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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2010 2:26:04 GMT
Grazie, Lagatta. Ha!" Lycra louts", I will have to remember that one!! Yes,generally,they are confined to their own special lane in the two major parks here,and have free reign up on the levee as well,where, if you are anywhere near,(I ride up there all the time),they have no qualms about,a.); scaring the shit out of you from behind,or b.):coming as close as they can to you at full speed. I used to bike race in my college years and would never dream of training to the point of terrorizing others. I think the majority of them are out of control.
I am finding drivers here a bit more courteous but,am ever vigilant,especially of doors swinging out,with the person on a cell phone,oblivious.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2010 6:14:18 GMT
I see very few of those in the city since it is such an ingrained tradition in Europe to go and do that as a group out in the countryside on the weekend.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2010 10:33:37 GMT
If they weren't going by so f'n fast I would suggest the same to them!
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Post by lagatta on Mar 12, 2010 12:56:56 GMT
Yes, as kerouac says in Europe athletes (and would-be athletes) will form a peloton out in the countryside on weekends.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 23, 2010 23:31:35 GMT
Click on the logo above to see great official videos from several cities along with links to tons of recommended bike sites all over the world.
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Post by lagatta on Apr 24, 2010 0:29:12 GMT
Oh yes, Mikael from copenhagen. And his friendly rival Marc from Amsterdam - amsterdamize.com
Mikael also does a cycling streetstyle blog copenhagencyclechic.com
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2010 11:28:11 GMT
What a cool site!! Thanks. We are seeing more and more people cycling to the Fairgrounds and around the city this year for the Jazz Fest which is wonderful. Hopefully,more will catch on and the car traffic will be less of a headache.
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Post by lagatta on Apr 26, 2010 14:21:43 GMT
Our famous Bixi bicycle rental scheme (patterned on Vélib in Paris) has taken off early because of the early Spring; I see lots of people on them and some of the stations have doubled or trebled in size. This also increases the "critical mass" of people cycling in ordinary clothes that they would wear to go to work, university, run errands, meet friends etc. I don't really need one; although my old Raleigh has been fitted with new wheels, tires, dérailleur etc - with a special low gear to spare my arthritic knee; I climb hills by "spinning" fast (en moulinant) not by forcing my joint.
Amsterdamize, Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic all have links to many other sites. I appreciate Chic Cyclist (from Boston) as it is a city of similar vintage and feel, though Montréal is more of a grid (Boston is more like Québec City, though obviously a lot bigger). Older cities built up before cars were generalised tend to be more compact, which makes them cyclable, but only if car traffic can be calmed. And while NOLA's low, flat profile has caused you a lot of grief, it also makes you as easily cyclable as Amsterdam and Copenhagen.
I haven't seen a cycle chic type blog from NOLA yet, but one probably exists out there somewhere.
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Post by fumobici on Apr 26, 2010 14:54:32 GMT
I managed to get my potato chipped front wheel (and its essentially irreplaceable Campagnolo rim) back into near trueness by dint of torquing spoke wrenches harder than I've ever tried.
Bring on cycling season!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2010 16:52:34 GMT
I've been using a Vélib about 3 or 4 times a day in the past week. But I'm going back to the office tomorrow, which will cut down on my usage.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2010 17:52:27 GMT
I've been using a Vélib about 3 or 4 times a day in the past week. But I'm going back to the office tomorrow, which will cut down on my usage. Why can't you ride the bicycle to work?
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2010 5:28:30 GMT
The office is too far -- more than a 30-minute ride, which would mean parking a bike somewhere along the way and having to wait a few minutes until I could take a new one out.
Also, I am not a big fan of biking in rush hour traffic in those areas (other routes are not a problem).
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2010 14:28:38 GMT
It is with tremendous glee that I post the following pictures. At long,long last, a bicycle path along a major corridor just 2 blocks from my house. They began work on back around Carnival time and have just opened it to traffic. It is on both sides of the avenue and runs from Saint Charles Avenue all the way to Earhart Blvd. You have no idea how long I have waited for this!!!! (This may not seem like a big deal for most cities but,this is New Orleans, and it's a real big deal!!)
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 8, 2010 17:54:24 GMT
*jaw drops*
Casimira, this is fabulous! Do you feel that the configuration will lessen the chance of people opening the doors of their parked vehicles into oncoming bikes? Maybe it's gotten better through the years, but I always felt New Orleans drivers were particularly bone-headed about sharing the road with cyclists.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2010 18:22:59 GMT
They're a bit better about it Bixa,although, I don't ride my bike down Oak Street during peak hours for that very reason. Generally,on Carrollton, in the pics, one can see ahead of time when on a bike and holler out or do whatever to avoid being doored. It really depends on the street and also in what part of town and time of day. By and large, it is better though. The new bike path has gotten a fair amount of press and in the stories about they do address that particular issue. I never thought I would live to see the day this would happen. They are putting one in on Saint Charles Ave. as we speak. It is so very cool.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2010 20:18:04 GMT
That is fantastic, Casimira. It takes a while for the cars to adapt, but they have no choice. We have won the battle. Within 6 months, Bixa will be taking photos of her new cycle paths.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 9, 2010 1:17:55 GMT
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Post by Kimby on Jul 17, 2010 15:36:49 GMT
(I have forwarded a link to this Any Port thread to our local Pedestrian Bicycle Coordinator in hopes that he will be inspired to move our fair city forward into bicycle-vehicle equality.)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2010 15:44:13 GMT
Bravo, Kimby.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 17, 2010 15:56:29 GMT
I hope he reads all the way through it, as there are many links to bicycle facilities in other cities on several continents.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2010 17:49:41 GMT
If NOLA can quasi get it together,any city in the USA should be able to...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2010 9:35:32 GMT
I heard on the news yesterday,that London has gone the same route with bicycles as Paris,using a similar model for public rental etc. I will be curious to see/hear how this goes from some of our British friends and any thoughts they may have on the system. I don't see how it could be a bad thing. And, perhaps,some of the kinks were worked out using Paris as a model,what to avoid etc. A piece about from Friday NPR news: www1.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Thousands-of-Bicycles-in-Central-London-99662974.html
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Post by lagatta on Jul 31, 2010 17:28:48 GMT
They are using our BIXI bikes now ... though quite understandably there are people in the UK who think they could build their own! Alas much of the once-proud British bicycle manufacture has been outsourced... The Brompton folders are still made in London though.
Here is a YouTube not to be missed, with Amsterdam promoting its bicycle culture involving people of all ages and walks of life, and some impressed tourists:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2010 17:39:28 GMT
Current systemsEuropeVillo!, Brussels, Belgium Bycyklen, Copenhagen, Denmark V'hello, Aix-en-Provence, France Vélam, Amiens, France Vélopop', Avignon, France VéloCité, Besançon, France VCUB, Bordeaux, France V’eol, Caen, France Vel'in, Calais, France VélO2, Cergy-Pontoise, France Réflex, Chalon-sur-Saône, France Cristolib, Créteil, France Velodi, Dijon, France Yélo, La Rochelle, France Vélo'v, Lyon, France Le vélo, Marseille, France Vélomagg', Montpellier, France VéloCité, Mulhouse, France VélOstan, Nancy, France Bicloo, Nantes, France Vélo Bleu, Nice, France Vélib', Paris, France BIP!, Perpignan, France Velcom, Plaine-Commune, France Cap'Vélo, Poitiers, France LE vélo STAR, Rennes, France Cy'clic, Rouen, France Vélo Vert, St. Etienne, France VélôToulouse, Toulouse, France Libélo, Valence, France Vélocéa, Vannes, France Dublin Bikes, Dublin, Ireland BikeMi, Milan, Italy OYBike Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales, UK OYBike Farnborough, Farnborough, England, UK OYBike Reading, Reading, England, UK Barclays Cycle Hire London, England, UK Bicing, Barcelona, Spain Girocleta, Girona, Spain n'bici, Pamplona, Spain Sevici, Seville, Spain ValenbiSi!, Valencia, Spain Stockholm City bikes, Stockholm, Sweden North AmericaAs of 2010 the following systems are operating in North America: DECOBIKE Miami Beach & South Beach Public Bicycle Sharing & Rental Program, Miami Beach, FL | | starting Sept. 15th, 2010 www.decobike.comB-Cycle - Denver, CO -www.denver.bcycle.com Bixi - Montreal, Canada Blue Bike - Buffalo, New York Nice Ride - Minneapolis, Minnesota SmartBike DC - Washington, D.C. B-cycle - Chicago, Illinois - 100 bicycles in 3 locations yellow bike program- marquette, michigan UniversitiesGreen Bike - St. Xavier University, Chicago, IL Green Bike Program- Keene State College, Keene, NH Reggie Ride - Illinois State University, Normal, IL Southwestern University- Pirate Bike Program ZotWheels- University of California, Irvine. Yellow Bike Program - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona Yellow Bike Program - Hampshire College, Amherst, MA NYU Bike Share - New York University, New York, NY Geen Bikes - St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN AsiaYouBike, Taipei, Taiwan C-bike, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2010 17:45:59 GMT
That list is clearly not up to date, because I saw a system in Luxembourg last month. If things are developing too fast for Wikipedia to keep up, things are looking up.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 31, 2010 18:46:09 GMT
Yes, it is a positive sign. I'm sure there are others they have missed as well. Think one is starting up in Toronto, but it might be only a pilot project (like a small one in Ottawa and Gatineau). And there is a new one in Melbourne.
Odd that US cities get their state, but Mtl is simply in "Canada".
Kerouac, there doesn't seem to a be such a scheme in Strasbourg, which is the top French city for cycling as share of transport modes.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 31, 2010 19:31:16 GMT
Strasbourg seems to have a different type of system, addressed in particular to people travelling to the city for tourism or business: www.velocation.net/Probably because so many people have their own bicycles there.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2010 19:39:14 GMT
Pitiful representation from the US. I'm not surprised re.Miami Beach,it's the most bicycle friendly city I've ever visited,wouldn't dream of using a car there,and haven't,if only to get to and from the airport. For a city of it's size,NYC is surprisingly bike friendly,although,people tell me I'm nuts when I say this.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 31, 2010 22:16:01 GMT
I don't think it's nuts at all - so many people walk (often quite a long way, for fitness as well as practicality) and take public transport in NYC that it should logically be more bicycle-friendly than cities where everyone drives everywhere. And New York has made quite a few improvements - there was a big push celebrating the founding of New Amsterdam, (Amsterdam sent over bicycles, no doubt tulips as well). I've read some interesting articles about a cultural conflict though, in Brooklyn. Some of the ultraorthodox Jews in certain areas of the borough don't want bicycle paths since they want to keep to themselves - and there was the issue (grossly overstated) of "scantily-clad" young lovelies on bicycles.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 1, 2010 1:10:14 GMT
Toronto is hardly on the 'cutting edge' of cycling. The exciting news is that we hope to have the BIXA program in place by the end of November, 2010, if enough people pledge subscriptions. It appears to be similar to the Paris system. We need it. www.toronto.ca/cycling/ My cycling friends have told me how difficult it is to get around Toronto with bicycles. You can try to plot a quiet route, but you usually have no option but to be fighting on streets with heavy traffic, perhaps 10 blocks later, or much more, it is calm. Drivers of cars and bicycles have little idea how to live peacefully together. It's frightening when I am signaling to turn right, ignored by the cyclist (to my right), who whizzes blissfully through, completely ignoring my signal. Perhaps cyclists, as well as car drivers, should have to pass a 'rules of the road' test. But, we really do need provision for cyclists in Toronto. Slowly, in the last few years, more and more bicycle lanes are appearing. More people would use bicycles…if they felt safe! Our subway system was badly planned originally, with little to no thought of growth. Therefore, the predominant use of cars. Paris and Toronto are very close is size and this says it all: Paris Metro: Begun in 1900 and now has 16 lines. Their designer had incredible foresight. Toronto Subway: Begun in 1954 and now has 4 lines. (!)
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