Posts by Kenneth Reed7

On Friday, June 6th, part of the Tour de France organized by the cyclist union will dive deep into this very topic.

At 10:00 AM, head over to the Student Union on Savska Road for a panel discussion focused on preventing and fighting bike theft.

Friday, June 6, 2014 // 10:00-11:30

Description: Bike theft is a massive headache for everyone—new riders, veterans, and former cyclists alike. This panel is all about prevention and tackling this plague head-on. We’ll be chatting with local and international experts to get the full scoop.

Speakers:
Daniel Sascko, Cycling Registry, USA
The Cycling Registry was born from a simple idea shared by two friends and huge cycling enthusiasts: they wanted to help the riding community fight back against theft. Realizing there was zero national database for bikes, John and Daniel kicked off the creation of the registry in the spring of 2013. They made sure the registry would be online, accessible to everyone at any time, and constantly updated.

Marijan Podrug, Prevention Department, Chicago Police Department, USA

Tadej Brezin, Austria
Tadej Brezin is a research fellow and PhD candidate at the transportation research center within the TU Wien Institute of Transport. As a civil engineering master from TU Wien, his research focuses on public transit, cycling infrastructure, transportation, urban structures, and overall socio-technological systems, specifically regarding traffic flow.

Wolter and Riele, Netherlands, Dutch cycling embassy
Wolter and Riele are joining us representing the Dutch cycling embassy. He is an expert in developing public sector institutions and crafting strategies and public policy, particularly in spatial planning, transit, and major infrastructure projects. He even helped develop the Rotterdam urban mobility plan and led a project for the Ministry of Economic Affairs to improve cities through business initiatives aimed at beautifying neighborhoods. He’ll be sharing the experiences and strategies the Dutch have used over the decades to encourage cycling and combat bike theft.

Free admission!

Check out the full program details at www.pedalafest.eu

Nathan Castillo8 said:Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to dodge as many traffic lights as possible, plus those annoying speed bumps that force you to slam on the brakes.

I really need to check out the route along the embankment from the outskirts over to the West Side. If I go from Vegas to the edge of town, there are only about 3 or 4 lights. If I loop around the local bypass and hit the area near the "new" hospital by passing the golf course toward the West Side, I could definitely cut down on the stop-and-go. My only question is whether a jogging path can actually make it through there.

Brooklyn Bridge to Santa Monica, or maybe the embankment—whichever way works for you! You could take the Gateway Arch route, swing by Jefferson, hit the Central Park loop, and then head toward Minneapolis. Totaling less than two lights, and honestly, the drive is way more interesting than grinding along the main boulevards.

Ronald Diaz said:Maybe this is the wrong thread, but is there an actual plan or a map for bike paths in Chicago?
We're moving the office over to Xavier in a few weeks, so I’m really curious if there's even a legal way to ride home safely. 😁

You can check out a map right here: http://www.openstreetmap.org/
If you look at the top right, there's a little icon where you can toggle different views—one of them is specifically for bikes!

But honestly, that doesn't fully answer what you're asking. It really depends on which neighborhood you're in, but I'm 99% sure the answer is no. Even if you stick strictly to the roads and whatever paths actually exist, I highly doubt you could ride without running into at least a few $100 "infractions" 🙂 along the way.

wearyotter36 said:I haven't run into any paved hills where I actually have to push yet—honestly, that sounds way harder than just riding a bike!??

Just find a street in Mudifaj🙂

Eric Cruz5 said:I’d love to come, but I’m actually running a marathon in Columbus...

Look, I get it—giving up hard-earned gear is a tough call! But honestly? You might be able to hop on a train from the Columbus marathon straight into Washington, D.C., and catch the very start of the ride over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 🙂. Of course, that’s totally up to you!

At the end of the day, this ride is about way more than just pedaling. It's about those daily commutes and chatting with people about all things cycling. That spark of creativity and connection that happens in groups of enthusiasts right before and after a ride? That’s the whole point. Whether you call it "critical mass," a bike rally, or something else entirely, that's where the magic is!

Help someone out on their way to work by biking alongside them—that's real proof to a non-cyclist that you can ride without it being an exhausting ordeal. Point someone toward a local cycling site to show them all the cool trails around Washington, D.C., fix a flat tire for a stranger, or clear an obstacle out of someone's path. Even talking to drivers to remind them to give cyclists a couple of feet of space makes a difference. If you can't make it to this specific ride, you still have a chance every single day to help improve the status of bikes on the road! 🙂

rowdyharbor said:Yes, I definitely gave that exact sign last month! 😁

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/832/p1050878f.jpg

Awesome, thanks! 🙂

Eric Sanchez11 said:So, out near a small town just outside of Chicago, there’s this one spot where they’ve put up a sign right at the start of the sidewalk, basically banning bikes and motorcycles from riding on the pedestrian path.

Hmm, what does that actually look like? I’m actually putting together a collection of photos showing all sorts of typical—and totally weird—ways signs are used. Would you mind snapping a quick picture of it and sending it my way?

jadetiger962 said:Every single road is fair game for bikes unless there’s an actual sign saying you can't go there (and honestly, I haven't always been the best at following those signs, especially when I was traveling outside the US 😬).

jadetiger962 said:Alright, but why don't you think road etiquette could actually start with you?

Total North American mentality. ☕

😕 🤷

jadetiger962 said:Head over to the local bike shop next Thursday! They’ve got a wheel truing stand, cassette tools, and everything else you need. I actually spent some time there today working on my own gear—got two wheels perfectly centered for free (well, technically just paying for my own time)!

Man, I keep missing you! It feels like every single time you show up, I'm somewhere else, or at least just not there at the right moment. 🙂 🙂