My answers to a survey in the Commuting Forum at BikeForums.net: 1) What motivates you to commute by bike? Faster and more flexible than the bus or walking. 2) How often do you commute by bike? Every work day. 3) Do you commute no matter what the weather? Yes. 4) How far is your commute? […]
Coldest ride of the year today. It was either 2°F or 4°F depending on which weather report you pick. When I got the bike down off its hook this morning, some water that had collected in the tread of the rear tire or in the fender dribbled out on to my foot. It’s a common […]
Yesterday an ad appeared on Craig’s List that said something to the effect of, “Hey I recovered this bike around Village Gate, I thought it was mine, it isn’t. Could it be yours?” It offered to return the bike to someone who could describe it. Three people that I don’t know remembered the ad about […]
Winter returned today after giving us a brief respite last week. We had two sunny days in a row during the week, then three sunny weekend days. It was almost too much to handle. I actually got Yellow Bike out for a second ride in February. Imagine that. Sunday was the kind of sunny day […]
Weather around here is notoriously hard to predict. In February, it’s harder still. Yesterday was supposed to be windy with a 20% chance of rain in the morning, rising to 80% in the afternoon. When I got up in the mid-morning, it was still. The church across the alley has those old, industrial, backdraft preventers […]
Instead of riding the TNUA last night, I attended a DOT public information meeting where they presented design proposals for improving the intersection of an expressway and a major surface street. I commute through there regularly, several of our bike club routes traverse it, and it’s between a residential area and a MUP. That alone […]
So the Portland is clean, reassembled and has been photographed. I can’t let it get that bad again. Even after degreasing most of it last night, and removing most of the crusty stuff, it still took nearly all day today to scrub, dry, polish, and reassemble. Then again, I take my time and occasionally become […]
In the four-and-a-half months and 1,384.4 miles I’ve owned it, I’ve never given the Portland a proper bath. Sure it gets rinsed off after every wet or grungy ride, but gunk builds up, especially on and near the drivetrain. Plus, I don’t have a really good picture of it, something driven home when I was […]
where I’ve done business
You are currently browsing the Scenic Route archives for February, 2008.
Someday we’ll all look back on this, and plow right into a parked car.
Just as man evolved from four feet to two, some have evolved from four wheels to two.
Tourers and commuters are a lot alike. Both breeds usually choose a sturdy, yet no-nonsense bike, and both usually have to carry more than your usual OCP roadie. We take tips, tricks, and underground secret information from almost every other type of cyclist, chew it up, and spit out a form of cycling science that manifests itself as a fusion of both basic transportation and recreational riding all at once.—ax0n
You shouldn’t anthropomorphize bikes. They don’t like it when you do that—JustBrowsing
Somewhere on gayforums.net there’s a thread that goes “I just shaved my legs and got some tight lycra shorts. Do you think it would make look like a cyclist or not?”—From yet another “Does wearing lycra make me look gay?” thread on bikeforums.net
I don’t hate cars per se, but the lifestyle they encourage is as lethal and self-destructive as any drug.—Cosmoline
I guess for me it boiled down to a realization that a bike was the right tool for the job. Using a 3,000 pound vehicle move me and my briefcase 2.5 miles to work everyday was like using a steamroller to press my shirts—they'd be wrinkle free, but an iron would be a better choice.—chocula
Starve a terrorist—ride a bike to work. It’s not just good for the environment, it’s good for civilization.—NotAsFat
When all the gasoline runs out, the Priuses are going to be dead on the side of the road right beside the Hummers.
Who is more patriotic, the person who commutes to work on a bike, or the guy who slaps a US flag decal on his SUV that gets 12 miles per gallon?—Jim Caple (ESPN)
I’m on the odd side of now but the right side of history.—Woodog
What’s the point of a bike if you can only ride it on weekends and you can’t even carry anything with you?—madfiNch
I don’t ride to save the environment, auto fuel, money or even to get exercise. I ride because I enjoy it and as a consequence, I get the benefit of the other things.—Charles Vail
What I need is a tandem, a squash racquet and a daring & ruthless accomplice. Is anyone in?—Chris L
My two favorite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library.—Peter Golkin
If one is going to be hedonistic and NOT actually in Jamaica, well bicycles ain’t such a bad way to go.—PansyPalmetto
Skilled city cyclists move through traffic like gazelles through a field of fat cows.—JoeyBike
Biking isn’t a sport because anybody can do it. I can bike, you can bike. For goodness sakes, my mother can bike! You don’t see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, do you?—jack002
Bicycles move with the flow of the Earth—Nikki Giovanni
Let’s have a moment of silence for all those Americans who are stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride the stationary bicycle—US Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Putting slicks on a mountain bike is like putting a dress on your best friend Bob. He still won’t look like a woman, and he won’t ride like one either.—Platypius
They’re just bikes. Ride ’em in the rain, salt, snow and crap to fully appreciate them.—Mike Zanconato
One of the best things about bicycle commuting is that it can mitigate the displeasure of having to go to work.—BikeSnobNYC
When you approach an intersection think of the cars as affectionate cats that are going to try to rub themselves against you.—BikeSnobNYC
It’s like bikes. Give yourself a budget. Then double it.—grscha
Rule 9: If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.—The Rules
I ride to work just because I enjoy it, but I keep getting told it’s for other reasons.—ThermionicScott
If I only rode my bicycle on nice days I wouldn't be a cyclist. I'd be just another old fat man with a bicycle hanging in his garage.—Dave Cutter
I took Brucew's advice ... Perfect!— ScooterDobs