Category Archives: Article

Lorenz pointed me to a post on bicycling in NYC. After reading it I thought I’d write a response because I had a lot to say and let’s face it I can.

Bicycling has existed in America for at least the last 80 years. Why are we surprised that it is despised so much? The answer to that question is three fold.

For one, we live in a country where we get to make decisions. How do you dress? What do you eat? Where do you live? As a nation we pride ourselves on the ability to make these decisions and the freedom to express them. Transportation is no different. If I wanted to drive a car I would, and I’d have every right to do so. The fact that I choose to ride a bicycle and am told on a daily basis that what I am doing is wrong and in some ways dangerous infuriates me sometimes. If it is so dangerous why is it not illegal to ride a bicycle and why is bicycling not regulated like driving cars, or our motorized cousins, motorcycles? The fact that someone tells me that I can not do something because it is dangerous when it is not is illogical and proliferates the promotion of ignorance.

The next two folds that comprise this monstrousness paper crane of a question deal with the benefits of bicycling.

We have seen time and time again that investing in bicycle infrastructure has been a boon to the economy. In the times that we are in I am surprised that more local, state, and federal governments are not taking advantage of this.

The final point I want to make is that cycling is good for you plain and simple. I don’t mean good for your soul, or that you become a better person by bicycling although that is probably true as well. I mean you become healthier. I am living proof that when you start bicycling you become more physically fit. Some people might argue that it is dangerous to ride bicycles because you have to wear helmets to do the activity. I would like to debunk that rumor now. We wear helmets for the same reason people wear seatbelts. It is not that bicycling is dangerous. It is that falling on concrete hurts. When you are in your car you are not thinking, “let me put on my seatbelt because I am more likely to die in a car then on any other form of transportation.” You are thinking, “I better wear my seatbelt in case I get into an accident.”

I have said for a long time that the biggest obstacle to overcome in terms of making our community a more bike friendly culture is not necessarily more bike lanes or more signs. It is the attitude of the citizenry that needs to change. The fact that people don’t think bikes should be on the road and the lack of knowledge people seem to possess when it comes to dealing with bicycles on the road is staggering and stagnating an already counterproductive situation.

When it comes to cyclists being the minority we are in full agreement. Yet weather it comes to slavery, the suffrage movement, physically or mentally disabled individuals, or civil rights in this country the government has always stepped in to defend the rights of the minority. I am not saying there weren’t any hiccups along the way, separate but equal, but when it comes down to it we are better off now because of government intervention. When it comes to the potential cost of cycling the benefits outweigh the risks.

The Albany Bicycle Coalition is not here to get more people to ride bicycles. Although that would be nice. We exist to make our small part of America more amicable when it comes to the idea of riding bicycles so that when people are making the decision they don’t automatically choose the car.

We love Streetfilms here at ABC, and what’s not to love. In the days of mass consumption where our media consumption must be fast and concise short videos have become an important way to consume information. So when they started a series called “Moving Beyond the Automobile,” especially here at ABC, you can’t help but check it out.

Moving Beyond the Automobile is a ten part video series which explores solutions to the problem of automobile dependency.  It’s a visual handbook that will help guide policy makers, advocacy organizations, teachers, students, and others into a world that values pedestrian plazas over parking lots and train tracks over highways.  Cars were then, and this is now.  Welcome to the future.

I know it says ten parts, but at last count there were eleven plus a trailer. Only six films have been released so far, and with titles like “Highway Removal” and “Road Diet” I can’t wait for them to come out with the rest. Luckily the bicycling one has been released. God knows they have enough stock footage to put it together.

Written by Chris Belsole

I have been waiting for this moment all winter. Spring has finally come! With the end of spring comes the melting of snow. That is why I would like to announce the opening of the Mohawk Hudson Bike Trail for bikes. I rode it yesterday and besides for a few patches of snow it was clear. Where did I go you ask? I went to the Troy Farmer’s Market. While there I learned two interesting things. The first is that they are expanding their market to Wednesdays. Now you can enjoy the farm freshness two days a week. The second is that starting May 7th they will be moving back outside. I can’t wait until I can walk through the rows of fresh food with the sun shining on my face.

I would like to end this one with an amusing little anecdote of something that happened to me on Friday. I was riding down Western like I always do after work and what do I see descending from the heavens but a plastic bag. It was as if mother nature was saying, “Hey Chris, could you get this one.” What did I do? Did I ride on by and let that bag become just another piece of trash on the street? No, without stopping I reached up and plucked that bag from the sky like it was my destiny and brought it home to dispose of it properly.

Written by Chris Belsole

My motto when biking is the same as my motto when I was in the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared.” That is why I own so many things ways to carry stuff on my bike. This motto has never been so true as when you involve children in your daily commute. With helmets, rain gear, and whatever kind of bike(s) you decide to go with you always need to think of what could happen, and have a backup plan in case things go horribly wrong.

To help you out a little here’s an interesting article from UtilityCycling.com about starting to bike with your family.

Written by Chris Belsole