Searching for Fred

KRAMER: Well my swimming pool problems are solved. I just found myself miles and miles of open lanes.

JERRY: What is that smell?

KRAMER: That's East River.

JERRY: You're swimming in the East River? The most heavily trafficked, overly contaminated waterway on the eastern seaboard?

KRAMER: Technically Norfok has more gross tonnage.

JERRY: How could you swim in that water?

KRAMER: I saw a couple of other guys out there.

JERRY: Swimming?

KRAMER: Floating, they weren't moving much, but they were out there.

Arriving at work the other day, a coworker approached me, gave my commuting bike the once over and said something like: "Look at this bike. You are so 'Fred!'" Having not heard this descriptive term, I asked for a definition. He provided his interpretation of "Fred" as a cycling term. I decided to dig deeper. What I discovered is that there are at least three competing definitions for "Fred" commonly used by cyclists.

1. A neophyte, inexperienced, or bumbling cyclist
2. A poser who buys expensive, state-of-the-art cycling gear, but is more interested in being seen that actually riding
3. A utilitarian cyclist who outfits their bike and themselves in a way that is at once practical, yet unstylish to serious racing cyclists

To his credit, my coworker said he believes that there's a little bit of Fred in each of us. Given the variety of definitions for "Fred," I'd say that's a safe conclusion. The category I identify with most would be #3 because at this stage in my cycling life, I'm all about commuting efficiency. This wasn't always the case.

Years ago I purchased a Vitus 979 aluminum bicycle frame. At the time it was pretty much state-of-the-art. I outfitted that frame with Campagnolo components, a lightweight drive chain, very light wheels, pretty damn narrow tires, and the first generation Profile aero bars. I was too cool for school. When I used this bike to commute from my apartment on the peninsula to Santa Clara, I liked to ride fast. A coworker at the time decided to buy a bike with the goal of making it even lighter than my Vitus. He gradually bought more and more lightweight components, a seat with titanium rails, tubular tires, you name it. Yet with each lighter component he put on his bike, his ride became even heavier when compared to the Vitus. Not sure how that could have been, but I swear it was true.

Fast-forward 25 years, bike technology has changed in big ways and my priorities have shifted, too. Instead of lightweight, competition, and speed, I'm more biased toward durability and reliability. Instead of weighing in at less than 19 pounds (8.6 kg), my commuter weighs in around 34 pounds (15.4 kg). By the time I've loaded on the panniers, the whole production tips the scales around 45 pounds (20.4 kg). Okay, I admit I still get the urge to chase down younger riders on fixies and give them a run for their money.

The biggest improvement in the past two decades would have to be lighting systems. I had one of the original NightSun headlights and it was pretty awesome back in the day. The LED lighting available now is significantly more advanced both in lumen output and battery life. I wear a helmet, as I did in the old days. And brightly colored clothing, much to the amusement of the hip, ninja cyclists I encounter each day and night that I ride. So did I used to be cool and now I'm a Fred, or is it the other way around? Beats me ...

Near as I can tell, the main reason to use a term like "Fred" (or "Doris" for female riders) would seem to be to differentiate one group of cyclists as being better than or above the rest. The way I look at it, no matter how fashionable, unfashionable, or individualistic you may or may not be, the important thing is that you are on your bike and you are out there.

Milestones and Changes

Somewhere on Adeline Street, between San Pablo Avenue and 12th Street, it happened. I completed my 6000th mile of cycling for 2013. My goal was to see how much commuting I could accomplish with my bike as opposed to using a car and to reduce my CO2e contribution to the Earth's atmosphere. Based on previous research,  I calculate my cycling contributed 445 pounds (202 kg) of carbon dioxide. Driving those 6000 miles in a car would have not only been less fun, it would have contributed 5,714 pounds (2592 kg) of carbon dioxide. Keeping 5270 pounds (2390 kg) of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere is, well, ... a start.

I didn't have any students at KOAK today, but needed to go there anyway to pick up some cycling gear I'd left behind when I flatted the other night. A beautiful day, blue skies as far as the eye could see, calm winds, warm temps, and the San Francisco Bay waters were mostly still.  On my way home today, I decided to take the long way and ride the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. This was my sixth trip across the bridge and even though it was Christmas Eve day, there were fewer pedestrians and cyclists than expected.

Construction on the new bike/ped path approach seems to be progressing

Mist on the water

It had been over a month since I last rode the bridge and this time I saw obvious signs of the slow, methodical demolition of the old cantilever span. If you haven't made time to ride or walk the east span and you want to see the old bridge, you still have time.

Upper deck being methodically removed, bracing added ...

A section close to the new span, debris shield installed ....

Once the old cantilever section has been removed, completion of the ped/bike path to meet Treasure Island will begin. That's currently slated to be completed sometime in 2015.

All these changes and milestones got me to thinking about next year. What should my CO2e goals be for 2014? I haven't finalized them yet, but one goal is to sell one of our cars. I'm biking so much that eliminating one car wouldn't be a hardship. Quite the opposite, it would save us money on insurance, license/registration, fuel and maintenance. Another goal would be to log more miles and while that is possible it will require thoughtful discipline: Less chasing down and dropping youngsters on fixies, a slower and more efficient riding speed, continued emphasis on riding safely, staying injury free, and avoiding illness. Perhaps 7000 miles of cycling for 2014 is achievable, but the main goal is to continue to keep my CO2e down and set an example for others: You can drive less, get more exercise more (walk or bike), be healthier and happier, and generate less CO2e to boot. Think about it ...

Realizing Your Potential

With a long day ahead and few lunch choices near the airport, I made a sandwich detour. The woman behind the counter saw the cycling garb and asked where I had started and where I was headed. She was shocked, thinking it impossible or impractical to ride 16 miles to work in the morning and 16 miles home in the evening. I offered that I hadn't jumped into riding that sort of mileage, I eased into it. She claimed she could never ride a bike that far and I reminded her that each of us is capable of more than we realize.

Reaching the end of the 2013 and having completed my 56th lap around the sun, I find myself above my goal of 4500 cycling miles for the year. I've upped that goal to 6000 miles and with just under 5600 miles and a few weeks left to log the remaining 400 miles, I stopped to consider how far I'd come. With age comes wisdom and as I've grown older, my focus has shifted from my own needs to helping others. That sandwich shop chat got me thinking about what to suggest to readers who might want to undertake a bicycle commute, reduce their dependence on fossil fuel, shed some weight, improve their health, and generally feel more energetic about life.

1) Start Incrementally

First a disclaimer: Verify you are healthy enough to begin cycling by checking with your doctor or by getting a physical examination.

My commute routine started with a mile or so of cycling to BART, riding the train to a station near work, and cycling the remaining five miles. 12 miles round trip was tiring at first, so I'd alternate one day riding, one day driving. Often the train home was delayed and it began to dawn on me: If I could work up to cycling the whole way, I'd get home sooner. Occasionally I'd ride the whole way home. Then I began cycling to and from work and before I knew it, I had mostly abandoned BART. The key was starting with an intermodal solution and then gradually increasing my mileage. Try to do too much, too soon and you may give up before you've established the all important exercise habit pattern.

2) Find a Route

Most people say the number one reason they don't consider bicycling is the lack of separation from motor vehicles. Bike lanes, sharrows, and green lanes are great, but they don't guarantee protection from a collision with a car or truck. Mapping software like Google Maps or the interactive New York Times bike maps can help you discover a good route. Don't put your faith in any suggested route until you've verified it yourself. You may find that designated bike routes are actually less suitable than a routing you find yourself.

3) Form Good Habits

Exercising every day is a good way to ensure success, but realize that it can take as long as two or three months to work out the logistics and for the cycling habit to become engrained. Once you've established a pattern and worked out the kinks, driving to work will seem less and less appealing. If you have to spend time getting to work, why not spend some or all of that time doing something that will make you feel better?

What about arriving at work all sweaty? A lot depends on your circumstances, but with some planning and ingenuity those issues can be worked out. I carry two panniers: One is my flight bag containing my iPad mini, headset, and various supplies. The second pannier holds a change of clothes, a sweater, and my lunch. I use panniers because I don't like carrying things on my back while riding, but these solutions are individual in nature. Experiment and find what works for you.

4) Measure Your Progress

Regardless of your goal (sleep more, eat less, exercise more), you're more likely to succeed if you have a way to measuring your progress. I find the MapMyFitness iPhone app useful for tracking my weekly mileage and time spent riding. There are other apps and they all seem to have historical measurement and graphing tools. If, for example, you see your mileage increasing by more than one standard deviation, you're probably increasing your workouts too quickly.

5) Set Achievable Goals

Nothing will scuttle you faster than setting an overly ambitious goal. Better to set a less aggressive goal that you can meet or exceed. In my own case, I set a goal of riding 4500 miles for this year even though I suspected I could do more. When I met my goal early, I adjusted it upward. Time will tell if I make the 6000 mile mark, but I'll have fun in the process.

6) Pace Yourself

Once your exercise habit pattern is established, avoid being too aggressive with your routine. Americans live in an increasingly competitive, some might say militaristic, society.  Don't fall victim to the mentality of "If a little exercise is good, then more must be better." Unless you're a comic book hero, over-training will lead to burn-out, injury, illness or just a bone-tired feeling that you can't shake. The flip side of exercise is rest: We all need rest. If you have entered your fourth decade or beyond on planet Earth, you're aware that you don't recover from injury as quickly as you used to. So be wise and avoid getting injured in the first place.

7) Expect the Unexpected

Regardless of your well-laid plans, illness, injury, saddle sores, over-training, and countless obstacles crop up for cycle commuters. If you've set a reasonable goal, you shouldn't have any trouble taking a few days off when you don't feel right or if you need time to heal.

You'll also need to be prepared for unexpected bike maintenance, usually a flat tire. Install puncture resistant tires, carry the necessary tools and supplies to fix a puncture, and have the skills to do the work. Knowing how to make simple repairs in adverse conditions will serve you well.

What about rain, snow, and other icky weather, you ask? California generally has benign weather compared to where I spent my formative years (Chicago area), but things can still get nasty. Rain, strong winds, and cold temperatures with high relative humidity provide plenty of reasons to throw in the towel and just drive. My motto: "There's no such thing as poor cycling weather, only poor preparation." Fenders, shoe covers, riding tights, insulated gloves, helmet covers, and good cycling lights (front and rear) are excellent investments. Get equipped, get over the hump, get out the door, and you'll find things are not as bad they seem.

A side benefit of cycling is that you will regularly encounter unexpected moments of beauty and awe. It could be wildlife, a breathtaking sunrise or sunset, the stillness of a gentle snow fall, or the mystery of a thick fog. Consider carrying a camera and recording what you see, share these inspiring moments with others, but by all means slow down, appreciate, and enjoy.

8) Manage Risks 

Reducing risk on a bike boils down to being visible, wearing a helmet, and riding responsibly and defensively. It may not be fashionable, but bright clothing and lights (front and rear) reduce the risk you'll collide with a motor vehicle or pedestrian. If you find yourself resistant to wearing a helmet, ask yourself this: Do you want to experience a traumatic a brain injury when your noggin hits the pavement? Will you enjoy relearning the alphabet in a rehab facility while your significant other feeds you soup from a spoon? In addition to wearing a helmet, ride responsibly and follow the rules of the road. There's a difference between executing an Idaho Stop at a deserted intersection and acting like a selfish jerk in heavy traffic. Don't ride like a jerk!

9) Care for Your Ride

Once a week, clean your bike, check your tire pressure, oil your chain (if you're still using a chain), and check the condition of your brakes. A little preventative attention now can prevent a roadside repair at an inopportune time and location. I've learned this the hard way. Few things match the unwanted excitement of making a tire repair on a dark and lonely urban street in a pouring rain.

10) Be an Example for Others

When people you know or work with see you have adopted bicycle commuting, they may question your mental health. There's no need to try to sell others on the virtues of using a bike as transportation. The very fact that you arrive by bike and that you look and feel great is all the evidence others will need to adjust their commuting priorities.

In Praise of the Bell

There are unfortunate trends in bicycling such as wearing dark clothing, cycling at night without lights and without a helmet, riding on the wrong side of road, and rude disregard for traffic laws, but few are as disturbing as cyclists who eschew the use of a bicycle bell. Some cyclists may feel that having a bell on their bike is emasculating or childish, but that's simply not true. Bike bells come in a dizzying array of sizes, shapes and timbre and more cyclists should be using them because bells are powerful.

StVZO required equipment

Bikes and pedestrians often share pathways in European countries and they have bicycle regulations requiring bicycles have certain equipment. In Germany the Straßenverkehrszulassungsordnung, or road traffic permit regulations, requires certain equipment, including a helltönenden klingel or high-toned bell. In the US, bicycle regulations vary from state to state. Compared to the StVZO, California doesn't require much bicycle equipment at all. And California law does not require a bicycle bell.

• Helmet for persons under 18 years of age
• Handlebars
• An attached seat
• For Night Riding
• White headlamp, attached to the bicycle or your body
• Red rear reflector
• White or yellow reflectors on front and back of each pedal
• White or yellow reflectors usually mounted on wheel spokes
• If you have tires front and rear with reflecting sidewalls you do not need side reflectors

What is so important about a bell? When riding on multi-use paths or in the city, ringing a bell to alert pedestrians and other cyclist to your presence is good etiquette. Okay, many people young and old can barely spell etiquette and even fewer know what it means, but the power of a tiny bell can change all that.

With a bell, there's no need to yell "passing on your left" or "heads up" or "haul ass!" Instead, you let the sound of the bell speak for you. The pleasant, ringing isn't at all like a honking horn and carries few of the negative connotations. The bell says, politely, "I'm behind you and would like to pass." With more bike bells in the US, more Americans would remember or come to understand what the sound means. With more bike bells, Americans could become more cooperative and less contentious. If you don't have a bell on your bike, why not get one and start a re-evolution?

Funny Symbols on Pavement

Struggling through the latter stages of a cold, I went for an easy bike ride that led to an unexpected encounter with an irate, shouting driver. My transgression apparently was choosing to use the rightmost lane of Northbound Buchanan Street in Albany that was recently marked with sharrows rather than use the crowded multi-use path that parallels Buchanan. Why I chose to use the road rather than the path may not have been obvious to a non-cyclist, but the driver's indignation was anything but subtle. Cutting to the core of these sorts of encounters requires that we recognize the auto-centric nature of our transportation system.

Most states have laws that give pedestrians and bicycles specific rights to access our nation's roads. Some portions of the interstate system even allow bikes limited access in order to bridge gaps in cycling infrastructure. Yet drivers, including the person I encountered, assume that motorized vehicles have priority over pedestrians, and bicycles.

Markings and signs that alert drivers to the presence and rights of bicyclists and pedestrians can help educate the non-cycling driver, but these don't always work. In my case, perhaps the pavement markings were too subtle for the driver in question or maybe he didn't know the markings mean bikes can share the lane with cars. For many drivers, greater mass and speed are all that matter: Might makes right.

If there's any doubt about our automobile obsession, consider the virtual absence of criminal prosecution of drivers who collide with and injure or kill pedestrians and bicyclists in many of our major cities. A recent New York Times opinion piece pointed out that if you want to kill someone without any criminal repercussions, just run over them with your car while they are walking or riding a bike. If you are not under the influence of alcohol and you don't flee the scene, you'll probably walk away without any charges. In Holland, a driver who collides with a bicyclist is assumed to be at fault unless it can be proven otherwise. Maybe explains why you're 5 times less likely to be hit by a car while cycling in Holland than in the US.

Do cyclists make overweight drivers feel angry and do these drivers then lash out at cyclists for their own lack of fitness? Or is it that we're trying to do too much, or we're late getting the kids to school, or we need to stop at the dry cleaners before heading to work, or we overslept and are in a bad mood Maybe we're stuck in heavy traffic because everyone around us is trying to get to the same concert, ball game, or celebration. These interrupted intentions create stress and often lead us to do and say things that we're later ashamed of, or at least should be ashamed of. So take a deep breath, try to get the big picture, and don't do anything stupid. To that end, enjoy this informative and clever video on ... sharrows!

TTCBCOAB, the Door Lane, and Seeing the Light

I work Saturdays, so weekends tend to be busy. Cramming all the chores into Sunday (and sometimes Monday) is a challenge, especially without using a car. Or is it? By riding a bike, parking is certainly easier. It's possible to (carefully) scoot past a long line of cars queued up at a stop sign or stop light. You arrive at your destination invigorated and in a better mood. And most importantly, you naturally avoid trying to do too much, getting in a rush, and becoming impatient with others. Perhaps life on a bike is generally better than life in a car.

TTCBCOAB #61, Four bags of groceries, new bike clothes

TTCBCOAB #62, Case of canned dog food, bag of kibble, biscuits

TTCBCOAB #63, Raised veggie bed fencing, donated by a friend

Bike Lane or Door Lane

Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and other East Bay cities continue to add new facilities for cyclists. One of the easiest things cities can do is add sharrows: Pavement markings that alert drivers to the presence of bikes. Sometimes signs are added to remind drivers that bicycles may use an entire lane of traffic. In Oakland, several bike lanes are being augmented with a green stripe painted on the pavement to make the bike area clearer. This is good stuff, but there are complications.

Often the "sharrows"  and the green stripes are positioned to the right of the center of the lane, putting cyclists close to a row of parallel-parked cars. How much distance is required for a cyclist to avoid hitting a car door that is suddenly thrown open? After watching these two videos, you may think twice about assuming 3 feet of separation from parked cars is sufficient to "avoid the door." A word of warning, the second video is pretty startling.

Seeing the Light

One strategy for avoiding car doors and accidents in general is to use a flashing headlight, even during daylight hours. My commuter bike's dynamo-powered front and rear lights are on anytime my bike's wheels are turning, day or night. I supplement these steady-burning lights with flashing lights, front and rear. Countless times, the flashing front light has alerted drivers who were about to open their car doors and saved me from certain harm. And at least once a week, a pedestrian, driver, or another cyclist informs me "Hey, your lights are on!" My response varies from day-to-day, usually just a polite "Thank you," unless the person pointing it out is another cyclist. In that case I point out, "Hey, you don't have any lights!"


It may be very un-hip, but wearing bright colors like a florescent green, orange, or pink vest or jacket when riding is an easy way to reduce the risks associated with cycling. NHTSA and CDC have some good information on cycling safely and they both emphasize the importance of being visible.

So reducing cycling risks really be boiled down to four basic principles:

1. Wear a helmet
2. Be visible by using flashing lights and wearing bright clothing
3. Ride predictably and courteously
4. Stay alert and expect the unexpected

In Concord California, the Last 2 Miles may be Your Last

A classic transportation problem in the US is that a carpool, ride share, casual carpool, ferry, bus, train, tram, or light rail gets you close to your destination, but you often need to travel another two miles to get where you're going. That's why I've considered using my folding bike in combination with BART to make my way to the Concord Buchanan Airport. Yesterday I needed to ferry a aircraft from Concord to Hayward, so I decided to hop on my Bike Friday Tikit and let the adventure begin. I didn't know how much adventure was in store.

Bike Route from Google Maps

After riding to a BART station in Berkeley and changing trains at MacArthur, I found myself at the Concord BART station. It's only 2.2 miles from the Concord BART to the Sterling Aviation, where I needed to go. You could make this trip in a taxi for about $20. Or you could walk this route in about 40 minutes. Cycling is usually 3 to 4 times faster than walking: You can cycle this route in 10 or 12 minutes. Looking at the map, this looks like a simple and quick trip. Quick, yes. Simple, not so much.

I've ridden my Tikit in a lot of different places including San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, San Diego, and numerous small towns in the Sierra Madre, the California Central Coast, and the San Joaquin Valley. Based on this route, Concord California strikes me as one of the least cycling-friendly city I've ever visited. On the route I cycled there were no sharrows, no bike lanes, and lots of large, fast-moving SUVs and trucks. I didn't see any other bikes on the route I traveled. And it's no wonder.

About a year and a half ago, a 17 year old, driving a 3 ton Cadillac Escalade, struck three cyclists, killing a man and his 9 year old daughter and injuring his 12 year old daughter. This happened on Treat Boulevard, about a mile south of the route I rode on Concord Avenue. The driver was changed with vehicular manslaughter and was reportedly speeding and making sudden lane changes.

This tragic accident was a wakeup call for the Concord City government. For a while it seemed that some changes would be made to make cycling safer in Concord. Maybe some changes are in the works, but based on my experience today, I'd say the City of Concord has a lot more work to do. Concord has numerous bike routes, like the Iron Horse Trail, but the biking infrastructure remains fragmented and seems designed primarily for recreation. Concord Avenue, Monument Boulevard, and Willow Pass Road all need bike lanes if cyclists are actually to use their bikes for transportation.

With more biking infrastructure, more people in Concord would be willing ride their bikes for transportation, drivers would come to expect seeing cyclists, and the transportation landscape would change. Until that happens, should I find the need to cycle from BART to the Concord Buchanan Airport, I'll probably ride on the sidewalk.