Utility Cycling Survey

I'm contemplating writing an article profiling Utility Cyclists. So I'd like to get some input from y'all.

The first question is:
1. YES or NO - Do you use a bicycle for any type of "Utility Cycling"? (i.e. Running errands, commuting, anything OTHER than recreation or sporting.)

If you answered "YES" to Question 1, please answer all of the following questions (unless otherwise instructed, please choose only one answer for each question):

2. How many total miles a week do you typically Utility Cycle?
A. 30 miles or less
B. 31 to 100 miles
C. Over 100 miles

3. How many days a week do you typically Utility Cycle?
A. 1 day per week
B. 2 to 5 days per week
C. 6 or 7 days per week

4. Which of the following best describes the type of bicycle you use for most of your Utility Cycling?
A. Road Bike
B. Hybrid Bike
C. Mountain Bike
D. Recumbent (includes Velomobiles)
E. Other (includes Comfort bikes, BMX bikes, E-Bikes, etc.); please describe the bike.

5. What accessories do you feel are absolute necessities for Utility Cycling? (Choose as many as apply.)
A. Helmet
B. Lights
C. Cycling Computer
D. Backpack
E. Rear Rack and Panniers
F. Rack Bag (front and/or rear)
G. Handlebar Bag
H. Seat Bag
I. Fenders
J. Tool Kit
K. Spare Tube(s)
L. Pump
M. Other (please describe)

6. What is your age?
A. 20 years old or younger
B. 21 to 40 years old
C. 41 to 50 years old
D. 51 to 60 years old
E. 61 years old or older
F. That's NONE of your business, Cat!

7. How much do you weigh?
A. 160 pounds or less
B. 161 to 180 pounds
C. 181 to 200 pounds
D. 201 pounds or more
E. That TOO is NONE of your business, Cat!

Respond in a comment.


Thanks!

 

2012 National Bike Challenge

The 2012 National Bike Challenge starts May 1 and runs through August 31. The goal is to get 50,000 Americans on bikes and have them ride a total of 10 million miles. As you and I and all the rest of the participants record our progress, the Bike Challenge website will display a wealth of information about how many miles we've ridden, how many calories we've burned, how many pounds of CO2 we've kept out of the atmosphere and how many bucks we've saved!

Together, we can show everybody in Washington that bikes deserve a place in the future transportation plans for this country!

The BluesCat is already in, and hereby throws down the gauntlet! On May 1 they reset the numbers to zero and we start the challenge together!

Click on the following link to join the challenge for FREE:

2012 National Bike Challenge

 
Now, starting on May 1, see if you can keep up!

Black Betty

A buddy of mine and I went for a ride last Saturday and came upon a picnic. I was riding Bluetiful and Joe was riding Black Betty.

Both our bikes started gathering a crowd of onlookers.

Just goes to show you don't have to put a lot of money into an eye catching bike. I've got around $1,500 invested in Bluetiful. Joe has only about $200 in Black Betty, and that includes the decals.

You guys with fixies ain't got nuthin' on Black Betty!

Bus Strike In Phoenix

Friday at midnight, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 in Phoenix went on strike against Veolia Transportation Services. Veolia has a contract to run about 67% of the the bus routes in Phoenix. As of Saturday, only about 21% of all the bus routes were running.

Mine is not a multi-modal commute, so a bus strike doesn't affect me directly. It does affect all of us indirectly, because a lot of employers will have difficulty maintaining their level of service if their employees can't get to work, or get to work late.

The strike is not about wages and benefits, but about a contract negotiation Veolia is working on with the City of Phoenix. My understanding is that Veolia is trying to modify their contract to limit the amount of liquidated damages they would pay as a result of not meeting certain service obligations. The people who would pay for this modification would be the bus operators, since Veolia would, essentially, be able to shift blame to the operators in order to reduce the amount of damages they pay.

If this is true, then it is a great example of how unions work to fight abuses by big corporations by giving workers a unified, powerful voice they would otherwise not have.

The Surprising A2B Metro

I've had the A2B Metro electric for a little over ten weeks, and have written the final review for Commute by Bike: Ten Weeks (and Counting) with an A2B Metro Electric Bike.

The bike has been great fun, and has been a surprisingly great bicycle. Although it is pretty heavy, the 7-speed derailleur makes it an adequate commuter. Add the electric boost and I've found the average speed on my commute to be slightly faster than my recumbent.

The maneuverability seems to be about as good as my Giant mountain bike. The bike has front and rear suspension, so the low-pressure, wide tires carry you over curbs and speed bumps very comfortably.

In the review for Commute by Bike, I mentioned the two Ultra Motor bags they sent down with the Metro. They are big, roomy bags which have spoiled me with the amount of stuff I can pack in them. So much so that I have purchased a larger pannier, the Vaude Egger Commuter.

The Vaude is slightly bigger than my regular leather briefcase. It has the Vaude QMR (Quick Mount Release) system with locking clips. You drop the top clips of the QMR system onto the top rails of your rear rack, snap the locking clips closed and the bag is securely attached to your rack. A handle directly above the clips is pulled to unlock the clips and the bag pops right off the rack. You then unfold a cover which is attached on one side of the back of the bag and run a zipper around the three sides to completely cover the QMR system. The Vaude then looks like an ordinary briefcase.

As soon as I've ridden with the Vaude Egger for a while, I'll ask Commute by Bike if they would like me to review it.