The best bus ever

The best bus ever
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Thursday, April 19, 2007

Bike Congress at BSU

I thought Bikeboy would have something about this on his blog, but not yet. This Friday is the annual Bike Congress at Boise State, where you can hear speakers discuss - among other things - bike-friendly campuses and the perils of car doors opening in bike lanes. Here's the full schedule.

When I bike, I'm currently riding a second- or third-hand 10-speed (or is it 15?). But if I had more disposable income, I think I'd spring for one of the $500 Lime bikes (as seen in the Idaho Statesman today, and here) from Trek, with three gears that shift automatically. With just three speeds, I'm not sure the Lime would have enough juice to get me up Protest Hill, but I suppose I could get off and walk - or put it on the bus bike rack!

1 comment:

Bikeboy said...

Julie... I got an email a month or so ago about the Bike Congress, and looked it over.

My impressions, whether correct or not:
1) This looks largely geared toward traffic engineers and such,
2) "There is nothing new here."
(My many years of cycling has given me somewhat of a jaded eye, to be sure.)

I've served on several bicycle advisory committees, etc., and have always ended up frustrated - the vast majority of cyclists seem to be apolitical. They "don't want to get involved," mostly because they'd rather just ride.

I hope the Bicycle Congress gets a good turnout. I plan on participating in, and hopefully promoting in some small way, Boise Bike Week, next month.

http://www.boisebikeweek.org/

The Lime Bike is intriguing. For years, they've been trying to build a FUNCTIONING automatic gearshift for bikes; so far without 100% success. (It's become WAY easier to shift gears in the last 20 years, as "click shift" is now incorporated into most bikes' handlebar controls, one way or another. Back in the day, it was down low on the frame.)

You should check out the "Townie" or one of the other cruiser-style bikes, but with aluminum frame, alloy wheels (but with sweet whitewall fat tires), and 7-speed with "Protest Avenue Granny Gear."
(-;