I’m a year-round cycling commuter–it’s never really occurred to me not to ride in winter, and it’s easier and much more fun that you might think.
Bikes are fun. Somehow, folding bikes are even funner.
It’s interesting and sad to observe what people will do to secure a parking spot.
Do you ever experience this? You go for weeks on end without any serious trouble on the road, and then in the space of one ride it seems that every second motorist you meet is trying to kill you.
“Seventy five percent of all journeys in Britain are under five miles in length; half are under two miles; and thirty two per cent under a mile… Of all journeys undertaken by car, sixty one per cent are under five miles in length; and a similar proportion of all short journeys currently take place in cars.” –Bikes Not Fumes, p. 11, CTC 1991
“The experience was pretty revealing – it opened my eyes to the challenges that cyclists face, which are clearly significant…I wouldn’t single out any particular group of motorists, but I saw behaviour ranging from the very courteous to that which was frightening.” –Ian Craig, Managing Director of Lothian Buses.
“When the road builders start riding their bikes to work instead of driving, it’s clear something different is happening.”–The Age
Shared paths sometimes bring walkers and cyclists into conflict. But the answer to the problem is not installation of speed humps.
With just under an hour to spare recently, I conducted an interesting little experiment: How much extra distance does riding on a shared path add compared to the adjacent on-road route?
“The most frequent excuse I hear from car drivers as to why they couldn’t possibly use their bikes instead is: ‘How do you get home a week’s groceries on a bicycle?’ Car drivers say this as if the impossibility of such a task is self evident. I don’t argue, but I do chuckle, because many of us do it all the time.”–Anne Felker, the Practical Pedal.
“Take a minute and think about the great rides you had this year, and the laughs and tribulations shared with your riding buddies. That’s what it’s all about, my friends.” –The Daily Randonneur
Our workplace BUG is a pretty laidback arrangement but we still managed to win ourselves a small victory this year.
“Every now and then, someone takes a potshot at bicyclists and bicycling. Sometimes it’s a politician; other times a shock jock. Whoever it is, and whatever their motivation, we don’t like it!” –The League of American Cyclists