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Besides alchemy in today's word's issue the bicycle appeared in the daily quote. Anu Garge must have at least
have some telepathic gifts.
Yesterday I wrote a PM to someone about the Marathon of New york, the start of skating competitions and an elaborate ode to the bicycle as being the best invention ever since people got hold of the use of fire and the invention
of the wheel. Anu's quote of Mr. Peter Golkin took the words right out of my heart.
It's the best personal transport vehicle ever. You can even have a kid in the front and one on the back seat on top of double shopping
bags. The healthiest way of moving and pollution free. And without political power implications.
Recommended for level- ground cities all over the world. The problem of course is that neither libraries nor bicycles are pillars
supporting the holy cow : Economy.
Could there be a
clever someone to deliver us from the Dictatorship of Cars (specially in overpopulated aerea's) without world economy going berserk?
Is there an American bike lobby faction active? Just a bike lobbyists question.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I never owned a bicycle as child, nor for most of my adult life. Urban poor, there was not much money for bikes, and my mother didn't want us riding in the streets. (i got caught roller skating in the roadway, hanging on to the tail gate of truck once... the skating was fine, but i couldn't sit for a week.)
my kids grew up in the eastern extreme edge of Queens, and they had bikes. My son, when in college, biked to and from his off campus apartment. He still bikes from SF to Oakland--(or rather takes his fold up bike on the BART to the closest station and bikes from there to work.
I know how to ride a bike, but don't currently own a bike (i have thought of buying one). Like anything else, its a habit... one i never developed.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hello Helen, yeh,strange coincidence, the double bike issue. I know USA is a continent of car tradition and although traditions can change it would take time, even if people would get the taste of it. Here every child from age four is put on a bike.In my time money was also an issue. Right after the war we shared an old bike amongst us four younger children from a total of six. Now any one can have bikes as there is a large second hand system. From age 7, 8, 9, kids take full part in the traffic circulation. Under careful eyes of parents mostly. From 12 on it is the way to go to school, by bike. The flatness of the country is of course favorable to cycling, but in US many cities are flat as well.
(Like I mentioned Chicago)Anyway, I guess what I wanted to say is that you can use bikes for many more purposes than going to the library.
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Carpal Tunnel
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People tend to think of Long Island (queens is part of Long Island) as flat, and the south side is somewhat (the flatlands) but Long Island's north shore is the "Hills", North Hills, Hillside, Rosalyn Heights, the town names reflect the hilly nature.
they are just hills, but some have 7%grades! (nothing is as steep as the hills on the US west coast where streets have signs noting 12%grade..and greater still but hills are still hills. and you can't always just bike down hill!
There are lots of recreational bikers, and even some who commute by bike--but NYC has over 300square miles (110 square miles in Queens alone!) and the subway is so convenient.
about 1 million people do drive into manhattan every day.. but NYC's (all 5 boro's) daytime population is about 15 million--its resident population is about half that (8 million or so) i don't know what percentage bikes.
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Quote:
North Hills, Hillside, Rosalyn Heights, the town names reflect the hilly nature.
About 1 million people do drive into manhattan every day.. but NYC's (all 5 boro's) daytime population is about 15 million--its resident population is about half that (8 million or so) i don't know what percentage bikes.
The town names tell the truth of it. Thanks for clearing this up to me.
You're right, for the scale of New York I must be underestimating the
possibilities for bikes as a serious form of transport.(the limited perspective of one living in a miniature country).  Subway is a great solution.
But in down town Chicago it worked fine and yet meeting an American biker who did not stick to the lake side was rare.
(And double nice)
I'don't know whether a joint effort will work to stop the damage we do to the one world that should be enough for all of us.(Sting)
Maybe to many people believe that for every damage we do there will be a technological solution. There's a new 'continent' finally getting acces to cars now too.(China) I only drive a borrowed car when I have a transport to do. I feel free as a bird not to have one any more.
Give my love to Big Apple Brian :-,)
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Carpal Tunnel
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The League of American Wheelmen was formed 125 years ago and is now www.bikeleague.org/ As many of the oldtimers here know I was once a bike rider (I've even toured in Holland!) But a tiny little tumor put paid to that. Cycling is dear to my heart still, though. Here in the US we have an organization dedicated to taking over old railroad rights of way and converting them to trails. Rails to Trails Conservancy = www.railtrails.orgThese are perfect venues for cyclists because the maximum grade is somewhere around 4 percent, which is the steepest grade engines can pull. And they generally go from one population center to another. Even here in tiny little Marion NC we have a railroad right of way in the process of being converted to a biking/hiking trail. In all of my travels I found the Netherlands to be the most friendly to cyclists (except for the little problem I encountered in cycling on a path which had a sign that said "No feetsers". I assumed, somewhat incorrectly, that it meant no pedestrians. That was back in 1977 and Marti and I were one-hit wonders because we were riding flashy ten-speed bikes, something that was at that time apparently very rare in the country because we were stopped countless times by people who wanted not to talk to us but to examine our rides. I need to go back. Perhaps I have even recovered enough of my balance to take some rides where it's OK if I wobble a little. That's not safe hereabouts.
TEd
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Carpal Tunnel
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Re:These are perfect venues for cyclists because the maximum grade is somewhere around 4 percent, which is the steepest grade engines can pull.
my son noted that Polling stations in SF all note the grade and number of steps to each site--so those in wheelchairs or with other disablilities can plan ahead.
He uses this yearly election matterial to plan his own routes. Not every street has its grade marked, but many do on the election site map.
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Nice story:  no feetsers and the bike admirers. Thanks a lot for the www.railtrail.org. Abandoned railtrails are my favorite spots. Combine that with the bike trail function and off you go.I looked at all the pix I could find. Special the Montana TrailDart picture and the Alameda Trail. Cal. I'd love to walk or bike there. One little remark of regret. I looked at one 'Before', 'during' and 'finished' stage of a trail and I felt a little sorry that nothing of the abandoned trail aspect was kept. All clean, safe and park-like it had become. I would vote for keepimg the abandoned trail-aspect on. Like weeds, sandy edges and the original tree and shrub settings. But then I know safety measures are higher rated in US than here and I'm a hopeless romantic. And the initative is fantastic, transforming those trails. Hope you will be able to get back on the bike.
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