I spent a little too much time on YouTube looking up clips from "Trigger Happy TV" the other day. For those of you who haven't seen this gem, it's a hidden camera show from the UK that used to air on Oxygen about 7 years ago. Although my absolute favorite gag is the cell phone one, on this watch through the following clip stood out (click the image to watch on YouTube).
Yes. it is hilarious to see a grown man crawling across a crosswalk in a snail costume—but what really struck me about this clip on this viewing...
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After mentioning that I have not put my studded tires on Oma yet, I missed them this weekend. Some mild precipitation on Friday night caused patches of black ice to form all around the city.
I had to walk Oma over black ice several times while getting around on Saturday - biking to Logan Square to try on vintage outfits from Holly's Lucite Box for the upcoming Bike Winter Fashion Show (found a gorgeous blue velvet dress), back to Lakeview for Heritage Bicycles' grand opening party (crowded!), and to Wicker Par...
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Yesterday I was in the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago's southside for the Women-Who-Bike brunch. I decided to take the Lakefront Path for the 10 mile ride home, which I could reach by taking the new protected bike lane on S. 18th Street from Canal to Clark Streets, connecting the Pilsen and Chinatown areas. This protected bike lane is one of three in Chicago and exists in part thanks to Alderman Solis (read more about his Ward's projects and his recent trip to the Netherlands here).
Here is a quick video I mad...
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I can't stand it when other bicyclists pass me on the right. It's unsafe. Unfortunately, it happens often because there are so many bicyclists and cars in Chicago. I spend a lot of energy trying to ride outside of the door zone (not always successfully); the last thing I need is for a bicyclist to pop up next to me in that dangerous space and take me down with her.
Yesterday as a woman did this, I said, "please don't pass me on the right." She said, "sorry," and continued on. I have made the same statem...
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It’s too bad that so many New Yorkers still complain about the bike lanes’ contribution to the inconvenience of urban driving instead of promoting them for their obvious role in helping solve the city’s transportation miseries, and for their aesthetic possibilities. I don’t mean they’re great to look at. I mean that for users they offer a different way of taking in the city, its streets and architecture, the fine-grained fabric of its neighborhoods...On a bike time bends. Space expands and contracts.
Check...
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This is a post where I get to use our "a-holes" tag.
Yesterday morning, during the portion of my commute where I have to use a busy road, I approached an intersection (Wells & Division) with the green light and I kept a sharp eye on opposite traffic to make sure no one turned left in my path. That is a common occurrence because drivers either don't pay attention or think they are fast enough to dart through, so I'm always looking out for it.
I entered the intersection and the opposite driver, who had a clear ...
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A couple of weeks ago, I shared photos of my bike ride through Chicago's first protected lane on Kinzie Avenue. I love this lane, so now I'm sharing the experience with all of you. Sorry for the jumpy video - the ride is more peaceful than it looks, but Chicago's streets are bumpy and I was holding the camera in my hand.
Enjoy!
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Trisha and I have started a cycling-themed podcast series! We'll talk to creators of sites and bicycles we like, other bloggers, each other and more.
I encourage you to subscribe to the LGRAB Podcasts for free via iTunes to stay up-to-date on all future podcasts. Simply click on the link, then "view in iTunes" and "Subscribe."
Our first podcast is an interview with John Greenfield and Steven Vance, co-creators and writers of Chicago-based sustainable transportation blog Grid Chicago. Both have past insid...
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“The Mary Poppins Effect is a matter of humanizing the bicycle rider,” says Ms. Brackett, who co-authors the blog LetsGoRideaBike.com. “It helps drivers realize bicyclists are people too.”
Crains Chicago Business magazine has a little article about the Mary Poppins Effect by Claire Bushey. You can read the entire article here.
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The past two days, I have worn skirt and blouse outfits similar to what I wore in my last post, with a helmet, and drivers were pretty nice, but not as totally nice as before. Again, maybe it's in my head, but it's interesting to ponder.
For anyone who is "meh" about the Mary Poppins Effect talk because they don't experience it - Mr. Dottie is right there with you and he's perfectly content to ride a faster bike in construction-site work clothes, thankyouverymuch.
In an unrelated observation, the sk...
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