This Is Not For Road Racing
31 July, 2008
For any who don’t know what a mama chari is, your sojourn in the dark abyss of ignorance is over. A mama chari is a bike ridden by virtually every citizen of Japan. It’s functional, almost to the point of being disposable. To borrow a concept I once read, the mama chari is truly an “appliance” not a “sporting good.” The Japan Life blog illustrates (in flawless Engrish):
Especially Japanese mothers usually ride on the bicycle for taking a child to and from kindergarten and going to buy some foods for dinner. Therefore, we named the bicycle as “mama chari” in Japanese. Almost of Japanese including men use bicycles of mama chari type. This is not for road racing.
The terrific thing about a mama chari is its utility. It has been ridden all over Japan for years, and as the Japan Life blog points out, nearly every person rides one. Though not well suited to long trips or road racing, the mama chari is perfect for running to the store, transporting children, getting to and from the train station, and commuting to work or school.
I realize this is a blog about cycling in Utah Valley, and we don’t see that many (if any) Japanese bikes around town. But how cool would it be to see a flock of mama charis in front of Wal-Mart?
Share the Road
31 July, 2008
Utah is a great place to ride a bike. Unfortunately, many of our fellow citizens tend to be a bit selfish and don’t like to share. I am of course referring to the roads. What many of them don’t realize is that the roads only 100 years ago were not for cars but were for people. It was lobbying by the auto manufacturers, rubber companies, and oil companies, oh, and a guy named Eisenhower, that made cars the dominant force on the roads in this country. Admittedly, cars give a great deal of flexibility to go here or there on a whim. They are also very dangerous. Look at how many people are killed or maimed in car accidents every year. Bicycling is far safer. So on to sharing. As you may know, efforts are underway to educate the public about sharing the road with bicycles. I am a big supporter of this as everyone who rides a bike as their means of transportation should be. As part of this effort, the Utah Bicycle Coalition is raising funds to have a share the road license plate produced here in Utah. We have a legislative sponsor in place, now we just need the start up capitol. If you are inclined to help, and I sure hope you are, please go to the UBC website and donate. All of your donation will go towards the license plate, and since the UBC is a non-profit organization with the fancy federal designation, your donation should be tax deductible. Of course you will need to talk with your tax advisor about that for specifics. So, donate and help encourage our fellow citizens to share what was once the domain of everyone. The Road.
Bikes We Like – LIKEaBIKE
29 July, 2008
Perhaps some of you think about ways to involve your family in the hobbies you enjoy. For me, my biggest hobbie/interest/passion outside of my family itself is cycling. So, I often think about how I can go cycling with my family more easily and more often. Enter the LIKEaBIKE.
As yet another option for family transport, the LIKEaBIKE teaches kids as young as two how to ride a “big kid bike.” The LIKEaBIKE sits your child low so his legs reach the ground. This way, junior can push himself around on his own – no need for pedals or training wheels. Read more about it and see a demo on the product info page: http://www.likeabikeusa.com/aboutlikeabike.aspx
Nothing brought out my inner two-year-old (“I want it! I want it!”) as much as this did when I first saw it. Precision German handicraft at its finest. I plan to buy one later this year for my first child and use it for every child after that.
Where you live
29 July, 2008
An article in the Salt Lake Tribune caught my eye this morning. It talks about a study that uses drivers license data to determine correlations between where you live and how much you weigh. They take your height and your weight to get your body mass index, and then they figure out where you live, and then they used census data to figure out how walkable your neighborhood is. It seems that if you live in a home in a walkable neighborhood, you are more likely to weigh less than someone you lives in a car dominated neighborhood. It is an interesting study on a subject that needs to be thought about by city planners and politicians alike. The results seem to me to be common sense. If you are comfortable walking or bicycling, you will weigh less than if you don’t. If you have a destination such as a park or shopping, you are more likely to get out and walk or bike. We have gotten away from common sense and broad views in our planing and our way of thinking in this area. With any luck, high gas prices will force a shift away from sprawl and towards more walkable and bicycle friendly communities. (If you want to talk to someone who has done some real research on this, chat with our friend over at Sans Auto. He is finishing up his Doctoral studies in this very subject.)
How Much Should I Spend On a New Bike?
27 July, 2008
In the spirit of my first post about what kind of bike you should buy, hopefully I can help clear the air of any concerns you may have about the price of a bicycle.
I’ll start with a non-cycling example from my life. I recently went golfing with a group from work. The problem: I’m no golfer. I don’t even have my own clubs. In fact, I played so poorly in our scramble game, that my team only kept one of my shots. To illustrate: out of about 60 of my shots, my team deemed only one of them good enough to keep. I should probably buy my own set of clubs and practice more. The problem is, I’m a terrible golfer. I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on new clubs unless I have some kind of guarantee that I’ll play better because of them.
I imagine some of you feel the same way about buying a bike. Will you use it enough to justify its cost? Or, will it just sit in your garage and gather dust until you bring it out once or twice every year? Do you know enough about the different parts? Would you feel comfortable talking to a salesman about the bike you want? Did you have a bad experience the last time you biked and, like me, you’re just wondering if it’s even worth it to try again?
When I buy my first set of clubs, I don’t plan on buying expensive ones. I’ll shop around, look for a bargain, and possibly (gasp!) buy a used pair. I’m going to suggest that any first-time cyclists or bike commuters take the same approach.
Here’s another example that shows how this can be done. A co-worker recently started coming to work by bike every day. He already had a bike, but it was slightly out of repair. He found it at a garage sale. Since he’s handy with tools, he had it fixed up in no time and at a fairly minimal cost. His wife also found her bike at a garage sale. They own a bike trailer that they found on CraigsList. They have already started to Go By Bike to a few of the places in their weekly routine. In another month or so, the money he’s saved on gas alone will cover the cost of his equipment. What kind of bike does he ride? A Schwinn that the original owner probably bought at Wal-Mart.
I may take some heat from “purists” who insist on high end equipment and gear, but I submit that you don’t need to spend hundreds to turn a bicycle into an alternative to your car or the bus. You may also notice that I’m not listing any hard figures about the cost of cycling and its payback period. The benefits of cycling can be measured qualitatively, as well as quantitatively.
So to answer my original question: How Much Should I Spend On a New Bike? The answer: maybe not as much as you think. You don’t need anything too fancy. Like my golf example, start with something you can afford. Time and experience will eventually justify additional expenditures on equipment.
Bike Terminology
24 July, 2008
Okay, so you are going to buy a bike and start “commuting” on it. What do you need to know. Apparently, in parts of Europe you need to know how tall you are, and that is about it. To read what I am talking about, click on the picture. 
It is a fascinating read and I hope that we can be that way around here some day.(In many ways I think I should just move to Europe, Copenhagen or Amsterdam, and just be done with the whole bicycle advocacy thing, but then I wake up and realize I am an American and I live in Utah and that is where my family is etc. You get my drift don’t you?) So, what do you really need to know to be able to buy a bike in North America? You need to know how tall you are.
What Kind of Bike Should I Buy?
22 July, 2008
Since BikeUV.org launched, I have had terrific opportunities to tell others about the site and its mission. What’s more, some of my friends and family have begun to express interest in buying a bike and cycling more often. All of them have the same question: what kind of bike should I buy? This inevitably leads to a new question: How much should I spend (or, Can I afford one)? I’ll make this a two-part post. In this post, I’ll try to give some helpful advice about what kind of bike to look for. Next time, I’ll address the financial side.
The Giant Suede Coasting DX. The Suede is from Giant's 'Metro' line. Note the fenders and chain guard, to keep you clean, panniers over the back wheel, and an automatic Shimano shifting system. Tres chic.
Before I get to the answer, I want to stress that this is only my opinion. If any of you experienced cyclists think I have misrepresented something or failed to consider important factors, please weigh in with a comment. Collectively, we should be able to offer more help for new bike buyers. Also, this is just the beginning. Once you have read this post, visit your local bike shop, look around, and ask questions. Shops are selling so many bikes to so many people nowadays that they can easily find the right bike for you. My objective is to prepare you for your first look around. So let’s get started!
The first thing to consider is where you will typically ride. Is it to the gym, work, the store? Just for fun?
Next, how far will you be riding? Two miles, or eight?
Finally, what kind of surface (or conditions) will you be riding on (or in)? Bike trails or road? Is the road well maintained?
Once you have the answers to these questions, use the following to help you narrow down your choice.
- If you must pack clothes and/or other large items like books or a laptop, a bike with a rack or basket is highly preferable. Cycling with a backpack or messenger bag (guilty!) is definitely possible. However, the heavier the bag, the more strain you place on your back and neck. Another issue to think about is “sweaty back syndrome.” If you carry a bag on your back, bring along an extra shirt or plan to give yourself enough time to air out.
- Wide Tires = Comfort ≠ Speed
- Skinny Tires ≠ Comfort = Speed
- As an explanation of the previous two points, skinny tires usually come on road bikes. Road bikes earn low marks in the comfort category, but they are much faster and perform better on roads than the alternatives. The alternatives include mountain bikes, hybrids, and even recumbents. All of these bikes can be considered more comfortable than road bikes, but you sacrifice speed.
- Certain bikes will help you sit more upright. Others will stretch your arms way out in front of you, causing you to bend more. You may need to try a few bikes out at the store before you know what’s right for you.
I should also mention that I am brand agnostic. Just about any brand out there will suit you fine.
Please, if you have any other specific questions about choosing a bike, feel free to leave a question in the comments. Both Brad and I will be happy to help you out. You can also email me, travisATbikeuvDOTorg
Be Local
22 July, 2008
Eat Local, Live Local, Work Local, Shop Local. Many of us live, work, and shop, at a distance. The personal automobile has made that possible. The cost of fueling the personal automobile is making it a financial burden. The cost of repairing our country’s aging infrastructure makes it a burden on us all. As I talked about in my earlier post, A Heavy Load, living close to where you work and shop and play may be a more expensive initial investment, but it will more than pay for itself in transportation costs in the long run. In case you have missed it, there is a strong movement out there to eat local. Why else do you think there are so many Farmers Markets popping up all over the place? Salt Lake City has a great one. I went to the one in Provo last Saturday. I didn’t buy anything, but I’m glad it is there. I hope that someday it fills Pioneer Park. I rode my bike to it. I work a mile away from home, and in the seven months I’ve had my current job, I’ve never driven to work. I’ve ridden every day. Rain, snow, heat, cold, I ride. I live local. I save a great deal of money by doing so. I also benefit my community and my neighbors by doing so. By walking or riding a bike for my transportation, I can stop and say hello to a neighbor, or chat with fellow cyclists or the increasing number of motorcycle and scooter riders at stop lights. By riding or walking, I do my part to allow my neighbors to enjoy the tranquility they deserve and allow them the benefit of no pollution coming from my vehicle, air or noise. I realize that there are some who have to drive for work, and I don’t begrudge them that opportunity. There are however many who could be local, and choose not to be. I won’t speculate on reasons. Perhaps the events of the future will change their perspective and they will choose to be local. I would guess that those who do so before it becomes imperative, will be better off for it. Eat Local, Live Local, Work Local, Shop Local. Ride Local. Be Local.
Why Cyclists Wave at Each Other
20 July, 2008
I noticed a peculiar phenomenon when I began cycling a few years ago. My cousin and I would be out on a ride together, and as we passed other cyclists, it was the norm to wave at each other. It didn’t matter what size road, what town, or who the other cyclists were. We waved and kept on riding.
I now wave at (or at the very least, acknowledge with a friendly nod) almost every cyclist I pass, and they frequently do the same. Over the years, I have often thought about why this is. Here are a few of my explanations for why we wave:
1. Waving provides affirmation of your membership in a club
You get the feeling that you and the other cyclist are enjoying a good inside joke. Except it’s not really a joke, it’s just a healthy way to travel that reduces pollution, saves money, improves your fitness, helps you enjoy the outdoors, and lowers America’s dependency on foreign commodities.2. It’s easy to wave because there are still relatively few cyclists
You realize that you’re only going to see a handful of riders. The low number of cyclists makes it a delightful surprise when you actually pass one.3. You’re not separated by steel and glass
Isn’t it funny how alone we are as we wait at a stop light in our car? Though we’re surrounded by other people, we look straight ahead lest we catch the guy next to us picking his nose. We fiddle with our radio, inch closer to the car in front of us, and generally kill time in awkward solidarity while we wait for the light to change. The same goes for the moments when we’re driving. Out on a bike though, there are no boundaries. We share the same air, and hence, we wave.
And here are two reasons why I think we should wave at everybody:
1. Waving helps”keep it real”
If you haven’t already noticed, we cyclists are a vain lot. Sometimes I think we wave to draw attention away from the fact that we’re scoping you out. We’re trying to analyze you and pass all sorts of unjustified stereotypes on you based on the name written on your bike and what you’re wearing. Please, stop doing this. Keep it real and wave to congratulate your fellow human being for using the same commendable mode of transportation as you.2. Waving helps encourage more cycling
It sounds simple, but waving can make someone feel more welcome. Wave so that we continue to see more and more people out on bikes. Let them in on the “joke”. Encourage them. The world will be a better place for it.
What do you think? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Will waving make any difference at all? Comments are open!
Win a Free Bike!
18 July, 2008
I know, I should have said something earlier. If you join in on Trek’s 1 World 2 Wheels Go By Bike challenge, you could win one of the free bikes that they are giving away everyday between July 17 and the end of August. That is quite a few bikes. If you want to roll the dice, click here. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
