So I’m heading south on 1st Avenue through downtown, and I’m lapped by two pro-looking cyclists. I finally caught them at the next red light, hit the brakes and stopped. I said, “how do you guys do this?”
The bicycles messenger said, “this is the fun part!”
Me: “What, stopping?”
Messenger lady: “No, the—,” and she was gone already, into the evening traffic jam ahead. I think she was talking about cycling through stopped traffic, and how cool that is. It’s true, it is cool, but a little scary when I was trying to negotiate getting around a Metro bus that was all ass over tea kettle on 1st Avenue. From what I’ve gleaned, bus drivers hate cyclists, and cyclists can’t stand bus drivers.
Also, a big shout out to the nice guys at Elliott Bay Bicycles, who fixed my brake pad for me without charging me. Thanks, fellas.
I bought a CatEye light, which is working pretty well.
Also, I got a new saddle, which is the size of an Ikea love seat. I swear, this thing is huge and comfortable.
Last item: After riding a mountain bike around Seattle for a few months, I can see why a road bike might just be the shit. Oh well.
Well, you are riding on roads and not in the mountains–who woulda thought?
@ 1
Except, the cracks and crags in Seattle streets make me think twice about switching to a road bike.
Ummm…usually your posts have a point, but not this one.
I come here to get information (primarily from Goldy). Please do not turn this blog into 50% information/50% personal musings. This post is truly worthless.
Sometimes I don’t agree with you, but usually I find your posts decent. Obviously not this one.
/end feedback
@3
HA deals quite a lot with transportation issues. Will’s occasional posts about bike commuting fall, quite easily under that. I like the mixing of personal experience with the more technical.
@2
There are some pretty good road tires for mountain bikes that could make things a little easier for ya.
@4
Perhaps your right re: this particular post. I know he intermixes larger issues with his personal experiences etc, rather often.
I guess I didn’t care much for the lack of putting this post in context with anything transportation related…well save for his well-known hatred for anything related to Metro buses.
Well I guess Will’s unlawful riding habits through stopped cars are somewhat informative and germane to transportation at large…
I was being serious with @ 6 comment.
You are 110% correct about a nice cushy seat instead of some brutal axe blade cutting into your ass and pinching your leg nerves.
Whenever I see a chick on one of those tight little seats, the first thing I think is: “Scratch and sniff!!”
I wonder if Piper is gonna dun me for that last comment. He is kind of prissy that way.
Hey, Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand? Lighten up a bit. A soft seat on a bike is more interesting than Sen. Craig’s bathroom liasons.
Lee
I would be curious to know why you would now prefer a road bike. I have been riding a mountain bike for a while and it has done me well.
As a side note, you would have a hard time putting that nice big seat on a roadbike.
Gordon Wickward
Cycling Spokane has a short blurb about Dave Neiwert’s recent cycling and subsides piece.
http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.....-here.html
Meh, maybe I was a bit reactionary…still didn’t enjoy the post.
Cheers.
Road bike? Will, get yourself a fixie without the front brake.
“From what I’ve gleaned, bus drivers hate cyclists, and cyclists can’t stand bus drivers.”
And where did you glean this? Bicyclists want it both ways. They want to ride stupid (some without brakes) running red lights and stop signs and cutting in and out of traffic with no regard for the FACT that they are quick and small and quiet and difficult to see and that large vehicles that depend on mirror use have blind spots, and they even pass buses on the right as they pull into bus zones or make right turns, or squeeze in on the right between the bus and parked cars, and then they want to holler about bikes having all the same rights as cars and share the road and all that shit. Go over to third ave at buses only hour and watch the bicyclists ride in between two moving buses. Take a gander at how wide a bus is and how wide a traffic lane is. There is not much space to play with. Every Metro bus driver with more than a month’s experience driving downtown has saved at least one stupid ass bicyclist’s life by being alert for his stupid ass scofflaw riding behavior. And likely was given the finger by the stupid ass bicyclist in gratitude. And oh yeah! Bus drivers especially like it when you don’t wear a helmet; don’t use a light on your bike and wear dark clothing as you ride at night. You look sooooooooo cool you stupid fucks!
I hate bus drivers and I drive a car.
Will, If your bike still has knobby tire son it ditch them for some pavement type tires. You can inflate them to a higher pressure for less rolling resistance and the knobbies have a higher rolling resistance anyway (the knobs).
Sooo much to comment on…
I commute at least 3 days a week on my recumbent bike, around 75 – 100 miles a week (depending on how many days I get out). I’ve been doing this for some time so I think my comments are germane.
First, consider a recumbent. They have their trade-offs vs. road bikes but I like mine a lot.
Second, about buses: Since June I’ve had to ride through downtown and the bus drivers on Third Ave have been professional and courteous with just a couple of exceptions. Generally the Metro drivers are good. Yellow buses on the other hand are a crapshoot and their exhaust is much worse too.
Frankly, I hate most bicyclists. They ride as if the rules are for someone else and that just makes me crazy. My attitude is that if you wouldn’t do it in a car, don’t do it on a bike (split lanes, ride to the front of stopped traffic, jump lights, etc.). Maybe “hate” is too strong a word but I really wish bikers would follow the rules of the road. It would make it safer for them and reduce the hate (as displayed by “bus driver” above) from motorists a lot.
-OM