It’s the weekly roundup of bike news from around town and around the globe!
First up, Mike Lindblom at the Seattle Times bikes super fast (or maybe it’s a clever camera trick…)
Japan cracking down on a supposed surge in reckless cycling.
Toronto car enthusiast explains why the “war on cars” never existed.
Xtracycles will be the best tool ever during the zombie apocalypse.
A bus where women are required to sit in the back? In NYC?
Sounds like this Pacific, WA, judge could use a family bike law refresher.
The terrifying history of the bicycle tire.
Elly Blue points out that the things she does while biking that most anger drivers are actually safe and legal (not things like rolling stop signs).
Seattle Transit Blog digs into Metro’s 2012 service change plans.
Transportation Enhancements needs your help in the Senate.
More studies show that people driving give more space when passing people biking if the biker is not wearing cycling clothes.
Do transit cuts and fare hikes lead to increases in biking?
Mother angry at NYPD over their treatment of her son’s fatal traffic collision investigation.
A Canadian safety organization oddly argues against traffic calming.
The sounds of a Chinese bike lane.
This is astoundingly bad traffic collision reporting. Fire engine turns without seeing person biking, killing him. Yet the focus of the article is whether the victim should have been riding a fixie.
Mayor McGinn helps push a car after it ran out of gas in Fremont.
The Undriving follow-through rate is impressive.
It’s time for a true Seattle ciclovia.
Speaking of ciclovias, here’s another awesome video from the most recent CicLAvia.
Comments
4 responses to “Bike News Roundup: Mike Lindblom bikes really, really fast”
Ha! There’s a lot more to biking than just speed. Sadly that’s all anyone seems to care about. :)
Speed isn’t the only thing, but it is a thing. Somewhat against my will, my commute is long. Speed makes it possible for me to bike it. For reasons generally beyond the control of anyone on a bike, this city are pretty sprawled out (it sprawls behind much faster vehicles), and there are lots of places I like to go outside of my neighborhood. Speed, along with a good understanding of traffic principles, lets me use my bike for long trips as well as short ones. That’s what speed means for a practical cyclist.
Riding fast is also fun and challenging in its own right. But I haven’t met many people that care only about speed.
My problem has been trying to treat bicycling as a more leisurely transportation option. When I started biking again a few years ago (after taking about 7 years off after turning 16) I got used to it by traveling from the U District to my old roommates’ house in Bothell. It’s a bit of a ride, but safe and comfortable, and due to the distance I tried to go as fast as possible.
So now when I ride from Capitol Hill to work at UW, or South Seattle, or wherever, I have to actively think about not trying to max out the speed on my bike the whole trip. On the bright side, it’s a single speed so the max isn’t too ridiculous anyway. Chilling out is hard to do, but it’s nice arriving at your destination not soaked in sweat.
I average about 15-16 miles an hour for approximately 25 miles one way. That’s more than ample in my book. It keeps me focused and yet allows me to enjoy my surroundings. For me, it does the job nicely.