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.
