bicycling

New bike racks sprout in Dorchester

adamg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:48:27 -0400

Just like the city promised, DotBike reports.

How to tell a Boston bicyclist

adamg — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:04:24 -0400

He's the one with a large Dunkin' Donuts cup in place of a water bottle strapped to his bike frame.

Cops cracking down on light-running cyclists in Kendall Square

adamg — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:41:39 -0400

Stacie reports getting a warning from a cop this morning:

... I did a typical bike thing--I ran through an intersection instead of stopping because it's easier--and I got caught. Had I been fined, I'd have paid it and (believe it or not) I wouldn't have complained about it. When you're wrong, you're wrong. ... Now, how about handing out some tickets to people in cars who (1) park in the bike lane and/or (2) run red lights?

Those bike racks on buses aren't much good if the drivers won't let people with bikes use them

adamg — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:35:47 -0400

Today's only-in-T-land adventure comes from En Ki, who reports that when he got to Lechmere with his bike last night, the driver of the 80 bus closed the door and drove on without him rather than wait for him to put his bike on the rack. So he got on his bike, beat the bus to the next stop and the driver blew right past him. He then tried to catch up, found the bus coming back the other way, got to a bus stop - and the driver once again drove right by him.

... Next time I find myself in this situation, of course, I will ask myself "What Would Dan Grabauskas Do?"

Bike vs. bike

adamg — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:48:18 -0400

Steve Nadis reports on his smashing meeting with an MIT bicyclist at Mass. Ave. and Memorial Drive.

The midnight ride of a lot of bike riders

adamg — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:41:35 -0400

Rhea Becker reports on Saturday's Back Bay Midnight Pedalers ride around Boston:

... Among the places we visited were Brookline's Cottage Farm area, the Shirley-Eustis historic mansion in Roxbury, the Charlestown Navy Yard, the Rose Kennedy Greenway. All of these were refreshingly traffic-free in the middle of the night. We ended the 32-mile extravaganza at the harbor, where we arrived in perfect timing to see the sunrise.

Photos from the ride.

Meanwhile, Tim Pierce reports on Friday's Courteous Mass bike ride through Back Bay, downtown Boston and along the waterfront. Unlike Critical Mass rides, participants agreed not to run red lights or block or "cork" intersections:

... Intersections were tricky. If you don't cork the intersections, it's inevitable that a large group of riders will get split up when the light turns red. When that happened on this ride, the riders in front slowed down or stopped at the curb to let the folks behind the light catch up. It seems like the alternative would be to allow the group to split into smaller pelotons (which is easier to do if the group has agreed on a route to begin with). ...

New Allston bike lanes get heavy usage - by cars

adamg — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:13:13 -0400

Harry Mattison photographs a bevy of cars parked in those brand spanking new bike lanes the city just installed:

... Cars parked in the bike lane force the bikes to swerve in and out of traffic - a situation that could be more dangerous than having no bike lane at all. So hopefully drivers will learn - with help from some parking tickets, if needed - that bike lanes are for bikes, not cars. ...

Ed. Great White North note: In Montreal, some bike lanes actually have curbs to keep the cars out.

A bicycle commute

adamg — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:18:27 -0400

Interesting stop-motion video by a bicyclist on his way to work (he even stops for a red light).

Might be a bit discomforting, though, if you're the sort who needs Dramamine on boat trips.

Comm. Ave. to get bike lanes

adamg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:42:44 -0400

Boston Biker has the scoop on the new lanes between Kenmore Square and the BU Bridge.

Cambridge Police force bicyclists to obey the law

adamg — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:46:18 -0400

Rob Bellinger advises that Cambridge Police are actually ticketing bicyclists who run a red light at Mass. Ave. and Pleasant Street:

... They got eight bicyclists for this while I was having lunch nearby, plus ticketed another for biking on the sidewalk in front of 7-11. ...