Changes and Thoughts Off the Bike

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Jeff Moser

After several years of working in the same old basement day after day, I decided it was time to switch things up a bit. I left a very bicycle friendly office where several of us simply kept our bicycles right at our desks, and accepted a job where a bicycle policy was unclear. Although it’s a modern building, bicycle facilities weren’t incorporated into the remodel, and there are currently no bikes allowed inside the building. There are some pretty nice ashtrays on the property, but no bike racks. I wasn’t overly concerned though, because bicycling seems to flourish wherever I go. I’d simply have to win the hearts and minds.

Walking by the old Carson Brewing Company

While I’ve been figuring out my new bike situation, I’ve been doing a lot of walking. Spending a few days without a bike or a car can give you a new perspective on things. Walking is to biking what biking is to driving. Not in the sense of its impact on society and the environment, but your perception of the world and how you interact with it. If you want to slow down and get to know your neighborhood really well, spend a few days on foot. You’ll see and notice far more than you ever would on your bicycle.

My route to work takes me through the historical area of Carson City. I really like taking the time to enjoy the old buildings like the old Carson Brewing Company that once brewed beer with water from Kings Canyon Creek, or the Sweeney Building where Mark Twain’s brother Orion Clemens used to have an office. Some of the buildings even have plaques or signs indicating the historical significance (and insignificance in some cases…) of the site. These are some of the things you just don’t see at the pace of a bicycle commute.

Without all the preparatory tasks of bicycle commuting such as donning helmets and other gear, tire inflation, chain lubrication, packing your locks, cables, and lights, simply walking to work seems so easy in comparison. Just lace up your shoes and go. And walking is pretty relaxing. No covering the brakes. You’re not constantly scanning traffic and watching for opening car doors and other hazards.

Sweeney Building – Mark Twain’s brother Orion Clemens used to work here

Since you have access to additional routes where bicycles are not allowed, walking can be an all new adventure as well. You can use shortcuts between buildings, one way streets, and crosswalks to your advantage when you’re on foot. I really enjoy cutting through the park like settings of the Capitol grounds with all the big trees, meandering sidewalks, and interesting statues.

There are drawbacks to walking though. Time is definitely a consideration. I found it takes about 3 times longer to reach work when walking. Errands outside a mile radius might not be possible during the work day if you’re on foot. Here in Carson City, the bicycle gives you pretty much the same range as a car.

An old horse watering fountain – apparently the lions didn’t scare the horses

We sometimes like to complain that there aren’t enough bicycle facilities to get around town, but at least when you’re riding, you can still share the road with cars. The streets are in pretty good shape, and you can go with the flow of traffic. Our pedestrian infrastructure is much more neglected in comparison, which is kind of strange if you think about it. Most of us can walk no matter what age we are or what income bracket we’re in, yet many of our sidewalks are falling apart or simply end before you get where you’re going. School zones are more about safe parking than they are about safe walking. And since sidewalks border private property, you have to rely on the owners to trim their bushes and trees, and clear the paths of debris and snow.

But probably the worst thing about walking is trying to cross the main thoroughfares. It seems my best or more direct routes for walking take me away from the block corners where the traffic lights are, and I end up utilizing the crosswalks with no traffic controls. While I feel like I’m tolerated when riding my bike with traffic, I feel despised when having the audacity to stop traffic to cross a street on foot. Most people will stop for you, but they’re not happy about it. And they’ll remind you of this as they mash their gas pedals to the floor boards just as you complete your crossing as if to say, “You see how much time you just cost me? I’ll be lucky to make it on time now!”. Such strange behavior for someone kicked back in their heated leather chair, sipping a venti Starbucks, while listening to satellite radio in their climate controlled environment. The car companies are geniuses at getting people to commit large portions of their salaries to buy their products, but still haven’t figured out how to make people actually enjoy using them. As “luxurious” as they may be, apparently people can’t wait to get out of them.

A place of no historical significance

Luckily though, we’re starting to see more safe pedestrian crossings like the recently refurbished crosswalk on Stewart Street. Over-the-street flashing lights are immediately activated at the push of a button, and it really seems to legitimize your crossing attempt. I tried it this week, and cars began stopping far sooner than they would without the flashing lights. This new crossing on Stewart Street is obviously much safer at night as well. It’s dark when you get off work these days, so crossing the wide 35-40 mph corridor at the flashing lights may be a life saver. In addition to the new Stewart crossing, many of the walk lights at the downtown intersections have been re-timed to give pedestrians a little more time to cross safely. It pains me to see people hurrying or running across streets as if they don’t deserve to. It’s what we’ve been conditioned to do. These new signals will definitely help in this area.

New Pedestrian Crossing on Stewart Street

I’ve ridden to work a couple times this week, locking my bike to a ramp railing outside the building. It also appears I may soon have even more secured bike parking inside the main gates that could even include a bike rack. This is great news and will hopefully encourage more bicycle commuters here.

Statewide Bicycle Plan Survey

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Jeff Moser

The Nevada Department of Transportation is developing a Statewide Bicycle Plan for the state highway system in Nevada. The project is focusing on policies, programs, legislation and infrastructure that increase safe bicycling in rural communities in Nevada. The intent of this survey is to learn more about people’s preferences for bicycling in Nevada. Your input is critical to the success of this plan. The following survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and they are accepting responses until Tuesday December 6th.

The link to the online survey is here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NevadaStatewideBicyclePlan

Here is the PDF Version of the Flyer if you’d like to share it.

Don’t forget to complete the survey by Tuesday, December 6th, 2011!

Bicycle Boulevard

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Jeff Moser

I’m currently on the road right now, and so posts may be sporadic this Thanksgiving week. Here’s something you may find interesting though, a Bicycle Boulevard that I saw in Arcata, CA. Wikipedia says, “a bicycle boulevard is a low speed street which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. Bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic but allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic. They are intended to improve cyclist comfort and/or safety.”

Bicycle boulevard in Arcata, CA

Many times a bicycle boulevard will discourage non-local traffic, but in this example, it’s one of the main roads into the downtown Arcata square. It’s a one-way two-lane road, but one entire lane is blocked off for incoming auto traffic. Only a bicycle can squeeze through the blockade, and the road is clearly marked for bicycles with symbols and a green path. As a bonus, this path doesn’t obstruct parking for the businesses.

Do you think this design would work in Carson City? If so, which streets? I’ve had this discussion before with others, and we thought Nevada Street on the west side might make a good bicycle boulevard. The thought would be to maintain two way traffic, but have many traffic calming features in place with plenty of bicycle signage.

New Traffic Signal System

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Jeff Moser

Bicycle commuters in Carson City may have noticed some recent changes to city stop lights. The timings of the lights are being adjusted to help increase the flow of traffic and bring them up-to-date with federal standards.

My commute to work is largely east and west, and a pretty short distance. Waiting at traffic lights can be half of the time of my commute if I don’t make the light. Since the change, I’ve had to wait considerably longer at Musser and Stewart Streets. So long, that I sometimes take a less direct route to miss the lights, and shave off a minute or two. This isn’t always easy though, since there are many one-way streets in the downtown area.

On the plus side, the walk signals seem to be more automatic now, so you can often see the time counting down as you approach. This helps you decide if you’d like to sprint to make the light, or take it easy, knowing that the light will change too quickly.

But as CarsonNow.org reports, the traffic signal system is still a work in progress:

If you have recently noticed that some of the traffic signals in town don’t seem to be giving you enough time to get through them, help is on the way.

The city implemented a new coordinated traffic signal system two weeks ago, and have been making adjustments to it since then to work out the bugs, according to Transportation Manager Patrick Pittenger.

Pittenger said they have had many complaints from citizens during that time about problems with traffic signal timing, especially being able to cross main thoroughfares from side streets.

“These all work on some form of a clock, and the question is how long does it take to get cars through each intersection?” Pittenger said. “We have to strike a balance between mainline streets and side streets.”
It’s a complicated system, Pittenger added, with signals that both sense traffic and others that are done on timing.

Pittenger said that sometimes they make changes in one area, but that may cause problems to arise elsewhere.

Significant changes were being implemented today, Pittenger said, and he hopes that most of the problems will be addressed by the end of the week.

“Residents have been asking us for several years to update the signal systems, and we also needed bring them up-to-date with federal standards,” Pittenger said.

One of the bigger problem areas was the intersection of Highway 50 East and Fairview/College, where the north-south signal wasn’t giving vehicles enough “green time” to get across. Pittenger also said he had recently been caught by a very short green light at Topsy Lane and South Carson.

“There are always going to be some delays and different people have different perceptions about what is acceptable and what isn’t,” Pittenger said. He added that they appreciate the feedback they have been getting, and are all working hard to fix the problems.

Has the new signal system affected your commute? What have your experiences been?

Bike Path Sabotage

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Jeff Moser

My friend Christy sent me this photo of a cable strung across one of our city’s multi-use paths. This is the new path between Hells Bells and Lepire that parallels Fairview Drive just north of the 5th Street Roundabout. She says she’s found the gates closed several times, but today was the first cable incident, and said she was very lucky that she didn’t crash. Based on the times of day the gates have been closed, Christy suspects middle school traffic.

Cable across path

Christy reported the problem to the city, and she says they were quick to respond. Here’s the latest:

We are taking care of the cabling and the problem with the open gates. The contractor is setting a permanent post to lock the gates in the open position. And we’ll reconfigure the cabling to make sure that situation doesn’t happen again.

I haven’t been on the new path myself, but from the photo, it looks like the fence around the ditch has been damaged, leaving long sections of loose cable. I suspect this may take a little while to get fixed, so keep your eyes open if traveling this path! Stay safe.

Ergon PC2 Pedal Review

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Jeff Moser

As part of the Ergon Commuter Team, I’ve had the opportunity to ride the Ergon PC2 pedals. The PC2s are Ergon’s ergonomic pedals, combining the convenience of a flat pedal with the efficiency and power of a clipless pedal. While I often commute to work using clipless pedals, I only do so because I’ll be using my bike at lunch for mountain biking on the local trails. For commuting and riding around town though, I much prefer wearing my regular shoes, and flat pedals allow me to use whatever shoes I happen to be wearing that particular day.

Ergon PC2 L(arge) Pedals

Here’s how Ergon describes the PC2 pedals:

A more efficient pedal. Ergon introduces the first flat pedal (or Contour Pedal as we call it) to provide an ergonomic and positive connection between bike and user. The first pedal designed with biomechanics and correct foot position in mind. Advantages are increased power transfer, more control and fewer hot spots and knee complaints. The Ergon PC2 is the first non SPD-type pedal constructed with the ergonomic biomechanical demands of the user as a priority.

Grip Tape pedal surface

Design and Ergonomics

Obviously a lot of thought went into designing the PC2 pedals, not only on how they would function, but the materials they’d be built from as well.

Instead of using a jagged metal cage or studs to keep your shoes from slipping on the pedals, the PC2s use grip tape. Where your shoe meets the pedal, the surface is covered with a rugged anti-slip material made of 3M SafetyWalk. Ergon claims the surface allows for the strong hold of your shoes in all weather conditions, but I’m not certain how they’ll function in the snow. With winter fast approaching, we should find out soon.

The PC2 pedals are equipped with large-area integral reflectors made in co-operation with Busch&Müller in Germany. Reflectors in motion, like on the pedals and wheels, are more visible at night than when mounted in stationary locations.

The PC2 pedals are also equipped with exclusively developed, ultra flat and maintenance free polymer journal bearings made by Igus in Germany. Maintenance free sounds great to me, and I’m eager to see how they hold up over a wet winter.

The pedal body is made of weight optimized high performance composite synthetics. This construction was made in close co-operation with German injection molding specialist Magura.

Old bear trap style pedals = bloody shins

The concave surface of the pedals follows the natural contour of your feet. Look at the bottom of your shoes, and you’ll notice they’re not completely flat. They curve up slightly at the ball of the foot. Your shoe naturally rests on the PC2 pedal with the ball of your foot over the axle of the pedal. This is the best position to transfer power to the pedals, and where conventional flat pedals differ. The ball of your foot tends to be more in front of the axle with regular flat pedals. You get less power transfer this way, and also the potential for knee discomfort.

To compensate for the different foot position, the pedal platform is quite long for full support. This not only increases efficiency, but spreads the weight load over a bigger surface (much like the line of Ergon Grips). Additionally, there are inner stops on the pedals that your shoes rest against. This further helps line up your feet, and keeps your shoes from rubbing on the cranks while pedaling.

The surface of the pedal slopes downward at 6° from the crank to the outer edge of the pedal. This follows the orientation of the forefoot and matches direction of the power that is brought to the pedal. If you sit on the edge of a table and dangle your legs off the end, you’ll notice that the outer edges of your feet hang a bit lower than the insides. These pedals take this natural foot position into consideration. I have a pair of Specialized cycling shoes that use this same design principle, and I find them to be very comfortable.

The inner stop of the pedal is nearly flush against the cranks. Minimal Q-factor, basically bringing your feet closer to the center of the bike, is said to optimize the position of the legs for more power and comfort.

Long and contoured surface

The Test

OK, enough with all the fancy design talk. How do the PC2s actually ride? I’ve tried them on 2 different bikes, using 4 different pairs of shoes. Here’s what I found.

I first installed the PC2s on my On One Inbred single speed. It’s setup as a mountain bike, and it’s also the bike I currently have my Ergon grips installed on. The PC2s replaced a set of cheap plastic BMX style pedals. The first thing I noticed was that my feet went right where they were supposed to be, the contours of my shoes matching up with the contours of the pedals. This placed the ball of my foot right over the pedal axle for maximum power. On the old BMX pedals, it took more care to find the right spot, and often the left and right feet weren’t doing the same thing.

Only my widest shoes would sometimes momentarily catch on the pedal’s inner stop, taking me just a second to adjust my foot over in about the same time it takes to clip into a clipless pedal. All the other shoes I tested, which included hiking boots, sport sandals, and sneakers, were a bit narrower, and dropped right into place on the pedal without any interference or delay. My only real complaint is that the over-sized pedals didn’t quite match the appearance of the rest of the bike. The On One is very minimalistic, including the skinny steel tubing of the frame. It had the look of big pedals on a little bike. Nitpicking.

The second installation was on my long Kona Ute utility bike. This bike came with some narrow bear trap style pedals that have always given me problems. Not only did my feet always feel like they were never lined up properly on the narrow platform, the jagged edges of the pedal were responsible for many a bloody shin. The bike is heavy and long, and my legs often got scraped by the pedals, most often when I was just standing over the bike or moving the bike into a parking spot.

Since the Kona Ute is heavy to begin with, and even heavier loaded with cargo, maximum power to the pedals is really important to get the bike moving. The larger surface area on the PC2 spreads the load out over a wide portion of the foot for great power transfer. Stiff soled shoes are just as comfortable as flexible shoes on the big platform. I use this bike year-round, so it’ll be nice to not worry about what shoes I’m wearing. Sandals or hiking boots, I’ll be ready to roll.

So while on the first test bike I felt like the PC2s were a nice enhancement, the Ergon pedals feel like a significant upgrade on my utility bike. This is where I plan to keep them. The PC2 pedals really transform the way the Ute rides, and the long platforms don’t look at all out of place on the long bike. The smoother surface of the PC2 should also keep the skin on my legs where it belongs.

Bottom Line

The Ergon PC2s are a good blend of comfort, convenience, and efficiency, with attention to detail, construction, and materials.

Compliments the Kona Ute

Installation

Since the pedal body mounts flush against the crank arm, there is no way to use a standard pedal wrench for installation. Instead, an 8mm allen wrench is used at the end of the pedal axle. Clean the threads, apply a small amount of grease to the threads, install the pedals by hand to prevent cross-threading, and then finish off with the wrench. The PC2s come with an extensive manual that includes full installation details and other tips. Don’t forget that the left pedal has reverse threads, i.e. turning the axle counter-clockwise tightens it.

PC2 Pedals and sneakers

More Specifications:

Available in small and large (tested here)
Small (max.EU42 / UK7.5 / US8.5)
Large (min. EU 43 / UK 8 / US 9)
Material: Superlight GFK Composite
Intended Use: Touring, Commuting, General Riding
Maintenance free polymer bearing
PC2-L – 506 grams per set
PC2-S – 444 grams per set
Ergon Website: http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/home

Disclaimer: This product was given to BikeCarson.com at no charge for test and review as part of the Ergon Commuter Team campaign. We were not paid or bribed to do this review, and will provide our honest and personal views throughout the entire process.

New Nevada Traffic Laws

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Jeff Moser

As of October 1st, there have been some changes to Nevada traffic laws that affect cyclists.

The 3 Foot Rule

The 3 foot rule, which now requires a driver of a motor vehicle to overtake and pass a bicycle or an electric bicycle proceeding in the same direction by: (1) moving the vehicle into the immediate left lane, if there is more than one lane traveling in the same direction and it is safe to move into the lane; or (2) passing to the left of the bicycle or electric bicycle at a distance of not less than 3 feet from the bicycle or electric bicycle.

“Rush Hour” on Musser Street

I don’t usually have problems with cars coming too close to me while riding around downtown. Speeds are much lower, and it is sometimes possible to take the lane, giving me all the space I need. As the traffic speeds increase though, we definitely need more room. It’s scary to have a side mirror on a 3/4 ton pickup skim your shoulder. This may be a hard rule to enforce, but hopefully drivers will be more mindful of just how far they need to be over. Feeling safe on the road is one of the number one excuses for not bicycle commuting, so hopefully this will help break down another barrier.

Many of us wondered if the community would get the word after the law went into effect. From what I have seen, the news has spread. In the last couple weeks, I’ve noticed many motorists giving me a lot more space than normal, often times much more than 3 feet. This really surprised me. I also heard from a friend that has to use a truck for his job, that their drivers were briefed by management on these new laws. The locals news outlets also did a good job at getting the word out.

Just recently California’s governor, Jerry Brown, vetoed their proposed 3 foot passing law. Part of the CA3 ft law stated that drivers were allowed to pass a bicyclist with less than 3 ft when speeds were under15 MPH. CHP and Caltrans were concerned that drivers would try to slow down to 15 mph or less in constrained conditions in order to avoid the 3 ft passing requirement which would cause numerous rear end collisions.

Good job to all those here in Nevada, including Muscle Powered, who helped get this law passed in our state!

Vulnerable Highway Users Law

Motorists found at fault in a collision with a bicyclist or pedestrian can be charged with reckless driving and face harsher penalties. One hopes they never have to exercise their Vulnerable User rights, but maybe it’ll help deter harassment. Recently in WA state, a teen driver was fined $42 for killing a cyclist. I don’t know about you, but the tickets I’ve received for minor infractions since I was old enough to drive were always steeper than this. During one of the Poker Runs in Reno earlier in the year, a cyclist got a ticket that was over $100 for riding on the sidewalk at the park!

Cell Phone Ban

Driving while talking, typing or reading on a hand-held cellphone or similar device is now illegal in Nevada. Some say driving while talking or texting can delay reaction time as much as driving legally drunk.

For most of the urban and road riding I do, I think the cell phone ban may have the most impact on my safety. Sometimes I’ll find myself right outside a talking driver’s window with no eye contact at all. I’ve become invisible to talkers in roundabouts. I’ve had to be careful not to get pinned by people trying to make three point turns with one hand while in conversation. What’s even more scary is that these incidents usually happen in school zones. People don’t let their kids walk to school because it’s too dangerous…and then go ahead and do the very thing that is creating this danger.

King Street

Arguments against the cell phone ban though, say that people will become even more dangerous now, hiding the phones down low and out of view from law enforcement. Already there are reports of people pulled off dangerously alongside the highways making calls. I still see a few people on their phones, driving with one hand with that zombified blank stare on their face. Obviously there will be a learning curve and resistance to change on this law. I think most people are taking it to heart though.

Responsibilities of the Cyclist

But amidst these victories for cyclists and pedestrians, we have a growing number of new cyclists on Carson City’s streets that seem to have no clue about road rules. In fact, I now have more traffic incidents with other cyclists than cars. Just the other day while riding north on Mountain Street, I saw a cyclist riding towards me on the wrong side of the street. I figured if I held my line, he’d realize his error and cross over to the other side of the road. Instead, he pedaled through the 4-way stop without slowing down, and passed me on my right near the gutter. I may have said something, but the fact that he had no shirt on and was wearing some sort of dust mask or respirator threw me off a bit. If someone was out driving like this, there would be a man-hunt on.

Breaking the rules can’t all be blamed on the newbies though. There are plenty of us seasoned cyclists that share the blame too, specifically in the area of stop sign etiquette. When there are pedestrians present, or cars approaching or already stopped in the intersection, a cyclist barreling through the stop sign without stopping is just as shocking as when a car does it. Not only is it rude, but you might cause a car to swerve and take someone else out. Cycling is all about freedom, but not at the expense of others. If we cyclists want respect on the road, we must also show it back.

What have you seen so far? Have you noticed passing cars giving you more space? Do you see less people on cell phones? Do you feel safer on Nevada roads?

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Bicycle News, Culture, and Lifestyle in Carson City, Nevada

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