In the weekend open thread you can suggest story ideas, talk about what happened in the news last week, rail against cars, anything.
Tucson's two-wheeled news source
In the weekend open thread you can suggest story ideas, talk about what happened in the news last week, rail against cars, anything.
I has a conversation with a friend this morning about what will encourage more people to ride bikes.
People focus a lot on reducing your carbon footprint through cycling, but we thought more people might be interested in the health benefits.
It seems like more people care about their waistlines that their carbon footprint.
Should that be the method used to encourage more people to ride?
I hear a lot of complaints from people. They are feeling pressured into recycling, conserving, reducing, etc from many different angles. We must some how convey that nobody has a zero footprint. Further, we should not compare our efforts to anyone else's. Rather, do what you can.
Perhaps the health issue might be a better way to introduce them. But, I've also heard some (not as many) complain that they could never “do that”. They think that to ride a bicycle they would not be able to keep up or it is too dangerous. These are all poor excuses. I try to stress to them that there is no need to “keep up”. Furthermore, Pima County offers excellent free safety courses. Commuting requires no special gear, clothing, etc other than a functional bike and a helmet.
Other advantages I've talked about are cost savings, time savings (incorporating training with commuting), and sheer enjoyment. Some listen, but most don't. I just keep talking and riding.
The Tuesday Night Bike Ride has been strong
the past few weeks and it is a real community
event. It may have a bit of a wild reputation,
but it’s not so much. We get positive response
from drivers and spectators alike..even when
blocking an intersection (which we don’t always
do). One regular participant even led us to a
small wine, cheese and refreshment buffet the
week before last that had been set up at a cut-off
dead end.
Maybe getting people into group situations so they
can get that it’s not so scary is a good approach.
Maybe the Hotel Congress would like to host a
destination event some week.
Ecovelo is a good bike-commuter-oriented resource. It does, however, tend to give a lot of attention to pricey commuter bikes.
http://www.ecovelo.info/
Define pricey.
We need to get this out of this mentality that spending $1000 on a Surly that will last practically forever is too much money, but spending $20,000 on a pickup truck is patriotic, dammit.
I has a conversation with a friend this morning about what will encourage more people to ride bikes.
People focus a lot on reducing your carbon footprint through cycling, but we thought more people might be interested in the health benefits.
It seems like more people care about their waistlines that their carbon footprint.
Should that be the method used to encourage more people to ride?
The oatbran reasons all are obvious. Let’s talk about the joy!
I hear a lot of complaints from people. They are feeling pressured into recycling, conserving, reducing, etc from many different angles. We must some how convey that nobody has a zero footprint. Further, we should not compare our efforts to anyone else's. Rather, do what you can.
Perhaps the health issue might be a better way to introduce them. But, I've also heard some (not as many) complain that they could never “do that”. They think that to ride a bicycle they would not be able to keep up or it is too dangerous. These are all poor excuses. I try to stress to them that there is no need to “keep up”. Furthermore, Pima County offers excellent free safety courses. Commuting requires no special gear, clothing, etc other than a functional bike and a helmet.
Other advantages I've talked about are cost savings, time savings (incorporating training with commuting), and sheer enjoyment. Some listen, but most don't. I just keep talking and riding.
I don't know – – judging from the size of the
parking lot at L.A. Fitness…..and this is a
most puzzling thing. There were a lot of
people out today. It seems the current cycling
population is so avid, with a lot of cycling
clubs and groups. And the facilities serve that
quite well. But how to get to the non-self starters
of bicycling is a real mystery.
I did an after dark return from Lowes on Oracle a
couple nights ago using Roger and Mountain to
the University. I was thinking who could need
more than this. Only two or three dozen cars the
whole way. Very pleasant.
I don't think you focus on either one, actually. I love to cycle, but with two active, busy kids (and all their gear) I couldn't cycle- commute if I wanted to – which I do. And, while I appreciate the health benefits it provides, I don't have the time to make it my primary method of working out. I'm a true weekend warrior when it comes to riding.
I ride because I belong to the COMMUNITY of cyclists. I love my fellow riders. Not only do I have my small group of people with which I reap all the benefits of cycling, I love being a part of the collective whole. Cyclists have a strong sense of community – from the greetings and hand waves as they pass one another, to the concern they show to a stopped rider ( I've given away as many tubes and CO2 cartridges as I've received over time) to the way they come together for charitable events like El Tour. It's hard to find that type of community anywhere, and I marvel at it every time I join the flocks of cyclists around Tucson. I ride because I BELONG – and that's what gets me out the door and on my bike whenever I am fortunate enough to do so.
>>>>Define pricey.<<<<
pric·ey
–adjective, pric·i·er, pric·i·est.
expensive or unduly expensive: a pricey wine.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pricey
Alan at Ecovelo tends to review and feature expensive bikes and expensive bike stuff for whatever Alan reason. That skew may deter some visitors from utilizing bikes as commute devices. Hence the Red Star caveat. Ecovelo has many buried gems of info for making a transition.
>>>>We need to get this out of this mentality that spending $1000 on a Surly that will last practically forever is too much money, but spending $20,000 on a pickup truck is patriotic, dammit.<<<<
Red Star understands the emotions and sentiment and doesn't disagree. It's an open question, however, of what is the price point and product configuration that will draw people out of automobiles and onto bikes in any significant (and profitable) degree. The manufacturers have every incentive to figure this out. Meanwhile there are other complex issues at play such as infrastructure, price of gas, direct and indirect costs of traffic, laws and law enforcement, perception, inertia, etc.
A Surly properly sized, configured, and maintained is a good multipurpose bike.
Or, consider mainstream folding bikes (putting aside Bromptons and Bike Fridays)
http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/iosxl.htm
Which one is pricey?
Perhaps Rivendale's Atlantis will get the job done. But it comes in at $3500.00+ so, perhaps not. We'll see.
http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/atlantis/5…
Cheers!
I believe the health benefits appeal to a larger audience, however, as I participated in other research and surveys for cycling another issue that came out loud and clear for women was safety.
I commute 21 miles to work – down at the airport and there is no real clear safe route. I have options but as a single female Type 1 rider, I can't tell you the number of times I have been cut off, nudged by men in trucks and almost hit by drivers in the bike lanes. While many argue we don't need our own paths. I would agree if we had courteous drivers, which we don't.
Still, the woman who I have encouraged to ride with me has all been around their health and increased fitness. While I tend to ride my commuter or my tour or my carbon bike: I ride for both fitness and carbon footprint.
>>>>Define pricey.<<<<
pric·ey
–adjective, pric·i·er, pric·i·est.
expensive or unduly expensive: a pricey wine.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pricey
Alan at Ecovelo tends to review and feature expensive bikes and expensive bike stuff for whatever Alan reason. That skew may deter some visitors from utilizing bikes as commute devices. Hence the Red Star caveat. Ecovelo has many buried gems of info for making a transition.
>>>>We need to get this out of this mentality that spending $1000 on a Surly that will last practically forever is too much money, but spending $20,000 on a pickup truck is patriotic, dammit.<<<<
Red Star understands the emotions and sentiment and doesn't disagree. It's an open question, however, of what is the price point and product configuration that will draw people out of automobiles and onto bikes in any significant (and profitable) degree. The manufacturers have every incentive to figure this out. Meanwhile there are other complex issues at play such as infrastructure, price of gas, direct and indirect costs of traffic, laws and law enforcement, perception, inertia, etc.
A Surly properly sized, configured, and maintained is a good multipurpose bike.
Or, consider mainstream folding bikes (putting aside Bromptons and Bike Fridays)
http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/iosxl.htm
Which one is pricey?
Perhaps Rivendale's Atlantis will get the job done. But it comes in at $3500.00+ so, perhaps not. We'll see.
http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/atlantis/5…
Cheers!
I believe the health benefits appeal to a larger audience, however, as I participated in other research and surveys for cycling another issue that came out loud and clear for women was safety.
I commute 21 miles to work – down at the airport and there is no real clear safe route. I have options but as a single female Type 1 rider, I can't tell you the number of times I have been cut off, nudged by men in trucks and almost hit by drivers in the bike lanes. While many argue we don't need our own paths. I would agree if we had courteous drivers, which we don't.
Still, the woman who I have encouraged to ride with me has all been around their health and increased fitness. While I tend to ride my commuter or my tour or my carbon bike: I ride for both fitness and carbon footprint.
There is a lacking of connector streets
in that region…Never tried Plummer
into the airport, though.
The feeling of safe doesn't come first.
Confidence from doing it may not make
an unpleasant route more pleasant, as
Redcyclist-Penny notes, but one can learn
to deal with the feeling of higher-risk
situations as it seems she does. I agree,
though, a greenway to the airport would
be ideal..to avoid a lot of ugly intersections
and distance us from bad motorist behavior.
What is this driving around with no hands
on the steering wheel, anyway.
I started commuting via bike when my kid was old and confident enough to do the same. It makes going to work a joy now. A great destresser both coming and going.
I started bike commuting when several motivators came together. I wanted to help my planet, even if only symbolically and to set an example, I wanted to be healthier, and I wanted to save money. I don't know if a single one of those desires would get me on a bike, but the three together are impossible for me to resist. I have fun on my bike, but that's just a bonus I discovered after I got started…but others will mention fun as the SINGLE reason they ride! I don't think we should pick any one reason to ride and push that while neglecting to push other motivators. Let's keep talking about ALL the benefits all the time because you never know what idea will move someone else to get on a bike.
For me (an aspiring architect and urban planner), the worst thing about the automobile is the road. There are virtually no successful, vibrant, happy cities with roads like we have in the western united states. We all have to choose an angle to attack the problem, weather it is through policy, bike parking, safety, or infrastructure. Bike communities like we have here allow us to tackle more sides of the problem and not just look like a lone hippie/hipster!
I think that there are unfortunately too many factors to even hope for a really rapid increase in ridership. Everything from the lack of bike parking outside of most things important, to policies in place that have been accumulating since wartime that encourage sprawl and subsidize the use of the automobile. Small changes are probably conceived by the public as a waste of money, and big changes will definitely frighten them. I'm really curious as to where the middle ground for Tucson exists, or if cities like Portland just have a different enough base.
There are a lot of great ideas and thoughts in this thread. Maybe the idea is to target the particular message to different segments of people.
Messages about the health benefits or targeted at doctor offices and gyms.
The benefit to the environment message is targeted to another set of people.
Although, the thing that seems to hold a lot of people back is that they don't feel safe. Perhaps the real focus should be on educating people on the safe-riding classes.
I've also often thought that is you can get them started on a bicycle path, many people will start to consider riding on the streets too.
Forgot to mention that the thing that got me riding was the sheer joy of it, too. A beach cruiser on the flatland of California reminded me it was a blast to ride a bike.
The hills reminded me I needed cycling to increase my fitness!
For me (an aspiring architect and urban planner), the worst thing about the automobile is the road. There are virtually no successful, vibrant, happy cities with roads like we have in the western united states. We all have to choose an angle to attack the problem, weather it is through policy, bike parking, safety, or infrastructure. Bike communities like we have here allow us to tackle more sides of the problem and not just look like a lone hippie/hipster!
I think that there are unfortunately too many factors to even hope for a really rapid increase in ridership. Everything from the lack of bike parking outside of most things important, to policies in place that have been accumulating since wartime that encourage sprawl and subsidize the use of the automobile. Small changes are probably conceived by the public as a waste of money, and big changes will definitely frighten them. I'm really curious as to where the middle ground for Tucson exists, or if cities like Portland just have a different enough base.
There are a lot of great ideas and thoughts in this thread. Maybe the idea is to target the particular message to different segments of people.
Messages about the health benefits or targeted at doctor offices and gyms.
The benefit to the environment message is targeted to another set of people.
Although, the thing that seems to hold a lot of people back is that they don't feel safe. Perhaps the real focus should be on educating people on the safe-riding classes.
I've also often thought that is you can get them started on a bicycle path, many people will start to consider riding on the streets too.
Forgot to mention that the thing that got me riding was the sheer joy of it, too. A beach cruiser on the flatland of California reminded me it was a blast to ride a bike.
The hills reminded me I needed cycling to increase my fitness!