Category Archives: Article

by Lorenz M. Worden | November 27, 2012 · 3:22 pm

Capital Holiday Lights Bicycle Ride – Sunday, December 16, 4:45 – 5:45 pm

Capital Lights in the Park 2012

The “Capital Holiday Lights in the Park” bicycle ride in Albany will be Sunday, December 16, 4:45 to 5:45 pm. This is a special time just for bicycles with no cars. Ride the loop as many times as you want.Donation – $5/bike and $10/family. Proceeds benefit Albany PAL’s bicycle helmet program. For more information about the Albany Police Athletic League and the Capital Holiday Lights, visit www.albanypal.org and www.albanycapitalholidaylights.com.

If you want to warm up beforehand, the Park View Pub is on the corner of Madison and New Scotland and the Stewarts’ is a little south on New Scotland. We may stop afterward, so bring a lock, lights, and cold-weather gear.

Leave a comment

Filed under Article

Tagged as events bicycle, rides

by Lorenz M. Worden | November 16, 2012 · 6:02 pm

Whiners and Complainers (and Keep Off Those Heels Too!)

A reader of the July-August 2012 League of American Bicyclists’ “American Bicyclist” complained that the magazine featured a rider in flip-flops. The writer’s statement is as follows (November-December 2012 issue): “Riding in flip-flops is dangerous. Featuring riders with helmets and flip-flops sends a distorted message implying safe riding conditions when, in fact, those flip-flops are a hazard to the person wearing them AND those riding along side the flip-flopper. Please stress the danger of riding in flip-flops and the importance of safe riding head and foot gear.”

The offending picture was clearly composed for the article and featured riders out for a causal cruise. (To view the image, click the above LAB link and page through to page 10 of the July-August issue.)

This kind of nonsense raises multiple questions:

What exactly is the danger of flip-flops? Frostbite? Dirty feet?
Is there a case of flip-flops causing death?
What is the danger to “those riding along-side the flip-flopper”?
If head and footgear is so critical – what about elbow, shoulder and kneepads, leather pants and jacket, and (even) gloves? How about a handle-bar-mounted air bag?
Where is the distortion in the message? Even allowing for the helmet, why should not the rider be comfortable?

With so many more critical safe riding issues – rider education, bicycle maintenance, traffic control, motor vehicle traffic enforcement, road maintenance – it is regrettable that this level of criticism even gets printed.

No Heels Please!

Leave a comment

Filed under Article

Tagged as helmets, People for Bikes, support the cause

by Lorenz M. Worden | November 13, 2012 · 2:35 pm

Blessing or Curse? – the Washington Ave. Flyover

The Washington Ave. Flyover and Related work is complete. Two cyclists gave their opposing thoughts on the results. What are yours?

+++++

From a Daily Washington Ave. Extension Commuter – I am VERY deeply concerned. I suspect it is going to force me to change my route entirely to avoid it. I go west on Washington. If I take the flyover, I have cars and garbage trucks coming onto Washington westbound at 55 mph on my right on the on-ramp from Fuller while I am stuck between them and the other traffic doing 55 mph on my left. This is almost certain death. If I get off Washington before the flyover and go down the ramp, around the circle, and back up the ramp, I have to assert my right-of-way over the commuters coming south on Fuller Rd. and into the circle while I’m there. This also strikes me as a death-defying experience. I cannot say for sure because I have not tried it yet, but I expect this whole thing is going to be a HUGE disaster for my commute. I think the design is terrible for cyclists and sets us back instead of moving us forward. It makes one more place no normal cyclist will ever dare go.

+++++
From an Experienced Road Cyclist – I took a ride . . . through the university and along Washington Ave. Extension. I do like the new configuration at Fuller Road. It was easy to do the traffic circle and then the flyover. The condition of the road surface at that intersection is much improved, needless to say. And I do like traffic circles. I think they are fun and despite what others think, I say safer. Traffic certainly does need to slow down in order to negotiate and this seems to give equal advantage to the cyclist. [The result] could be cumulative as numbers of cyclists increase.

Leave a comment

Filed under Comings and Goings, Fuller Rd., Local Bike Rides

Tagged as Fuller Rd., traffic circles

by Lorenz M. Worden | October 1, 2012 · 3:17 pm

Bicycle Palooza in Albany

Bunny on a Bicycle

The featured exhibit at the Upper Madison Street Fair was Albany’s first Exotic Bicycle Exhibit. The fair’s “low carbon footprint” theme was supported admirably by the various entries.

Three in particular promoted utilitarian use of bicycles – a F. van Buuren & Co. Dutch “city bike,” a Brompton folder, and a set of two “bicycles for a small family” – one fitted with a child seat and the other pulling a tag-along. Nonetheless, the “people’s choice” awards went to more exotic fair – a Sun Spider AT “fat bike,” a 1930s Schwinn Debutante, and a souped-up Schwinn Stingray. The fair sponsors provided cash awards for each winning owner.

1st Prize – Sun Spider AT Fat Bike

2nd Prize – Schwinn Debutante 1930s

There were 23 entries including tall bikes, hand-made cargo carriers, recumbents, a folder, a vintage Raleigh, a rare Zeus, and a host of others – many of which had received lavish attention by their builders or owners. Over 85 percent of the ballots distributed to the fair guests were cast to in selecting the three winners as evidence of the crowd’s enthusiastic support for the exhibit.

3rd Prize – Custom Schwinn Stingray

2nd Prize – Schwinn Debutante 1930s

Leave a comment

Filed under Activism, Comings and Goings, Events, Support the Cause

by Lorenz M. Worden | September 14, 2012 · 6:04 pm

Evil Polluters and Killers

Grant Petersen URBAN VELO 33 7-2012

In the course of an interview with Grant Petersen, founder and president of Rivendell Bicycle Works, in the July 2012 Urban Velo #32, there is this statement, that one might keep in mind:

“I also think that bike riders see cars as inanimate evil polluters and killers because they don’t see the face and eyes of the good person inside. They see the grill and headlights as a menacing face out to do them and the planet harm. It’s easy to forget that inside that polluting hunk of metal could be a kind pacifist who does a lot of good in the world. In the absence of absolute knowledge of who’s behind the wheel, that’s a good assumption to make.”

Of course, I pass this on the day following having been yelled at to “get on the sidewalk” by a big woman in a big car to while enjoying the shared lanes on Lark St. Maybe she did not notice that I am over 10 years old (in Albany – Riding on sidewalks prohibited –exceptions: children under 10 years of age. Chapter 359, Article 1, Sec 359-4.)

Leave a comment

Filed under Activism, City Review, Law