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Author Archives: RiderWalker
A Bike is not a Bike, part 1
It’s more like a tool. People ask “How many bikes do you have?” My first thought is “How many hammers do I have? How many screwdrivers?” A person with just one screwdriver is not a serious tool user. Screwdrivers are … Continue reading
Posted in Equipment
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Bicycling and a Smaller Economy
Bicycling has less economic density than driving. Compared to a private automobile, the total cost of operation of a bicycle is probably ten times less: “According to a 2004 American Automobile Association study, the average American spends $8,410 per year … Continue reading
Posted in Business
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The Best Bike Parking
The best bike parking, obviously, is the most secure — assuming you are not able to bring your bike directly into your home or workplace. A significant overlooked dimension of parking is cover — often more important than proximity. Yes, … Continue reading
Posted in Parking
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Cyclists and their Allies
Cyclists often assume that pedestrians and other non-motorized users are their allies — this blog is named after that assumption. But alliances are flexible. A cyclist on the sidewalk is a speed vehicle, more like a car, from the pedestrian’s … Continue reading
Posted in Speed
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The Best Trail
Bike trails that form a circuit are nice, but the best trail need not be a circuit. Our town is debating whether to spend several hundred thousand dollars on “completing” a trail around a lake. A fine idea, but there’s … Continue reading
Posted in Trails
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Bike Lanes vs Bike Boulevards
Does our community, with its very modest resources, really need to build (or even paint) bike lanes? I believe that most communities would benefit more from bike boulevards: streets with fewer stop signs, reduced speed limits, and possibly “traffic calming” … Continue reading
Posted in Lanes, Roads
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Speed Research
Traffic engineers need to do more research. Consider: http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pedbike/research/current.htm Where it states: “The National Bicycling and Walking Study goals are to: Double the percentage of all trips made by bicycling or walking. [and] Reduce the current number of bicycling and … Continue reading
Posted in Roads, Speed, Traffic
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Re: Arrogance Quantified
As noted earlier, each traveler is X-times more arrogant than a slower traveler, based on the speed ratio: “If you (slow person) valued your time as much as I (faster person) do mine, you’d have paid more so you could … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Best Bikes, revised
A long-time Schwinnn fan — even more so now, after looking at their “Urban” line for 2012. Lots of steel frames, several commuters with fenders, even a 1×9, the Slicker, that reminds me of the original Paramount. http://www.schwinnbikes.com/bikes/urban
Posted in Equipment
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Arrogance Quantified
Compared to cyclists and walkers, motorists are arrogant. In fact, We can quantify motorist arrogance. Imagine a motorist at 30 miles an hour; a cyclist at ten miles an hour; a pedestrian at three miles an hour. As the motorist … Continue reading
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Arkivalways 