Between the normal supply/demand cycle that peaks in the summer, and the unrest in the middle east, some experts are predicting that gas will top $5/gallon this summer. (Story HERE.)
Ouch! Expensive gas always has a negative impact on the economy. When people are pouring their money into the gas tank, they're not buying filet mignon and speedboats and junkets to Vegas. Since it's an election year, I expect the incumbents to do everything they can to keep prices down. They don't want their supporters to stay home on account of not being able to afford the trip to the voting booth.
If past history is any indicator, commuter habits seem to be impacted by a run-up in gas prices, more than pretty much anything. Our office bike-parking facility bulges when the weather is nice and gas is expensive.
Naturally, those who will be impacted the most are those who choose to live long distances from their daily destinations. And particularly those who live far away, and who drive Hummers, super-duty pickups, etc., for their daily transportation.
Tireless advocate for the most efficient form of
human transportation ever devised - bicycles!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
"Idaho stop law" - not just Idaho
Idaho's bicycle stop law is the envy of cyclists pretty much everywhere else.
In essence, the Idaho law requires cyclists to treat a stop sign like a yield sign, and to treat a stop light like a stop sign. From the saddle of a bicycle, the law seems common-sense. Gaining velocity requires a lot more energy than maintaining velocity. (The same is true for a 4000-pound vehicle... but not on the part of the operator, who just has to stomp on the gas.) And who hasn't been victimized by a non-responsive traffic signal?!
(NOTE! The law doesn't require a cyclist to roll cautiously through a stop sign, or to proceed while the light is red. And I'd never suggest to casual/novice riders that they take advantage of the relaxed restrictions. But an experienced, responsible cyclist can do so safely, and also without alienating motorists.)
Well... Idaho is no longer alone. As of 2012, cyclists and motorcyclists in Illinois can proceed through a red light, after waiting a "reasonable" amount of time for it to change.
What's reasonable?
That has yet to be determined, or written into the law. As of now, two minutes is what they're using. If you roll up to a red light, and it hasn't changed for you in two minutes, you can start watching for an opening.
(In real life, I'd start watching for an opening after 15 or 20 seconds, in which I could make a quick right-turn, then a quick U-turn, then another quick right-turn, all legal. But again, I'd not recommend that procedure to an inexperienced cyclist... ya gotta be on your toes. The stakes are high!)
Story HERE.
In essence, the Idaho law requires cyclists to treat a stop sign like a yield sign, and to treat a stop light like a stop sign. From the saddle of a bicycle, the law seems common-sense. Gaining velocity requires a lot more energy than maintaining velocity. (The same is true for a 4000-pound vehicle... but not on the part of the operator, who just has to stomp on the gas.) And who hasn't been victimized by a non-responsive traffic signal?!
(NOTE! The law doesn't require a cyclist to roll cautiously through a stop sign, or to proceed while the light is red. And I'd never suggest to casual/novice riders that they take advantage of the relaxed restrictions. But an experienced, responsible cyclist can do so safely, and also without alienating motorists.)
Well... Idaho is no longer alone. As of 2012, cyclists and motorcyclists in Illinois can proceed through a red light, after waiting a "reasonable" amount of time for it to change.
What's reasonable?
That has yet to be determined, or written into the law. As of now, two minutes is what they're using. If you roll up to a red light, and it hasn't changed for you in two minutes, you can start watching for an opening.
(In real life, I'd start watching for an opening after 15 or 20 seconds, in which I could make a quick right-turn, then a quick U-turn, then another quick right-turn, all legal. But again, I'd not recommend that procedure to an inexperienced cyclist... ya gotta be on your toes. The stakes are high!)
Story HERE.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Strong Finish
Got in a 20-plus mile ride today (December 31) ... in shorts! (If I had a do-over, I'd choose long pants. It was in the upper 30s and I knew I was pushin' it.)
For the month - 496 miles. For the year - 6606 miles. My second-best-ever year for cumulative miles, and my 9th year with more than 6000.
If only success were measured solely by bike-miles, huh?
A year ago, as I contemplated the topic of new years' resolutions, I "publically" resolved "to be a transportation cyclist in 2011." I guess I did allright... I showed up at work 228 times in '11, all of 'em on the bike.
In 2012? Um, I'll try to be a transportation cyclist. And... 150K miles* is just over 6000 miles distant. I'll shoot for that.
(Cumulative miles, since I started "transportation cycling" and keeping track, in 1986)
If you're reading this, I hope you got in some quality saddle time this year... and that you do even better next year! Be safe. May the wind be at your back. May the goatheads be scarce.
For the month - 496 miles. For the year - 6606 miles. My second-best-ever year for cumulative miles, and my 9th year with more than 6000.
If only success were measured solely by bike-miles, huh?
A year ago, as I contemplated the topic of new years' resolutions, I "publically" resolved "to be a transportation cyclist in 2011." I guess I did allright... I showed up at work 228 times in '11, all of 'em on the bike.
In 2012? Um, I'll try to be a transportation cyclist. And... 150K miles* is just over 6000 miles distant. I'll shoot for that.
(Cumulative miles, since I started "transportation cycling" and keeping track, in 1986)
If you're reading this, I hope you got in some quality saddle time this year... and that you do even better next year! Be safe. May the wind be at your back. May the goatheads be scarce.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Big - and illegal - bike load
I hope a trailer was involved...
Dude gets stopped by the cops (in Pasadena), riding at night without the required headlight and rear reflector. (It's nice to see the police doing their job and enforcing bicycle laws, huh? Not enough of that!)
During the traffic stop, dude is busted for having 23 pounds of Narcotic
Cannabis in a cooler. (Story Here.) Bummer, maaannnnnn!
I'm no expert, but I'm thinkin':
1) That's too much reefer for the guy to claim it was just his personal stash, and
2) That much reefer would be like a bale! It must've been one of those big Igloo football-team-size coolers. And I hope the guy wasn't packin' it under one arm as he rode or something.
Dude gets stopped by the cops (in Pasadena), riding at night without the required headlight and rear reflector. (It's nice to see the police doing their job and enforcing bicycle laws, huh? Not enough of that!)
During the traffic stop, dude is busted for having 23 pounds of Narcotic
Cannabis in a cooler. (Story Here.) Bummer, maaannnnnn!I'm no expert, but I'm thinkin':
1) That's too much reefer for the guy to claim it was just his personal stash, and
2) That much reefer would be like a bale! It must've been one of those big Igloo football-team-size coolers. And I hope the guy wasn't packin' it under one arm as he rode or something.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Ever bike?
"Ever bike? Now that's something that makes life worth living! ... Oh, to just grip your handlebars and lay down to it, and go ripping and tearing through streets and road, over railroad tracks and bridges, threading crowds, avoiding collisions, at twenty miles or more an hour, and wondering all the time when you're going to smash up. Well, now, that's something! And then go home again after three hours of it ... and then to think that tomorrow I can do it all over again!"
― Jack London
― Jack London
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Pain at the Pump '11
According to a CNBC Story, "the typical American household will have spent $4,155 filling up this year, a record. That is 8.4 percent of what a median family takes in, the highest since 1981."
The Missus fills up the Family Truckster every 3 weeks or so... she probably poured $2000 worth of gas into the tank in '11.
I spent maybe $500 on gas this year, and 90-plus percent of that was for two motorcycle adventures - to the California Redwoods, and to eastern Washington.
That's bad! A story last spring said the Energy Department estimated the cost would be $3235 for the year - up 28 percent from the previous year. Turns out that estimate was way low. Mamma mia!
$4155 - that's a big hit on the budget of us "99 percenters," no? I think of the stuff we would've gone without, if we'd spent that much on gas. That thought helps motivate me to get pedalin' on some of these cold winter mornings.
And speaking of cold winter mornings... like everybody else, I'm growing a bit concerned that I'm not seeing any snow up on those nearby mountains. December has been as dry as dust! But on the bright side, I sure love riding my bicycle on dry, traction-sand-free roads. That is a luxury this time of year.
From the story: "Next year isn't likely to bring relief." But taking up bicycle transportation could bring a huge amount of relief! Plus, if a few million people did it, it would modify the supply/demand equation in a meaningful way... maybe gas would drop by $1/gallon. (Of course, if that put everybody back in their cars, the price would go back up. Like most businesses, the oil companies will charge for their product what the market will bear.)
The Missus fills up the Family Truckster every 3 weeks or so... she probably poured $2000 worth of gas into the tank in '11.
I spent maybe $500 on gas this year, and 90-plus percent of that was for two motorcycle adventures - to the California Redwoods, and to eastern Washington.
That's bad! A story last spring said the Energy Department estimated the cost would be $3235 for the year - up 28 percent from the previous year. Turns out that estimate was way low. Mamma mia!
$4155 - that's a big hit on the budget of us "99 percenters," no? I think of the stuff we would've gone without, if we'd spent that much on gas. That thought helps motivate me to get pedalin' on some of these cold winter mornings.
And speaking of cold winter mornings... like everybody else, I'm growing a bit concerned that I'm not seeing any snow up on those nearby mountains. December has been as dry as dust! But on the bright side, I sure love riding my bicycle on dry, traction-sand-free roads. That is a luxury this time of year.
From the story: "Next year isn't likely to bring relief." But taking up bicycle transportation could bring a huge amount of relief! Plus, if a few million people did it, it would modify the supply/demand equation in a meaningful way... maybe gas would drop by $1/gallon. (Of course, if that put everybody back in their cars, the price would go back up. Like most businesses, the oil companies will charge for their product what the market will bear.)
Friday, December 16, 2011
We need a bike-riding president!
Yeah, I'm a special-interest group. A one-issue voting bloc.
Can our president ride a bike? Competently?
George W. Bush attracted plenty of detractors and criticism, but he set the bar for bike-riding presidents. His Secret Service guys were frequently huffin' and puffin' to keep up. He even flew out to Idaho and rode at the Tamarack Resort. (Sadly, because of security issues, it's unlikely we'll ever have a bike-commuting president.)
President Obama has proven that he can at least keep his bike upright. He has been seen occasionally riding a "comfort bike," most often with his family. Nothin' wrong with that.
How about the others who are vying for president?
Ron Paul (my favorite candidate in many respects... but I digress) recently had his photo - riding a bike - on the Drudge Report. So he, too, can at least keep the bike upright (while riding with one hand!), but his quadriceps don't give the impression he's "king of the mountain."
I found a photo of Mitt Romney riding a bike - many years ago in a previous life as a Mormon missionary. And once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget... right?
(That's Mitt on the right... the one with the awesome hair!)
Regrettably, I can't find a photo of Michele Bachmann on a bike. And not too surprisingly, no photos of the Newtster on a bike, either. (haha!)
Can our president ride a bike? Competently?
George W. Bush attracted plenty of detractors and criticism, but he set the bar for bike-riding presidents. His Secret Service guys were frequently huffin' and puffin' to keep up. He even flew out to Idaho and rode at the Tamarack Resort. (Sadly, because of security issues, it's unlikely we'll ever have a bike-commuting president.)
President Obama has proven that he can at least keep his bike upright. He has been seen occasionally riding a "comfort bike," most often with his family. Nothin' wrong with that.
How about the others who are vying for president?
Ron Paul (my favorite candidate in many respects... but I digress) recently had his photo - riding a bike - on the Drudge Report. So he, too, can at least keep the bike upright (while riding with one hand!), but his quadriceps don't give the impression he's "king of the mountain."
I found a photo of Mitt Romney riding a bike - many years ago in a previous life as a Mormon missionary. And once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget... right?
(That's Mitt on the right... the one with the awesome hair!)
Regrettably, I can't find a photo of Michele Bachmann on a bike. And not too surprisingly, no photos of the Newtster on a bike, either. (haha!)
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