Bike Share Program Opens in New York City After Long Delay(nytimes.com)
nytimes.com
Bike Share Program Opens in New York City After Long Delay
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/nyregion/bike-share-program-opens-in-new-york-city-after-long-delay.html?_r=1&&pagewanted=all
87 comments
The bikes ride slowly, which again seems right for a commuting bike in a crowded urban setting.
I actually prefer biking fast in NYC. The traffic lights are synchronized to 30mph traffic. It's not easy to sustain 30 mph (you need a racing bike or to be in very good shape) but I try to get up to 20-22 mph to limit my time spent at lights. Of course, this isn't an option if I need to be presentable and not sweaty whereever I'm going.
I actually prefer biking fast in NYC. The traffic lights are synchronized to 30mph traffic. It's not easy to sustain 30 mph (you need a racing bike or to be in very good shape) but I try to get up to 20-22 mph to limit my time spent at lights. Of course, this isn't an option if I need to be presentable and not sweaty whereever I'm going.
I recently switched from using a racing bike for my day to day commuting to a much chunkier Dutch bike that seems to be in line with the Citi bikes and the difference in commute times is fairly negligible (Cobble Hill to SoHo took me about 15-18 minutes on my road bike and now takes about 18-22). The added ~5 minutes is worth not be drenched in sweat by the end of my ride and having some real cargo capacity on my bike.
Very cool, is that documented somewhere by any chance?
I've noticed the same, the only time I can ever "keep up" with the green lights on my folding Dahon is on 5th ave, the very down-hill portion from 40th street to about 23rd.
There are some special streets though which are not in sync with the other lights: 42nd, 23rd, 14th (maybe 34th)... so as long as I catch each leg within one green light I consider that successful.
I've noticed the same, the only time I can ever "keep up" with the green lights on my folding Dahon is on 5th ave, the very down-hill portion from 40th street to about 23rd.
There are some special streets though which are not in sync with the other lights: 42nd, 23rd, 14th (maybe 34th)... so as long as I catch each leg within one green light I consider that successful.
I've noticed the same, the only time I can ever "keep up" with the green lights on my folding Dahon is on 5th ave, the very down-hill portion from 40th street to about 23rd.
That's a nice stretch. 7th Avenue between 59th and 48th is also pretty nice hill-wise (assuming the traffic isn't insane).
That's a nice stretch. 7th Avenue between 59th and 48th is also pretty nice hill-wise (assuming the traffic isn't insane).
I've been thinking about implementing a diy "green wave" system, unfortunatly most of the lights were I live arn't exclusivly time based.
A lot of people do, but the vast majority of those who like to bike fast will want to use their own bike.
When is there ever 30mph traffic in Manhattan.
Manhattan traffic is mostly bad in peak traffic (weekdays during rush hours, major holidays when people are trying to leave, etc) on the approaches to bridges/tunnels and in the downtown/midtown core where said approaches are interacting with each other. Anywhere else, anywhen else, and it's not so bad; there's more traffic capacity on the island than there is to get on/off of the island.
[deleted]
> I actually prefer biking fast in NYC.
I've found this to be very dangerous, because other bicyclists simply do not obey traffic laws.
For example: they regularly run red lights, which makes approaching intersections at-speed dangerous for both parties. I was nearly hit on one occasion (the other cyclist skidded out and set his bike down) while I had a clear green light.
After that (and a few other incidents), I stopped riding fast in Manhattan. I'd love to see strict and brutal enforcement of traffic laws to curb people's antisocial bicycle behavior, but I doubt we will.
I've found this to be very dangerous, because other bicyclists simply do not obey traffic laws.
For example: they regularly run red lights, which makes approaching intersections at-speed dangerous for both parties. I was nearly hit on one occasion (the other cyclist skidded out and set his bike down) while I had a clear green light.
After that (and a few other incidents), I stopped riding fast in Manhattan. I'd love to see strict and brutal enforcement of traffic laws to curb people's antisocial bicycle behavior, but I doubt we will.
This is very much a problem in London at the moment as cycling is very much in vogue.
Hi,
I don't comment much but this is a misconception I believe.
This study, www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/traffic-note-8-cycling-red-lights.pdf by TFL points out that an average of 16% of cyclist jump lights etc... That's a load of people, but still a minority of cyclist out on the roads.
I don't comment much but this is a misconception I believe.
This study, www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/traffic-note-8-cycling-red-lights.pdf by TFL points out that an average of 16% of cyclist jump lights etc... That's a load of people, but still a minority of cyclist out on the roads.
16% is about 1 in 6. It is very common to be at traffic lights with a group of 6 cyclists. You only need one of them, 16%, to jump the lights for it to cause a problem.
If 16% of drivers jumped the lights, we'd rightly be outraged.
If 16% of drivers jumped the lights, we'd rightly be outraged.
That 16% must all have been on my way to/from work then. I swear not one of those idiots actually paid attention to the lights.
Yeah, there are some insane NYC cyclists. People go the wrong way in absurd situations - when there's another bike lane going the right way a street over, in full four-lane traffic, etc. I stopped riding to work because the other bikers were going to kill me.
The bikes ride slowly, which again seems right for a commuting bike in a crowded urban setting.
You're spot-on with this description, but there's a nuance that many commenters here are overlooking: these bikes are designed for novice bike riders. These bikes are tanks. They force you to ride slowly, sit upright, and they are easy to jump off of. They're designed to get novice riders across town safely.
The same bike-sharing program is currently in it's second year here in Boston. Our version is called "Hubway" (www.thehubway.com). Same equipment. It's great a great way for tourists to see our city and gives many of us a much-needed alternative to our subway system (the "T").
You're spot-on with this description, but there's a nuance that many commenters here are overlooking: these bikes are designed for novice bike riders. These bikes are tanks. They force you to ride slowly, sit upright, and they are easy to jump off of. They're designed to get novice riders across town safely.
The same bike-sharing program is currently in it's second year here in Boston. Our version is called "Hubway" (www.thehubway.com). Same equipment. It's great a great way for tourists to see our city and gives many of us a much-needed alternative to our subway system (the "T").
[Shameless spam plug, hope it's relevant here]
Just today I have added New York's Citibike to my bike sharing project [1]. Feel free to give it a spin!
[2]: http://api.citybik.es/citibikenyc.html
[3]: http://citybik.es/realtime/#citibikenyc
Just today I have added New York's Citibike to my bike sharing project [1]. Feel free to give it a spin!
List of juicy features:
- Android version
- Push notifications for stations of interest
- Distraction free map!
- HTML version [2]
- Hacky goodie: realtime world map [3]
[2]: http://api.citybik.es/citibikenyc.html
[3]: http://citybik.es/realtime/#citibikenyc
That looks pretty awesome. How do you get your data? Do all those bike sharing services have real-time public APIs that you connect to?
Some have (for instance NYC, kudos to them!), other services do not have anything, and data has to be scraped from their website. Most of the time it's a pain in the ass that involves many different dodgy tricks.
I have a python library available at http://github.com/eskerda/pybikes that unifies all the data from different sources into the same model.
I have a python library available at http://github.com/eskerda/pybikes that unifies all the data from different sources into the same model.
Awesome! Thanks for making that opensource!
Citibike has a json API: http://citibikenyc.com/stations/json
Pretty sweet. The real-ish station status data's got to be pretty interesting in aggregate.
I'm also looking forward to people competitively racing these things with the personal trip data a part of the platform.
I'm also looking forward to people competitively racing these things with the personal trip data a part of the platform.
I did play with the idea myself - That was during the 'gamification era' two years ago - and ended up thinking that people would only play it if it was passive, or automatic. I don't think much people will go to the length of checking in and out every time they take or leave a bike.
From our side, it's difficult to track bike movements due to false positives (bikes that are transported by van from station to station).
Of course, city councils could (and should) try new ideas with all the information they have. The funny part is that most city councils do not have access to the full history, and only the company providing the service. The companies providing these services are old players, and do not want or do not care to invest on cool features.
Who would not want to appear on the Highscore table?
From our side, it's difficult to track bike movements due to false positives (bikes that are transported by van from station to station).
Of course, city councils could (and should) try new ideas with all the information they have. The funny part is that most city councils do not have access to the full history, and only the company providing the service. The companies providing these services are old players, and do not want or do not care to invest on cool features.
Who would not want to appear on the Highscore table?
You're missing Ottawa Canada, which also uses Bixi.
P.S. Your contact page 404's, and you don't have your email address in your hacker news profile.
P.S. Your contact page 404's, and you don't have your email address in your hacker news profile.
Thanks for reporting, Ottawa is not missing anymore ;) Feel free to ping me anytime at [email protected]
Pretty cool site!
However note 404 on about page
http://citybik.es/about
However note 404 on about page
http://citybik.es/about
Duly noted, this is the 5th time in these last 3 years that this is said, it's time to add the about page... Done!
Will you be adding anything from Germany? Pretty sure there is a city bike-sharing scheme here in Berlin.
In Germany, there's the 'next-bike', and 'call a bike'. I have been waiting to add them until I have the new structure of the project figured out. At that point, they will be much easier to have, and less hacky.
The 'call a bike' system is interesting, and differs from the overall scheme of most bike sharing systems. You have to call a number, enter a pin, and then you get a code to unlock the chain. I find it pretty intelligent, but a bit conflicting with what I have currently running.
At the same time, both systems are really small in stations, but big in locations (as in, there are lots of cities). That's the main reason I have to not support them at the moment, and the main reason of rewriting the architecture of the project. I did not know the project was going to grow at the start, so every city is a different module, if possible, with some inheritance. The new architecture [1] will feature systems as instances, instead of a separated class, thus, making it trivial to generate instances on the run.
Not sure if I went too far with the response, hope it's useful.
[1]: https://github.com/eskerda/pybikes/wiki/architecture
The 'call a bike' system is interesting, and differs from the overall scheme of most bike sharing systems. You have to call a number, enter a pin, and then you get a code to unlock the chain. I find it pretty intelligent, but a bit conflicting with what I have currently running.
At the same time, both systems are really small in stations, but big in locations (as in, there are lots of cities). That's the main reason I have to not support them at the moment, and the main reason of rewriting the architecture of the project. I did not know the project was going to grow at the start, so every city is a different module, if possible, with some inheritance. The new architecture [1] will feature systems as instances, instead of a separated class, thus, making it trivial to generate instances on the run.
Not sure if I went too far with the response, hope it's useful.
[1]: https://github.com/eskerda/pybikes/wiki/architecture
I wonder what will be their position on visualization, statistics and user contributed projects reusing their data.
Their data feed is available [1], but in the terms of use [2], page 1, point 4 it says:
[2]: https://citibikenyc.com/assets/pdf/terms-of-use.pdf
Their data feed is available [1], but in the terms of use [2], page 1, point 4 it says:
4. Proprietary Rights in Website Content; Limited License to Access and
Use Website.
All content that is on the Website or that is available through the
Website or any of the Affiliated Websites, including all designs,
text, graphics, pictures, video, information, applications, software,
music, sound, and other files and their selection and arrangement
(collectively, "Website Content"), is the exclusive proprietary
property of Alta and its Related Parties, with all rights reserved by
Alta and its Related Parties. [...]
[2]: https://citibikenyc.com/assets/pdf/terms-of-use.pdf
As a techie turned urban planner (starting a PhD in the fall!) I am constantly amazed by the level of interest in urban planning issues that the tech community has. Within the ranks of practicing planners, I feel there is the oldish guard, who maybe groks a little GIS, but otherwise doesn't understand the democratic potential of data and information systems.
Then there is the new insurgency of people who are "wizards" who come to the field with a high level of sophistication about coding, visualization, and analytics. To some of the older guard, these people are intimidating, because the new guard believes intuitively in open access to data through useful APIs, and repeatable analyses that consume the same data that everyone else gets.
Contrast that with the clickety-click Excel/ESRI paradigm that we're waking up from. Data is "public" but not accessible. Analyses are performed by an expert who you simply have to trust that they did things right, because all you have is a finished map.
I love the new direction that's coming in planning. In my city, we have a happy confluence of relatively sophisticated planners, a big tech scene, a lots of ped/bike/transit advocates, but there is still a gulf between what The People want in terms of data services, and what the various transit, city, MPO agencies have capacity to provide.
This pre-coffee ramble is a long winded way of saying, "keep fighting the good fight, and doing cool and interesting stuff with urban data."
Then there is the new insurgency of people who are "wizards" who come to the field with a high level of sophistication about coding, visualization, and analytics. To some of the older guard, these people are intimidating, because the new guard believes intuitively in open access to data through useful APIs, and repeatable analyses that consume the same data that everyone else gets.
Contrast that with the clickety-click Excel/ESRI paradigm that we're waking up from. Data is "public" but not accessible. Analyses are performed by an expert who you simply have to trust that they did things right, because all you have is a finished map.
I love the new direction that's coming in planning. In my city, we have a happy confluence of relatively sophisticated planners, a big tech scene, a lots of ped/bike/transit advocates, but there is still a gulf between what The People want in terms of data services, and what the various transit, city, MPO agencies have capacity to provide.
This pre-coffee ramble is a long winded way of saying, "keep fighting the good fight, and doing cool and interesting stuff with urban data."
How does one move into urban planning from being a techie?
I ask only because I want to solve social issues with tech.
I ask only because I want to solve social issues with tech.
I did a masters degree. It was strange going back to school after being out in the working world for a number of years.
I take this to mean "don't use our logo, colors, etc etc", not "don't use our feed". Not to mention facts may not be copyrighted - so if you scrape the information (or just do it the nice way via JSON feed) you are free to present it so long as you don't run afoul of any actual copyrighted content.
Even if they can't copyright the facts, they can forbid you from using their service to get more if you use them for something they don't like.
Their API doesn't provide this right now, but what I'd really like to see is anonymous data regarding bike movement. (assuming the bikes have GPS, they are tracked no?)
I'm curious about statistics like the most frequent bike routes people take, the longest rides, the density of bikes per location, etc.
I'm curious about statistics like the most frequent bike routes people take, the longest rides, the density of bikes per location, etc.
Sounds like this is a bike rental program, not really a sharing program. My town (naively) tried a free bike sharing program years ago. They bought about a hundred bright yellow bicycles and set up racks around town. The idea was you go to a rack, take a bike, ride it to the rack nearest your destination, and leave it there. Of course within weeks all the bikes were either vandalized beyond repair or stolen.
The same system NYC just deployed has been in use in Montreal and London for years. You have to use a credit card or similar to get a bike, so there's some disincentive to mess about (they will charge your card if you steal the bike). That said, in the first few months after London got theirs, several of the kiosks were vandalized or stolen. That problem seems to have subsided (maybe the fools figured out there was no real money in it). But cycle theft in NYC is more rampant than in London, so we'll see how it goes. My fingers are crossed, because I've used the sibling systems and they're great.
I think it's kind of designed as a bike share program with a minor bike-rental option to juice revenues from tourists. The annual membership is $95 (compare to a daily $10 / weekly $25) so if you use it with any semblance of a semi-regular basis you'll buy the yearly option, and if you're a tourist you pay the more expensive rate. It's a form of price discrimination.
It is totally supposed to be about the ride-from-rack-to-rack setup. That's why there's a 30-45 minute max before they have overages (the longer time is for the annual members).
It is totally supposed to be about the ride-from-rack-to-rack setup. That's why there's a 30-45 minute max before they have overages (the longer time is for the annual members).
I just took one out and back. The bike was good, but it whistled a little bit in the rain. The three speeds are great. I did have trouble docking the bike on my way back though and I had to go to a different station. I called the number but it was busy so I sent them an email.
This is still the best thing to happen to NYC in a while.
This is still the best thing to happen to NYC in a while.
I'm pretty pumped up about this. I brought my helmet with to the city today and I have my key. I'm going to ride to my appointment at lunchtime. This just made those fold up bikes that people bring on the railroad obsolete.
> This just made those fold up bikes that people bring on the railroad obsolete.
Unless people are trying to make a point to point trip somewhere above 60th in Manhattan or outside of the little Brooklyn cluster of stations. You also can't just ride up to Sheep Meadow in Central Park and read a book in the grass next to your bike for a few hours without getting hit with overtime fees. Even within the covered area, there are gaps between stations and being able to ride up to the door of your destination is pretty nice.
I'm all for public bike rental, and I think for a lot of people it's going to be good enough and a lot easier to deal with than their own bike, folding or not. But personal folding bikes obsolete in NYC? Not yet.
Unless people are trying to make a point to point trip somewhere above 60th in Manhattan or outside of the little Brooklyn cluster of stations. You also can't just ride up to Sheep Meadow in Central Park and read a book in the grass next to your bike for a few hours without getting hit with overtime fees. Even within the covered area, there are gaps between stations and being able to ride up to the door of your destination is pretty nice.
I'm all for public bike rental, and I think for a lot of people it's going to be good enough and a lot easier to deal with than their own bike, folding or not. But personal folding bikes obsolete in NYC? Not yet.
you have obligatory helmets in ny?
I don't think they are mandatory in nyc but it's dangerous for even experienced bikers, so good for them to be smart about it.
I mean you don't really survive even the first impact and sometimes when you think you do, an hour later you don't: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/18/brain.injury/ (aka "talk and die")
I mean you don't really survive even the first impact and sometimes when you think you do, an hour later you don't: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/18/brain.injury/ (aka "talk and die")
for the city bike helmets are snake oil, especially on those town bikes where you don't flip. it's almost like wearing a helmet to walk your dog. unless you wear a downhill one, then grab the full armor too and pick up a fight with drivers.
in other words: the kinds of injuries an average helmet from the market would protect in some low margin of cases - probably won't happen. in the ones you fear the most - won't help you anyway.
in other words: the kinds of injuries an average helmet from the market would protect in some low margin of cases - probably won't happen. in the ones you fear the most - won't help you anyway.
I've been cycling almost daily for all of my life and only once had an accident where I hit my head, back when I was 6.
Disclaimer: I live in the Netherlands, bikes are everywhere.
The main difference is that here, you have experienced cyclists (you learn to walk, then you learn to ride a bicycle), dedicated bicycle lanes, and car drivers that know there's cyclists around and look out for them.
As for helmets or not, it's very much a factor of speed, risk of accidents, and the nature of the accident. Hit your head at a high enough speed (iirc, anywhere above 30 KM/h) and you'll get a concussion, even with a helmet. Maybe no cranial fracture, but still. Helmet won't protect you from breaking your neck or getting run over by a semi either.
tl;dr, I don't wear a helmet, I don't need to, and I live in a country where cyclists are common. You do see people wearing helmets, but they're usually children in busy cities or speed cyclists. Sometimes both.
Disclaimer: I live in the Netherlands, bikes are everywhere.
The main difference is that here, you have experienced cyclists (you learn to walk, then you learn to ride a bicycle), dedicated bicycle lanes, and car drivers that know there's cyclists around and look out for them.
As for helmets or not, it's very much a factor of speed, risk of accidents, and the nature of the accident. Hit your head at a high enough speed (iirc, anywhere above 30 KM/h) and you'll get a concussion, even with a helmet. Maybe no cranial fracture, but still. Helmet won't protect you from breaking your neck or getting run over by a semi either.
tl;dr, I don't wear a helmet, I don't need to, and I live in a country where cyclists are common. You do see people wearing helmets, but they're usually children in busy cities or speed cyclists. Sometimes both.
It's true, one very rarely meets people who have suffered serious head injuries without a helmet. You will never talk to a cyclist with that kind of serious story.
It's a sampling problem: you only talk to cyclists. The head-injury cases who didn't wear helmets are injured or dead, and correspondingly no longer cyclists.
It's a sampling problem: you only talk to cyclists. The head-injury cases who didn't wear helmets are injured or dead, and correspondingly no longer cyclists.
If you lived in NYC you would wear a helmet. Or should. And I would say NYC has more experienced cyclists than the Netherlands, considering what New Yorkers have to put up with. The dangers of NYC cycling is the density of things that can hurt you moving around you.
NYC has a population 10.40 times larger than the largest city in Netherlands (Amsterdam), with a density that is 7.85 times greater.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam
NYC has a population 10.40 times larger than the largest city in Netherlands (Amsterdam), with a density that is 7.85 times greater.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam
Are you sure? I have about one accident per year when using my bike a lot in an urban area (20km/d). Only luck prevented me from landing on my head - if I had, I am pretty sure the helm would have been pretty helpful. Plus, a good helm is available for as little as 15USD. Considering the cost of falling on my head, that appears to be a good deal.
btw: In my last accident in a urban setting, I came down 3-4m away from my bike. And it did not involve any car, just me poorly performing an emergency break at about 20-25 km/h
btw: In my last accident in a urban setting, I came down 3-4m away from my bike. And it did not involve any car, just me poorly performing an emergency break at about 20-25 km/h
Most people who claim that bike helmets aren't particularly useful in an urban setting usually say they aren't particularly useful below 20 km/h or in collisions with cars. Above 20 km/h helmets are useful.
Sounds like junk science to me. Just cribbing from Wolfram here:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=gravitational+potential... ...energy of 75kg at 1.5m = 1.10 kJ
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=kinetic+energy+of+75kg+... ...at 20kmph = 1.15 kJ
That is to say, your head is likely to experience roughly the same force when riding head-first into a brick wall at 20kmph as falling head-first onto pavement from a high seated position, but one of these can happen at any speed.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=gravitational+potential... ...energy of 75kg at 1.5m = 1.10 kJ
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=kinetic+energy+of+75kg+... ...at 20kmph = 1.15 kJ
That is to say, your head is likely to experience roughly the same force when riding head-first into a brick wall at 20kmph as falling head-first onto pavement from a high seated position, but one of these can happen at any speed.
I think the point is that below 20km/h is a speed that evolution has experience with. At those sorts of speeds your instincts are going to do a lot to protect your head: throwing your arms up, for example. The arms might break, but your head will be somewhat shielded.
There is no surer way to troll a thread on bicycling, than to bring up the subject of bike helmets. Perhaps, with some restraint, this one won't be derailed...
It's kind of annoying. It would be one thing if people said "I'm willing to throw caution to the wind." It's another when they try to rationalize it with nonsense.
Skipping the helmet is in the same class of activity as skipping the seat belt. If you drive/bike under the right conditions in a variety of respects which are otherwise safe, you can easily luck out and avoid injury. If you want to argue that you have the right to endanger your own life like that, you have an argument.
But if you tell yourself it isn't actually a risk (for most people, one of the top risks you're exposing yourself to) then you're probably delusional. And people always get annoyed when you deconstruct their delusions. :P
Skipping the helmet is in the same class of activity as skipping the seat belt. If you drive/bike under the right conditions in a variety of respects which are otherwise safe, you can easily luck out and avoid injury. If you want to argue that you have the right to endanger your own life like that, you have an argument.
But if you tell yourself it isn't actually a risk (for most people, one of the top risks you're exposing yourself to) then you're probably delusional. And people always get annoyed when you deconstruct their delusions. :P
That's NOT what I meant with restraint :)
This happened to me, wearing a full-face (motorbike like) helmet.
http://imgur.com/a/UgGTI
I also got hit by a car a couple of months ago.
You couldn't pay me enough to ride a bike without a helmet.
http://imgur.com/a/UgGTI
I also got hit by a car a couple of months ago.
You couldn't pay me enough to ride a bike without a helmet.
I don't buy this. People don't realize how complicated real accidents are, so they say things like "helmets won't help if you're hit by a semi, so they're useless". Well, the first part is true. If you're hit by a semi, you're probably dead no matter what. On the other hand, if you swerve to avoid a semi and fall and tumble a bit, then hit your head on a curb, you'd rather have a helmet.
Real world traffic accidents don't usually happen because one thing goes wrong. They happen because several things go wrong at the same time.
Helmets aren't a perfect solution, but they compensate to some degree for the fragile (and unpredictably so) nature of the head.
Real world traffic accidents don't usually happen because one thing goes wrong. They happen because several things go wrong at the same time.
Helmets aren't a perfect solution, but they compensate to some degree for the fragile (and unpredictably so) nature of the head.
To me, an avid cyclist for more than 15 years, helmets are less about protection from a car and more about protection from bike failure or small obstacles on the road. It doesn't take a very large rock to cause your bike to crash, especially road bikes with skinny wheels. A low impact crash like that is where a helmet could truly save you from concussions or worse.
Can you back that up with some statistics?
these debates have been going for years, some arguments and counter-arguments f.ex. here http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/bicycle-hel... and here http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/cycle-helmets-offer-little-... including the overall impact on cycling culture (notice how in the most bike-oriented countries in europe people don't give a crap).
if people buy the fact that helmets will help them a bit when a car hits them at 60km/h, why don't they wear it when crossing the street by foot.
if people buy the fact that helmets will help them a bit when a car hits them at 60km/h, why don't they wear it when crossing the street by foot.
Because I honestly have no idea how many times I've crossed the street, but I've never been hit.
Just a fortnight ago, a driver undertook (should not in highway code) a right turning van (UK) entering a bus lane during restricted hours (must not in highway code) and directly pulled in to my immediate path (must not in highway code). I had to take some avoiding action, it was a choice between his van, or trying to squeeze to the left of him between the pavement. I choose the pavement. I hit the ground with a total speed of at most 4mph. My rucksack hit the ground first, this is what happened to my phone: http://imgur.com/a1jqN9T.JPG . Keep in mind this nokia had happily survived worse injuries. Hell see their youtube channel for the stress tests. The point is the angle of the accident and force I had were a perfect storm, my dlock moved and smashed everything, my washkit was demolished, even the metal anti-perspirant can was crushed.
The driver didn't even stop.
I am not an unsafe cyclist, I follow the rules of the highway code, I'm head to toe in good commuting clothing, my idea of a bank holiday is 200 miles of cycling on the continent or wales. I never have headphones in, always wear corrective vision sports glasses, I have an advanced driving license, rather than just the standard british one, I also have a pilots license. I have good spatial awareness and do not take unnecessary risks. In the last 4 years, I have been knocked off 3 times. I have bailed off (ie jumped voluntarily because I can't stop to avoid hitting someone) 5 times, once, cutting up my face rather badly, ruining the helmet completely, I've no idea what would have happened if I wasn't wearing it. Same goes with my shorts, 15mph on tarmac is not good.
I have also had to crash into a very kind mans car, because someone "couldn't see me", they then left the scene of the accident, the police didn't do anything as I only had a partial number plate.
When I cycle in London, and I'm doing 30 miles a day, I'll wear a helmet, I'll consider anyone who has headphones in which is sadly now a common site, a complete idiot (its illegal in some countries, but not UK).
I have also first responded to two accidents involving bikes.
So lets re-cap. Amount of times spent walking the streets, lots. Amount of accidents, 0. Amount of time spent cycling, lots. Amount of accidents, too many.
Just a fortnight ago, a driver undertook (should not in highway code) a right turning van (UK) entering a bus lane during restricted hours (must not in highway code) and directly pulled in to my immediate path (must not in highway code). I had to take some avoiding action, it was a choice between his van, or trying to squeeze to the left of him between the pavement. I choose the pavement. I hit the ground with a total speed of at most 4mph. My rucksack hit the ground first, this is what happened to my phone: http://imgur.com/a1jqN9T.JPG . Keep in mind this nokia had happily survived worse injuries. Hell see their youtube channel for the stress tests. The point is the angle of the accident and force I had were a perfect storm, my dlock moved and smashed everything, my washkit was demolished, even the metal anti-perspirant can was crushed.
The driver didn't even stop.
I am not an unsafe cyclist, I follow the rules of the highway code, I'm head to toe in good commuting clothing, my idea of a bank holiday is 200 miles of cycling on the continent or wales. I never have headphones in, always wear corrective vision sports glasses, I have an advanced driving license, rather than just the standard british one, I also have a pilots license. I have good spatial awareness and do not take unnecessary risks. In the last 4 years, I have been knocked off 3 times. I have bailed off (ie jumped voluntarily because I can't stop to avoid hitting someone) 5 times, once, cutting up my face rather badly, ruining the helmet completely, I've no idea what would have happened if I wasn't wearing it. Same goes with my shorts, 15mph on tarmac is not good.
I have also had to crash into a very kind mans car, because someone "couldn't see me", they then left the scene of the accident, the police didn't do anything as I only had a partial number plate.
When I cycle in London, and I'm doing 30 miles a day, I'll wear a helmet, I'll consider anyone who has headphones in which is sadly now a common site, a complete idiot (its illegal in some countries, but not UK).
I have also first responded to two accidents involving bikes.
So lets re-cap. Amount of times spent walking the streets, lots. Amount of accidents, 0. Amount of time spent cycling, lots. Amount of accidents, too many.
No. I saw three people riding these this morning on my 4 block walk to work and none of them were wearing a helmet. I have a personal rule though to always wear a helmet when riding a bike. On my monitor with the browser maximized, the bottom line of this page: http://citibikenyc.com/riding-tips says "Citi Bike encourages you to wear a helmet and never ever text while riding!" They also sent me a coupon for $10 off a helmet at local bike shops.
Helmets aren't mandatory. Bike bells are.
This is true. Per NYC DOT: "No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a bicycle any siren or whistle."
There are no helmet rules listed that apply to anyone over fourteen.
Source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bicyclerules_engli...
There are no helmet rules listed that apply to anyone over fourteen.
Source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bicyclerules_engli...
Bike helmets are not required for adults.
I usually wear one when biking in Manhattan, but I rode Citibike today and went helmetless.
This is probably statistically whack, but I "feel" safer riding Citibike without the helmet, mostly because I can go a lot faster on my road bike.
I usually wear one when biking in Manhattan, but I rode Citibike today and went helmetless.
This is probably statistically whack, but I "feel" safer riding Citibike without the helmet, mostly because I can go a lot faster on my road bike.
I remember reading about a study (can't dig it up now) that said that drivers drive on average 1 meter closer to cyclists who are wearing helmets vs. those without. Maybe that's why you feel safer.
And some evangelizing against helmet laws: http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/08/helmets-or-health.html
And some evangelizing against helmet laws: http://www.copenhagenize.com/2008/08/helmets-or-health.html
If you are in the city without bike sharing program, I recommend you to try folding kick scooter.
They are lightweight, you can carry it everywhere, your speed will be 2-3 times faster, than pedestrians.
Getting a kick scooter literally changed my life :)
They are lightweight, you can carry it everywhere, your speed will be 2-3 times faster, than pedestrians.
Getting a kick scooter literally changed my life :)
That's pretty cool, especially if you live in a city which doesn't have cobble stone everywhere. I don't :(
13,768 miles in 6050 trips by 5pm yesterday: https://citibikenyc.com/blog/2013/05/27/citi-bike-day-one-re...
Whoever did the JavaScript for the photo: you broke vertical page scroll gestures. Also, horizontal swipe on the photo changes the photo, but then we get moved to another article a half second later. Experience broken on the iPad.
Nice. Now all NY needs is some bike lanes and your rush hour will look like the Dutch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-AbPav5E5M
We do have bike lanes. A lot of them in fact - though some of them are still pretty scary. I rode a Citibike up 6th Ave in the bike lane in the middle of the afternoon yesterday and it was a little hair-raising.
One of the very cool things about this program is that all the bikes are equipped with GPSes, and combined with the data from the docking stations themselves, there's a stated intent to use this data to determine where more bike lanes and bike lane improvements will go in.
One of the very cool things about this program is that all the bikes are equipped with GPSes, and combined with the data from the docking stations themselves, there's a stated intent to use this data to determine where more bike lanes and bike lane improvements will go in.
Don't worry, bike lanes in the Netherlands can be scary too, ;). Especially if you're a tourist and compete with natives that will go faster. Perhaps even moreso on a wintry day when it's slippery.
Ah, it's not the bikes in this case, but rather that you're riding in a painted lane on a road occupied by a sea of extremely aggressive cab drivers ;)
Some roads have protected bike lanes where you're separated by traffic via a concrete divider, potted plants, or parking spaces, and those definitely feel a lot less scary.
Some roads have protected bike lanes where you're separated by traffic via a concrete divider, potted plants, or parking spaces, and those definitely feel a lot less scary.
Interesting visualization of Boston's bike sharing program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMBXdKj4iDQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMBXdKj4iDQ
There's an organization working to start a bike share program in Seattle too! http://pugetsoundbikeshare.org/
WIth DC and NYC both implementing similar programs, I can now dream of a day when the entire Acela corridor has a federated bikeshare system.
It started yesterday.
Ah I missed the date.
Sadly it seems a bike was stolen in the first hour it was live too.
Sadly it seems a bike was stolen in the first hour it was live too.
Someone stole a bike before it was initially locked into the rack, which is pretty much a one-time event.
Not to mention the bikes have GPS and can be tracked down.
http://www.businessinsider.com/first-citi-bike-has-been-stol...
Not to mention the bikes have GPS and can be tracked down.
http://www.businessinsider.com/first-citi-bike-has-been-stol...
I take it the citi bike program has taken steps to ensure there is no market for citi bikes. (Like never selling them.)
I had to meet some friends in soho, which normally takes about 25 minutes by subway or 10 minutes by cab - I casually biked there in 12 minutes. It was great being able to leave my bike a block from where I was meeting my friends without worrying about locking it, and it was great that I could pick up another bike several blocks away to go home.
The bikes themselves are clunky and built like tanks, which seems right because the bikes will be used a lot and are always outside. The bikes ride slowly, which again seems right for a commuting bike in a crowded urban setting.
The bike stations are still having some issues that I hope will be ironed out shortly. Every time I tried to take out a bike the station would abort with a flashing red light the first three or four times, which was annoying. The station map was down all of yesterday, so I had to search around a bit for stations. That said the stations are nearly ubiquitous in downtown manhattan so it really wasn't a big issue.
Overall I'm really happy with the program and plan on using it a lot.