I really hope bikeshare isn't actually being done for joy-riding.  Then it would be completely pointless.  I think it's a crazy idea that the reason more people don't use bikes is that they don't have access to bikes.

 

That's true. Most Americans still own bikes even if they live in the middle of nowhere.

I'm not sure why you think its complete pointless.  I own three bikes and use them daily, but I don't generally take them with me when I travel.  The only time I've ever used Bikeshare bikes is when I'm traveling to another city.  It's the best way to ride around and enjoy exploring the neighborhoods.  I really don't see Bikeshare bikes being used for anything other than tourists and random last-leg commutes.  That's not a bad thing.  We've got a TON of tourists in this city who will love the system.

I really hope bikeshare isn't actually being done for joy-riding.  Then it would be completely pointless.  I think it's a crazy idea that the reason more people don't use bikes is that they don't have access to bikes.

 

That's true. Most Americans still own bikes even if they live in the middle of nowhere.

 

I'd hazard to guess that 50% of all bicycles purchased in the United States by adults are ridden fewer than five times.  During the bicycling craze of the 70s, many people received bikes as gifts, rode them on Christmas morning around the driveway, then promptly deposited them in their basements, only to reappear as Millennial fashion accessories circa 2012. 

 

 

 

I'm not understanding all the negativity. Bikeshare bikes aren't meant to be commuter bikes. They're for joy riding, a way to bike around for a bit and not worry about anything. I agree that Uptown bikes don't really make sense, but down in the basin they'll be great.

 

They're heavy and sturdy because they're industrial grade. They sit outside 24/7 in the elements. Putting a Carbon Felt on these racks would be idiotic. They'd get trashed ASAP.

 

There actually quite useful as commuter bikes, no need to worry about your own bicycle being stolen which is a major problem in cities where bicycling is popular (like Chicago - I've gotten 3 bicycles stolen and wound up carrying a huge chain lock as one of my bikes stolen was locked with a u-lock).  That way you can save your own bike for the pleasure rides/long distance stuff, and use the bikeshare bicycle (provided you live within 30 mins of where you work) to get to work or for filling gaps in transit/practical trips.  Its worked quite well for me, are the rideshare bikes heavy, yes, but totally functional.  I've said this other places but if Cincy adds grooves to more of its hillside steps (my understanding is that the steps near the casino added these after being rehabbed), then it would be useful there.

True many people do have bikes, but most people aren't likely to have access to their bike from anywhere but their home.  For someone who lives even just a little bit outside the central city, having bikeshare means they can go exploring in a neighborhood on a mode of travel they're familiar with but without having to deal with putting a bike rack on their car and lugging it around to wherever, then having to worry about it being stolen or getting chain grease all over the interior upholstery. 

These are all good points (tourism, people living outside the central city, etc.) and maybe I'm wrong about bikeshare being the cart before the horse, but in my opinion we need to be creating not simply the possibility of the car-free lifestyle in the Central City, but an active design and government preference for it.  I just think you're far less likely to see people unfamiliar with an area (those people such as tourists and folks who live outside the central city) jumping in on a means of transport totally unfamiliar to them than you are people familiar with an area choosing a form of transport that is easiest for them to use.

There are different companies doing these bikehshares, but from the 3 cities I've seen them in, they're practically the same bike and the system works the same way.  If someone's does bikeshare all the time in New York, when they travel to Chicago they'll be much more likely to use the bikes there. 

 

So at the same moment American cities are buying thousands of 45 pound bikes, Trek has just introduced the lightest road bike, at 10.5 pounds:

 

It is unfortunate that the culture of road bikers tends to intimidate people with some interest in them, because the high-end bikes are actually very, very easy and very comfortable to ride.  You feel much more balanced and stable and in control on these bikes than you do on vintage bikes or cheap new bikes.  They aren't practical for city riding mostly because getting a $2,000+ bike stolen once or twice per year isn't a hit most people can take.  And the problem with getting a vintage steel or aluminum road bike is that the vintage shifting and braking don't work nearly as well and so present a pretty serious safety issue.  There's no comparison between modern integrated braking and indexed shifting on the drop bars versus the old down tube non-indexed shifters. 

 

 

I like the old shifters.

I feel about drop bars the way Jake feels about chain guards and fenders.

Since no one has posted about this, the Liberty Street steps were recently remodeled due to the Casino opening up as a means to enhance pedestrian and even bicycle travel to the Casino from Mt. Auburn.  Steps are right about here:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/IP+Extreme+Technologies-+Avaya+Business+Partner/@39.112475,-84.5038925,18z/data=!4m7!1m4!3m3!1s0x8841b3e69dab6ff9:0xb32a2419c54912fe!2sProspect+Hill,+Cincinnati,+OH+45202!3b1!3m1!1s0x0:0x4356c0fa101cfacc

 

I was right about these steps now having spots to put bicycles on them, though they unfortunately are not grooves.  I tested it out last week.

 

One issue with these steps is the location they start at the bottom on Reading - not at all a bicycle or pedestrian friendly spot:

 

 

Below are a few photos of the sides of the steps, since they aren't grooved I had to balance my bike peculiarly, but its still a heck of a lot better than nothing at all just wish they did it with a groove shape like the steps in Smale Riverfront Park or at the Damen blue line stop in Chicago:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is where it lets out at the top of Prospect Hill on Highland, which is much more bicycle/pedestrian friendly:

 

 

I appreciate the upgrade, but really wish this was done on a staircase that has both pedestrian friendly top and bottom areas, like on Main Street's steps - as this is a critical way to improve bicycle transport as a stronger transportation option in the city.

That's actually disappointing. Can you roll your bike up without hitting the handrail? It doesn't seem wide enough, unlike the one at Smale, to actually use.

Now granted I had a folding bike so the handle could be adjusted a bit more, but even then I had to put my bicycle at a 45 degree angle to make it work without getting caught in the gate.

 

Its completely not as effective as it could be, but still better than nothing.

 

This staircase connects a lot of people in Prospect Hill/Mt. Auburn to the Reading Road bus. So I could see it being used for that. I don't know how many people would use it, but it does connect a neighborhood to one of the most used bus route in the city.

^-That sidewalk on Reading is soooo narrow, wish they could widen it, particularly since reading right there is a major thoroughfare and kind of sort of an expressway exit/entrance.

some more bicycling news.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/07/22/central-parkway-bikeway-speeds-toward-completion.html

 

Glad it's making quick progress so far.  Also, has anyone noticed the bike lanes on Este over by Carthage?  They recently repaved the road and restriped the bike lanes to look kinda like this with a buffer.  I think I have only seen 1 or 2 people using these in the last 3 yrs I have been driving this way to work, but still it's nice.  It has been driving me crazy because people keep using it as a turn lane onto Center Hill, even though the restriping took away that turn lane.  I think people are finally starting to get it after a few weeks though.

Este was always a street to avoid in the past simply because of the terrible pavement condition.  It should see a bit more use now, though it's still kind of isolated. 

Almost as soon as the Este lanes were opened, they were full of gravel from industry along it.  It beats Vine, though.

The Este Ave. bike lanes have been there for about 10 years.  They were probably the very first bike lanes in the city.  The worst for gravel are the Blair Ave. lanes in Avondale. 

Finally got a chance to check out the Central Parkway protected bike lanes.  Not bad, quite a generous width and all, though I wish they would have improved the run between Brighton corner and the Western Hills Viaduct.  It already has traditional non-buffered bike lanes, and they haven't touched them.  It's not awful, but it really pinches down under the Brighton Bridge because the piers are right on the curb.  I only rode northbound, so I didn't get to go through the section where it jumps up next to the sidewalk, and there were construction workers doing something there anyway.  It was very dirty near Marshall Avenue, so a sweeper needs to get in there somehow.  Also those bus stop platforms really squeeze down the bike lane significantly and abruptly.  I think a few extra pavement markings, signs, or some paint on the curb would probably be in order there, because you go from having about 7-8 feet of bike lane plus another 2 feet of buffer to just 5 feet with curbs on both sides of you. 

Finally got a chance to check out the Central Parkway protected bike lanes.  Not bad, quite a generous width and all, though I wish they would have improved the run between Brighton corner and the Western Hills Viaduct.  It already has traditional non-buffered bike lanes, and they haven't touched them.  It's not awful, but it really pinches down under the Brighton Bridge because the piers are right on the curb.  I only rode northbound, so I didn't get to go through the section where it jumps up next to the sidewalk, and there were construction workers doing something there anyway.  It was very dirty near Marshall Avenue, so a sweeper needs to get in there somehow.  Also those bus stop platforms really squeeze down the bike lane significantly and abruptly.  I think a few extra pavement markings, signs, or some paint on the curb would probably be in order there, because you go from having about 7-8 feet of bike lane plus another 2 feet of buffer to just 5 feet with curbs on both sides of you.

That sounds like a fair critique of those curbs

Not like 5 feet is skinny, so a wedge of painted buffer making the lane narrowing gradual should fix it up perfectly.

It feels very skinny when you're locked in on both sides though.  Now I'm sure they made the bus platforms the width they did for wheelchair accessibility reasons, and there's not much you can do to get around that, but like you said, some better markings tapering down into it, and/or a "bikeway narrows ahead" stencil would be prudent.  Some of them have the wheelchair ramp on the approach side, so if you hit it you just go up on top and will hopefully have time to get your wits about you and just bumble off the far end.  Some have the ramp on the long face though, so if you don't notice it you crash into a 6" high curb with barely any radius on the corners to give you an escape.

What's the status of the Central Parkway bike lanes between roughly Hopple Street and Ludlow Ave? Is that part of Phase 1 or is it a future phase? They probably can't be build until all of the highway construction is done anyway.

They currently stop at Marshall, so I bailed there down to Spring Grove Avenue.  The construction zone at Hopple is such a mess I won't even bother with it.  Not sure when they plan to implement the bike plan for the rest of the parkway, but I'm pretty sure that's phase 2. 

Unless it gets Crancelled...

I think the bike lane bollards are incredibly ugly.  The whole thing looks temporary, like a construction site.  I drove it at night last night and all of the reflectors reminded me of driving through a highway widening project. 

Cincinnati just tweeted "260 bikes delivered this morning for Cincy Bike Share! pic.twitter.com/9A7sHBec2T"

 

I received word that the bikes are being assembled by "volunteers supervised by B-cycle".  Um, who would volunteer to do work that could and should be cutting into B-cycle's profits?

I received word that the bikes are being assembled by "volunteers supervised by B-cycle".  Um, who would volunteer to do work that could and should be cutting into B-cycle's profits?

The MoBo bike CoOp was enlisting people from theircamp.

I received word that the bikes are being assembled by "volunteers supervised by B-cycle".  Um, who would volunteer to do work that could and should be cutting into B-cycle's profits?

 

Maybe they get a month or yearly pass for "volunteering". Something that wouldn't cost B-Cycle anything, and would benefit people who want to utilize it.

If you assemble 10 bikes you get a year free membership to the bike share.

Sounds like a good deal to me if you plan on using it a lot.

"I cycled on the Central Parkway bike lane for the first time this weekend to and from downtown from Clifton. "Mann's Bend" is particularly lovely this time of year."

 

If you assemble 10 bikes you get a year free membership to the bike share.

 

So where do you sign up?

I saw the following posted on Facebook:

 

Cincy Bike Share will be assembling bicycles for Cincinnati's newest transportation system this week. Looking for volunteers to help assemble the bikes.

 

Location: 1415 Republic Street in OTR

(https://www.google.com/maps/place/1415+Republic+St,+Cincinnati,+OH+45202/@39.1109066,-84.5164971,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x8841b3fdd0f6ee01:0xb917de16c3120d8b)

 

Times:

Tuesday August 12th 1 pm - 5 pm and 5 pm - 9 pm

Wednesday August 13th 9 am - 1 pm, 1 pm - 5 pm and 5 pm - 9 pm

Thursday August 14th 9 am - 1 pm, 1 pm - 5 pm and 5 pm - 9 pm

Friday August 15th 9 am - 1 pm, 1 pm - 5 pm and 5 pm - 9 pm

 

Anyone assembling 10 bicycles will receive a FREE one year membership to Cincy Bike Share. It's estimated that it will take 8 hours to assemble 10 bikes.

 

Anyone can also help for just an hour or two during these times. All help will be greatly appreciated. You will be helping to roll out this new and exciting service.

 

FREE Food and drinks will be provided during the work shifts . FREE beer will be available AFTER the evening session.

 

Please email [email protected] with the times you would be available to help.

 

Please bring tools if you have them.

 

Direction and Supervision will be provided by B-Cycle

I received word that the bikes are being assembled by "volunteers supervised by B-cycle".  Um, who would volunteer to do work that could and should be cutting into B-cycle's profits?

 

Cincy Bike Share is a non-profit.  It's not boosting B-cycles profits, because if people didn't volunteer Cincy Bike Share would have to hire people to help, not b-cycle. 

There's a press conference at 11AM tomorrow announcing the name of the bike share system and soon thereafter groundbreaking the first station. I'm amazing this seems to be actually happening, because I was convinced we'd have another delay till the spring.

I think the bike lane bollards are incredibly ugly.  The whole thing looks temporary, like a construction site.  I drove it at night last night and all of the reflectors reminded me of driving through a highway widening project. 

 

They are fine.  There are a million more ugly things in our right of ways.  They are quite uniform and you don't even notice them after awhile.  As a cyclist, they are great.  CP has mostly been working completely well since they finished it.

I think the bike lane bollards are incredibly ugly.  The whole thing looks temporary, like a construction site.  I drove it at night last night and all of the reflectors reminded me of driving through a highway widening project. 

 

They are fine.  There are a million more ugly things in our right of ways.  They are quite uniform and you don't even notice them after awhile.  As a cyclist, they are great.  CP has mostly been working completely well since they finished it.

 

Yeah, maybe after the bike lanes have been "proven" a success we can replace them with more permanent concrete curbs.

Wasn't one of the issues with curbing it the lack of an alley street sweeper? When I brought it up in one of the meetings, they noted that the last alley sweeper they had was in some graveyard. It had been picked clean for spare parts during the last administration and that if they had a more fixed barrier up, a new small sweeper would be needed.

The bollards are ugly (very ugly), but hopefully eventually something attractive (more attractive than an ugly curb, too) will be implemented. For now it's a big step in the right direction. Minus the accompanying thing about every new bike lane requiring council approval.

Wait curbs are ugly now? 

I'd be very happy with curbs. I'm not really sure why they decided to go through the trouble of building it the bus stops and nothing else. There's a lot of confusion out there. I'm glad people are parking on the correct side of the bollards, but there's still nothing to let people know where the no parking zones start or end. There is going to be a lot of people parking in front of driveways unless some sort of markings are added.

Wait curbs are ugly now? 

 

 

vs.

 

 

Yes, utilitarian curbs with no eye to the way they contribute to the aesthetic environment are ugly. They're not as big offenders as phone/power wires strung up all over, but they're another example of tone-deaf American placemaking.

I hope the bike share is called the Queen City Sausage Bike Share

I hope the bike share is called the Queen City Sausage Bike Share

 

Lol. I was thinking "Cincycles" or "Cincicycles" or "Cincy Cycles"... so much opportunity to play off the alliteration in Cincin(nati).

Bikeshare installed on Fountain Square

^ AWESOME!!!!

 

(Funny, I posted the exact same time as thomasbw[/member] -- 10:31:10)

I think it looks cluttered. Should have put it in the garage.

I think it looks cluttered. Should have put it in the garage.

Hush, you.