“Whenever you decide to drive or take public transport, you will feel a deep sense of regret at the first cyclist you see enjoying their ride.” –John the Monkey
“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
“After years of federal and local spending on bike routes and other amenities, most cities are ready to handle more cyclists. But many motorists simply don’t see their two-wheeled brethren or, when they do, find them aggravating. Managing more cyclists is going to take more than new bike paths or fresh stripes on the roads. It looks as though there is a need, on both sides, for a revolution in manners.” –The Economist
“Road-bike aficionados are much like trout: simultaneously enthralled and mortified by anything shiny and new that enters their environment.” –Wired.com
If you wrap your kids in cotton wool, you aren’t really doing them any favours…
“The premise that cyclists’ behavior somehow voids their right to sharing the road is indefensible at face value. ‘Well officer I thought it was OK to hit this cyclists because several blocks back I saw another run a red light’ is not something anyone could defend.” –TheWashCycle
“One of the greatest things about cycling is you can do it with 10,000 people or you can do it alone. And you don’t need to engage in the `secret handshake’ of name-dropping, proper equipment usage, and wardrobe in order to do it. Choose a group, choose a fashion, or don’t, it doesn’t matter.” — Bike Snob NYC
“Did you hear about the centipede who fell in a ditch? He couldn’t get up. He was too exhausted trying to figure out what foot to put first. Same thing with a bike. Who needs 18 gears?” — Fred Mathes
Seriously, how good does it feel to ride a bike?
It was about as perfect a day as you could get for bike path trundling today.
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, but an almost total lack of planning led to a pretty good New Year’s Day family ride for us this year.
I’ve discovered a new device for getting drivers to give me more space: the Thomas the Tank Engine Backpack!
You want to play video games? You gotta WORK for it, kiddo!