Amusing
Bike Snob NYC hands out a few hand-written notes to other road users. Hilarious. [via BAC Bikes]
Thoughts
- Carl poses the question: Should bike shops have womens sections?
If you take a look at the majority of the womens specific road and MTB bikes, they’re mostly in ‘girly’ colours. Pale blues, pinks … because ALL women like pale blue and pink, right?
- Dave Moulton is always a good read. This week he lashes the “Pedestrians on Bikes” attitude that leads people to ride like a pedestrian on wheels:
they ride on the sidewalk, they ride on the wrong side of the road against the flow traffic, and they ignore traffic signs and signals. At night they don’t use lights, because after all, most pedestrians don’t carry flash lights after dark.
I don’t necessarily agree with the sharp us-versus-them divide that he draws, but he’s right: some people do ride in exactly this way.
Utility cycling
Hints on bike commuting from someone who’s recently discovered the joy [via DamianM].
Alan Preston of the Utility Cyclism blog has setup a page on Urban Bicycles, for promoting urban utility cycling in New Zealand. It’s a little sparse at the moment but looking like being a useful resource. I rather like the slogan “Utility cycling is not ’sport’. It is transport.” that appears on the What IS ‘utility cycling’? page—I reckon I’ll steal that Alan!
Ride to Work Day
A sampling of blog entries:
- American Guy was an angel for the day
- Brett had a “hard 20 min trip” to Fed Square
- cfsmtb copped some creative abuse
- Dishmoptop asks “Don’t bike helmets look fab?”
- kenalovell.com is not a fan of the idea
- Kim enjoyed a “terrific ride”
- Lisa just had to ride
- pedaller was grateful for Adam Spencer
- Reckless—rant!
- Samuel Sock was faster than the bus and train
- Stomper Girl’s kid rode to
workschool - Thomasr forgot just about everything
- Tweed Coast Treadly was battered by the wind whereas Windjunky took advantage of it
Companies that rode:
A smattering of reportage:
- Video report from the Sydney Morning Herald
- pedaller posted a summary of media reports
The image of the single speed girls bike “looks” nearly identical to my get around bike, a Speedwell, during the late 70s early-mid 80s (my mid 20s) with the frames main shaft broken just above the crank which i repaired with a broom handle pushed up inside the tube, one of those bikes used for multiple tasks eg shopping, quick trip to the beach, doubling an adult on the front bars etc and you could leave it unlocked leaning on a pole outside the Newport Arms (pub) for hours on a Friday night no-worries. Never got a flat. It eventually succumbed to a reverse over in the driveway frame and rear wheel rooted. A-lot-a fond memories brought back when I read this post….
Well that’s great—that was just a bike that I walked past in the street and I thought it looked pretty cool. It may well be a Speedwell, that sort of rings a bell and the badge looks about right but the original photo isn’t clear enough to tell and I’m really no expert on stuff like that.
Glad you liked it!
You missed the wonderful RTW compliment I received in Clifton Hill. Damn near stand on my head laughing everytime thinking about it.
Apologies to the commenter who left a note about retro bikes–I accidentally deleted your remarks. Big oops!
Please come back and say it again…