If Lance Armstrong Was The Governor Of Texas
By spokesman | June 22, 2009
Texas Governor Rick Perry vetoed the “safe passing bill” last week. The bill would have required drivers to give a clearance of at least three feet when passing a bicyclist.
Commenting on the veto, Perry said “While I am in favor of measures that make our roads safer for everyone, this bill contradicts much of the current statute and places the liability and responsibility on the operator of a motor vehicle when encountering one of these vulnerable road users.” So I guess the problem is that if the bill became law and a driver ran over a cyclist, he would be responsible. I believe that cyclists need to follow traffic laws, but there are too many impatient drivers that pass cyclists way to close. This is just another example of a state government looking to harm cyclists. See my previous post on a Delaware initiative that I named How To Kill A Bicyclist.
There have been rumors that once Lance Armstrong finishes his bicycling career, he would turn to politics. I am sure that if he were governor of Texas, the bill wouldn’t have been vetoed. We need Lance in office.
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Topics: Humor/Satire | 1 Comment »
Happy Father’s Day
By spokesman | June 22, 2009
Remember the good old days, when Dad would let you play with the gasoline powered lawn mower.
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Topics: Flotsam | No Comments »
Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic Criterium
By spokesman | June 18, 2009
The Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic will be held this Sunday, June 21, 2009 in New York. This is the 36th year for this race. It will be held in Marcus Garvey Park at 121st street and 5th Avenue. Last year’s race was very exciting and had an ending that reminded me of the finish of the final stage the 2009 Giro D’Italia. In this year’s Giro, a crash almost cost the leader the race. In the 2008 Harlem Race, there was a crash at the finish line (here is a link to a video of the finish) and it was not clear who won.
Criterium or circuit races are growing in popularity in the United States. These races have many laps over the same short course. It seems that there are criteriums almost every weekend in different cities around the country. These races are great for spectators. Unlike a long road race where you may only see the riders as they pass by once, the short loop courses of criteriums allow spectators to see the racers many times. You can walk the perimeter of the course and see the cyclists many times at the different turns. Many laps have premiums so there will be exciting sprints at the start/finish line throughout the race. If you are in New York this weekend, be sure to check out the race.
The Nevada City Classic in Nevada City, California will also be held this Sunday. Lance Armstrong will be at that race. I am not sure if he is racing or if he is attending as part of his fund raising for the LiveStrong Foundation. Either way, it is an exciting race because of the seven turns in the course and the hills.
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Topics: Bicycle Event | 1 Comment »
Google Map Directions For Bicyclists
By spokesman | June 17, 2009
Google Maps has become an indispensable tool for many people that need driving directions. The tool also allows you to get directions via walking or public transit. However it doesn’t currently give you a choice to get directions if you want travel via bicycle.
The best option for cyclists is to look at the driving and walking directions and determine if either route would be good for biking. Unfortunately, the driving directions tend to use major roads such as interstate highways where bicycles are not allowed or larger roads where many bicyclists would be uncomfortable. Additionally if you are planning a tour that will take you to a new area, you can’t assess the bike-ability of unfamiliar roads. An option to get biking directions would be very useful.
Google allows users to give feedback. If you click on help from the main Google Maps page and then click on suggest a feature, there is a list of new features that you can suggest including adding bicycle directions. Google tends to regularly add new features, so please request this feature and have your bicycling friend do the same.
Google is in the process of mapping bicycle paths and adding the information to Google Earth. Here is a link to a video of the Google Street View Trike that they are using to capture the geographic and video data. The video was filmed by Trevi Fountain in Rome. Search on YouTube for Google Street Trike to see other videos from around the world. I don’t know if Google is hiring drivers for the trike, but it would be a dream job for many bicyclists.
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Topics: Bicycle Websites | 2 Comments »
Tickets For Bicyclists
By spokesman | June 11, 2009
There was an article in the Washington Post today discussing traffic tickets that were issued to bicyclists who rode through stop signs without coming to a complete stop. To make the matter even more controversial, the tickets were issued during a charity ride.
As of 10PM on the day that the article was published in the paper and on the Internet, there are nearly 200 comments on the Internet. The comments fall into several categories:
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Cyclists are responsible for all that is wrong in the world and have no right to use the road. They deserve the tickets.
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All motorist are evil and are trying to kill cyclists.
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The Government is so desperate for revenue in this recession, they will resort to anything to raise more money.
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Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. (See Youtube video of Baretta Theme)
Go to the article and skim the comments. It is very interesting to see the wide range of comments and high level of passion. There is very little I can add to the debate except to say that when I get a traffic ticket on my bike, I want it for speeding.
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Topics: Bike Commuting, Bicycle Culture | 1 Comment »