Watch this. Â And then double check your city welds theirs before you ever lock your bike to one of those again.
Category: Cycling Page 8 of 34
So it turns out that I’m going to Taiwan next week, courtesy of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB). Â I’ll be checking out the cycling along the east coast of Taiwan (primarily in Taitung and Hualien) and in Taipei. Â The agenda is packed, but I hope to push out regular updates while I’m there, and then produce some more thoughtful pieces after I return. Â Free time will be at a premium, but if you’ve been (or are thinking about going) and have any suggestions for must-sees in the areas I’ll be in, please let me know. Â One universal response I’ve already gotten is Taroko Gorge, which I’m pleased to say I’ll be visiting.
I’m particularly excited to be coming at this trip from a cycling-specific perspective. Â While my personal travel has come to more frequently involve cycling (riding the Koppenberg in Belgium, mountain biking in Australia, or hitting the road in Nova Scotia), I’ve never made an overseas trip for the primary purpose of riding. Â It’s something that I’ve been thinking about (one day, to the Giro!), so I’m really quite excited to be doing this, and hope that – afterwards – I can help others figure out what’s involved in doing this themselves.
As you might already know, I quite enjoy writing about travel and all of its bits and pieces.  From the need to move, the means of getting there, and the destinations themselves.  Sometimes you can do it with just a photo.  Other times, many words are required.  And then there’s always music.  If I do this right, I’m sure Taiwan will give me all three.
Finally, I want to note that this only happening because of Richard Masoner, who was kind enough to connect me with the folks at the TTB.  He will be hosting much of the content that results from this trip at Cyclelicio.us.  If you’re into cycling, you’re already reading Cyclelicio.us.  And if you’re not, give it a try.  My larger travel pieces will be here (along with everything else . . . eventually), but the cycling-related stuff will show up at Cyclelicio.us first.  I’ll soon be posting more about the trip itself, but I thought this would be a good way to kick things off.
Photo by Alex Lin.
As you might have heard, Capital Bikeshare launched today. Â As part of the launch, staff and volunteers rode the bikes from the Navy Yard/Department of Transportation to stations around the city. Â It wasn’t all of the bikes (it’ll take another week or so to get all the stations in place, I understand), but it was quite a few:
I was tapped to lead a group to the station at the corner of 21st and I St (NW).
It turned out to be a very DC ride with a very DC group of people (policy analyst, political staffer, university staffer and lawyer (me) made up my group). Â We start by heading up New Jersey Ave SE (that is not my thumb. Â Because I would never do that. Â Obviously.):
New Jersey Ave is closed to most vehicular traffic near the Capitol, but bit of bollard threading brought us out to Independence, where we made a left:
And from there, we wrapped around the front of the Capitol on First St., and then down Pennsylvania, where we hoped to take advantage of the new bike lanes. Â Except:
Ah, another MPD officer who confuses bike lanes for parking spots. Â Always one or two around.
Except, wait, why so many? Â And what’s up with that really angry one who decided that the best way to communicate with citizens is to adopt an overly aggressive and hostile tone while forcing us onto the sidewalk? Â Oh, this is why:
Obamacade! Â With that out of the way, we retake the street (because the MPD’s just gonna hang out in the lanes a little longer, thankyouverymuch):
We make a right on 15th to get up to I St., except . . . street closed again. Â Back onto the sidewalk (walking, of course, because you can’t bike on the sidewalk in the Central Business District in DC). Â Why closed? Â Oh, sit in:
These folks were probably about 15 minutes away from getting arrested, I’m thinking.
Next, from 15th we turn and head westward on I St. Â Hey, look, another unfair labor practices picket line (it was noted that the people in this line are probably not the usuals that get hired to do it):
And we arrive and dock the bikes at 21st and I, just at the edge of the George Washington University campus. Â Success!
It was a great ride, and I got to start my week with my friends Tim & Chris from BikeArlington, Chantal/Greg & the rest of the staff from WABA, Chris from Cycleboredom, Joel of Gwadzilla, Angela/Jakob of Revolution Cycles, Jay/Walter/Chris of Arlington County, Fionualla of FABB, and a bunch of other bike (and otherwise) friendly faces I’m sure I’m forgetting right now.  All in all, an excellent way to kick off the week.
And Capital Bikeshare? Â It’s going to work. Â More info here (and if you’ve already got a bike, here’s a great case for you signing up, too.).
I’ve never really been one for hero worship of any kind, and especially not sports hero worship. Â But man, if there is anyone who deserves it, it’s Jens! Voight:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfiBbZJTx9s&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Follow the link above for a great collection of stories, quotes, and videos that make Jens! awesome.
Just a reminder that the Bicycle Film Festival is taking place in DC tonight and tomorrow. Â I’ll be checking out Bicycle Dreams, a film about the Race Across America and the suffering it requires. Â That’s at 3pm tomorrow.
All films are being shown at the Gala Theatre, and tickets can be bought at the link above (or, I believe, at the door). Â A $35 festival pass is also available.
Two years ago today, Alice Swanson was struck and killed by a truck while riding her bike to work. Â In the days, weeks, and months that followed, there was much discussion about what, exactly, happened (and how it could have been prevented). Â The DC MPD, in my view, was not very forthcoming with the details of its investigation. Â No charges were ever brought against the driver. Â The document below – the “Final Overview Memo” from DC’s MPD – should have been made public a long time ago.
Update: This report was issued in December of 2008, and I obtained a copy not long after. Â The report was not recently released by the DC MPD, and I apologize to readers for not making that clearer in my introduction.
There are many lessons to be drawn from this memo, but for now, I’ll just urge that those who are interested in cycling safety (and its relationship to law enforcement) give it a full read.
Update II: After you’ve read the report above (and hopefully shared your view here), you should check out WashCycle’s analysis here.
This Sunday, the Capital Criterium returns to Pennsylvania Avenue. Â In addition to pro racing at 1pm, there are local races in the AM, a kids race (free helmets for every entrant) after, and a local celebrity ride in support of bringing a stage of the Giro d’Italia to DC in 2012. Â I’ll be there. Â You? Photos from the inaugural edition are here. Â More info after the jump.
Sometimes this place gets trapped in a bit of aspirational paralysis – I have so many things put aside to be noted and written about that I’m unable to get started on any one in particular. Â So, forgive (and hopefully enjoy) some of the declutter:
Matt Tabbai takes on Lara Logan’s ridiculous attack on the journalism of Mike Hastings (author of the piece that sent McChrystal packing).
See, according to Logan, not only are reporters not supposed to disclose their agendas to sources at all times, but in the case of covering the military, one isn’t even supposed to have an agenda that might upset the brass! Why? Because there is an “element of trust” that you’re supposed to have when you hang around the likes of a McChrystal. You cover a war commander, he’s got to be able to trust that you’re not going to embarrass him. Otherwise, how can he possibly feel confident that the right message will get out?
If you click on nothing else in this post, click on the first link.
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As ever, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is an embarrassment to decent people everywhere.
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I didn’t expect England to get near the finals, but I didn’t expect them to go home so soon. Â I much would have preferred they face Ghana than Germany. Â James Fallows has a great roundup of the dark mood that befell most of the British press by the end of the ENG-GER match.
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If the title of this doesn’t take you there, I don’t know what to say – Pablo Escobar, Guerillas, and My Dream Bike. Â The world is filled with amazing stories.
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Jon Shure attempts to answer the question – If You Tax Them, Will They Flee? It’s not a bad analysis to pull out whenever you start hearing the “If we raise taxes here, we’ll drive out all the rich!” Â It’s something I hear around here (DC/VA/MD) in cycles, and yet people pretty much stay put. Â Shocking, no?
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A perhaps surprising admission – I’m enjoying the Kagan confirmation hearings. Â Some of it is being reminded of con law issues I’d long since forgotten, or getting a quick sketch of where current hot issues stand. Â And part of it is just the mostly friendly approach of all involved. Â Unfortunately, there’s always Jeff Sessions (R-Unreconstructed South) to spoil things. Â Christ is he dumber than a box of rocks.
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I’m sure this only happens in academia.
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The Airbus A380 continues to be a draw for some travelers. Â The closest I’ve gotten to one was on the tarmac at LAX, unfortunately. Â Someday. Â Soon, I hope.
A thoughtful piece from a Toronto-based cycling blog. Â It gets to the question of culture, which I think is at the core of what makes it safe to get on a bike in a community.
Throwing elbows in the 5 and Under Category
As I’ve done in the previous few years, I’ve put up my shots from the Clarendon Cup kids race for parents to peruse and pick from. This is pretty much a low-to-no editing raw stream. Â They’re not for sale, but if you want a print, you’re welcome to grab the highest res file you can and have it printed yourself.
(If you’re not looking for a particular kid, wait a bit, as I’ll be doing an edited and captioned set later on, after I’ve finished the pro race sets.)