Saturday, April 28, 2012

w&od headed west

A few pics of the quarry and lunch at Carolina Brother BBQ. A great Saturday ride with my favorite lady.

Monday, April 23, 2012

cycling infrastructure: shower power

A lot of cycling advocacy efforts seem to revolve around a few key issues. First, advocates try to get bike paths, lanes, or sharrows. It is fairly obvious why this is the start of advocacy. We need safety and the ability to get around without being hit. The next thing we tend to advocate for is bike storage/lockup opportunities. Ideas like putting bike rings on parking meters or bike racks outside of business or in parking garages allow cyclists to leave their bikes behind without fear of them being stolen. Bike theft is obviously a huge problem (or at least a concern), and so the more secure a space to park a bike, the more likely people are to use bikes for commuting, errand running, or other daily activities. In future posts, I will go deeper into my feelings on both cycling surfaces (especially WHERE we put the bike lane) and bike security.

But the focus of my infrastructure post today, as stated, is "shower power." This post is specifically about commuting to work by bike. American cyclists often point to Europe and how great the cycling culture is across the pond. Commuting to work by bike is commonplace we say, and how great that would be if we could implement it here. People then focus on the great bike lanes, often separated from the road, the pro cycling culture, etc. But my focus has always been on the differences in personal hygiene. Now, I'm not saying that Europe is comprised of unclean, un-showered workers who's offices smell like a locker room. But in the States, personal hygiene, especially with respect to fragrance, is extremely important. American's simply do not feel comfortable, or professionally acceptable by the thought of just "sweating a little" on the ride in to work. If you break a sweat, you don't feel like you should be at work. As a result, I think here we see bike commuting as something that we do before we shower, not after. Because of this, the ability to shower at or near work becomes very important. Many people do not want to join a gym (understandably) just to shower. In big cities, gym memberships are often $80/month or even more. When cycling starts costing you more money than driving, the odds of it catching on go down dramatically. It has been my feeling for a while that if developers are going to build large office buildings, the kind with hundreds if not thousands of workers, they should be required to build out some showering facilities. I am rarely one for laws and regulations, but sometimes they just make sense. In the same way that we require office buildings to provide some sort of bathroom facilities, I think that shower facilities are a must. Office buildings are put up with huge parking garages or lots dedicated to driving infrastructure. Cycling infrastructure does not end at a parking spot, but rather the ability to be professionally presentable after the commute.

By providing the minimal infrastructure of shower facilities at offices, a building has provided its workforce another commuting option. It is critical in the support and development of alternative commuting methods that we provide the necessary infrastructure to help facilitate a change.

Friday, April 20, 2012

dream bike

This is a little something that we'd like to call a dream bike. Bianchi released the Tipo Corsa in 2012 with a distinct retro feel. Why is this a dream bike for me? Because it is a really great representation of form and function.

Function
Obviously, Bianchi knows how to make a quality fame that gives a good ride. The Tipo Corsa, being high quality steel, will give that nice glassy ride, while still being fairly responsive. Rear rack mounts mean that you can use this bike for practical matters: commuting, running errands, packing a lunch, etc.

Form
Where do we start? Oh that's easy actually. For all the Bianchi riders out there with black, cream, silver, or other colored bikes......WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? One of that great benefits of having a Bianchi is the right to roll around one the coolest colored bike in the world. Celeste, the traditional color or a Bianchi, and the best paint job money can buy. This is offset perfectly by the creme lugs, with a simple yet classy looking fork crown detail. I love lugged bikes because of the look and feel. It gives the frame builder a chance to show some craftsmanship, imagination, and gives the bike such a more artistic look. Around here, check out Bishop Bikes (www.bishopbikes.com) if you want to see a really unbelievably use of lugs, and frame building in general. Simply one of the best. Add in some bottle mounts and down tube shifter bosses (which can be used for cable stops if you choose break lever shifters), and you've got yourself the Tipo Corsa.

Look, any true dream bike for me at this stage is steel and lugged. This is just a really nicely refined, classic example. The slick paint job makes the bike a real gem. Something about my desire to bike for enjoyment and practical uses, the Bianchi heritage, and its undeniable coolness make me want to buy this one.

Enjoy your riding!

Monday, April 16, 2012

prius

I need to start this blog by saying that I do not hate cars. Honestly. There are so many instances in which they make sense.

So that brings me to my walk into work today from the metro. Walking in, I passed a line of traffic that included a Prius. The license plate was "xx MPG." I have protected the exact number here. Now, I get it. The Prius is better than most cars when it comes to gas mileage and is certainly a better alternative. But that doesn't make it good for the environment. It's like when people (girls) buy stuff on sale and say how much they saved. No, you didn't save money, you spent it. You just spent less than you might have otherwise. Well the self-absorbed Prius driver is the same way. You're not saving the environment, you're just hurting it a little less. Want to save it? Live in a walkable area instead of your huge house and yard in the burbs. Or take mass transit. Or just drive like you do, but don't put a poster on your car acting like you're doing us all a huge favor. This stuff needs to end.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

sunday ride

I had an awesome ride today with the fiancé. We bopped around Arlington, highlighted by a roll down the hill through Arlington Cemetery. We cruised down to Crystal City, through Army/Navy Country Club, and back home.

A few notes on the ride:
Why doesn't the path by the Pentagon continue? It should connect to the parking lot. I remember the BAC talking about this and it's so dumb. Also, someone passed a car in the wrong lane because that car was waiting behind us on a narrow stretch of Walter Reed. I hope he gets a flat tire.

The important thought today:
I'm really enjoying riding to ride around lately. This has been part of a big shift in my attitude toward cycling. In the coming months I will go into much more depth about this, but I'll sum it up here. My riding has gone from triathlon type exercise riding to a stronger desire to commute and run errands on bike to a desire to just bounce around town and enjoy the trip. I think lately I've started to like each type of riding for different reasons and at different times. Bottom line here is that riding is great, and getting back into the warm weather riding season is fantastic.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Friday, April 13, 2012

friday rambling

Some pictures from my ramble around Arlington today

the start

The title of this blog is "the rolling resistance." I hope this blog captures the development and evolution of my attitude toward cycling.