Stay in the Bike Lane!

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Jeff Moser

I was recently yelled at by a pedestrian, of all people, that I shouldn’t be riding in the middle of the road, and should be over in the bike lane. I’m not certain what prompted this man to share his advice, since I wasn’t anywhere near him. Perhaps I just looked arrogant slowly riding my cruiser in the center of the lane as if I had the right to be there.

While the bike lane going down 5th Street is quite nice, I was preparing to get into the turn lane to make a left and head north on Stewart Street. You can’t safely make a left hand turn across 2 lanes of traffic from the bike lane. The bike lane is for thru-traffic, and gives you a safe place to ride when this is where you are planning to go.

From a cyclist’s point of view, I think the resources to crackdown on people riding bikes could be better used elsewhere. This doesn’t seem to be a problem in Carson City, but I do hear of these stings in Reno. While I don’t condone breaking the rules, you do need to be flexible with the law when on a bicycle, since most of our roads were designed with driving a car in mind. Following the rules all the time could get you hurt or killed. Law enforcement crackdowns would have a better return on investment if they went after the people endangering the most vulnerable users. Make the streets safer for people to get out of their cars, fewer cars on the road, less traffic problems.

Here’s a video from New York City. This rider was actually ticketed for straying out of the bike lane! Well of course this made him mad, and he decided to make a short film about his experience.

From the RawStory website:

After receiving a $50 ticket for straying from the bike lane, a New York biker filmed a protest video montage of himself crashing into objects while remaining lawfully in the bike lane. Some of the crashes appear to be fairly painful.

The biker, Casey Neistat, who films documentaries for an HBO show, released the video on YouTube. It received about 150,000 hits in two days.

“Dear [N]ew [Y]ork [C]ity, ticket the people blocking the bike lanes, not bikers,” he concluded. “[A]nd give me my $50 back.”

“Bike Lane” at the Tahoe Keys Marina

I ride the bike lanes as much as possible, but I’m glad these rules aren’t enforced here. Often road signs can’t be placed in the road or on the sidewalk, and they end up in the bike lane. And sometimes people think the bike lanes are parking lots, as reported earlier here on Bike Carson, Highway 50 Bike Path Obstructions. Until the roads around the country are made safer for ALL users, law enforcement needs to back off a little. Especially in a country that REALLY needs to become energy independent to survive in the coming years. Bikes need to be a part of this future.

Ten Reasons to Commute by Bike

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Jeff Moser

May’s Bike Month is just around the corner, so I thought I’d put together a series of bicycle commuting articles to help get people started. In this first article, I hope to answer the question, “Why would you want to ride a bike to work in the first place?” I asked myself this question, and came up with ten answers, answers that best describe why I ride my bike to work, and have been doing so for over two years now.

10 REASONS TO COMMUTE BY BIKE

Commuting by Bike is Fun! Do you remember your first bike as a kid? A bike was speed, independence, and adventure. A bike was freedom. If you haven’t ridden a bike since those days, you may be surprised that these qualities have not changed. It’s every bit as fun as it was as a kid, but many adults have just forgotten how to have fun. We could all use more fun in our lives. Having a little fun each day will make you live longer.

Commuting by Bike is Fun!

Exercise. In addition to needing more fun in our lives, we Americans need more exercise. Riding your bike to work gives you the opportunity to get some exercise doing something you already have to do anyway. And since bicycling is a fun activity, you’ll find yourself wanting to ride more often as your fitness increases. It’s an exercise plan that you’ll actually want to stick with and look forward to.

Efficiency. The bicycle is a highly efficient machine. Using only the power one would expend walking at a casual pace, a cyclist can travel 3 times faster than a walker. For short trips around town, a bicycle is often as quick or quicker than a car. Ask yourself, “Am I the type of person that needs 5,000 lbs of metal, plastic, and imported fuel to get myself 3 miles down the road?” If you already own and ride a bike, the answer is probably “No”. Save your car for multi-occupant trips or distances outside your bicycle’s range. If you live too far from work, consider having a bicycle at work for short errands around town, or take your bike on the bus and ride part of the way to work.

The bicycle is a highly efficient machine

Less Stress. One thing I noticed when I began bicycle commuting is that my stress levels dropped. Once you step away from being in the car every day, you’ll begin to realize just how stressful driving a car can be. I’m amazed now when I witness road rage over petty incidents. If it’s perceived that another driver steps out of line, horns are honked, angry words are exchanged, and fingers are pointed. You’ve probably heard the joke, “Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac.” You just don’t encounter this behavior anywhere outside the car; for example, have you ever seen shopping cart rage at the supermarket? Four wheeled carts chaotically zig-zag up and down the aisles, their drivers making frequent stops. While this type of behavior may lead to the brandishing of firearms on the road, people seem to work it out just fine in the supermarket setting. If an error is made, smiles and the words “excuse me” are exchanged. When you take away the safety and anonymity that the enclosed car provides, people are forced to be civil with one another.

Reconnect with your community

Reconnect with your community. You’d be surprised how much you’re missing when you zoom through town in an enclosed vehicle. When you slow down, get off the freeway and main thoroughfares, you’ll experience your city in a whole new way. You’ll see things that you didn’t even know existed. Historical buildings. New restaurants and shops to visit. Hear the conversation and laughter coming from the street-side cafes. Enjoy the smells of summer gardens and evening cookouts. Stop and talk with friends, and meet new friends along the way. It’s like being a tourist in your own town.

Convenient, Up-Front Parking

Save Money. Driving is expensive. Gas prices are averaging close to $3.00 per gallon right now, and we can expect them to climb even higher into the summer as demand rises. Then there’s a car payment, registration, insurance, a drivers license fee, repair, and maintenance. While many of us would have a hard time getting by without a car, we could certainly get by with owning fewer cars or simply driving less. Maybe riding a bicycle will put off that new car purchase. I’ve heard people say they need to get a second job so they can buy a new car to get to work. Bicycles are far cheaper to own and maintain than cars. Drive less, work less, play more.

Save Time. As I mentioned earlier, short trips around town on a bicycle are often as quick or quicker than short trips by car. But to fully realize how much time you’ll be saving riding a bike, you also have to think of how many hours you’ll have to work to pay for driving vs. riding a bike. Bicycle ownership is fairly inexpensive, so you’ll be working far few hours to keep your bike going. And since you’re already getting exercise on your bike, maybe you don’t need to hit the gym after work. Invest the time you save into something that pays high dividends like family and friends.

Insulate yourself from rising fuel prices

Self Sufficiency. Have you ever stopped to think of where the gas in your car came from? No, I’m not talking about the Chevron Station. Before that. The gas in your car most likely started off as oil half way around the world, under a desert, in a country that’s not too fond of the United States. Or maybe it was pumped up from beneath the ocean at some dark and stormy northern sea oil platform. From there the oil was transported through a complicated series of pipelines, oil tankers, trains, refineries, trucks, and has traveled thousands of miles before it hits the gas tank of your vehicle. And all this has to happen “just in time”. Any breakdown of the supply chain due to natural disasters, geopolitical strife, or man caused accidents, can mean shortages and price shocks for the consumer at the pump. Relying on my bicycle as my main mode of transportation gives me peace of mind knowing that I will still be able to get around quite easily, regardless of world events.

You can carry a lot of stuff on some bicycles.

Reduce Pollution. Reducing the number of cars on the road reduces the amount of pollution in the air we breathe. Millions of cars spew their dirty exhaust into the air daily, and often the cars aren’t even going anywhere while they’re polluting. Look around and you’ll see cars idling in driveways, at stop lights, in the drive-thrus, in front of schools, or just circling the parking lots. Much of this pollution could be done away with if people used their bicycles for short trips. And fewer cars on the road would encourage more people to ride bicycles or walk. Safer roads mean more kids walking or riding bikes to school again, which means even fewer trips made by car. Not only would we have cleaner air to breathe, we’d have much less noise pollution too. Sometimes it gets so loud on our streets that we can’t even hear each other talk. Riding a bike is quiet and non-polluting, and helps to create a better city to live in.

WW2 Poster (Slightly Modified)

Riding a Bicycle is Patriotic. Reducing our Country’s energy needs provides national security and is patriotic. During World War II, Americans conserved energy and rationed many items to pull through the tough times. It was a way for all Americans to serve their country, not just the enlisted men and women of the armed forces. Today though, the American Way of Life seems non-negotiable. America has had it good for so long, that many of our luxuries now feel like necessities. Giving something up or scaling back feels like an infringement on our freedom, and conservation is labeled radical left-wing environmentalism. But for a country that imports over half of its oil, using less energy should just be common sense. Ride a bike, serve your country.

I’m sure there are other reasons to ride your bike to work. What reasons would you include to this list?

Kona Dew FS Review

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Jeff Moser

The demand for the types of bicycles we need has shifted. More and more people are using bicycles for everyday tasks, and not just for weekend recreation. Due to the high cost of automobile ownership and increasing traffic congestion, we’ve begun to rediscover that the car is not always the best way to handle shorter trips. The bicycle industry has responded to these changing demands, and now there is a wide variety of models available for those who are looking for comfortable, practical bicycles for commuting and utility purposes.

2010 Kona Dew FS

Kona Bicycles has a lot of new and exciting models lined up for 2010 that will appeal to the urban cyclist. The Kona Dew line is designed with the urban commuter in mind, and is offered in a wide range of models to suit just about anyone’s needs. You can now get a basic Kona Dew for just over $400, an exotic scandium/carbon Dew for $2,500, and something just about anywhere in between these two extremes. According to the Kona website, “We started making Dews because we wanted a commuter bike that shredded street like our mountain bikes do trail.”

New curving top tube for 2010

Courtesy of Kona Bikes, Bike Carson received a 2010 Kona Dew FS for test and review back in November. During the test period, I’ve had ample opportunities to get the bike out around town for commuting, errands, and even a little higher speed recreational riding to see what the bike is all about.

The Dew FS model is for the rider that is looking for additional comfort without sacrificing too much efficiency and performance. The FS designation is for “Front Suspension”, and the FS is the only Dew of the line to include a suspension fork. And thanks to an all new frame design for 2010, the FS also has the most upright riding position of the Dew line. Further smoothing out the ride on the FS is a suspension seatpost.

NOTABLE SPECIFICATIONS

Frame: Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted, Curved Top Tube, Rack and Fender Mounts.
Internal Headset: Headset bearings located inside the head tube, rather than external cups pressed into the top and bottom
Fork: Suntour SF10-NCX-D LO Lite with 63mm (2.5″) of suspension travel and an adjustable compression/lockout lever.
Brakes: Shimano 486 Hydraulic Disc with 6″ rotors. Compact rear design.
Handlebar: Kona XC/BC Riser (Oversized 31.8mm clamp area, 620mm (24.5″) wide, minimal sweep)
Wheels and Tires: 700C wheels with 70psi Continental CountryRide 700x37C tires
Colors Available: Metallic Dark Red or Matte Black
Frame Sizes Available: 45cm, 49cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm (tested in this review), 58cm, 60cm, 62cm.
Price: $799 USD

More specs can be found on the Kona site.

Geometry Comparison

GEOMETRY

The most visible aspect of the Dew FS geometry is the curved top tube. The FS’s frame has been redesigned for 2010 with a curved top tube that allows for a tall front end, while at the same time providing a lot of stand over clearance. It’s easy to swing a leg over the top tube while wearing your regular street or work pants.

While the Dew FS looks and feels like it may have a short wheelbase, it’s really just the geometry that brings the controls closer to the rider. The wheelbase is pretty much the same length as the other Dew models, and is slightly longer than that of my Trek road bike. Where the Dew FS deviates the most from the rest of the Dew line is the more laid back seat tube angle at 72.5 degrees, and the tall, relaxed head tube with a 70.5 degree angle. These angles put the rider more upright, and bring the seat further behind the pedals. The slacker head tube angle also slightly slows down the steering for a less twitchy front end.

The Dew FS Out and About

THE RIDE

Although the Dew FS is not a lightweight racer at 30 pounds, it does move along smoothly, quickly, and efficiently. Friends and co-workers that I let ride the bike were surprised at how effortlessly the bike moved along. The suspension fork and seat post combined with the wide urban tires do a great job of eliminating jolts from cracks in the road, pot holes, and sidewalk curbs.

The wide 70psi 700x37C tires are very stable over variable urban terrain. Where a skinny 23C road tire keeps you constantly scanning the road for pebbles and cracks, the Dew’s wider tires let you relax and focus your attention elsewhere. There is also enough tread on the tires for confidence on changing road conditions, easily handling neglected pavement, packed dirt roads, and the sanded streets of winter.

The upright riding position is comfortable on your back and neck, and you have great visibility of traffic and other things that are going on around you. It really makes you realize how much of your peripheral vision is lost when riding a leaned over road or mountain bike.

Urban Tires – Fast rolling, yet wide and comfortable

SUSPENSION

The Dew is equipped with a Suntour front suspension fork with 63mm (2.5″) of suspension travel. For adjustability and tuning, there is a spring pre-load dial on the left fork leg, and an adjustable compression rate/lockout lever on the right fork leg. The pre-load dial is used to set the amount of suspension sag for your body weight, and the lockout lever is used to tune the fork’s performance.

I thought that locking out the fork might bring more pedaling efficiency, but this was not the case. Since the rider’s weight is farther back on the Dew FS due to the upright riding position, pedaling bob in the front suspension was not an issue. I like to lockout the front fork of my mountain bike when riding through town, but I thought the Dew FS actually felt better with the front suspension active. The only time I felt the lockout helped was during standing sprints and climbs. The lockout lever is not merely an on/off switch either. You can tune the compression rate (how quickly the fork compresses when hitting a bump) from wide open to a much stiffer feel as you get closer to full lockout. Additionally, the lockout lever is easy to get to quickly while riding or at a standing stop.

It is important for a commuter bike to have the option of accepting full fenders. The Suntour suspension fork comes with fender mounts, and aftermarket companies like Planet Bike have fenders available that mount to this style of fork that don’t interfere with suspension or disc brake action.

Suspension fork with on-the-fly lock-out and adjustable compression

Further suspension is provided by the telescopic seatpost. I never did fine tune the seatpost suspension for my body weight, but I did adjust it to see how it worked. To adjust the pre-load on the seatpost suspension spring, you must loosen the seatpost clamp, and pull the seatpost out of the frame. On the underside of the seatpost is an adjuster that screws into the seatpost by means of an Allen wrench. Simply turn the adjuster in to get more pre-load. The seatpost clamp is a bolt on design, lessening the chance that your seat and post will be swiped while locked to the rack.

Tunable Suspension Seatpost

PARTS AND OTHER DETAILS

The Kona Dew FS is fitted with a mid-grade selection of parts. There are no high-end boutique parts on the FS, but there isn’t any low end junk either. It’s a good mix of parts that does the job well and reliably. Since urban bikes aren’t subjected to the higher stresses and conditions of mountain and road biking, you can get away with less. I have a similar parts spec on my Kona Ute, and they’ve worked great for the intended use with no hassles. Another benefit of the modest parts spec on the Dew FS is that nothing will scream, “STEAL ME!” when parked at the bike rack. Bonus: The Dew FS comes with a bell! Bells are great for getting the attention of friends while you’re out riding, and for politely alerting pedestrians and other cyclists of your presence.

New compact rear disc design does not interfere with rear rack and fender mounting

Brakes – I love disc brakes for all weather riding, and the hydraulic Shimanos on the Dew FS work great. They’re powerful but smooth, and stop you instantly in surprise traffic situations. New for 2010, the rear disc is mounted inside the rear triangle, clearing the way for easy rack and fender mounting. As is the case with many innovations though, a plus in one area may lead to a negative in another. The rear brake hose goes right over the bottom bracket. While I never had problems during the test period, I think it would be a good idea to keep an eye on this area. The brake hose might wander down onto a sharp edge of the bottom bracket or rub against a rotating crank arm. It didn’t look dangerous, but friction could lead to premature hose wear if left unchecked. A small zip-tie near the bottom bracket might be all that it takes to prevent the brake hose from wandering.

Wheels and Tires – The big 700C wheels roll well and keep their momentum, and the wide 700x37C tires further contribute to the smooth ride. The Continental CountryRide tires have a decent amount of traction for multi-surface riding. The tires wouldn’t be fantastic for loose dirt and sand, but would handle packed dirt roads easily. The wide, 70 psi tires don’t deflect off street debris easily, allowing the rider to concentrate on other aspects of the ride. There is also a lot of clearance on the frame and fork should you want to experiment with larger tires.

Rear Brake Hose Routing

Gearing – Front chain rings with sizes 48/36/26, and a 9 speed cassette with cogs ranging from 11-32 teeth give the rider a wide range of gears to choose from whether ascending a steep climb, or bombing a fast downhill.

Handlebars and Stem – The Dew FS is equipped with 620mm (24.5″) wide handlebars, with an oversized 31.8mm clamp area and stem to reduce bar flex. The bars have very little sweep, and when combined with the tall front end, it almost feels like you’re riding a scooter. The steering tube is cut long and comes with plenty of spacers, allowing for plenty of options for handlebar height. Personally, the handlebars are too straight for my taste, and I would prefer a bar with more sweep. Swept back bars are more comfortable on the wrists in my opinion, and since the Dew FS is designed for comfort, the straight bars may not be the best choice. Switching bars is easy though, but keep in mind that you may be looking at a stem replacement too, as the 31.8mm stem may limit your choices of commuter bars. I also found that my old headlight clamp doesn’t work with the newer oversized handlebar. This shouldn’t be an issue if you have a newer light though.

Handsome head badge and paint job

STYLING

Many co-workers that walked by my office cubicle stopped to remark on the Dew FS. Everyone seems to be in agreement that the metallic dark red paint looks great, and I believe this is what got their initial attention. Adding to the nice paint job though are a handsome Kona head badge, over-sized curved aluminum frame tubing, and color complimenting black componentry. It’s a bike that looks sharp with your office clothes, and will look good in your office cubicle as well as parked out in front of the coffee shop.

The Kona Dew FS looks sharp around town

SUMMARY

The 2010 Kona Dew FS is an exceptional blend of efficiency, utility, style, and comfort. The FS’s design and parts selection allows for swift, efficient, and reliable transportation. With the addition of a rear rack and panniers you can add a lot of utility for errands and commuting. Attractive frame tubing, paint, and other details give the bike high style points, and compliment your work or street clothes well. The suspension, upright riding position, and wide tires of the FS make for a comfortable and safe ride. For sportier riding or longer endurance rides, I would probably pick a lighter model from the Kona Dew line. But for comfortable commuting and errands around town, the Dew FS is hard to beat. Kona did a good job with the Dew FS and it rounds out the Dew line nicely.

Special Thanks: BikeCarson.com would like to thank Carson City’s local Kona dealer Bike Habitat for bicycle delivery and assembly, Keith Cozzens at Verde PR & Consulting for arranging the test, and Kona Bicycles for making great bikes!

Disclaimer: This product was loaned to BikeCarson.com at no charge for test and review. We were not paid or bribed to do this review, and have provided our honest and personal views throughout the entire process.

Stewart Street Extension

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Jeff Moser

by Dan Allison – originally published on MusclePowered.org

Stewart St at the curve, with divided road

The Stewart Street Extension opened in early November (Nevada Appeal article), connecting William Street (Highway 50 East) with Roop St. This project is part of an effort to provide options for getting north-south in Carson City so that Carson Street can be narrowed. The new street segment is divided in some areas (as at right), with right turn only controls going onto or off the street, and part of it is a 3-lane configuration, with two travel lanes and a turn lane (as below).

The new street does not include bicycle lanes. The lanes are wide enough for sharing the lane, which according to the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities (“the bike guide”) is 14 feet or more. It does not have share the lane signs.

Stewart St, 3-lane configuation

I’ve ridden on the street a number of times since opening, and I like it. It is much preferable to Roop because it has less traffic and better lane width. The problem of course is that Stewart Street to the south is narrow without lanes or wide lanes, and Roop Street to the north is the same, so it is an isolated segment of bike route.

What do you think? Do you like it or not? Do you feel more or less safe than on a road with striped bicycle lanes? Does it need share the lane signs? [W11-1 and W16-1p] or [R4-11] are the two options.

The classic problem with bicycle lanes is that they accumulate debris as all the vehicle debris (cars parts and items that blow out or drop out, intentionally or unintentionally) and natural debris gets swept into the bike lane by passing cars. Though bike lanes do get street sweeping treatment, it happens less often than any of us would like. Do shared lanes like Stewart St have this problem any less or more than streets with striped bicycle lanes?

As a vehicular cyclist, I (Dan Allison) prefer shared lanes to bicycle lanes. When using a bicycle lane, I have to come out to, or to the left of, the bike lane stripe at every intersection in order to prevent drivers from turning right in front of me or into me. This is the famous “right hook” that accounts for half of all driver-caused crashes. When there is a shared lane, I naturally just move into the center of the lane at every intersection. However, there is a lot of disagreement about this in both Carson City and nationally, with a lot of people preferring painted bicycle lanes. Of course budgets influence what is built, since having a five or six foot bicycle lane often requires a bit more right-of-way for the roadway.

The input of Muscle Powered to Carson City Public Works will influence whether we see more of or less of these shared lane situations in the future, and that is why I’m asking for you opinion. Speak up!

Farmer’s Market

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Jeff Moser

A few of us plan to ride down to the downtown Farmers Market Saturday morning at 11:00 AM. The Farmers Market will take place at the corner of Third and Curry Streets…near the Firkin and Fox (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more say no more…).

Swiss Chard

So show up on your bike, buy some produce, eat some food, and have a beer! See you there.

Bike Carson

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

Tag Archives: urban cycling

Stay in the Bike Lane!

Ten Reasons to Commute by Bike

Kona Dew FS Review

Stewart Street Extension

Farmer’s Market