via Freakonomics blog
This Freakonomics piece made me chuckle. I’m pretty sure we’ve visited a couple of those used bike shops in Portland and were shocked by the prices as well.
In our quest to get more people to use bikes as transportation, we’re constantly telling people to check craigslist. We also tell people they can get a commuter/grocery getter for around $100. Am I telling lies?
How much for a decent used commuter bike in your city?
– Anne
Columbia City station on Seattle's Link light rail from rutlo on Flickr
Sound Transit is launching it’s starter light-rail line from Westlake Center to Tukwila tomorrow.
Today’s Seattle Times reports that some would-be light rail riders are upset by the lack of parking around the light rail stations. According to Rick Sheridan, SDOT spokesman, this was done on purpose.
“Light rail was meant to be fed by people taking the bus, walking or biking,” said Rick Sheridan, spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). “It was not meant to be fed by cars.”
Sounds like a great opportunity to promote cycling. One mile is a doable bike ride for most people. Let’s hope people get inspired to give cycling a try since they won’t have any place to park their cars. Go ahead, buy a beater bike and ride it to the light rail station.
Does anyone know if they put in adequate bike parking?
I’d love to hear from some South end readers about what you think of this topic. The Times has 329 comments at this time, so it looks like a hot one.
– Anne
Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, Commute, neighborhoods
Tagged light-rail, parking, seattle
Awhile back, Tori over at Gracie’s Wrench asked for suggestions for a new term to describe cycling as transportation or everyday cycling. “Commuting” usually refers to going to and from work. “Riding” usually refers to sport riding. What do you call everyday cycling? I read all the comments to her post, and quite frankly, none of the terms really spoke to me. Not in the same way “commuting” does.
I’m looking for a good one (maybe two) word term to describe using a bike to go to the store or to get coffee or out to dinner.
Does anyone have a good one?
– Anne
Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, Everyday Biking, shopping
Tagged cycling, everyday biking, everyday cycling, words
Anne's latest dream bike
School gets out today. This time of year is bittersweet. We are all ready for a break from our normal routine and are looking forward to some carefree summer times. I’m sure the kids will be happy not to hear the words: get dressed, eat your breakfast, put your book down, brush your teeth and we’re going to be late for a few months. Continue reading
Posted in alternative transportation, bike lust, bikes, kids
Tagged Family Transport, riding with kids, summer, WorkCycles, WorkCycles Triplet
We like visiting Portland, not just because of it’s bike culture, yummy food and modern architecture, but also because we know some great people in town.
Last week, Tim and I got together with some of my college friends for dinner and beers as part of a long weekend (without children!). We went to college a while ago so these really are old and super fantastic friends. As always, we had a great time catching up and sharing stories and cutting loose with them. Even us semi-old people need to do that from time to time.
Mitch, Julie, Vincent, Anne and Tim enjoying dinner and beer at Seraveza. Photo by Jennifer
Since our kids were at home with grandparents, we were the only couple that didn’t have to worry about relieving babysitters and picking up kids and putting them to bed etc. So naturally when our friend Jennifer had to leave early to pick up her kids, we offered to be helpful and give Vincent a “ride” home.
As most of you know, our four wheels are not of the usual variety but since we ride practical city bikes, an extra passenger was no problem. Continue reading
Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, cargo bikes, dates, PDX
Tagged beer, bikes, biking with friends, friends, portland
Tim has been combing craigslist for the past six months looking for some inflatable kayaks that we can haul to the lake on the Xtracycles. We used to own sea kayaks before we had kids but sold them a few years ago. Loading and unloading the kayaks on the car and driving a mile to the lake was never worth the effort for us and we didn’t use them that often. It wasn’t that hard for us to let them go.
Still looking for a way to escape the beach crowds during the warm summer months, inflatables that can be hauled on the bikes seemed like a good solution for our summer boating needs. These inflatables aren’t going to get us to the San Juans, but are perfect for floating around the lake with the kids on a hot day.
Continue reading
It’s so great to watch the number of cycling families grow during Bike to School Month.
I have noticed a pattern since we started organizing Bike to School Month last year. At the beginning of the month, the number of cycling parents and kids isn’t that impressive. This year a dozen or so families biked to school on a daily basis the first week. But as the month progresses, (and the weather improves) more and more families join the fun and start riding bikes to school.
Is it momentum? Is it peer pressure? Does it just look like fun?
Kids see their friends riding to school and it looks like so much fun, they want to do it too. Those kids convince their parents to give it a try. As more and more families join in, the bike racks fill up. And pretty soon bikes are spilling into the garden and being locked to any available stationary object. Sometimes they aren’t locked at all (who is going to steal a kid’s bike from a school playground anyway).
I’m not sure how the momentum builds. What I do know is: I’m still seeing new faces at the bike racks every day(and they’re all smiling faces).
Thanks to all of the parents who have given biking a try. You’re doing your kids a huge favor, and hopefully you’re having some fun too!
Does anyone have Bike to School stories to share?
– Anne
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, neighborhoods, School
Tagged Bike to School Month, kids, School, seattle
The Seattle 2009 Ride of Silence quietly rolls out from Gas Works Park at 6:30 this evening. The ride, if you aren’t familiar, is an international event intended to honor those killed or injured cycling on roadways.
I participated last year and was marked by the ride. It’s a rather eery experience when a few hundred normally chattery cyclists string out along the road for a completely silent, solemn parade. Other than the whir of tires, ratcheting of freehubs, or squeals of wet, longbike disc brakes (sorry about that), it really is a ride of silence.
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, Human Powered Politics
Tagged advocacy, bicycle, bikes, Commute, respect, ride of silence, seattle
Bike to School Month is in full swing. The racks have been full this past week despite the rainy weather. This hardy group of riders doesn’t mind biking in the rain. Way to go.
The increased number of pedalers around the school means a few biker, non-biker conflicts. We’re learning from each other and need to keep an open dialog so we can live harmoniously on the shared streets and sidewalks.
One recent conflict surrounded whether or not bikes belong on the sidewalk. In King County, bikes are allowed on the sidewalk as long as they follow the rules of the road and the sidewalk. Continue reading
Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, kids, neighborhoods, School
Tagged bike-to-school, bikes, sidewalk
Warning. This post is loooong. Tim and Anne co-wrote it. Singly they tend toward verbosity. Together? Oy. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or beer before you start.
Probably the best thing about this little bike blog thing is all the great people we’ve met. Folks like David and Stephan from Dutch Bike, Marge (who we’ve yet to physically meet, but I’m sure we will some day), Marcus and Elliot from Austin on Two Wheels, Val, and more. It’s been a great ride.
One of our newest blog buddies, George loaned us his Madsen KG271 (you know, the long bike with the big bucket on the back) for a 10-day testing stint.
Full disclosure: George is friends with the owner of the company and asked us if we’d give his own personal Madsen a try and share our impressions. He didn’t ask for any sugar coating, and it’s a good thing. Tim’s not real good at being sweet.
Over the course of a week and a pair of weekends, we both had the opportunity to ride the Madsen as part of our daily routines (where we normally ride our Xtracycles and Anne’s Oma), as well as on a couple special-purpose, made-for-Madsen adventures. Tim picked up bags of compost; Anne transported three kids home from school. We even had some of our bikey neighbors take it for a spin. Overall, the idea was to see how this one bike (in one size, shared by two people of very different size) could fit into this bike life we’ve built for ourselves.
Posted in alternative transportation, BIG Loads, bike lust, bikes, cargo bikes, kids
Tagged bikes, cargo, cargobikes, kg271, Madsen Cycles, opinion, review
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