Use my bicycle whenever I can
The bicycle is the ultimate lean, green, clean machine and it keeps you fit too. So jump on and pedal those blues away.
The bicycle is the ultimate lean, green, clean machine and it keeps you fit too. So jump on and pedal those blues away.
The free bus pass and the bicycle get me about locally. I haven't ridden more than 20 miles in one go since I was a lad and cycled round England. On the plus side; you see more of your surrounding. On the minus side; motorists are blind to cyclists and you take your life in your hands whilst the driver only takes his paintwork into danger.
I love my bike! She's a little beauty!
I try and cycle to most places in Dublin, saying that, it can be pretty scary at times,cycling in Dublin can be dangerous because the cycle paths are often crossed by left hand turn off lanes on busy roads(e.g. Dame st),and because of the huge volume of traffic.
Bus drivers in general also need to learn to give cyclists much more room on the road. In the long term there needs some serious planning work done to put in a more cyclist friendly road system. What can we do about it?
Actually I'm not cycling to work, but I'm walking.. I think the purpose is the same isn't it? Well.. now I'm living in Dublin, Ireland but I'm Brazilian and down there is not so easy to go cycling or walking to work, there's no space at all on the streets for cycles and also the traffic is pretty far from safe// Sometimes the conditions affects the viability, if you know what I mean...
I moved to a new city, Amsterdam. The City of Cyclists. and I stick with it. Its a fantastic way to get around! Healthy and good for the environment!
I found my old single speed Raleigh bike in an inorganic collection over 2 years ago. Have been riding it practically every day since... It's great fun to cycle my 5 year old to & from school!
I've been trying to get alot better at cycling, and i'm getting there. It's ace fun actually, but it's kinda hilly near mine soo...just keep pedalling =D
Don't forget it's National Bike Week this week (http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/) so there's loads of events that can get you out on your bike.
I go to my woods every week by car but last week I took my bike on the train and cycled for half an hour to the woods. It was a gorgeous day and although I got a sore bum - any solutions for that? - I will definitely use this as my main way of getting there, with sleeping bag etc on my back.
I cycle to Colchester station every day for work, even in the rain and cold. Even if you get cold you're still getting there which is more than the people stuck in long traffic queues are.
I have been cycling to work in central London everyday (except when the rain is too much!) rather than catching the train which is alot less stressful (fewer elbows and smeely armpits in my face) and I can eat more as I burn off lots of energy which is great!
Nope - I'm far too quick for them to catch me :-)
well I'm not promising to use a bike but I'm walking a lot more and hopping on the bus leaving the car at home as often as I can....wow more me time less driving stress but I'm scared of cycling around Dublin after a few close encounters with blind drivers using mobile phones.....no not ready to venture out around the city but maybe will take up rollerblading.....yea!
I got into the habit of cycling a few years ago, I was living in San Francisco, CA, and the company I worked for relocated to Palo alto, about 40 miles away. I didn't want to get a car, and when I discovered that the local train network had bike carriages I started commuting by bike and train. I was doing over an hour's cycling every day and the benefits to my health were enormous; after 6 months I was about 150 lbs and my resting pulse was just under 60 bpm. When I started, I would arrive in work sweaty, and usually brought a change of shirt, but after a few months I could do the same journey without breaking sweat. It's the best way to get around, no matter how far away you live from work/wherever you need to get - the further the better for your heart!
I am prepared to tackle this goal - I've had lights and mudguards put on my bike, I have the servicing kit and pump ready to go, getting a helmet later today. Can't wait to start!
Great.i love to ride my mnt bike ill ride for everything,,,great 4 me great 4 the world,,ride,ride,ride
Never! Am an aware cyclist and lucky to a degree. I did get caught in the tram tracks in Toronto once and that was a bit painful but otherwise no.
Love my bike but due to time constraints and a child can't use it as much as I'd like to. Didn't own a car until I was 31 though so that's pretty good. Toronto has a great programme called CanBike where experienced cyclists, who have been through a training process,teach others especially children how to cycle on the city streets. It's very successful and would be really useful in Ireland I think.
I live right in the very center of Lodz, Poland and since I had no time to ride my bicycle (an MTB I put together my self :) I had to face it - it was time to say goodby to my dear friend. I sold it :( It was just getting old and devaluated rapidly. I also got older, and just couldnt be all sweaty in the places I need to go to (work, business meetings). We have a car (since we have a little daughter), but it try to drive as little as possible.
I hope I'll get another bike someday!
Just got my KONA mountain bike serviced and it rolls like a dream now.! Saying that I have to plug them as they are such good bikes! www.konaworld.com
I live in Cambridge, even if I had a car attempting to drive the few miles into work through the busy city streets would be an exercise in futility.
I can cycle to work in 10 minutes flat and not worry about traffic, much more fun - and better exercise of course!
How do you join?
you can join the dublin cycling Campaign via their website:
Nice one tree! will do
cool, thanks for the info on the dublin cycling campaign, gonna join them right now!
Where do you live Rosey Annie? San Francisco was really good -- the buses had bike racks on the front, you could load your bike up, you could take your bike on BART off peak hours, and Cal-train had a bike carriage that could fit about 40 cycles. Dublin, where i live now , is waaay behind. No bikes allowed on DART, and there's a 10 Euro charge if you want to take the rothar on iarnrod eireann (the Irish national rail network). We're seriously behind. would be curious about other places.
Manchester!! I see, it is quite intriguing the Americans are aead of us lol. All this international networking available and still we have this inability to catch on to good ideas =O! So manchester(UK) guys, any clues?
Hi Rosey-Annie. Most trains around Manchester are run by Northern Rail and they actively encourage people to take bikes on trains and they don't require you to have a reservation. Most of the InterCity train companies require you to have a reservation for your bike, but reservations are free.
National Express East Coast are the only train company in the UK that allows you to book a bike reservation online.
Bikes aren't generally allowed on trams in the UK, and definitely not on Metrolink.
However, folding bikes are OK on trains and trams with no need for a reservation.
I came across bike-racks on the fronts of buses in Santa Barbara, CA when I was there over 10 years ago. I'd love to have them in the UK on inter-town bus services.
It seems like the answer to this is to get a folding bike then.Do any of you already have one, and if so, which brands and models would you recommend?
Folding Bikes? As with a normal bike, which one you buy depends on what you want to use it for.
The classic folder is the Brompton. It is ideal if you have a short ride (less than 5 miles) at both ends of your commute. It folds down very small, but the ride quality is a bit of a compromise.
If you want a folder for bike rides rather than commuting then you want to look at a Birdy or something from Airnimal. I've ridden a Birdy and found it a much better ride than a Brompton and it still folds down about as small. I've not tried a Airnimal but I've read very good reports of them and do quite fancy one myself as they are designed more for riding than for folding.
What town are you interested in Elmer?
Here's one for where I live, Dublin, hosted by the Dublin Transport Office: http://www.dto-journeyplanner.ie/
There's a calorie counter and Carbon saved feature. Burn those calories and save that carbon!!
I'm interested in every town Busybee! I live in Dublin and use the DTO planner (see my previous post) but am interested about route planners in other cities in case I find myself in a place and what better way to get to know it than cycling it.
Wow, Dublin is way ahead of Colchester. I just have maps or I can use a satnav/other online route planners but I'll pass the idea on and point them to Dublin's.
I've not seen a specific route planner but I tend to use a mix of Sustran's route maps (http://www.sustrans.org.uk/) and Google Maps. Seeing as it's also National Bike Week (http://www.bikeweek.org.uk/), check out their route tracker tool
Just came across this site for NY cyclists http://www.ridethecity.com/index.php
Yes!
I just checked if there was anything about it in my town (Lodz, Poland), and actually found a web site in polish about it with a link to our own Critical Mass - Masa Krytyczna.
Unfortunately the web site was dead. So my guess is - yes we need one here too!
I gotta get another bike someday…
Critical Masses in Dublin, where I live, seem to be fairly infrequent events, though with the state of rush hour traffic in Dublin I'd be fearful of enraged motorist; someone was knocked down by one at a Critical Mass event a few years ago: http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/wsm/news/2002/critmassAPR.html
My town could do with a decent Bike Coalition, San Francisco (http://www.sfbike.org/) have a really good model.
Absolutely.
I live in Red Deer, Canada. Home to oilfield trucks with lifted suspension and 4 wheel drive. I am not sure if there would be enough bicycle riders to mount a Critical Mass but it would be great to see.
Critical Mass rocks! Such a great way to end a Friday evening.I can't wait to be in Toronto for the Cycle Messenger World Championships 2008! see www.cmwc2008.com
And yes avoid the trucks!
What's a critical mass??? It sounds quite frightening haha.
Hi Rosey-Annie,
Critical Mass is an organized bike ride that takes place in different cities last Friday of the month. The intention is for bikes to take over the streets, and remind city authorities about cyclist rights.
More info in wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass
They're usually good fun but can get frightening -- a participant was knocked down at a critical mass event in Dublin a few years back -- http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/wsm/news/2002/critmassAP
-- and other events have gotten confrontational with Police, particularly in San Francisco.
Goes with the territory! But remember kids wear a helmet. But you know I don't mind taking a hit for the cause!
Answering my own question here, and the answer is a qualified "yes". I was cycling to work when a car hit me while going for a parking space that was between me and him... the doctor thought my left wrist was fractured, but that thankfully turned out to be a mis-diagnosis. This happenned 4 months ago, but I'm still very skittish on the bike (I don't own a car so have to cycle everywhere). While the guy was totally in the wrong, it was also partially my fault for not watching the traffic (I was rushing due to lateness) and also listening to my ipod. I've since given both up (rushing and listening to my ipod while cycling). In over a year of cycling in Dublin this is the only incident I've had, so not all that bad. I need to get over my nervousness on the bike though.
Never !! Touch wood. But i do have a lid.
Me neither = but I'm a relative newby to cycling.
Read this and remember: NEVER.LISTEN.TO.ANYTHING.BUT.TRAFFIC!
No kind of helmet is going to compensate this kind of plain folly.
I used to cycle a lot through a dense city center for about 10 years. Never had an accident. Never listened to any music/mobile phone. Plus - eyes all around your head. Always.
this should keep you pretty sefe.
Twice, once when I was 10 and once when I was 11 (on the same date of the year). We did not wear any helmets in those days. Both times I ended up in hospital for a few weeks. Ireland needs cycling lanes, especially in the country.
I hear you elastik. What you describe is my usual M.O. on the bike, but not that one fateful morning and I payed the price... Just yesterday, when crossing Ranelagh bridge in Dublin on my way home, I instinctively slowed because of the car to my right, which proceeded to turn left cutting off my path... S/he may have been aware of me but I wasn't taking any chances. My lesson is give yourself plenty of time to get where your going, you don't want to be in a rush on the bike.
I haven't been knocked off my bike for over 20 years. But I am a confident cyclist and I'm not afraid to position myself on the road where I can be seen. My wife used to cycle as close to the kerb as possible, but I encouraged her to move out a little and once she got over the initial fear she was amazed at how much safer she felt as cars gave her more room when they passed and if they were too close she now had a bit of road space to move into. However, confident riding doesn't include going though red lights!
yes twice boo hoo still have the scars and the fear to prove it!......but I wasn't wearing a helmet so would have been OK if I was!.....still though tempted to get back out there in that summer sun!
Yesssss!:(
I know its part of the risk of riding but still not nice when it happens.
Riding home from work a guy getting out of his car opened his door on me, result: 6 weeks in a cast.
Never been hit, only ever fallen off when inebriated ( it doesn't hurt as much ). To add to elastik and sharpsharp
1. Only listen to traffic
2. Eyes peeled, eyes peeled
3. Give yourself space
4. Be visible, the motorist will only knock you down if he doesn't see you.
5. Never, ever squeeze between the truck/bus and the footpath, always go outside.
It was a very rainy day and I tried to go as fast as I could in order to get home faster when a car pulled out right in front of me. The only thing I could do was hitting the breaks as hard as I could but the car was too close and I was too fast so I crashed right into it and made a big dent into the door with my head. My foot pedal even made a hole in the door. So then I was lying on the ground and look up and saw that the windows of the car where all steamed up. She didn't even try to see if there was someone coming! Luckily I was ok and just went to bed early that night.
have been hit by a driver opening their door in my face while parked on a double yellow line a few years back. did a pretty cool somersault over the door! i am always looking out for this now and have come close again a few times.. thankfully not close enough to call.. "drivers: check you mirrors before getting out of the car" a few other scrapes over the years but luckily only by slow moving vehicles with blind drivers. ten years in dublin and my bike is still the only way to go... quickest way around you just need to learn the flow of the traffic and stay alert.. we need better cycle lanes though.
