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things pampered european cyclists get


it's a bicycle counter with free air pump in copenhagen


http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/05/bicyclists-count-in-copenhagen.html


erok
2009-05-04 15:30:22

denmark:




erok
2009-05-04 18:24:58


multi level bike parking: amsterdam


erok
2009-05-04 18:27:43

You trying to make us feel inadequate or something?


eric
2009-05-04 19:07:51

i just shake my head every time i see this stuff.


erok
2009-05-04 19:34:39

There is no paradise.


I've only been to one event, a concert by Midnite Snake under the Bloomfield bridge, where there were so many bikes that there I had trouble finding parking.


If Amsterdam has three-level bike parking, I'm guessing you can't just ride to where you are going and lock your bike a few feet from the front door.


Mick


mick
2009-05-04 20:07:04


Well, a few americans get nice things too. Like this vending machine for tubes and patches and a stand to work on you bike any time.


igo
2009-05-04 22:21:11


>


But the europeans get them too.


igo
2009-05-04 22:25:05


one more vending machine.


igo
2009-05-04 22:34:29

That Trek shop is pretty sweet.


rsprake
2009-05-05 18:44:06

they get to be on charts like this:




erok
2009-05-06 14:42:49

There is a Belgian law that is basically written so that bike racers cant get changed in public, and instead can knock on any door and the house residents will let them use their kitchen or bathroom to prepare for racing. It would be like Pitt's football team needing a temporary locker room.


steevo
2009-05-06 15:08:47

not europe, but here's a robotic parking system in tokyo. insane! the wash post said they spent $65 mil to build.


to put that into perspective, check this out from a planner in portland:

“For the cost of about one mile of freeway, $50 million, we’ve built a network of 275 miles of bikeways, that’s one heck of a bang-for-your-buck investment.”

– Mia Birk, Alta Planning and Design


http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=2278


erok
2009-05-06 15:39:01

Whats up with the mits that lady is wearing about 15 secs into the video? they look almost like pogies used for paddling in the cold weather.


the-beast
2009-05-06 16:35:15

i was wondering that too


erok
2009-05-06 18:03:53

Ha ha. There are worse things in the world then being stuck behind a bike lane street sweeper. :)


rsprake
2009-05-21 16:51:21

apparently not in copenhagen, where there are government supplied pedicures and bikini waxing


erok
2009-05-21 17:45:08

Here's a site with lots of cool Amsterdam riding photos.


http://vtnamus.blogspot.com/2008/03/amsterdam-bicycles.html


Note: Combinations of No-helmet/cell-phone/ipods/texting or no-helmet/muitple-people while riding through traffic makes me think the A-dammers might have some ways to go as far as safety.


The comments at the end are really great.


here's a link to some skeptical stuff about helmets and helmet laws from teh comments


http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7276/1582

Mick


mick
2009-05-21 18:04:56

i think helmets are an indicator of how safe a town feels to bike in. the safer the town, the less helmets.


pittsburgh has a high ratio of helmet use


erok
2009-05-21 18:57:18

That makes sense - except NYC bikers don't typically wear helmets. If they feel safe, they have lost all contact with reality.


Mick


mick
2009-05-21 21:18:26

nyc is the exception to just about everything


erok
2009-05-21 21:38:18

Alternative explanation: NYC is the norm; the rest of the world is an exception. I went to college in a NYState school, and believe me, that IS the mentality of the average New York(City)er.


stuinmccandless
2009-05-21 23:55:10

here's a work crew blocking the car lane and leaving the bike lane clear.




erok
2009-06-16 14:30:46

would be sweet if that umbrella is attached to the bike, but it looks like she'd holding it with her left arm :


new fad?


sloaps
2009-06-16 14:57:43

there is a guy in pittsburgh that rides with an umbrella attached to his bike. he uses it even on sunny days. he claims that he doesn't sweat. he also produced a whole 15 page pamphlet/manifesto on the brilliance of using the umbrella in the sun.


i've seen him in and around oakland and at free ride, but it's been awhile


erok
2009-06-16 15:09:53

never say die!


London's transportation authority tries fashion design

Transport for London (TfL), the authority responsible for running the capital's transportation system (including a whole bunch of fancy new hybrid buses), is not averse to doing what it can to make cycling easier - and that apparently includes fashion design. OK, so the designs above aren't exactly at the cutting edge of cat-walk fashion - but they are also not ridiculous lycra outfits in neon colors. And let's face it - if the brief was to design practical, comfortable bike clothing for urban commuters, we'd hardly want them to go too cutting edge.


now think about our port authority...we don't even have a bike rack at t stations in town.


erok
2009-06-26 19:54:07

I really don't want anyone's taxes funding Port Authority fashion. My anarchist hindbrain is screaming.


lyle
2009-06-26 21:34:54

with the bike counter, cyclist # 500,000 gets a free bike. it would be fun to be there around 499,990 to see people racing.


erok
2009-06-26 23:31:50

they also have bicycle traffic lights in amsterdam!

keeping on their own 'bike paths' the majority of danes seem to ride pretty damn slow. maybe that's why they're so care/helmet free?

you get way different bike vibes over there compared to here. in a good way!

i want to post my pictures but i don't know how! hm.


cortneyres
2009-06-27 01:07:47

you will all think this thread is as funny as i do one day.


sushi bike:


bicycle seat belts on transit:




erok
2009-07-21 01:24:04

do they have questions about how to deal with bicycles on the written portions of their driving tests?


hiddenvariable
2009-07-22 16:07:11

Thats what I would like to know also Hidden. I feel education is the only thing that will make the roads safer for bikers. If that dosent work there is always violence.


willie
2009-07-23 01:25:29

[E]ducation is the only thing that will make the roads safer for bikers. If that dosent work there is always violence.


I think we have a winner in the sticker design contest!


bjanaszek
2009-07-23 13:19:34

i think that's the new header to the website


you know, a little known fact is that Copenhagen became so bike friendly after the Battle of Undskyld Hvorfra Hill


It was winner-take-all, and you can see who won


erok
2009-07-23 15:06:26

Re-reading this quote from the fantastic webpage about Amsterdam bicycles:


The Dutch do take bike safety seriously. They've just taken a different approach. When growing up in Holland, in first grade, we all went through a full week of safe bicycle riding classes. At the end of the week, police officers put together a course where each child was presented with traffic situations for approximately 30 minutes while police officers observed. Depending on how you did, you received your "safe bicycle" certificate. Over the next few years, you received refresher courses. Additionally, when you work on obtaining your drivers license, there is a strong emphasis on driving around bicyclists.

(go to page, search in page for "Netty")


First grade. For a week. Repeated refreshers. Specific training during driver ed.


Now THAT'S education!


stuinmccandless
2009-07-23 23:41:46

What a waste of tax payer money! I still find it amazing that we get tested when we first receive our license and that's it.


rsprake
2009-07-24 02:17:18

you'd think at least if you get in a crash they'd make you at least take a basic written test again


erok
2009-07-24 22:15:48

I think we should have to take the written test and have our eyes checked every time we renew.


rsprake
2009-07-25 00:14:03

My point was that everyone receives formal bicycle training in school, and driver education specifically covers how to deal with cyclists on the road.


In another thread (can't find link in a hurry but was reading about cycling in/around Amsterdam), I'd heard it said that *every* driver could also be expected to be a cyclist, just one who happened to be driving at that moment.


That is the mindset we need to get to in the U.S.


stuinmccandless
2009-07-25 00:37:35

I'm trying to get some bicycle education going in middle schools. I think I have lined up the resources to deliver the classes, I just need the buy-in from the school which so far is only tentative. If anybody here has any pull with any of the east end schools (public, private, religious, whatever) and wants to help, PM me.


lyle
2009-07-25 12:42:43

Hi again!


Bike wash in Muenster




and inside the machine



erok
2009-08-19 19:24:20

i'd also like to add healthcare to this list


erok
2009-08-19 19:25:44

Bah. It's only because they can't track stand!


All kidding aside, I don't really see the benefit of these.


bjanaszek
2010-01-20 17:32:41

I don't really see the benefit of these.


Spectator sport. Lots of people wearing skirts (and kilts) on bikes in Europe.


reddan
2010-01-20 17:34:33

they'd be fun for skateboarding


erok
2010-01-20 17:44:44

Sushi Bike Boy is making me hope that I get to see Mo of Mo's Paletas fame riding around on his vendor bike this summer. Last I talked to him, he was having a trouble getting a permit from the city.


rachel_ding
2010-01-20 18:10:56

I love that it says ""Hi, cyclist! Rest your foot here... and thank you for cycling in the city."


Our future bike racks should have something like that engraved in them.


scott
2010-01-20 20:17:29

scott:

"Our future bike racks should have something like that engraved in them."


In Danish? :) Like a secret handshake?


dwillen
2010-01-20 20:35:58

In Burghese;

"Lock yer bike up n'at, 'n thanks fer biking in tahn."


edmonds59
2010-01-20 21:55:36

Top for how active the board is lately


Traffic calming with bike parking




erok
2010-06-18 02:50:40

::Packing my bags::


this reminds me of the repetitious convo I had while my leg was propped for a few months ending in: "this isn't europe, stef."


Googling grad school ops in Berlin was part of my therapy...


saltm513
2010-06-18 03:25:17

might as well add the festival on the autobahn



and lighted bike lanes in copenhagen





erok
2010-07-20 19:18:18

ok i'm moving to europe. see ya.


this is an amazing thread. we really do need to educate people early in life. like don't drink anything with a mr yuk sticker on it.. give a cyclist 3 feet. don't be a douche.


stefb
2010-07-20 22:19:58

I don't think I've ever seen a parenting book that told people to tell their children not to be douches. I think a great many people miss that subtle point.

When they've been whiney or tattling I think I have actually told my kids not to be asses, and at this point I'm pretty happy with how they are coming along.


edmonds59
2010-07-20 23:55:53

the problem is most people are already douches so why would they teach their kids any differently?


salty
2010-07-21 00:25:53

Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit!

The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit starts charging your phone at walking speed (6 km/h) and stops when your speed reaches 50 km/h. The total charging time varies depending on the phone and the cycling speed. For example, with just 20 minutes of cycling at 10 km/h you can power up a Nokia 1202 for 1 hour of talk time or 74 hours of standby time. The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit is compatible with all Nokia phones that have a 2 mm charging interface.


Easy to install

The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit is easy to install and suits many different types of bicycles. The kit consists of three components: a bottle dynamo, a charger and a phone holder. The bottle dynamo fits to the front of the bike with a mounting bracket. The charger and phone holder attach securely to the handle bars. The charger, phone holder and phone can be removed easily whenever you park your bike.


Handy and secure

The rubberised phone holder mounts your phone securely to your bike and protects it from the vibrations of bumpy roads. You can mount it right in front of you on the handlebars so that you can see the charging progress and listen to music on your phone's speakers as you cycle.


Durable and reliable

The charger is carefully designed to withstand dirt, humidity, and weather, with an ultrasonically welded case and clear coating on the electronics. The dynamo is also very robust. The phone holder comes with a transparent bag to protect your phone from dirt and humidity.


Wallet-friendly and eco-friendly

Save money and save the environment by generating your own power as you cycle. The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit pays itself back quickly through savings on charging costs. And because you generate the electricity, there is no additional environmental impact from charging.


I WANT ONE! (for my HTC phone....here in the US!)


swalfoort
2010-07-22 13:31:10

@Scott and Bjanasek, as I was riding home last night I had a lightbulb moment about the Copenhagen foot rests that Scott posted a photo of a few months back. In Europe, many folks ride bike that have a more uprigt rider position. They also tend to carry stuff on their bikes, including groceries, small children, etc. The reach to the curb on a cruiser type bike requires you to either dismount while stopped, or lean the bike pretty severely. With a loaded basket or a passenger, the lean becomes pretty precarious when the support is at ground (or curb) level. The footrests are a really good solution for stopping when riding a cruiser style bike, especially when heavily loaded.


swalfoort
2010-07-22 15:54:32

I've thought about the footrests.


For me they would be a great comfort. It would keep me from having to hoist that massive weight that is my ass back into the saddle.


As Swalfoort points out, this is even more so with a load of groceries - and vast amounts of bon-bons and cheesecake are required to maintain the massiveness of my posterior.


Letting people sit comfortably on their saddles might help compliance with traffic signals, too.


mick
2010-07-22 16:24:15

I'd love to see some path lights in panther hollow.


robjdlc
2010-07-23 14:56:08

Whilst on vacation in My Favorite Place On The Planet (coincidentally where I was born, but that's another story), I noticed something ridiculous:


http://hikebiketravel.com/4830/bike-drive-bcs-gorgeous-sea-sky-highway/


or http://www.planbike.com/2010/02/bike-commuting-from-sea-to-sky.html


I have to side with the irritation of the locals over the olympics costing WAY too much (including vast parking lots up in those mountains that went unused and nobody will ever use in the future) and essentially stopping life here for the duration, BUT, part of the infrastructure upgrade put BIKE LANES ON THE PRETTIEST HIGHWAY EVER.


Yes, I've been on the road to Hana - doesn't hold a candle.


No, I didn't bring my bike with me.


Yes, I'm planning my next annual visit here around that bike ride.


Sigh.


Edited for clarification - while this may not look like pampering, it is: they get ALL THREE bike lanes AND gorgeous mountains AND beautiful water IN ONE. they also get to buy wine in grocery stores, but that's for all people, not just cyclists.


ejwme
2010-07-28 18:04:16

It has proved to be a logistical challenge getting so many municipalities to work together. Copenhagen is comprised of 550,000 people but the greater metro area is comprised of many different municipalities.


Gee, where have I heard that before?


stuinmccandless
2012-04-27 16:26:23

Allegheny County = 130 distinct municipalities.


atleastmykidsloveme
2012-04-27 22:37:35

http://youtu.be/vGGlODF7_RY monster penny-farthing gets laughs and applause. im picturing myself riding this down butler st. and the angry uproar that would ensue. hehe


parvipica
2012-04-28 16:54:40

Also, other places have PUBLIC TRANSIT! Which we won't, in a year or so.


jeg
2012-04-29 00:10:21

that's pretty awesome


erok
2012-08-24 17:19:13

Do want!


Is there anywhere in Pittsburgh for one? Wait, doesn't matter, build it somewhere and I will go.


orionz06
2012-08-24 17:30:20

Yes! West End Circle. Do now.


edmonds59
2012-08-24 17:32:20

I would need to go a few miles out of my way to get there... The exercise will be awesome.


orionz06
2012-08-24 17:50:28

I was thinking, shrink McKnight to 2 lanes each direction, make the curb lane a bike lane. A big honking roundabout at McKnight and Siebert, with this underneath. Routinely 50 cars at that corner, waiting to get through, 75 to 100 at rush hour & weekends. Make it possible for anything other than a car to get around the North Hills, and then people will use anything other than a car to get around the North Hills.


Another case would be Wm Penn & Stroschein in Monroeville.


West, I'd say Chartiers and Windgap.


South, the fustercluck at 51/88/Glenbury, if there was anyplace to go outside of it.


The problem with any of them is that it's a chicken-and-egg situation, and huge hills everywhere (huge: > 3% grade) do not invite a lot of newbie cyclists. The people on this board tend to be hardy souls (Federal St, anyone? or Negley?) but hell, even Forbes past Maggie Mo is enough to quell ambition in a lot of people.


That said, maybe an in-city corner with a lot of bicycle traffic like Centre & Highland? Liberty at the Bloomfield Bridge? Liberty at Herron?


stuinmccandless
2012-08-24 18:01:39

McKnight, with the right light timing and lanes, could be faster with only 2 main lanes.


orionz06
2012-08-24 18:23:34

I would go to Europe regardless of great bike infrastructure or not :)


bikeygirl
2012-08-24 18:48:53

^^underneath=meaning this should be overhead.


McKnight, apart from the insane traffic, is a very pleasant grade, once you get past the rolling hills between the East/Evergreen split and the U-Haul. And you can get to that point easily from the river trail, through Millvale, and up Babcock.


stuinmccandless
2012-08-24 19:32:49

gg, that's backwards. The cars should be down there and the bikes up where the shops are. It would also make sitting at the sidewalk cafes more pleasent.


marko82
2012-10-19 16:31:14

I would appreciate seeing more of those little ramps on the staircases to walk the bike up.


Why two? One for down, one for up, so two bicycles can pass?


stuinmccandless
2012-10-19 16:44:11

#Stu Baby strollers.


2012-10-20 02:27:38

No you don't understand about Finland. They go under only at intersections. It doesn't have anything to do with shops. It is one of the best countries to ride a bike. Believe me, I know. I lived there for several months. Best cycling I even enjoyed. Pittsburgh is a joke in comparison.


2012-10-20 04:29:01
Stuttgart, Germany.
stuinmccandless
2013-05-08 11:53:17
StuInMcCandless wrote:Stuttgart, Germany.
Germany has its minuses. If there is a bike lane then you have to use it. And follow speed limit on it which is 15 mph in most cases. Friend of my mine got fined for speeding on a bicycle. :)
mikhail
2013-05-08 14:53:23
Mikhail wrote:
StuInMcCandless wrote:Stuttgart, Germany.
Germany has its minuses. If there is a bike lane then you have to use it. And follow speed limit on it which is 15 mph in most cases. Friend of my mine got fined for speeding on a bicycle. :)
I will take all that over the crap we deal with in our backwards potholed filled region. Pittsburgh is one tough place to ride a bike with horrible roads, aggressive self centered drivers and tons of debris all over the place. Lets face it, we are so far behind we will never see what most of Europe has in our lifetimes. It is what it is.
gg
2013-05-08 22:47:53
Pic from Vancouver, not Europe: Let's make this happen on Liberty between Baum Blvd. & 34th St. both ways. You'll need to lose a few feet of sidewalk through Bloomfield proper, but that would really only matter during Little Italy Days (one weekend per year). City could manage the already existing clusterfuck of foot & vehicle traffic by detouring Millvale to Main via Friendship... why don't they do this during the festival anyway? The whole protected bike lane idea is really kind of a no-brainer for getting more bike commuters out on the roads in the city, and I don't fully understand why new improvements here don't implement this concept. As long as you're spending the money, just spend it once to do it right. Don't come back for a do-over to correct mistakes 5 or 10 years later. (not blaming Bike PGH at all for the city being lack on vision, just frustrated by the red tape in general)
quizbot
2013-05-09 00:39:04
Agree on everything but narrowing the sidewalks. Narrow the traffic lanes instead, which should have the side benefit of encouraging less speeding. If that's not enough, get rid of parking on one side.
salty
2013-05-09 01:25:08
And of course: (Paris, Tour Montparnasse in the distance)
ahlir
2013-05-09 14:12:28
I rode in lanes just like that in Philly at the end of CtC.
jonawebb
2013-05-09 14:31:01
Ahlir wrote:And of course: (Paris, Tour Montparnasse in the distance)
Would love to see this on Smithfield st, downtown. All we would have to do is paint a few markers on that street.
benzo
2013-05-09 14:33:04
I rode in lanes just like that in Philly at the end of CtC.
Yes, but you were slightly hallucinating by then, Jon. Those were actually chalk outlines...
reddan
2013-05-09 14:51:48
Well, it didn't feel like I was hallucinating. I mean, the Arc de Triomphe seemed pretty real.
jonawebb
2013-05-09 15:12:54
jonawebb wrote:I rode in lanes just like that in Philly at the end of CtC.
I ride in Philly often, and they are very loosely enforced. Specifically in Center City, cars and cabs go in them often. One thing we should be thankful for is that we don't have a ton of cabs here. Their blatant disregard for traffic laws is always a fun obstacle. That being said, Philly is a much easier place to ride than here. Largely due to the flat terrain and the presence of more cyclists, drivers tend to understand how to handle situations a little better.
that_tickles
2013-05-09 15:34:51
This video takes forever to load, just a heads up. This is "under consideration" but the costs seemed to be very expensive, I don't see it becoming a reality with "investors and crowd sourcing." http://news.yahoo.com/video/cycling-sky-090809083.html
sew
2014-01-02 12:53:24
I saw that on blvd of the allies on Friday morning for the first time and thought I have been very unobservant for the past few years
stefb
2014-01-26 20:36:23
Warming stations? I was at the one on 4th last month and it wasn't working.
kordite
2014-01-28 09:18:30
Things pampered Europeans get? The Gulf Stream.
mick
2014-01-28 13:40:01
I unknowingly walked into one of the warming bus shelters, on Liberty opposite 9th St, Monday afternoon when it was starting to get bitter cold, and wondered why I wasn't freezing. It has a button to start the heater, which then runs several minutes.
stuinmccandless
2014-01-28 19:27:59
Holy crabsticks, this rig beats the whole studded tire thing hands down. Let's see if video will work (not youtube): (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Post by Butchers & Bicycles, Copenhagen.
edmonds59
2014-01-29 13:08:04
@erok “For the cost of about one mile of freeway, $50 million, we’ve built a network of 275 miles of bikeways, that’s one heck of a bang-for-your-buck investment.” – Mia Birk, Alta Planning and Design Great quote. It would really change our area if we could get our transportation agencies to begin thinking this way.
fultonco
2014-03-24 17:11:36
I look at that elevator and think, That's not all that different from our two inclines. Really, part of what we need are to put back a couple of the inclines we used to have. The Knoxville Incline, St Clair and Penn Inclines went bankrupt and were taken out as recently as about 1960 because of the same tipped tables that made all the trolley and bus companies fold (forming the Port Authority, the phoenix rising from the ashes at the time). But with development again turning inward, I think it's time we revisit the inclines.
stuinmccandless
2014-03-25 06:45:14
How long is the wait for the inclines? I like digging back into our history and all, but I think a lot of people don't do multi-modal because they don't like waiting and running on schedules and... how many cars can you run physically? In a semi cost effective manner? I'm thinking not as many as you'd want. I kind of doubt the idea would ever get traction, presumably lawyers would kill it, but I very much like the minimalism and continuous service provided by a chair lift like at ski resorts. Wouldn't be hard to add bike hangars to that. Or maybe like what they have at the zoo, a covered outdoor escalator. Just add a bike rail to that and I'm a happy camper!
byogman
2014-03-25 08:06:20
Johnstown, PA (that place that flooded a long time ago, paid for by a, still active, tax on liquor ) has an awesome incline. You can even take your car on it. http://www.inclinedplane.org/
benzo
2014-03-25 08:19:20
Built after the Johnstown flood of 1889, the Inclined Plane’s original purpose was to connect downtown with the higher grounds of Westmont Borough in order to develop that area residentially. During Johnstown’s two other floods in 1936 and 1977, the Incline became a lifesaver, helping people to escape downtown as well as to ship supplies into the valley. In its heyday, the Incline carried approximately 1,000,000 passengers a year to and from the downtown area. This was larely due to the steel mills that were in operation. Today the Incline welcomes visitors and locals alike, carrying approximately 100,000 passengers a year. The Johnstown Inclined Plane is the steepest vehicular incline in the world, meaning its 30ft wide cars, which are large enough to hold 60 people, 6 motorcycles, or a vehicle, travel at the steepest grade for cars their size. No trip to Johnstown is complete without a visit to our world-famous Inclined Plane
benzo
2014-03-25 08:19:59
There is a bicycle elevator in Madison, WI that moves one up and down from trail on the shore of the lake to the city center level.
helen-s
2014-03-25 08:49:26
It seems there was some interest in reconstructing the former Penn Incline (around 17th Street in the Strip) a few years ago. Certainly a costly undertaking, but would be awesome to see these awesome pieces of infrastructure begin to reconnect parts of the city again! Source. (For those who are curious about the many passenger inclines of Pittsburgh's past, I studied the inclines for a thesis project at CMU last year. Report here.)
burritoace
2014-03-25 12:17:56
How about a big apple to park your bike in? Seems this would work well around here, particularly in areas on a slope, where it may be helpful to have entrances on more than one level. Link
stuinmccandless
2014-06-27 15:10:06
The bottom half of one car of every Belgian inter city train is reserved for cyclists. Unfortunately they're usually full of unpleasant meaty obstacles
devohelmetguy
2014-06-29 07:07:28
Ok what the hell kind of bike is that??? Need better pic.
edmonds59
2014-06-29 07:52:39
Oops. The photo didn't look that bad on my phone. It's a copper plated 1975 Schwinn Paramount with period NR group. Sorry the tires don't match; it turns out international touring on vintage tubulars is troublesome. The bike kinda doesn't match the 100 pound three-speed step-through tanks most folk ride over here. I've had a few multilingual homeless guys remark that they believe it to be an exceptional bicycle.
devohelmetguy
2014-06-29 09:54:34
Saw this today and thought of this thread. Whether you want to be jealous of Europe (in this case Berlin) or convince yourself that it's not all it's chalked up to be, there is certainly something for you in this photo album: http://www.tagesspiegel.de/mediacenter/fotostrecken/berlin/galerie-mit-leserbildern-abgefahren-ihre-unbeliebtesten-radstrecken/4031388.html?p4031388=2#image Truth is there's a lot that could be improved upon, but I still laugh every time someone goes off about how horrible and unsafe Berlin is for cyclists. They have no idea!
jeg
2014-07-25 08:49:24
LED bus islands http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/18/copenhagens-new-led-bus-stops/ "there is typically an easy flow between bicyclists and bus passengers anyway. However, people are not always clear on the rules. During rush hour, there are more incidents of the bicycle user and a bus passenger bumping into each other. With this LED solution, the territories for all parties involved will be clearly marked out."
marko82
2014-09-18 10:46:50
Bike drive-thru at a McD's in Copenhagen [link] Video. Be sure to watch at about 0:50.
stuinmccandless
2015-03-28 19:22:10
Neat, but it looks like they only had bike-thru service for one day as part of a promotional event, just long enough to film the video. There must be some real European bike-thrus, not just ones faked for a commercial shoot.
steven
2015-03-29 00:05:09
That Delft parking garage is excellent!
paulheckbert
2015-06-03 09:48:58
Someone want to sketch what bike parking for 100 or 200 bikes at Dormont or Mt Lebanon should really look like? Don't take away a single car space, but do something radical like make it a covered ramp.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-03 17:27:47
Thanks for posting that Marko82. I am speechless. The standard of living is so much higher over there. Goodness, our bar is so low, but they just don't have the problems we have here in our cities that drag everything down. It is a reminder at how clean everything is in northern Europe. It has been a while since I have been over that way. Floors so clean you can eat off them. What a contrast with our debris/litter covered everything, not to mention how run down everything is around here. Boulder, CO was a breath of fresh air, BUT it cannot compete with much of Scandinavia and Nordic countries. Ah, we can just make the best of it here.
gg
2015-06-04 09:02:26
@gg: Don't go overboard with the Europe-envy. I lived in Delft for a year in the 90s and in some ways it was clean, but many days, Delft was enveloped in an odor of manure fertilizer from the farms that surround the town. On the other hand, having a culture that accepts taxation and has high expectations from government is a big improvement over the US. A tangible difference in living experience, as of 1992: I could fly into Amsterdam's airport, go downstairs in the airport and get on a train, be in Delft one hour later, catch a bus from the Delft train station to my neighborhood. Their public transportation system works very well. Taking trains from Delft to Paris was similarly easy. Compare that to Pittsburgh's train network to New York City. Pathetic. I've lived in Pittsburgh 23 years and I've never taken a train to NYC because the service is so abysmal (one train a day, at 7am, takes 9.5 hours).
paulheckbert
2015-06-04 10:54:41
Paul, I spent a lot of time in a Nordic country and I feel the standard of living is WAY higher than here. Even compared to Boulder, CO, which is full of money, we can't compete. It is nice the bar is so much higher there, so we have something to shoot for. Maybe in two generations from now, folks can enjoy such things. I will be long dead, but why not let them enjoy it?
gg
2015-06-04 18:37:51
This is not strictly Euro, it's from Quebec. But it describes something that's happening globally: an concerted effort to reduce city street speed limits to 30kph/20mph). http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/montreal/442143/zone-30-km-h The article is in French, but you should be able to make your browser translate it. Anyway, this is something Pittsburgh desperately needs. (Not so fun fact: at 20kph pedestrian fatality is 50%; at 45kph, 90%.) (One of the techniques Montreal is using to slow people down is to install speed displays. I notice that we've recently gained one on Shady, between Wilkins & 5th. I hope this is a sign of things to come.)
ahlir
2015-06-08 13:27:44
More sensible laws: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33446899 Most arguments against the Idaho Stop are "well that's in rural Idaho". If some iteration of the Idaho Stop works in Paris, it can work anywhere.
mjacobpgh
2015-07-08 13:40:32
I have always loved Paris and love it more now. Wow, that will never happen here, but it is amazing. I wish I could be there for such a cool thing for such a huge city!
gg
2015-08-26 21:26:24
Oslo plans to ban all cars from its city center by 2019 link
stuinmccandless
2015-10-25 05:51:12
A step backwards in Basel, Switzerland. Voters in Basel overwhelmingly reject active-travel plan link
stuinmccandless
2015-11-17 08:26:53
Cambridge UK gets a 2,850-bike parking facility. link My eyebrows also went up when I read this: "The two-tier racks were provided by Falco UK, and are of the type used extensively used in the Netherlands – they have attained the Dutch national “FietsParkur” standard for secure cycle storage." A standard for secure cycle storage?! I need to know more about that!
stuinmccandless
2016-02-15 07:37:31
Berlin Plans a New Network of Bike Superhighways https://www.citylab.com/commute/2017/03/berlin-bike-superhighways/518691/ At the heart of the plan lie 13 new bike superhighways, approved at the end of February. Narrowed down from an original list of 30, the first two of these new routes should begin construction by the end of 2017. As the “highway” title suggests, these won’t just be ordinary roadside paths. They will be completely segregated, unbroken longer-distance routes that will allow Berliners to get in and out of the city center much faster and more safely—without ever having to mix with cars.  
marko82
2017-03-10 09:17:05
Not strictly bicycling, more about the environment that makes cycling easier. https://twitter.com/i/web/status/858635572004487168 Text: City @gemeentealkmaar is one of the best urban places in #NoordHolland. If you are an urban planner visit Alkmaar. In general, if you are on Twitter and this sort of thing interests you, you should follow @projectsfromNL
stuinmccandless
2017-04-30 17:54:30
A Dutch system, method, and apparatus to help cyclists catch the green light at the upcoming intersection - "Flo": https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/flo-your-guide-to-the-green-light/ I feel they could do an even better job by leveraging smart phone technology. For example, the Flo post could send signals to cyclists' smart phone, and with an special app, cyclists could have the instructions provided in visual, audio, and/or audio format. https://youtu.be/ttzqM1q0mkM
ninjaturtle0304
2017-05-23 08:21:16
Nice story in the Washington Post about Mannheim, Germany, and its cycling history. Apparently one of the forerunners to what became the modern bicycle was developed there in 1817.
stuinmccandless
2017-06-05 07:07:55
What, too many bikes? Dutch bikes ‘victims of their own success’ as congestion puts off cyclists The ubiquitous Dutch bicycle is threatening to become a victim of its own success. Around one in 10 people say they are put off travelling by bike in peak hours because of cycle-lane congestion.
stuinmccandless
2017-11-02 06:57:22
That video also has "smart signals" that use heat sensors to recognize bikes.
erok
2017-12-12 10:39:16
So this isn't about Europe and it's not about pampering. It's just about bikes, elsewhere. I was in Osaka where there's lots of bikes around. In the district where I'm staying (Senri-chuo) sidewalks are pretty much where most bikers ride (though you're not supposed to). They share with peds and the occasional motorbike. This is because streets are narrow and there's no room for bikes unless you take the lane; there are too many bikes for that to make sense. On the other hand the sidewalks are wide (by our standards). I somehow hadn't really noticed on previous trips but they're basically no on-street parking. So no parking lanes, and no room to "share" the road. There are (narrow) marked bike lanes occasionally. Some other observations. Many bikes are electric. It's just part of the kit. I saw a bike stand with charging setup: drop coins into the meter and plug in your bike. Unpowered bikes are pretty much for young people. Many bikes are just used for for transportation, so lots of cargo capacity on a small frame. Helmets are rare. Bike security is very light-weight. I saw maybe one U-lock. Mostly it's cables, or just nothing. People apparently don't steal bikes much around here. I guess if you have a prosperous country with a low GINI coefficient that's what you get. Here's a city bike set up in a 2-kid configuration. There's a variety of other configurations built on the same kind of frame. Note the motor encasing the bottom bracket. Different bike brands... read the fine print. This appears to be a bike park (photo taken while on a train in a station). I expect it's the same idea as car parks (really tall monoliths, where cars are elevated and pigeon holed). Ground space is at a premium.
ahlir
2018-01-16 22:12:29
Hi, I have recently moved here and am reading the forum to learn more about Pittsburgh.I moved here recently from Amsterdam and have brought my bike :) I thought you might find this page from the municipality of Amsterdam interesting. I has all the ongoing or finished cycling experiments on it. Most are to improve the flow and safety for cyclists, pedestrains and other traffic. Yes, traffic jams on the bike paths are real. All projects: https://www.amsterdam.nl/parkeren-verkeer/fiets/fietsprojecten/ (Dutch, so hit Google Translate) Results for 'Turn off the lights' a crossing I passed regularly and it had really improved through making it more simple: https://www.amsterdam.nl/parkeren-verkeer/fiets/fietsprojecten/uitzetten/ (Dutch, so hit Google Translate) Legend for the piechart: Left: Traffic Lights on Right: Traffic Lights off Red: Cyclist stops Green: Cyclist passes green light Striped: Cyclist goes through red light  
coenwesselman
2018-02-09 11:03:19
Welcome! You've come to the right place! You may also be interested in bikingpgh.com for some summary of our knowledge. Once the weather warms up, there will be rides you can join, like the Flock Rides. And there are more ambitious rides organized by Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen.
jonawebb
2018-02-09 12:05:03
Thanks for the friendly welcome :) I will be checking out both pages!  
coenwesselman
2018-02-09 15:33:42
It went from nothing to steep speed bumps first. But they found that these speed bumps led to more dangerous situations instead of avoiding them. Speeding drivers that paid little attention would be more likely to lose control of the car and swerve into incoming traffic, bus stop, parked cars or the bike lane. The next version is the one you see in these pictures. The bump is not steep, but enough to make the markings visible from a reasonable distance. The change in pavement and having a pedestrian crossing on top of it helps slowing it down more creating a safer street for everybody. The illusion of a bump is already slowing drivers down. Although drivers here are used to potholes and paint doesn't seem to last very long ;-)  
coenwesselman
2018-04-03 10:50:29
The Netherlands has installed over ~60 miles of bike highways throughout the country. Until very recently there have been no clear social cost-benefit analysis of this. A bike highway is a wider, bicycle only road without traffic lights and smoother surface. The data in the article is based on the 14.4KM bike highway called Trambaanpad, which is from a normal bike lane into a bike highway. This is in a non urban area with little congestion. The benefits and costs are calculated from the perspective of recreational, commuter cyclists and modal shift. The bike highway of 14.4KM presents the following results (recap):
  • Average speeds for commuters went from 15 kph to 20 kph
  • This converts to a time benefit of ~1 minute per KM
  • The number of movement by car on the same route went down with 1.4%
  • The number of train/bus movements on the same route went down by 2.3%
  • The number of movements by bicycle went up by 2.2%
Unknown effects
  • Do people ride more because of the bike highway?
  • Do people go to the park/woods less because of the bike high ways?
  • Do people get more healthy, fit and faster over time?
Cost-Benefit (20 year period) Costs
  • Investment: €5.100.000
  • Maintenance: €693.258
    • Total: €5.793.258
Benefits
  • Time benefit recreational cyclist: €2.503.080
  • Comfort and safety recreational cyclist: €3.034.984
  • Experience value recreational cyclist: €782.212
    • Total benefit recreational cyclist: €6.320.277
  • Time benefit commuter cyclist: €5.101.889
  • Comfort and safety commuter cyclist: €3.951.312
    • Total benefit commuter cyclist: €9.053.201
  • Modal shift benefit: €132.480
    • Total benefit: €15.505.958
To conclude there is (even in The Netherlands) very little research and data on this topic. This is a start and more research is needed. Especially in urban areas where the bike highway can compete with all other modes of travel and come out faster and/or cheaper. Source: https://esb.nu/esb/20039694/ruim-baan-voor-snelfietsbanen (Dutch)
coenwesselman
2018-04-17 13:23:02
I wouldn't want to ride that bike on a windy day...
benzo
2018-04-23 13:01:26
In London, pampered cyclists get poor planning, heavy car traffic, dangerous lorries, regional feuds, and occasional good planning. Sound familiar? video in two parts, from the Unfinished London series https://youtu.be/gohSeOYheXg https://youtu.be/_DNNIB_PdaA
paulheckbert
2018-04-24 16:30:48
This reminds me of a story in Forester's "Effective Cycling," where he talks about a visit to Britain. He talks with a cycling club and tells them how bad bike lanes are. They assure him that they agree and that they will never allow such a horrible thing to happen there. I wonder if his advocacy worked as well there as it did here.
jonawebb
2018-04-24 17:16:13
In Edinburgh, staying on The Meadows. Covered bike parking as well as reserved areas for bikes right next to a trail.
edronline
2018-05-05 14:44:20
Not specifically cycling, but...wow! Luxembourg To Cut Chronic Traffic Congestion By Abolishing Public Transit Fares Luxembourg’s transport system costs €1-billion per year to operate with revenues of €30-million. By removing the collection and processing of fares it’s hoped that running costs will be reduced. Luxembourg is 999 square miles. Allegheny County is 745 square miles. Note, however, this tweet by the author of the above article: Free public transport tends to reduce cycling, not motoring. This happened to Davis, California, in 1980s despite the city having tight grid of cycleways.
stuinmccandless
2018-12-06 06:38:44
An excellent video about safe road design, contrasting good, safe northern European standards to lousy, outdated, unsafe Canadian and US standards that encourage speeding or create speed traps. "The Wrong Way to Set Speed Limits" https://youtu.be/bglWCuCMSWc
paulheckbert
2021-12-01 13:08:18