Bing's Haus of Soft, Creative Non-Violent Playthings

"F" as in Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:29:00 +0000

We, as a society, have so many tools in our arsenal to fight obesity. Obviously, my favorite is cycling. Transportational or Utility cycling addresses so many of the challenges and problems we face as a nation that its disheartening to me that more people don't see it. Obesity is but one.

The 5th annual F as in Fat report (PDF) from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that obesity increased in 37 states this past year. My home, North Carolina, is one of 19 states to show an increase for the third consecutive year. Goodie for us. <*sigh*>

Do you see the numbers on your scale creeping upward? Are your clothes getting a little snug? I can't encourage you enough to get on your bike and PYAO. Its fun, and it works.

With gas prices soaring...

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000

I feel like I've heard or read that phrase 200 times in the last few months as the media takes note of the recent rise in bike commuting. Articles from news sources around the country confirm that sales of bikes (particularly those well-suited for utility cycling), commuting accessories and maintenance are up. Even the Today Show gave 3 minutes to bike commuting a couple weeks ago.

The news coverage certainly can't hurt. Reporting about people adding utility cycling to their lives, whether to work or to the store, will serve to de-marginalize utility cycling. And the increase in ridership will do the same as motorists will be more likely to empathize with a cycling community that now includes their neighbor, co-worker, fellow parishoner or family member. This improved perception of cyclists and utility cycling can lead to a greater committment by governments to fund projects that support human-powered transportation options. We may very well be at the edge of a really wonderful positive feedback loop.

Here are a few references in case you've missed the buzz:

What a pedestrian/bicycle bridge on the East Coast Greenway looks like

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:30:00 +0000

On a recent trip, I came across this pedestrian/bicycle bridge on a northern section of the East Coast Greenway. As we in Durham consider the future of our own pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the Greenway (American Tobacco Trail Phase E), I figured it'd be relevant to snap a few photos.

This bridge goes over an entry ramp to US-1 which means its has far less traffic than the section of I-40 where the American Tobacco Trail will cross. The only thing I can tell you that isn't captured in the photos is that its pretty loud. I was surprised. If this small bridge is any indication of what the experience crossing the ATT Phase E bridge will be, I don't think we need to be building a bridge on which someone will want to meander or stop for a break. We'll want this to be a bridge the gets people from point A to point B safely and effectively and provides them pleasant areas on either side.

Fixit - Fix your bike yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:21:00 +0000

The Practical Pedal has launched a new section called "Fixit" with maintenance tips and info promised weekly. They've setup a few tags, including "General Maintenance" and "Pro Tips," so I expect to see a decent range of info here, and mention of accompanying video was made in the PP comments.

Chances are, a lot of the information on Fixit will be old hat to a lot of commuters and weekend warriors. But there are a lot of us who are still evolving our cycling lives. Having made the move to the bike as a mode of transportation, we're now ready to add a little self-sufficiency to the mix. The first article on chain maintenance is key for someone who is just starting to ride their bike enough the justify having their chain cleaned more than seasonally. And the current article, on derailleur adjustment, is exactly the kind of info I am looking for to start making some the tweaks that can smooth out the everyday ride.

Fixit is written with a friendly tone, focusing on important aspects of the fix and leaving the minutae to the various online forums (e.g. chain maintenance is important, but don't stress over the dizzying array of lubes available). There are, of course, already a lot of sites with bike maintenance info, but Fixit looks like it will be a good addition to your bookmarks and RSS feeds.

ATT Pedestrian/Cyclist Bridge over I-40 - Your Feedback is Needed

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:54:00 +0000

There has been a lot of buzz within the local bike/pedestrian community about the American Tobacco Trail bridge over I-40. The first public meeting for the bridge project was held last night at City Hall and was a success. Organizers were hoping 60 people would attend, the city estimates the attendance was actually over 110. Bill Bussey of Triangle Rails-to-Trails was counting, but I haven't heard how accurate 110 is. And, to top it all off, the brownies were pretty good too.

There's an excellent summary at Bull City Rising, so I'm not going to spend time re-typing it. Tanner Lovelace made a comment at BCR that echoed my thoughts exactly. Architect/Engineer Steven Grover really seems to get it. He went to great lengths to illustrate that great bridges don't necessarily require a lot of money, nor do they need to be "flashy." They need to meet the aesthetic goals of the community, make sense in context, and function effectively.

But the degree to which form is measured against function is up to us. Grover re-iterated numerous times the importance of stakeholder feedback in designing this bridge. Quite simply, he's from California. He'll learn what he can about the area, but the project is best-served with copious, robust input from those of us who will actually be using the bridge. And, at a more practical level, this is an expensive project, we need to make sure its done right and he is committed to doing so. But, again, "right" is up to us. I'm linking to StevenGrover.com below where you can download a PDF of his portfolio.

The city handed out a survey last night, and it is also available online at the city's website. Please take the time to download and complete the survey and return it to Byron Brady in Public Works at the address on the bottom of the survey. Mr. Brady asks that the form be returned by Tuesday Nov 27, so fill it out over your long Thanksgiving weekend and drop it in the mail Monday the 26th.

Bull City Rising post, "City, project team provide ATT Phase E / I-40 bridge update"
City of Durham "ATT Phase E" webpage, which includes links to the meeting overview, the survey and the project maps.
Steven Grover Associates

The bicycle is the most efficient vehicle

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 02:02:00 +0000

I caught this post a couple weeks ago on TreeHugger. For me, this is a bit of preaching to the choir, I know, but I simply can't resist. The original post came from Transport & Mobility Leuven in Belgium. I don't know anything about them, so I have no idea how much credibility to attribute to them, but (again), this is a matter of faith for me. :-)

Did you know that the bicycle is the most energy efficient transportation mode? It is 3 times more efficient than walking, 5 times more efficient than using the train and 15 to 20 times more efficient than driving a car.

Urban Velo Issue 4 Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:41:00 +0000

The November issue of "Urban Velo," the self-described "reflection of the cycling culture in current day cities," is now available. From their site:

Contents include: Goldsprints, Winter Survival Guide, I Love Riding in the City, The Rise & Fall of a Bike Shop That Never Was, Ghana, Residue, Bike Fit, Ignorance is Bliss, Starting a Local Advocacy Organization Part III and No Exit.

Download it at UrbanVelo.org.

Happy Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:37:00 +0000

Most excellent pic from Phillip at Nicomachus.net.

Cycle North Carolina, Fall 2007 Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:07:00 +0000

I finally got all of the pictures posted from Cycle North Carolina. I posted a handful of stories from Day 1, but trailed off after that. To be honest, as we hit the middle of the state, the terrain became a lot more familiar and felt a little less spectacular. Also, despite all the great folks we met along the way, there wasn't another Wild Woody's or Clifford O'Dell to be found. Most certainly, they're out there. They just didn't happen to appear on our path.

The trip had a lot of highlights in the 505 miles...

absolutely amazing people riding the event
3300 feet of climbing on Day 1
40 mph descents after all that climbing
some pretty decent wine in the Yadkin Valley, and awfully good beer from Natty Green's in Greensboro
vast wide-open skies with the most amazing clouds for miles and miles
an unparalleled greeting in Oak Ridge with the kids from Oak Ridge Elementary out by the road cheering us on
the story of Glencoe Mill and the history of North Carolina mill villages
SPEVCO and the "what the...?!?!" feeling I got when seeing them
the welcome signs from the kids from South Mebane Elementary
The Caddy Limo parked in front of a trailer with a "Gas Grass or Ass..." bumper sticker
the open-field screening of Breaking Away
holding on to the back of a line of great folks who pulled me in the last 30 miles of my first english century
hitting the 100 mile mark on the bridge over Albemarle Sound

And, finally, here are the pictures...

CNC posting delays

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:19:00 +0000

Whilst out on my cross-state adventure, I found myself in and out of mobile coverage and, consequently, in and out of bloggability. And when I was "in," I was suitably behind in blogging and honestly, having so much fun just riding and hanging out, that I really wasn't motivated to keep up.

So, more CNC pics and stories coming soon, and normal blogging to resume immediately. Really.

CNC Day 1: Moonlighting

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:03:00 +0000

Its a Durham thing.

CNC Day 1: Clifford O'Dell

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:58:00 +0000

I met Clifford O'Dell today. There's lots to say about Clifford, more than Flickr will let me write in one post. In our brief 15 minute chat, we covered evil people, junkyards, ground water and the high price of Chuck Norris video tapes. More when I get home...

CNC Day 1: CNC rolls into Laurel Springs

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 02:06:00 +0000

...and took the town by storm. I'm uploading pics of Wild Woodys General
Store and the antique shop across the street now.

CNC Day 1: Field of Squeams

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 01:45:00 +0000

First we came on some cool looking spiderwebs that people were stopping to take pictures of. Then we came to a fence that looked full of webs. Then we came to this.

CNC Day 1: Holy crap it's cold

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:07:00 +0000

My friends at The Weather Channel said to expect lows in the mid-50's overnight, but instead I woke up with ice on my rainfly. They were off by 20+ degrees. It's cold. And the morning's descents added a pretty healthy wind chill to the mix.

Fortunately, as always, I over-packed. But this time it paid off. Unexpected heroes included my new Foxwear fleece pants and socks (thanks Lou!) and my Defeet wool arm and leg warmers. I was pretty sure all of those would stay packed the whole trip, but the pants and socks were great around camp, and the wool warmers were indispensable for the first 20 miles and packed easily for the other 35.

Tonight shouldn't be as cold, but it doesn't matter if it does. I'm covered.

Cycle North Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:19:00 +0000

I'll be on Cycle North Carolina next week, riding the state from the mountains to the coast over 7 days. I'll be blogging while I'm gone and sending pictures to Flickr. You can use the link at the left to see all my CNC photos.

I've heard CNC referred as "summer camp for adults," and the events planned for this year's ride seem to bear that out. I'll try to get some cycling in amongst the wine tastings. Stop by here next week to see if I make it.

Yahoo! hates Durham (somebody needs to tell Oprah about this)

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:50:00 +0000

On signing up for a new Flickr account, I ran across this anomaly from our friends at Yahoo.

You can click to enlarge, or I can just tell you that I selected "I live in United States" in postal code 27713 and was told by Yahoo, "This postal code is not located in the country you selected." I got used to bringing my passport to get to and from Canadia, but am I gonna need it to get to Morrisville now?

Morrisville's Hooters-Bojangles Roundabout

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:35:00 +0000

I have absolutely no idea why this exists. Check it out on Google Maps (pre-Bojangles).

Uncle Junior was my flight attendant

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:04:00 +0000

The Steve Goodridge/Bruce Rosar Show

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 15:01:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of attending the "LAB Road I for City Planners, Engineers and Police Officers" course taught by Steve Goodridge and Bruce Rosar a couple weeks ago. Avid Triangle cyclists likely know Steve and Bruce from their active participation on local, regional and world wide cycling advocacy listservs. They are staunchly in the Vehicular Cycling camp and aren't afraid to, on occasion, use emotionally-charged language in making their points. With that previous introduction to their feelings about vehicular cycling and bike-specific facilities, and knowing the intended audience for this course, I was looking forward to seeing the dynamic.

It ended up being refreshingly uneventful. Steve and Bruce are are excellent teachers. Both are obviously extremely comfortable with the material, and are also adept at handling student questions, even challenging ones, with a positive, instructive demeanor. There were a couple times, for instance, when they addressed questions posed from a "cyclist inferiority" perspective and provided positive-action answers, explaining how and why cyclists are able (and should feel able) to proceed confidently in all traffic scenarios.

Perhaps the greatest disappointment was the lack of turnout. Personally, I believe that cycling vehicularly is the right way for pedal-powered travellers to navigate traffic. Separated facilities often create intersections that are counter-intuitive to both cyclists and motorists and are, therefore, dangerous. And the "magic white line" bike lanes can give both cyclists and motorists a false sense of security, discouraging active sharing of the road. Govt representatives need to hear Steve and Bruce's messages regarding bicycle accident statistics and how the principles of VC make cycling safer for all vehicles. Getting the message delivered clearly will help municipalities make better decisions about whether to provide bike-specific facilities (almost certainly yes, for better or worse) and how to use real-world statistics and lessons-learned to design those facilities in such a way as to increase the overall road comfort level of cyclists.

I was pleased, though, that of the six participants, the city of Durham was well-represented by its Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator, a City Planner and me from the Bike Ped Advisory Commission. Durham has a very active community of cyclists who use their bikes in at least some part for transportation. Hopefully having city reps in this class will ultimately lead to policies that will make Durham not just more bike friendly, but also better designed to support cycling vehicularly.

Read more about Bicycle Driving at HumanTransport.org and at BicycleDriving.com.
Read more about Vehicular Cycling on Wikipedia.
Read more about Effective Cycling on JohnForester.com.
Join the Durham Bicycle & Pedestrian Yahoo! Group or the RTP Bike/Ped Listserv.

Diane Ca-HOTTIE

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 15:01:00 +0000

Ok, not really.* I just snicker like a teenager when I see one of her signs and that Wayne's World-ian phrase pops in my head. I just wish Blazer Manpurse were still around to utter it in proper context and with a straight face.

*Or maybe she is. I really don't know and don't feel compelled to find out.

Ditch the drive to work

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:09:00 +0000

From the Chicago Daily Herald, a decent article on Chicagoland bike commuters. While the article starts with a focus on saving gas money by biking, I was happy to see this quote which, while only one sentence in the whole article, provides a better context;

"Three things are now behind the increase in bicycle commuters, says League of American Bicyclists spokeswoman Elizabeth Preston: the obesity crisis, global warming and high gas prices."

(Thanks to Paul Dorn for posting this.)

The Truth Hurts

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:32:00 +0000

YouTube's way of saying, "Welcome to social networking, old man."

Hello Brazil (?)

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:56:00 +0000

Ummm... ok. A site in Brazil has used one of my pics from last week's Critical Mass. They are certainly welcome to use it, I really don't care. This site is anti-copyright, so help yourself. But, its pretty amusing to see a picture from my phone on a site in Brazil.

(Thanks to Phillip for noticing.)

Demand Actuated

noreply@blogger.com (Jack) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:48:00 +0000

I start a new job next Monday, which shifts my bike commute pretty dramatically. I've had a few such shifts with the offices of my last company moving 4 times in the seven years I was with them. The most recent commute was 10 months of a casual 6 mile ride on the American Tobacco Trail. That was luxury.

So, Sunday morning I rode out to my new office to learn the route and find the bike racks. Its not a cushy ride like the ATT, but the roads aren't too bad, and they're all roads I've been on before. I was happy to notice that all of the traffic lights across bigger intersections on my new route appear to be demand-actuated and configured to detect bicycles. Thanks to the cities of Durham and Morrisville for the serious hook-up. I, and the other cyclists who take these roads on a regular basis, really appreciate it.

(For those of you keeping score at home, the new commute is Woodcroft across Fayetteville and through some neighborhoods to get to Carpenter Fletcher, across 55 to Alston and on to 54. Left on 54 toward Miami, but straight through on to Slater, then Slater all the way to Airport and I'm there.)