seat (it wasn't quick release) and I should have to better evaluate it. At $800, I'm very interested in this bike. Perhaps I could get rid of my beater mountain bike that I ride in the winter, and the 1978 road bike that is my rain bike/all-round commuter (it's officially for sale so let me know if you want it, or want more information!).Looking at these options, they each have some advantages. The Xtracycle option is the least expensive, makes use of a bike I already own, and they come with some really good (large) bags for hauling the groceries, etc. The other bikes have the advantage of being purpose-built with a higher bottom bracket, tougher wheels and stronger frame (than my beater winter bike). That seems especially true of the Mundo as it seems to be far and away the toughest, and therefore heaviest, of the set. If I were to haul bricks on a bike, this would be the one I'd pick. The Big Dummy comes with a truckload of Surly coolness, but that's the only advantage I really see with that option. The UTE is a reasonably priced complete bike and has 700c wheels which ought to improve the ride a bit. The Kona also comes with a pair of panniers, similar to but maybe somewhat larger than the Nashbar townie basket. However, these saddle bags really under utilize the UTE's load bearing capacity. It would be nice to see this bike in a larger size (I'm 6' 3" so a big bike is good), with bigger saddle bags. As soon as they get those two things, I'll be snapping it up, err... if my wife lets me, someday, maybe.
For more on utility bikes, here are some additional links I have found:
- The Stokemonkey is a "human-electric hybrid drive" to assist with those loads.
- Bike Hugger has a utility bike synopsis.
- This blog has a discussion on the relative merits of the Kona UTE vs the Xtracycle conversion and wild speculation on Kona's reasoning.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Bike Blogs
I've mentioned before that an interesting blog I like is Copenhagen Cycle Chic (be sure to check out the sister blog, Copenhagenize.com). Today I found a couple of local bike blogs I look forward to following.
A search for reviews on the "iFlasher" battery-less bike light made by Reelight led me to Bicycle Smile. Bicycle Smile is a blog, created by Ryan Warkentin, featuring reviews of cycling gear. Although they have a link to Reelight, they don't actually have a review up (yet?). I covet his Surly!
From Ryan's web site, I found the blog of Tim Brown, aka Tim's Bike Blog. I've known Tim for a few years now. We once competed in a cyclocross race together where I beat him. ;) This was my one and only race (cyclocross or any other bike race) and it nearly killed me, or at least that's how it felt. It was fun though and I wish I had the fitness to do it again (I haven't been riding with Horizon 100 in a few years). One of the things I admire about Tim is his mobility with two kids by bike. I occasionally see him around town hauling his young kids around in the bike trailer demonstrating what can be done. I take my kids year-round and through the occasional blizzard in the bike trailer to school, day care, and sometimes shopping, but Tim takes it up to another level.
A search for reviews on the "iFlasher" battery-less bike light made by Reelight led me to Bicycle Smile. Bicycle Smile is a blog, created by Ryan Warkentin, featuring reviews of cycling gear. Although they have a link to Reelight, they don't actually have a review up (yet?). I covet his Surly!
From Ryan's web site, I found the blog of Tim Brown, aka Tim's Bike Blog. I've known Tim for a few years now. We once competed in a cyclocross race together where I beat him. ;) This was my one and only race (cyclocross or any other bike race) and it nearly killed me, or at least that's how it felt. It was fun though and I wish I had the fitness to do it again (I haven't been riding with Horizon 100 in a few years). One of the things I admire about Tim is his mobility with two kids by bike. I occasionally see him around town hauling his young kids around in the bike trailer demonstrating what can be done. I take my kids year-round and through the occasional blizzard in the bike trailer to school, day care, and sometimes shopping, but Tim takes it up to another level.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Spring?
Yet another beautiful Saskatchewan day. The above picture was taken about 8:15 am. The snow abated then started up again by the time I was off to work by bike 45 minutes later. The snow in the face and ice on the roads & paths weren't as bad as the 50km/hr gusts of headwind combined with the -9C temperatures.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
23 Degrees and Gorgeous
What a beautiful day! Today was our warmest of '08 by far and a little wind (gusts to 37 km/h) couldn't spoil it. My older daughter got a new bike yesterday thanks to a trade with Jordan & Sean so this morning we were out at the park where she could practice on wide expanses of grass, her first time without training wheels. After a snack picnic on the grass she was on the bike and with a little help just to get started was motoring rapidly way from us. She progressed very rapidly and it was exciting to see her having so much fun on her new used bike. This afternoon there was another short practice session on the sidewalk which ended in some road rash on the hands. This evening we were back at the park, with cycling gloves on, to further advance those skills.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Bike Advocacy in High Heels
Copenhagen Cycle Chic - Bike Advocacy in High Heels
Who doesn't like looking at pictures of women on bikes? Of course I realise that statement completely misses the point. A lot of interesting cyclist photos from Coppenhagen & around the world. Cool.
Who doesn't like looking at pictures of women on bikes? Of course I realise that statement completely misses the point. A lot of interesting cyclist photos from Coppenhagen & around the world. Cool.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Bikes & Commuters
If I may change the subject for a moment....
A recent thread in the "Off Topic" section of a paddling forum I often read has gotten me thinking this week about cycle commuting. That thread was full of an awful lot of vitriol, especially from the anti-cyclists (not what I anticipated on a paddling forum). I think one of the cyclist advocates was writing at least a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it certainly wasn't taken that way by some of the other posters. Anyways, a couple of very interesting links to other blogs were posted and I thought I would share them here (since this website actually sees traffic and is much easier to add it to than my main site).
First was a blog posting by Crazy Biker Chick who wrote an article entitled "Things a non-cyclist might not understand Part I: An open letter to motorists who dislike cyclists." I liked this article thoroughly, it is well written, respectful, and in no way does it chide or goad the motorists she hopes to get the point across to. What she says reflects my feelings on the subject quite closely, though there was one point she made that I'm not sure I can agree with (not sure I entirely disagree with it either). She addressed the issue in her most recent post. For more on my feelings on the matter, you can see the rants section of my other web page.
Another blog posting that was linked to was regarding the pro-cycle commuting movement, Critical Mass, and was written by the Accordian Guy in his article Critical Massholes (or: Why I No Longer Ride with Critical Mass). While I appreciate the message they attempt to convey, I've never quite understood how obstructing other vehicles on the road was the best way to get the message across. Let see, piss off a whole bunch of motorists in an effort to get them to afford us more respect? Apparently I wasn't the only person that this has occurred to as evidenced by the aforementioned article.
Now back to kayaks - I gotta go work on the boat (I think I'll glass the outside seams tonight). Ciao.
A recent thread in the "Off Topic" section of a paddling forum I often read has gotten me thinking this week about cycle commuting. That thread was full of an awful lot of vitriol, especially from the anti-cyclists (not what I anticipated on a paddling forum). I think one of the cyclist advocates was writing at least a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it certainly wasn't taken that way by some of the other posters. Anyways, a couple of very interesting links to other blogs were posted and I thought I would share them here (since this website actually sees traffic and is much easier to add it to than my main site).
First was a blog posting by Crazy Biker Chick who wrote an article entitled "Things a non-cyclist might not understand Part I: An open letter to motorists who dislike cyclists." I liked this article thoroughly, it is well written, respectful, and in no way does it chide or goad the motorists she hopes to get the point across to. What she says reflects my feelings on the subject quite closely, though there was one point she made that I'm not sure I can agree with (not sure I entirely disagree with it either). She addressed the issue in her most recent post. For more on my feelings on the matter, you can see the rants section of my other web page.
Another blog posting that was linked to was regarding the pro-cycle commuting movement, Critical Mass, and was written by the Accordian Guy in his article Critical Massholes (or: Why I No Longer Ride with Critical Mass). While I appreciate the message they attempt to convey, I've never quite understood how obstructing other vehicles on the road was the best way to get the message across. Let see, piss off a whole bunch of motorists in an effort to get them to afford us more respect? Apparently I wasn't the only person that this has occurred to as evidenced by the aforementioned article.
Now back to kayaks - I gotta go work on the boat (I think I'll glass the outside seams tonight). Ciao.
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