139. Folding Bikes, Part II

Three months ago, I became serious about folding bikes with some google searches and a couple of test rides, then put the decision aside.

Now with better weather increasing the odds of being bumped--a bus arriving with the bus rack already full--so I started looking again.

First the Brompton, gold standard for folding bikes.  Folds the smallest, weighs the least, best rep for reliability.  But also $1200, or so my earlier research told me.

My test ride was disappointing: the smaller (than other foldables) wheels decrease stability, especially when standing during climbs.  And the model I'd need would come to $2000. Scratch the Brompton.

Next, a couple of $600 models; not as compact, but that's because of large wheels which means greater stability. I think I'll go with REI's version, given the discount as an REI member, the easy return if necessary, and the convenient maintenance (on my way home from work).

138. Bike to Work Month

Yesterday at the doctor's office my blood pressure was 152/83, higher than I can remember it being. I blamed it on stress, almost late, rushing to the office then immediately ushered into an exam room with BP taken right away.  Wasn't quite out of breath but almost.  No acute illness, but I did have a request that I wasn't sure would be addressed the way I wanted.

Today, a bike ride to the bus stop, deep into "The Violinist's Thumb," then the bike ride up the hill to my office, stopping off at an DIY BP machine (well-calibrated, I was assured). Not quite out of breath but almost.

BP = 114/77.

Yes, the advantages of commuting by bus and bike.

137. Veloman

The deal was sealed on line; I was to meet him on the corner of Post and Marion, me with the cash, him with the goods.  I had to be there by 5 before the hour, turns out he had a bus to catch ("to pick up my kid"--I'm sure that was code for something but hesitated to ask lest my naivety jeopardize the transaction).

My timing was dependent on my own bus, but I thought I had reached the specified corner in time. I called him only to be told that he was heading for the bus stop "near the library."  I climbed back on my bike for the 4 steep blocks up to the library.  Out of breath and barely able to speak, I called him again: "Look for the orange bike helmet." He caught my eye but just as I reached him his bus arrived and off he ran.

No problem: as he entered the bus, I put my bike on the rack and climbed on behind him.  The transaction completed, I exited at the next stop.  The other passengers may have thought they were just looking at some dude with a beard buying a copy of Turbotax from an asian guy.  But do they really know the contents of that disc? Can they be sure he's not North Korean? I think not.

136. Door'd

Almost door'd last week.  The timing was perfect, the driver's door opening just as I passed, but I was a few inches away.

A local pediatrician was not so lucky.  In his words:

I and the guy sitting in his parked car made simultaneous errors: riding too close (me) and opening the door without checking for a bicycle (him).  Injury [fracture] to the back of my right hand: [orthopedist] took care of me and I was out of the OR by 2 am and ready for nursery rounds the next morning: turns out I can examine newborns with one hand tied behind my back!  Lots of help from the dads, they were definitely not allowed to snore thru it that morning.

Full recovery expected in six weeks; his helmet cracked in several places.

Damned if you do (ride too close to parked cars); damned if you don't, risking the moving traffic that doesn't always appreciate a cyclist's right to a traffic lane.

135. Taxes

Breaking News: Washington State Legislature proposes Bike Tax:

http://streetsblog.net/2013/02/21/washington-state-considering-a-symbolic-tax-on-bicycles/

So, a symbolic tax to assuage the feelings of motorists angry at red light-running cyclists?  Sorry, these aggressive motorists will hardly change attitudes based on a $25 tax.

Then a symbolic tax so that all users pay for road maintenance?  Then why not an excise tax on shoes for all those pedestrians whose habits require lights and paint and traffic cops?

yes, this is my route and could be my bike--if it were black

We pay sales taxes on bikes and equipment repairs.  Most of us own cars and may gas taxes.

I don't go along with the worst case scenario which would have fewer people buying bikes because of this tax.

And since yearly auto excise taxes (0.3%, or $6.00 for my back-up Volvo 740) support local transit, I can't complain about cyclists also supporting public transit. So a one-time $25 tax on new bikes?  Sure, why not.

134. The next bike

Always thinking of my next bike, like some people think about their next car, pair of shoes, or night out.

This bamboo bike from Phnom Penh would make some kind of statement, I guess but relatively pricey at $450.

So I went to Costco, cheap and reliable, but it would be the usual routine: switch tires, add fenders, etc.  Not so cheap anymore, and a copy of what I already have.

That folding bike looking more and more interesting.

133. What? No Busses?

Phnom Penh skyline

Phnom Penh: a city with 2.2 million residents and no public transportation. Many cars but mainly tuk-tuks, motorcycles and mopeds. Rare taxis.  Not as many bikes as I thought for a flat terrain. Tuk-tuks aren't cheap, tourist price 3-5 dollars to get downtown from my hotel about 15-20 minutes away.

View from back of a cycle

Tuk-Tuk

Walking around, I was offered a motorcycle ride every couple of blocks, until of course I really wanted one. And why not, an easy way for the owner to pay for the cycle. Two bucks got me the same destination as the $4 tuk-tuk.


I'm guessing the low number of bikes reflects the hazards of competing with cars and motorcycles.  And in a large city, it may be that jobs are too far away from homes. "Downtown" seems to consist of government buildings and tourist spots with job-heavy commercial high rises scattered throughout the city, making it easier to live close to where you work.  

Shave head: need umbrella

As for pedestrians?  Just me and some Buddhist monks.  With sidewalks on commercial streets taken up by parked cars, walking means sharing the street with cars, cycles, and tuk-tuks, not very appealing.

132. Volunteer Park

Sure, I talk a lot about riding the bus, biking, or just running to get to work.  But there is something to be said about just walking, slowing down to see what is going on around me, like this squirrel, a bit suspicious but not wanting to interrupt his meal.

131. I Love You, Helmet

I'm the last one on the bus as it nears its final stop. Eager for the last leg of my commute, I get my gear together and head for the front to make for a quick exit.  At the same time some idiot swerves across three lanes of traffic in order to make the I-5 ramp.  Bus driver slams on the brakes and suddenly I'm face down, sprawled on the floor, my head ricocheting inside my helmet.  Did I mention that getting my gear together meant putting on my helmet, without which I would probably be in an ER right now?

130. To Fold or Not to Fold

I have occasionally commented on the disappointment that comes when an arriving bus has a full bike rack.  Some fit two bikes, others three, but once full, that's it; no bikes on the bus.  More likely in the summer but can happen anytime.

Solution #1:  Just wait 30 minutes for the next bus.  Only once has the following bus also been full, meaning an hour wait.  If the weather's okay, and I have a smart phone or computer (e.g., my new Air), I'm okay.  But if the day has been long or frustrating, the wait seems interminable.

#2: Lock up my bike at the bus stop, and then pick it up in the morning.  After two stolen bikes from the bus stop, scratch this option.

#3: A folding bike, that can be taken on board, in a bag no bigger than common carry-on luggage.  So I've started the process of googling and test-riding that may end up with a folding bike in the garage and at my foot on the bus.

129. Prop One, Again

You know Prop One: the narrowly defeated proposal to raise sales tax for local bus service, threatening evening and weekend service.  I initially blamed the loss on selfish voters, but I think it's more complicated.  The tri-county bus/light rail/rail system also depends on sales tax revenue but doesn't face a similar financial crisis.  Why?

Granted that the tri-county express routes are more efficient, but probably more telling is an observation from a couple of days ago:  Waiting at the bus stop I watched 4 local buses pass--it's evening rush hour, downtown, the buses heading out for separate residential destinations.  They should be crowded, right?  I counted the number of passengers in each: 4, 16, 7, 6.

Tri-county transit on the other hand, just announced quarterly ridership numbers: up again, around 12% increases in each of its lines, following similar increases the past few years. My morning against-rush hour express bus often is often more than 50% full.

So the problem may be that this county just doesn't get it--the public transit thing. As expressed by one of my co-workers, "only poor people ride the bus."

But they're stingy, too.

128. I believe

Interviewed at the first day demo rides for Utah's new commuter rail, one prospective user said after comparing cost of gas with cost of fare, he'd save only 80 cents, but "switching to the train will save both his car and his nerves more than enough wear and tear to make the difference."

While riding home last week a transit worker asked if I would respond to some questions about transit use including why I commute by light rail/bus/train/bike.  She suggested some possible answers: save money, good for environment, less stress, time alone, etc.  My response?  "I believe in public transit."

127. Final Tally

It's final: Prop One to support local public transit defeated by 700 votes out of 200,000 cast.  The county also voted against gay marriage and for legalization of marijuana.

And to no one' surprise, the proposition to change the county's motto won by a whopping 65-35 vote.  As of Jan 1st, the county's new rallying cry will be, "It's All About Me."

126. Prop One, Part Two

The governor-elect of my home state claims a greener outlook than his liberal but still road-loving predecessor, but he can't claim a mandate.

The public transit authority in the state's second largest county asked for a 0.3 cent increase in the local sales tax (that's 3 cents for every ten dollar purchase).  But out of 175,000 votes counted so far, the nay votes lead by about 900.

The local Chamber of Commerce opposed Prop One on the grounds that any increase in sales tax threatens business.

Transit officials predict that weekend and night service will disappear, a nasty blow to the poor, disabled, and those of us who ride public transit because we believe in it.  We'll find out for in a month or so if this was a real prediction or a campaign false alarm.

125. SRO

Well, not exactly Standing Room Only, but to have 26 riders on my bus this morning--6 am and against rush hour--that's not bad. Back in the day (we're talking last century) there were days when just 2 or three of us made the ride).

The local transit authority says that Sept 2012 ridership increased 13% over Sept 2011 on its bus/light rail/commuter rail system.

Maybe we are approaching a critical mass: more riders generating more routes, attracting even more riders, and on to a nuclear explosion of mass transit

[there there is a downside; I may have to start sharing a seat, common at the 5:30 pm homeward bound route]

124. Free Ride

Last week, public transit ended the Ride-Free Area (RFA) a one by one-half mile area downtown where all bus rides were free (though of course if one entered the bus in the RFA and continued as a passenger outside the zone, the full fare would be collected at exit).

It started in 1973 as a friendly nod to tourists and to encourage downtown shoppers, but many (most?) riders were the homeless and/or the disabled.  Advocates for the latter groups opposed its end, citing the need for free rides so that these citizens could get to clinics and grocery stores and shelters.  The city has been paying the transit $400,000 yearly for the service and last year decided could afford to do so no longer.

But the disabled have 75 cent fares already, and there are no hospitals/clinics within the RFA, no public housing, just one large shelter.  I don't think it served logistic goals, but simply provided a warm, dry place to sit for at least 15-20 minutes during the long days until shelters open or until darkness allows sleep in doorways or underpasses.

I doubt that transit will see much in the way of increased fares; shoppers and tourists will walk or change plans, and the homeless, well, the homeless will continue as before.  Transit says it will provide more free passes to aid agencies and a free circulating bus/van has started, though its continued funding remains uncertain.  I'm sorry to see the end of the RFA.

123. I Promise....

... to never, ever, never, never, never, leave my bike locked up outside overnight.

No lock is impenetrable, and strategies to prevent theft (e.g., two different locks that would require separate tools to break) have their own problems.  So just don't.

When I have an overnight shift; that's the day to run/bus instead of bike/bus.

122. Prop One

Local transit depends on sales tax revenue: 0.6% (out of the total 9.5%), which is 6 cents for every $10 retail purchase.  Prop One would increase it to 0.9%.  So almost a 10% sales tax; sounds hefty, but there is no state income tax and no sales tax on groceries.

Last year a similar request failed at the polls, requiring reduction of services to outlying areas of the county.  These areas opted out of the transit system, further reducing revenue. If Prop One fails, all weekend and evening (after 7pm) service would be eliminated, further reducing fares, and so on.  It's call a death spiral.

Opposing Prop One?  Just the local Chamber of Commerce.  The county Republican Party has yet to take a stand.

121: Long-Range Green Commuting

I recently had to spend a couple of weekends in a city about 200 miles a way.  Two of us traveled there by car; I figure per passenger $20 for gas and $17 for fixed and maintenance costs (not including depreciation and other "soft" costs).  So $37.  And five hours since we timed it to hit rush hours for three cities and a large military base.

Coming back, I took Amtrack for $46, 3.5 hours, on time beginning and end. Walked the 3.5 miles home in 75 minutes (mostly uphill with short stops along the way for a pizza by the slice joint and later for a milkshake at Dick's, thereby removing any health advantage I might have gained by walking).

Returning the next weekend, jogging (I thought I was late) to the 3.5 miles to the BOLT bus stop, with just a $26 fare, and a 3 hour travel time (though a 30 minute late start), and notably less comfortable than the train.

Next time?  Driving a car that gets 40 mpg hiway instead of 20 would bring the car cost to $27, comparable to the bus.  But when including environmental factors, Amtrak wins. The respective CO2 emissions (in kg per mile) for gas-driven car, bus, and rail are 0.44, 0.3, and 0.16.  Hybrids or all-electrics could change this but probably not by a factor of 3.

120: Proceed Until Apprehended

I cycle up to the transit center and see two other cyclists waiting.  Darnit. Unless the bus is one of those with a 3-bike rack, I'm going to be bumped for the second day this week.  Then along comes a 4th.  He assesses the situation and then immediately turns his bike upside down, removes the wheels, straps the wheels and frame together and stands in line.  Bus arrives, a two-bike rack with one already occupied, so I lock my bike up, planning to pick it up tomorrow.  But Mr. Proceed-Until-Apprehended stays in line and when his turn comes starts to climb up.  Whoa, buddy, bikes aren't allowed (especially on this intercity bus with narrow aisles and no place to put packages except on seats).  Argue back and forth.  Call your supervisor.  10 minute delay for the 20 or so of us wanting to go home.  Can I see your badge (how many people go around impersonating a transit supervisor?).  It's no bigger than luggage.  Luggage is not dirty and greasy.  Are you calling my bike dirty. No means no.  So the cyclist backs down and we're on our way.  And for those of you who commute in dry-clean only slacks, you have the transit system on your side.

119: Categorical Imperative

This commentary by NYTimes ethicist Randy Cohen pretty much sums it up.  If you don't want to follow the link, here is a very brief summary:

"The rule-breaking cyclist that people decry: that’s me. I routinely run red lights, and so do you [the driver or pedestrian]... My behavior vexes pedestrians, drivers and even some of my fellow cyclists...

But although it is illegal, I believe it is ethical...

I roll through a red light if and only if no pedestrian is in the crosswalk and no car is in the intersection — that is, if it will not endanger myself or anybody else... This moral reasoning [passes] the test of Kant’s categorical imperative: I think all cyclists could — and should — ride like me.

I am not anarchic; I heed most traffic laws. I do not ride on the sidewalk... I do not salmon, i.e. ride against traffic. In fact, even my “rolling stops” are legal in some places [Idaho!]...

Cars... harm us insidiously, in slow motion. Auto emissions exacerbate respiratory problems, erode the facades of buildings, abet global warming. To keep the oil flowing, we make dubious foreign policy decisions. Cars promote sprawl and discourage walking, contributing to obesity and other health problems. And then there’s the noise.

Much of this creeping devastation is legal; little of it is ethical..."

118. Slap

As of July 1st, drivers in the state of Washing face higher penalties (but no criminal charge) when committing a traffic infraction--such as texting or speeding--that results in the serious injury or death of a vulnerable roader user (cyclists, pedestrians, moped'ers, etc.).  The new law sets a fine of $5000 and 90-day suspension of driving privileges that may be waived for 100 hrs of community service, completion of a safety course and a $250 fine.

"Ghost bicycle" at site of fatal accident

$5000 fine for recklessly killing someone?  Well, consider the previous penalty:


Writing 100 times on a blackboard: "I will never again maim or kill a cyclist or pedestrian."


Sometimes progress is measured in very small steps

117. Déjà Vu

Arrive home (from an overnight shift) wet and cold.  Again (see post 113). Temp about 60 with hard rain and me in a t-shirt (at least long sleeves).  At the end of JULY !!!

116. 4.6%? I Don't Think So

Here's a great map courtesy Kym: hover over a state to see how its commuting breaks down.  Oregon commuting cyclers are #1 at almost five percent (compare 40-50% in Denmark and the Netherlands), followed by California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, then Washington coming in at 2%.

Portland Cyclers

But really?  For every 20 cars pouring into Portland, Bend, and Ontario, there's one bicycle?  Eugene, sure, but for the entire state?  Who comes up with these numbers?

During my admittedly early morning downtown cycling, I see maybe 10-20 other cyclists, then I get on the bus and see hundreds if not thousands of cars coming into the city from the south--according to the city's DOT, over 56,000 cars travel the northbound I-5 route over 24 hours.

115. Double Up

So if I can't convince the powers that be to take away a car parking space for another bike rack ("you're kidding, right?), do you think they'll go for a rack that I saw at this new LEED certified building in Chapel Hill?

114. Trendy

The bike stand at one of my work places was overflowing yesterday.  It's a crummy rack, picked up I guess, from a local bike-banning school.

When you consider that several hundred people work at this site, it's not so impressive.

But you gotta start somewhere.

113. Rain tomorrow? Nah.

Starting a 24 hr shift means having to figure out what I'll need for the ride home the next day. With full optimism derived from the recently arrived summer status and looking at a forecast of moderate temperatures and a partly cloudy sky, I rode in yesterday with just bike shorts and a long-sleeve T.

And got soaked coming home this morning. I did have a pair of gloves stuffed in a pocket, and an extra long T at work so I was layered, so to speak.  But as for the "summer" rain, I'm not sure that 55º qualifies.

112. Hi Tech Commuting

I don't always cycle; running takes longer (turning a 3 hr daily commute to almost 4) but a good change.  Problem with running is the back pack, with its keys and clothes and wallet and reading material for the bus.  It's not the weight of the pack, its the up and down jostling or to avoid the latter, the tight straps.

Enter the nano and the weekly free city newspapers.  When the latter arrive in the newsstands on Thursdays, they keep me occupied on the ride in;  phone apps on the ride home and the nano while cyclin. The weight of the phone is not negligible but so much less than the cassette and DVD players from the last century.

Running without a back pack.

Freedom.

111. Pick Your Battles

Circulating the green and cycling blogospheres is this question:

Who is better for the environment: the Pruis-driving vegan or the meat-eating bicyclist?

Not quite up to Is God Dead? but still worth some thought.

By one analysis the vegan wins, but some critics have objected that if one were in to include the environmental costs of car and fuel production/disposal, then the pendulum swings back to the cyclist, even more so if the latter avoids beef.

Meanwhile, back in Seattle, on July 1st, another environmental question will fade into history: Paper or plastic? to be replaced by, "Did you bring your own bag or do you want a paper bag for 5 cents?"

Conclusion: stash your purchases in your pannier, and ride your bike to church.  Works for me.

110. Bike to Work Month

Hurray, Bike to Work Month is over.

This idea of encouraging commuters to ride bikes is great...  if it weren't for the competition over the 2 or 3 spaces for bikes on busses.

I got bumped twice in May, first time this year.  Morning is no problem; I start at the run's first stop, and even if I rode up and found two bikers ahead of me, I can always take the train, which on its reverse commute run always has room.

But on the way home, there are distant stops before me and no train late enough.  So I either wait 30 min for the next bus or lock my bike for the night and get on the bus without it.