2016 has been a meaningful year for Boise-area cyclists.
We have some sweeet new stretches of Greenbelt - on the south side of the river from Ann Morrison Park to the Riverside Hotel. And through the new Esther Simplot Park. I'm happy to see that one in particular - having the construction zone has meant detours for 2 years.
ACHD - the road-building division of government - continues to be generally pretty bike-friendly, adding bike lanes to rebuilt roads wherever feasible. They decided NOT to add bike lanes on Main and Idaho Streets through Downtown. Personally, I believe they did the right thing. There is already pretty good east-west traveling... those roads are one-way which always makes it easier for cyclists to take a lane. And Bannock has good bike lanes for most of the distance.
Partly as a result of a tragic car/bike crash which seriously injured young Max Wyatt, cyclist safety was thrust into the spotlight. Jimmy Hallyburton of the Boise Bicycle Project springboarded the incident into a meeting with Governor Otter, who was instrumental in making sure some bicycle safety questions are on every driver's license test in the state. (And happily, a resilient Max has returned to good functional health.)
On a personal level... December was my worst month, mileage-wise, since January 1994 - almost 23 years! I only rode 210 miles. But I rode all 31 days, despite the fact that snow covered the ground, and the roads and bike paths, for the last half of the month. (And no relief in sight!) But... I finished the year with 5273 miles... making 2016 the 30th consecutive year I've ridden more than 4000 miles. (25 of those years I've ridden more than 5000 miles, and 11 have been more than 6000 miles.)
Tireless advocate for the most efficient form of
human transportation ever devised - bicycles!
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Transportation cycling is thrifty!
Way back almost ten years ago, near the beginning of this blogging adventure, I laid out the Top Ten reasons for bike transportation. Looking at the overall list, those reasons all still resonate with me!
#2 was - and is - "Economy." I observed that the AAA (the auto people) say the average American spends $8410 per year (back in '04) to own and operate a car. It's satisfying to consider that I've probably saved $80,000 or more since then, by riding a bike.
A year ago, I shared an article I'd read in the Costco member magazine... "Mr. Money Mustache" He's a personal-finance blogger and enthusiastic proponent of bicycle transportation. His observations about the "tragic clowns" getting around in their personal cars and trucks struck a note with me. The guy gets it!
Well, lo and behold... Mr. Mustache surfaced again! This time on the Bicycling Magazine website, in a story titled, "How to Ride Your Way to a Badass Life of Leisure." Somebody from the magazine interviews him about his bike-riding thriftiness. And, it's obviously directed at bicycle riders, rather than the general public.
Some sections resonated in particular...
"How many bikes do you own?" He owns an 8-year-old Trek road bike, and a 12-year-old mountain bike... and a "city bike" for short errands. Oh - and an electric bike for snow riding and pulling a trailer. Surely the Bicycling people are somewhat disappointed that he says "no one besides Tour de France riders needs a bike that costs more than $1000." (After all, Bicycling depends on advertising revenue from bike companies... primarily "expensive bike companies.") He questions the need to "prioritize moving further up the toy ladder." (He must really have disdain for people who spend $50,000 for a giant shiny pickup truck, or $80,000 for a luxury car.) When the interviewer says the "nexus of price/performance" is a $3200 mountain bike, Mustache says "To me, the difference between [my Trek road bike] and the $10,000 all-carbon road bike a friend of mine has is vanishingly small."
He talks about "tiny details exaggeration syndrome" ... imagining the ride-difference between aluminum and carbon and steel frames to be huge. "The difference is miniscule compared with, say, differences in tire size and pressure, or the presence of suspension... we need to zoom back out and think, 'What makes a difference in my lifetime of happiness?'"
He talks about paying the bills and staying afloat... and then the surplus can be used for "spending on treats" and "fancier stuff"... or it can instead be used to becoming flush enough to "buy freedom." "While a fancy bike is kinda fun, getting to ride bikes whenever you like is really, really fun. It's a kind of fun that never gets old and never needs upgrading." He feels the same way about buying a $400 bicycling jacket... you can do that, or you can stick to the stuff you "also wear in real life."
How about getting cold and wet? "Of course you will experience mild discomfort every single day unless you only dare venture out when the temperature is between 68 and 74 degrees. ... But it's the minor... discomfort that reminds you you are alive. People who use cars just because they are afraid of the weather are completely missing the point of being alive."
The guy gets it... and can explain it! (Oh - and my target retirement is age 65. I've not been disciplined enough about hanging onto all those dollars I've saved over my 30+ years of bike riding. Too many treats and fancy stuff, I guess.)
#2 was - and is - "Economy." I observed that the AAA (the auto people) say the average American spends $8410 per year (back in '04) to own and operate a car. It's satisfying to consider that I've probably saved $80,000 or more since then, by riding a bike.
A year ago, I shared an article I'd read in the Costco member magazine... "Mr. Money Mustache" He's a personal-finance blogger and enthusiastic proponent of bicycle transportation. His observations about the "tragic clowns" getting around in their personal cars and trucks struck a note with me. The guy gets it!
Well, lo and behold... Mr. Mustache surfaced again! This time on the Bicycling Magazine website, in a story titled, "How to Ride Your Way to a Badass Life of Leisure." Somebody from the magazine interviews him about his bike-riding thriftiness. And, it's obviously directed at bicycle riders, rather than the general public.
Some sections resonated in particular...
"How many bikes do you own?" He owns an 8-year-old Trek road bike, and a 12-year-old mountain bike... and a "city bike" for short errands. Oh - and an electric bike for snow riding and pulling a trailer. Surely the Bicycling people are somewhat disappointed that he says "no one besides Tour de France riders needs a bike that costs more than $1000." (After all, Bicycling depends on advertising revenue from bike companies... primarily "expensive bike companies.") He questions the need to "prioritize moving further up the toy ladder." (He must really have disdain for people who spend $50,000 for a giant shiny pickup truck, or $80,000 for a luxury car.) When the interviewer says the "nexus of price/performance" is a $3200 mountain bike, Mustache says "To me, the difference between [my Trek road bike] and the $10,000 all-carbon road bike a friend of mine has is vanishingly small."
He talks about "tiny details exaggeration syndrome" ... imagining the ride-difference between aluminum and carbon and steel frames to be huge. "The difference is miniscule compared with, say, differences in tire size and pressure, or the presence of suspension... we need to zoom back out and think, 'What makes a difference in my lifetime of happiness?'"
He talks about paying the bills and staying afloat... and then the surplus can be used for "spending on treats" and "fancier stuff"... or it can instead be used to becoming flush enough to "buy freedom." "While a fancy bike is kinda fun, getting to ride bikes whenever you like is really, really fun. It's a kind of fun that never gets old and never needs upgrading." He feels the same way about buying a $400 bicycling jacket... you can do that, or you can stick to the stuff you "also wear in real life."
How about getting cold and wet? "Of course you will experience mild discomfort every single day unless you only dare venture out when the temperature is between 68 and 74 degrees. ... But it's the minor... discomfort that reminds you you are alive. People who use cars just because they are afraid of the weather are completely missing the point of being alive."
The guy gets it... and can explain it! (Oh - and my target retirement is age 65. I've not been disciplined enough about hanging onto all those dollars I've saved over my 30+ years of bike riding. Too many treats and fancy stuff, I guess.)
Boise Bicycle Project plays Santa - AGAIN!
I have nothing but admiration for the Boise Bicycle Project ... they are an organization that talks the talk, and walks the walk! (Rides the ride?) Once again this year, they are rejuvenating and giving away 350 bicycles to kids in the area. It's inspirational and deeply meaningful! Some of those kids will probably grow up and, like most adults, rationalize that bikes are too fun to be legitimate transportation, and relegate them to recreation. But of 350 kids who get bikes... imagine if 50 of them embraced bicycles as "grown-up transportation"! The BBP would've enriched them for life!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Emerging Patterns
This is probably nothing to get startled about... but I've noticed that for the last month or so, we seem to be experiencing Global Cooling. At least at this latitude. But - if memory serves, the same thing was happening about this same time last year. (Six months from now, we'll be in the throes of Global Warming once again.)
I enjoy a bit of personal amusement in the autumn. Being quite "weather-extreme tolerant" (largely as a result of many years of cycling in widely-varying climatic conditions), it amuses me when I'm still in shirt-sleeves, and cross paths with cyclists who are bundled up like they're headed for Antarctica! You know - thick hooded goose-down parka, heavy mittens, scarf across face, etc. When it's 50 degrees I always want to ask, "What are you going to do when it gets cold?!"
Also, the "bike room" parking at the office clears out, this time of year. In the summer, there might be 30 or 35 bikes parked in there... now there are 3 or 4, and a couple look to have been abandoned. Another fairly regular year-round cyclist observed, "Cold weather has a way of weeding out the weak and infirm." Among the general population and among the cycling population!
Longer term, as I think about it I detect another pattern. 20 years ago I would take the most direct route, the majority of the time. I was focused on transportation efficiency on the bike... wanting to select the fastest way from Point A to Point B. Nowadays I'll frequently diverge more, sacrificing a minute or two for a more aesthetically-pleasing ride.
Almost every weekday, I ride down a quarter-mile stretch of 4-lane road (Americana Boulevard), where the downhill slope makes it practical to "take the lane." At the bottom, I can peel off to a bike path through the park. Doing so definitely adds distance and time to my ride... but it is always such a pleasant change of atmosphere, to put the motor traffic noise behind me! The extra minute or two is a small price to pay. (And, in all honesty, my speed is 3mph slower than it was 20 years ago, so rapid transit is less of a factor in any case.)
I enjoy a bit of personal amusement in the autumn. Being quite "weather-extreme tolerant" (largely as a result of many years of cycling in widely-varying climatic conditions), it amuses me when I'm still in shirt-sleeves, and cross paths with cyclists who are bundled up like they're headed for Antarctica! You know - thick hooded goose-down parka, heavy mittens, scarf across face, etc. When it's 50 degrees I always want to ask, "What are you going to do when it gets cold?!"
Also, the "bike room" parking at the office clears out, this time of year. In the summer, there might be 30 or 35 bikes parked in there... now there are 3 or 4, and a couple look to have been abandoned. Another fairly regular year-round cyclist observed, "Cold weather has a way of weeding out the weak and infirm." Among the general population and among the cycling population!
Longer term, as I think about it I detect another pattern. 20 years ago I would take the most direct route, the majority of the time. I was focused on transportation efficiency on the bike... wanting to select the fastest way from Point A to Point B. Nowadays I'll frequently diverge more, sacrificing a minute or two for a more aesthetically-pleasing ride.
Almost every weekday, I ride down a quarter-mile stretch of 4-lane road (Americana Boulevard), where the downhill slope makes it practical to "take the lane." At the bottom, I can peel off to a bike path through the park. Doing so definitely adds distance and time to my ride... but it is always such a pleasant change of atmosphere, to put the motor traffic noise behind me! The extra minute or two is a small price to pay. (And, in all honesty, my speed is 3mph slower than it was 20 years ago, so rapid transit is less of a factor in any case.)
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Foldable cardboard bike helmet
For several years, I've seen conceptualized honeycomb-folding helmet proposals. But this one looks like it's closer to reality... and pretty cool, in my opinion. If they can build 'em for a selling price of $5 like they hope, I bet it will be a winner.
It has won the 2016 James Dyson Award. I'd say it's way closer to the "function" end of the form-function scale, than those crazy-looking vacuum cleaners that are apparently the brainchild of Mr. Dyson. (No offense intended; I've never used one of those cleaners, but they look to me like they're way more "form." And I do know they're expensive and there's a huge market for the refurbished ones, which to me calls into question their durability.) And those Dyson bladeless fans? Now there's a solution looking for a problem! But I digress...
More info on the foldable helmet HERE.
It has won the 2016 James Dyson Award. I'd say it's way closer to the "function" end of the form-function scale, than those crazy-looking vacuum cleaners that are apparently the brainchild of Mr. Dyson. (No offense intended; I've never used one of those cleaners, but they look to me like they're way more "form." And I do know they're expensive and there's a huge market for the refurbished ones, which to me calls into question their durability.) And those Dyson bladeless fans? Now there's a solution looking for a problem! But I digress...
More info on the foldable helmet HERE.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
New Park - Enhanced Greenbelt!
"Our long national nightmare is over."
- Gerald R. Ford
Way back in January, 2015, I lamented that a stretch of the Greenbelt would be closing for an extended period, during construction of a new city park on the north side of the Boise River.
Happy day! That extended period is over, almost two years later. Esther Simplot Park is open, along with the Greenbelt through the area. (The "chain link fence tree" is gone forever.)
I rode the new path on Halloween... was pretty much alone. I rode it again on 11/3 and snapped a few photos. I took granddaughter Bonnie back yesterday, 11/5... it was jam-packed! I can't fault my fellowcitizens for wanting to visit it on a beautiful autumn afternoon, but the quality of visits will be better when it doesn't have Disneyland-size crowds! Visitors were enjoying the waterways... the play facilities (not traditional playgrounds, but rock mountains to climb on, etc.), the lovely variety of pathways. Of course, some visitors were doing what they do no matter where they are... lurching about, staring at their "smart phones."
Some of these photos were taken in the new park, others were snapped along the once-again-contiguous north stretch of the Greenbelt, near the new park. (And I see I better adjust the straps on Bonnie's brain-bucket... it's positioned too far back.)
- Gerald R. Ford
Way back in January, 2015, I lamented that a stretch of the Greenbelt would be closing for an extended period, during construction of a new city park on the north side of the Boise River.
Happy day! That extended period is over, almost two years later. Esther Simplot Park is open, along with the Greenbelt through the area. (The "chain link fence tree" is gone forever.)
I rode the new path on Halloween... was pretty much alone. I rode it again on 11/3 and snapped a few photos. I took granddaughter Bonnie back yesterday, 11/5... it was jam-packed! I can't fault my fellowcitizens for wanting to visit it on a beautiful autumn afternoon, but the quality of visits will be better when it doesn't have Disneyland-size crowds! Visitors were enjoying the waterways... the play facilities (not traditional playgrounds, but rock mountains to climb on, etc.), the lovely variety of pathways. Of course, some visitors were doing what they do no matter where they are... lurching about, staring at their "smart phones."
Some of these photos were taken in the new park, others were snapped along the once-again-contiguous north stretch of the Greenbelt, near the new park. (And I see I better adjust the straps on Bonnie's brain-bucket... it's positioned too far back.)
Monday, October 24, 2016
Autumn returns
Autumn brings us the best scenery of the year. And interesting developments for transportation and recreation cyclists in the area.
They have completed a repaving project on the Greenbelt below Warm Springs Mesa... it's nice! After a long time waiting, the Esther Simplot Park is slated to open on November 2. They are converting Jefferson Street, which traverses downtown east/west, to a two-way road with bike lanes.
On a more personal level... the family stable of bikes is increasing.
My bride had a knee replacement surgery in April, and recently graduated from stationary bicycle to road-going bicycle. We found her a nice used Townie 21-speed on the craigslist. (She's getting the other knee done on November 1.)
My daughter used a generic "mountain" style bike out of the stable to go riding with Mom... so I found her a Townie on the craigslist. (They like the "classic" styling with curved tubes, etc. I like the aluminum frame and slightly-narrower tires.)
Since those acquisitions we've been on several rides together, including a Greenbelt tour downstream to Eagle Road and back, from Ann Morrison Park.
And... granddaughter Mackenzie has outgrown her 24-inch bike, so just this evening I found her a used Peugeot first-generation mountain bike. It needs some work - new cables and such - but the price was right and I expect she won't be wanting to do a lot of riding before next spring anyway.
Yup - life is good. Bicycle transportation makes it that much better.
They have completed a repaving project on the Greenbelt below Warm Springs Mesa... it's nice! After a long time waiting, the Esther Simplot Park is slated to open on November 2. They are converting Jefferson Street, which traverses downtown east/west, to a two-way road with bike lanes.
On a more personal level... the family stable of bikes is increasing.
My bride had a knee replacement surgery in April, and recently graduated from stationary bicycle to road-going bicycle. We found her a nice used Townie 21-speed on the craigslist. (She's getting the other knee done on November 1.)
My daughter used a generic "mountain" style bike out of the stable to go riding with Mom... so I found her a Townie on the craigslist. (They like the "classic" styling with curved tubes, etc. I like the aluminum frame and slightly-narrower tires.)
Since those acquisitions we've been on several rides together, including a Greenbelt tour downstream to Eagle Road and back, from Ann Morrison Park.
And... granddaughter Mackenzie has outgrown her 24-inch bike, so just this evening I found her a used Peugeot first-generation mountain bike. It needs some work - new cables and such - but the price was right and I expect she won't be wanting to do a lot of riding before next spring anyway.
Yup - life is good. Bicycle transportation makes it that much better.
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