Come on Irene

The balm before the storm. 14th and U Streets.

Lane-blockers or trail-blazers?

Had a somewhat conflicted moment when driving to my daughter's school today.

Two rather charming-looking young women (attractive, wearing normal/chic clothes) were ambling down the road toward me on their humble citizen-cycles (upright, chainguard, basket, you get the picture). They were not going very fast, very leisurely.

They weren't riding single file, they were riding next to each other so they could chat as they went along, basically blocked the single lane of traffic. It was a residential street (5th Street southbound, north of Grant Circle) in a fairly quiet neighborhood (Petworth) but there is some through-traffic along there.

I had a double-reaction. First thought, as their comrade in the Chainguard Revolution - 'hey, cool, that's my kind of cyclists'.

Followed quickly by 'you know girls, you're going to piss someone off blocking the road like that, and make a bad name for cyclists'. Right on cue, as I got closer, a stressed-out looking woman in her SUV gave them a wide berth with a distinctly irritated look on her face.

I felt a little ashamed chastising the bikers like that, albeit internally. I guess when driving it's hard not to think like a driver.

What do you think, were they inconsiderate or perfectly within their rights? Somewhere in between? Were they creating a positive model of biking, and was the driver just another negative example of North American car-centrism? Or, given the narrow road with no bike lane, should the bikers have made room for cars? Was this a case of citizen cyclists paradoxically claiming the vehicular cycling mantra of 'claim your lane'? How would drivers' reactions (including my own) to them differed in certain bike-friendly European cities? Was I being the ass I strive to oppose, or just being realistic?

Radar love

So I'm driving down 14th Street yesterday and my 5-year-old daughter says 'look daddy, that woman is riding a bike with high heels, take a picture!' Plenty of other bikers out and about, yet her radar was tuned to the citizen cyclist.

Cool coup

From The Atlantic:

Washington, DC: Making Bike Commutes Cool

How a stylish, convenient bikeshare program catapulted the District into the ranks of America's elite biking cities

So cool that - as touched on in the article - these days you're not guaranteed to find a bike at popular stations in rush hour. Like this morning, the station at Petworth was empty (first time it's happened to me), so I walked to Columbia Heights and got a bike in front of the Giant. Then when I dropped it off on the west end of Calvert Street bridge, the guy in the photo was happy to snatch it up, as that module was empty too.

Not a complaint, I love you dearly, CaBi. You're the best thing, babe, perhaps in all of the North American bikescape at the moment, the only real competition being Montreal's Bixi and NY's bike lanes.

What I love the most is that it has basically institutionalized the citizen cycling model, with its bike-as-you-are mindset, upright/slower ride, A-to-Bism, and designing it as integrated transit, not 'bike rental'.

And the chainguard of course. I still say the revolution starts with the humble chainguard.

Tipping point

I read somewhere on the Twittersphere that biking levels in DC have seemed to be at a tipping point as spring weather breaks out, with cyclists '15 deep' reported at one stop light.

I don't get out enough, but if it's true then three of the factors are in this photo from this morning: 1) normal DC suit figured out that biking is the best way to get to work, and didn't require special gear or an alternative lifestyle; 2) all the new bike lanes; and 3) Capital Bikeshare.

Dupont Circle III

Top of the morning

A fine spring-like morning, out for a field trip with my students, and voila, the bike-photo gods smiled. Nice example of what urban biking in DC should look like.

11th and Irving St

Pierce Park

If you're heading into Adams Morgan from Calvert Street Bridge, there are perfectly fine bike lanes on Calvert Street. But the walkways through Walter Pierce Park* make for a decent protected cycletrack as well. Call it the scenic route.

(*Or as my daughter calls it, 'Shady Park', since the tree canopy in the playground area makes it great on hot days.)

I should also mention, since it's hard to tell, this pair looked trés chic.

A mother knows

To me, this mom-cyclist is one of those quiet, unsung heroes of utility biking in DC. Not because she has the 'right' bike or chic attire. I just like the normal/cool clothes, no special gear, shopping bag in front, funky shoulder bag, kid in tow, a little twirly thing hanging off the back… No nonsense, serene, dignified demeanor, upright posture.

She knew where the not-so-known contraflow bike lane was and used it, unfazed by the trio of Do Not Enter signs. Or by the Brazil-esque (Terry Gilliam film, not the country) ductwork.

That cut-through was a closed road, now given over almost entirely to bikes. More here. It's actually a great back way to cross Adams Morgan north-south without dealing with 18th Street hassles.

And now for something completely expected

Yes, the moment has come. Time for the obligatory biking-in-winter post.

Not by me. Mine would be - I bike in winter unless it's icy or snowbound. You might try it too, no big deal. No, this is a short practical commentary by blog-comrade James Schwartz up in north country, aka The Urban Country.

Yes, it's getting colder out there, but let's not go wobbly, people. Listen to the Canadian.

Bicycling in the Winter

When people ask me for tips on winter bicycling, I have very simple advice: Wear what you would have worn if you were going to walk outside in the winter. If it’s wet, throw on some water-proof pants on top of your regular pants, and that’s it. It’s very simple.

full article

Cycle Chic has had a ton of snowy photos lately, northern Europe's been getting buried. But notice the bikes roll on. I like Copenhagenize's version of what James is saying: try to dress for the destination, not the journey.

Update - As usual, I'm referring to reasonably short urban trips. For longer journeys, the Bike Arlington forum has a good discussion of how to make it work and be presentable in the office.

Culture of fear

Mikael Colville-Andersen, of Copenhagenize and Cycle Chic fame, speaking today at the TEDx Copenhagen event. Good articulation of the 'culture of fear' - especially surrounding bike helmet use - and how it negatively impacts cycling rates. He points out that a helmet promotional campaign in Denmark (of all places, where cycling is incredibly safe) had the effect of significantly decreasing the number of people willing to bike.

Please, don't respond by thinking 'yeah but I flew 40 feet off my bike and would've cracked my skull open if I wasn't wearing a helmet'. Because first of all, slow down a bit please, maybe reconsider HOW you ride. Sorry, but we need to look at ourselves somewhat in this country, I will say it.

Partly it's the emphasis on biking as sport, not transit. It's also a hangover of the so-called 'vehicular cycling' mentality that has characterized much of our biking for a few decades: ride in traffic, as traffic, claim your lane. Well, if you swim with sharks, you might get eaten. That's also what pisses drivers off the most, a situation in which we can only lose. Or at least look fairly unappealing decked out like a Christmas tree with the requisite lights and reflectors - not to mention the glare off your white knuckles.

But that's all starting to change. Part of the citizen cycling idea is that we can all be ambassadors of a better, safer, more serene and elegant way of cycling that can actually seduce more drivers to get on a bike. Then everyone wins, drivers and bicyclists alike. There's no better way to re-humanize our cities.

Also, as Mikael points out, the evidence of helmet effectiveness is quite split in the scientific community. It's important to be open to the big picture that he presents. That bikes are such a powerful tool for transforming our urban landscapes in a positlve way, on so many levels.

Bottom line, bike as you want, wear a helmet, or don't, but please don't succumb to a psychology of fear. Just bike.

Chainguard Revolution

Riding Pretty

About ten years ago, I was looking for a new bike equipped with something you would think would not be that difficult to find: a chain guard.

Today, […] many manufacturers, from big companies to small start-ups, make specifically urban bicycles, meant for city riding, not laps around the track or careening down a mountain. […] All with that most coveted of things, a chain guard. Some even have the Dutch-style ones, that wrap completely around the chain.

full article

See?? It all starts with the chainguard! That's what I've been tryin' to say!

Moving on up

From today's Washington Post:

Bicycle program makes District easier place to get around, residents say

[...] the District has undertaken one of the most ambitious efforts in the country to promote the use of bicycles.

I've always thought that Capital Bikeshare fits perfectly into the ride-as-you-are concept. So great to see it taking off, along with increased bike use in general. Of course, if you check the comments in the Post piece, the haters are out in force. Incredible how some people can't tolerate the combo of beauty, efficiency, and fun. And as a friend of mine said recently, more biking is better for drivers, they just haven't figured that out yet.

full article

Barbie and zen

Now that's what I call cycle chic. I guess we can count Barbie in for the Chainguard Revolution. As a possible harbinger of mass taste, good to have her onboard. Now we just need Ken on his Jorg & Olif Opa.

Let's make her City Zen Cyclist of the day.

Happy Black Friday shopping (or reading, or sleeping), everyone!

More DC chic

Another case of understated DC cycle chic. As I wrote when I started District Citizen Cycling a couple months ago, I didn't think my native Washington was necessarily a chic kind of town. What counts as relatively fashionable here might seem modest by European standards. But the ride-as-you-are (chic or not) ethos of so-called 'citizen cycling' seemed a good fit.

I'm certainly no biking fashion guru. In yesterday's photo, a stylish hat and coat was enough to make me notice the girl riding down 15th Street. This young woman on Q Street is a similar case - ok, no chainguard for the purists (too bad, she could lose the pants strap), but a sweet bike with fenders, somewhat more upright posture, bringing home the shopping, riding slowly, in casual/stylish clothes that made for a nice holistic presentation with her bike. A great ambassador for DC citizen cycling.

Just watch out for that taxi.

DC chic

This chic young woman had the newly two-way 15th Street cycle track almost to herself yesterday. Well, I think she looks pretty chic.

Poet in motion

Today's City Zen Cyclist is Holly Bass, an accomplished DC writer, poet, performer, director, and journalist. I didn't know her but she's a friend of a friend. Before I recognized her I had already chased her down 18th Street for a pic (non-creepily I hope!) just because she looked so cool and chic going by on her bike. In fact, I was once told I should shoot Holly for this blog, so it worked out perfectly by chance.

photos © Bill Crandall

More 18th Street, Adams Morgan

AKA, There and Back Again Lane. Walking it northbound, past Tryst coffeehouse. Same girl, cruising southbound a few minutes later.

photos © Bill Crandall

Warriors! Come out to play-ay!

Though the upsurge in adult cyclists in the U.S. began in the 1980s, neither the road designs nor the culture have fully adjusted to that fact. "It's a huge contrast to Europe, where drivers most frequently wave, and where I've never seen the behavior I see here," said one Annapolis cyclist.

Astute bit from a Washington Post article today (actually about helpful new bike laws in Maryland) which I won't even link to, because it's too damn depressing. The usual grim cyclists battling for space among DC's marauding road-ragers. Oh yeah, that'll get new butts in bike seats...

Sure, I know it's at least part of the reality, but not the reality we're singing about here. Find that somewhere else and wallow in it.

Citizen Cycling is about a better model of what could and should be - and occasionally even is. While the physical landscape slowly catches up, Citizen Cycling as a different, holistic approach to riding can actually cure many of the woes of the North American urban bike-warrior.

I'm just saying, it doesn't have to be all fear and loathing for the sake of speed. There's another way.

[Ed. note - alright, who gets the reference in the title?]