When is a bike not a bike?

Happy new year!

I've posted a couple times recently, about the arrival and acceptance of "E-bikes" on the "no motor vehicles" Greenbelt and other bicycle infrastructure, and sidewalks, in our community.  I continue to have serious reservations about how it's all going to mesh, or not, during the busy summer months.  Time will tell.

We've had some interesting developments at the office "bike room" as well, over the past year or so.  (By "we," I really mean the people who manage the facility.  But most of them are friends of mine... and the majority are bike commuters as well.)

First it was the guy who rode his low-slung "tadpole trike."  You know... one of those contraptions with two wheels in the front, one in the back, and not quite as high as the hood of a passenger car.  (I worry about the safety of those things, in places where they share pavement with cars... but that's a different subject.)  The tadpole trike takes up three or more bicycle spaces, in the bike parking facility.  (NOT a problem in January... but six months from now?  That room gets pretty crowded on a nice day!)

Then a guy started riding this big "fat bike" with the pedal-assist motor.  The tires are too wide to fit in the bike racks... and I guess it's too heavy for him to lift up onto wall hooks.  (The bike room has some very nice custom features - a horizontal bike rack along one wall, that accepts tires of various widths - but it was built "BFB" - before fat bikes.  On the other walls, there are sturdy rails that bikes can be locked to, and hooks that accept a front wheel for vertical parking.  But you need adequate upper-body strength to hoist your bike onto the hook.)

And then... starting in the past week or so, some guy has been riding one of the biggest bikes I've ever seen, and parking it in the room.  At least I think it's a bike, in the same sense that a Hummer or Ford Excursion is a "car" - it sorta looks like a bike.  But - it occupies more space than either of my motorcycles.  Check it out!

Actually, it is a bike - a Surly Big Fat Dummy - and it has been customized with some interesting features - the big bike-mounted mitten thingies for the rider's hands.  Bags on the back.  Some sort of passenger accommodations... a seat maybe?  I can't tell because it's covered by some sort of thing that's apparently attached to the bike... it looks like a silver rain poncho with a hole for a neck.  But is it a child's neck that goes through there, or a dog's neck, or what?  Maybe at some point I'll get to see it, rolling down the pavement and loaded in all its glory... and I'll understand.

I'm sorta hoping this is just a "winter thing."  IMO, you don't need 4 1/2 inch wide tires to traverse what little snow we've had so far; I've been doing it mostly on 1 1/4 inch tires.  This thing would probably be better suited to Fairbanks, or maybe Minneapolis or Steamboat.  And there won't be room for it in our bike room that already gets very crowded in the summer.

On snowy days, my poor friend Dave rides a "fat bike" that looks pretty tiny by comparison.  You can see it - and the "tadpole"- in the second photo.  But it's pretty awkward for him to lift his fat bike down off the rack, when trying to maneuver around the "morbidly obese bike" (by comparison).

E-bikes soon to be a reality

E-bikes got the go-ahead from the City Council, at the December 5th meeting.  "Class 1" and "Class 2" will have the green light in bike lanes... on the Greenbelt... on many foothills paths, and on sidewalks (!) as soon as the ink dries.

I submitted a report to the Boise Guardian.  You can read it HERE.

At the Council meeting, the City experts had recommended against allowing the electric-assist bikes on the sidewalks.

There was considerable discussion about the different "classes" of E-bikes... apparently those that will be allowed can't provide more than 20mph of forward propulsion, and only when the rider is pedaling.  But I've observed E-bike riders cruising along, "smart phone" to ear, and barely turning the pedals even though the bike is going 20mph.  I guess we're about to find out how they will interact with other Greenbelt users.

Probably 25 members of the general public testified.  The pro-E-bike group was well-represented, including numerous E-bike riders who confessed to operating their bikes in violation of the current statutes.

I anticipate that many E-bike riders will be good Greenbelt citizens.  The lady who likes to take her kids to their soccer practices and music lessons.  The guy who has bad knees and can't ride a regular bike without pain.  The senior-citizen couple.  (Although if they rode REGULAR bikes, they would receive a lot more benefit in the form of cardio activity!)  But there will be some PROBLEM E-bikers... just as there are problem bicyclists, pedestrians, dog-walkers, smart-phone zombies.  And, I expect there to also be doofuses on Gas-powered bicycles... I've urged the Council to make it very clear that the hydrocarbon-burning bikers will eagerly take to the infrastructure, unless they are blocked by statute and enforcement.  (But I'm getting the impression that public comments are a mere formality... our Dear Leaders already know what's best and will proceed with their perfect plan.  Sigh...)

Invasion of the E-bikes

So... what's your feeling about electric-assist bicycles using dedicated bicycle facilities, and non-motorized pathways, etc.?

I've got mixed feelings.

One the one hand... if people are getting out of their single-occupant cars as a result of riding an E-bike, it's hard to find fault with that.  But on the other hand... if you have a motor pushing you along so you don't have to pedal, you're missing out on the health benefits that riding a bicycle can provide.  (I keep hearing that we have an obesity epidemic going on in this country.  Could it be that too many folks don't do anything more strenuous than pushing buttons or turning a steering wheel?)

The Boise City Council is planning on taking testimony on how to deal with the E-bike issue this next Tuesday, December 5th.  I hope I can attend the meeting and testify... but in the meantime I composed a message to various city leaders, part of which is below:

... I probably use the Greenbelt, bike lanes, bike routes, etc., as much as anybody in town... so, I'm quite interested in the news that the City will consider how to deal with "E-bikes" and bicycle-specific infrastructure. ...

Apparently there is a proposal to drop various types of E-bikes into classifications based on their performance - Class 1, 2, and 3, with 3 being the "high performance" E-bikes.  And then SOME E-bikes will be allowed and others won't.

To me, that sounds like a mass of confusion, and an enforcement nightmare.

I would strongly recommend an alternative...

If I understand correctly, in order to be an "E-bike," it has to be a bicycle that can be pedaled by the rider, in addition to a motor that can provide optional "pedal power."

Wouldn't it be much easier to just declare that "human pedal power" is the only acceptable energy, for bicycles of all stripes, when using bicycle and non-motorized facilities?  In other words, you need to keep your E-bike motor turned off, if you're using bike lanes, Greenbelt, etc.  (An exception could be made for people with a disability.  And "Pedaling is HARD!" should not be considered a disability!)

Based on my casual observation, I'd say it's fairly obvious if somebody is cruising down a bicycle facility at 15 or 20mph, and barely pedaling.  I'm already seeing it... and apparently I'm not the only one.  To me, it seems like it would be much more difficult to determine whether that cruising is being done on a "class 1, 2, or 3" E-bike.

As anybody who regularly uses the Greenbelt can attest to, the wide variety of users already poses challenges when you get the mix of pedestrians, cyclists, pedestrians with dogs on 20-foot leashes, skaters, cross-country-ski-rollers, smart-phone zombies, clumps of chatty Cathys, etc.  I see nothing but trouble if you have a new group of people zooming along nonchalantly on their MOTORIZED bicycles.

No matter what you decide, I hope you can also make a strong declaration, backed up with vigorous enforcement, that those stinky/raucous/annoying GAS-powered bicycles have no place on ANY bicycle infrastructure!  PLEASE!  (I've encountered people riding them on the Greenbelt... in bike lanes... on sidewalks!)

Thanks for your attention.

Hydrocarbon fury

There's no denying that image is a huge factor in vehicle selection. We fork over big bucks for a ride that will not only get us and our stuff from Point A to Point B, but will also make a statement about the person behind the wheel.

Take this pickup, for example. Shiny red paint! Overt display of patriotism! Oversized rubber! And... check out that exhaust pipe! It's so big that you could store your CD collection in there! It must take quite the man, to even handle all that barely-contained raging fury when the gas pedal is punched!

Hey! Wait just one minute!

Upon closer inspection... that huge exhaust pipe is just pretend! It's just bolted on the end of a much more conventional-sized exhaust pipe.

I'm no internal-combustion engineer... but it seems to me that this giant chrome exhaust tip wouldn't add even a single horse power! Am I wrong? I invite expert opinions that might clarify my misunderstanding, if there is one.

Is this exhaust tip the vehicular equivalent of sticking a cucumber down your tight britches?

(nudge-nudge... wink-wink)

Don't be a victim of the dark!

This morning as I left for the office, it was as dark as a total solar eclipse! I was glad to have an extra measure of visibility, in the form of headlight, taillight, and high-viz/reflective vest.

Far too often, when a motorcyclist or bicyclist is involved in a collision with a motorist, the car driver laments, "I just didn't see him!" Let's face it - our smaller vehicles are harder to see than that F350 pickup truck, or Wagon Queen Family Truckster. The problem is exacerbated by the dark. Don't be a victim!

Here's what I use - because it's cheap and apparently effective.

On the front, I have a single-AA battery LED flashlight. (I think mine cost about 8 bucks, 2 or 3 years ago. But they are very common nowadays, boasting lumen outputs from about 200 on up.) My model has a clicky-button on the back, that turns it off and on, and selects one of three modes - bright, dim, or strobe. I generally use the "strobe" setting when I'm riding down a familiar road and am mostly concerned about being seen by other roadway users. And when I'm on a less-familiar road, I choose bright, to light up my path. I use a rechargeable battery, and carry a spare battery with me. I attach the light to the handlebars with a little rubber-and-velcro doodad that I ordered with the light. (Both ordered from dx.com) (I've got a bigger and far brighter light that I'll be trying out soon. Amazon made me an offer I couldn't refuse.)

On the back, I use a bright flashing red LED taillight. Mine is a Planet Bike Superflash. It was expensive by my standards - more than 20 bucks! But it's given me faithful service for 3 or 4 years, so it's money well spent. There are other cheaper-but-effective alternatives nowadays... we live during an LED Renaissance! The taillight uses two AAA batteries - I use rechargeables.

In addition, I like to wear a hi-viz reflective safety vest. In fact, I wear it year round, day and night, and no matter what kind of riding I'm doing. For a few years, I wore a nice brand-name (Dickies) model. Pretty expensive ($20+), and they would last for a couple years before they started getting pretty gnarly-looking. I decided to give a much-cheaper Harbor Freight model a try - and that's my current choice of hi-viz fashion. Six bucks, and they last about as long as the brand-name. They're made of a mesh material that seems to make very little difference on hot-or-cold, and they just go on over whatever-else you've chosen for attire. Not very fashionable, but who cares? You can quickly take it off, once you arrive at your fashionable destination.  You know, like James Bond.

Stay safe, mis amigos.

Innocent victims

Ten days or so ago, the nation recoiled in horror.  A monster/madman rained terror down on country music fans in Las Vegas, murdering 58 innocent people and injuring hundreds in a matter of minutes.  Before the victims had even been accounted for, there were impassioned demands for action!

We need new laws!  Implements of death and destruction - in this case guns - MUST be kept away from criminals and incompetents, and maybe everybody!  What kind of irresponsible people could possibly be against further action to prevent such incidents?!!

Mostly I think we feel helpless.  As of this writing, the motive of the killer is still a mystery.  And when there's not a discernible motive or some sort of attention-getting activity prior to the mayhem... how do you prevent it?  Are we all going to go through metal detectors and intense scrutiny now, when we check into a hotel?  Is that a price we're willing to pay, to mitigate the one-in-ten-million madman?

But - at the same time - every week, we seem mostly willing to look the other way when more people are victimized by distracted drivers.

In 2015, according to the NHTSA, 3477 people were killed in fatal distracted-driving mishaps.  That's about 67 per week - almost 10 every day.  Furthermore, it's estimated that 391,000 people were injured by distracted drivers (about 7500 per week - more than 1000 per day).

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?!!?

Many of the perps were distracted by their so-called "smart phones."  I believe you see more people driving nowadays with phone in hand, than those who have both hands on the wheel.  Remember?  The way you learned in driver-ed?

But apparently that's not enough.  The auto industry is attracting buyers with shiny-bright touch-sensitive console-mounted "infotainment systems" in new cars!  You've seen 'em in the commercials - they give you directions... tell you which track is playing on the 18 650-watt speaker system... control the climate... maybe even let you watch a movie or hilarious YouTube cat videos.

What could go wrong?

Apparently, a lot.  University of Utah researchers studied the infotainment in 2017 automobiles, and concluded that "most... distract drivers too long to be safely operated while the vehicles are in motion."  Programming your navigation takes about 40 seconds to complete, for example.  Yet, "the risk of a crash doubles when a driver takes his or her eyes off the road for two seconds."  Story HERE.

Far, far more innocents are killed by distracted drivers, than by crazed killers with bump-stock-equipped semi-automatic assault rifles.  Both are tragic, and are blights on our society... but honestly, which is the more serious and pervasive problem?

20 years of car-free commuting

In 1986, I started riding a bike to and from my job. By 1997, I’d been mostly commuting to work by bicycle for 11 years.  But then I got a shiny new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.  (Purchased with money saved by bicycling.)  It was a compelling mode of transportation, and I started riding it to the office, once or twice a week.  Now and then, I still drove the family car, as well.  Just for kicks, that year I decided to keep running track of my transportation choices.

As our family started planning for another school year, once again as always I encouraged my kids to ride their bikes.  (Our schools are less than a mile away, over terrain as flat as plywood.)  They would probably say I’m too enthusiastic about preaching the Gospel of Bike Transportation.

There was much opposition, from kids and their mom.  “We’ll get all sweaty!”  “We’ll look like nerds!”  “We’ll have helmet hair!”  Mom, of course, was sure they’d be abducted en route, or get flattened by a runaway dump truck.  She also said, somewhat accusingly, “You don’t ride a bike everywhere.”  Pretty lame argument… but the gauntlet had been thrown down.  I decided I’d show her!

The last time I drove a car to work, was sometime in September 1997 – 20 years ago this month.  (I keep track month-by-month, so I don’t know the exact day.)

Ever since then, it’s been the bicycle to and from work, on all but a handful of days each year.  Whether it’s 105, or 5 below zero, or anywhere in between.  If it’s snowy, I try to stick to the lesser-traveled side roads.  If it’s treacherously slippery, I’ve been known to trudge to the nearest bus stop and take public transportation… but almost always with the bike on the front rack, in the hopes I’ll be able to ride home in the afternoon.

Gas and insurance expenses?  Nope.  Repair expenses?  Minimal.

Traffic jams?  No problemo!

Parking?  Free – everywhere!

I’ve learned to live with nerdy helmet-hair, etc.

In addition, I get some “cardio” exercise every weekday.  (I’m lucky – my commute is about 3.5 miles each way.  Far enough to get a little “burn,” but short enough that I can commute in my work attire.)  My work commute is often my favorite part of the day.  I would never voluntarily go back to a car.  (Although I might re-think that, if somebody wants to offer me free use of a Porsche Carrera, or something similar.)

(Photo snapped by granddaughter Mackenzie)