Safety first, unless it costs to much - Lights

Over the years as a cyclist I have seen a lot of change, one of the most visible changes has been in lights for riding at night. Gone are the days when you needed bulky battery packs or generators, thanks to LED technology lights can be run on watch batteries for months. You can even get solar powered lights. My personal favorites are Monkey Electric which can create effects as seen in the picture above

Back in the early 90's I was bike commuting in a city that was not used to cyclists on the roads, especially at night. Reflectors and a reflective vest were simply not enough, especially when it came to city buses that would practically blow me off the road. A local bicycle shop had a new product on the market a rear strobing taillight that had three LED lights, ran on two double AA batteries, could clip on to my back pack and could be seen from a half a mile. Immediately after I started using it cars and busses gave me plenty of clearance when they passed and I could ride safer than ever at night.

Today these lights, often referred to as “blinkies” come in a wide range of sizes and prices, you can pick up basic lights on the internet for as a little as $5.00 and for about $20 you can outfit yourself with front and rear lights. On a recent night ride through Philadelphia I found that having front strobe was a big benefit when dealing with cars that were turning into traffic head of me.

Yet when I drive through Philadelphia at night I have to exercise a lot more caution in the areas of the Temple University and Penn. State Campuses. The number of college students who don't use night lights combined with the propensity many of them have for running red lights without even slowing down is staggering. Worse yet is the “I can't afford one” mentality, one student that I spoke told me how they ride day and night but they couldn't afford to by a rear blinky. You can easily one if you’re willing to brown bag your lunch or get coffee instead of cappuccino for a few days.

The twenty dollars you may spend on lights is going to cost you far less money than a trip to an emergency room if a car hits you. Also it’s a lot harder for a driver to claim they couldn't see you with a couple few strobes on your bikes.
   

Breakaway Bikes & Bicycle Rentals

 Since 2006 Breakaway Bikes has been running a bicycle rental operation at its summer location at Lloyd Hall, which city government received 30% of all rental fees. A proposed expansion by Breakaway Bikes owner Glenn Krotick would have added 3 additional locations at Schuylkill Banks, along the Wissahickon, and one near Valley Green.  Rather than work with the existing vendor the city of Philadelphia canceled the contract without notice and required a new bid.

Of the two companies that applied one was rejected as unacceptable and the other, Breakaway Bikes was rejected because of a bureaucratic technicality. When Breakaway Bikes submitted their bid they signed the cover letter with black ink, which the city later claimed they could not tell the difference between the original and the eight copies that were required. When a new cover letter was submitted, Breakaway Bikes bid was rejected because the original cover letter and the second one did not match. To add insult to injury when Breakaway Bikes asked for the return of the $5000.00 performance bond from 2006 they City of Philadelphia denied there was one. When proof was provided city government claimed that this was a security deposit that would be returned once the rental shack was removed. Something that Breakaway Bikes has opted not to do as a protest, if it were my business I would remove the shack, get my $5000.00 back and sell or donate the shack to a non-for profit to recoup any costs.

I have a great deal of sympathy for Breakaway Bikes and Glenn Krotick. It’s not easy working to make an idea successful and then have someone step in and take everything away just because they can.

Bike In Movie - Quicksilver

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is following up on its highly successful Bike In Movie in June when they screened Breaking Away to an audience of over 130 people and one dog. On Wednesday, July 6 they will be screening Quicksilver, staring Kevin Bacon.

I would like to commend the BCGP for continuing this effort and I hope that this will become an annual summer event. The BCGP made a tremendous effort to promote the screening of Breaking Away,

This time the BCGP has elected to use stealth marketing. Instead of following the concept of, if you build it they will come. They have tried as hard as possible to not let anyone know about the movie. There is nothing posted on the homepage of the website, the BCGP blog, or Twitter, even the Facebook page has a vague reference. Only if you click on the events link of the BCGP Facebook page can you find out the name of the movie and where it is being screened.

So what would I do?

This should be prominently featured on their Facebook page, BCGP website, blog, and Twitter page. Don't assume that only your membership is going to be interested in this screening. Avoid planning any event so close to a major holiday weekend; there is a very strong probability that your attendance is going to be smaller than normal since many people will take advantage of the long holiday weekend. Wait a week; your attendance will be better.

Safety First, unless it costs to much - Helmets

When it comes to bicycling it never ceases to amaze me how many bicyclists won’t take even the simplest and affordable precautions to help reduce their own risk of injury. Or the reasons they will come up with so they can talk themselves out of some of the most common sense means to protect themselves from injury.

I’ve ridden a bicycle prior to helmets being any everyday part of bicyclists lives. The first helmet I owned was a Bell Biker, this was the first commercially produced helmet for the everyday rider in 1975 and I bought one a few years after they came out. These were not the most attractive of helmets; it looked like you were wearing a white mushroom cap.

Now helmets come in a wide range of colors, styles, and prices. And yet the excuses for not wearing one continue to prevail. Here are some of the most common ones I have heard and my responses towards them.

Helmets are to hot to wear – Maybe back in the day of the Bell Biker, now helmets come so well ventilated there is no difference between riding without one. Besides what’s a little sweat compared to a brain injury

Do not provide any real protection – Really?? If you really want to find out ask an emergency room doctor or nurse. Broken bones will heal, brain injuries take very little to happen and you won't even realize how badly you are hurt. Lets remember Natasha Richardson died while skiing on a beginners slope when she bumped her head. Broken bones may need only a few weeks to heal followed by a few months of physical therapy. Brain injures can require hundreds of thousands in medical bills, years physical therapy, and can remain permanent. Ask yourself this do you have one million dollars and friends and family who are willing to devote years of support while you are in therapy helping you do the simplest of tasks, like eating with a fork or tying your shoes.

I can’t afford one – With companies like Wal-Mart selling helmets you can easily afford to buy one.  Still can't afford one, bring your own coffee instead of going to Starbucks or bring your own lunch for a week. The money saved will easily allow you to purchase a helmet.

I am not going to get hit by a car – In all my years of bicycling getting hit by a car has been the least of my worries. There are plenty of other significant factors that can contribute towards an accident whether you are riding on a street or trail. Including: Debris, potholes, trolley tracks, pedestrians, dogs on leashes, children, and other cyclists.

If you drive a car and wear seat belts wearing a helmet while bicycling won't kill you.

Take me out to the Ball Game

In 2008 Citizens Bank Park and the Philadelphia Phillies instituted their Red goes Green program, which significantly increased its recycling and using alternate energy sources. One of the items that the the Phillies did seem to drop the ball on was making riding a bicycle to the ballpark and having reasonable parking for cyclists. I realize that this is a very minor element given the size and scope of the project. But sometimes the devil is in the details especially when compared to other professional sports teams and the efforts they have made towards a complete package.

Lets start with bicycle parking, currently Citizens Bank Park has a mere 36 spaces, approximately 2 bike racks, for cyclists. On the other hand The Washington Nationals at Nationals Park has 250 bike racks and on game days expands the amount of bike parking by offering free valet bike parking in one of their parking garages.

Another aspect where Philadelphia professional sports teams fail to move the ball down the field is the use of bicycling and public relations. The Houston Astros, the Minnesota Twins, and the Denver Broncos all have organized bicycle rides to one of their games. Fans who participate in these rides have access to discounted tickets, gift bags, raffle prizes. The Denver Broncos offers exclusive use of the Bronco's Barn for cyclists who participate in the ride. Where they can watch the game on big screens, buy food, and all without having to purchase a ticket for the game.

So what would I do?

We've all seen what happens when any professional sports team wins a Superbowl or World Series, a massive parade is held to recognize the players accomplishments. Instead of waiting for this to happen why not create a parade? Imagine several hundred cyclists departing from City Hall following Broad St. to Citizen's Bank Park or Lincoln Financial Field to watch the Phillies or the Eagles play. All of the participants would be encouraged to wearing team colors creating a river of green or red. Only time will tell if the either the Eagles or Phillies management has the vision to create such an event.