Constructing the Beast: Shining Steel Rims and Metal Tines

[Bartholomew]

Blind curves are much less blind when you're on the outside of them. A bike on the inside of a blind curve has to worry; a bike on the outside of a blind curve is plainly visible from a good distance.

But if your day is not done during the day, you can't bike back home. So... bike _on campus_. You should get an old (1970s-80s) 10-speed road bike that fits you, which will be pretty cheap, oil its chain, put on tires, make sure it has good brakes, and go for a spin. (perhaps stay on the sidewalk until you're comfortable on the bike).

 

[Moonbear]

So... bike _on campus_. You should get an old (1970s-80s) 10-speed road bike that fits you, which will be pretty cheap, oil its chain, put on tires, make sure it has good brakes, and go for a spin. (perhaps stay on the sidewalk until you're comfortable on the bike).

Here's the deal, I don't mind you being enthusiastic about bikes and sharing your enthusiasm. However, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me what I should or shouldn't do. I have no need to bike on campus. Why would I go to the expense of getting a bike and lugging it to campus when I have two perfectly good feet to walk me to where I need to go? Hmm...let me see, I'll hop on the bike, ride it the 100 feet to the corner, walk it across the intersection, ride it another 20 feet to the next building, oh wait, now I need to ride it around the block to where there's another bike rack, now walk further to the building from the bike rack than it was to just walk from front door to front door, and find myself on the complete opposite side of the building from where I needed to be...yeah, that's useful. The only time a bike would possibly be useful to me would be the rare days I need to go from the medical campus to the undergrad campus for something, but then I just hop the shuttle that stops across the street from my office/lab. Once on the undergrad campus, again, no need to bike, I can walk everywhere.

 

[Mk]

My foot is covered with bloody gashes, large pieces of skin hanging off my foot in strips, and since I'm allergic, it immediately became swollen and bright pink and felt like it was on fire. NICE CAT!

I'm terrified of falling asleep now.

Get my shotgun! I'm goin after that... that thing!

So I recommend... get one of your own! You know, if everyone in cities used bicycles when they could, there would be no traffic jams. Four or five bikes fit comfortably side by side in the space of one car. Cars and trucks are only good for transporting bulky and heavy things or on the open road.

Have you ever seen that cover of National Geographic, of Shanghi, there's got to be like 100 people stuck in a traffic jam, all on bicycles.

 

[Bartholomew]

With 100 bikes in a small amount of space you might have a traffic jam. But consider how much _less_ of a traffic jam than... 100 cars.

Moonbear, everywhere there is a streetlight, a flagpole, a sturdy piece of modern art, or a steel railing, there's a place to lock your bike. You don't _need_ to use a bike, but it's addictive if you give it a try. Getting and outfitting a pretty good 1970s-80s street bike can cost you <$100. What do you have to lose?

 

[Bartholomew]

One thing about biking is how the wind affects you. When there's enough wind to set a flag flopping, it feels like a gale in your face going against it. When the wind rises for a moment to say 15 mph it feels like you're about to be stopped short. Conversely, going with the wind, you're suddenly, effortlessly, moving 10 mph faster than you would in still air. Air resistance is the only factor that prevents you from doing 50 or 100 mph, and breezes can affect your speed dramatically. It's like sailing.

 

[Bartholomew]

I set my front bicycle wheel spinning this afternoon with a single good push. I timed it: 6 minutes 35 seconds later, the wheel finally stopped spinning.

Bicycles are such precision instruments.