Show "Bicycle"

Thanks -
Being Dutch, this doesn't seem that weird to me. It proves once again, that the picture is half the story and the other half is the viewer's. And I really dig the B&W one before, wonderful!
It just looked strange. I thought well at least it's relatively safe, i mean who's going to scale a wall just to nick a bike! Then I thought - do they just mount the bike from the balcony and jump off. .
 
Taking a break before plunging down the steep, rocky, twisting death-dive that is Black Bear Trail
. . . just kidding. This highly technical trail is used for downhill racing, and about 90% of it is beyond both my skill and comfort levels. It is a handy way to get from the mountaintop to creek level, but I walk the bike down most of it. I’m comfortable riding only a couple short sections of it.

DSCF0102C.JPG
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
 
^ that's an awesome city/kid bike setup. I'm often jealous of what's available in Japan. She's got a generator front hub providing great light front and rear, she's got a mid-drive electric assist motor helping, and she's getting herself and 2 kids across town with it.

0.6% of Americans' regularly do anything like this (just saw a study today). But what she's doing is so much more engaging, so much easier, than her alternative (trying to drive a single-occupnacy vehicle, or take 2 little ones on the subway). Good on ya, lady, from some guy here in the US. Tip of the hat.
 
^ that's an awesome city/kid bike setup. I'm often jealous of what's available in Japan. She's got a generator front hub providing great light front and rear, she's got a mid-drive electric assist motor helping, and she's getting herself and 2 kids across town with it.

0.6% of Americans' regularly do anything like this (just saw a study today). But what she's doing is so much more engaging, so much easier, than her alternative (trying to drive a single-occupnacy vehicle, or take 2 little ones on the subway). Good on ya, lady, from some guy here in the US. Tip of the hat.
I'm torn on whether I'd ever want to commute by bike. Part of me admires and even is envious of those who have abandoned automobiles for bike travel. On the other hand, I see the way people around here drive, treating even secondary roads as their own personal race tracks. A band mate at church had a cousin who was killed while cycling when someone texting drove right over him from behind. My son, who works downtown, said he watched a guy on a bike nearly get killed when a woman decided she was going to make a right turn from the middle lane directly in front of the cyclist. I see people road biking around here from time to time, and our bike shop owner says he does it all the time, but it's a risk I would not take.
 
I'm torn on whether I'd ever want to commute by bike. Part of me admires and even is envious of those who have abandoned automobiles for bike travel. On the other hand, I see the way people around here drive, treating even secondary roads as their own personal race tracks. A band mate at church had a cousin who was killed while cycling when someone texting drove right over him from behind. My son, who works downtown, said he watched a guy on a bike nearly get killed when a woman decided she was going to make a right turn from the middle lane directly in front of the cyclist. I see people road biking around here from time to time, and our bike shop owner says he does it all the time, but it's a risk I would not take.

I think there is a huge cultural element to this issue. I lived in Germany for two years (Munich) where bikes have dedicated lanes and the legal responsibility to ensure the safety of cyclists lies with motorists. Same in the Netherlands (where, incidentally, nobody wears a bike helmet and the biking organisations are dead against any law to make them compulsory.) In Japan, too, there are different social expectations around consideration for others and courtesy that we unfortunately have lost, if we ever had them.
 
In the US, it is tricky for sure. In cities where it's been made a real priority, and they've built safe infrastructure, it's pretty great. Elsewhere, it's .... not. I've done it all, including the Netherlands.
 
Back
Top