It’s bike to work week here in [LA] California again! Do consider participating (even if it isn’t where you are…) The MTA here in Los Angeles is doing a good job of pushing the idea that biking to work is a good alternative to fighting with other drivers on the highway*. Have a go! (I’ve been noticing more cyclists on the roads in the city in recent times, by the way, so you won’t be alone.) [Update: Click here for the website of the California Bicycle Coalition for events near you.]
If in LA, pop over to the MTA website. They’ve got a number of things going on. There are pit stops along the Red Line today, and on Thursday, if you show up on a bus or the subway with a bike helmet, you can ride for free! (I wonder if they actually bother to check if you have a bike with that helmet…?)
And get this… I’m a bit shocked by this, but if you pledge/register for the bike to work events [on the MTA site], there is a chance to win a folding bike! This in a city where hardly anybody seems to know what a folding bike is (from all the questions I get every day about mine), so I’m pleased about this since it might widen awareness and help people appreciate how wonderfully convenient the combination of folding bike and bus/subway is. Excellent. [Update: I see now, it is a California-wide offer, not LA. The registration site is through the California Bicycle Coalition. Well, it’s still great.] Annoyingly, they don’t seem to say what sort of folding bike it is. I hope it is not one of those that puts people off folders for life. [MTA] CBC – Need some help deciding which model to give away? Call me!
Anyway, wherever you are, whether it is bike to work week or not – get out the bike and have a go.
-cvj
*P.S. And imagine how much you’d save on parking and gas and stress if you did it regularly. Oh, and you can have some reading time on the bus/subway part of the trip, if you combine it with the bike…
Hi,
There is no rule about “old postings”. All are fair game.
Thanks for the link!!
-cvj
I know this is an old posting, but this is bike related. I thought you might be interested in today’s blog post from Teacher Dude’s Grill and BBQ. The blogger is a British EFL teacher in Greece, and lately he’s posted several photos about a naked bike ride organized by Green parties in Thessaloniki. Latest photo is at: http://teacherdudebbq.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-fought-law.html
They are worth the money. You can buy some cheap shiny thing that’ll fall apart in a few years, or pay twice as much and have it last a lifetime…. oh, and fold faster and smaller and ride better. Compared to your car insurance, gas, and so forth, benefits to health and state of mind etc., even the most expensive such bike (within reason) is a tiny investment to make.
Cheers,
-cvj
Thanks for the Folding Bikes West tip Clifford, I’ll be heading down
south this weekend and I’ll try to check them out. I do like your
cute Brompton but they are a bit on the pricey side, but if they
are worth the money, I might make the stretch. I’ll certainly
shoot you an email if I need help making a decision, thanks for the
offer!
Best,
Emily
No. Closest at present is in Oceanside. Folding Bikes West. Sister store to a Seattle store.
If you have questions about folding bikes, I might be able to help a bit with navigating through the mess. Email me.
But why would you want anything other than a cute Brompton like the one pictured above?! 😉
-cvj
I’ve been shopping for a folding bike. I came across a good folding bike info site that
had a buyer’s guide which helped me sort through the myriad of choices. But I’d like to ride one of them before buying one so where in L.A. is a bicycle shop that carries a lot of them?
I’ve been shopping for a folding bike. I came across a good folding bike info site that had a buyer’s guide which helped me sort through the myriad of choices. However, I’d like to actually ride one of them before I buy so where in L.A. is a good bicycle shop that carries them?