back to commuting - back to being screamed at by ignorant motorists

For the past year, I didn't live far enough from work to bother bicycling (I was walking to work), but I recently started a new job, so yesterday was my first bicycle ride to work and back. It felt great! It was also nice that the snow had melted so that there was room for me on the side of the road.

But on my way home, an ignorant motorist shouted out the window to me. "Get off the ____ road, you _____!" You may fill in the blanks with "public" and "bicyclist" if you wish, but that would not really convey the spirit of what the boy said. Well, he looked like a boy, to me.

I can't wait to try out Google's maps for BICYCLE routes!

I've been waiting for this for a long time. At one point, I started working on a program that would use Google's map tools to create bicycle routes, but the programming was a little over my head.

Google Maps Finally Adds Bike Routes (click here for complete article on Wired.com)

At long last, Google Maps has routes specifically for bikes.

New Orleans bike taxis could get City Council OK

I'm going to write a note to these people to ask for a copy of the draft legislation mentioned in the article. I hope the legislation passes, because it will help keep bike taxis (AKA pedicabs) on the street in other cities. Who knows, it could even encourage people to PUT bike taxis on their streets.

New Orleans pedicabs could get City Council OK

By Bruce Eggler, The Times-Picayune
January 26, 2010

Guy bikes to work

Read more

from the New York Times: Ask A Bicycle Mechanic

This bike mechanic must love a challenge. In this article on the New York Times web site, bike mechanic Eric Schofield will be answering questions that readers post in the comments section of the article.

At this point, there are already 88 comments, and some of them are multi-part questions. Wow, has this guy got a lot of work cut out for him, or what?

Ask a Bicycle Mechanic
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Even a policeman on a bike can be a deterrent against lawbreaking

Pedal patrolman's life has its share of knocks, scrapes

Even a policeman on a bike can be a deterrent against lawbreaking

Wichai Jitsatjawong does not mind taking a few knocks and bumps in the interests of fighting crime.

A bicycle patrolman from Thian Thalay police station in Bangkok, Pol Sr Sgt Maj Wichai has been known to chase criminals on his bike if they refuse his order to stop.

ride your bike to the bus stop

In Buffalo, NY, there are a lot of buses with bike racks on the front, so that you can extend your bicycle commute to the furthest reaches of the NFTA Metro system. (Unfortunatley, bike rack installation isn't 100% yet, so there are still a few OLDER buses without racks.)

Here's how they're promoting the use of bike racks in Kentucky:

Coming to a store near you: chainless bicycles

I read this article on cnn.com with a little excitement, because I would love to avoid the problems that come with maintaining (or in my case, failing to maintain!) a bicycle chain:

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Pedalers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.

If you've ever been riding down the street and had your pants cuff ripped asunder, there may be a revolution at hand.