http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World Thu, 24 May 2012 02:02:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World Commute Orlando no Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/category/commute/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/21/ride-with-larry-2-orlando-version-june-2nd/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/21/ride-with-larry-2-orlando-version-june-2nd/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 14:35:55 +0000 John Alexander http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15420 What? An Orlando version of the “Ride With Larry 2″ When? Saturday – June 2, 2012.  8:00 am Where? “Great Trail Loop” – a 50 mile route that will connect many of the trails in Seminole and Orange Counties.  Details on the starting point and map are being finalized. Why? A year ago Larry Smith, a person who has lived with Parkinson’s Disease for 20 years rode 300 miles across South Dakota over five days.  I was fortunate to take part in the final day of that ride.  Larry’s friends and family have scheduled “Ride With Larry 2.” a one day, 50 mile ride.  To honor their effort, raise awareness for Parkinson’s, and simply have a great time, I am organizing an Orlando version on the same day.  No fee, lots of friendship and fun.  Hope to see you there. For a bit of motivation, here’s the latest trailer of the Ride With Larry documentary - due out later this summer.]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/21/ride-with-larry-2-orlando-version-june-2nd/feed/ 0 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/18/rx-take-one-bike-ride-as-needed-for-anxietystress/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/18/rx-take-one-bike-ride-as-needed-for-anxietystress/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 12:45:38 +0000 Diana http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15401     On January 2nd of this year, I took my 13 year old samoyed, Khyber, for fiber optic- guided laparoscopic laser surgery at the University of Florida’s School of Veterinary Medicine. I had anticipated 2-3 day trip, but poor Khyber  had complications that required emergency major abdominal surgery, and I ended up staying in Gainesville for an entire week         I had packed a folding bike in my van at the last minute, although I didn’t think that I would have occasion to use it. It’s lightweight and folds up small, so it was no trouble.         The UF Veterinary School is a world class facility, with state of the art veterinary care. I cannot say enough good things about them. Although I was in Gainesville while the undergraduates were still on vacation, I was pleased to see that the bicycle racks at the veterinary school were all in use, and I remarked on that. The veterinary surgeon who handled my dog’s care, and his intern, as it turned out, are both bicycle riders. They recommended some local trails and encouraged me to get out and ride. My dog was in excellent hands, [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/18/rx-take-one-bike-ride-as-needed-for-anxietystress/feed/ 1 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/17/bike-to-work-with-me-mayor-dyer-2/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/17/bike-to-work-with-me-mayor-dyer-2/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 12:23:56 +0000 Diana http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15334 Dear Mayor Dyer, Thank you for the invitation to bike to work with you again, on May 25th of this year. Maybe you would like to bike to work with me some day. I leave a little bit earlier than you do, so you would need to meet me no later than 6:45 AM. We won’t have a hundred other cyclists with us, and we won’t have dozens of Orlando Police Department patrol officers to escort us and block intersections so that we can ride straight through without motorists. But it’s a fun ride, and you will have some options. Allow me to take you through a little taste of what’s in store for you the first 1/2 mile section. Here is the view of Primrose northbound, just south of the 408 expressway, from a driver’s perspective. As you can see, there’s not much road space here. If you try to ride the “white line”, as far to the right edge as you can, you will need to have narrow handlebars, nerves of steel, and the good luck to be alongside compact cars. There’s a little surprise awaiting you in the form of a particularly brutal grate. Good luck with that! Here’s what [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/17/bike-to-work-with-me-mayor-dyer-2/feed/ 7 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/11/freedom-to-ride/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/11/freedom-to-ride/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 05:23:33 +0000 John Alexander http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15308 A neighbor of mine suffered a spinal chord injury at work a couple of years ago.  While he doesn’t have the use of his legs, he is able to propel himself around in his wheelchair and enjoys getting outside for the fresh air and exercise.   He stays in touch with his friends using one of the two or three cell phones that he carries at all times.  He’s always cheery and eager to chat, unless he’s busy on the phone.  I tease him that he is running a numbers racquet from the cul-de-sac. We frequently talk about cycling.  If I’m headed out for a ride, he always asks where I’m going and quizzes me about what I saw when I return.  If he sees me loading my bike on the car rack, he’ll ask, “Are you going downtown for a First Friday Ride?”.  Often he’ll say that he wishes that he could go for a bike ride – no doubt thinking back to days in the past when he was able to do just that. That got me thinking, “Why couldn’t he go for a ride?”.   His arms and shoulders are strong, so a hand crank operated device [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/11/freedom-to-ride/feed/ 10 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/26/colonial-bike-club-proposed-trail/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/26/colonial-bike-club-proposed-trail/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:17:05 +0000 Jesse http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15172 Where you ride your bike is a civil rights issue–fifty years ago, people were asked to move to the other side of the road because they were different. The same thing is happening now. The law states that we’re supposed to ride as close to the right hand side of the road as is practicable. I am sure that this is meant for protection of cyclists, for consolidating space, for ease of traffic flow. But the result is that bike riders feel they need to move out of the way, and cars ride right past them in the same lane at the same speed they were going before they saw the bike—which is scary! So a lot of people don’t ride their bikes in the road. But the road isn’t patently bad or scary. Those same people would stand next to a car that was broken down—even on, say, State Road 436 (a 50mph 6+ lane highway from the Orlando International Airport and spanning two counties of urban sprawl). The reason these people would stand next to this car (even in traffic), I believe, is because there is an understanding that the other cars will simply go around them. They [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/26/colonial-bike-club-proposed-trail/feed/ 18 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/17/save-the-world-park-a-bike/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/17/save-the-world-park-a-bike/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:31:00 +0000 Brad http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15138   Bike/Walk Central Florida is sending out an all points bulletin for all intelligent lifeforms within blog shot. We need a few good men (and women) to help us staff the Bike Valet at the Earth Day celebration at Lake Eola. Major thanks to Cesar Cesareo of the Tour de Cure, who has agreed to loan us some bike racks, and to Andrew Harrell, who has pledged time and talent to help transport the equipment to and from the site. Thanks, as well, to the inimitable Anna McCambridge and my lovely wife Darlyn Kuhn, for already taking up the cause. We sure could use another ten volunteers to put in an hour or two, babysitting bikes and helping us spread the word about pedestrian safety. What a great way to save the world and help your community at the same time — a karmic twofer! Shoot me an email c/o brad@floridabicycle.org to let me know what hours you are available to help. Thanks! ]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/17/save-the-world-park-a-bike/feed/ 3 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/12/rodney-send-off-ride/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/12/rodney-send-off-ride/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:06:25 +0000 Diana http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15127 Orlando’s loss = Houston’s gain. Rodney is leaving us to relocate to Texas with his job. He’s been a big part of Orlando cycling, and he will be missed by many of us. We’re having a send-off ride for him on Tuesday, April 17, 2012  at 6:30 PM. This will be an easy, social ride, starting at the parking garage behind the Landmark  building at 315 E  Robinson Street. The street behind the building is Ridgewood. We’ll end up at Anthony’s in Thornton Park for pizza. Come join us for a nice downtown evening ride to say “goodbye” and “tailwinds” to Rodney.]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/12/rodney-send-off-ride/feed/ 4 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/04/why-bicyclists-are-better-customers-than-drivers-for-local-business/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/04/why-bicyclists-are-better-customers-than-drivers-for-local-business/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:54:15 +0000 Bill http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15103 When you drive your bike to a local business and there’s no bike rack, what do you do?  I usually find the manager and explain to her/him that I’m a good customer, I would appreciate a bike rack, and there are lots more like me that feel the same way.  Unfortunately I sometimes get confused stares and the manager mumbles something about talking to his/her boss.  Sometimes the bike rack gets installed, sometimes I have to keep asking. Many business owners don’t realize the potential of being bike friendly.  This article (link below) from DC.streetsblog.org points out the benefits available to businesses who decide to become bike friendly.  Encouraging businesses to become bike friendly benefits not only the businesses but us in the biking community, and it provides a better biking environment which encourages more people to use their bikes.  A win for all. Here’s the link. Bill]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/04/why-bicyclists-are-better-customers-than-drivers-for-local-business/feed/ 10 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/02/a-quiet-revolution-in-bicycles-recapturing-a-role-as-utilitarian-people-movers/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/02/a-quiet-revolution-in-bicycles-recapturing-a-role-as-utilitarian-people-movers/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:14:59 +0000 Bill http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15092 I ran across this article written by Dr. Morgan Giddings recently, and while it’s been out there a while, many of you, like me, may not have seen it. Dr. Giddings writes of the use of bicycles for utilitarian purposes, taking the place of the automobile, and how this phenomena is becoming increasingly relevant and popular with rising fuel prices and concern for the environment. Two main topics are explored.  One is the evolution of cargo bikes, and two, the use of electrical motor assists.  I’ll be very interested to hear reader experiences and opinions on both.  Especially thought provoking is the idea that using electrical motor assists may not be “pure bicycling”, and does that really matter. Here are a couple quotes: “Every innovation has its place and time. Some innovations happen before the market is ready for them and wither on the vine. Others miss the boat, being too late. Ross Evans’ Xtracycle was in the right place and time to help people in poorer areas of the world make more practical use of a bicycle – especially if the only alternative is traveling on foot. But in the late 1990‘s, the richer countries weren’t ready for this kind [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/04/02/a-quiet-revolution-in-bicycles-recapturing-a-role-as-utilitarian-people-movers/feed/ 11 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/03/22/climbing-a-mountain-in-scotland/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/03/22/climbing-a-mountain-in-scotland/#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:43:31 +0000 John Alexander http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15041   While biking has been my favorite form of exercise for some time, I thought that I would add some variety to my routine.  Some might call that “cross training” but I decided to set a “stretch goal” and have a go at mountain climbing.  (Note: double click on any photo to enlarge for better viewing).   A few years ago I met Roger Barr from Scotland.  He hikes for fun – just a bit farther than most people.  One of Roger’s hobbies is “Munro Bagging.”  A “Munro” is a mountain in Scotland with a height of over 3,000 ft.  There are 283 such mountains in Scotland.  Several years ago, Roger set out to climb all of them, an accomplishment shared by a rather small group of people.  He recorded his first Munro in 1994 by ascending Aonach Eagach Ridge, the most dangerous ridge walk in Scotland.  He achieved his goal in 2006 by reaching the peak of Ladhar Bheinn.  In addition, he takes “wee walks” which often consist of several hundred miles at one time.  This summer he will complete the “Coast to Coast Walk” covering 192 miles and spanning the width of England.  He will also finish the [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/03/22/climbing-a-mountain-in-scotland/feed/ 3