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Old 06-04-2015, 11:53 AM
 
346 posts, read 535,233 times
Reputation: 205

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lol obviously it is up to each and every individual but like I would never "encourage" people to bike to work who aren't experienced with bike riding in this city. I just feel like it's dangerous for your average individual who is only used to biking in a controlled environment. I feel like for example "I" would doing the city as a whole a disservice by biking to work as I would probably cause accidents and traffic issues lol... but I feel like there is this idea that everyone should bike to work so we can be more like places like the Nederlands...
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Old 06-04-2015, 11:59 AM
 
2,519 posts, read 2,076,023 times
Reputation: 2280
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jrn14 View Post
Pittsburgh will never be a bicycle lovers paradise because of the hills. I would never ride a bike to work because I live near Mt. Washington and the hills are both physically intimidating and terrifying. I love biking on a flat surface and if we lived in one of the 85% of flat cities and grid like streets around the country I'm sure i'd be more open to it, but I feel like Pittsburgh is just not made for cycling and I'm ok with that... More power too you if you are a cyclist in the city but I dont' really think it's a realistic idea that the majority of Pittsburghers would or even should be biking to work... because the geography just isn't suited for it.

My two cents.
Ever been to San Francisco? That town is bike crazy. Hills aren't the reason, old school attitudes on the other hand...
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Old 06-04-2015, 12:05 PM
 
346 posts, read 535,233 times
Reputation: 205
See ... I feel like the negative "old school attitude" moniker is being associated to me because I dont' want to ride to bike from Mt. Washington to Downtown... It's not because of lazniess (i'm a distance runner) or stubborness (openminded) but because of fear... if I changed my "old school attitude" I'd probably hurt myself or someone else..

I will check out the cyclocable thread ... thanks for the heads up.
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Old 06-04-2015, 12:08 PM
 
2,519 posts, read 2,076,023 times
Reputation: 2280
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jrn14 View Post
See ... I feel like the negative "old school attitude" moniker is being associated to me because I dont' want to ride to bike from Mt. Washington to Downtown... It's not because of lazniess (i'm a distance runner) or stubborness (openminded) but because of fear... if I changed my "old school attitude" I'd probably hurt myself or someone else..

I will check out the cyclocable thread ... thanks for the heads up.
Mt Washington to Town is a pretty doable ride if you have the cardio from distance running. That hard right turn headed up Arlington after Sycamore is my preferred climb to Mt. Washington, long hill but not as steep until the very top.
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Old 06-04-2015, 01:54 PM
 
1,781 posts, read 2,075,430 times
Reputation: 1361
Quote:
Originally Posted by norcider View Post
Mt Washington to Town is a pretty doable ride if you have the cardio from distance running. That hard right turn headed up Arlington after Sycamore is my preferred climb to Mt. Washington, long hill but not as steep until the very top.
Also, you don't even have to climb it, the inclines allow bikes on them.
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Old 06-04-2015, 02:12 PM
 
Location: United States
12,390 posts, read 7,051,069 times
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It would be great if all you needed was a simple wheel lock to secure your bike here in the states. Having to lock up your bike to something secure (and hope it's still there when you come back) really makes taking a bike a real hassle.
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Old 06-04-2015, 02:28 PM
 
733 posts, read 982,770 times
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stburr91, my main bike is a pricey one, and I've been totally fine locking up my front wheel and fork with a regular U-lock.

I wear a good sized messenger bag everywhere I go, and the lock slides right into one of the pockets, no problem.

Plus, I'd be wearing the bag anyways because I also carry a spare tube/pump, a change of clothes and some food. Sometimes, I'll also have a laptop and hair product/towel in there as well.

Don't tell anyone, but there have probably been 15 or so days over the last couple years where I've forgotten the lock or my keys at home and just let my bike sit in a garage unlocked all day long while I'm at work. Those days are nail-biters, but I've been lucky so far.
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Old 06-04-2015, 02:55 PM
 
6,598 posts, read 8,921,111 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by norcider View Post
Mt Washington to Town is a pretty doable ride if you have the cardio from distance running.
This sentiment seems really prevalent in the bike commuting community. If someone wants to have their commute double as their gym routine that's fine, but it's not a winning argument with the general public. Bike commutes aren't ever going to become widespread unless there are realistic options for people who are merely in "walking commute" shape.

Ideally a bike commute of 20 minutes shouldn't take much more energy than a walking commute of 20 minutes.
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Old 06-04-2015, 03:47 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
1,776 posts, read 2,687,318 times
Reputation: 1741
Quote:
Originally Posted by norcider View Post
Ever been to San Francisco? That town is bike crazy. Hills aren't the reason, old school attitudes on the other hand...
Spent the entire winter out there and I can attest to this. Cars treat you like human beings, every road has a bike lane, and everyone uses them.

With that said, much of SF is actually flat, and I had to have the single speed I was using out there re-geared when I brought it back here. Much more difficult terrain. SF proved that with infrastructure changes, you can overcome this, though.
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Old 06-04-2015, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Stanton Heights
778 posts, read 835,564 times
Reputation: 869
As said, a lot of sf is flat, and all of Holland is flat. I lived for a while in Cambridge, England, and cycling there is a pleasure. My family and I had no transport but bikes there and it was no problem at all. You didn't arrive to your destination sweating and out of breath, it was the same level of exertion as walking. That would not be the case if I were to bike commute to Oakland from Stanton Heights (though when I used to bike commute from point breeze to Oakland, it was fine, because that ride is mostly pretty flat)

People who bike a lot in Pittsburgh (and I work with several) are extremely fit just all around. Like, the fitness is not a result of biking, they bike because they are already fit. And they belong to gyms and they commute to work with enough time to go to the gym and shower.
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