^ Did you look at the post above yours?

Sorting thread. Please bear with me.

I don't need no stinkin' bike lane.  :wink2:

 

 

Ohio Department of Transportation  •  News Release

DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS

1980 West Broad Street • Columbus, Ohio 43223

http://www.dot.state.oh.us

 

Ohioans demonstrate Pedal Power during Bike to Work Week

ODOT highlights more than $100 million in bicycle and pedestrian investments

 

COLUMBUS (Monday, May 17, 2010) - Joining the four-million bicycle owners in Ohio who are demonstrating the ‘pedal power’ of active biking, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is teaming up with local communities across the state in recognizing Bike to Work Week (May 17-21).

 

“Biking and walking are critical components of a thriving, healthy, and complete multi-modal transportation system,” said ODOT Director Jolene M. Molitoris, who joined the Mayor of Columbus, Central Ohio business leaders and bicycle enthusiasts for a Monday morning bike ride to the Ohio Statehouse.

 

Each year in Ohio, the Bike to Work celebration sees an ever increasing number of participants. Events are scheduled in cities throughout the state through the month of May, including workshops, clinics, tours, and block parties. Many area businesses offer free food along with discounts on their merchandise to bike riders.

 

“When we have all of the modes of transportation working safely together, we create a sense of place where people want to live and businesses want to grow,” said ODOT Director Molitoris.

 

Since 1992, the Ohio Department of Transportation has invested more than $100 million to improve and modernize pedestrian and bicycle routes across the state.

 

With new federal funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ODOT and its local transportation partners have also been able to invest more than $16 million in stimulus funds to bicycle and pedestrian projects.

 

Today, Ohio has more than 3,000 miles of designated bike paths used by an estimated four million bicycle owners.

 

Learn more about Ohio’s investments in bicycling - as well as tips to keep safe whether you are riding on two wheels or four - by logging on to ODOT’s website at www.dot.state.oh.us - click on the bicycle icon,

 

###

 

For more information contact: Scott Varner, ODOT Central Office Communications, at 614-644-8640

or your local ODOT District Public Information Office

 

Bike to work week

Pedal-friendly Dublin a role model

Monday,  May 17, 2010 2:49 AM

By Holly Zachariah

 

No fair-weather commuter, this one.

 

Not even a recent cold, sideways rain tempted Mike Teets to back his Chevrolet pickup truck out of the garage for the morning commute to the Online Computer Library Center in Dublin. His Fuji Cyclo Cross bicycle - with the help of a sturdy raincoat and Oakley tinted glasses - got him there just fine.

 

For the city of Dublin, Teets is a poster child of commuter bicycling. And right now, during National Bike to Work Week, the city hopes to give its newly energized bicycling efforts a boost.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/17/pedal-friendly-dublin-a-role-model.html?sid=101

 

Map of Dublin bike paths: http://www.dispatch.com/wwwexportcontent/sites/dispatch/local_news/stories/2010/05/17/dublin_large.jpg

Great Bicycle to Work Day story on Columbus Underground:

 

First High Street Sharrow Unveiled Today

http://www.columbusunderground.com/first-bikeways-sharrow-unveiled-today

Can any Columbusites on this forum inform me as to whether the City and/or the region have adopted a Complete Streets ordinance?

Yes, but 50 MPH arterials are considered "Complete Streets" as long as there's a sidewalk and tiny bike lanes. The more I look into what "Complete Streets" mean, the more meaningless I find the term.

My sister in Columbus got her first flat, both the tube and tire are toast.  I live in Canton but I offered to drive down and teach her how to do it.

 

She may not want to wait until I can get to Columbus.  She lives in the short north just off high street, can anyone recommend a good shop to send her to?  I know there is a Co-op near where she lives, can she go there?

 

I tried to explain how to over the phone but I get all these terrible visions of unseated beads and want to make sure it's done right.  It's a rear tire too and I am guessing the derailleur could cause a small problem for her.  Ideally I would like to teach her how to in person but I need back up plans.

Yes, but 50 MPH arterials are considered "Complete Streets" as long as there's a sidewalk and tiny bike lanes. The more I look into what "Complete Streets" mean, the more meaningless I find the term.

 

e.g. Morse Road

Morse is particularly bad because in addition there are tons of curb cut outs for drive thrus. The bike lanes put you right up against them with no room to maneuver when a motorist pulls up looking for cars, not cyclists. At least the Schrock Rd bike lane seems to have large distances between intersections and few curb cuts (much less developed), though that didn't stop a car wiping out in the bike lane due in large part to the high speed limit.

I haven't been willing to go at Schrock beyond Cleveland, yet. I find it stressful enough between State and Cleveland.

huh... Charleston, Wv. now has a bike taxi! I saw this out today while on a drive through the city. Nice set up too. As usual, ignore the newspaper comments.

 

The new way around town

Charleston Chariots offer patrons a bike taxi service

By Shay Maunz, Charleston Daily Mail, May 24, 2010

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Tom and Alice Burgess have come to enjoy the odd looks they get when driving their pedicabs around Charleston.

 

The husband and wife team opened their new business, West Virginia Charleston Chariots, a bicycle taxi service, earlier this month.

 

They admit their new venture is a little strange, especially to those who have never seen a pedicab - much less ridden in one.

Cyclist Hit and Run Columbus Ohio

 

Cross-posted in the Cbus cycling news thread.

Move over, cars

Street painting reminds drivers to share road with cyclists

Wednesday, June 23, 2010  02:52 AM

By Doug Caruso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The law says bicycles belong in the street.

 

Starting this week, N. High Street will say that, too.

 

Yesterday, the city began painting what the U.S. Department of Transportation calls "shared-lane markings" - 188 of them - between Nationwide Boulevard and Morse Road.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/23/move-over-cars.html?sid=101

Settlement... I was hoping for a full trial. But it gets these "cops" straightened-out...

 

Lawsuit by Tasered biker settled

By Benita Heath, The Tribune, July 8, 2010

 

CHESAPEAKE — A high-profile civil rights violation case won’t go to trial, after all parties involved recently agreed to a settlement.

 

In a conference last week before U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett attorneys for Anthony Patrick of Huntington, W.Va., and various Lawrence County and village of Chesapeake officials approved an undisclosed settlement, thereby ending the case.

Published: August 10, 2010 3:00 a.m.

Fests should pedal bicycle valet plan

 

Frank Gray

 

... Sometimes, though, valet parking is worth it, such as at the Taste of the Arts, coming up in Fort Wayne Aug. 28, or at the Johnny Appleseed Festival in September.

 

Leave your Porsche at home, though. The only kind of valet parking that will be available at these events is for bicycles.

 

Read the article here: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100810/LOCAL0201/308109987/1047

 

 

Friday, August 13, 2010

Hiking trails get boost via Clean Ohio grants

Business First of Columbus

 

An $8.3 million round of funding through the state’s Clean Ohio Fund is bringing more than $1.8 million to expansion projects for several Central Ohio hiking trails.

 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources this week announced the 2010 winners through its Clean Ohio Trails Fund, one of four components of the $400 million Clean Ohio Fund voters first approved in 2000 and later renewed in 2008. A total of 30 trail projects were awarded funding, including six in Central Ohio.

 

Full Story at: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/08/09/daily41.html

 

List of trail projects: http://ohiodnr.com/portals/0/natureworks/pdf/2010COTFRecommendedProjects_Awards.pdf

Settlement... I was hoping for a full trial. ...

 

Lawsuit by Tasered biker settled

he was charged with ... operating a bike on the road.

 

What???  That city's insurance rates will go up.  They should fire that cop.  Plenty more people can take his job.

Settlement... I was hoping for a full trial. ...

 

Lawsuit by Tasered biker settled

he was charged with ... operating a bike on the road.

 

What???   That city's insurance rates will go up. They should fire that cop. Plenty more people can take his job.

 

Well that brings up an interesting point altogether – licensing of not only bikes, but also cyclists.  Afterall, gas taxes, license fees, and automobile registration fees pay for the bulk of road maintenance, should bikes get a free pass? Bike lanes are far from cheep to install and maintain.  If these guys were in fact not keeping speed, prohibiting traffic flow, and violating traffic laws then they did deserve to get stopped and ticketed.  It’s much more dangerous to be cycling on a busy road than it is to be driving; I think there should be a license of some sort before someone is allowed to cycle in traffic on a road.  Currently, there’s a sort of lawlessness surrounding cycling, and it’s at the root of a lot of pedestrian-cyclist and motorist-cyclist confrontations.  Cyclists have to know the rules; shouldn’t they take a test to prove it?

 

I almost get mowed down by rouge cyclists on a weekly basis.  It’s becoming a big problem in New York City, and I’m sure it will spread as ridership increases everywhere.  The NYPD has just now started ticketing cyclists, but without some type of registration of bikes and bikers, it probably won’t be as effective as it should be.

 

I don't have a red bicycle, so that wasn't me trying to run you down.

 

Afterall, gas taxes, license fees, and automobile registration fees pay for the bulk of road maintenance, should bikes get a free pass? Bike lanes are far from cheep to install and maintain.

 

 

As a separate issue; funding of road infrastructure is not as clear cut as your statement might lead some to believe.  It is a far more complex issue that must take into account the impact of vehicle weight and velocity as well as the fact that most cities spend a considerable amount of their budget repairing and resurfacing roads.

Those taxes and fees mostly go to the Feds or the State, to pay for Interstate Highways which bicycles can't use.  The vast majority of regular roads are NOT funded by gas taxes and fees, but by property and state income taxes, so cyclists are already paying for them anyway.  Besides, there really aren't that many cyclists who don't own a car too, and saying they shouldn't get a free pass is like saying pedestrians shouldn't get a free pass to use sidewalks. 

pedestrians shouldn't get a free pass to use sidewalks.

 

Maybe we should license pedestrians! ;-)

pedestrians shouldn't get a free pass to use sidewalks.

 

Maybe we should license pedestrians! ;-)

 

I think my point is being missed.  I didn’t mean to imply auto registrations and gas tax pay for roads in entirety, the points is registering a vehicle and paying gas taxes amount to a nominal fee, a fee that you must pay in order to use roads.  Obviously it’s not a self sufficient system at all. 

 

It’s a slippery slope because it’d be silly for everyone to register their 5 year olds bicycle, but delivery guys and Lance Armstrong wannabees whizzing around at high speeds pose a threat and often times have total disregard for traffic laws.  There should be some type of registration and license, if a bike is going to be viewed as a vehicle and not a toy (ie. a kids bike is a toy, but the other examples are definitely vehicles).  In Ohio bikes have to obey traffic laws on the road, why not have a license plate and license to operate as well?

 

It truly is a slippery slope. Plus, at the moment, governments are in the process of lowering the bar of entry and encouraging more people to start cycling. Licensure and the like would be counterproductive in this endeavor.

 

I think you should just stick to advocating enforcement of existing laws. Do you really think ignorance of the law is the main problem?

To complain about cyclists who don't obey the law is also a slippery slope.  Having drivers licenses certainly doesn't prevent car drivers from breaking the law either.  When someone in a car blows through a red light they're an asshole, but when someone on a bike does it they're an asshole cyclist.  All cyclists get singled out and accosted for the misdeeds of other cyclists, while motorists do not. 

 

The main reason licensing and registration for vehicles was implemented was because cars and trucks were the first vehicles on the roads that were truly dangerous to people and property.  Comparatively speaking, cyclists don't pose much of a danger to anyone or anything else, while cars and trucks do.  The laws are written such that with equal rights (to use the roads) comes equal responsibility (to obey all the same laws).  However, the laws can, should, and in many cases are being adjusted to compensate for the disparity in speeds and abilities of vehicles to operate on the roads.  Laws that require a certain clearance while passing shouldn't be necessary if people in cars would pass safely to begin with.  Someone disobeying that law should be ticketed, and a cyclist should be ticketed for running a red light just like anyone else.  However, having a license isn't necessary in order to give someone a ticket. 

 

What needs to be addressed is why some cyclists break the law, and is it really something worth fighting about?  You tend to see more cyclists rolling through stop signs or even stop lights, which is less common for motor vehicles.  On the other hand, cyclists rarely exceed the speed limit or tailgate.  There's also plenty of things cyclist do that annoy other drivers, sometimes for no good reason, but mainly to protect themselves.  Riding in the middle of the lane is one very common example.  Being close to the curb may be dangerous due to debris, or there might be a blind curve or other issue that means it would not be safe for a car to pass, so the cyclist won't let them.  Also, to be perfectly honest, cycling can be really hard.  Stopping and starting at lights or stop signs requires a lot of effort compared to slowing down and rolling through.  That doesn't make it right, but it's understandable, also because cyclists have much better viewing angles than people in vehicles, since they're a bit higher up and don't have six feet of hood in front of them that keeps them from seeing around corners easily. 

 

I also want to speak to the whole "Lance wannabes" thing.  First, what of all the Dale Earnhardt wannabes in their cars?  It's the same problem I mentioned before, where cyclists are generalized and motorists are given a free pass.  Second, any serious rider who's going at any appreciable speed is on the road.  If they have to ride on the sidewalk, there's a problem with the road that needs to be addressed.  Since they're on the road, how are they dangerous to anyone else?  The only way to get "mowed down" by a cyclist who's "whizzing around at high speeds" is if you're standing in the the road not paying attention.  Just because you can't hear an engine doesn't mean you shouldn't look both ways before crossing the street.  Finally, calling someone a Lance wannabe just because they're wearing lycra shorts or are on a local racing team shows a very disturbing prejudice.  Cycling clothes all serve specific functions, and to ridicule someone for that is very ignorant.  Also, because cycling can be such a difficult sport (especially in hilly areas like Cincinnati), you see a lot of people who do it for both fitness and for getting around.  Heaven forbid someone wouldn't want to drive to the health club just to run on a treadmill for an hour. 

I do think that cycling licensure program wouldn't be a half-bad idea, but I see as more of add-on that a person who cycles heavily could get that perhaps could be given to their life-insurance company to prove they don't have a death-wish (similar to a defensive driving program). As a part of that I think drivers training should include more coverage of how to drive when their multiple kinds of vehicles on the roads (esp. bikes and smaller motorcycles).

^ Well written, jjakucyk.

 

Oregon cyclists are allowed to roll through stop signs.  Idahoans can proceed past a red light at an intersection without stopping.

 

http://www.oregoncycling.org/2008/12/history-of-idahos-stop-sign-law/

To complain about cyclists who don't obey the law is also a slippery slope.  Having drivers licenses certainly doesn't prevent car drivers from breaking the law either.  When someone in a car blows through a red light they're an asshole, but when someone on a bike does it they're an asshole cyclist.  All cyclists get singled out and accosted for the misdeeds of other cyclists, while motorists do not. 

 

The main reason licensing and registration for vehicles was implemented was because cars and trucks were the first vehicles on the roads that were truly dangerous to people and property.  Comparatively speaking, cyclists don't pose much of a danger to anyone or anything else, while cars and trucks do.  The laws are written such that with equal rights (to use the roads) comes equal responsibility (to obey all the same laws).  However, the laws can, should, and in many cases are being adjusted to compensate for the disparity in speeds and abilities of vehicles to operate on the roads.  Laws that require a certain clearance while passing shouldn't be necessary if people in cars would pass safely to begin with.  Someone disobeying that law should be ticketed, and a cyclist should be ticketed for running a red light just like anyone else.  However, having a license isn't necessary in order to give someone a ticket. 

 

What the license does is make it possibly to take the cyclists that are giving the rest of the community a bad name off the road, just as the worst drivers lose their licenses.  This would help curb the generalization you are implying I made about all cyclists breaking laws. 

 

What needs to be addressed is why some cyclists break the law, and is it really something worth fighting about?  You tend to see more cyclists rolling through stop signs or even stop lights, which is less common for motor vehicles.  On the other hand, cyclists rarely exceed the speed limit or tailgate.  There's also plenty of things cyclist do that annoy other drivers, sometimes for no good reason, but mainly to protect themselves.  Riding in the middle of the lane is one very common example.  Being close to the curb may be dangerous due to debris, or there might be a blind curve or other issue that means it would not be safe for a car to pass, so the cyclist won't let them.  Also, to be perfectly honest, cycling can be really hard.  Stopping and starting at lights or stop signs requires a lot of effort compared to slowing down and rolling through.  That doesn't make it right, but it's understandable, also because cyclists have much better viewing angles than people in vehicles, since they're a bit higher up and don't have six feet of hood in front of them that keeps them from seeing around corners easily. 

 

There’s a difference between rolling through an empty country street with clear site lines, and buzzing through a city intersection full of pedestrians.  It’s not a difference you can write into law, exactly, but it’s a difference that can be enforced.  It might be difficult to stop and start, but it’s also very difficult to drive, and even difficult to walk in certain places in a city.  I’m particularly talking about urban areas, as that’s really the only place I’ve run into any of these problems. 

 

I also want to speak to the whole "Lance wannabes" thing.  First, what of all the Dale Earnhardt wannabes in their cars?  It's the same problem I mentioned before, where cyclists are generalized and motorists are given a free pass.  Second, any serious rider who's going at any appreciable speed is on the road.  If they have to ride on the sidewalk, there's a problem with the road that needs to be addressed.  Since they're on the road, how are they dangerous to anyone else?  The only way to get "mowed down" by a cyclist who's "whizzing around at high speeds" is if you're standing in the the road not paying attention.  Just because you can't hear an engine doesn't mean you shouldn't look both ways before crossing the street.  Finally, calling someone a Lance wannabe just because they're wearing lycra shorts or are on a local racing team shows a very disturbing prejudice.  Cycling clothes all serve specific functions, and to ridicule someone for that is very ignorant.  Also, because cycling can be such a difficult sport (especially in hilly areas like Cincinnati), you see a lot of people who do it for both fitness and for getting around.  Heaven forbid someone wouldn't want to drive to the health club just to run on a treadmill for an hour. 

 

Anecdotally, my run-ins with cyclists have been while I was in a cross walk, with a walk signal, and the cyclists was attempting to skip the red light by utilizing the crosswalk.  It is a fairly regular occurrence on my typical walk to work, and happens a few times per week. Again, it all comes back to either ignorance of the law, or disregard of it because of the lack of enforcement.  My only suggestion is better enforcement and licensing/registration if bikes are ever to be taken as seriously as cars as a mode of transportation. 

 

Also, I beg to differ that ridiculing someone for biker shorts is “ignorant.”  I know very well what purpose it serves, that doesn’t change the fact that it looks silly.  Rude? Yes. Ignorant? No. I have no problem being labeled rude from time to time!

 

Biker clothes and bike helmets look ridiculous.  Its "euro" image hurts cycling in the United States.  If you wore any of that stuff where I grew up, you would get your assed kicked by every kid in the neighborhood, no question about it.  Biking was extremely uncool for any kid over 10 where I grew up and it was not uncommon to have drinks or random objects thrown at you or to get mooned by people in passing cars.   

 

As a result I've never worn a helmet, bike shorts, or anything special and done countless 50-mile rides and several 100+ mile rides.  I don't think those clothes are necessary for anyone whose not a competitive rider.  I can wear jeans and ride 50 miles every day.  Over 100 miles and my butt needs a day off. 

 

Many people in the world think American football players look ridiculous too, but they are what they are for a reason.  Get over it.  The level of petty and immature thinking here just astounds me.  Jake, I applaud you for having an ass that can take a good pounding (hehe), but not wearing a helmet because you think it's too "euro" or because the kids in a town WHERE YOU DON'T LIVE ANYMORE would have IN THE PAST beaten you up for it is just reckless and stupid. 

Biker clothes and bike helmets look ridiculous. Its "euro" image hurts cycling in the United States. If you wore any of that stuff where I grew up, you would get your assed kicked by every kid in the neighborhood, no question about it. Biking was extremely uncool for any kid over 10 where I grew up and it was not uncommon to have drinks or random objects thrown at you or to get mooned by people in passing cars.

 

As a result I've never worn a helmet, bike shorts, or anything special and done countless 50-mile rides and several 100+ mile rides. I don't think those clothes are necessary for anyone whose not a competitive rider. I can wear jeans and ride 50 miles every day. Over 100 miles and my butt needs a day off.

 

I'm pretty certain that isn't true, unless you bike solely on bike trails where there is no grade. I'm certain I've seen you ride around town in 90F heat in jeans, but that's stupid, inefficient and inpractical. You overheat easier, and you have to make considerations to ensure the jeans don't shred in the cogs. Plus, you ride on sidewalks, which is illegal and dangerous. Your only long ride claim to fame was the Little Miami, which is nothing. Even my father can do that and he's 60. Why don't you do something more challenging, like bike from here to Pittsburgh on roadways with traffic? Then you'd sing a different tune.

 

But hey, take your safety into consideration; if you choose to not wear helmets, that's your prerogative, but don't state that it's less cool to wear a helmet, like the same idiots who once claimed that it was less cool to wear seatbelts in automobiles. Don't tell others to wear clothes that are more comfortable, wick away the sweat and keep riders cooler -- especially over longer distances. Don't tell others to wear helmets because it looks less cool; I've seen some friends of mine get into some bloody accidents that would be MUCH worse if they didn't wear a helmet -- it's designed to protect your cranium, after all.

 

Plus, you don't know how comfy it is to use spandex and lycra. And how sexy it is.

I've noticed that the vast majority of motorists treat stop signs like yield signs (even saw one treat a red light like one) and will drive through an intersection when the light has turned red. Never do you see other motorists honk or do anything, because they'll likely do the same. Hell, I've seen cars waiting til the light turns red to take a left turn and the two other cars behind that one follow well after the light is red. I would think it's honk-worthy, but it's only OK to break the laws of the road as long as you're in a car. Don't even get me started on how laughable our DUI laws are when it comes to reckless sociopaths.

 

As for the stereotypical tight lycra cycling gear I don't wear it. I wear my normal clothes and a sweet-ass bern helmet.

If you choose to not wear helmets, that's your prerogative, ....

...as long as you are comfortable with the idea of relearning the alphabet.

Biker clothes and bike helmets look ridiculous.  Its "euro" image hurts cycling in the United States.

 

Lycra and helmets are Euro? Have you seen cyclists in Europe?

 

 

I agree they look ridiculous, but it's stupid not to wear a helmet. You won't catch me in lycra, though.

 

I agree it hurts cycling's image. Not the Euro-ness, but the lycra, nazi-environmentalism, and just the overall jackassery of the American cyclist community. In much of Europe (especially Denmark and Holland), cycling is just a fact of life. It doesn't have the lame-o elitist subculture, which I think is the most inhibiting factor for cycling catching on in the US. American cycling could use a bit(/lot) more European nonchalance.

Biking doesn't have just one subculture, but several, and the culture of the bike shops needs to change. I'm sick of taking my bike into shops to get worked on and getting dirty looks from those dudes because I'm not one of them and/or a gear head, even though I ride more than most of them.   

 

JohnB, I'm not sure who you are or why you are stalking me.  I developed these opinions because I started doing this when I was a kid with no contact at all with anyone else doing the same thing.  I didn't read anything, I just started doing it.  I had no idea that there was any kind of bike culture, aside from what I saw on the old BMX biker movie "Rad".  Then I started reading up on it in college and I knew much of the "expert" knowledge to be nothing than propaganda to sell clothing and accessories.  I've ridden maybe 20,000 miles in my life with no bike-specific clothing.  I disagree with much riding philosophy from these same so-called experts as well.  I've never been hit, never even come close to being hit, and have only fallen off the bike once as an adult, which was at "stall" speed trying to catch a gatorade bottle cap. 

 

I'm interested in more people riding as real transportation. Bike culture tells everyone you can't ride on the sidewalks, which makes no sense in cities where nobody walks anywhere, and wags fingers at people telling them to wear helmets insinuates that biking is inherently dangerous, which it isn't. You can easily fall down a staircase and suffer the same kind of brain damage or get run over in the Walgreen's parking lot.   

 

 

That's because you go into bike shops and talk your head off about stuff you have no idea or clue about Jake. I hear these stories from the bike shops you take your bike into -- they know you by face and name, and they can spout off all the stories you tell there, here and elsewhere. If you'd be, you know, less of an airhead, people may respect you a bit more.

 

I'm not a gearhead by any means, yet I take in my road bike into various bike shops (Oakley, Element, Campus, etc.) to be repaired because I don't have the time or physical room to do it myself. I just took my racing bike into BioWheels to have new tires put on because I don't have a stand to install racing tires with (it's near impossible to do by hand), and they were polite, quick and we chatted up a bit on our various rides. Earlier in the year, I had my racing bike into Oakley to have a new derailleur installed and they receive my return business.

 

I don't get smirks, sneers or derogatory comments because I'm on good terms with all of them. I bike with them. I go out for drinks with them. I don't make fun of their outfits, their helmets, their bikes. I don't brag about biking 20,000 miles, or about biking 100 miles on the Little Miami Trail. Big deal. When you do that, it's expected that you'll have laughed at.

 

I don't stalk you, but you are quite obvious when you bike out. I don't follow bike culture, and I'm neither a "Lance Armstrong"-wannabe or a hipster with a fixed gear. I have a mountain bike, a single speed Masi, and a racing bike. I have clips for my shoes, lycra/spandex for my outfits, and regular shorts and shirts that I wear when I'm more casual (or want to say, go eat at restaurants).

 

Bike culture says you can't ride on sidewalks? No, common sense does. It's safer to ride in the road where you don't mow down or weave around pedestrians (as I've seen you do). As for the helmet issue, I'll let you get hit by a car and crack your head on the pavement to let you determine if a helmet is a good idea or not. I've been hit by three cars, and thank god that my helmet was on. I would have been more seriously injured otherwise, since my head took some of the impact of the collision. I'm not sure that you'll suffer brain damage from falling in a Walgreen's surface lot unless you are already brain damaged to begin with...

Quit making stuff up and trying to escalate things.  I've set foot in a bike shop in Cincinnati about 10 times total over the past 3 years.  I've never written anything about biking anywhere except UrbanOhio.  You're confusing me with someone else, or perhaps multiple people rolled into one.   

If you choose to not wear helmets, that's your prerogative, ....

...as long as you are comfortable with the idea of relearning the alphabet.

Don't forget the public subsidies for emergency rooms.

jmeck/johnb, take it to PM.

Summit Cycling Center opens at Canal Place

Bicyclist is pedaling after dream downtown

Coletta wants center to become total cycling resource for Akron

 

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Wednesday, Sep 08, 2010

 

Angelo Coletta has big dreams for his new Summit Cycling Center. The Akron-based bicycle co-operative intends to offer an array of services and programs: used bikes, bike repair stations, repair instruction, bike parts, classes and workshops, bicycle rides, members earning bikes by refurbishing donated bikes and even a bicycle messenger service.

 

Coletta, who operated bike shops in North Akron for 30 years, envisions bicycle lectures, film festivals and concerts; a museum devoted to local bicycle heroes; and perhaps a shrine and chapel devoted to the Madonna de Ghisallo, the Patroness of Cyclists.

 

Full story at: http://www.ohio.com/news/first/102413869.html

Has anyone here attended or witnessed a Cleveland Critical Mass ride?  I am not really interested in the politics of the ride but riding that freely through downtown does sound like a pretty unique experience to me.

 

Is the ride mostly light hearted?  Is it well received by authorities and traffic?  I am very curious as right now I feel 50/50 about attending.

^ mkeller, I've attended seven rides since last October.

 

To answer your questions, the ride is very light-hearted, festive, and parade-like.  The people who ride cheer, wish pedestrians and motorists "Happy Friday," give high-fives to people, ring bells, and sometimes even bust into tune (a group started belting out Journey on Clark and West 45th last month).  There are a few people who like to antagonize motorists, but by and large, Cleveland's CM is very fun.

 

All has been good with authorities and traffic.  Police have ridden by the group and not made an issue in the slightest.  They're generally of the mindset that, as long as the group is not militant and does not create issues with motorists, they will not crack down.  Traffic isn't too bad in Cleveland on a Friday night.  There haven't been very many traffic issues.

 

Join if you're curious!  If you don't have fun, you can always break off from the group.  At least you'll know if you're missing something you may really enjoy!  Plus, there will only be about two more opportunities (September and October) before the group goes dormant until next April. 

 

 

Road grooves for safety

Bicyclists grumble about rumble stripes on state routes

Monday, September 13, 2010  02:51 AM

By Doug Caruso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Drivers and bicyclists, get ready to rumble.

 

The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to spend $4 million to install "rumble stripes" along 1,335 miles of state roads.

 

The rumble of tires hitting the grooves is supposed to warn drivers that they're about to go off the road, state officials say, and could reduce crashes into trees, power poles and other roadside objects by about one-third.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/09/13/bicyclists-grumbling-about-rumbling.html?sid=101

 

Map of proposed "rumble stripes" on Ohio highways:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/09/13/bicyclists-grumbling-about-rumbling.html?sid=101

Varner said the state won't cut rumble stripes on heavily used bicycle routes, and contractors are leaving 10-foot gaps in the stripes so cyclists can cross between the road and shoulder without riding on the grooves.

 

But screw the commuter cyclists and cross country tourists

...

 

On the other hand, study after study has found that rumble strips make roads safer for drivers, said Bill Purpura, a spokesman for the AAA Ohio Auto Club.

 

Highway-building whores

New Columbus Bike Users Map:

 

http://www.morpc.org/transportation/bicycle_pedestrian/BikeUserMap.asp

 

Has anyone here attended or witnessed a Cleveland Critical Mass ride? I am not really interested in the politics of the ride but riding that freely through downtown does sound like a pretty unique experience to me.

 

Is the ride mostly light hearted? Is it well received by authorities and traffic? I am very curious as right now I feel 50/50 about attending.

 

mkeller, did you ride with Critical Mass last Friday?

these are new bike racks i saw in lower manhattan yesterday --

they seem nice, i like the seats & i think they are over subway grates,

but on the downside they take up too much sidewalk

 

 

 

NOACA survey finds more Clevelanders cycling

Cycling stats up 50% since 2006

 

Last Updated: 38 minutes ago

By: Tom Livingston

 

CLEVELAND - Whether you credit people being healthier, going greener or blame a bad economy and high gas prices, pedal power is on the rise in Cuyahoga County.

 

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Organization (NOACA) reported an increase of about 50 percent in the number of bicyclists in 2010 over 2006.

 

That quick snapshot, one day for 4 hours showed and encouraging trend, county-wide the number rose from 602 in 2006 to 906 in 2010.

 

Three locations in Cleveland showed significant increases; West 65th and Detroit Avenue, West 25th and Detroit Avenue as well as the intersection of Ontario and Carnegie.

 

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/noaca-survey-finds-more-clevelanders-cycling