Commuting advice and specifics on Bicycle Commuting
For those that do have to commute daily, here’s a nice compilation of commuter tips from Lifehacker (terrific blog for keeping on top of technology.) There are lots of embedded links to explore the ideas further.
Number 6 is of course, the perennial best tip if you can’t swing number 2. If you decide to take up Bicycle Commuting, here’s a great resource for that.
Please post your own tips below.
Philidelphia: improved commute, but a Folding Bike gets you in every time
Philadelphia, which is ranked number one among the ten largest US cities for bicycle commuters per-capita according to the Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition. They just posted an update on the SEPTA Bicycle Policy update. It would seem that the policy only allowed 2 bicycles PER TRAIN; at least that has now been changed to 2 per car. If however you commute with a folding bike, you’re on board no matter what. As they suggest however, be prepared with a copy of the SEPTA bike-n-ride policy to show anyone who may not be aware.
Strida Folding Bike nice day for a commute in Tokyo
Very enjoyable 3 minute video of a morning Strida folding bicycle commute on a beautiful February day in Tokyo; the start of a great day.
Strida Folding Bike easy to ride for the non-cyclist, with a weather forecast yet.
Back in August (when the weather was nice), savedbybikes.com donated a Strida Folding Bike to a Toronto news channel (CP24 Breakfast) for a free giveaway. Nalina Sharma who does the weather on air has never ridden a bicycle in public. Not only does she ride the Strida just fine, but gives the on-air weather forecast from the bike with a police escort.
Good video for people to see how easy it is to ride a Strida Folding Bike even when you are not good, or have no experience on bicycles.
Toronto’s Bikeway plans
The IbikeTO blog posted an update on the meeting at Metro Hall Monday night where city staff reveal a politically ambitious bikeway plan.
We remind all mayoral candidates that it is time to implement solutions to the city’s gridlock and air quality crises, not simply use hack political judgement, satiating automobile driving voters temporarily to “uptick” your poll results.
A coherent, connected plan serves both bicycling and driver communities. From the post:
These politicians need to get with the times. The types of folk who bike are not some fringe group of white males who bike because they want a rush. A wide range of people bike, particularly in downtown where the percentage of bike commuters is above 13% in some parts. Before you whip up the hate-on, Rossi, take a look at these people and try to explain to them why they don’t exist and why you think they should just buy a car.
Survey of Toronto Cycling 1999 compared to 2009
Blog TO has posted on the recently released Ipsos Reid survey on Toronto Cycling.
Since lack of bike lanes and safety concerns appear frequently as barriers to bicycle use, one wonders how different the results of the survey would be had the city met its bike lane targets as articulated in 2001.
Bike sharing coming to a city near you?
On Pedalaround, Kirk added a post on bike sharing. There are some interesting links about bike sharing in the US, including a very interesting presentation by B Cycle.
Here’s some info on Montreal’s Bixis from NY’s Green Inc., and some more from I Bike T.O.
Lot’s of fascinating proposals are here where you can download pdfs of all the entries from Copenhagen’s bike share competition.
Air Canada – you’re not quite getting it
It’s time to reconsider your policy, just like Jet Blue as reported by BikePortland.
The corporation is just too big to apply common sense, to properly communicate within, and is indifferent to what travellers really think. It’s not the issue that bicycles are green transport and as such, should be encouraged and welcomed. Air Canada is missing the key point here. They have a policy, appropriate for conventional bicycles that requires the passenger to pay a $50 fee to cover the cost of handling that unwieldly bicycle. When it comes to bikes which fold up smaller than a snowboard, that do not require any special handling, the fee should simply not apply. Indeed, it often does not.
I have traveled on Air Canada with my Strida folding bike many times. Customarily I pay no fee, drop my Strida’s carry bag on the belt and pick it off the carousel on the other end, much like I do for many other items. Occasionally, when I have been told there is a charge for bicycles, I have had a discussion with the ticket agent in which I compare the Strida folding bike to many other items Air Canada accepts from me and thousands of others every day without a fee. Each time so far, I have not had to pay the fee.
A few weeks ago Yvonne Bambrick, Executive Director of the Toronto Cyclist’s Union, took a Strida folding bike to San Francisco on Air Canada. There was no fee requested on the flight down, but the $50 fee was insisted upon on the return flight.
Read some of the details of Toronto writer Lloyd Alter’s experience with, and impression of Air Canada’s policy in this Financial Post article. Lloyd Alter has stitched together a summary of the saga.
Interestingly while typing this post, I received two email messages from Air Canada offering me 15,000 bonus miles as part of a current marketing campaign to keep us all flying with them.
What Women Want
As “an ‘indicator species’ for bike-friendly cities” – women being more risk averse than men – perhaps planners should consider what women find important.
Until women feel it is safe and easy to jump on a bike and head through town, the North American ratio of men: women cyclists (now 2:1), isn’t going to inch towards Europe’s ratio (1:1) anytime soon. As the lack of women riders generally indicates relative safety, this is a big part of the reason why North American statistics for trips by bicycle are also so poor compared to those of Europe. Less than 2% of trips are by bicycle in North America, while many European cities are well into double digits.
Have a look at this article from Scientific American.
Thanks to a feed via Momentum Magazine for sourcing this article.
Cycling in the rain
Fall brings some of the best weather for bicycling: no muddiness of spring, no heat of summer, and without the bugs of both; just wonderful crisp, sunny days.
Oh, and some rain.
Here’s a primer on rainy day cycling with some great post, post discussions from one of our favourite blogs: Let’s Go Ride a Bike. For those of you thinking, I really should go beyond the occasional fair weather recreational ride: you should. And this blog can help you to do just that in so many ways, particularly if you are a woman.
