Bike Parking at the Hospital

This covered parking area at the hospital has always intrigued me. It is well utilized by riders at all times of the day. On Friday I went and investigated, curious about what types of bikes I might find.

I was surprised to find a lot of what I call "commuter bikes". By that I mean sturdy steel-framed bicycles, many old and retrofitted with racks and/or fenders.

Of course, I like the mustache handlebars. Some of the bikes are swimming in leaves. I imagine the air swirls around in the brick walled enclosure on Burlington's windy days.

There are lots of leather saddles and handlebar tape.

And a close-up of the second bike shows a headlight, cup holder, and interesting bottle cap message covering the stem bolt "Hated by Many, Loved by Few."

This white aluminum frame takes the prize for the cleanest looking ride.

I have a soft spot for well-used old mountain bikes without suspension. They make a perfect companion for just about anyone, including a commuter.

I dig this Raleigh with curved bars and thumbshifters.

This beater Raleigh is scuffed and scratched, but I appreciate its usefulness. Obviously, someone else does too.

There were a couple department store bikes, but for the most part all were older bikes and nothing worth more than 1000.00. I find this aspect satisfying as I've long thought that to own an expensive bike and park it at work was not worth the worry. Better off to buy or recondition something old—which is exactly what I'd encountered within the hospital lot. Go commuters!

Cyclopedia Review

I recently bought this interesting A to Z account of everything related to the bicycle by William Fotheringham. It's hardcover, though without a book jacket. The imprinting reminds me of letterpress. Simple and unpolished.

The endpapers are a lovely assortment of bikes, cogs, seats, and helmets. This print would be nice as fabric.

Inside, the layout resembles The Farmer's Almanac. It's set up in multiple columns and is designed with easy to read short quips, just enough to whet your appetite for a particular subject.

There are no photos, but old style etchings graphs, and maps. Condensed type highlights each title with bold initial capitals starting each section of the alphabet.

Can you tell that I like the design?

The content is a vast array of facts on history, bike design, racing, books, commentators, and famous people associated with the sport. I thought I would be able to read this as a novel, but it's an overwhelming amount of information, better absorbed in snippets. My book resides in the bathroom (ha!), but with post-it notes to mark items of interest.

My favorite page, so far, is a chart of the Alps prestigious ascents, complete with altitude, length of climb, and height gain. I like how the author presents their unique features. For example, did you know that on L'Alpe d'Huez there are TDF winners' names on each of the 21 hairpins turns?

Biker's Troll

This sweet little girl keeps me company during the long winter.

She sits on the window sill at my work place. With magenta-colored hair and salmon tank top, she is a bright spot against the snow and bare trees (though it's not so white this year). I like her happy message: I LOVE BIKING. I expect she'll let me know, with her birds-eye view of the outdoors, when it's time to start commuting again.

Winter Fest Ice Sculptures

Heiferweissen. It'a convoluted amalgam of a heifer, a piano bar and beer.

Every February Burlington holds a Winter Festival, complete with ice sculptures. As a family we went for a walk to investigate the contestants.

No title for this one, but I like the penguins' view.

The Last Snowflake. That may be an apt title this year.

My son and I sat on some rocks and counted ducks. I love the riotous quacking and bottoms-up view of the hungry ones.

Thoughts on Recreation and Transportation Cycling

While I was out pedaling, enjoying this February sunshine, my thoughts wrestled with the current lack of federal encouragement for pedestrian and cycling in this country. And it seems to be getting worse.

For years support for cycling and pedestrian safety has been viewed by congress as discretionary spending, much like music programs in city schools. As parents we plead and prod and vote on a school budget each year. It is often a gut wrenching decision to cut programs, or vote NO, but we speak through our wallets. Sometimes a second language class is cut, sometimes the arts. Some people do not view these programs as necessary curriculum. Much like congress cannot automatically fund bike and walking infrastructure as a requirement when there are roads to maintain, wars to fight, social security, and unemployment programs to fund.

It's a sad reality that just as cycling for transportation is growing, it's still a widely-held view that bicycles are strictly for recreation. I think that's the crux of this issue. Sure, we all love bike paths. They were pushed through and funded by partial federal dollars, but promoted for health and recreation. And now many Americans are beginning to ride to work and for short errands, using these paths. The cycling as transportation movement is expanding. Look around.

Yet, year after year we are approached by Adventure Cycling, Rails-to-Trails, and League of American Bicyclists (not to mention our local advocates) to write letters and e-mail our representatives to support the current rehash of the transportation bill. In light of this year's politics, it feels like an uphill battle. And frankly, I'm growing tired of all the contact from these groups. Would it make an impact if our congressional representatives were required to pedal to their office?

I don't have a solution nor am I politically savvy to this particular bill. I am a pedestrian and cyclist trying to make my way with less impact on the planet. But it strikes me as odd the way walk and bike advocates have to fight for what should be an inherent part of the transportation budget.  And clearly, this bill has come at a time when every program in this country will be highly debated to cut "unnecessary" waste. With our country's debt at an all-time high and ever-shifting world-wide crises, I believe there will eventually be a new norm for Americans. The middle class is struggling. There is less money, period, for us all. Will the future include a pared down existence with more bikes and buses? Maybe. We can only hope.