Wheels of Fortune

Umbra on bike commuting, again

Posted by Bricolage at 11:53 AM on 31 Oct 2005

Last month, a reader asked advice guru Umbra Fisk if biking in city traffic was hazardous to the health. Umbra replied with semi-comforting words (something along the lines of, "Well, it could be worse"), provoking heaps of letters from concerned and confused cyclists the world over. What about heaving lungs that suck up pollutants? What about exposed flesh and bone? What about distracted drivers? Today's column yields more tips for riding in the city and facing mortality with bravado. Thus spoke Umbra.

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bicycling risk

This great site has been a favorite of mine for ages:
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/risks.htm

Cycling is safer than driving.

by bertport at 12:46 PM on 31 Oct 2005

Haul stuff with your bike

Here is a great product for turning your bike into a hauling machine. http://www.intentusa.com/pedalpower.htm

I've attached a car seat to mine so that my 2 year old and I, can do errands together. We are able to carry 6 bags of groceries plus some. When I don't have my son I remove the car seat and can strap over sized boxes to the snap deck when making UPS or post office runs.

It has definitely made our daily errands more fun and less damaging to the environment.

It's not a lot of fun in the rain however so we are saving for a small electric car to replace the one we have.

Jean www.intentusa.com Yoga inspired products with an awareness of community, sustainability and "fair trade".

by jhoiland at 10:08 AM on 01 Nov 2005

Biking to work

I enjoy bicycling. I get to do it both before and after work. Wow! Pleasure and exercise in on easy package.

When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good.

My bike commute saves me $1500-$2000 each year (14 mile round trip). So I can afford great lights and bags at the bike shop.

I used to teach Effective Cycling classes. great way to learn: go to http://www.bikeleague.org/educenter/education.htm. Here's a bit of that info:

To get started, first ride your route on a quiet traffic day, to be familiar with the turns. Figure how you'll carry stuff (saddlebag or backpack). Plan on covering your legs below 60 degrees (and I double layer at 40 degrees), and having a plan for rain (jacket, etc.).

You want to be visible -- bright colors, multiple lights and reflectors. According to some figures, night-time cycling makes up less than 4% of all cycling, but around 40% of fatalities. Get some good LED lights! .

Most bike-car crashes happen at intersections. Minimize these by using lower-traffic roads, and being visible (I wave my arms and shout when I want to make sure I'm seen).

Lastly, don't hit the road without a helmet.

by hslack at 12:31 PM on 01 Nov 2005

commuting yay!

I think that we've got to, as a culture, get past the notion that bicycles are dangerous and cars are safe. While we can juggle statistics to say whatever we want, we don't take into account the astounding resiliency of the human body, its love for exercise, and the engineering marvel that bicycles are. Keeping it short and sweet, I did notice on Bike to Work day hordes of cyclists absolutely crowding the local bike paths, and also noticed that they dissipated the next day. When people are told the truth, that cycling is something that they ought to do, in addition to being safe, easy, good for you, and brilliantly good for the environment, they do it. 'Nuff said. Glenn

by sihorsky at 9:31 PM on 01 Nov 2005

Winter commuting

Bicycle commuters losing their resolve in the face of the latest cold front -- which plunged temperatures in the Midwest to January levels, killing off an unbelievably warm autumn -- should check out these Bike Winter Tips.

by Payton Chung at 8:13 PM on 17 Nov 2005

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