Sunday, December 7, 2014

Hewson, Hasids, Hipsters and Apps



Should you have your own little seat cover for bike share?  Something that has a pattern that defines you in this moment in your life, and won't be an embarrassment years later like that ill-considered mullet?  Polka dots, perhaps.  Maybe something animal print?  A Mondrian if you are feeling special.  Little bicycles, so that you are beginning to act like the woman who wears the Christmas tree sweater to the Christmas party.  Hmmm.  Maybe not.  Sounds a little like those useless seat covers in public restrooms.  And yet, some feel that this is a good idea, maybe even worth $35.  Perhaps this was inspired by naked bike day, which raised all sorts of concerns about bacteria.
http://sf.racked.com/archives/2014/12/04/cityseat-bike-seat.php



If the most successful bike share programs have a lot of stations with fewer bikes in each station, so one narrative goes.  If this is true, then Washington should consider that model, says Greatergreaterwashington.org.  There could be one on nearly every corner with as few as seven bikes.  Perhaps, but I wonder how they could be kept full or empty enough to meet demand.  It seems more efficient to have the hale among us walk a few extra blocks to get a bike from a big dock knowing one will actually be there since the Bikeshare trucks have been by.  But if there's an algorithm for that, okay.  I am for it. #bikeshare
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/25056/capital-bikeshare-needs-smaller-stations-but-more-of-them/

More good news reported by GGW for bike share users.  There is now a site to help you choose your transit method based on when the next bus or train is coming and how many bikes are in the nearest dock. #davidalpertforpresident  #bikeshareapp
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/25083/ride-dc-puts-real-time-transit-info-on-the-screen/


If you live in a small house or apartment and bike storage has given you the design blues, you may want to check out the Schindelhauer thin bike, which can be stored almost flat against the wall.  At the Berlin Bike show this week, the German company debuted its limited edition, iPhone-white bike with the pedals that fold up and handlebars that turn.  It is a beautiful, sparely designed item worthy of Jony Ive or Massimo Vignelli. #schindelhauerthinbike
http://road.cc/content/news/137934-berlin-bike-show-launches-limited-edition-version-schindelhauer-thinbike



Heard rumors that Bono - as in Paul Hewson - of U2 fame biked around NYC unrecognized simply by dressing as an Hasidic Jew?  When The Edge made this claim (in jest of course) there were several who believed him.  Not so says an online Jewish news source, adding that Hasidics have opposed cyclist-scoff-laws and bike share stations because the users do not dress modestly.  "Hipsters vs. Hasids," the Huffington Post once dubbed this clash.  It's always hipsters vs. someone, usually someone in an S.U.V., or taxi, so it seems fresh to add a little variety to the tales of various fabled wars between cyclists and "others."  #bono
http://gawker.com/bono-likes-to-ride-his-bike-while-dressed-as-a-hasidic-1666737633
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/08/hipsters-hasidic-jews-fig_n_384579.html
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/04/debunked-u2s-bono-was-not-dressed-as-a-hasidic-jew-when-his-bike-crashed-in-central-park/
http://www.jta.org/2014/12/05/news-opinion/the-telegraph/no-bono-did-not-disguise-himself-as-a-hasidic-jew

Looking to get fitted so that when you ride you won't have knee pain?  Remember that height isn't the only factor to consider in saddle positioning.  Here's a little guide for you until you can get to an expert fitter.  #bikefitting
http://www.bicycling.com/maintenance/repair-maintenance/bike-fit-set-your-saddle-height?adbid=541185812793020416&adbpl=tw&adbpr=17900130&cid=socRe_20141206_36773827

So if I see you in the bike planes, whether you are a Hasid, Hipster, or a cleverly-dressed combination of the two, let's be smug.
Elisa P.


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