Posted on 06/03/2019 12:10:16 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
The mobility needs of people who walk and cycle – often the majority of citizens in a city – continue to be overlooked, states Share the Road Programme Annual Report 2018. Even though the benefits of investing in pedestrians and cyclists can save lives, help protect the environment and support poverty reduction. Meeting the needs of people who walk and cycle continues to be a critical part of the mobility solution for helping cities de-couple population growth from increased emissions, and to improve air quality and road safety.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), safe infrastructure for walking and cycling is also a pathway for achieving greater health equity. For the poorest urban sector who often cannot afford private vehicles, walking and cycling can provide a form of transport while reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, diabetes, and even death. Accordingly, improved active transport is not only healthy; it is also equitable and cost-effective.
(Excerpt) Read more at un.org ...
I would never ride on the road. Too dangerous
I enjoy riding a bicycle and I want the UN off of my side.
"...World Bicycle Day..."
Don’t forget your fruity girdle and hat helmet.
W 0 0 T.
Interesting because the bulk of road construction and repair in the US is paid for by taxes on motor fuels. Try to imagine the fury if a Pittman-Robertson style tax on bicycles and bike related products were proposed to fund bikeways.
But still there are benefits to exercise and riding bicycles is a great form of exercise. Not for everyone though. In an effort to lose a few pounds and an inch or two off my gut, I’ve decided to make bicycle riding a priority for this year. On Saturday I rode in a 30 mile road course in Hershey PA. 30 miles on a bike, 90 miles in a car each way to get to the event. All of this is leading up to a 65 mile charity ride (Ben to the Shore) in July.
Saturday was the first organized ride I have been on in about 25 years. Got my old road bike out last winter and overhauled it. It felt both good and painful to be back pulling the hills. Didn’t take long to get my style back but age is a factor that wasn’t there before. One thing that surprised me was the relative lack of young riders. This was a well attend event but at 61, I didn’t feel out of place.
In my neck of the woods, running literally 3 miles from my house is the 140 mile D&L Trail (The Delaware and Lehigh), which is a multi use rail trail. I have very mixed and conflicted feelings on this trail. It is beautiful and an easy ride, lots of nature and historic vistas. And it does offer economic some opportunities for the local economy.
It (The D&L) is also a very expensive boondoggle. As the trail winds it’s way through Carbon County PA (where I live) it transitions from the old Lehigh Canal towpath to the Lehigh Gorge State Park which uses an old railroad bed as the trail. Connecting the two requires a 200 foot truss bridge over the Lehigh River in Jim Thorpe. The actual span over the river has been completed but closed since last June, due to a lack of on/off ramps if you can believe that. As of today, the bridge project is 3 years behind schedule and 1.2 million plus dollars over budget.
Yet they keep throwing money at this project, called the Mansion House Bridge, which is now at about 4.6 million dollars spent to date but needs another million or so to construct safe passage thru the County parking lot. The lack of the “safe passage” is not supposed to delay the opening of the bridge but my gut tells me that one of the real reasons the project is so far behind schedule is that everyone involved (The D&L National Heritage Corridor, Carbon County PA and the Borough of Jim Thorpe) want to limit the liability in terms of time before the “safe passage” is completed which will not be until 2021 or 2022.
Try to imagine a family with young kids on vacation, riding bicycles through the middle of the WalMart parking lot. This is what it’s going to be like when the bridge opens, probably around Labor Day, before the safe passage is constructed.
The D&L National Corridor has big plans to complete the D&L Trail from Bristol (just outside of Philly) to Wilkes Barre which will make it 160 miles long. Outside of Philly, just south of Morrisville, they just completed a tunnel that takes the Trail under an active railroad. This is the “Conrail Embankment”, I haven’t read of any price tag on that thing but it was sure to be millions.
I have a 50 coming up and a century the week after. Both on open roads.
Fingers crossed.
There are those in the cycling community who want to turn it into some kind of eco statement. It doesn’t help that pro cycling is a largely European sport.
Hope you have a good ride.
I haven’t trained as hard as I should, and the century has me a little spooked. But thanks for the good wishes.
I also wish you the best of luck IronJack. I know how you feel, I didn’t put in nearly as much time for my puny 30 miler as I wanted. Also, I have, but didn’t install, a granny gear, my lowest gear right now is a 40 x 28. Even back in the day when I was in shape I thought I would like to have a few more lower gears than what I had. I’m consoled by the fact that many of the riders on Saturday were commenting on how hard the ride was, I think there were 6 big hills to pull, only 2 nice downhills.
But alas I think I shall keep at it and up my training efforts. I have plans to do a fast 20 miles on Tuesday and 30 miles on Friday. Will hit the treadmill between times.
The longest ride I ever did was a metric century, it was in a hilly area of north west New Jersey and Eastern PA. This was about 1994 timeframe. That was ages ago.
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"...granny gear..."
I’ve ridden a Pinarello Dogma with Campag, and I own a Colnago with Dura-Ace 9000 and a Diamondback Podium with SRAM Red. The Shimano is my favorite.
I’m not putting Campy on a mid price mid 80s Asian classic steel road bike. From the factory it had a 6 speed freewheel, I upped it to 7 because the chain stay dimension is the same. To go to a cassette I would need to spread the stays and mount all new wheels.
I have in the past laced wheels but that was years ago. I looked into new hubs, even if I just did the rear and rode with mis-matched hubs the cost is more than I can justify for the bike. I have also looked into just replacing the chain wheel from 52/40 to something like 50/38. With a 34 freewheel that I think would give me a granny alright.
But for the cost of a 14/34 freewheel and a long cage RD (both Shimano), I think I can get by, at least I hope that will work for me. If not I’m looking for a period donor bike to steel components off. Probably just be easier to buy a new or newer bike!
Today: 23.1 miles ride to Müggelsee public beach and back (not around the whole lake).
arrival:
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from my beach blanket:
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Some music I listened to:
A R I Z O N A - Find Someone [Official Music Video]
Daya - Insomnia
Riddim Commission - Look So Cute (feat. Gabi'el) [Official Lyric Video]
Billie Eilish - bad guy
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