Um…. I think we might have been a bit premature.
I got really wet both directions on Friday. I had rain gear but it was not raining when I left so I thought I’d risk it. On the way home I thought “what are the odds that it will start raining on two trips in a row.” I didn’t think to ask about the odds of snow.
Of course by the time I decided it was probably prudent to gear up, it no longer mattered. It’s only water, right?
-tim
In my work life I need to keep up with whole lot of online community, user experience, and assorted other tech blogs. My bike blog reading (and posting) has taken a real hit. So maybe you can understand why I get pretty excited when I find tech folks turning their brain juice on issues I care about—in this case, car-free transportation.
It seems everyone these days is talking about microformats and microfinance (unfortunately, microbrews don’t get the attention they used to), but here’s a buzz term I can really get behind: Micro-mobility. It’s the idea that a car (careful, this might blow your mind) isn’t the appropriate vehicle for many transportation tasks, especially when you are talking about micro-distances.
From Pasta&Vinegar:
“When it comes to mobility, people are in general mesmerized by Velib or Zipcar lately but there are there sorts of devices that I find very intriguing: aluminium scooters or K-2 Kickboard Scooter. Some people would argue that this for start-up pricks (because real value is in pure P&P skateboarding gear) or that it is childish and useless but I don’t think so. I don’t have any scooters but what I find interesting here is the notion of “micro-mobility” and the balance of cost…”
I can relate. Even the Xtracycle can be too much transportation tool. For example, if I want to run somewhere close to my office in the middle of the day, I think hard about whether the bike is worth the effort (getting it from the parking garage, unlocking, riding, looking for a bike rack, locking, the errand itself, unlocking and back again), or if I should just suck it up and make do with a long walk. A little micro transport device, kept in my unused file drawer could be just the ticket.
I don’t expect many of my peers to be jumping on the kick-board wagon any time soon. They think I’m a freak for riding my bike, for crying out loud. But what about the generation of kids who grew up with razor scooters and skateboards as a normal thing? I can imagine a world, partially assisted by $300/barrel oil, dense urban planning, and a less car-dependent infrastructure, where micro-mobility devices aren’t merely a gimmick, but instead are a serious transportation option.
–Tim
We’ve been doing the bike thing for close to a year now and it’s been a pretty nice ride. We’ve lost a few pounds, got in decent shape, reduced our foot print on the environment, and saved some cash. We’ve ridden through rain and sleet and snow and survived it all.
In the meantime though, we kind of feel like we’re missing out as participants in American culture. Sure the Xtracycles can haul a lot, but just try using one after a Costco run for a 50″ Plasma TV, car battery, and family-sized box of ultra slim. It’s just not going to happen. And when was the last time we had time to go spinning class? Riding everywhere takes so long and so much energy that we don’t have a spare time for the gym or audio books or Oprah or anything like that.
We want a car. A big one. Continue reading
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, consumerism, shopping
Tagged april 1, bikes, craigslist, suv
Who would have thought—rain, sleet, and snow—all on the same ride? Well, maybe in January, but not on March 26th!
Sheesh, it was a wet, cold, and lonely night out there. Not a bit like last week when I enjoyed a lovely spring ride in the company of a backpack-clad fellow commuter all kitted out in Broadmark Capital gear.
As he spun along on his unencumbered rain bike he couldn’t help but comment on me and my Clampett-size load of crap:
“You sure ride with a lot of stuff.”
Garrish on Bikes, Mostly wrote a Kona-Ute post about a photo I took at the NAHBS last month. My photo showed a wooden snapdeck and sideloader-like bag combo on a Ute. Garrish and readers wondered a) if it was homemade—it was. Props to the owner/builder if you are out there; and b) Why the heck wasn’t Kona sticking with the Xtracycle accessories, snapdeck, and the like.
For weeks now, I’ve been wondering about that too, and mulling over the lame choices Kona made when rolling their “own” long bike design. But before I open my can of whoop-ass, I’d first like to applaud Kona for their work with the Africa Bike, Bike Town Africa and the adopt an Africa bike program.
Way to go guys. Nice work there.
Posted in bikes, cargo bikes, consumerism, longbikes, xtracycle
There’s no good way to tell you to take this test without giving it away, but trust me. You should follow this link and take the test. And tell your bio-diesel Suburban-driving neighbors to give it a whirl, too.
By the way, it’s OK to skip the intro, but unlike my spoilsport wife, you should really try to count. Thanks to my pal Kathleen for the link.
-Tim
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here
We often get asked why we ride and we occasionally ask others why they do or don’t. Other than the usual (“it’s great exercise!”or “the weather sucks”), our insight into the matter has been lean. One thing I sort of remember from grad school (way back in 2007) is that sample size and makeup play heavily into the data returned by these adhoc surveys. To get better results, we’d need to reach beyond our little-ol’ personal network.
Luckily for us, superstar local bike blogger Kent Peterson has done just that. He invited his rather large readership to answer the why questions, going so far as dedicating a separate post for each. Continue reading
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, sustainability, traffic, weather
Tagged bike commuting, bikes, commuting, excuses, why bother
I rode down to the Seattle Bike Swap on Saturday morning. It’s not like I need anything but I can’t resist the thought of a deal. Other than a nice Wald basket ($7) and a couple of cowbells, (3 for $5) I otherwise kept ahold of my cash and didn’t add to the garage gear piles.
The big news was the massive crowd and resulting bike rack shortage. I’ve attended the last few years, and though the event is popular, I can usually stroll in a few minutes after 9. This year, however I rolled up to a line snaking around the hanger. The bike scene is alive and well in Seattle. Though far too many attendees chose to drive this year, a sizable number of riders quickly overwhelmed the existing racks.
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, Human Powered Politics, Rack that Bike, seattle
Tagged advocacy, bikes, bikeswap, cascade bicycle club, racks, seattle
One thing I like about bike commuting is the opportunity to experience more of my city. In the morning, I might see a single scull or kayak slip under the University Bridge, the rising sun reflecting on the Olympic range, or a familiar landmark partially obscured by fog.
Of course, the downside of such an immersion is a heightened awareness of Seattle’s runaway construction projects. I rant about the state of our roads because I’m all too aware of how poor they’ve become. As I daily dodge cement trucks, impromptu street closures, and poorly patched pavement—a victim of heavy equipment or new-utility runs—I can only wonder about the sustainability of Seattle’s current development choices.
In the morning, I worry if Seattle knows what she is doing. Continue reading
Posted in bikes, Commute, seattle, sustainability, traffic
Tagged bikecommuting, carfreedays, commuting, construction, development, seattle
I hope you and your loved one(s) found a way to express yourselves in a less-than-consumerish fashion on this dorky, but harmless holiday. For us, the big evening involved me riding down the hill for take-out Thai, and a less-cheap-than-normal bottle of wine. Good times.
This may surprise some of you, but I really enjoy Valentine’s day. I have wonderful, cycling wife that I love dearly; I relish any excuse to celebrate our fantastic relationship (even though she thinks Valentine’s day is stupid). Factor in the hour I spent bike commuting to and from work and I think that makes for a pretty damn good day.
Full disclosure: I saw one of our readers/neighbors as I rode into work this morning. He said that he preferred Anne’s posts because she was more positive. Since I’m nothing if not a crowd pleaser, consider this my effort to be a good, perky, American (even though it’s debatable how good that really is). So, how’d I do, Dave?
Happy Valentine’s Day.
-Tim
Posted in bikes, consumerism, dates
Tagged bikes, carfreedates, commuting, dorky, happienss, holidays, love, valentines's day
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
We LOVE to share our work, but the number of commercial sites using our photos (of our kids!) without permission, and/or non-commercial sites not following Creative Commons use and attribution terms is getting out of hand.
If you have questions about: allowed use of our content, need help understanding the Creative Commons link and license terms, want permission for another type of use, or need a quick refresher on the etiquette of photo use-and-reuse, please contact Carfreedays.com. Seriously, just ask. We're happy to help.
Anne & Tim
Tim King
Anne
cfdgirl
Tim K
Car Free Days 
