Bike Michiana

resources, news, observations and ideas about bicycling in the Michiana area

Archive for the ‘Commentary’ Category

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Back Door Friends are Best

Posted by bspitzer on July 6, 2009

Just inside the back door of the home I grew up in hangs a small, artsy-craftsy sign that reads, “Back door friends are best.” I suppose that sign still hangs by that back door; truthfully, I haven’t checked in years. But I think that’s a very true sentiment. Only your best friends approach your house at the back door. Formal visitors and strangers would never presume to knock on the back door, and most of us would get creeped out by strangers lurking around the back of our homes.

So what does this have to do with biking . . .

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Posted in Commentary, Ride Reports | 1 Comment »

Copenhagenize Michiana

Posted by Adam Bee on June 14, 2009

Over half of Copenhagen’s million-plus citizens take their bikes every day.  Copenhagenize.com is a blog covering how the city transformed from being as car-addicted as any other to becoming the cycling capital of the world.

I find Copenhagenize is mostly useful as a sort of “best practices” check.  Throughout the Netherlands and much of Europe, everyday utility cycling is a part of life.  People don’t wear lycra or helmets.  They carry their kids in the front of their cargo bikes.  They ride crappy old steel frames rather than the latest aluminum or carbon.  They don’t drive to places to ride, they just ride wherever they are.  Cycling isn’t just a sport, but also an easy, useful, and safe way to get around. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Advocacy, Commentary | 1 Comment »

South Bend Bike Theft on the Rise

Posted by Henry Scott on June 8, 2009

Today’s Tribune contained an article about a rising incidence of local bicycle theft according to the South Bend Police Department.

I used to say, largely in jest, that one of the few perks of living in an area without a prevalent biking community is that bicycle theft isn’t a huge concern. But, there’s some truth to this: I frequently lock my most valuable bikes with nothing more than a $15 cable lock, whereas when I’ve lived in bicycle hotspots I wouldn’t even turn my back without securing them with a high-end U-lock.

Perhaps one negative consequence of more bikes in Michiana will mean more theft? I’m willing to take that risk, but seriously everyone– be careful with your bikes!

Posted in Advocacy, Commentary | 5 Comments »

Share the road editorial

Posted by Paul Taylor on June 2, 2009

The lead editorial on Monday’s Tribune discussed bicycling in Michiana. “Today is the kickoff of the third annual Michiana Bike to Work Week, an event that helps promote bicycles as a viable way of daily transportation and increase awareness. Last year, more than 487 individuals and 61 corporate teams participated in the weeklong celebration, covering a combined total of 14,563 miles.”

Read the rest of the story in the Tribune.

Posted in Commentary, Events | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Black Box for Bikes

Posted by Adam Bee on April 24, 2009

One of the things that sometimes keeps me up at night is the possibility that on any given day I could be run down in cold blood by a homicidal maniac, and nobody would be left alive to testify on my behalf.  Folks would shrug and mumble, “Shoulda been on the sidewalk,” or, “Why wasn’t he driving his car?”

Then it occurred to me:  Airplane pilots have an eerily similar problem, and they’ve solved in by carrying a “black box” to record any possible crash.  Why not have the same thing for bikes?

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Posted in Commentary, Gear | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Zigs vs. Zags

Posted by Adam Bee on April 22, 2009

Have you ever noticed that right-to-left turns are much more difficult than left-to-rights?

That is, if you’re crossing some large ugly six-lane traffic sewer to get from one lovely back road to another, it seems much easier to me if you have to go LTR instead of RTL.

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Posted in Commentary, Facilities, Routes | 1 Comment »

A Good Ride Spoiled

Posted by memooney on April 22, 2009

The first warm-weather ride is always one of happiness and excitement for any cyclist. Unfortunately, my ride was spoiled within miles and served as a reminder that many drivers don’t respect the rights of cyclists.

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Posted in Commentary, Ride Reports | 4 Comments »

Best Connections: In Praise of the Cul-de-Sac Killers Among Us

Posted by Adam Bee on April 20, 2009

A few days ago I wrote about my least favorite non-links, or “missed connections” in Michiana.  Now I would be remiss if I didn’t applaud the “best connections”, where some kind soul went out of her way to link neighborhoods rather than force traffic onto congested arterial “traffic sewers”.

Here are my top five:

1.  Wembley to Brighton:  Perfect example.  You can even see the old curb on Brighton.  Without this connection it would be impossible to get from Darden to Darden.  Now it only requires an ugly little right-to-left along Ironwood.

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Posted in Commentary, Facilities, Routes | 1 Comment »

Missed Connections: The Worst Non-Links in Michiana

Posted by Adam Bee on April 18, 2009

A few days ago I wrote about Virginia’s law outlawing cul-de-sacs, and how they’re one of the biggest challenges to route planning in Michiana and especially Granger.

Here are my top five most infuriating non-links in Michiana:

1. Park to Catalpa: This is the worst in my book.  Just a few more yards of pavement and Catalpa would connect all the way to Edison Lakes Pkway, Meijer, and Walmart.  As it is, I take a short zag on Main to cut through the parking lot of a nice orthodontist.

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Posted in Commentary, Facilities, Routes | 2 Comments »

An end to cul-de-sacs

Posted by Adam Bee on April 16, 2009

Virginia now has rules that new subdivisions must have through streets that link to other through streets:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/AR2009032102248.html

This is one of the biggest hurdles we face when trying to get around by bike in these times, especially in Granger.  Mishiwaka’s Grape Road big box district has the commercial version of the cul-de-sac problem, non-linking sidewalks.

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Posted in Commentary, News, Routes | Leave a Comment »

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