Friday Random Bike Blogging
In addition to the shocking Oyster tragedy posted below....I am shocked to learn there are only a dozen full time female bike messengers in NYC.
Slideshow of some here, like 43 year old Carmen Burkart....
I'll just add my personal peeve note....unless you are an honest to gosh bicycle messenger like Carmen, working in heavy city traffic, don't do that to your handle bars as it actually looks stupid, not hip and makes your bike act squirrelly.
Finally for when you despair that you just Can't do something, take some inspiration from blind, yes Blind, bike trials* rider Matt Gilman:
* "Bike trials is an individual sport that incorporates the use of a
special bicycle which the rider must maneuver and balance on in order
to complete specially designed artificial or natural "sections." The
objective is to pass through the sections with as little physical
contact with the ground as possible, hence obtaining minimum penalty
points."
I'm always on the side of anyone on a bike in a city. Many moons (decades) ago I commuted by bike from SW DC up to a law firm just south of Dupont Circle on Connecticut Ave. The going-to was largely uphill...sucks. The coming-from was a lot faster but way more prone to vehicular mayhem.
I was hit by buses, cabs were especially likely to drive me off the road. The worst were the Northern Virginia commuters racing down Constitution Ave to get to their bridge and hence home. I was young and fearless then.
Posted by: serge | November 22, 2008 at 07:59
serge...I hear ya on the young and fearless....then.
Posted by: scout | November 22, 2008 at 08:35
I used to have a hybrid Mongoose(back when that brand meant something)with chopped handlebars, worked okay for me.
Posted by: BlakNo1 | November 22, 2008 at 10:43
Now that I'm thinking about it, I really miss that bike.
Posted by: BlakNo1 | November 22, 2008 at 10:49
I got hit by a cab back in September, broke my tailbone.
Not only was the guy trying to beat the light, he was trying to take a left turn at the same time.
Posted by: BlakNo1 | November 22, 2008 at 10:51
anybody here know the music/musician with this youtube? thanks.
Posted by: 2bears | November 22, 2008 at 17:17
but can he ride?
Posted by: pansypoo | November 22, 2008 at 19:53
Uh oh ... I *was* just about to cut my handlebars short like that. To my defense, I'm not a bike messenger but I do ride in Manhattan traffic quite a bit and I have snagged my bars on rear-view mirrors in the past ... please don't think less of me.
Posted by: dan mcenroe | November 25, 2008 at 10:37