Why Do People Dislike Cyclists?

Discussing why some people dislike cyclists, and the behaviors that contribute to negative stereotypes.

Chances are if someone has been riding a bicycle on the roads for years, they may have experienced the road rage of angry motorists, the ridicule from their friends or even have had near death experiences on the road with motorists or on the trail with pedestrians. To be fair, all dedicated cyclists encounter this, whether they are "good", friendly cyclists or cyclists with entitlement issues and god complexes. There are certain types of behaviors that trigger the ire in motorists and even other cyclists that we can avoid. This will contribute to mutual respect on the roads and a safer commute or ride to our destinations. I'm going to shed some light as to what these negative behaviors are and how we can avoid them.

"The Roadie Complex": Even among other cyclists, the term "roadie" is usually applied in derogatory form. It's not something cyclists are proud of or like being called, usually because of all of the negative stereotypes that are attached with the term. When someone is labeled a roadie, is it not simply because they are cycling on the road. A guy on a mountain bike riding on the street is not going to be labeled a roadie. Neither will a plain clothes cyclist on an old road bike. The phrase is almost always exclusively applied to the spandex clad, carbon fiber cyclist with a "look at me" attitude. Although some people apply the term to a rider's physical appearance and/or bike, physical appearance and style of bicycle have nothing to do with it. Note that the "attitude" has to be present is order for the label to stick. The "look at me" attitude can take many forms, but the principal attribute is rudeness. A cyclist can be rude when he or she doesn't acknowledge other trail users. They can be rude when they fail to yield to pedestrians or come to complete stops at intersections. Sometimes riding two abreast on two lane, two way streets instead of riding single file can be perceived as rudeness by motorists.  Roadies get upset when other cyclists on cheaper bikes can keep up with them and pass them on the roads. Roadies will label other cyclists as Freds or wheel-suckers if another cyclist who is not a roadie joins their pacelines and tags along. Nothing is more satisfying than finishing ahead of a group ride full of roadies on a $500 bicycle, knowing full well that those riders spent thousands on their equipment.

"The god Complex": There is a difference between someone who cares about the environment and recycles when possible and someone who is an environmental activist. There is also a difference between somebody who rides a bike responsibly and obeys traffic laws whenever possible and someone who lords it over everybody else. Vehicular cycling is a complicated subject, because the rules may differ from city to city and regulations may be tougher in some places rather than others. Some cities require cyclists to wear helmets and only ride on the designated bike lanes. Others may allow a cyclist to only yield at stop signs instead of observing a complete stop and waiting three seconds. In recent times with the popularity of Go-Pro cameras, cyclists have been arming themselves with valuable evidence when they experience on road collisions with motorists. Sadly, some cyclists have taken this technology as an opportunity to incite confrontations with motorists and even other cyclists, in order to provoke a response. They have then publicized their videos on YouTube and other online media outlets, making publicly known the "offender's" identity. Although the videos may be amusing to watch, it is possibly the worst kind of behavior any cyclist who wants respect on the roads can demonstrate.  

I have personally taken the League of American Cyclists safety course, known as Traffic Skills 101. As a cyclist, I know that the majority of responsibility for my safety depends on me. Taking the lane, coming to complete stops at city intersections, wearing high visibility clothing and lights while riding at night are all critical components of bike safety, especially while riding in the city. As previously mentioned, different places have different rules. The rules that apply in an urban area may not apply in a rural area or a designated trail system. That doesn't absolve the rider from using common sense in every given occasion. Common sense, good judgement and being able to adapt to the environment are more important than trying to strictly follow the rule book. As a cyclist, I have observed overly-righteous bicycle activists get into confrontations with other fellow cyclists, because they are not riding in the "correct" way. I have known many guys who ride to work helmet-less on their Huffys using the sidewalk instead of the road, for example. Many of them have never had an accident. I have also known dedicated street cyclists that have been taken out by cars or have been in multiple accidents. That's why it's better to use common sense, and sometimes throw the rule book out the window.

Some people ride a bike to get in shape, to explore, to exercise between errands and to set personal distance goals. Not everybody who rides a road bike wants to race. A good chunk of the would-be consumer bicycle market has been alienated because retailers still want to sell people on racing. Some people who ride bikes do not appreciate riding a bike unless they participate in a race. To many, there are training miles, junk miles and racing. They don't take the time to get friends or family involved and strain relationships because their hobby has become an obsession. There are also many in the Vegan movement that exhibit the god complex by riding a bike because "it is the environmentally friendly thing to do" or "it's green". Some Vegans can find solace in knowing that they will probably be able to dodge a squirrel on a bike better than in a car. Nobody needs to know the reasons out loud why anybody else decides to ride a bike. It's one of the reasons why cyclists have not been able to fully integrate into society. If someone is always carrying around a billboard announcing everything that they do, that's going to get really annoying real fast.

"Douche-baggery": A term of my own invention, Douche-baggery, or being an overall douche bag, is synonymous with being an elitist or a snob. It's a form of social and economic exclusivity among cyclists. It usually involves yuppie cyclists with lots of disposable income and a superiority complex. Douche-baggers can come in all ages and genders, but the majority of their constituents are middle aged males who are on their second of third failed relationship, mostly due to their narcissistic and entitled tendencies. Some cyclists give the money that they spent on their equipment way too much importance. They spend time dissecting other cyclist's bikes and giving a nod of approval or a disdainful upward tilt of the nose. They may also be endlessly upgrading non-essential components in order to shave grams off of their bike weights. Those upgrades cost money, and it quickly becomes evident among cyclists who's dropped the most cash. Those who have a no frills, function over fashion bicycle are considered "entry-level" cyclists and are treated like the ugly duckling on group rides. The guy who brings an expensive bicycle to a group ride is given automatic respect, the guy on the cheaper bike has to earn it. The person on the more inexpensive bike may be left out in the front of the paceline to do more than their required share of the pull. They might also experience sudden attacks from the rest of the group as the group attempts to drop them. Even when the cyclist earns respect, other cyclists might tell them how much faster they would be on a more expensive bike. I have been riding long enough to say that most new bikes, whether they are made of steel, aluminum or carbon, have a similar advantage; they all roll. They all shift, they all brake, they do what they need to do. The difference between a $500 bike and a $1000 bike is a few pounds, like about 3. The rest is the engine. Sorry, but money can't buy performance.


So this has been my thoughts on the psychology behind why some people dislike cyclists. Unlike other sports, there is a lot of unnecessary drama among those who participate, especially and almost singularly among road cyclists. I wish I could say that these are mere perceptions than realities, especially when it comes to other cyclists. There are a multitude of blogs written by other cyclists with similar articles like this one that will reinforce the notion that these negative behaviors are not one-off experiences. Most people don't believe most cyclists are natural athletes, even though many claim to be. Many aging cyclists can get legitimate prescriptions for cortisone, steroids, B-12 injections, Viagra and other medications which are essentially performance enhancing drugs. Even on the local level, doping is rampant. Some affluent cyclists have been able to get accessibility to other agents such as Clenbuterol and Thymosin Beta-4 (TB-500), the new EPO. There are very few natural athletes in the sport, even fewer that place well in events. This has become a divisive issue within cycling, and contributes to the overall disconnect people feel towards the sport and it's participants.


These are the real reasons why people dislike cyclists. It's not because they think that all cyclists don't pay road taxes or that cyclists think they are above the law. Those are regurgitated statements to mask the real reasons. The real reason could very well be as simple as someone who once liked riding bicycles and would like to do so as an adult but finds themselves unable to wear spandex and afford an expensive bling bike. It could be the outraged parent of a kid that nearly got run over by a pack of cyclists on a multi-use trail. It could be that some people see cycling as expensive and socially unattainable. The purpose of this article is to make us look inside ourselves as cyclists and see what we are doing. Does this article describe you? Don't be offended, dear reader, if it does. We have all had to go through a learning curve in order to become better cyclists. Whether we are new cyclists or have spent years as recreational or competitive ones, there is always room for improvement. Let's change the negative perceptions people might have by reinforcing positive ones. Let's be inclusive to everybody on a bike, even if their bike isn't as expensive as ours. Let's greet people on the trail and especially other cyclists. Let's use traffic signals and be aware, visible and predictable on the roads. While this might not eliminate every negative encounter we might have, we can at least take the burden and the target off of our backs. 

  

Bicycle Commuting 101

Here's a short video from my video series that teaches the basics of bicycle commuting and some of the gear you may want to use while commuting. I'll keep cranking out the videos. Thanks for watching!

Restored bike vs. Beater bike

Bikes you Keep, Bikes you sell.

Two Peugeot UO8 Bicycles, one restored, the other fixed up

When finding an old bicycle worthy of restoration, it's easy to go over one's head trying to fix every detail on the bike. I have a simple rule of thumb that will make the decision process a lot easier. Is this bike for oneself, or is this bike to sell? If this bike is not for sale, or you do not have the intention to sell it in the future, and you have money to spare, then by all means customize it to your very tastes. If this bike is for resale, as a lot of vintage bicycle enthusiasts often end up doing as a result of a garage full of bikes and one unhappy spouse, then fix what is necessary to sell the bike. You'll be surprised at how well most bicycles clean up. The scratches and blemishes will sometimes add character to the bike. The key to any item for sale is to sell it at more than what you bought it for plus your investment to fix it up. I'm fortunate to have had amassed a collection of period correct parts for vintage bicycles over the period of time I have been tinkering with them. Having a stockpile of parts and accessories makes this process a lot more affordable. Take for example, the white Peugeot at the top of the page. I was able to get it to riding condition with several parts I already had in my garage, including wheels, tires, cables, derailleurs, and even a saddle. On the other hand, take the green Peugeot featured as well. I bought this bicycle with the intent of making it like new with period correct parts. I had the frame repainted and bought decals for the frame. I bought new shifters from eBay as well as a leather saddle and saddlebag. After it was all said and done, I spent about $250 restoring the green Peugeot. I'll probably take it on a tweed ride or start my own randonneur club locally, who knows! Anyway, for me it was an investment well spent.

The lesson to be learned here is to do what best suits you according to your needs as a cyclist or as a collector and seller. If I commuted by bicycle more, I would probably keep the white Peugeot because I could use it as a beater bike for riding around muddy roads and won't take a big hit if it gets stolen. I also realize there is a market for beater bikes in college campuses and more urban areas. When a bicycle goes for sale, these are the markets that I try to target. There is no right or wrong way to restore a bicycle, there is only the perceived value that it may have in the buyer's or one's own eyes.

Coming full Circle- Being a well rounded cyclist

My Cycling Journey- And why its important to be balanced.

All my life I have been riding my bike. Since I was fifteen, I have always found a special passion for riding my bike as far as I could pedal it. During the evolution of my cycling I have gone through several different types of bicycles and now mainly ride road bikes and adult mountain bikes. Sometimes I would ride out of choice, other times out of necessity. 

Since I was a junior in high school, I have made different attempts at commuting by bicycle. Even though I graduated high school early and I could barely say I commuted at all, it set the precedent for my personal outlook as a cyclist today. In my early 20's, I was practically car-less for almost a year. I commuted from my shared apartment to a pharmacy I worked at by either walking or for when I had to arrive early, by bicycle. I used the same bicycle I had in high school. I was a "ghost" cyclist back then, meaning (A) cheap department store mountain bike (B) used the sidewalk instead of the road. This lasted until one morning when someone stole my bicycle from in front of my apartment.

About a year later I bought my first road bike. This was a big jump in quality from the Mongoose DH 2.5 I had previously owned. For the first time I knew how it felt to go over 20mph on a bike. I tackled hills and challenged myself riding longer distances every time I rode. Pretty soon I was well acquainted with the area I lived in by bicycle. I learned how to ride on the roads and share the lane with cars. My weekend rides consisted of 30 mile loops which I mostly rode solo. While other roadies were subscribing to the local group rides and buying into all the carbon fiber and Lycra, I mashed my toe clip pedals against headwinds on my aluminum Raleigh. This has given me the endurance I have today, even though I will now sometimes ride my bike with clip-less shoes and dawn on my spandex. But that is not how I started riding, and I think for that I am a much better rider today.

There is the one constant that has seldom changed since my early days of cycling. The solitude. When I was younger my twin brother, Dad and I would go on long bicycle rides. I have always enjoyed having others around to share in my passion. The challenge of cycling is usually enough to keep my mind occupied and forget that its an activity that I have little or nothing in common with my peers, friends and family members. Sometimes I will put the baby seat on the back of my old Schwinn and pack the family for a  trail ride. These trips are fun and I do take a lot of joy out of them. Being as I am a more advanced cyclist, I have to keep pace with the family where I would normally let the throttle loose on the concrete paths. This is the compromise, the price to pay for having other people who will want to ride their bikes with me.

Which leads me to second guessing myself sometimes. Am I being excessive in my cycling or are others just not riding enough? Then I think to myself "Oh yeah, my brother's in the Navy, Dad lives an hour away (by car) and is in his mid 50's. Mom always has some new illness to contend with". How about my friends from childhood? Nowhere to be seen. My best friend passed away from an aggressive brain tumor a few years ago. With no reference of my formative years, with nothing familiar or close to home to hold on to, I am left to brave this new and hostile world called adulthood. Like a Don Quixote of cycling, except without a portly Sancho Panza to keep me company. Sometimes I long for that little, fat, man-servant domestique figure to say "Here I am! Let's do a ride this week, I need to lose weight!".

Life is about finding that sweet spot, that perfect center, that zen. When you've found it along with some peace of mind it's like a fountain of wisdom. You've become a sage. It's about learning how to finally let go of those artificial ambitions, like, "I'm going to get sponsored by a bike shop and become an amateur racer!" Or, "I  gotta get that $10,000 bike. That will get me to the Tour De France for sure!". A well rounded cyclist just rides. There is a lot he or she may or may not have to contend with, but the answer is always the same, just ride. Having others to ride with helps, but if no one is around then stop calling yourself a freak for wanting to ride. Just ride. If you can't afford a Guru triathlon bike but have that Schwinn 10 speed getting dust in your garage, take the beater out for a spin. I promise you will feel a lot better afterwards. Don't have a cycling computer? Just ride. You don't need numbers to gauge how well you exercised. That's what sweat and tears are for. 

Balance priorities, family being number one no matter what the circumstances. Ride your bike everywhere in between. Nothing wrong with that as long as you have your bases covered.

Just Ride.

Bike Friendly Garland is here!

Bike Friendly Garland, Texas

Although Garland, Texas has a long way to go before becoming bike friendly, there is a group of people who are now trying to change that.

On the outer edges of Dallas and Richardson, with it's wealthier cousins Plano and Allen to the north, exists a city of blue collar grit that has been virtually been left behind in all of the recent developments of the last 30 years or so in North Texas. In this case, left behind is sort of a good thing, because the it's bones still resonate traces of a time where there were more pedestrians and bicyclists on the road. It's downtown area is virtually shut down after 5pm, but you can still see the beauty of what it once was. The old Plaza theater, the hand painted murals on the walls, the mom and pop coffee shops. Surburban Assault even wrote an article about car-centric Garland and the irony that it's downtown was very bike friendly. All roads leading into downtown garland are residential. There is no major freeway running alongside the downtown area. Downtown Garland is in the middle of a city which is landlocked by 3 major freeways and one toll road. For this reason, the term "Garland is Car-land" is regularly used by locals to refer to it's lack of bike friendliness.  But that's all about to change.

Bike Friendly Garland is out there to show that it is possible to get around the city of Garland by bicycle. Among it's group goals are to promote and facilitate bicycle ridership, educate people about the rules of the road and seek support from the City of Garland to make improvements for safer and complete streets. 

On October 28, 2012, Bike Friendly Garland will have it's first inaugural ride to kick off the group and to get the ball rolling on the task at hand. Here is an event flyer from their page with details on when this event will take place.

If you are a north Texas local, I encourage you to show up and give these guys your support. Their task is a seemingly big one, since Garland is a seemingly large city. But if everyone works together, I believe that Bike Friendly Garland will have success in their goals and will have the necessary support to carry them out. My best wishes to Bike Friendly Garland in their endeavors.

I Fell in love with a Step Thru- My 1980 Schwinn World Tourist

Vintage Find: 1980 Schwinn World Tourist Five Speed

My new coffee shop bike

I recently responded to a classified ad on a pair of Schwinn World Tourists. I bought the this pair for 80 dollars, but the men's bike could have been designed for Wilt Chamberlain. I couldn't even throw my leg over the exaggeratedly tall top tube of the bike. The step through version, or ladies frame (although I refuse to call it that, let's just refer to it as a step through, ok?) was designed also for a very tall woman, but it fit me like a glove when I got on it for a test ride. I took these bikes home and stayed up late buffing out the step through frame with some steel wool and WD40. The dynamo wasn't working at first, so I removed the head of the generator and sprayed that down with some WD40 as well. Once I got it loose enough to move, I spun the cranks and the lights lit up. I then took it for a spin around my block at night. Riding this bike is like riding a 1960's Chevy Impala. The circular non-LED headlight lights up yellow and not so bright, kind of like the round headlights of an old car.  

I wasn't even three houses down my block and a neighbor spotted me and complimented me on the bike. I also enjoyed the upright position the bike put me in. Not that I have any problems riding leaned onto the bike, but the different positioning offers a different perspective while riding on it. Granted, this bike isn't a road bike. It isn't meant to go fast, but I already own fast, more intense bicycles. This bike, although not as fast, and according to some American standards, not designed for me (because I'm a dude) is the kind of bike that will stick with me when I no longer have the itch for hard core cycling but still want to excercise and pedal around a bicycle. In fact, there are actually some benefits to owning a step through bicycle as a guy. It has optimal geometry if you have back problems (which I happen to have as well, not severely though). There is no danger zone area if you happen to crash on the bike, since there is nothing that will bang your family jewels out of existence. It's not a touring bike, but there are accounts of many people riding long distances on step through bikes. Many men in Belgium commute on a step through. In Amsterdam, this bike is referred to as a dutch style bicycle. 

Here's a few pictures of my step through bicycle. 

A look from the rear. The dynamo is on the right side of the bike, with a little round taillight attached.

The front headlight on the bicycle is in working order.

The saddle is comfy and well broken into.

It may sound like I'm rationalizing my choice in owning this bicycle, but this bicycle is truly designed for me and I feel comfortable on it. I don't feel like I'm compromising my masculinity in riding what a few people might consider a ladies bike. I feel that the perception of cycling in America needs to broaden to be more accepting outside of the norm. There are road bikes and mountain bikes. They very seldom make bicycles like this anymore. Even the "hybrid" bicycles are just mountain bikes with thinner wheels or road bikes with a flat bar instead of a drop bar.  It's common sense to ride a step through bike, and I believe there should be something like this available for men in most bike shops in the US. That will open up a new market to older gents and those guys who would like to ride but otherwise can't seem to bend over or have mobility issues. Even if you just want something that expresses your personality, or have plans on doing a tweed ride in the future, this bike is for you. This bike is laid back fun in a non-aggressive, "I'll get there when I get there", sort of way. 

If you are a guy who for some reason finds a bicycle like this and want to make it your own, don't be ashamed. You can ride your bike with your head held high knowing that you are not the only dude in America on a step through frame.

Great Cycling Cities of the World-And What Dallas can Learn

Great Cycling Cities

Because Bikes are taking over the world!

I recently joined a local online discussion regarding the use of bicycle lanes in the city of Dallas. Although there is much deserved support for this measure in my area, there is another group of cyclists within the cycling community (and I won't mention any names) who think it's best that everyone ride on the streets without the benefit of a bicycle lane. They feel that it is in the best interests of local tax payers to not have bicycle lanes around. They feel that the best answer to the bicycle commuter/motorist dilemma is to educate the cyclist and or motorist about road safety. In my discussions with some of them they have made it a point even to call out most cyclists for being at fault when there is a bicycle related injury or death on the road. They have been present in the same city hall meetings with pro bicycle lane advocates acting as the naysayers, the filibusters and the opposing party even though they should be part of the same team. They too are cyclists and they too would benefit from any measure that would allow more people to want to ride their bicycles on the roads.

I visited Berlin in 2009. Brandenburg Gates at night

The truth is, most if not all great cities are bicycle friendly. Where people yearn to live, there are bicycles present. Mentions of cities such as Paris, Rome,  Berlin, Amsterdam, conjure up romantic backdrops, but in many cases, might also bring to mind a scene of an old building with a bicycle leaned up against it. One can make the argument that most of these cities are hundreds of years old, and the small roads can accommodate bicycles much better than cars. That's one theory. Yet in the U.S, much newer cities are starting to follow the same example and are having excellent results. They have been able to reduce obesity rates in their populations, enjoy a better quality of life, and have become magnets for young professionals as well as the industries that hire them. Their down-towns and city centers provide a vibrant scene after work hours and the city becomes a community rather than a zoned area for business. In total, when a bicycle lane goes through a town or a city, everybody wins. Some of these cities are so well talked about that they are often used as adjectives to describe something's bicycle friendliness.

Cyclist in Portland,  photo courtesy of the New York Times.

Take for example, Portland. The bicycle initiative in Portland has been around for probably less than 20 years. It actually started in the 1990's as a result of the city hitting bottom and being considered one of the worst places to get around if you weren't driving a car during that time. Now Portland has undergone a 360 turn. If a city has bicycle friendly measures, you may now hear the term "Portlandia" when people talk about it. Bicycle fatalities have gone down considerably and cyclists are considered a part of the road rather than a group that doesn't belong.

New York City is another city I wanted to mention. Bloomberg's New York, not Giuliani's. Mayor Bloomberg has done more for the health of New York City than any other mayor in history.  He took New York out of being a city with dark alleys and halted traffic that went nowhere. He has been revitalizing it with bicycle lanes and much safer districts. The Times Square where I was nearly mugged over ten years ago is not the same one today. New York has also enjoyed  having transplants from other states coming in to live there because of it's health initiatives. There is actually a large growing number of Texans moving to New York, can you believe that? Bloomberg has also outlawed the sale of large two liter soda beverages within city limits. Rather than wanting to profit from the beverage giants by imposing a heftier sales tax on them, Bloomberg said "no" altogether to the over consumption of high fructose corn syrup, a chemical ingredient found in almost all processed foods in the United States, which is one of the leading causes of obesity in the nation. Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg, there's a spot waiting for you in Dallas if you get bored of New York.

Mayor Bloomberg oversaw the construction of many bicycle lanes throughout NYC. Courtesy of Ecovelo

Courtesy of New York Daily News.

Like New York, I can mention other cities that have benefited from bicycle lane infrastructure. Seattle, San Diego, San Fransisco, Chicago, and even Asheville in North Carolina which I just wrote my last article about just to name a few.

Now back to Texas. Our neighboring cities to the south of the state are starting to turn heads in dramatic fashion. Austin is leading the path as the most bike friendly city in Texas, with San Antonio taking a strong second place for it's bike sharing program initiative. Let's talk about Austin for one moment. A city with a little bit of everything in it, Austin is known for taking pride in it's uniqueness. "Keep Austin Weird" is the city's slogan which has become internationally recognized. Not only does this city boast miles of bike lanes with more in the works, it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery Texas has to offer. The Colorado River that runs through the city is a big destination for kayaks and canoes and is known for it's summertime bat watching parties when tens of thousands of bats come out to hunt at dusk. Lake Travis as well as about a hundred miles of mountain bike trails are other outdoor attractions you can find in Austin. It is also the home to professional employers like Apple and Activision. In Austin you will find more small business owners and more entrepreneurs than anywhere else in Texas. It is also home to seven time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, who has personally put in a lot of his own efforts to make Austin even more bike friendly.

Lance Armstrong,  cycling advocate for the city of Austin, at his bike shop Mellow Johnny's. Originally posted by Bike Commute Tips Blog.

Now that we've discussed some bicycle friendly cities of the world, let's go back to, ahem, Dallas. Voted worst city for cycling by Bicycle Magazine and The League of American Cyclists. What can Dallas learn from all this? First it needs to get along. There are cyclists of all types in Dallas. There are those who wear spandex and those who don't. Those who ride for sport or recreation need to take a look at those who ride to get their groceries. The age and fitness levels of people who ride bicycles are all over the spectrum. We would like to see a city where 12 years old's as well as 70 year old people are able to get around by bicycle. For that, you need bike lanes. Education is important for bicyclists to be accepted and respected on the roads, but needs to go hand in hand with infrastructure in order to be successful in the end. Once everybody can get along, the Dallas Bike Plan  as well as a statewide safe passing law have got to be taken seriously and given more attention than lip service. These measures need to be aggressive and changes need to start happening soon. This, unlike popular belief, does not have to be financed by tax payer money alone. Dallas has it's own self financing transportation piggy bank called Interstate 90 and the Dallas North Tollway, as well as federal grants available that are designed to encourage this sort of development. It also has millions that have been given to the city by private donors and non-profits alike. Dallas, to put it bluntly, is losing it's educated young people to other states and cities around the world. Some might come back to Dallas for personal reasons or financial hardship, but most will not look back at this place reminiscing if Dallas does not step up it's game soon. I can't and won't at this time walk the Downtown of Dallas at night unless it's to see a Maverick's game, when most police are present. Otherwise it's just an invitation to get mugged or worse in a city that's too quiet for anything good to be happening. Bring in the bicycle lanes, transit oriented development, give Dallas more neighborhood businesses at are open late and maybe I'll change my mind.

White Rock Lake- The beginings of something good in Dallas.

White Rock Lake Trail

And why Dallas isn't far behind progess.

Today I read a disconcerting article about the City of Dallas. This article placed Dallas in the bottom of the least bike friendly cities in the United States. The perception of Texans from outsiders is that they are a backwards people. They love their guns, ten gallon hats,  SUV's, and their giant steaks. That Texas has 5 of the most obese cities in the United States, so the assumption is that Texans like being fat, and they don't like their cyclists. Even though this couldn't be farther from the truth, the current city council of Dallas is fighting hard to maintain that stereotype. They have all but shelved a recent Bike Plan which would have revolutionized the landscape of Dallas, offering people the same bike transportation alternatives as Portland.  The obstacles they say are financial, yet money is always found to finance the behemoth highways and toll roads which in the long run hurt the small communities that they carve through.  Even though the city approved hundreds of millions of dollars for the Margaret Hill Hunt bridge, there are no bike lane implementations and the money seems to disappear altogether when the word "cycling" is mentioned.

There is a silver lining to all this negative portrayal. Dallas does has an bicycle infrastructure set in place, dormant and waiting to be activated. The place in Dallas where all current trails connect is White Rock Lake. The Lake connects with the Santa Fe, Cottonwood, and White Rock Trail system. It is also a very beautiful recreational trail connecting Dallas and it has the potential to be much more.

Here is a map of a similar route that I took through White Rock Lake today

Find more Bike Ride in Dallas, TX

Along side the trail you will find businesses that cater to the needs of cyclists. Dallas Bike Works off of Lawther road is a great place to stop for a flat, a light or even a new bicycle.  The Bicycle Cafe of Dallas is a match made in heaven for cyclists and coffee lovers alike. Let's take a photo tour of some of the highlights of today's ride around White Rock Lake.

Feeling tired on your bike ride? Stop by Bicycle Cafe for your daily dose of coffee boost to keep you going.

You can stop along the trail and relax on a dock alongside the lake

Sail boating and kayaking are popular activities to do out here as well.

A family spends the evening hours together feeding the ducks

Goose Crossing: You can see some fearless geese crossing the road around this time of day.

Dallas, for the most part, is a beautiful place to ride a bike. Unfortunately it has received a negative reputation due to the less progressive thinkers that are calling the shots. Dallas can continue to shine as it redevelops it's Downtown by including bicycle lane development on it's tab. There is currently a development boom and revitalization effort going on right now in the city of Dallas. Taking Dallas out of the Dark Ages can be as easy or as impossible as people make it to be. The challenges facing Dallas are nothing more than removing the belief that it has to be shortsighted and unfriendly to those who are seeking a better quality of life within it's boarders. As we turn the page into a new decade, let's see if the coming generation can finally bring some much needed changes to make Dallas even more wonderful than it already is.  This is what Dallas wants, this is what I personally hope that it gets.

Fixed geared bikes vs. Geared Bikes: Really?

Single Speeds vs. Geared bikes- Is this even a fair contest?

When Shopping around for a new bicycle, there really are comparisons which should never come to mind, like "should I go with a geared bike, or a single speed?". It is one thing to opt for the single speed due to the price point or because it suits the terrain and riding style you will be riding on. It is another thing entirely to make claims that a single speed will give you the same advantages of a geared bicycle. If a single speed or fixed gear bike is aesthetically pleasing and it's all some people can afford, that's fine, I won't judge. The important thing is that the person buys a bike and becomes an active person no matter how they decide to do it. But a single-speedster (as cool as they might think they look toting around a carrier bag and wearing Ray Ban wayfarers) will get killed, every single time, when going up a steep hill on their 52/12  gear ratio bicycle. The other alternative to using a ratio like this is getting a larger cog in the rear wheel and going with a smaller gearing ratio in the front. While that will make climbing easier, the rider will lose the ability to effectively sprint and will have an overall too high a cadence to hold up for long rides.

Some may argue that the first bicycles ever raced were single speeds. In fact, some of the early ( and I mean 1920's) racers thought of geared bikes as being suited for younger, inexperienced riders. Some people will tell you that they cross train on single speed bicycles in the winter, in order to mash the pedals harder come summertime. Some people claim these bikes are low maintenance because you do not have to fiddle around with the derailleurs and the chain is thicker on the bike. These reasons, while good, do not serve the purposes of average day to day riders.  Some people can unknowingly buy a single speed bike as their first bicycle. They might like their introduction into cycling, or they might absolutely hate it, leaving their bikes on the side of the hill in frustration.

From a pricing standard, there are similarly priced geared and non-geared bicycles on the market. It is really almost purely up to personal preference. Geared bicycles have opened up worlds to cyclists to ride places many didn't even think were possible, such as riding a bike up a mountain in the Rockies or randonneuring the Alps. These things would be impossible to do on a fixed gear bike (unless you have a Nexus hub).

Adding to the DE-evolution of the bicycle, the hipster posing crowd has taken the fixed gear bike a step further, removing the drop bars and replacing them with 4 inch wide straight handlebars. The bike ends up looking like a larger, goofier  cousin of the BMX instead of a road bike.

I have been a silent on-looker of this phenomenon, not wanting to get involved on the intricacies and foolishness of this subject. But for the record, a single speed bike cannot go uphill for very long (and I mean hours). It cannot win in a grand tour. It can time trial at a velodrome if it's a track bike, but a trip to the grocery store will cause all sorts of hurt. Single speed mountain bikes are not faster than geared bikes. A single speed series for racing should exist for bragging rights only, because the single speed crowd need their own category to be competitive. They should stick to the alley cat races they do in the inner cities.  These bikes are built for fun and some utility for those who live in flat areas. The geared bicycle is a step up, not a step down, on the evolutionary scale of the bicycle. It's the all rounder, better deal of the two options.

Even real bike messengers will realize that Quick Silver was just a movie. Many messengers use single speed bikes but a lot use geared bikes too. Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishurne created a cult following of Walz-capped skinny jean wearing The Onion subscribers which like to pose as the characters of the movie. To Fishburne's credit, he rode the real bike ( an 85' Raleigh Gran Prix) in the movie. The rest of the bikes featured were wannabe bikes for the truly great cycling era in which this movie was made. The Hinaults, Merckxs, Le Monds, and Fignon's of the day are the figures that kids should look up to nowadays. The tough as nails riders, the hard-men, winning back to back victories on their STEEL and GEARED bicycles.

Just a thought, or a rant. You decide.

May 25, 2013- There is some new evidence to show that single speed mountain bikes can place well in 50 mile amateur endurance events. Check out the results of the 2012 Wiskey 50, where the overall winner won by a margin of two minutes riding on a single speed bike. There are more examples of single speed riders outperforming geared riders in competition, but they seem to be the exception rather than the norm. I encourage all gifted single speed riders to continue to challenge and eventually overturn the status quo. In the end, it's not be bike, but the engine that does the work.

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Article review as of October 1, 2013: In response to this article, I have written another article that goes into a little more depth regarding some of the statements I made in this single speed vs. geared bicycle debate. To read more about it, click here. To be clear, the title of this article is wrong. It should read fixed gear bikes vs. geared bikes, really? I apologize for that, and as of today the title has been changed. This article is calling out the fallacies of riding a fixed gear bicycle, something all cyclists, including those who ride single speed bikes, will understand and stand behind. 

If a bike frame has horizontal track dropouts, then it should be ridden as a single speed. If a cyclist finds a good bicycle frame with a derailleur hanger but only has a single speed wheelset, chainring and chain, then that cyclist should ride the bike single speed without hacking off the derailleur hanger. Common sense, right? What I completely disagree with is someone going completely out of their way and to great lengths to make their bike a single speed. That would be like myself, for instance, taking the 52t chainring out of my Campagnolo C-Record crank, removing my Sachs 8 speed freewheel for a generic single speed cog, taking off my Regina America 92' rear derailleur and hacking out the dropout, and then binding the whole mess together with a chromed out cruiser chain. Does anyone else find that offensive? Ridiculous? I put together a montage of these ridiculous bikes here. I'm sure any of my disgruntled readers who misunderstood the message of this article would never own bikes like these, because like me, they love their bikes and they love cycling.

I really appreciate all the feedback I am getting from all my international readers. They understand that we all need to stand together as cyclists in solidarity rather than letting our differences split us apart. Unfortunately that message doesn't translate well here in the states, where any difference or preference categorizes people and puts them against others who are not like them. As far as cyclists go, here in the states we have roadies, retro-grouches, hipsters, triathletes, commuters, bmx'ers, etc.; all with their own sets of etiquette and societal rules. The one thing we should all share is our love for cycling and our desire to see more protection for cyclists out on the roads. In order to see a world that embraces cyclists, we as cyclists need to follow the rules. Fixed gear culture is about risk taking, running lights and endangerment. The risk is compounded with fixed gear riders deliberately strip the brakes off of their bikes, and only stop using their rear wheel. That is why I am focusing on this group. That is why I call people who alter their bikes to fixed gear hipsters. I have co-workers who ride fixed gear bicycles. They make all their stop signs and traffic lights. They act responsibly on the roads. This is not the message certain movies have been popularizing. If cyclists are continued to be portrayed as risk taking daredevils, efforts to make cycling accessible as a means of transportation will be ignored by society.

To all my readers, ride safely. Use brakes, don't run signs, and keep subscribing to more posts from a Bicycle's Point of View.

Richardson, Texas At a Glance

Richardson on an evening ride

Kids Playing at a square at close to Gatalyn Park. Transit Oriented Developments are becoming more common in this area

A last minute end of weekend urge drove me to go out to Richardson and do a little bit of cycling photo-journalism.  I managed to get on my bike just as the sun was setting. Although this short article does not do full justice in relating my experience, it does capture some points of interest along the North Richardson bike trail system. I will have to continue reporting on Richardson as time allows, although I can truly say that this city is already becoming one of the safest and most bike friendliest city for cyclists in Texas and among other states as well. Here's a couple of snapshots that I took today before night fell and left me in darkness. Below is a similar route of the trail and bike lane system in Richardson.

Find more Bike Ride in Richardson, TX

Proof that there are dedicated bike lanes here as well.

In the Country...

Did you remember to feed Tina?

Riding in the country on an old vintage Schwinn loaded for touring may seem daunting until you actually do it. I wanted to showcase the bike as well as the terrain I rode it on. For a 33 year old bike it handles beautifully and absorbs all the shock from the road. The Panaracer Panera tires roll comfortably on the bumpy asphalt and eat up cracks and pot holes on the road. The climbing specific freewheel made the uphills virtually unoticable. Riding in the countryside anywhere is a beautiful experience. Here's a few photos of my trip through Sunnyvale and Garland, Texas. Contrary to popular belief I was not run over by a Ford F150.

Here's an link of a simliar route that goes through this area that you can do. 

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/60952180




Find more Bike Ride in Mesquite, TX

The Old Schwinn with horses in the backdrop. What a lovely touring machine.

A big ol' red country barn house. Do you have one of these in your area?

Holy cow! No seriously, cows.

By the Lake

Kearney's Feed Store. They sell all your ranch hand needs.

Coming Soon: A bicycle's point of view

The Photographer's and Cyclist's corner to become

A Bicycle's point of view

To my loyal fans (counting all four registered at the moment) I would like to extend my appreciation for your support, views and patronage to my current blog via clicking the Google ads which I get paid for. Currently, my blog has experienced a decline in viewership, so much so that I have decided to rethink my strategy about what I write and how I advertise it.

I have been focusing on general purpose topics regarding cycling and photography. These are two subjects dear to my heart  that interrelate to each other, given the sense of tranquility both offer to me personally.  Although I really enjoy photography as a hobby and have even made clients and small profits along the way with it, I take more out of writing subjects that relate to the cycling world and it's immediate and long term impact on society. Therefore, I have renamed my current blog "A bicycle's point of view" literally meaning the posts from here on out will come from the point of view of my bicycle. I will load my camera and give the reader the best interpretation of my vantage point from my bicycle rides. Being that it's not always easy to take the time and resources to do this, so my posting might be on a less regular basis. Yet all posts will be original with my own photos added.

I don't think there is enough on the internet about cycle-touring or randonneuring, or mountain trekking on your bike. There is also not enough posting about long distance travel, world travel, riding in the countryside, people using (not collecting) vintage bikes, bike riding in Texas, free training advice and so on and so forth.  I plan to change that and maybe gain some followers along the way. The new blog will also cover my transition from a daily driver to a daily pedaler, as transit centers start to open in my area and the car takes a secondary role in my commuting. 

I am also looking for sponsorship to support and promote cycling on my blog. If you are a bike shop, manufacturer, apparel company or know of someone who is, please send them over my way. I can even feature sponsor's products on my blog, just send me something and I will let everyone know about it. I will add a link to my website promoting any business who would like to sponsor me with their ads. 

The link to my new blog page is www.bicyclepointofview.blogspot.com

Stay tuned and thanks again for subscribing!

Johnny