a midway bikelog

Tom Swifties

There’s a great and growing collection of Tom Swifties (dialog with built-in puns) going on now at Schott’s Vocab blog on NYT. A few favorites:

“I hear the president asked King Abdullah about the Saudi penalty for pickpockets,” Tom said offhandedly
” ‘Goody Two Shoes’ is the best song of the 1980s!” Tom argued adamantly.
“A reporter should always ask ‘who, what, when and why,’” he said unwarily.
“But I’m all for exams!” Tom protested.
“I don’t know what groceries to buy”, Tom said listlessly.
“Your boat motor sounds awful” said Evan rudely
“That just doesn’t add up,” said Tom, nonplussed.
“I just slipped on a banana,” said Tom superciliously.
“I’ve lost an entire month!” Tom cried, dismayed
“Actions speak louder than words,” said Tom proverbially.
My butt’s sore, Tom asserted.
“Certainly, Doris,” Tom said yesterday.

more wheels in streets

Some compelling evidence from NYC that more bicycles on the streets makes it safer for all cyclists. More of the story and some good discussion going on at Streetsblog.org, graph from transalt.org.

This video of traffic in India is worth a look while thinking of traffic alternatives. It looks like total chaos, but notice that despite the lack of a western-style, strictly-controlled intersection, traffic is actually moving pretty well. There’s a good mix of autos, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and pedestrians on the road, and nobody’s getting run down or pushed off the road. Drivers seem to be more cautious, and all road users looking out for each other. The top speed is slower, but i’ll bet the overall travel time isn’t that much different because the intersection is in constant motion as dictated by the traffic flow. Going a little slower allows everyone to be more aware of their neighbors, and negotiate their way through or across (or upstream, as one car does toward the end). I imagine that driving there would make most Americans utterly lose their shit.

This is stuff extroverts need to know. They’re driving us crazy. We need to tell them.

You know i’m way behind the curve when i’m writing about a 6-year-old article, but this much nodding in agreement can’t go un-mentioned. I had a big ‘aha’ moment reading this funny and excellent Atlantic essay from Johnathan Rauch on introverts. Not the discovery that i’m an introvert, i’ve known that for years. It’s having the articulation of how it feels, and some of the stresses of living in an extroverted world. Worth a read, as are the follow-up article and interview linked with it.

Why GM Failed

I’ve been pondering this lately, with the pending (and now announced) bankruptcy of General Motors. Actually, i’ve been thinking about it for about 25 years, since i was first interested in cars.

The first car i remember my family owning was a ‘72 Buick, and i remember climbing up on its trunk to escape a horseshoe crab on a beach in New Jersey in about 1973. It was pretty cool for a family car, with the steel mag-style wheels and metallic bronze paint and dangerously-hot-in-the-summer plastic seats. There were other cars that made an impression early on too; the Chevy cargo van on which i learned to drive manual shift (3-speed on the tree), my grandfather’s brown Pontiac and most of all, my grandmother’s silver (formerly seafoam green) 1968 Camaro. From an early age, i was predisposed against Fords and sat firmly in the GM camp. Until, that is, i was ready to buy my own first car, because by then i wanted a VW Beetle.

I came of car buying age in the mid 1980s, which was the very bottom, the Mariana trench, of US auto design and manufacturing. Rebounding from the gas crisis and the recession of the early ’80s, what we got in the ’80s were the K-cars and the other companies versions of K-cars. There were about 4 different GM cars in that era, differentiated across divisions only by paint, the badge on the trunk and the color of the seats; a Chevy was a Pontiac was an Olds was a Caddy. Even the Corvettes of the mid-80s were ugly, for chrissakes, though thankfully not built on the same platform as say, the Citation like the abomination that was the Ford Capri-based Mustang.

My mom had a 1980 Chevy Citation; piece of crap. Her subsequent Cavalier was somewhat less bad, but not really good. The big 3 US auto makers were coasting on inertia, residual good will and crossed fingers, but it didn’t last. My first car was a VW not just because i loved the mechanical simplicity of the air-cooled engine, but because i found one in good shape. Most of the late ’70s US-built cars i could afford in 1984 were either total gas hogs (yes, i cared about that even with $0.99 gas), or literally falling apart. I was impressed that the knobs and switches on the 12-year-old Beetle worked as expected, and when pieces inevitably failed i enjoyed working on it. I was an enthusiastic kid though; more telling was that my mom’s next car was a Toyota Camry.

For high school graduation, an uncle gave me the gift of a share of GM stock. It was an expensive gift at the time, even for a single share, and i remember that he had waited for the share price to drop a bit. It was a vote of confidence in my then-current intention to become a mechanical engineer and design cars. As i worked through college and owned more cars (2 Chevy Monzas, VW Fastback, Datsun 210, Volvo 240, Pontiac Grand Am, VW Fox) and rented or borrowed others, i compared and contrasted them inside and out. I inspected with interest the first Saturn cars as they were previewed outside of the Engineering building at the University, marveling at the lost foam engine casting and other new ideas in action. I later rode in the Saturn production models and was disappointed in the fit and feel and execution of those neat designs.

I switched tracks to Journalism mid-stream and the glittery shine of the automotive world faded as the wider world and increased bicycling put it into better perspective. I’m no longer interested in building cars, though i appreciate a good car and generally pay some attention to the industry. It’s been disappointing how much time and energy they spend defending the status quo and fighting any sort of regulation and innovation. They blame the unions and the markets, but really, they’re stagnant institutions chasing the low-hanging fruit. They’ve been sitting on a virtual transportation monopoly for 50 years that has been driven by cheap fuel and a public willingness to support the infrastructure that automobiles demand. Now that we’re seeing gas prices rise and the likely decline of the petroleum age, the public is increasingly demanding more from their cars and improved alternatives to cars, but the auto industry is too busy circling the station wagons to take the lead.

What the auto industry needs is its own Apple; a company with enough brains and guts to define a next step, any next step, to get people thinking again. The Saturn division had some promise in this area, but ended up as just an alternative to buying a Chevy. What Saturn (or some other division) should have done is to produce small runs of concept cars that aren’t watered down by the marketing department, fine-tuning new ideas much as the smaller bicycle companies have done with city commuter bikes and cargo bikes; defining new categories, and finding new markets. What we have had here is a failure to innovate, and an over-reliance on three companies who refused to step up.

On a larger, related note, perhaps it’s time to reconsider ideas such as “too large to fail”, and wonder when a company is too large to be of use. There are great examples of companies who make a virtually unimprovable thing, and should continue to do it well indefinitely, but when it comes to something that so widely effects the health and safety of virtually every citizen on the planet (as automobiles do) having a leaner, more responsible and more innovative corporate culture might be a healthier thing for us all.

Kottke has an identically-titled post collecting some other, more pithy commentary on the matter too.

another interesting cargo bike option

A friend sent me the link to the new Madsen Cycles line of cargo bikes. I’m not just linking them because of their interesting contest that i’d certainly be happy to win…

… but there are a couple of other interesting things about them; the bucket carrier, and the price. They’re selling for under $1300 complete, which is about the price for the just the Surly Big Dummy frame. The setup includes fenders and a SRAM 8-speed drivetrain, but there isn’t much detail on the rest of the parts spec (no wheel info), and the frame is regular hi-ten steel, but it’s hard to argue too much at that price.

They claim that the rear bucket carrier is a more stable and ‘natural’ balance than the bakfiets-style front cargo box. I haven’t ridden a front carrier like that to judge, but there are some benefits to having, for example, the kids in front of you while riding. Still, the bucket seat idea is a pretty good one, and assuming the bucket can come off for more flexible cargo loading, it looks like as good a hauler as any of the extended frame bikes. The smaller rear wheel would make it necessary to carry 2 different tube sizes, which can be a hassle, but it does make for a lower and larger cargo area, which is a good thing. Plus, the smaller rear wheel would be stronger for it too.

The other cost-saving measure is the single frame size, which though they claim it’ll adjust to a 5′-6′6″ rider, could be a deal-breaker for those of us toward the ends of the height bell curve. Claims like that make me dubious, having ridden too-small frames very uncomfortably, and seen too many people stretching to make a too-large frame work. It’s important to have the size in the right ballpark to haul loads safely.

It’s an interesting time in the cargo bike area though, i’d like to give one of these a try.

2009 Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour

I’ve known of this tour for a few years now, and finally this year was able to join in on the fun. The Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour is an annual ride around Lake Pepin exclusively English 3-speed bikes. I’ve done portions of this ride a couple of times before, but this is the first trip around the lake proper, and the first time riding it on my old 3-speed.

The weekend started cold and blustery, and we (my friend Krystal and I) were needlessly prompt to the 7:30 start time in Red Wing, arriving to a chilly 42° F and strong winds, but with hot tea and scones to bolster us and a readiness for adventure. After getting ourselves checked in and set, we took a few laps around the gathering crowd to keep warm.

We stayed for the blessing of the bikes, the reading of the letter of the Queen, and the singing of a song, but hit the head and missed the group photo before getting on the road.

We hit the road with about 90 other nutters, riding through downtown Red Wing and past the Sons of Norway, who gave us a rousing sendoff. We pressed on to hwy 35 in Wisconsin, and a most scenic stretch of road.

The morning was cold, but the wind was out of the north, and hence at our backs. With tailwind in force, riding was a veritable bubble of warmth, so our stops were brief, though our pace was leisurely. We took a good number of stop along the way for photo opportunities.

I have a few hundred miles under my tyres this year, but Krystal hadn’t done much riding this year before the tour. Nevertheless, she did splendidly, taking advantage of the first long stop of the day to replenish with a specially-made strawberry trifle at the Smiling Pelican.

Pretty much everyone stops here, and i was happy to be toward the front of the pack, taking advantage of the short lines and the lovely garden seat. The triple berry pie i had here was my favorite treat of the tour, though i heard of another pie stop in Stockholm (the next stop) that i’ll have to visit next time through (when the pie description from a friend (thanks, Pete!) includes the movement of land masses, you have to pay attention).

We continued on with a lovely lunch at Gelly’s in Stockholm (jalepeño burger and Rush City porter), then pushed through to a break for ice cream at the Nelson Creamery. Heading across the river again toward Wabasha, we found a great sign posted by the local bike shop owner in Wabasha. That same LBS guy got one of the tourists back on the road by re-tapping his (steel) crank arm for a new set of pedals after one of his (cross-threaded) pedals fell out 2 miles from town.

We opted to camp in Wabasha, in the city park, and it was a good decision. The weather was perfect; dry and cool, great sleeping weather. The whole crew at the Eagle’s Nest Cafe did a fantastic job feeding us and hosting the whole bunch of nutters, complete with wonderful music, and thanks to the local bike club for their help too. We had a fine dinner of shephard’s pie and peas (and Newcastles) for dinner, and a variety of egg bakes and biscuits and gravy (and other items) for breakfast the next morning. Well-rested and fortified, we continued on the next morning heading north on the Minnesota side of the lake. The winds were calm, and the day warmer, continuing the streak of perfect cycling weather. Indeed, not only did it threaten to not rain, it didn’t rain the whole weekend, a first in the 6-year history of the 3ST.

We took the Frontenac detour, as is right, and saw the old town and got our picture along the stone wall.

In the end, the tour was made great by the wonderful people on the ride. I met people from Indianapolis, Chicago, Calgary, Seattle, and the Twin Cities, all nice folk and interesting to boot. We were dressed in shortpants and ties and vests or jackets, but nobody was too serious about it, and all had a great time. I’m not typically a social person, but everyone on the ride was easy to talk to; stout people all, well-met. A friend described this ride as “civil war re-enactment on bicycles”, and it’s been said that there are only shades and degrees of geekery for the things we love to do, but this ride is right up my alley. As the 3speedtour site has said, there are maybe one in a thousand cyclists who would read of this ride and say, “i have to do it”, and i’m happy to say that i’m one of them.

This image, of the relatively few photos i took, sums up the feeling of this tour. It’s not the costumes or the funny old bikes; it’s the spirit of exploring our world at a pace that suits us, where we’re guided only by our noses and a curiosity in the big and the small, and a love for good pie and pints and new friends. I can’t wait for next year.

Vélib 2.0: Bixi in Montreal

Montreal has debuted a new shared bicycle program called Bixi, and it’s the most ambitious and advanced project like this yet. It’s getting some good ink (pixels? bits?) in the New York Times and Salon, and it sound very promising.

They’ve made some improvements on the bikes and infrastructure over the Vélib system used in Paris, making the bikes and racks more robust, and designing the bike stations to be portable. The stations are solar powered and connect to the mother ship by wifi, so they can be stored away for winter (as they’re planning), or moved to different parts of the city as usage patterns evolve. This would also allow them to cluster stations together for special events, which might come in handy for say, jazz fans.

Another key element in the system that should help improve overall longevity is the payment system. Users can use the bikes hourly by checking one out from the station with a credit card, or by buying a season pass. The first half hour is free, and it’s $1.50 CDN per half hour up to $5, so rates are very low. The card used has a deposit held on it until the bike is returned, so chances of theft are greatly reduced (except for those paying with stolen cards). The sheer number of stations (300 to start with) means that users will be more likely to just check the bike back in after a trip, so locking bikes during a trip is less of a concern. Season pass owners get a chip-encoded key to unlock bikes, and that key is tied to their account, so again, the bike user is known and tracked.

The bikes and stations are a new design for enhanced durability and parts theft-resistance. They sound similar to the Coasting bikes that Shimano has been promoting here, featuring a dynohub and built-in LED lighting, except with a mechanically-shifted hub gear rather than the auto shifting mechanism. I like this idea too, it’s sound design for city riding, and helps with the idea that a commuting bike should be complete with things like lights, a rack and fenders.

It’ll be interesting to see how these systems come into use as they’re tested in US cities. Tourist spots and areas with easily walkable commercial districts will likely be successful amongst shoppers and perhaps bar-hoppers. It’s a big investment, but one that could be very effective in increasing the visibility of cycling and the further improvements in cycling infrastructure. After all, the more people who get on a bike, the more people there are to want to bike more and further.

What i’d do though? Bixi alleycat. Start at one station, and make a route to tag a handful of bike stations along the way. Racers must complete alleycat-style checkpoints, plus swap bikes at stations along the way, ending up back at the beginning.

a live Shuttle launch

I can’t remember the last time i watched a live launch of the space shuttle, and i just missed seeing it live online today through the NASA live feed. It’s a wonder to see though, and i recommend it highly.

There are many may different cameras recording the launch, and afterwards NASA replays the launch from a dozen or so different viewpoints, including pad-side and VIP area views. Not that you get to choose which one you’re seeing, but two of them stood out for me.

One is a particular side view (i don’t remember the camera number) because it clearly shows both of the engines at work. The shuttle engines themselves are massively powerful, but they’re candles in comparison to the blow torches of the solid rockets on either side. Not being a rocket scientist, it’s a marvel to me how they can so precisely steer the conglomeration of 2 rockets, shuttle and external tank during the first few seconds of massive thrust to put the shuttle neatly on it’s back while climbing thousands of feet per second straight up.

The external tank camera is the best view to stick with though, putting you on the shuttle as it leaves the pad, showing the tower, then city, state, and finally the horizon shrink like playthings. This is also the last view they show live during the live feed.

The details of this view are amazing; the overall picture seems static after a couple of minutes because the background is so far away, but you can clearly see the skin on the external fuel tank shiver while they climb, presumably either from passing through the atmosphere or because of the sheer force of the boost. The external booster rockets flicker and flare up in the final seconds before they’re ejected back into the ocean, like candles being blown out. This view lasts several minutes into the flight, through their roll in low orbit until just a minute before tank separation, when the feed is out of range for transmission. That last roll though is suprisingly quick and precise; it’s a few seconds of rolling over, then a precise stop, shuttle belly down.

This space shuttle mission is to rendezvous with the International Space Station for a service call to the Hubble space telescope. It’s becoming increasingly easy to take these sort of things as commonplace, but the Space Station and shuttle really deserves more attention than it gets. We launched people into space today, to meet up with other people who are temporarily living in space, to fix a tool that has permanently changed our view of our place in the universe.

the endless coal fire of Centralia

I see a story like this every so often, and the story of a fairly prosperous small town shut down by a seemingly endess coal fire fascinates me. I believe it when the gubment says that there may just be no way to put out an underground coal fire; there’s just so much heat stored up down there that quenching it must be unbelievably difficult.

But shouldn’t there be some way to harness the fire? Steam-powered electrical plant or something? Seems like we can’t beat it, so why not try to use it?

teabagging hilarity

(via City Pages)

MSNBC finds the balls to do some analytical reporting. The 2¢ summary: for most of us, taxes will be lower than under Bush2, and even for those whose taxes are going up, they’ll be lower than they were under Reagan, so what are you whining about? Good piece, with hilarious deadpan (or unintentional) teabagging jokes.