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It's National Bike to Work Day, are you wearing spandex?
by Rob Peters | May 16, 2008 at 04:56 pm | 1136 views | 26 comments
There was a piece on Boing Boing yesterday that put to rest a convenient myth about cycling. Apparently some contend that riding a bike to work is actually less efficient than taking a car when you factor in the energy needed to make cycling food.
Only a truly lazy person would come up with an argument that elaborate to avoid exercise. But in case the rumour catches on, I thought I'd include the snippet here in light of National Bike to Work Day, which is today.
A persistent rumor claims that riding a bike is actually less efficient than driving a car if you account for the energy that goes into producing the food/drink that "fuels" a cyclist. The Sierra Club's "Mr. Green" calls bullshit on that. (Photo of BB pal Jess Hemerly from aGreatNotion's Flickr stream.) From the Sierra Club:
Even with pricier commodities like beef, the biker rides cheaper than the driver. A pound and a half of cheap, greasy hamburger, sans bun, could power the cruise in question, at a lower cost than gasoline.
The ethanol "alternative"? Well, not really. Instead of burning ethanol in engines, from a transportation standpoint we're far better off ingesting the stuff. Driving 48 miles takes more than two gallons of ethanol, whereas only eight ounces of liquor, a mere half-pint of vodka, can fuel a cyclist for the same distance. Happy trails!
And here's a useful list from Wired explaining how to make the cycling commute more palatable.
Biking to work is great and all, but it's just not practical, right? Wrong. Think of the advantages. No wasted gas, no searching for a parking spot, no waiting in traffic jams. In fact, the bike could end up getting you to work quicker. But there are some things a car does better and so, in honor of the day, we've put together a list of things you can add to make two wheels just as comfortable as four.
If I ride to work, I'll get hot and sweaty
The best way around this is to take it easy. Leave in plenty of time and don't rush. You can bike along at a fair clip without getting hot and bothered, and many work places now have showers. But buying some kit will help, too. If a full-on Lycra suit isn't your style, try a cycling jersey. You'll want something in polyester or another synthetic designed to wick sweat away from your skin. Cotton is fine, but once it gets wet, it stays wet. But the best advice is to slow down.
What about my music?
Using headphones while biking is a bad idea. But music helps a boring journey go quicker, and besides, where else will you find the time to listen to the Gadget Lab podcast? What you need is a bike stereo, and $80 will buy you the iHome2Go, a bicycle boombox. The speaker clamps to the down tube and hides an iPod inside, away from dust and water. Up on the handlebars is a wireless controller for volume and track skipping.
I have too much stuff to carry
A poor excuse. Bike are great for shifting lots of gear, so you can take your briefcase to work and drop in at the supermarket on the way home. And if you have to carry a lot, try a trailer.
Is cycling safe?
No, not if you ride like an idiot. Or ride like you drive a car. Cyclists are vulnerable, so make sure you wear some protection and make sure that driver can see you. This means a helmet and lights. Most bike store helmets will be ok, as long as they are fitted properly. The last thing you need is to have the skid-lid flip off your head when you face-plant into the asphalt.
Lights need to be bright, and they need to be on your bike. They also need to have power. A bottle dynamo is fine, but it stops powering the lights when you stop moving. Our favorite is the Reelite, a lamp powered by magnetic induction. The magnets are clamped to the spokes and as they pass the light housing, electricity is generated. They also charge a capacitor, so the lights keep burning during short stops. The best part? They won't slow you down. Unlike the bottle dynamo, nothing rubs on the tire, so there's no friction.
Get out more
This isn't a piece of kit, but just some advice. Cycling is fun, and also good for you (until an SUV mows you down). And the more you do it, the easier and more enjoyable it gets. Cycle at weekends, cycle to the corner store instead of jumping into the car, and today, at least, cycle to work. The city is a different place from a bike. You'll see new things and actually feel part of the street instead of looking out from inside a fishbowl. And finally, you'll learn what it's like to be a cyclist on the city streets, which means you'll be a lot more considerate when you get back behind the wheel. Happy Bike-to-Work Day!
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May 16, 2008 at 04:56 pm by Rob Peters, 1136 views, 26 comments
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Comments (26)
at 20:09 on May 16th, 2008
Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 08:22 on May 17th, 2008
Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff. Cycling is a lot safer if we stuck to velodromes.. no vehicles, potholes, pollution or lamposts there.
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Oric1at 08:26 on May 17th, 2008
"Vélib’ is a Self Service “bike hire” system available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in Paris (France).
Multi pick up and drop off location allows you to pick up your bike from one service point and drop off to another. "
Oric1 has contributed a photo to this story.
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iyadtbat 08:42 on May 17th, 2008
A custom made tricycle from Damascus - Syria used to transfer and sell goods or as a way of transportation.
As it shows, the owner of this tricycle chose to brand his bike as a Mercedes :)
iyadtb has contributed a photo to this story.
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dphockat 10:13 on May 17th, 2008
Avid cyclists parked their bikes to stroll around the scenic plaza in downtown Healdsburg, California.
dphock has contributed a photo to this story.
at 12:02 on May 17th, 2008
BELGIUM - Brussels city spearheads a bike-tastic initiative, providing cycles for hire at convenient pick-up and drop-off points around the city centre.
Sam_Butler has contributed a photo to this story.
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rossangelesat 12:14 on May 17th, 2008
Banjo and I rode to Foster Park. I laid in the grass and he swung to the sky.
rossangeles has contributed a photo to this story.
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capurro.carlosat 12:51 on May 17th, 2008
I took this picture in an old dieing town only an hour from Shanghai, China. While cars are one of the most important means of transportation there, in this old town (which name I can't remember) is till the bike. Carlos Capurro
capurro.carlos has contributed a photo to this story.
at 13:12 on May 17th, 2008
Cycling to work is great- if you're all sweaty when you arrive, then leave a few minutes earlier. I used to bring a second set of trousers with me, riding in cycling gear; here in Vancouver, we have awful drivers, so the chance of a collision is a little bit higher than in a city with proper driver training. Also, Bicycles don't sit in traffic: I would beat my local bus to work by ten minutes, and I'm not exactly Jan Ullrich.
at 15:20 on May 17th, 2008
This is my friend Bruno, another member of Club Ciclista Correcaminos (Lugo, Spain), in a little town near Riaño (León, Spain), in the midle of the Picos de Europa. He´s checking the bike before the route.
jotomolo has contributed a photo to this story.
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hydroz99at 16:53 on May 17th, 2008
Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff. I especially liked the ethanol versus liquor/vodka comparison.
Yay for cycling!
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lacyblack69at 17:58 on May 17th, 2008
Taken in Amsterdam while on the canal, i love the old European feel to this city and to me the bikes are a symbol of this city and are just waiting to be photographed.
lacyblack69 has contributed a photo to this story.
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mcgurmeat 18:02 on May 17th, 2008
Here's how to haul stuff - get a cargo bike like the Xtracycle or Yuba Mundo. This picture shows my Xtracycle with the Mundo loaded up for hauling - I rode 7 miles this way without problem to deliver the Yuba Mundo. If you're worried about hauling cargo up the hills, get an electric assist (both the pictured bikes have an electric assist hub motor, which makes riding them even in very hot weather and up big hills a pleasant experience).
mcgurme has contributed a photo to this story.
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tomdobbat 18:51 on May 17th, 2008
tomdobb has contributed a photo to this story.
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Highlander2233at 19:09 on May 17th, 2008
Highlander2233 has contributed a photo to this story.
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gabeuscorpusat 21:35 on May 17th, 2008
Taken on National Ride to Work day in St. Petersburg, Florida, during the annual "Ride to Work with the Mayor Event", used to showcase local government's environmental advances and plans for improvement.
gabeuscorpus has contributed a photo to this story.
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xkickflipat 23:51 on May 17th, 2008
Volunteers from SF Bicycle Coalition making smoothies with a bicycle powered blender at the 8th & Howard Energizer Station.
xkickflip has contributed a photo to this story.
at 00:46 on May 18th, 2008
Rob Peters, This is something I'm trying to make happen myself!! good job!
at 00:47 on May 18th, 2008
I'm getting ready to adapt an entire new routine of parking the car and adding the bike !! Thanks for reminding me !
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NathanBushDesignsat 02:41 on May 18th, 2008
Apartment Building in Lexington, KY is home to at least one bicycle.
NathanBushDesigns has contributed a photo to this story.
at 10:51 on May 18th, 2008
Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff. Okay Rob, you of all people should know, there are some people who should never wear Spandex, much like the Kits crowd who walk to streets in form fitting Lycra Gym Togs as everyday wear when lining up at their local Starbucks. These people look like foot long Bratwurst Stuffed into a 6 inch Lycra casing, certainly not attractive to witness the first thing in the morning. Many are so oblivious of their Bloated Bodies, thinking they are Hip Super Heroes in their form fitting costumes, while prancing around with their Rosanne Barr or Raymond Massey Girth.
Guess that is what you get when you film the Fantastic 4 in this Burg.
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raja azlan shahat 14:22 on May 18th, 2008
This shot here was taken from my recent trip to Beijing. We were at the town of Niu Jie and I was wandering aimlessly for a couple of shots.
raja azlan shah has contributed a photo to this story.
at 08:39 on May 20th, 2008
Berlin, Mai 16th 2008. A wonderful morning.
Well, all these cyclists and pedestrians in front of the spectacular architecture of the new part of government building. I could not resist and had to take them for more then an hour. I stood across the river Spree. Berlin, Schiffsbauerdamm Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders Haus; part of German Bundestag (government) www.bundestag.de/bau_kunst/bauwerke/luedershaus/index.html.
More cyclists at www.flickr.com/photos/7960116@N07/
My cyclists with sound at ClipCook.com; clip "Berlin".
Thank you for sharing Marco
tatomato has contributed a photo to this story.
at 12:47 on May 20th, 2008
Hi, my name is Barbara and I´m from Munich. This is rather flattering, that I was ask to publish my photo at nowpublic.
I´m just an amateur photographer with a stream at flickr. This is a candid shot I´ve recently made on a sunny Sunday close to my home. I just saw this totally focused reader between the bicycles and made this shot. I´m happy if you like it:)
missis jones has contributed a photo to this story.
at 13:38 on May 20th, 2008
Awesome Photo Barbara, I love it, you do excellent work!!
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freespirited14evrat 07:56 on May 23rd, 2008
Thank you for the request for my photo. Great article, I work for someone who bikes to work a much needed activity in the cities. The pink bicycle was parked outside a bakery near my office in Georgetown Washington DC.