10/7    "Cycling gains ground in NYC"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_us/urban_biking
        "... according to Census figures, just 0.5 percent of New Yorkers ride
        bikes to work. That compares to 2 percent in Seattle and San Francisco
        and a whopping 34 percent in Copenhagen."
        '... cycling not only reduces air pollution but also is "a great
        competitive sport" that is gaining ground with "the hedge fund crowd."
        "The line I've been using," she said, "is, 'Bike is the new golf.'"'
        \_ObCriticalMassFlame
          \_ Biking isn't the same as the nuts in CM.  Ride Bike!  But don't be
             a CM nutjob. -emarkp

7/17    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/health/nutrition/17essa.html
        #ifdef OLD_FAT_BASTARD          /* Holub */
        RideBike
        #endif
        #ifdef THIN_N_SVELTE            /* Kuroda, PSB */
        Run
        #endif
        \_ I bet tom could put kuroda and psb in a distance run
           \- ???. relative to the population, my best distances are (were)
              in the 1-8mi range. i rarely ran longer than that, and never
              ran +20mi plus ... i didnt think that was healthy.
        \_ It is certainly possible to bicycle with reasonable strength
           while being overweight, and bicycling doesn't tend to take off
           weight as fast as other activities (although it depends on how
           you train).
           Mountain unicycling, on the other hand, is serious work and it
           is hard to avoid dropping weight while doing it regularly.
           In any case, weight is majorly affected by diet and by genetics,
           no matter what your activity.  My dad ran 9 marathons and I don't
           think he was below 200 pounds for any of them.  (at 6'1")  -tom

6/29    74 year old Walnut Creek man in Cadillac mows down and kills
        member of Cal cycling team
        http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=25343
        \_ I can't see, but thank heavens I can still drive!
        \_ Stupid cyclist probably provoked him.
                \_ This troll is in very poor taste.
                   \_ Look, a mass of cyclists was blockading the sidewalk.
                   \_ Look, a mass of cyclists was blockading the crosswalk.
                      What other choice did the poor guy have? He was probably
                      in fear for his life!
                \_ every single female i see with a cal cycling
                   jersey is incredibly hot.
        \_ Why do you have to add your own editorial comment?  And why does
           the driver's age matter?  There are plenty of 16-73 year olds who
           have been at fault in fatal collisions.
           \_ I added the age because it made it seem more interesting.
              and it is!
              \_ You thought the link wasn't interesting enough without making
                 stuff up?  Ok, then don't post boring links.
                 \_ Geez man, I think you'd better go see a doctor about
                    that stick in your rectum. -!op
        \_ This just proves my contention that we need to erect checkpoints
           leading into and out of Walnut Creek.
        \_ What was she doing in a crosswalk?
           \_ Probably her own personal Critical Mass.

6/5     USE LINUX! RIDE BIKE!
        http://www.xkcd.com/c272.html
        \_ what is interesting about this?
           \_ Yeah, I don't see any boobs.

5/28    Extreme commuters travel 50-100 miles EACH way to/from work, and
        the trend is increasing 5X as fast as the general growth in
        commuting. Asked if it's worth sacraficing 2-4 extra hours a
        day of your life for your piece of the AMERICAN DREAM, where there's
        lots of room, lots of space, the answer is YES.
        http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/24/sunday/main2849455.shtml
        \_ I commuted 50 miles each way for a year, it was hell.  Soul crushing
           hell.  Now I work close enough that I can bike to work in almost
           the exact same time as driving would take.  Never again.
        \_ in other news, most Americans identify Rwanda as "a kind of fruit"
           \_ in other news, most Americans still prefer big McMansion
              homes and GWB over bike ride and Al Gore. You Californians
              are very much out of touch with core American values.
              \_ Except Bush didn't get a majority over Gore and his approval
                 ratings always suck.
              \_ "core American values" change all the time.  The suburb
                 as we know it has basically existed for only 50 years,
                 less than that in most places.  Americans changed before,
                 and they'll change again.  (In fact, are changing.)  -tom
              \_ if GWB's policy reflect core American Value, he would of
                 instated the draft and expect popular support.
              \_ Made up phrases like "core American values" make me laugh.
                 No such thing. Get a clue.
        \_ It's funny to me that you read the same article as me and got
           a 180 degree opposite conclusion from it.

5/25    RIDE BIKE! UNDER TRUCK!
        http://www.csua.org/u/is5
        \_ "It feels really strange to have a truck run over your head."
        \_ BS story; the truck ran over the peaked back of the helmet, not
           over his head.

5/15    If everyone got rid of their life destroying entirely manufactured
        autos of all sorts and bikes and just USED FEET we would solve the
        traffic problem, CO2/GW, and oil problem all in one hit.  USE FEET!
        Nothing is cleaner, safer, higher density or healthier for you to
        move around.
        \_ Mr. Comma and Mr. Hyphen would like a word with you now.
        \_ Soon you will realize that really, the answer is to hike off
           to some snowbound place and freeze to death. FREEZE SELF!
           Most other self-elimination methods release some carbon and
           waste resources with investigation, disposal etc. Perhaps
           weighting yourself securely with natural stone and jumping into the
           ocean would also be acceptable, to help feed our embattled marine
           ecosystem.

5/14    Hey, Mark is this you running over cyclists?
        http://www.csua.org/u/ip2
        \_ Of course not.  Though this is utterly predictable, and I wouldn't
           have a problem defending that person.  Being attacked like that in a
           mob, I think it's reasonable to flee to safety, and CM's total
           disregard for laws seems to remove them from the safety of law.
           Amusingly, I've biked or bussed for most of the last 10 years.  It's
           not cyclists I have a problem with (I am one), it's the CM mob.
           -emarkp
           \_ Actually, it looks like the car driver hopped a curb to
              deliberately provoke a confrontation with the cyclists.
              Isn't that how you see it?
           \_ Your complete insistence on ignoring evidence to fit your world
              view is incredible.  This video does not show bikes breaking any
              laws at all, and they're not even blocking the car; he just
              intentionally ran into a legitimate road user because he
              wanted to.  To defend actions such as that is completely
              ridiculous.  -tom
              \_ Again we have an edited video. The car hopped a curb, but it's
                 unclear what caused it.  The lane on the other side of the
                 median is going the other way, so it wasn't just driving down
                 the lane and suddenly decided to jump the median.  My guess
                 would be that it swerved to avoid a bike or turned into the
                 lane wide to avoid a bike and was pissed at the cyclists.  But
                 that's just a guess.  Tom will jump in with a guess that he'll
                 declare to be The Truth, but of course we don't know without
                 the full story. -emarkp
                 \_ Your complete insistence on ignoring evidence to
                    fit your world view is incredible.  This video
                    does not show bikes breaking any laws at all, and
                    they're not even blocking the car; he just
                    intentionally ran into a legitimate road user
                    because he wanted to.  To defend actions such as
                    that is completely ridiculous.  -tom
                 \_ So he was clearly not "fleeing to safety" right? I think
                    we can at least agree on that, right? Go back to 00:32
                    in the video and tell me again how the car driver was
                    fleeing for safety.
                    \_ Note that the driver is trying to get out of the way of
                       ONCOMING TRAFFIC.  I don't know how it got there, nor do
                       you.  But it was trying to get out of the way of a car
                       coming right at it. -emarkp
                       \_ And then it was stuck behind some bicylists, so
                          clearly "fleeing to safety" by running over them.
                          Wow, you really do have an odd worldview...
              \_ So these cyclists are hogging the entire road for no reason
                 other than to slow down traffic (thus being assholes) and
                 you think it's the car provoking a confrontation? Then the
                 guy runs over and props his bike against the car's front
                 you think it's the car provoking a confrontation? Then a
                 guy runs there and props his bike against the car's front
                 bumper and acts surprised when it gets run over.
                 \_ They're not slowing down traffic, they *are* traffic.  -tom
                    \_ ^traffic^other traffic
                       \_ how does that modification change anything?  Traffic
                          always slows down other traffic; certianly Critical
                          Mass slows down other traffic a lot less than a
                          similar number of cars does.  -tom
                          \_ Maybe but so what? They are moving slower than
                             the cars, purposefully taking up all the lanes...
                             basically inconveniencing people just to "make
                             a statement" (which is what?) They are there
                             basically for the express purpose of annoying the
                             car drivers.
                             \_ Critical Mass doesn't have an "express"
                                purpose for anything.  I think most people
                                who do it do it because riding in a big
                                group with loud music is fun.  -tom
                  \_ This is typical car driver attitude: anything in front
                     of me going slower than me is "provoking a confrontation"
                     with me. Unfortunately, many people are killed and
                     maimed every day because of this hostile, selfish and
                     immature attitude on the part of automobile drivers.
                     It does not matter who or what is in front of them:
                     another car, a cyclist or a pedestrian, if they are
                     in the drivers way, they are "provoking" them.
                     \_ Actually the average driver is not hostile but
                        apathetic and just trying to get somewhere.  CM is
                        hostile and childish and looking for confrontations.
                        If it keeps up expect to see the PD coming down on
                        them for everything in the book starting with the
                        red light violations.
                        \_ It is the apathetic drivers that run over pedestrians
                           and cylists every single day in San Francisco? Good
                           to know they are not angry when they do it, just
                           indifferent. And if you think the automobile holds
                           the balance of political power in Berkeley and
                           indifferent. And if you think the automobile drivers
                           hold the balance of political power in Berkeley and
                           San Francisco, you haven't been paying attention.
                     \_ No, it doesn't extend to "anything in front".
                        Nice strawman.
                        \_ You obviously have never tried driving the
                           speed limit in the fast lane.
                           \_ Why would I do that?
                              \_ Oh, I don't know, maybe because that is
                                 what is legal, perhaps. Maybe because you
                                 might want to see first hand the maniacal
                                 hostility of your fellow drivers, which the
                                 rest of us have to put up with every single
                                 day.

5/14    I've started getting into biking recently and started looking
        around at the types of bikes out their in the market. One
        thing I've noticed was that there were these super-expensive
        high-end bikes like Look and Cervelo that looked pretty advanced
        and would empty out your wallet in no time. Many of them had
        the triathlon geometry. Why is it that people like Lance
        Armstrong opt for more conventional bikes like Trek road
        bikes. It seems like someone with so much riding on the line
        would go for something ridiculously expensive but his bike
        isn't even a time-trial bike.
        \_ 1) doesn't Lance have different bikes for different stages?
           2) Lance opts for Trek because Trek pays Lance and makes
              whatever he tells them to make (at least for geometry etc)
        \_ Tri bikes are set up to be aerodynamic and use different muscle
           groups.  They aren't the best for hills or manueverability. Same
           goes for trial bikes.  -scottyg
|
        \_ Professional cyclists at that level are constrained in their
           choice of equipment by their governing body, Union Cycliste
           Internationale (UCI).  They're allowed to use more aerodynamic
           bikes in time trials than they are in massed start road races.
           The bikes used in time trials use similar setups to those used
           by triathletes, while those used in massed start road races are
           what you're probably thinking of.  UCI has a long history of
           changing the rules about what's legal (or not) to suit the desires
           of its sponsors (the big companies in the bike industry).  Bikes
           used in triathlons are governed by ITU rules, which aren't as
           backward, but maintain a similarly narrow definition of what
           constitutes a bicycle.  If you're not planning on racing, then
           get whatever you enjoy riding (for me, that's a recumbent -- banned
           by UCI since 1934).                          --alawrenc

5/11    Massholes attack another minivan driver, this time a guy whose
        wife is disabled:
        http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5299419
        \_ What is it with minivan drivers trying to murder innocent bike
           riders just doing their thing, having some fun, obeying the law
           and teaching us all about how to treat one another better?
        \_ which shows exactly why Jason Meggs videotapes everything;
           this time there's video evidence of the van driver's assault
           with a deadly weapon.  -tom
           \_ Ah yes, the edited video.  And of course more injuries that the
              wounded didn't stick around to report.  They learn well from
              Palestinians.
              \_ Did someone pose a brand new teddy bear on the wreckage of
                 a bike?  *That* would be cool.
           \_ Yeah, nice editing there.  Even with the editing it looks like
              the critical mass guys started it.
              \_ Started what?  The video shows a van with an intact windshield
                 intentionally running over a bicyclist.  -tom
                 \_ One Less Bike
                 \_ Umm, it looks more like a bunch of bicyclists standing
                    around a minivan that is slowly inching forward.  The guys
                    "getting run over" don't look like they've been moving for
                    a while.
                    \_ And you think it's appropriate to run someone over just
                       because he's standing in front of your car?  -tom
                       \_ If someone is blocking your way while others pound on
                          your windshield, I don't think any jury would convict
                          them for moving forward. -emarkp
                          \_ You didn't answer the question; do you think it's
                             appropriate to run someone over because they're
                             blocking you way?  (For probably 30 seconds;
                             Berkeley Critical Mass is small, 50-100 riders).
                             Critical Mass doesn't pound on every car's
                             windshield; it pounds on the windshields of
                             drivers who try to run them over.  -tom
                             \_ Frankly, I don't believe this claim.  In both
                                incidents people claimed to be injured but left
                                the scene.  And if people are attacking your
                                vehicle, then yes I belive it's appropriate to
                                run over people to get out of the crowd.
                                -emarkp
                                \_ Once again: the crowd didn't attack some
                                   random vehicle on the street, it attacked
                                   someone WHO TRIED TO RUN THEM OVER.  So
                                   by your logic it must be appropriate to
                                   retaliate.  And I don't see how you can
                                   watch that video and doubt the plausibility
                                   of injuries.  -tom
                                   \_ And once again I doni't believe that
                                   \_ And once again I don't believe that
                                      claim. -emarkp
                                      \_ Ah, the all-powerful Argument From
                                         Personal Incredulity.  -tom
                                         \_ Hello Mr. Pot, glad to meet you.
                                         \_ Oh, the cops disagree with you
                                            after talking with witnesses.
                                            -emarkp
                                            \_ You definitely should
                                               ignore the video evidence
                                               presented above.  It might
                                               shatter your world view.
                                               \_ Hi troll!  I watched the
                                                  video.  It clearly shows the
                                                  cyclists trying to hem the
                                                  van in, and the van is trying
                                                  to get away.  The driver
                                                  should have floored it,
                                                  flattening anyone in the way.
                                                  -emarkp
                                                  \_ Wow, I can't believe
                                                     this is coming out from
                                                     a Mormon. I thought
                                                     they're usually well
                                                     mannered and non-violent
                                                     \_ I tend to be pro-self-
                                                        defense. -emarkp
                                                        defense.  I have killed
                                                        a man with a screw-
                                                        driver. -emarkp
                                  \_ Tom, that video doesn't show anyone
                                     getting injured.  It shows three seconds
                                     of two bicyclists leaning off their
                                     bicycles while the van moves 1". Since
                                     what happens before and after as been
                                     helpfully edited out, there's no evidence
                                     of anything.  From that video you could
                                     make the claim that the bicyclists mocked
                                     up the whole thing. -jrleek
                                     \_ uh, it ran straight over a bike that
                                        had someone on it.
                                     \_ How did the van end up with its wheels
                                        on top of two bicycles, if it only
                                        moved 1" like you claim? You can
                                        actually see the van pushing over the
                                        bike if you look carefully. That is
                                        a hell of a lot more than 1 inch.
                                        \_ The police disagreed with the claims
                                           of the CM folks after interviewing
                                           witnesses.
                                           "police said, adding that two
                                           witnesses told them that three
                                           riders threw their bicycles in front
                                           of the minivan to block its path"
                                           So the CM folks are simply lying.
                                           -emarkp
                                        \_ Which part is not in the video.
                                           Throwing the bikes under the van
                                           would account for it.
                                           \_ They threw their bike under
                                              the tires? What did they do,
                                              lift up the van? Wow, those
                                              bicyclist riders sure are strong.
                                              \_ No you idiot.  They put their
                                                 bikes in front of the van to
                                                 keep it from leaving.  The van
                                                 started running over the bikes
                                                 to leave.  And should have
                                                 kept going. -emarkp
                                                 \_ Wow, idiot huh? Well look
                                                    at 1:52, 2:18, 2:56 and
                                                    3:05 at this point in the
                                                    video and tell me that
                                                    the car wheels are not
                                                    clearly on top of a bike:
                                                    http://www.csua.org/u/ip3

5/13    The most popular vehicle in the world today is: BICYCLE
        http://www.number27.org/work/maps/transportation.jpg
        \_ The most popular method of transport in the world today is: FEET
           The most environmentally sound transport is: FEET
                \_ Are you sure? Bicycling is much more efficient, isn't it?
                   Less food/mile or food/useful work ...
           The least expensive is: FEET
           The people least likely to attack innocent minivan drivers use: FEET
           The people least obnoxious about their tranport choice use: FEET
           The safest transport method is: FEET
           The method everyone can afford is: FEET
           The method that doesn't require a multi million dollar expansion to
           every public transport model is: FEET
           So what are you doing using the inferior and less popular: BICYCLE?
           Recycle the BICYCLE and get out there on your own two FEET.
           FEET are natural, FEET are good, FEET don't require oil imports for
           tires, metal for frames, or produce any life destroying CO2 in their
           production.  USE FEET!
           \_ FEET are slow. Just about the slowest after hands&knees, rolling,
              and wriggling on the ground.

5/9     motd, help. I have a cursed front wheel. I changed my front
        MTB tire to skinny road tires and it went flat in 2 weeks.
        Right after I patched up the hole (pin size) and pumped it back
        up, there was yet another leak and I patched up again. Three days
        later, it's flat again. This time I'm tempted to get a new tire.
        However, I'm afraid the same thing would happen again. What
        the heck is going on?
        \_ Maybe you should ask one of the Mormon boys. One thing I like
           about them is that they bike (in nice shirts & slacks). It's
           really making a strong eco-conscious statement about the
           earth, life, God, etc.
        \_ I had this problem a while back.  I replaced the tire, trued the
           wheel, then tried a solid tire (which sucked).  Replaced the wheel,
           and finally replaced the bike.  Much better now.
        \_ Have you checked for possible causes of the holes within the tire
           and rim.  It sounds to me like you either still have a piece of
           sharp material embedded in your tire, or your rim is causing the
           problem.  Run your finger around and see if anything feels sharp
             or cuts you (careful).  I'd say that you may be installing the
           tube incorrectly, but you mentioned "pin" size holes which doesn't
           sound like it's due to pinching.  A good way to ensure that a tube is\
            seated correctly is to inflate the tube partially (10-20 lbs) and
           problem.  Run your finger around and see if anything feels sharp or
           cuts you (careful).  I'd say that you may be installing the tube
           incorrectly, but you mentioned "pin" size holes which doesn't sound
           like it's due to pinching.  A good way to ensure that a tube is
           seated correctly is to inflate the tube partially (10-20 lbs) and
           message it a bit around the bead making sure that the tube sits
           inside of the tire.  Then let out all the air and re inflate it a
           second time, let it out again and reinflate.  This doesn't take more
           than a few extra seconds and insure that the tube isn't going to get
           pinched.  -scottyg
           second time, let it out again and reinflate.  This doesn't take
           more than a few extra seconds and insure that the tube isn't going
           to get pinched.  -scottyg  [formatd]
           \_ THANK YOU. I found the culprit. I ran my finger through the
              tire and there was a little thing protruding out that you
              can barely see. Anyways it's the size of a pin (though it's
              not a nail) and I flattened it with my tools and everything's
              cool now. THANKS.
              \_ You should remove it, not just flatten it.  A dull bit of wire
                 embedded on the inside of your tire will still give you flats,
                 just not quite as often.  If it's difficult to pull it out,
                 bend the tire to open up the crack in the rubber it's embedded
                 in, and grip it with the tip of a pair of needlenose pliers.
                                                                --alawrenc
        Actually I just added the plastic green slime liner thing in -/
            between the tire and tube. I was actually tempted to get
          MTB tires because they seem more reliable. Oh well. Thanks.
        \_ I had a similar problem once. The cause was that the tape on inside
           of the rim had slid a bit to the side exposing a portion of the
           opening that the spoke is inserted through. I re-did the tape and
           that solved the problem. I of course didn't recognize the source
           until I'd had two flats within several weeks of each other...

4/24    http://urltea.com/fcm (latimes.com)
        Bicycle valet services. Free.
        \_ Every been to the bikestation at berkeley bart?
        \_ BART has been providing the same service for a while:
           http://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes/bikeOverview.asp
           \_ Well, BART doesn't provide the service, they just provide the
              space.  (And actually, that only in Berkeley)  -tom
              \_ There is something similar in Embarcadero. -ausman

4/24    http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bikevalet23apr23,0,5859225.story?coll=la-home-headlines
        Bicycle valet services. Free.
        \_ Every been to the bikestation at berkeley bart?
        \_ BART has been providing the same service for a while:
           http://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes/bikeOverview.asp

4/23    I bought a $300 Tandem bicycle from Walmart and I regret it because
        it weighs almost 60 pounds and the parts started to rust after 2
        months. I'm now convinced that +$1500.00 tandem bike is the way to
        go and I'm wondering what you guys recommend as a lightweight,
        performance orienced tandem bike? Thanks.
        \_ You're right, cheap tandems are nearly unrideable.  You might be
           able to get a good start with Cannondale, which makes some things
           in that range; they at least have frames that are stiff enough
           for tandem use.  Probably the most respected maker is Santana, but
           that's big money.    -tom

4/11    I have a full carbon body bike with Shimano DuraAce components.
        \_ Oh, yeah?  Well, my kung fu is the best!
        \_ I have a titanium bike with DuraAce components!  My frame will last
           hundreds of years.
        \_ My Shimano DuraAce component is bigger than yours!
        \_ I just ate a tasty piece of baklava.
        \_ I have a gun.
        \_ Don Imus fails, while Michael Savage succeeds.  Why?
           \_ Don Imus cried for the cameras.  MS says "screw you".  This has
              nothing to do with bikes or anything else but whatever.

4/7     Anyone watching US Open Cycling?

4/5     Interesting solution to bicylists and cars sharing a crowded
        urban space. What do you think tom? -ausman
        http://preview.tinyurl.com/2b2s54
        \_ When you start with an intro about how dangerous the roads are,
           you're already starting in the wrong place.  The pictures of
           paths that they show all look bad to me; the bikes are hidden
           by parked cars or greenery; what happens at an intersection where
           the bike wants to go straight and a car wants to turn right?
           Generally, these kinds of facilities make the common bike-car
           interactions more dangerous.  They also mention the Westside
           Bikeway, which is a much different situation; it's along the
           river and has almost no cross-traffic.  Those paths can be
           nice, if they're not overrun with dog walkers, but they don't
           tend to be good commute options.  -tom

- I went on three critical mass rides in the fall semester of my
  freshman year.  The first one was uneventful.  On the second one, I
  saw a minivan pull into the column of riders because she wanted to
  turn right.  She inched forward, and people rode around her.  The
  problem came when the column of riders stopped for an obstruction
  ahead, and she kept inching forward until she hit the rear wheel of
  someone's bike.  The police escort came up, sent her on her way, and
  dispersed everybody who started screaming at them by threatening to
  arrest everyone on a bike who didn't get going.  On the third ride, I
  was riding at the back (with a police car following along about fifty
  feet behind us), when a guy on a motorcycle pulled into the middle of
  a lump of about a dozen of us, pacing us and revving his engine.
  People shouted at him to get out of there; he kept revving his
  engine.  The bikes stopped.  He pointed his motorcycle at one of the
  stopped bikes, drove up onto the bike, and knocked its rider on his
  ass.  The police car's lights came on, the cop pulled up, took the
  motorcyclist aside for a minute, and sent him on his way.  The guy who
  got knocked over started screaming at the cop, and got arrested for
  being disorderly.  Yes, there are belligerent jerks on these rides,
  but I've also seen people assaulted with no positive police response.
  The first time I stopped at a red light on one of those rides, a cop
  told me to keep going because they wanted the group to keep together.
  I stopped going because I read about another ride in another city
  where riders were also encouraged by the police to keep together
  through red lights, then were herded into a cordoned off area and
  arrested en masse for running red lights.  Those three rides were
  the only ones I went on, and I think they're too confrontational to
  be beneficial, but the way the police handle them has to be seen to
  be believed.
                                                --alawrenc
        \_ The only CM ride I've been on was on the East Coast in the middle of
           winter.  There were no cops and no confrontations, and it was about a
           30 minute ride around downtown keeping pace with traffic, followed
           by lots and lots of beer at a local bar.
        \_ the last CM ride I was on was when King Willie of SF decided he would
           speak out against CM and try to shut them down.  it was the biggest
           CM ever, split into like seven separate groups that went all over
           the city.  Pretty much shut Willie up after that.  It was clear the
           people had spoken.
        \_ The only CM ride I've been on was on the East Coast in the middle
           of winter.  There were no cops and no confrontations, and it was
           about a 30 minute ride around downtown keeping pace with traffic,
           followed by lots and lots of beer at a local bar. [formatd]
        \_ the last CM ride I was on was when King Willie of SF decided he
           would speak out against CM and try to shut them down.  it was the
           biggest CM ever, split into like seven separate groups that went
           all over the city.  Pretty much shut Willie up after that.  It was
           clear the people had spoken. [formatd]
           \_ it was huge, it was glorious, and it stymied Willie. gotta love
              it.

4/4     Stated purpose of the Critical Mass: To increase bicycle awareness
        and to convince people that biking is good.
        Actual effect of the Critical Mass: To piss off drivers and people
        who are dependent on cars and hope they move away.
        Kudos to everyone involved last week. Let's hope keep up the
        pressure and hope more drivers move out.                -biker
        \_ This if fucking retarded.  Try going outside the Bay Area to
           someplace that's actually bike friendly.  Places like that are the
           way they are because people built bike underpasses, overpasses
           paved trails, wide bike lanes on frontage roads and residential
           streets where cars go slowly, and a public transit system that
           actually works which allows bikes on all the time.  When this stuff
           is in place, it really doesn't matter how much traffic there is on
           the main car roads.  Do you think bikers in nicer parts of the
           country got these things by being childish hooligans and pissing
           everyone off?  Now, it may be that the people who run Berkeley are
           such a bunch of evil fucks that you're all doomed no matter what, but\
           in that case the target of all childish harassment should be the city\
           council trolls, not J. Random Commuter.
        \_ This if fucking retarded.  Try going outside the Bay Area
           to someplace that's actually bike friendly.  Places like
           that are the way they are because people built bike
           underpasses, overpasses paved trails, wide bike lanes on
           frontage roads and residential streets where cars go
           slowly, and a public transit system that actually works
           which allows bikes on all the time.  When this stuff is in
           place, it really doesn't matter how much traffic there is
           on the main car roads.  Do you think bikers in nicer parts
           of the country got these things by being childish hooligans
           and pissing everyone off?  Now, it may be that the people
           who run Berkeley are such a bunch of evil fucks that you're
           all doomed no matter what, but in that case the target of
           all childish harassment should be the city council trolls,
           not J. Random Commuter.
           \_ Generally, separate bike facilities are bike-unfriendly.
              For example, bike commuting on residential streets is almost
              certainly both slower and more dangerous than using using
              thoroughfares, due to poorer intersections.  -tom
           \_ And what is one example of such a city in the US?
        \_ Critical Mass doesn't have a stated purpose.  -tom
           \_ Critical Mass doesn't have a purpose.
              \_ It certainly doesn't have a purpose in the sense that the
                 SF Bike Coalition has a purpose.  I think the participants
                 do have a purpose for their participation, but it varies
                 from person to person.   -tom
                 \_ I assume you've been on more than one CM ride.  What was
                    your personal reason for participating?
                    \_ I've been on two.  One was because a friend of mine
                       wanted to do it for her birthday celebration.  One
                       was because I happened to run into Berkeley CM on
                       my way home and it was fun to ride in the pack with
                       the music.  -tom
        \_ Critical Mass is 5 percent jerks, 95 percent non jerks,
           it sucks that the 5 percenters ruin it for everyone.
           \_ Did the 95% show up to help the minivan woman and her kids to
              save her from being assaulted?
        \_ IMO an aspect of critical mass is an effort to get back some power
           through numbers, where ordinarily cyclists are a vast minority on
           the road and generally at a severe disadvantage vs. cars.
           \_ How about bikes follow the same laws as everyone else?  Like
              stopping at red lights and stop signs for starters.  If I drove
              like a lot of people bike I'd be arrested and my car impounded.

4/4     http://www.csua.org/u/ie1
        What really happened in the SUV driver vs. Critical Mass incident.
        \_ http://www.csua.org/u/ie2
           "... witnesses told her that Ferrando "recklessly accelerated" into
            a crowd and hit the bicyclist so hard the bike was lodged under
            her vehicle."
        \_ I thought it was a Toyota minivan, and the police said the bicyclist
           told them that the can tapped the bike's wheel and he was not hurt.
            \_ "No one was hurt, although cyclists told police at the scene
               that driver Susan Ferrando should be arrested because her
               vehicle allegedly bumped one of the biker's tires."
               There's a difference between bumping one tire and hitting the
               bicycle so hard the bike was lodged under the vehicle.
            \_ Another http://SFGate.com article: http://www.csua.org/u/ie3
               "When the alleged bicycle victim was approached, however, he
               said he wasn't hurt. He also refused to give his name or any
               other information.  Then, after a few swear words, the alleged
               victim took off on his bike while the rest of the crowd
               continued to yell at both the cops and the van."
               If the bike was hit so hard that it was lodged under the
               vehicle, as it was clamined, how did the cyclist take off on
               his bike afterwards?
               \_ Yeah, you already posted this before. Endless repetition
                  of the same lie does not make it more believable.
                  \_ Sorry, I didn't see that other thread below, and it wasn't
                     me who wrote in that thread.  What part of my post above
                     do you think was a lie?  -- PP
                     \_ The whole Matier and Ross article is basically a
                        fabrication.
                        \_ Oh, okay.  -- PP
                        \_ You base that assertion on what?
                           \_ eyewitness reports, and the fact that it's
                              completely implausible.
        \_ SUV?  It was a first-generation (pre-2004) Toyota Sienna minivan.
           See the second picture in the article whose link you posted.  The
           text in the article also said minivan.
           See the pictures in the article whose link you posted.  The text in
           the article also says minivan.
        \_ Numerous witnesses corroborate that SUV/minivan driver deliberately
           drove into a bicycle and tried to take off afterward:
           http://tinyurl.com/29hj9s
           \_ It's okay to try and kill someone with your minivan as long as
           \_ It't okay to try and kill someone with your car as long as
              there are children in your car.
        \_ THERE ARE CHILDREN IN THIS CAR.
        \_ This guy sounds like he's speculating.  (Or at least embellishing)

4/4     http://csua.org/u/idl  [sfgate.com]
        Minivan attacked by Critical Mass riders.  When did these nuts start
        terrorizing kids?  Hey Critical Mass, as someone who bikes to work,
        /you're not helping/. -emarkp
        \_ I'd wish an Al Qaeda would drive through a bunch of Critical Mass
           bikers.. that would be justice.. terrorist against terrorist.. maybe
           the bikers will gain respect for vehicles that weight 2 tons and
           start obeying the rules of the road
        \_  Rioters on wheels!! kewl.. more terrorists!
        \_ You left out, "minivan attempts to drive through a bunch of bikes,
           and runs into at least one."  Matier and Ross have done a number of
           hit pieces on Critical Mass, and their piece today is a typical
           example of slanted journalism.  -tom
           \_ they are above the law.. right? the guy that got
              "hit and run" his bike was so functional he drove off
              in it.. the bikes got damaged because they threw it
                 thru a back window.. fucken liberal psycho elitists.
                 i'd run over all their  asses if they attacked me ..sorry
                 \_ It's easy to talk tough from behind a monitor
           \_ so bicyclist don't have to obey the rules of the road
              and cry when someone taps their bicycle and cries
              hit and run? typical liberal mentality
              \_ No, this is typical neocon mentality. How are those
                 Freedom Fries tasting these days?
           \_ Sorry, I believe the people's side of the story.  And the police
              statement:
              "According to police, Ferrando had allegedly tapped one of the
              cyclists' tires.
              "When the alleged bicycle victim was approached, however, he said
              he wasn't hurt. He also refused to give his name or any other
              information."
              -emarkp
              \_ It's funny how all the stuff the bikes did is stated as
                 fact, and the hit and run is stated as "alleged."  And it's
                 also funny how the car "inched forward" through the bikes.
                 You don't see that as slanted?
                 I'll tell you what really happened.  The driver got caught
                 in Critical Mass, made a typical stupid American male "I'm
                 bigger than you" move, hit someone, and got retaliated
                 against.  That kind of stuff happens all the time.  -tom
                 \_ The driver was female. Would you like to try again?
                 \_ Yeah, since the police are saying what happened and the
                    bicyclist didn't think it was worth sticking around for,
                    I'll accept the police statement.
                    Critical Mass should be called "Thugs on wheels" -emarkp
                    \_ Troll points -2.  -tom
                       \_ Idiot points -2 -emarkp
           \_ You mean this straight from their article?
              "The cyclists were loudly demanding that Ferrando be arrested
              for hit and run.
              According to police, Ferrando had allegedly tapped one of the
              cyclists' tires.
              When the alleged bicycle victim was approached, however, he said
              he wasn't hurt. He also refused to give his name or any other
              information.
              Then, after a few swear words, the alleged victim took off on
              his bike while the rest of the crowd continued to yell at both
              the cops and the van."
              Sounds like a good justification for attacking someone and
              smashing in the glass of their kid laden minivan.  I'm with
              you Brother!  RIDE BIKE!  USE LINUX!  SMASH KIDS!
              \_ Critical Mass participants are mostly losers and taking
                 out a few isn't guarateed to make society better, but
                 the odds are probably above 90%.
          \_ I take it you didn't read the article tom?

4/4     http://www.powercranks.com/about/concept.htm
        Want to bike more efficiently? Use the PowerCranks! Each
        leg is independent of the other, ensuring proper strokes per leg!
        \_ Another silly solution to a non-existent problem.  -tom
        \_ It doesn't make sure that people actually exert force to propel the
           bicycle on the upstroke.  It only makes sure people exert enough
           force to lift the leg.
        \_ Take the power crank challenge?  No thanks.  I don't need psychotic
           episodes and facial sores.

11/25   Denmark's approach to slowing down traffic:
        http://5x5m.com/files/speedbandits
        \_ Totally awesome post, THANK YOU motd bikini guy!
        \_ Do most typical young Dane dames look as good at that bikini girl?
           \_ Average Danish women: great healthy diet, walk and ride bikes
              in their little cities.
              Average American women: McD + Burger King + supersized fries,
              sit in superjammed traffic to commute to/from their
              suburbia McMansions 1-2 hours a day.
              \_ So I keep hearing.  Funny that the Danes I know are mostly
                 fat.
        \_ keywords: denmark traffic nudity nude women naked women breasts topless

11/02   http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/bicycleriding.html
        Bicycle safety
        \_ It's illegal to ride a bicycle while drunk?  Amusing.
        \_ What is "one wheel skid"?
           \_ Try locking just the rear brake while going downhill and see what
              happens.
              \_ Then what does it mean by "Brakes - Must be able to make one
                 wheel skid on clean, level, dry pavement."?  Skidding is good?
                 \_ If your bike's brakes are so weak you can't skid your
                    rear tire you need new brakes.
           \_ Most of the laws around bicycles don't really have much
              relation to bicycle safety.  Being able to skid one wheel
              is neither a necessary nor sufficient test for the stopping
              power of the bicycle.  Having one hand on the handlebars
              is actually less stable than riding no-handed.  And the
              "ride as far to the right as is practicable" and "must use
              bike lane" laws definitely require cyclists to ride more
              dangerously.  -tom
              \_ Um, I've repeatedly hit ruts/rocks/etc that if I didn't have
                 a hand on the handlebars would have snapped the wheel around
                 and sent me tumbling.
                 \_ Really--have you tried it?  Because it's a lot easier to
                    knock a front wheel off-line when you have one hand on
                    the handlebars than when you're riding no-hands.  When
                    you're riding no-hands, your front wheel tends to want
                    to keep going straight; if you're riding with one hand on
                    the handlebars, your front wheel tends to want to turn.
                    The worst accident I've ever had was due to hitting
                    uneven pavement with one hand on the handlebars (I was
                    adjusting my shorts).  -tom
        \_ There are add-on headlights and tail lights for bicycles.  Does any
           manufacturer make add-on signal lights?  If I have signal lights,
           I don't need to do hand signals and I can keep both hands on the
           handle bar.

10/7    I'm thinking about buying nice aero Shimano or Mavic wheel sets
        with 16/20 spokes front/back. Besides cost are there other things
        to consider? Is it harder to true the wheels with less spokes, and
        are they much less reliable?
        \_ Don't have an answer but I wonder why old slow ass
           middle-aged guys always have the hottest bikes.
           \_ Because they have more money than time.  -tom
        \_ Yes, they're harder to true, and yes, they're much less reliable.
           Total gimmicks aimed at clueless guys with too much money.  -tom
           \_ You're just jealous.
           \_ I have Shimano R540 wheels (the predecessor) with 16/16 spokes.
              I paid a lot for the set but they're very light and very
              quiet above 20MPH. I've put about 1000 miles on them
              and they're still pretty good. We'll see how well they
              hold up for the next couple thousand miles.

10/5    What's a good chain lubricant if you take your bicycle to the beach
        frequently? My chain's been making a lot of grinding sound even
        though I used the mechanical cleaner over and over again.
        \_ There's nothing you can do to keep sand out of your chain if
           you're riding on the beach regularly.  Whatever you use for
           lube, it should be as light as possible, so it doesn't catch
           sand.  (Wipe off the chain after you lube it).
           Or ride a unicycle instead.  -tom

10/4    Performance Bike is selling GU Gel for $24.95 (24 packs). Is it
        worth it? That's ~$1 / pack for a tiny little pack.
        \_ I think you can occasionally find that for like $20 but yeah.
           Compare Cliff Shots and othe other brands, it's all the same
           probably. Try some individual flavors first... some are nasty
        \_ I think you can occasionally find that for like $20.
           Compare Cliff Shots and other brands prices.
           Try some individual flavors first... some are nasty
           and you don't want to buy a box of that. They do work. But
           GU doesn't seem to have electrolytes (potassium sodium etc).
           I will be trying other brands for that reason. If I'm on a
           long tough mtn bike ride the GU doesn't help because I'll still
           be suffering from lack of electrolytes.
           suffering from lack of electrolytes.

9/10    Word of advice for road bikers-- DO NOT take your road bike [with
        slick wheels] to the beach. I took my bike to the beach and there
        were many idiots on the bike path that almost hit me. Yesterday,
        I was passing this guy to the left, going at about 18-20MPH when
        he made a sudden lane change to the left, which made me swerve
        further to the left. Despite the fact that the path wasn't sandy,
        my rear wheel slipped. I attempted to recover but went down. As
        I recovered, I realized that there were lots of fine particles on
        the path even though you don't see sand, and they make your slick
        700 low-rolling resistant road wheels slippery. There are too many
        idiots on the beach bike path, and the path is as slippery as oil.
        \_ Bike paths are not appropriate places for people who go 18-20MPH
           (i.e., bicyclists).  -tom

9/8     When you're on a bicycle making a tight turn, should you turn your
        weight into the turn like motorcycles to make the curve better?
        http://www.soundrider.com/images/Riding%20Skills/Unglued/coming5.gif
        \_ user/pass?
        Also, when you need to brake in a turn should you use your rear
        or front more?
        \_ Generally, on a bicycle you should lean the bike more than your
           body, the opposite of the motorcycle situation.  You don't have
           pegs or pipes to hit ground on a bicycle.
           You have a limited amount of traction in a corner, and that
           traction can be used for either braking or cornering.  If
           you have to brake in a corner, straighten up as much as you
           can, and hit both brakes.  The actual rearward force mostly
           comes from the front brake, because your weight transfers
           forward when you brake.  -tom
        \_ In some conditions you might do that, I think mainly if
           there is poor traction. But you don't really see road racers
           doing that. It's kind of dangerous.
           For braking, rear is more stable. Front braking can make you
           wash out the front tire.

9/5     How rich do you have to be to have a vacation home and a
        recreational vehicle you don't use full-time in Chili?
        \_ Since those must be a miniature toy vacation home and Hot Wheels
           RV, as I can't imagine a life-size one of either thing fitting
           into a normal Chili's restaurant, you don't have to be that
           rich at all.  Maybe just have about 30 bucks to your name,
           and you can afford that stuff.  Of course, if you want a slab
           of famous Chili's babyback ribs, it'll cost you more.
           \_ "I want my baby back, baby back, baby back...Chili's, baby
              baaaaack riiiiibbbs!"
        \_ You mean Chili's?
        \_ I don't know, that would be one huge bowl of chili to fit a
           house and a recreational vehicle in it.  I admit, I probably
           wouldn't use them one they were there, though.  That's a little
           wierd.
           \_ If I lived in a giant bowl of chili and wanted a recreational
              vehicle, I'd probably get a snow machine.  I think the
              consistency of chili is such that nothing else would work
              without sinking in.  I guess a hovercraft would be an option also,
              but it could make a mess.
        \_ Chile?
        \_ Since I assume you're obliquely trying to troll me, where'd you
           get the "vacation" and "recreational" part?  We live and work
           here... -John

9/2     http://www.ixibike.com
        Chainless, greaseless, compact, lightweight bicycle
        \_ A rubber belt instead of a chain?!!!  This does not strike me as an
           improvement.
           \_ upsides:
              less/no lube needed, quieter, lighter, easier to replace,
              cleaner.
              downsides: list them, lazy-motd-person
        \_ Belt drive, as with most "innoviations" in bicycling, is not a
           new concept.  The downsides are obvious; you have to use internal
           hub gearing, which is extremely limited compared to chain gearing
           systems, and belts are far more likely to fail than chains. -tom
           systems, and belts are far more likely to fail than chains.  Oh,
           and I don't think there's any way the full belt system is lighter
           than the full chain system.  -tom

8/30    I have a real job now and I'd like to buy a nice Cal cycling jersey
        to match up with my new yellow/black trim full carbon bike. Where's
        a good place to buy Cal cycling jerseys? BTW I'm not in CA anymore.
        \_ http://www.calcycling.org/memclothing.php.  -tom

8/23    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2006/08/21/MNGP1KM9G01.DTL&o=2
        SF has a lot of bike roads.
        \_ uh, no.  "Protected pathways" are almost always shared-use
           sidewalks inappropriate for biking.  "Wide curb lanes" and
           "signed bike routes shared with vehicles" are not bike roads,
           although they tend to be good road design.  "Lanes reserved
           for bicycles" are the only real bicycle facilities listed,
           and those are only 4% of the mileage in the city.  (And probably
           half of that is shitty bike lanes which are more hazardous
           than the same road would be without the white paint).  -tom

08/11   remember a few weeks back someone asked about whether it's appropriate
        to wear tight bike shorts to work? may I present Prosecution Exhibit A
        in favor of NOT wearing bike shorts to work: link:tinyurl.com/r4art

8/8     Totally insame bikers:
        http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg
        \_ Is Tom Holub in it?
        \_ Nice spelling of the word "insane"  -Dan Quayle
        \_ keywords: insane crazy biker bikers bicyclist bicyclists
        \_ keywords: cyclist cyclists new york city road bike unsafe

7/24    http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=168947466&size=l
        What is this picture suppose to be?
        \_ The invisible tree bicycle lynching man.  -John
        \_ Migrant bicycle farmer.  Crappy crop.  -scottyg
        \_ Angry SUV drivers hanging bicycles.  -kchang
        \_ The bicycle scarecrow. -ausman

7/20    Tomorrow, Fri 7/21, is the sixth (and most likely last) Spare the Air
        Day of the year with FREE transit rides all day and FREE parking at all
        BART stations.  http://www.sparetheair.org
        \_ I know for bike to work day there were places that gave you stuff
           like free coffee if you were on a bike.  Kinda nice.  Anyone know
           if anyone does that for Spare the Air Days?
           \_ Not that I know of.  But then you are already getting free stuff
              which are the free rides.
        \_ People are not going to ride bike unless there are immediate
           paybacks. People want incentives in the form of instant rewards.
           I propose we think about what this incentive should be. Coffee
           is nice, yes. But donut is better.

7/19    My wheel says it is 622-13c, but my tire says 700-23c. Shouldn't
        they fit? Did the previous owner fuck up the tire fit?
        \_ http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire_sizing.html
           It should fit.  Bike tire sizing is a mess.  -tom

7/18    The magnet for my bicycle cyclo/speedometer has fallen off.
        Where can I get new ones without buying a new computer? Thanks.
        \_ A bike store can order you the part.  It won't be cheap.  -tom
        \_ If you're not in a hurry, you can buy it from Cateye.  Look for
           small parts on their web site.  A wheel magnet is cateye part
           number 169-9691.  I picked up a bunch of them the last time I
           bought wiring harnesses.  I think they were only $1-$2, and
           Cateye has never charged me shipping for small parts like this.
           The last time I bought the same thing from a bike store, they
           charged me $8.  It doesn't make any difference whether or not
           Cateye made your computer; you just need a magnet that attaches
           to your spokes.

7/12    http://www.bikely.com
        Bicycle routes the easy way

7/12    I'm very mechanically inclined and I've been able to clean my
        front and back shifters, as well as installing and adjusting
        indexed derailleurs (I'm familiar with the HI/LO screws). Are
        there other reasons why I should pay $45 to my local bike shop,
        or $75 to REI to get a "tune-up"?
        \_ No.  -tom
           \_ what about for true'ing his wheels?
              \_ Bike shops tend to do a shitty job of truing wheels; I'm sure
                 REI is worse.  And it's not like it's rocket science; when
                 you tighten a spoke, the rim moves towards that spoke, and
                 you want spoke tensions to be roughly equal (for rear wheels,
                 roughly equal relative to other spokes on the same side of
                 the wheel).  -tom
                 \_ Thanks tom, I feel the same as well. I spent $50 for
                    some guy to tune my bike thinking that he'd make it all
                    nice again. Turns out that he adjusted the brake badly
                    (one side of the brake-pad was favored by a lot over the
                    other one), an easy job that I could have done myself in
                    5 minutes. Pretty much the only thing that he did was
                    cleaning and lubbing the chains, which IMHO, I could have
                    done a much better job cleaning, and pumping the tires.
                    So actually, I have no idea why everyone tells me that I
                    should go to a mechanic to get my bike tuned. No mechanic
                    cares about his job as much as I care about my bike.
                    $50 down the drain, live and learn.
                 \_ Why do you hate REI?  I've only had one experience with
                    their bike mechanics, but it was overwhelmingly positive.
                    I broke down a ways from home, and had just been refused
                    help at any price from the little snot at the local
                    independently owned bike shop, and I walked down the street
                    to REI and go the problem fixed in minutes for five bucks.
                    Anecdotal?  Yes.  But I've never heard anecdotal evidence
                    that they suck either.

7/11    Are there floor model bicycle pumps that can switch between high
        volumn and high pressure? I can barely pump up to 85 PSI for my bike
        and I'm wondering if they have a pump that can switch to pumping
        high pressure, like some of those fancy portable pumps. ok thx.
        \_ How would such a thing work?  PV=nRT, with n,R,T relatively
           constant.  Since the compression cylinder would have to be
           a constant volume initially, it seems like it's always going
           to be a PITA to pump to high pressure, no matter what?
        \_ Decent floor pumps don't have difficulty pumping to high pressure.
            -tom
           \_ I just returned my $25 made in China pump for a $30 made in
              Germany pump. Both of them are hard to pump after 95PSI which
              was a big disappointment. It took a lot of efforts to get up
              to 115PSI. After 95PSI, if the pump handlebar isn't pressed
              down completely, the pump handle forces it to pop back up
              probably because the valve is opened up and the pressure built
              from the tire pumps the handlebar upwards! Is this normal?  -op
            -tom
              \_ No, it's not normal.  I have something similar to
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=21099&subcategory_ID=4360
                 and I can easily pump to 120psi.  One thing: Presta valves
                 are much better for bikes than Schraeder (car-type) valves,
                 partly because of this specific issue.  Switch to presta if
                 you are using Schraeder now.  -tom
        \_ Force required to pump = cross section of pump * pressure
           Volume pumped = cross section * length
           Max achievable pressure = Your strength / cross section of pump.
           So you can see the only way you can get a high volume and a low
           force requirement if to have a pump change diameter as pressure
           increases.  This is not a practical design.
           \_ It's not impractical at all.  One simple way to do it is to have
              two chambers in the pump.  Use both of them for high volume/low
              pressure, or one chamber for low pressure/high volume.  In case
              you missed it, there are mini pumps on the market that
              incorporate such a feature.  There's no real point in putting
              it into a floor pump since good floor pumps are so much easier
              to use.
        \_ My favorite floor pump is the Topeak Joe Blow Pro; I find it quite
           easy to use to inflate my 120psi tires.  To give you another data
           point, I'd avoid the Silca Super Pista (people rave about how
           serviceable it is, but it requires a lot of force, and you have to
           hold the head on the valve, so you're left inflating with one hand).

7/10    If I lower my Civic or add on a super big exhaust, I'll get a lot of
        hot asian gfs. But if I add the following pipe on my bike, what
        kind of chicks will I get?
        http://www.turbospoke.com
        \_ Fat, ugly Russian ones.
        \_ If you add that pipe on your bike, you are not of legal age yet.

7/10    My road bike handlebar stem is the same height as the seat. However,
        most of the bikes I see on TV and on the road are a few inches
        lower. Should I spend money to buy a stem that lowers it?
        \_ or lower your stem.
        \_ Are you uncomfortable?  -tom
           \_ Not at all. But then again I'm still young. So the key is to
              lower it as much as I can without feeling pain, so that my
              performance can be increased, right?              -op
              \_ Are you racing?  If not, stick with what's comfortable.  -tom

7/10    Has anyone here succeeded in having sex on a moving bicycle?  How did
        you do it?  Did you retrofit the bike first?  Any injuries?
        \_ Um, why would you do this other than bragging rights?
           Seems very silly.  People generally have sex in bed for
           a good reason, it's comfortable and enjoyable.
           \_ Why do you respond to posts for which you have no useful response?

7/9     Help! My bicycle fell into the sand and my new Shimano Deore DX
        shifters have sand inside. I can feel them when I shift. How
        hard is it to clean up the shifters? I'd hate to take them apart
        only to find out that they're impossible to put back, like most of
        the modern over-engineered components today.
        \_ You can put them back together.  -tom

6/29    My Shimano Ultegra double crankset has a few bits that are worn
        out. I'm thinking about changing it to a triple crankset.
        Approximately how much would it cost to change it yourself?
        Also do I need to change my left shift lever?
        \_ First you will need to find out if your derailers can handle a triple\
           crankset.  My Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailer didn't allow for
           the chain tension differences that a triple causes, so I had to just
           go with a larger cassette instead.  Your front and rear derailer
           may be less picky.  If you have to replace everything your looking
           at 800-1200.  I believe that the shift levers allow for 2 or 3
           indexes, so you may be in luck there.  -scottyg
        \_ Obviously you'd need to replace the right crank and chainrings.
           You probably also need to replace the front derailleur.  Depending
           on the clearance, you may need to replace the bottom bracket
           (a triple might not clear your frame). I haven't done such a swap
           since everything switched to the stupid integrated brake and
           shift levers, but I'd guess you don't need a new lever.  -tom

6/29    Do all 10s Shimano Ultegra levers come with buttons? In another
        word, say you buy a bike with Ultegra levers but without the
        computer, what additional accessories do you need to buy to
        mount your own computer?

6/26    I'm trying to take out my regular bike pedals and replace them with
        Shimano R540 clipless. I've tried using the hex tool (number 6) but
        the existing pedal wouldn't budge. I'm aware of the directional
        differences between the left and the right pedal and I've ruined
        one of my hex tools (I over twisted it). What's the best way to
        take pedals out without ruining hex tools? Thanks.
        \_ If you're trying to use a 6mm hex wrench on your pedals, you're
           probably looking at the wrong fastener.  Take a look at the shaft
           of the pedal where it enters the crankarm and you'll find flats
           for a 15mm wrench.  Typical pedal wrenches are a little flatter
           and longer than the 15mm wrench you'd get from the hardware store
           in case you need more clearance and torque (you might not).  While
           you could use a crescent wrench for this, it's a better idea to
           use a fixed 15mm wrench, as crescents tend to loosen and round the
           corners off the flats of the bolt you're using them on.
           Incidentally, you may find http://sheldonbrown.com and http://parktool.com
           to be useful sites for general bike maintenance.
           \_ Alright thanks so much! I will get a special wrench this week
              and try again. By the way, I'm trying to remove another set of
              pedals as I have several bikes, and there is no wrench interface
              on them, just hex in the back. It is an Impact brand. How would
              you remove them when they don't have the flat hex
              wrenchable part?
              \_ There are indeed pedals these days (like my EggBeater SL)
                 which don't have a 15mm flat surface for a pedal wrench.
                 Frankly, I don't like the trend, but it's certainly something
                 you'll have to deal with.
                 One thing to remember is that you'll be turning the hex wrench
                 backwards from what you might be expecting, because you're
                 turning it from the back side of the pedal.  And that the
                 pedal on the left is reverse-threaded.  Usually, bike pedals
                 don't get so tight that they can't be removed by a decent
                 allen wrench, unless you're screwing them the wrong way.  -tom
                 \_ Thanks so much tom!!! I will keep you updated. I may end
                    up buying those "liquid wrench" things as well, we'll see

6/23    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG1H1NpmJqY&search=race%20funny%20bike
        Why I hate bikers (they're aggressive and they dent my car)

6/21    Say I buy a used road bike with double chain but I'm weak and would
        like to change it to a triple chain (assuming 105 and/or Ultegra
        sets). Is it hard to do so, and how much would it cost?
        \_ You'll probably need to replace your crankset, bottom bracket,
           front shift lever, front derailler, and rear derailler.  You may
           want to replace the cassette with something with a wider range,
           which would require a slightly longer chain.  If you're asking this
           question, then you'd probably want a bike shop to do the work.  Any
           of the mail order sites can give you an idea about the cost of the
           parts involved (though they'll cost more at a bike shop).

6/17    Are Mavic Aksium wheels better than Shimano R540 wheels?

6/12    SF naked bike ride.  My eyes...the goggles do nothing!
        http://www.zombietime.com/world_naked_bike_ride_2006
        \_ Interestingly enough you have posted a link that does not
           appear on the main page of the zombie time site at
           http://www.zombietime.com .  How did you do that?  - danh
           \_ Got it off a blog.
              \_ I was really hoping zombietime dude had a soda account. - danh

6/12    I'm a new cyclist and I'm thinking about wearing spandex and tight
        shirts to be more comfortable. However, I'm a bit conscious about my
        looks. I'm a lot skinnier than the guy below and I'd look really
        weird with cycling clothes. Men will laugh at me and my peers
        will be disgusted by my new looks. What do you guys do to overcome
        this psychological hurdle?
        http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/images/rasmussen.jpg
        \_ We are the cyclists.  The intermediate stage between humans and pure\
           energy.  I see you are driving a "car". We have dispensed with such
           primitive modes of transport.  All we require are our bicycles, our
           shiny helmets, our burex shorts, and the tarmac surface paid for by
           billions of dollars from your road taxes.  But now we must go, for
           altho the lights are still red, mere rules do not apply to us.
        \_ Boring troll, but +1 for originality.
        \_ The biking outfits, especially the more revealing colors, are
           awfully gay -- not that there's anything wrong with that!
        \_ What are you trying to accomplish?  There are plenty of cycling
           clothes which look "normal" if that's what you're concerned
           about.  See Rivendell for wool jerseys, and there are a number
           of good lined baggy shorts.  Edit to add: I ride almost
           exclusively in cotton t-shirts.  Thousands of miles.  -tom
        \_ Get over it.  You only need to worry if your a big fatty.
           \_ Or if you don't know the difference between "your" and "you're".
              \_ I propose we deport all the immigrants who cannot
                 write English properly.
                 \_ What do we do with the natives who cannot write English
                    properly?
                    \_ We ship them to back to Texas.
        \_ I don't care if you're a fatty or if you're a magnificent human
           specimen in top physical shape: please don't get the
           super-tight-package-emphasizing pants some of my coworkers have.
           they are the cyclist equivalent of speedos. If you are a
           professional biker/swimmer and it helps your performance it's
           justifiable, but otherwise no one wants to see it.  -soda gal
           \_ Bike shorts aren't about improving performance.  The point is
              that they don't chafe.  Try going for a fifty mile bike ride
              wearing normal shorts and underwear and see if it's an experience
              you'd like to repeat.  Why do your coworkers' bike clothes
              bother you?  Come to think of it, I used to have a coworker
              who wore bike shorts to the office every day just because he
              liked them (he didn't bike).  That was just weird.
              \_  We are the cyclists, and we are many.  our prime directive
                  is to protect the environment. Everything we purchase is
                  eco friendly apart from our  lycra clothes which are made in
                  a sweat shop in China.  Leader, we must return to the hive!
              \_ I do that. I like the ones with a big chamois so it looks
                 like I have a diaper underneath or something. Then I give
                 myself a half-boner and hang out by the coffee machine
                 chatting. I also have very hairy legs.
                 Ok I don't do that. People need to bring some normal
                 shorts to slip on if they're gonna wear those.
              \_ If comfort is the issue, try:
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19825&subcategory_ID=1122
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=22291&subcategory_ID=1110
                 Fairly inexpensive, effective, and you won't look like an
                 alien wearing them.  -tom
           \_ Are you a lesbian? You don't want to see hot guys in speedos
              or tight bicycle shorts?
              \_ That is not a sign of lesbianism.  It is a sign of good taste.
                 \_ We are the cyclists.  The most energy efficient beings on
                    the planet Everything we do aimed at conserving the earth's
                    resources. Altho the construction of our tungsten graphite
                    bicycles emitted 14,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, mine
                    bicycles emitted 14,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide,mine
                    is red.

6/9     Ok I've narrowed down my dream bike to two choices. Specialized
        Roubaix Triple Comp ($1999), or the Giant TCR C3 ($1500). Anyone
        have experience with one or both of these bikes? Advice?
        \_ The Roubaix has much better components by far and in my opinion a
           better frame.  It also has a greater gear range, useful in the hills.           -scottyg

6/7     http://buschmantechnologies.com
        Something that cut wind noise on the bicycle. Has anyone tried it
        and what do you think?

6/6     Dear road cyclists, what kind of bicycle&components&wheels do you
        guys have, and how heavy is it?
        \_ I have an old 80's all steel roadbike.  Probably weighs about
           30 lbs.  Cost me $25 at a garage sale.  Works great.
        \_ I'm a newbie biker and I have a heavy hybrid (35 pounds). When
           I get good enough to catch up to real roadies on my hybrid, I'll
           get something decent like the Specialized Roubaix all carbon with
           Ultegra and 105 components, at around 18-19 pounds.
        \_ I have a steel Marinoni with Ultegra components and 32/36 spoke
           wheels (I have two sets, one for weekends and one for touring).
           I don't know how heavy it is; fairly light for what it is.  -tom
        \_ Surley Crosscheck frame with Shimano Dura-ace components.  It's not
           that light because the frame is steel.  Not quite as heavy as my
           1967 Raleigh Superbe though (~40lbs). -scottyg

6/6     I'm a bit surprised at how much cycle gears cost. A gay spandex
        by Izumi costs $70 at REI. Where else can I buy clothes at a
        discount? I guess bikers are rich, but I'm not. Thanks.
        \_ http://www.nashbar.com.  -tom

6/6     http://weightweenies.starbike.com
        Bicycle Weight. Now you can calculate the weight of your bike
        with these component weights!

5/30    http://www.swedish.org/16720.cfm
        Bikers beware. You may never get your penis up if you don't
        get the right seat.
        \_ ...said the guys trying to sell you new products

5/16    What are some of the advantages of a tri bike over a road bike?
        I'm a lone rider, I don't draft, and I don't carve twisties
        often. Is the tri bike a better fit?
        \_ Triathelon bikes are meant to be excessively aerodynamic and have
           aggressive geometries.  They are fairly uncomfortable if you are
           not a racer.  I would go for a touring or cyclocross style bike if
           I were you.  -scottyg

5/8     We are the cyclists, and we are many.  our prime directive is to
        protect the environment. Everything we purchase is eco friendly
        apart from our  lycra clothes which are made in a sweat shop in
        china.  Leader, we must return to the hive!
        \_ Real cyclist wear wool!

5/8     We are the cyclists.  The most energy efficient beings on the planet.
        Everything we do aimed at conserving the earth's resources.  Altho
        the construction of our tungsten graphite bicycles emitted 14,000
        metric tons of carbon dioxide, mine is a lovely red.
        Behold a traffic jam - we will cycle on the pavement for we are
        above mere traffic regulations. (Hits dog).
        Do not worry, your dog was biodegradeable.

5/4     http://www.runmuki.com/commute/commuting2.html
        http://www.runmuki.com/commute/calvin.gif
        The automobile has not merely taken over the street, it has
        dissolved the living tissue of the city. Its appetite for space is
        absolutely insatiable; moving and parked, it devours urban land,
        leaving the buildings as mere islands of habitable space in a sea
        of dangerous and ugly traffic."--James Marston Fitch, New York Times,
        May 1, 1960
        \_ wow, so well said ... this describes my childhood in the LA
           suburbs to a T. and in 1960? amazing.
        \_ Nice article, but your quote kind of disguises it.  I'm working
           myself up to biking to work more regularly.  Maybe a light
           weight set of panniers would help.  Any recommendations?  I
           have a 20 year old schwinn road bike. -jrleek

5/2     My local bike shops sell overpriced accessories. I'd like to buy
        a cheap bicycle bag or two, where is a good place for that? Thanks.
        \_ Online. Visit your local bike shops to get an idea of what you
           want, then look for it online.
           \_ If you are figuring out what you want to buy by going to
              a local store and browsing that store is providing a service.
              Maybe you should not be a twit and compensate them for that.
              \_ What, leave them a tip? Comparison shopping is the backbone
                 of the Free Market, son.
              \_ just remember that if you keep doing this, they wont' be
                 there the next time you need to comparisonshop local

5/2     My brand new Raleigh C200 bicycle is getting banged a lot and
        I'm wondering if it's a good/bad idea to wrap it with some
        foam type of protector?
        \_ if you don't mind keeping it looking nice by making it look ugly.
            -tom

4/24    A friend of mine bought a cheapo bicycle for casual rides and
        he's pretty happy with it except that the front derailleur kind
        of sucks and doesn't downshift to 1 all the way. We tried adjusting
        the H and L screws and the cable tension and the positioning of the
        derailleur mount but nothing works. He's thinking about getting a
        new left shifter & front derailleur to replace the cheapo no-name
        brand derailleur. By the way his back derailleur is Shimano 515
        (or is that S1S?) and work pretty well so he just needs something
        decent for the front. What's a good front derailleur to get? ok thx
        \_ obshimano.
           \_ ANY type of Shimano will work?
        \_ It's 515, buying the same will be cheap and effective. -scottyg

4/3     http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefartparty/103617591
        For bicycle fanatics

4/3     Please stop replacing the word 'cycling' with 'masterbation'. Are
        we in junior high again? Allow me to try again. I'm new to biking
        and I think it is so much better than drugs, therapy, and
        certainly 1000% better than women. My bike comes with a manual,
        it doesn't come with in-laws, it functions predictably without
        mood swings and it doesn't whine unless something is really wrong.
        Can you say the same about women? No. My new God is Sheldon Brown
        and I think spandex, shaved legs, and Bianchi are cool. Cycling
        brings me a lot of joy and new hope in my otherwise unfulfilling,
        platonic, depressed and pathetic geek life. Would you like to
        share your cycling story?
        \_ I think you'll find cycling can't substitute for a sex life.
           \_ Cycling can both improve one's physical appearance and improve
              one's chances of hooking up with a hot cycling chick.
              \_ this picture describes how much attraction I have for
                 cycling chicks based on my 2 years of cycling experience:
                 http://static.flickr.com/14/14274225_cb29eddd3b_o.jpg
           \_ It is when all of a sudden you have none and find out how
              pathetic you are in real life                     -op
        \_ You sound like BDG in spirit.  I sure miss BDG....
        \_ Bicycles are the noblest of inventions.  I spent 3 months cycling
           around South East Asia.  Since then I let my drivers license expire,
           and am the happier for it.  -scottyg
           \_ How do you get into bars?  I also do not drive, but I hate
              carrying my damn passport around when I want to get drunk,
              so I keep my license.
              \_ CA photo ID.  -tom
        \_ this post and its evolution through the day have brought me
           extreme joy.  thank you.  -motd smartass #1 fan
        \_ I still don't know who the fuck Sheldon Brown is. Do you cycle
           with this guy or masturbate with him?
           \_ Sheldon Brown has a very useful web site on bike maintenance and
              other bike-related tips.  -tom

4/3     Hello, I'm new to cycling and I love it. My new God is
        Sheldon Brown. He brings me a lot of joy and hope in my
        otherwise unfulfilling, depressed and pathetic life.
        What is your cycling story?
        \_ Who is Sheldon Brown?
        \_ What is "sex"?

4/2     I'm trying to get less drag on my hybrid bike so that I can
        catch up to people. I've heard from this guy that wind is
        about 80% of the drag at 30km/h, and that by crouching down
        you cut wind resistance by about 1/3. Short of getting a real
        road bike which is stiff and uncomfortable, is it "wrong" to
        get a drop down handlebar for a hybrid bike?
        \_ If you want a faster bike that's more comfortable than a
           conventional upright road bike, then try a recumbent.
           \_ Right now, I can catch up to tom for a short period of time
              before he ditches everyone else. If I get a recumbent, will
              I be able to catch up to him for a slightly longer period
              of time?                          -outa shape guy
              \_ Modern recumbents (highracers such as the Bacchetta Aero, or
                 lowracers such as the Velokraft VK2) are more aerodynamic than
                 modern uprights.  This means that for a given power input, the
                 recumbent will produce a higher speed.  This has been
                 confirmed in wind tunnels.  This doesn't necessarily mean
                 that you'll be faster on a recumbent, or that it will be
                 easier for you to catch a particular rider.  When placed on
                 a more efficient bike, some riders have a tendency to slack
                 off and expend less energy to maintain their customary speed.
                 Some upright riders tend to expend more energy to avoid
                 letting a recumbent catch up with them.
                 \_ Alright I'm interested, where can I try one for free
                    and how expensive are they? Ebay has them for as low as
                    $800, which still is a lot. Also how much do fairings
                    help aerodynamically? I need to be able to catch up
                    to people without having to work too hard. Thanks.
                 \_ I ride a very heavy mountain bike with a lot of crap
                    hanging off the sides.  When I see one of those road
                    bike hosers with a 2000 dollar bike and a lycra outfit
                    covered in corporate logos for no good reason(because
                    it's some fat dude who's obsiously not on a cycling
                    team), I'll bust ass to stay ahead of him no matter what,
                    just on principle.
                    \_ That may be so for one or two rich asses but you
                       can't possibly beat every single one of the hard
                       core roadsters. I bet you can't beat tom.
                       \_ I'm positive I couldn't beat a hardcore racer type
                          like tom.  But I'm also pretty sure a guy like that
                          wouldn't be making a big deal out of passing an
                          obvious commuter with two bags over his shoulder
                          and a heavy bike.  If someone minds their own
                          business, I'll mind mine, but some of these fat
                          yuppie roadbikers seem to think they're the shit
                          because they can pass me on their ultralight toys.
                          I feel the need to remind them in the most phyical
                          possible way that spending money
                          does not substitute for riding every day.
                          \_ Uh, I'm not a racer type, and I'm not particularly
                             fast among racer types.  Although I have dropped
                             people on $2K Lemonds on my Schwinn.  -tom
                          \_ You seem to have a lot of hate for people
                             who can afford bigger toys than you. Cheer up!
                             \_ Uhh, no.  I could probably afford a more
                                expensive bike than most of those people,
                                and pay cash.  I hate stupid fat yuppie
                                poseurs.  While many roadbikers are clearly
                                good poeple and great athletes, I would argue
                                that the vast majority of fat stupid yuppie
                                poseurs on bikes are on road bikes.
        \_ On a long ride, an upright road bike should be more comfortable
           than a hybrid, because the hybrid's upright seating position puts
           a greater strain on your lower back.  The riding position of an
           upright road bike shifts about 35% of your body weight off your
           spine (and onto the handlebars).  Are your comments about road
           bikes based on actual experience on long rides?

4/1     Does anyone have a recumbent bicycle? Does it let you bike
        farther or faster? Do you like your recumbent bicycle and
        would you recommend it?
        \_ I tried one on the beach in Santa Barbara.  It feels very
           comfortable moving your legs lazily under the
           sun while lying back; I almost fell asleep.  The control
           isn't as good as a regular bike, so I wouldn't want to
           go too fast on one, but you may be talking about a
           different kind of recumbent bike.
        \_ I hear they are great on the flats and downhill, but
           a bear for climbing.
        \_ I ride a recumbent.  It's more aerodynamic, which makes me faster
           than I would be on a conventional road bike.  It's a lot more
           comfortable, so I can ride it much longer distances than I could a
           conventional road bike.  With respect to the comments above,
           recumbent geometries vary much more than conventional road bikes,
           and have a broad range of handling characteristics.  Where one
           rider might regard a short wheelbase as twitchy, another might
           regard long wheelbase bikes as unresponsive.  If you don't like
           one design, try something else.  I've heard the comments about
           recumbents being bad on hills, but can't say I agree.  I suspect
           it's because older designs were considerably heavier (and heavy
           bikes are slow uphill).                      --alawrenc

3/31    http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/pacy.shtml
        Nice bike.
        \_ How useful are folding bikes?  Do they make life easier for
           commuters?
           \_ You can take a folding bike on BART at any time, normal bikes
              you can't take on during commute hours.  Other transit systems
              can be similar.  They're also convenient for flying.  A couple
              rode them most of the way around Tasmania on the trip I did
              there.  -tom
              \_ Do a lot of people take them on BART?  (Any commuters to SF
                 here?)
                 \_ There are always a few folks with bikes on BART at
                    commute hour because the drivers *very* rarely enforce
                    the rules but wow the one time one did on a standing room
                    only shoulder to shoulder train the bike guy sure was
                    pissed.  There wasn't enough space for a small child
                    much less an adult male with a non-folding bike and he
                    tried to force his way on anyway.  *Most* of the time it
                    isn't a problem even during commute hours.  (I'm talking
                    about non-folding bikes here).
                    \_ When I used to take my bike on BART, there was
                       a rule that you had to use the very last car. Is
                       that no longer true?
                       \_ It's still technically true but it was never
                          really followed anymore than the no bikes during
                          commute hours rule.  At least the drivers are
                          more likely to yell at someone to move to the last
                          car then they are to enforce the no bike hours
                          rules.  Bart sucks enough without someone's bike
                          jammed against your knee for an hour.
                          \_ It is no longer true that bikes have to use
                             the last car; they can use any car except the
                             first one.  -tom
        \_ Along the same lines: http://www.militarybikes.com
           Though I think the military one is bigger/heavier. Personally
           I'd like one of these:
           http://kildall.apana.org.au/~cjb/wordpress/archives/10
           But then again I am such a fan boi.
           \_ Does it come with an RPG or 50 cal or anything fun like that?
              Maybe some full plate side armor?  And how about a GPS and a
              medkit.  It should also have different camo for the woods,
              urban, desert and winter environments.  And space for an extra
              bike in case the first one gets destroyed by a mine or IED.  And
              cost $48,523.
        \_ We care why?

3/31    http://www.bmeres.com/bambooframe.htm
        Bamboo bicycle frame
        \_ Cool! Now when your bike crashes, you can impale yourself!

3/29    Contemplating on getting a tandem bike. Is the SPORT Mountain Bike
        brand a reputable broad?

3/28    My bicycle has a weight limit of 350 pounds. I weigh 150 and my
        gf weighs 100. Is there such a thing as a rear seat/rear rack
        adapter I can put on my bicycle so that I can start carrying
        her for fun?
        \_ http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1353878.html

3/28    Looking for a good place on the web to buy bicycle accessories.
        Looking for a nice LED headlight (they last near forever right?),
        rear rack to put books, decent pump, patching accessories, and
        a little utility bag to put the patching accessories. I've
        considered my local bike shop but after looking at their super
        overpriced Kryptonite locks (cost 2X as much as web) I decided
        that it's a bad idea to buy any accessory from them.
        \_ http://nashbar.com
        \_ Here are some web-based bike shops I like:
                http://www.biketoolsetc.com
                http://www.lickbike.com
                \_ LICK BIKE!
                http://www.cambriabike.com
                http://www.biketiresdirect.com
                http://www.jensonusa.com
                http://sheldonbrown.com/harris
           I highly recommend the topeak road morph pump if you're looking
           for one to take with you on your bike.  LED headlights strike me
           as the best of the low end, but if you're going to spend lots of
           time riding at night, I think HID headlights are worth their higher
           prices.  Get a taillight, too.  If you're taking a patch kit along,
           don't forget to take a spare tube because it takes a while for the
           glue (well, cold vulcanizing fluid really) to cure.  If you patch
           a tube then try to use it immediately, it'll just peel off under
           the pressure.

3/27    I hadn't biked for about 8 years and decided to buy a brand new
        bike this weekend. I was so excited that I decided to cruise around
        the beach an entire day yesterday. When I got back I was pretty proud
        of myself; for someone who hadn't biked for 8 years, I did pretty
        well. Today I sore like hell and I can hardly move my legs. I called
        in sick and I'm working from home. I'm in total serious pain.
        Need advice. Now. Thanks.
        \_ Hahaha, it'll get better tomorrow, like any exercise. have fun!
        \_ What bike did you get? And what beach was this?
           \_ I got a Raleigh C200 with Shimano Doere shifters/derailleurs.
              It's the best bike I've ever gotten in my entire life. It's the
              first bike I've ever owned that has gear shifts. It's
              extremely quiet except in certain gear combinations. For
              example when I'm on the highest gear in front and the middle
              gear in the back, it starts to click click click. Is this
              normal for a brand new bike?              -totally excited
                \_ When you get indoor plumbing, share the excitement on
                   the motd too!
                   \_ Someone who obviously never tried a real bike.
              \_ I don't think there should be much clicking although
                 that should be pretty easy to adjust. After some use
                 a new bike usually can use some tune up as things
                 get broken in. So... first bike with gears? How old
                 were you when you last rode a bike? My first bike
                 as a little kid was a 3-speed, although that was
                 a bit unusual. It was a 3-speed internal hub.
                 Worked great.
                 \_ I had one of those cheap BMX-like bikes. It was heavy and
                    the brake required pedaling backward. It was also a girl's
                    bike. My mom got it so that my big sister (many years
                    older than me) could ride it. It turned out that my sister
                    rode it like, ***twice***. She soon turned 16, got a car,
                    all I got was a fucking girlie bike. DAMN STUPID BITCHES
                    it makes me SO MAD to think about it!!!! Anyways it's all
                    in the past. I just got an awesome Raleigh bike, one that
                    FITS ME and looks great and rides great and no kid on
                    the block's gonna make fun of me anymore.
                    I FEEL SO ALIVE AGAIN!!!                    -excited

3/26    What's the best way to carry a second passenger (100lb) on a regular
        non-tandem bicycle?
        \_ http://www.cyclemorph.com
        \_ Moustache ride

3/25    Help bike experts. Given the same price and everything else, what is
        better, the Shimano RevoShift twist shift (Tourney) or the rapid-fire
        Doere shifter? I'm used to the "interface" of twist shifter
        but the bike shop top me the rapid-fire shifter is more solid.
        Need advice. Thanks.
        \_ http://www.cyclingforums.com/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=30

3/12    Looking for 2 things:
        1) a bicycle for casual use on mostly flat land. Prefer a hybrid
           so that I can go to the beach and ride around my neighborhood.
           Prefer light weight and above all, CHEAP ($300 or less). I like
           the weight of those fancy composite racing bikes but not the
           price $$$, and the wheels are so thin that they don't look like
           they'll ride well in the sand. I like the ruggedness of mountain
           bikes with nice suspensions but not the weight, and they cost a
           lot too. Costco bikes are shitty, and so are Target bikes. Where
           should I go, and what brand should I be looking for?
           \_ Are you looking for a new bike? You can probably get a decent
              used mtb/hybrid on cl for ~ $300. I bought a 3yr old  Gary
              Fisher Montare (sp?) for a little under $300 on cl.
           \_ Check out a cyclocross bike, they are basicly road bikes meant
              to be taken off road.  No suspension usually though.  You could
              get a used surley crosscheck for about that price.  A new one
              would be $600+.  -scottyg
        2) a tandom bicycle, cheap, light weight. Which ones are good?
             \_ tandem
                \_ tandum
                   \_ No.
                      \_ Know.
                   \- Tan Dun
        \_ The only bikes which will ride well in the sand are bikes which
           are made to ride in the sand; single speeds with balloon tires.
           A cheap hybrid would not be able to get through the sand, and
           the gearing would get fouled almost immediately.
           You can use a beach cruiser for other kinds of riding, although
           it's not ideal.
           You won't find anything light for $300 or less.
           If you really want to ride it on the beach, call up your local
           bike stores and ask for single-speed beach cruiser bikes (or
           with an internally geared hub).  Most beach cruisers
           are under $300, but none are light.
           There are no cheap, light weight tandems.  Weight isn't really
           that much of a concern on a tandem anyway; durability and
           stiffness are much more important.  Any tandem that is under
           $1000 is not suitable for anything more than futzing around town;
           a ~$1000 tandem (like the Burley Zydeco) will be acceptable
           but heavy and whippy.  You have to get above $1500 before tandems
           start getting really decent.  Some people swear by the Cannondale.
            -tom
        \_ If you want a cheap tandem, get it used.  There's a tandem and
           recumbent shop near Sacramento that tends to have used tandems:
                http://www.tandems-recumbents.com
           If you buy something from them, I'd recommend having a good bike
           mechanic look it over (I bought a new bike from them once that had
           some assembly problems).

10/3    Bicycle sales booming in USA, outselling cars, highest level since the
        1973 oil crisis.
        http://tinyurl.com/7efkm
        \_ "The US government has also done its part to promote a more
           bicycle-friendly environment. Some 3.5 million dollars in federal
           money has been set aside to create cycling trails over the next four
           years."  That's just spare change compared to the money poured into
           freeway projects.

8/26    RIDE P2P BIKE in France:
        http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68576,00.html

8/12    Some info on bike trailers:
        http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/recycler_make_y.php

7/27    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4719015.stm
        Note the fatalities per billion km table about 1/3 through the
        article. Is there a similar table out there for particular US cities?
        Anyone..anyone...holub? -- ulysses

7/25    Tour De France: What is the role of the biking team?  Is it really
        better to bike directly behind other bikers?
        \_ Less air resistance, I guess.  I don't ride street bikes.
        \_ Yes.  Less air resistance.  This shows up commonly in other
           races as well, not to mention birds flying in formation.
        \_ "slipstream." Now why they don't use a fairing to increase
           their performance by 30%, I don't know.
           \_ I saw a video once comparing team riding around a track to a
              bike with a fairing on a track.  This was more than 10 years
              ago, but the fairing bike had a much higher top speed.
              It's possible that fairings are illegal in the Tour De
              France, or that the terrain makes the wieght not worth the
              gains in areodynamics.  Anyone know?
              \_ Isn't there anyone on soda that can reply to this thread in
                 snooty French?
                 \_ Eet ees so you STEWPEED americans heve to look et more
                    edvertizing on ze jerseys of se bicycleestes.  -John (I
                    tried to get a glimpse of the TdF in Paris on Sunday, but
                    was mainly foiled by STEWPEED 6'4" 500lbs. US tourists
                    who'd been camping out at the barriers since 9 a.m. and
                    refused to let even short little girls in front, so we told
                    'em to shove it and went for a big lunch, no I'm not
                    bitter, because it rained, and I hope all the fat fucks get
                    Pneumonia and get sent to Iraq and die coughing infected
                    blood in the desert.)
              \_ Fairings are illegal in the tour.  as are recumbents
                 there are some restrictions on frame construction.
                 for a while (dont know if it still the case), anything
                 that was added onto a bike that resulted in aerodynamic
                 advantage was not allowed, which led to some situations
                 where say one piece aerodynamic handle bars were legal
                 but adding on something to standard handlebars that let
                 take a more aerodynamic posture were not legal.  Ditto
                 for wheel covers versus one piece wheels where the 'cover'
                 was an integral part of the load bearing design.
                 \_ Sheesh, they should just give everyone stock bikes.
                    \_ Cars in NASCAR were supposed to be stock too.  Look how
                       it turned uot.
                       \- hello you may wish to see the immense differences
                          in the HOUR CYCLING RECORDS to evaluate the impact
                          of fairings, recumbents, wheel technolog, EGG,
                          SUPERMAN etc.
                    \_ A bike must fit the body of an individual cyclist.
        \_ "How Do Cycling Teams Work?" http://www.slate.com/id/2122645
           \_ interesting

7/21    http://www.homepricerecords.com This is a little project I've been
        working on. Let me know if you guys think it's useful or if you
        just think I'm lamely spamming you. Thanks. -ccook
        \_ That's pretty cool, but why don't the prices show up in list view?
          \_ They should...maybe you found a bug. I'll look -ccook
        \_ very cool. I'm probably the only one here that wants this but I'd
           love to see Portland, OR added.
          \_ I'm doing Los Angeles now and looking at other cities too. It
             mostly depends on how cool the county officials are about data
             feeds. -ccook
        \_ Is there a way to sort based on other than Dist?
          \_ not yet. It's on the list though -ccook
             \_ Sort by date sold would be most useful.
                \_ Agreed. -- ulysses
        \_ This rocks. Can I tell other people about it? -ausman
          \_tell everyone you know -ccook
            \_ So, uh, aren't you going to exhaust your Google API license
               cap?
        \_ http://www.housingmaps.com for homes/apts still on the market,
           filtered from craigslist
        \_ Bug: try putting something in quotes as the address. I was trying
           to make it match a specific two-word street instead of doing an
           "or" of the words as it seemed to maybe be doing. (?)
          \_thanks. My input checks are primitive at best. It's on the list.
        \_ Nice! Totally, utterly cool. ccook rools!!! -kchang
        \_ The interface sucks. -tom
           \_ tom, have I ever mentioned that your temperament's wrong for the
              priesthood and teaching would suit you still less. -- ulysses
           \_ ccook, you really need to relate this to  biking, like the
              number of bike trails, bike shops, average bikes per weekend,
              etc. Otherwise, tom will say straight out that it sucks as
              it doesn't relate to the only thing in the world he cares
              about-- biking.

7/7     This guy is like Tom Holub the fanatic biker except he's more
        interesting:   http://www.adventuresofgreg.com/HPVlog
        \_ Hmmm, when I saw "HPV," "human powered vehicle" was definitely NOT
           the first thing that came to mind.
           \_ What what that then?
           \_ What was that then?
              \_ Google HPV and see what comes up.
                 \_ Heh.  And I thought pp was thinking of
                    http://www.agilent.com/find/vee
                 \_ Ha ha!  I see.

6/12    Save the planet. RIDE NEKKID BIKE!
        http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050611/344/fkx04.html

5/27    Turn you bike into a "SUV":
        http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/05/xtracycle_like.php
        \_ It's "SUB", as cointed in the article.
        \_ It's "SUB", as coined in the article.
        \_ These are great.  I have a trailor for my bike, and a friend of mine
           has one of these, he can carry a ton more than I without much
           difficulty. -scottyg
        \_ Thx for posting this, it looks really good, more practical than
           most.  Something like this can pay for itself in a short amount of
           time if you start using it instead of a car!

5/2     Is it legal to ride a bicycle through a crosswalk as if you're a
        pedestrian?
        \_ Here's the longer version of the story:
                Car in the left lane, starts to turn left.
                A bicyclist coming from the right side of the crosswalk
                (who was possibly already in the crosswalk before the car
                started to turn left) ends up hitting the front right fender of
                the car.  Pic at /csua/tmp/carvsbike.jpg
                Whose fault?
                \_ The bike, looks like.  He should be riding in the road,
                   with traffic.  (He is traffic.)  -tom
                   \_ Agreed.
        \_ Probably not.  CVC 21200 says: "(a) Every person riding a
           bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to
           all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle".
           The sidewalk is not "a highway," but any public street is,
           so if you're riding on the street, you have to ride the way
           a car would.
           (Note that this section does not ban riding on the sidewalk,
           though it gives cities the authority to ban such riding.)
            -tom
        \_ No.  You may walk it.  If you are riding, you are not a pedestrian.

4/11    RIDE Chainless BIKE:
        http://www.dynamicbicycles.com
        \_ much cooler shaft-drive bike:  http://www.biomega.dk
        \_ http://www.dynamicbicycles.com/bikes/default.php
           "Shaft drive bicycle technology is not new."
           \_ Funny that nowhere on the site did I find a mention of weight.
              That is usually a standard thing to list about a bike or frame
              set...
              \_ From http://www.dynamicbicycles.com/chainless :
                 "Our shaft drive bikes weigh about one pound more than a
                  comparable chain and derailleur bike, yet their perfect
                  balance keeps the feel of the bike light and responsive."
                  --dbushong
        \_ That's misleading. The main thing is they're using Shimano Nexus
           gearhubs. Internal hubs have been around forever. That Shimano is
           good enough for a casual city bike but not for performance.
           They also list the weight in their "Q&A": 32 lbs. Boat. Anchor.
           Rohloff Speedhubs are cool though: http://www.rohloffusa.com

3/28    Worried about bike theft downtown? http://www.bikestation.org/berkeley

3/14    Ride Bike! <DEAD>dailycal.org/article.php?id=17977<DEAD>
        \_ Is it just me, or does the DailyCal site seem to be down more
           often than it's up?

11/6    I'm looking for advice on how to properly package a bicycle for
        traveling by plane in order to minimize hassle from the airline
        and damage to the bike.  I'm flying Delta if that makes any
        difference. Thanks.
        \_ I've seen bike cases for sale at bike shops.  I've seen a
           lot of different types, too.
        \_ There's pretty much no way to minimize hassle from the airlines,
           these days; they're going to want to charge you at least $50
           per flight.  Maybe if you take the bike completely apart (remove
           cranks, handlebars, rear derailleur) and can fit it in a bag
           small enough to not look like a bike, you might get away with it.
           I've tried claiming it's "workout equipment" and such, but usually
           the drones at the counter will screw you.
           In terms of damage, I think the best way is to take the whole
           bike to the airport and buy a box (usually $15). Then you just
           remove the pedals and turn the handlebars sideways.  That's a
           lot more rigid than it would be with the wheels removed.  -tom

9/16    Kryptonite U locks compromised with a Bic pen:
        http://www.engadget.com/common/videos/pt/lock.wmv
        http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=44611
                \_ Do the <>s add anything exceptfor making the URL harder
                   to cut and paste?
                   \_ It's meant to separate a URL from other possible
                      punctuation, e.g. so you can avoid a spurious '.'
                      on a URL at the end of a sentence.
                      \_ It also makes URLs with spaces work.
                         \_ It also makes URLs not show up under Mozilla
                            when you read the motd with the cgi finger.  So
                            Please don't do it.  It's pointless chaff and
                            you're not demonstrating any '1337 motd url
                            posting standards compliance with it.  Nice link,
                            though.  -John
        \_ Nice!
        \_ I hope someone doesn't go on campus, pick all the locks of this
           kind, swap them among the unlocked bikes, and lock them again.
           Especially not during the Finals week.
           \_ Why bother swapping?  Just buy some cheap locks and put them on
              other people's bikes.
              \_ I'm too cheap to spend $10 on each bike to mess with.
              \_ I'm too cheap to spend $10 on each bike I want to mess with.
        \_ http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=4637
           "was first described in a British bicycle magazine in 1992"
           "the Bic-opening method applies to many tubular cylinder u-locks"
           \_ So Kryptonite knew about the problem in 1992 but didn't fix it
              until 2000?
              \_ Yeah, they just stopped offering the "If your bike gets
                 stolen while you were using a Kryptonite lock, we'll
                 replace it" gaurantee.
                 \_ If this were a Bush policy initiative, it would be called
                    the "Defend America's Bicycles" plan
                    \_ why do you hate bicycles?
           \_ I spent the 15 minutes reading the forum URL.
              Basically any cylinder lock (not only from Kryptonite) is
              vulnerable to a pen that fits into the cylinder.
              Basically many cylinder locks (not only from Kryptonite) are
              vulnerable to a pen that fits snugly into the cylinder.
           \_ The Kryptonite Co. released this info on the news to create
              panic and increase sales for their new line, otherwise
              people would have kept their "reliable locks" and have no need
              to by the "new high-tech" ones.  Nice coincidence that their new
              product-line can be made available within a few weeks of this
              "discovery" that existed in 1992. Great Marketing Strategy!

8/10    Since someone asked, here are a few quality images which I could
        easily upload:
        http://gallery.unicyclist.com/album153  -tom
        \_ thanks.
        \_ Hey, these are nice photos. Thanks for putting them up.
           \_ ya very nice except for the one portrait shot. i really like the
                mountain photo.
                \_ What don't you like about the portrait?  -tom
                   \_ it looks soft/fuzzy and doesn't seem to capture any
                      particular emotion. it's a girl wearing a t-shirt. what
                      were your motivations/thoughts about the photo? what
                      made you decide to include w/ the other photos, which i
                      thought were great?
                      \_ I don't have skill with portraits, but I do like that
                         image quite a bit.  Maybe the fact that I know the
                         context is biasing my judgement.  (That's why I
                         asked; portraiture is an area I need to improve
                         on).  -tom
                         \_ photography is largely subjective.  I know people
                            who absolutely love photos which aren't real
                            portraits.  I personally like the photo.
                            She's cute too.
        \_ Ah, man!  I wanted pictures of the man himself!  -tom holub # fan
           \_ http://ls.berkeley.edu/images/news/01/uni-tom.jpg
        \_ thanks for squishing kchang tom. Now please stop squishing the motd
        \_ great pictures.  do you do bike stunts/tricks?
           \_ "bike" stunts, no.  I do some unicycle tricks, but mostly just
              standard mountain bike trails.  -tom
              \_ did you bike all the way there?
                 \_ Up to Porcupine Rim?  Yeah, although a lot of it wasn't
                    rideable in the uphill direction (same with the Slickrock
                    Trail).  I rode almost all of it in the downhill direction.
                      -tom

7/7     Bike route links:
        http://bicycling.511.org
        http://vader.abag.ca.gov:8080/BikeQuest
        http://pages.prodigy.net/hamachi/BikeRoute
        http://www.klimb.org/klimb.html
        \_ WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?
        \_ RIDE TOM! -yermom
           \_ USE YERMOM! -linux
              \_ Why do you hate yermom?
                 \_ I don't hate yermom, yermom is interested.
                    \_ IF YOU AREN'T WITH YERMOM, YOU'RE WITH THE TERRORISTS
        \_ Did someone ask for bike route links?
           \_ I think this is tom's clumsy attempt at evangelizing.
              \_ wrong, twink.  someone asked yesterday about bike route links.
                 And I did not post the above.  Presumably the OP from
                 yesterday found some.  -tom
                 \_ where did "twink" come from originally?  does it make you
                    a better person everytime you use the word?
                        \_ http://info.astrian.net/jargon/terms/t/twink.html
                           http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Twink

6/7     Is there anything out there that does the same thing as yahoo
        directions only for bike routes?
        \_ Not that I've ever seen.  Many cities have some kind of bike map
           online.  Adventure Cycling Association makes bike maps for their
           distance routes.  But in general, it's hard to find bike routes
           unless you know them already, or ask a local bike shop.  -tom
           \_ well, it sure would be awsome if someone were to set this up.
              it seems to me that it wouldnt be very hard as long as you make
              it easy for random users to upload routes and veryify the quality
              of existing routes.  now if only we could find some super-geek
              who's really into cycling, good with computers, has free time...
              \_ I've always wanted some kind of database of routes that would
                 just pick some place for me to go if I wanted to go for, say
                 a 3-hour ride.  The tricky part would be returning results
                 that were relevant to the rider's strength level and climbing
                 ability.
        \_ I just got back from London. While there, I picked up a bikers map
           that had different colors showing the biker friendliness of certain
           streets.

6/23    Now that you've tricked your civic, why not trick your bike:
        http://www.turbospoke.com/global/products.asp
        \_ hmmm. I might just have to get some of that shit for my unicycle.
           now *that* will be cool.
           \_ I don't think it would work on a unicycle; the pipe would
              get in the way of the cranks/your legs.  -tom
              \_ well, if you mounted it along the bar, then yeah, it'll
                 be pointing straight down and hence in the way, but
                 if you built a little mounting bracket right under the seat
                 so it went horizontally, right out from the back of the
                 seat, you'd be ok.  of course, for what these hosers are
                 charging i'll probably just build it myself...with a
                 flame jet!
              \_ sure it'll work, but you'd have to mount it differently.
                 just make a bracket right under the seat that mounts it
                 horizontally going out from under the back of the seat.
                 i think having  shoot flames would also be a good idea.
                 it would look like a fart.
              \_ but you can attach a big spoiler under the seat post.
        \_ Why do you hate linux?
           \_ huh?

10/6    bike troll deleted.

8/27    http://www.bikepolo.com/default.htm - anyone ever done this, or
        have any tips on a good field to do it on in the Berkeley area?
        \_ this was fairly popular among bike geeks 4 years ago, I'm not
           sure if there are too many people that still play bike polo
           \_ see an article in June 22 2003 NY Times magazine entitled
              "The Marketing of No Marketing" ... about Pabst Blue Ribbon
              drinkers, with an intro about bike messenger's playing bike
              polo.
              \_ i've read that article, and i never said that nobody plays
                 bike polo today, just that it was fairly popular a few
                 years ago and that it isn't as popular now

6/23    Sweet Foosball action:
        http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=foosball.mpg
        \_ That's the foosball equivalent of the over-the-head backwards
           kick in soccer-- brilliant!
        \_ That's the foosball equivalent of the bicycle kick-- brilliant!
           (Thank you, soccer fan!)
           \_ aka bicycle kick

6/6     Has anyone highsided their motorcycle? How would one "save" it?
        \_ Once you would call it a highside, you're in the air.  Nothing
           to save.  A step short would be a tankslapper.
           \_ http://www.msgroup.org/TIP001.html
        \_ With the blue or the puke orange neon?

5/18    Ride Bike! http://csua.org/u/2z2

3/16    Is stuff cooked over an open flame - i.e. skewers/kebobs really more
        healthy than fried or other regular foods?
        \_ less fat thatn frying (it all drips away)  OTOH, the yummy
           chemicals created by searing the fat on the food is mildly
           carcinogenic.  Its a trade-off
           \_ ride bike!
                \_ ride motorcycle or bicycle?

3/11    How much do bike fairings cost? Say you messed up a CBRF4i fairing...
        \_ more than you think they should.  If you wanna go honda parts
           I suggest calling honda of milpitas.  They tend to give really
           good prices AND they ship locally.  F4s also have lots of after
           market bits available, including fairings, which should be cheaper.
           Expect several hundred dollars to a thousand or so depending on
           how many pieces you broke.
        \_ whats wrong with stock fairings?
           \_ Cost more, and aftermarket ones may be lighter/look cooler/etc.
        \_ You can find tons of fairings on eBay for better prices. Might
           have to wait a while for the ones you want, but you can set a
           saved search to mail you new results. Also, there's a couple of
           salvage shops you can try (one not far from the Milpitas honda),
           though I forget the names. --saarp (who's had to put more than
                                        his fare share of bikes together)
                \_ chances are those parts are stolen.
                \_ Uhhhh so how many times did you fuc^H^H^H drop your bike?
        \_ http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2406887947&category=35583
                holy crap this means each time you drop your bike you've
                wasted $300. That is crazy.
                \_ now you know why 1) bikes with lots of plastic are not
                   recommended for beginners and 2) you see a lot of bikes
                   out there with fucked up/missing fairings.
        \_ What's a fairing? - biker dummy/wannabe

3/3     Ok I'm considering one of the two options on my bike:
        http://www.hyperlites.com
        http://www.riderstation.com
        Which one would you guys recommend?
        \_ I'm not so sure that having flashing lights on the back of your
           bike would be legal, but then again, I'm not the one considering
           doing this.  Make sure it's legal first.
        \_ I think the flash 5 secs then solid would be legal, but not
           the continuous mode.  I'm not sure either is a good idea -
           distracting drivers may not be fully effective.
        \_ i just bought lifebrites, cheaper than hyperlites for universal use.
        also be sure you can be seen from the front, too.
           \_ where'd you mount them, on the side of the plates?

2/25    I'm a lazy 5'8" sysadm, is a kawa ninja 500 big enough for me?
        \_ almost related - I'll be selling my bmw 850R soon, and cheap.
           Showing age (72k), but motor is solid.  Reasonable first bike,
           good commuter.  was 130 this year for 100/300 liability. -jor
        \_ yes
        \_ on a related note, how much do you bikers pay for insurance?
           - biker-wannabe
           \_ depends entirely on cost/year of the bike, displacement, and
              your driving record/experience/training.  anywhere from $150
              per year to $3000 per year.                -- caliban
        \_ I have a 2001 Ninja 500 (aka EX500) for sale.  Mail me if you're
           interested.  Was my first bike too, glad I didn't go get anything
           more.  -nevman
                \_ are you a sysadm? how much you weigh?
           i am very comfortable on it.
                                                                -- caliban
        \_ sysadm, hmm, let me fire up the old abacus.  First question is
           how many tubs of butter do you eat per day?
        \_ that depends on what you are looking for in a bike.  the ninja/ex
           500 is a perfect starter bike for a new rider who is interested
           in sport bikes.  you'll want to replace it, most likely, in a
           year or two max.  i'm 5'8" and can fit just fine on any sport
           bike, though something shorter like the ex 500 (or250) makes
           for more confident learning.  i currently ride a BMW R1150GS,
           a huge bike, and though 5'8" is about the limit for that bike,
           i am very comfortable on it. -- caliban
                \_ are you a sysadm? how much you weigh?
        \_ sysadm, eh?  Hmm, let me fire up the old abacus.  First question
           is how many tubs of butter do you eat per day?
        \_ my roomate's 5'7" and he when he rides a 500EX he could barely
           touch the ground with his toes (30.5" height on the 500). Does
           that mean he can't ride taller bikes like the ZX-6R (32.5" height)?

12/5    Has anyone tried riding a motorcycle from LA<->SF area on say, I-5
        or 101? How was it? Was it doable? Tiring? Not recommended?
        \_ I did Berkeley to UCLA in 7 hours on 101.  It's a bit rough at
           that pace, need to net about 70mph including the 2 gas stops.
           It's a nice ride from San Luis Obispo to Ventura, then 101 goes
           inland and sucks.  -jor
           \_ I thought the 580 to the 5 is faster?
           \_ I thought 580 to 5 is faster?

              \_ not in summer, in proper riding attire.
        \_ Well, It kinda depends on the bike, amoung other things.
           It's certainly doable, whether you WANT to or not is another
           question entirely.  :P  But if the bike is comfortable, and
        \_ I've driven the I5 many times and *never* seen a bike on it.  Ever.
           you have 8 hours, whatever.  I-5 is really boring tho' -jrleek
        \_ I've driven I5 many times and *never* seen a bike on it.  Ever.
           Not one.  Maybe there's a reason for that.  Maybe you'll be first
           bike! like on slashdot or fc!
        \_ I have a friend who has done that multiple ways.  says get maps
           \_ The fun foothill roads where James Dean died (in a Porsche). --dim
           and follow the more fun highways parallel to I-5 in the foothills.
           be sure you're up to handling strong gusty cross-winds.
           \_ The fun foothill roads where James Dean died (in a Porsche).
               --dim
        \_ Hmm...bugs.
        \_ The distance isn't that bad, but from my experiance with long
           distance motorcycling, getting OFF the major highways made for
           a lot more interesting and a lot less stressful (and therefore less
           tiring) riding.  So I'd suggest 101 over 5 and country roads over
           both if possible.  -aspo
        \_ my husband and i caravan'd down to L.A. -- he on the bike, me in
           the car.  it was _not_ very comfortable for him, and since cars
           weren't expecting a motorcycle on the road, not very safe at times.
           we went down I-5.  At Harris Ranch, we took a break and he found
           it so comfortable to sit in the car that we ditched the bike and
           picked it up on the way back.  his motorcycle was a really fast
           racing bike, not a cruiser, so it may be a different experience
           on something like a BMW bike.  Plus, it was the middle of winter
           and it got pretty cold for him.
           \_ i was expecting the story to end in sex. where's the rest of
              this story? please repost!

8/15    Stolen from CL for the Zen bicycle freaks among you:

        A Bicycle Zen Koan, for your edification and amusement: A Zen Teacher
        saw five of his students return from the market, riding their
        bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students,
        "Why are you riding your bicycles?" The first student replied, "The
        bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not
        have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the student,
        saying, "You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk
        hunched over, as I do." The second student replied, "I love to watch
        the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path." The teacher
        commended the student, "Your eyes are open and you see the world." The
        third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant,
        nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student,
        "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel." The fourth
        student answered, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all
        beings." The teacher was pleased and said, "You are riding on the
        golden path of non-harming." The fifth student replied, "I ride my
        bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher went and sat at the feet of
        the fifth student, and said, "I am your disciple."
        \_ encore! cool!  (What is "CL"?)

6/3     Is anyone driving to Monterey next Monday? I need a ride to Usenix
        conference. -akopps
        \_ ajani is going, not driving AFAIK, and also looking for a ride
           \_ obBuyACar.
              \_ How about Greyhound?
        \_ Where's the "RIDE BIKE" people?
           \_ I already offered to pay him 36 cents a mile to ride bike.  -tom
              \_ will that even cover his food?  it sure as hell won't cover
                 the value of his time.
                 \_ Time spent riding a bike down the coast to Monterey
                    is inherently well-used.  -tom
                    \_ That's a personal opinion.  That may work fine for your
                       life but other people aren't living your life.  I'll
                       bet greyhound and public transport could get him there
                       and back for under $99 for everything.  Probably less.
                       Not everyone has decided to effectively retire to a
                       government job in their 20s.
                        \_ I'm sure your personal opinion is sitting around
                           a conference room with a bunch of pathetic geeks
                           splitting hairs over the merits of the various
                           Linux distributions is much more interesting than
                           having the life-affirming experience of a bike tour
                           on one of the best bike touring routes in the world.
                           Have fun, loser.  -tom
                           \_ I actually laughed out loud when I read this.
                              Why do you get so personally offended when you
                              see someone else choosing a path through life
                              different than that you chose for yourself?
                              You know _nothing_ about my or most anyone else's
                              personal opinion about what is more interesting
                              or "life-affirming" and then toss in a grade
                              school level personal attack at the end.  Give
                              yourself some twinks points and get over it. You
                              might be sure of lots of things but your personal
                              certainty doesn't make you right in any way.
                              Have fun, tom.  -toms #1 loser
                              \_ Look, if you're going to attack someone
                                 personally in the motd, you can't be upset
                                 when they respond in kind. -!tom
                                 \_ Who attacked him personally?  If he took
                                    that as a personal attack valium is the
                                    solution.  He never said he took it as a
                                    personal attack.  Have Berkeley students
                                    become so sensitive that *any* disagreement
                                    is seen as personal?  God save Cal.  While
                                    I'm here, who said *I* took it personally
                                    when he called me a loser.  I *laughed*.
                                    Sheesh.  Spread the valium at the next
                                    meeting.

12/7    Looking for a female roommate in Albany.  Email me for details.
        -chaos
        \_ How well can you play jazz piano?  Just curious.
           \_ Somewhere between "decent" and "well."  I read off of lead
              sheets very well, but have to think about +11/13 and dim chords.
              Not so on +7/+9/sus chords.  I'm used to not playing with a
              bass, so I almost always lead with the chord root on the bass -
              not good for ensemble jazz.  Decent improv.  Answer your
              question?  Now, please... roommate search... -chaos
        \_ um, I am interested, but can you sight read all 24 Chopin Etudes?
          \_ You're not funny.
                \_ I don't get it (the humor and why it's not funny)
                   \_ Have you ever seen what Chopin's Etudes look like?
                        \_ no, I'm ignorant. Now please fuckin explanavu
                  \_ Ok here it is: "sight read" means "play the music
                     the first time you see the sheet music." Chopin
                     wrote music that is very intricate and difficult to
                     play. Most pianists need to practice for years before
                     they can smoothly play Chopin etudes. -fab
        \_ looking for a female roomate on motd is like looking for nice
           attractive NORMAL UNPSYCHOTIC people who are not Linux and bike
           ride fanatics at CSUA.
           \_   I'm all of these things!
           \_ I'm all except attractive. But I'm not ugly either. At least,
              not as ugly as your mom (yes, not saying too much, I know).
           \_ i'm attractive and nonpsychotic and not a linux or bike fanatic...
             \_ Well I'm ugly, psychotic, ride a friggin' bike when it
                doesn't hurt my back too much and I got SuSE
                installed at home (on one partition, anyway). You
                ready for me stomp on yer face, pretty boy?

9/21    How is the government going to enforce the backdoors in the open source
        encryption software considering that it will be trivial to remove them
        given that you have access to the program source?
        \_ i just want to say something about all this encryption backdoor
           stopping the terrorist horseshit.  If you have a good network
           of human couriers that can act as go betweens once a year or so,
           you can communicate the key to a one time pad generated by
           a random noise source like jonson noise or something.  no one
           can break it, and even a moron can use it securely.  The NSA knows
           this of course.  they want to read YOUR mail, and make morons
           feel safe; this has nothing to do with stopping real threats.
           \_ Practically none of the security restrictions have to do
              with stopping real threats.  You can drive across the Golden
              Gate but you can't bike across.  You can hide a knife in your
              boot getting on a plane but not in your bag.  It's
              a predictable reaction.  -tom
                \_ Maybe they're worried about bikers/pedestrians getting
                   killed by a bomb.  Who cares about car drivers?
              \_ allowing unruly bikers across the bridge (which i may add has
                 the variable # of lanes in either direction) would cause
                 drivers to have more accidents, since bikers will swerve
                 into traffic and assume the car drivers will sacrifice their
                 vehicles to save the bikers life.  (from experience in SF
                 downtown traffic commute).
                 \_ Are you a complete idiot?  There are SIDEWALKS on the
                    Golden Gate.  -tom
              \_ What does your bike-across-the-bridges fetish have to do with
                 terrorism and encryption?
                 \_ They closed the sidewalks on the Golden Gate as a
                    response to the terrorist attacks.  -tom
        \_ Remove the backdoors from the source code?  You mean removing them
           by altering the encryption scheme?
        \_ I think you should do a little reading on this kind of thing
           first.  Then if you still don't understand you can ask your
           question.

8/15    Quasi-Geek bike ride this Saturday; meet at 9:00 AM at Rockridge
        BART.  Mail ride-bike-request for details.

7/11    I broke one of the shifters on my circa 91 hard rock and I need
        a replacement. Anyone know of a shop in the south bay that might
        be able to get a replacement and install it for me? My shifter
        is a suntour (sp?) if that makes any difference. ----ranga
        \_ It's not very likely that you'll be able to find above-bar
           thumb shifters at a bike shop.  Suntour is out of business and for
           the past several years all mountain bikes have had under-bar
           shifters or something equally distasteful.  You could replace
           both shifters, but they'd probably be indexed for 8 or 9 gears
           instead of the 7 you likely have on your bike.  Shimano is the
           Microsoft of the bike world.  -tom
           \_ I had the "quick-shift" style shifter if it makes any
              difference. I wouldn't mind replacing both shifters,
              but I though that switching to Shimano means that I
              would have to replace the entire gear system as well.
              Do you know if that is the case? Thanks. ----ranga
              \_ Almost certainly not for the front shifter.  For the
                 rear shifter, it depends on the freewheel spacing and
                 the indexing in the shifter.  It's reasonably likely
                 you'd need to replace your freewheel, but a bike store
                 probably would know better than me, I haven't dealt with
                 the under-bar shifters much.  -tom

6/27    Anyone know where I can get a Suntour XP shifter?  The shifter
        on my bike was damaged during a ride and I need to get a new
        one but the local bike shops in SJ don't seem to carry Suntour
        anymore.

5/28    I'm thinking about biking. What do you guys prefer, street bike
        or mountain bike? What is more dangerous statistically speaking--
        if biking in SF/Oakland I might get hit by a car (and die), and
        if biking in mtn I might break a bone or two.
        \_ Statistically speaking, biking is safer than driving in any
           case, so don't worry about it.  If you like being in control,
           or the idea of going long distances, go with road biking.  If
           you like being out of control, and the idea of getting to very
           remote areas, go with mountain biking.  -tom
           \_ Stastically speaking anyone can make statistics say anything they
              want to support or oppose any position.  "How to lie with
              statistics" is available through amazon, thin, and cheap.
              statistics" is available through amazon, thin, and cheap. And
              no, there's no point in countering one set of statistics with
              another.  And none of this has anything to do with the original
              question anyway.  -reiffin
                \_ Oh, so statistics are inherently useless--instead of
                   trying to figure out what happens in the real world, we
                   should just use reiffin's world view as the authoritative
                   source for all information!  Man, no wonder you don't
                   sign your posts, and delete anything which disagrees with
                   you.  -tom
                   \_ The motto of the Berkeley Statistics department is:
                      "No prior knowledge required."  (See if anyone gets the
                      inside joke, alice should).
                        \_ the amusing thing is that reiffin used to work
                           for the statistics department.
                      \_ Heheh, I guess Blackwell didn't have a say in this
                         motto.  -- alice
                      \_ Heheh.  -- alice
                         \_ You are not alice.
                            \_ I am Alice. -alice@97.3
                            \_ Says who?  -- alice
                               \_ Ok, if you are alice, explain the inside
                                  joke.
        \_ statistically, little children bike.  are you a man or a baby?
           \_ Statistically speaking, fat slobs drive, are you a fat slob?
        \_ You can get a pretty nice road bike for less than you'll have
           to pay for a pretty nice mountain bike, it seems.  Neither seems
           more dangerous to me with respect to cars since the road rides I
           go on aren't on crowded roads during commute hours or anything
           like that.
        \_ Any ideas where to buy a good street/road bike and how much it
           could cost?
           \_ I like Missing Link.  Pretty much any road bike carried by
              a local bike shop will be good--they usually don't carry
              anything under $600.  -tom
        \_ Mountain bike for me.  If you went through Berkeley without
           mountain biking the Berkeley/Oakland hills, you are missing
           out on a fabulous experience.
        \_ If you're not planning to ride anywhere but streets,
           a road bike (or even a hybrid) will be a much easier ride.
           I have to expend much more energy to ride a mountain bike
           than a road bike, I assume because of the larger wheels.

5/21    I got a mail from PG&E saying that if I adjust the timer on my pool
        I'll get a $20 rebate.  Anybody else got that?  My pool timer is
        already set to after 8pm and I already run it for only 2 hours a day.
        \_ You run your pool during one of the hottest times of the year?
           You greedy over-consuming pig!  You drive an SUV dont you?  I'll
           bet you don't even *own* a bike and don't USE LINUX! either.
           \_ plus i bet 5 families could live in the house he's hogging
              to himself. down with the bourgeois! power to the workers!
              \_ Hi Paolo! <- paolo signs his posts, remember?
              \_ 37337 GN00 11N SUX H4X0R5 0F 7H3 W0R1D UN173! U H4V3
                 N07H1NG 2 L053 BU7 UR M$ 3UL45!
              \_ 5 families?  Are you nuts?  10 to 15 easily!  And you call
                 yourself a Friend of the Peoples?
           \_ Since when did "Ride bike, use Linux" become "Own bike, use
              Linux"?  Owning is wasteful!  Go for bikepool and bike sharing!

10/7    Anyone able to host a website, fairly small, for local
        nonprofit bicycle group (BFBC)?  Take a look at current
        format at http://www.bfbc.org  -- jnat
        \_ Yah, Ride Bike!
        \_ you can't afford $30/month?
            \_ we can if you'll pay it.  easier to find someone who
               is already online who can handle a small website
        \_ http://www.dbwired.com = $5.95 per month

9/24    In So. CAl they have teh greatest invention in the history of Mankind...
        _The REcycler_ magazine.  Free classified adds (not for dealers) and you
        pay like $1 to buy it.  I can get up early Thursday morning, get it, and
        have a new(to me) motorcycle by Thursday night.  Why (oh why?) is there
        nothing like that up here?  It is a giant PAIN to shop for a used Bike.
        I know some of you CSUAers ride, Where should i look?
        \_ http://www.recycler.com --dim
            \_  Um, i apreciate the thought, but, you know, i did try that.  The
                problem is that there is a dirth of adds for this area.  I don't
                want to have to drive to LA to get my bike.
        \_ there is a similar paper called "diablo dealer" in contra costa
           county.  pick one up in orinda or lafayette.  they advertise
           their sister papers in it too.. I think there might be one for
           the richmond area too?
        \_Cycle Trader is the only way to go in Northern california.
           For some reason, bay area folks think thier old shit is
           worth more than blue book. Good luck, dont go to a used
           bike dealership also, they will rip you off.
           \_ see blue book is too large of an area.  In the bay area there
              is a much higher market for bikes so the tend to go for a bit
              more.  You figure it out.  (Also people tend to be negotiable
              on prices, you ask for more than you expect to get and all that)

9/18    What makes a bike turn? The horizontal component of lift makes an
        airplane turn. Does that mean the horizontal component of weight
        shift in a bike makes it turn?
        \_ bike tires have a circular profile (when inflated). the strip
           of rubber running down the middle of the crown is the farthest
           from the center of the wheel (radius), while the edges of the
           crown the closest. when you "turn" a bike at speed, you are
           really leaning into the turn and riding a contact patch biased
           towards one of the edges. the rubber stripes at the inner and
           outer edges of this patch travel different distances
           (circumferences) for the same revolution, and this causes the turn.
                -jwang
        \_ Equal and opposite force.
        \_ It's the horizontal component of the friction on the front wheel.
           Weight points downward, and the horizontal component is zero.
           -- yuen
        \_ no, the horizontal component of lift on an airplane only makes it
           go sideways.  horizontal deflection of air from the tail only
           is what makes it yaw (turn).
           \_ WRONG. link:www.gleim.com/Aviation/howtheyfly.html
                \_ quite simply, that page is confusing at best, and
                   technically wrong at worst.  You can turn a plane without
                   banking it  (its called a 'slipping turn'?).  The rudder
                   controls the 'turning' part, the yaw, which is even
                   mentioned on that page.   that Gleim page is  more of
                   an instructional one that tries to simplify things.

        \_ Bunch of dumb asses!  You turn the steering wheel, so it turns!
                \_ Haven't you guys ever seen the experiment where you hold
                        a spinning bicycle tire in your hand and try to turn
                        it along an axis perpendicular to the one about which
                        it is spinning?  I can't really explain it, but I
                        believe this is related to why a bike turns if you
                        lean over.  If the bike was moving, but the wheels
                        were not spinning (for example if you were sliding on
                        ice), then you would fall over instead of turn if you
                        lean.  It's conservation of angular momentum or
                        something.
                        lean.  It's conservation of angular momentum.  When
                        you lean, you change the angular momentum vector.  To
                        conserve angular momentum, the bike changes direction.

7/13    SQUIRT RIDE TOMORROW!  Berkeley Critical Mass takes to the
        streets with waterpistols, bike cart sound system, couch on
        wheels and more!  gather 5:30 PM downtown Berkeley BART
        every second Friday to leave around 6-6:15 PM.  Dinner
        and bike videos after.  http://guest.xinet.com/bike/couch
        \_ When I was 18 I could squirt up to 8 times a day. Now at 30 I
           can only squirt 3 times a day. Is this decrease of performance
           normal for a guy?
           \_ it's quality not quantity that counts             -30 year old
                \_ tom, is that you?
                   \_ I'm 32 and I sign my posts.  -tom
                        \_ Which doesn't add anything to the quality or
                           usefulness.  Being 32, that is.
           \_ Gee, are you sure it's a decrease in performance?  Maybe
              your masturbation is more effective now.
           \_ Only 8 times at age 18?  See a doctor.
           \_ The more you squirt, the earlier it rots.
                \_ This is a use-it-or-lose-it deal.

6/26    http://www.msnbc.com/news/421567.asp
        Ride a bike w/ a motor that emits water vapor only
        \_ Isn't a bike with a motor, a motocycle?
        \_ even better, ride a bike with no motor and emit the water vapor
           by yourself
           \_ You also emit CO2--more greenhouse gases!
                \_ yeah, and this happens even if you're on the bike that
                   has a motor
                \_ Beans.
                \_ Oh joy, riding around with a fibre wrapped pressurized
                   hydrogen canister under your butt.
                        \_ At least it's a mistake you'll only make once.
                \_ Water vapor is also a greenhouse gas.

6/24    Spike Bike lives!
        http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5265/atb.htm

6/3     I think these pro-bike and anti-bike fanatics are equally stupid.
        \_ No one cares what you think and there are no anti-bike fanatics.
           There are bike fanatics.  Anti-car fanatics.  And the rest of us
           opposed to people shoving their lifestyle down the throats of
           others at all times, no matter how inappropriate.
           \_ excuse me, Mz. Tyranny of the Majority, but I don't like
              your easy dismissal of alternative lifestyles. TOTM is just
              as much shoving lifestyles down throats as anything.
                \_ No one is insisting that you're evil for riding a bike or
                   that driving a car is the only Pure and Moral lifestyle
                   choice, thanks.  Do whatever the fuck you want with your
                   life and keep it to your loud mouthed minority self.  Go
                   play with an ac transit bus.  Public transport is your
                   friend.
        \_ -1 Troll

6/1     For those who have never biked in a city, any advice?
        \_ Read "Effective Cycling", by John Forester.
           Ride on the right side of the road, don't ride on the sidewalk,
           ride far enough away from parked cars that an opening door
           won't get you.    -tom
           \_ Which means riding in the street.  How's your medical insurance?
              Linux is safer.
                \_ two things: riding in the street is safer than riding
                   on the sidewalk, and riding in the street on a bike is
                   safer than driving.   How's *your* medical insurance?  -tom
                   \_ Stop with the bogus statistics.  We're all smart enough
                      to twist the numbers to say anything we want.  At least
                      come up with a URL so your numbers can be torn apart
                      fair and square.
                \_ http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/risks.htm
                   http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/comparat.html  -tom
                   \_ The first link is full of crap statistics carefully
                      chosen to make biking look "6 times safer than living!"
                      The article makes the claim that if you were immune to
                      all other forms of death and cycled 24x7 you'd live 6
                      times longer.  Uhm, what?  What a crock.  The second
                      link is just a reprint of the exact same numbers from
                      the exact same people on a chart that was already in the
                      first link.  Use Linux.  I'm pretty sure it's safer than
                      riding your bike in the middle of the street.  Since
                      there are no Linux vs. Biking Safety bogus 'studies' out
                      yet, I can't 'prove' it though the same way you tried.
                        \_ I won't defend statistics coming from impartial
                           studies from the flames of an anonymous coward.
                           I only ask, where are *your* statistics?  -tom
                           \_ No study is impartial.  Someone paid them to
                              do it.  Nothing is free.  Your typical ad
                              hominen attack is sooooooo old, tom.  Let it go.
                        \_ I think it's funny that I completely smashed tom's
                           totally biased statistics "biking is safer" nonsense
                           and it all got deleted but all the pro-bike garbage
                           was left behind.  The truth hurts so some baby has
                           to delete it.  No, I'm not saying tom deleted it,
                           but whoever did is a big cry baby biker.  I have a
                                \_ I'm not denying the health gain from this
                                   or any other form of excercise.  The stats
                                   tom provided are twisted beyond the point
                                   of meaningless, however.
                           copy but won't bother restoring it.  I successfully
                           made my point if someone felt the need to
                           selectively purge it.  Once again, the biker crowd
                           proves to have the whiney baby bad apples.  Biking
                           is *not* proven safer.  Certainly not "6 times safer
                           than living!".  Time to graduate and join the adult
                           world, kids.
                        \_ The presentation of the stats is clearly partisan.
                           I also disagree with the use of time over mileage,
                           since you spend more time to get there on a bike.
                           Since it is based on all cagers and cyclists, I
                           don't think you can claim either to be safer.
                           the health gain, otoh, is inrefutable. -jor
                                \_ I don't need contradictory stats.  I'm more
                                   than satisfied to have proved my original
                                   point, namely that you don't have any valid
                                   stats to back up your false claim that
                                   biking is safer than driving.  Thanks.  I'm
                                   done with this thread.
                        \_ per-exposure-hour is pretty much the accepted
                           method for risk assessment.  If you cycle rather
                           than drive, you won't commute to Sunnyvale from
                           Berkeley.  In a given time frame (or lifetime),
                           exposure hours for a cyclist and driver will be
                           similar, even though exposure miles will not be.
                           Exposure-hours is clearly a better measure if you
                           are interested in how likely it is that you
                           personally will be affected.
                           I agree that the presentation of the stats is
                           partisan--that's because it's a cyclist's site.
                           But I challenge you to find contradictory stats
                           of any kind.  -tom
        \_ be careful, especially in berkeley...almost got sideswiped
           by an ac transit bus.
                \_ Doesn't matter if your on bike or in car, ac transit
                   drivers don't give a shit and figure it's your job to
                   get out of their way.
                   \_ ...and thats probably the least that you can do. If
                      I drove a 30 foot bus around for 8 hours a day, I'd
                      probably be somehwat pissed too.
        \_ A friend of mine fell to avoid a pedestrian on campus and broke his
           PalmV.  Make sure you carry it in a hard case and not a leather
           one if you bike a lot.
        \_ One friend of mine had a bad fall.  Mostly burns but he was in such
           pain I have to go pick him up.  My old roommate got it worse -
           concussion, loss of consciousness, broken jaw, bike disappeared,
           overnight stay at ICU, loss of maybe 3 week worth of memory, huge
           medical bill, one lost semester.
                \_ Must've been the fault of the car.
                    \_ Who knows.  I also biked to school everyday in Berkeley.
                poor college students.
                       It is very dangerous (heard of other incidents too), so
                       becareful.  Also, be very careful with bike thieves.
                       A good bike is almost gauranteed to be stolen unless you
                       are extremely careful with it.
                        \_ You need a Denver Boot for your bike.
                        \_ Who knows?  *Obviously* it was the car's fault.  The
                           guy on the bike is *always* an Innocent Victim of
                           the Evil Motorist.  Bikers *never* do any sort of
                           "creative" non-following of the laws. Never happens.
        \_ very simple piece of advice that you will pick up fast.  STAY OFF
           THE MAIN DRAGS.  Biking down, say, Sacramento, is foolish.  Just go
           a block off the main streets and creativly pay attention to traffic
           laws.
             \_ But who would be the first to bitch and moan and piss and whine
                if cars were half as creative with the laws as bikes?  When
                they require a license to ride a bike in traffic, I'll take
                bikes seriously.  Until then, it's for kids, AIDS rides, and
                poor college students.  [Restored the truth for you big baby
                biker types who can't deal honestly with life]
             \_ exactly!  stay off the min streets.  especially shattuck
                to avoid those ac transit buses unless you have a death
                wish.
                \_ Sacramento is a fine cycling street.  Telegraph is the
                   best commute street in Berkeley.  Side streets have bad
                   intersections--most bike/car accidents happen at
                   intersections.  Riding, for example, on Colby/Hillegass is
                   much more dangerous than either Telegraph or College. -tom
                \_ I used to bike up and down San Pablo Ave, especially if
                   it was busy.  The only naer collisions I had with cars
                   were ones that sped through side streets.
        \_ Yeah, ride 24x7 and you'll live 6 times longer according to tom's
           bike safty statistics.

2/8     Oprah bike troll purged.
        \_ the web page has been moved to a "killed" directory.  -tom

2/8     Tell Oprah Winfrey that she should RIDE BIKE:
        http://www.oprah.com/tows/intheworks/tows_works_bike.html
         \_ I've never been hurt by a car or pedestrian.  I've been hit by
           careless stupid selfish morons on bikes.  No one over 16 should be
           allowed to use a bike outside a sporting arena or other private
           property.
        \_ troll deleted.
           property.  [non-troll, true reply restored, fuck you] [twice]
           \_ Even if that's your true opinion, you're still a troll, dumfuk.
                \_ It isn't a troll if it's my true opinion, idiot.  And it
                   isn't opinion.  It is a fact that I've never been hurt by
                   a motor vehicle or pedestrian under any circumstances.  I
                   have been hit _twice_ by clueless careless selfish stupid
                   fuck bike riding morons.  Thank you for your worthless
                   input.  Now go RIDE BIKE! USE LINUX! and die.
         \_ Stupid whiney biker fucks.
            \_ I don't mind bikers, but they're all suicidal and don't
               quite understand the whole the whole thing about a ton of
               metal vs. a few dozen pounds of wire and flesh not always
               necessarily working out in their favor.  -John

emacs user was here
        \_  ED!  ED IS THE ANSWER!  -psb #8 fan

12/29   Bike or take public transport.
        \_ I used to bike to work ... but then the co. was very small and
           now I share the room with several other employees -- how do you
           deal with showers/sweatiness/stench?
                \_ It's not a problem for reasonably short rides.  For
                   longer ones, bring a change of clothes.  -tom
                   \_ Glad I don't share space with you.
        \_ Public transit and/or bike just isn't feasible for certain commutes.
           I.e. berkeley<->palo alto.  45 minutes drive (outside of traffic
           hours), 2.5 hours+  via caltrain+bart
           \_ 46 72 69 6E 6B 20 72 75 6C 65 73 21
           \_ 1782^12 + 1841^12 = 1922^12
           \_ e^(pi*i) = -1
              \_ I've always preferred e^(pi*i) + 1 = 0
              \_ But that's just because someone _defined_ e(i*x) to be
                 cos(x) + i * sin(x), right?
           \_ P = NP

10/25   I just spent $500 on a nasty car scratch I got in Oakland and
        realized that I could've spent that money on many years of BART
        or bike-ride. FUCK CARS!!!
        \_ Go away, troll.  If BART was a useful form of transport for you,
           you'd have been using it for years already.  Go away.  You're full
           of shit.  This never happened.  Sign your name.
        \_ Troll or not, $500 would only get you 100 days on BART.  You'd
           get a pretty kick-ass bike for it though.  --PeterM
           \_ Yeah but if you're riding a $500 bike in oakland, its likely
              it would get stolen.
        \_ Hell you could be walking for FREE!!!!!!!!!111
        \_ You could just not fix the scratch.  Go see Fight Club.  It's
           inspired me to live in a slum and forsake all my worldly possessions
           and become a terrorist Siddharta.
           \_ wow, you lived with arvin too?
                \_ And then you could RIDE BIKE! up to a federal building with
                   a few tons of explosives on the back.

7/12    a good windows mail client that supports pgp?  Wait, i know, RIDE
        BIKE, use linux, I DO, but i need *others* to use pgp with and
        the others use windows.
        \_ Outlook
           \_ Outlook?  What version?  Last v. I tried was complete trash.
        \_ ok, pardon my ignorance, but could someone please explain the
           connection betwen Linux and RIDE BIKE ?
           \_ Guessing: someone is mocking the attitude/mentality of both
              groups?
              \_ How does that differ from the 50 million "Windoz Rulez,
                        \_ Who said it differed?
                 use windows" that also go on the motd, not to mention that
                 their attitudes and mentality are usually worse.  I also
                 seem to remember a quote, "drive a fucking car you hippie"
                 posted somewhere on a long ago motd showing taht non-bike
                 riders are just about as bad.
                 \_ PGP for Windows (commercial, from NAI) will integrate
                    well with Eudora Light or Pro.  However, Eudora light
                    tends to corrupt important Windows files and generally
                    suck.  --dbushong
        \_ ride bike.
        \_ use freebsd.
        \_ use linux.
           \_ freebsd >> linux
        \_ use Motd::Public;
        \_ Less filling >> tastes great

7/12    Hi, does anyone know of any bike companies that will sponsor
        me to borrow a bike for the Boston to New York AIDS Ride 5?
        I will be participating in it on September 16-18.
        Any leads would be appreciated.  Please e-mail me.  --pcjr
        \_ try http://www.airborne.net -- newcomers starving for any kind of
           \_ RIDE BIKE!!!  USE LINUX!!!
           publicity, it appears.  ugly bikes, however.
        \_ buy a bike you twink.  -tom
        \_ don't limit yourself to bike companies.  the competition
           for sponsorship from them must be fierce. --caliban
        \_ I used to work for a cycling goods distributor.  I saw the
           sponsorship applications that came in, and I saw who was
           accepted.  In short, you have to be a badass to get sponsorship.
                                                          --sowings

7/04  What's a good bike shop in the Berkeley area?  What's a good bike
      to buy.  I'm looking at buying a bike and any advice is
      appreciated.
      \_ you'll have to be more specific.  what kind of riding will you
         be doing?  what's your price range?  tom has some good advice
         at http://www.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU/~tom/advice.html

6/24    Massive bike ride tomorrow, 5:30 near Embarcadero BART
        First Int'l Bike Summer in SF this year:  http://www.bikesummer.org
        \_ didnt see anything about this on the website... ?

6/10    SQUIRT RIDE TOMORROW!!!!  100 water pistols, a couch, and you and
        your bike!  Gatehr 5:30 pm to leave around 6 pm, downtown BART

5/17    Bike or take public transport.
        \_ I used to bike to work ... but then the co. was very small and
           now I share the room with several other employees -- how do you
           deal with showers/sweatiness/stench?
                \_ It's not a problem for reasonably short rides.  For
                   longer ones, bring a change of clothes.  -tom
           \_ if you live in an rv or bus in the parking lot you can shower
                 in your vehicle and walk to work and not pay rent. bikes suck.
                \_ get job somewhere with showers at work.
                        \_ where?
                                \_ soda hall
                                \_ sun
                                \_ Any company in Marina Village, Alameda
                                \_ LBL
                                \_ organic, vivid, wired
                        \_ Showers at work is a major career choice maker for
                        \_ Showers at work aren't really necessary if you're
                           riding 5 miles or less (and depending on personal
                           tendencies, possibly much more than that).  Just
                           bring a change of clothes.  -tom
                           me.  In fact, being able to bike to work is the
                           only factor in choosing a job, apartment, and
                           girl friend.  Biking is all.  Kill all drivers.
                           \_ yes, kill 'em all, but don't let god sort
                              them out. let me sort them out. i have some
                              special things planned for the non users of
                              turn signals and those who defile the crosswalks.
                                \_ I was being sarcastic.  What kind of moron
                                   centers his whole life around a bicycle?
                                   There's a special place in Hell for bikers
                                   who don't stop at red lights or stops signs
                                   and treat pedestrians like crap.
                                   \_ I used to buzz pedestrians crossing on
                                      a red.  Was I evil?
                                      \_ Peds *always* have the right of way.
                                         Period.  *Always*.  Yes.  You fucked
                                         up.  You did wrong.  *Always* no
                                         matter how stupid they are.
                                \_ Don't forget those who think turning on
                                   their hazard lights exempts them from
                                   obeying all traffic laws, common courtesy,
                                   and common sense.
                                   \_ I drive to work every day with my hazards
                                      on doing 90+ mph.  The cops and everyone
                                      else leaves me alone, I don't pay bridge
                                      tolls and it's a damned fine way to avoid
                                      accidents since everyone avoids a car
                                      they think might be about to explode.
                \_ Buy your co-workers nose-clips for Xmas presents.
           \_ lick yourself off like a cat

2/15    I'm thinking of buying a Roof Rack. Which brand is better, Yakima or
        Thule? Which lasts longer, easier to mount/unmount, and have good
        accessories? THANKS!
        \_ yakima uber alles
        \_ Yakima seems to have better accesories support.  That's why
           I ended up buying one.  And a round bar looks better than a
           square one, IMHO.  Only complaint -- wind noise, but I'm sure
           every rack has that problem.  -nev
        \_ Yakima is very easy to install (the foot and clip come in one piece)
           and the bar is 30% thinner than Thule, which makes the door fit
           better. Yakima is a lot more aerodynamic. However, it is slightly
           more expensive ($15 more for the system). Thule is bigger, stronger,
           and cheaper (typical Ameri-Swede engineering). Yakima is smaller,
           looks better, works better, installs better, but more expensive
           (typical Japanese engineering).
           \_ try Yakima, Washington engineering though the actual
              company is in California
           \_ many pro. cycling teams use yakima.  one team car fell off
              a cliff with yakima rack full of bikes.  car was totalled.
              rack was put on another car with bikes and they went on their way
                \_ I find it funny that a lot of environmentalists and
                   ultra left-wing bike Nazis at SF want everyone to ride
                   bikes instead of drive, when they themselves use cars to
                   transport their bikes. Godamn Mass Hypocrit
                   \_ i doubt many of the "left-wing bike Nazis" use cars to
                      transport their bikes.  these people actually use their
                      bikes as transportation.  it's mostly the people who
                      bike for sport, not lifestyle, who feel the need to use
                      cars to transoprt their bikes elsewhere.  however, there
                      isn't really anything hypocritical about using a car to
                      car to take your bike somewhere far away to ride.  not
                      many of those "bike Nazis" would argue that you shouldn't
                      be allowed to go anywhere that you can't bike the whole
                      way to...
                   \_ The term "bike nazi" is kind of like calling peaceniks
                      the orchestrators of the holocaust.  The history of the
                      forced dependency upon the autombile is intimately
                      related to fascism and the two World Wars.  Car Nazi
                      is a more appropriate term for *anyone* who drives a car.
                      \_ Can you explain more on how dependency was forced.
                         I've never heard of such a thing.  Thx.
                      \_ Uhm.. what the fuck are you talking about?  What does
                         it take to get into that state of mind and how do I
                         get some?
                         \_ Read a book sometime. Start with _City_of_Quartz_
                            by Mike Davis.

1/11    I am going to start working down in Santa Clara soon.  Until I
        get my license fixed, I am going to be riding w/ Andrei.  But
        he doesnt really show up for work every day.  So I am looking
        for others in Berkeley to ride with on ocassion.  I will pay
        for gas or whatever.  Please, no "Ride Bike!" replies. -sky
        \_ Ride a bike!
           \_ Ride a bike?  Do you have *any* idea how much toxic materials,
              and petroleum products go into a bike?  WTF is wrong with
              walking?  Are you trying to destroy the environment and feel
              good about it at the same time?  Hypocrite!
                \_ Good point!  How about rollerblading?
        \_ Ride Bike!
                \_ Hypocrite.  Walk!
        \_ Just ride with Andrei even after you get your license fixed.
           You'll love the carpool lane.

11/12   Bikes: Talk on bicycle direct action tonight with videos of protest
        including bridge rides tonight, 2040 VLSB --jnat
        \_ Woo hoo!  Bikes jamming the already over crowed bridge!! Yee haa!
        \_ BTW, why do we need railroad on the new bay bridge when we already
           have BART?
          \_ We don't but the various local mayors think we do and without
             their approval nothing will happen.
             \_ Ah I see.  C'mon, BART in commute hours is not even close
                to full capacity.  What a waste of money.  Maybe those mayors
                have some stake in some construction company ......
        \_ Hey, Mr Meggs, when will I see you lobbying for better paved
           roads around the East Bay?  --Jon

9/16    There should be a law against road repairs during rush hours.
        My commute just about doubled because they closed off one lane on
        a local street, which slowed ttraffic to a crawl on the highway.
        \_ There should be a law against drivers of single-occupant vehicles
           complaining about the traffic.  -tom
           \_ There should be a law about bike fanatics babbling about things
              they don't understand such as the fact that not everyone can
              live within easy bike distance to their work or get involved in
              a carpool.
              \_ "Can't?" Where in the Bay Area is there employment where
                  there is not housing within a few miles?
                  \_ Uh huh, I suppose it's that easy to find affordable
                     AND available housing. Housing isn't an issue in the
                     Bay Area, right?
                        \_ it's an issue, but it's not impossible.  I've
                           lived within biking distance of my place of work
                           for over 10 years now, even though I've lived
                           in at least 6 different places and had two
                           different work locations.  -tom
                           \_ Have you lived in the south bay within this past
                              3 years?  Finding a place to live is harder than
                               finding a job.  To find one that is within
                              a few miles, good luck.
                           \_ I'll admit, I live at home, 1/2 hr commute to
                              work. I could easily live across the street
                              from where I work for $1600/mo. Worth it? No.
                              \_ Add $500/mo to what you are currently paying
                                 for rent and see if you can afford it. A car
                                 easily costs that much.
                                 \_ Maintenance/car insurance/gas/commuting
                                    does not add up to $500/mo.  maybe $300.
                                    for my current rent + $300 i couldn't get
                                    shit near my place of work.
                                 \_ A car is an absolute necessity.  Without
                                    a car is like no life.  Would you expect
                                                     \_ The life rules should
                                                        be amended to support
                                                        those with no car
                                                        voluntarily.  - ped
                                    to go on a date on your bicycle?
                                 \_ According to the AAM, owning an average
                                    car costs 45 cents per mile, which for
                                    an average amount of driving comes out
                                    to about $500/month.  That, of course,
                                    doesn't include any of the external costs
                                    of driving, such as environmental damage.
                                    It also doesn't include the cost of your
                                    time.  And yes, I go on dates on my
                                    bicycle.  -tom

                                    \_ "Hey honey, let's take a scenic tour
                                        by BART."
                                        \_ I don't know about you, but the
                                           sort of woman I tend to date is
                                           more interested in a person's level
                                           of integrity and personal
                                           responsibility than in what kind of
                                           car he drives.  -tom
                                           \_ I dunno about you, but the women
                                              I date would be annoyed if all
           posts.  -tomy
                           \_ You are one those fucking lucky rich people.
                              \_ I see zero correlation to that statement.
                                \_ tom works for the University, which means
                                   he makes less than the average soda geek
                                              our dates were confined to
                                              within 20 miles. Oh, and no
                                              dates if it's raining...
                                              \_ pussy. you dont deserve to
                        \_ They've been saying _that_ since before you were
                        born.
                                                 live in a moderate climate.
                                                 Go move to arizona.
\_ How about I don't _want_ to live in the slums where my employment is?  How
   about I like to do more than go to work.  How about I need to shop for more
   than a 6 pack of coke once a week?  How about a trip up the coast?  A drive
                 do provide exercise.
   to visit relatives in San Diego?  How about a late night trip anywhere you
   might get dragged off your bike (like where my work is)?  How about we all
   live in tom's idyllic ideal little world where everyone can use a bike and
   BART/bus to get everywhere and do everything?
        --still waiting for the fantasy; driving in the realworld 'til then
           \_ You are one those fucking lucky rich people.
                \_ Luck doesn't (typically) generate wealth.  Brains, hard
                work, connections, and a winning personality generate far
                greater wealth for most than dumb luck.
        \_ Why waste all day driving to San Diego when you can fly for cheaper
                than the cost of gas?
           \_ And how are you going to get around SD when you get there?
              What if you *enjoy* road trips? --emarkp
        \_ How about you take responsibility for your actions?  One way
           to start would be to sign your name to your inflammatory MOTD
           posts.  -tom
                \_ Because I fear you'll ride the 450 miles to my house on
                your bicycle and rape me with your water bottle.  How about
                you answer some of those very real questions?  Oops, sorry,
                you lose.  You don't have a good answer so you just rag on
                my for not signing my name.  To be honest, the only thing I
                really fear is being associated with you in any way, including
                a "chat" on the motd about your fanatic desire to force
                everyone to live your 60's reject hippy lifestyle.

                \_ over 70% of trips in the Bay Area are in single-occupant
                   vehicles--that's ridiculous.  Of course when the oil
                   runs out, I'm sure people will find that they "can" live
                   in a more responsible manner.  -tom
                    \_ They've been saying _that_ since before you were born.
                        \_ uh, do you believe the oil *won't* run out?  -tom
                        \_ do you know when tom was born for that matter?
           \_ You mean like all them single-occupant bicycles?
              \_ that don't cause nearly as much wear and tear on the
                 pavement, dont suck up nearly as much petroleum products,
                 dont kill hundreds if not thousands of people yearly,
                 do provide cheap and efficient local area transport, and
                 do provide exercise. --jon
                \_ we also don't complain about the traffic, because the
                   worse it is, the more of an advantage we have.  -tom
                   \_ Yeah, ya'll just create more traffic like the Bay
                      Bridge / cyclists incident last week
                        \_ That wouldn't have affected traffic at all if not
                           for the CHP.  -tom
                                TOM: you are an idiot. I drive the Bay BR about
                                twice a week, and commuted on it for all of
                                last semester! The average speed is 70+mph!!!
                                Unless these bikers ( with their 10 foot flag)
                                were setting world speed records, you're full
                                of crap!
                                \_ sign your name, wimp. -tom
                                \_ Actually its more like 60mph but there's
                                still no need for an antagonistic "protest".
                           \_ Did you graduate from Cal? I refuse to believe
                              an alum from one of the top universities in the
                              nation would present an argument like that.
                                \_ Don't think tom has graduated.
                              \_ They were moving nearly at the speed of
                                 traffic.  There were 17 of them, in the
                                 space that one car would have taken.  The
                                 CHP are the ones who blocked two lanes.  -tom
                                 \_ There's this little issue of it being
                                    ILLEGAL to bike on the bridge.
                                 \_ It was a PROTEST, twink.  -tom
                                    \_ So all protests are illegal by def'n?
                        \_ Just ignore the fanatic prick.  He has nothing of
                           interest to say regarding transportation issues.
                           Just the SOS.
                           \_ as opposed to you.  -tom
                                \_ Glad you agree.  First sane thing you've
                                said.
                 \_ go tom! if you can't see the bars,
                          then you're not in prison, right? -nick
                        \_ did they lets jmeggs out of jail yet?
                           \_ jmeggs is a twink
                    \_ one thing this occasional bike rider complains about
                       a lot is the condition of roads in the bay area, esp
                       in berkeley since I live here.  I wonder what Jason
                       Meggs and his like would accomplish if they were to
                       lobby for better roads rather than protesting on the
                       local bridges (not that an occasional protest is a
                       bad thing).  Voters of the World unite, oust those
                       elected representatives who don't do right by you --jon

8/25    Have you been getting a lot of flats (that's bike tires), lately?
        I'm wondering if it's just me.  I just bought a pair of "Mr. Toughy"
        belts for $14 that're supposed to prevent thorn flats.
        \_ If you're riding in the hills, the puncture vine is rampant due
           to all the rain we got.  Look out for a low, sprawling plant
           with a central purple flower and burrs; those things are
           deadly.  Mr Tuffy might help, but I hate how they ride.  -tom
                                             \_ yah, at least I'm getting
                                                a workout now

5/11    Living in Silicon Valley really sucks. In the past two years, I can
        just see that traffic jam gets worse and worse every day... and the
        cost of living just sky rocket. Crowding creates frustration man.
        \_ Then leave.  Move to Alaska or somewhere.
        \_ Did you learn to speak English on a fishing boat?
        \_ "immigrants"... 'nuff said.  Squirting kids out left and right
           and driving wages down.  Call me "un-PC", but as far as I can tell,
           it's fucking obvious.
        \_ Traffic jam:
           1) More and more people come into the Bay Area
           2) Cost of housing skyrocket because of skewed supply/demand, so
              more people have to live farther for affordable housing. Driving
              farther of course means more time on the road, and more time on
              the road means more traffic jam.
           The moral of the story, Silicon Valley does really suck.
           \_ move to Redmond.
           \_ The _real_ moral of the story: _you_ really do suck.  _Real_
           between them is 1 very slow and windy lane, which blocks the
           entire 92, 84, 237 lanes. Don't they know that the slowest element
           of any flow system bottlenecks the entire system? JESUS CHRIST.
              men and women don't live far away with an impossible commute so
           replace them with IEOR and computer scientists.
              that they can have a pretty little house with flowers and a
              barbecue . . . _REAL_ men and women work all day, and then
              sleep under their desks at night.  Pansy-boy.
        \_ So leave.  You, too, can make a difference . . . one person
           at a time.
        \_ Blame it on CalTran. They are good at building bridges, etc, but
           they know shit about queueing theory and control flow. They have
           built huge 92, 82, 237 highways that connect between 101 and
           80, but they are so stupid and incompetent that the interconnect
           between them is 1 very slow and narrow lane, which blocks the
           entire 92, 84, 237. Don't they know that the slowest element
           of any flow system bottlenecks an entire system? JESUS CHRIST.
           I think they should fire old and incompetent civil engineers and
           replace them with newer and younger IEOR and computer scientists.
           \_ IEOR and Computer Scientists?  Yeah!  Auren Hoffman and
              Scott Bonds -- building the Bay Area's next-generation freeways!
           \_ Speaking of stupid traffic exchanges, how about the whole
              580/80/bay-bridge/cypruss/macarthur-maze mess?
        \_ I just love the 5-10 minute traffic jams at the Bay Bridge toll
           booths on Saturday nights when they open only 30% of the booths
           \_  Funny how they talk about the new rate hike having made the
              bay bridge toll delays even longer.  Stoopid people not having
              correct change and what not even more often.
                   on the bridge between the island and SF. -ERic
           \_ That doesn't bother me half as much as the near-constant
              traffic jam around yermom
        \_ Ride bike!
          \_ I try but most of the bay bridges dont allow bikes, and BART
             has f*cking obnoxious bike-on-bart hours.  The bike-shuttle
             across the bay bridge is nice but has the same traffic problems.
             \_ try "motorbike"
                \_ try "organ donor"
                \_ You can die a slow death in traffic, or lanesplit on a
                   bike and play the odds.  I'm winning.
          \_ Do any of the new Bay Bridge designs under consideration
             include bike lanes?
                \_ They're all required to. But tat would only get you to
                   the island midway.   They would stil need to put bikelanes
                   on the bridge between the island and SF, so its sort of a
                   waste. -ERic
        \_ Ve haff high-speed, high-tech, high-gloss Autobahn you peon.
           Learn to build roads, Amerikaner Schweinehund pig dogs.  -John
           \_ But your roads were built by Hitler's minions to move tanks
              around the country.
                \_ and Eisenhower built ours to have 1 out of every 5
                miles of freeway straight enough to serve as emergency air
                strips in times of invasion.

3/31    Ride Bike!  There will be another ride this Saturday, 4/4, meeting
        at Rockridge BART at 11:00 AM.  Mail ride-bike-request for more
        information or to be put on the mailing list; you can see the
        planned routes at http://www.best.com/~doosh/bicycle/happyvalley.html
        The beginner's route is the easiest we do all year; no cyclist
        is too wimpy!

6/29    The next CSUA Bike Ride will be Sunday, 7/7.  Mail ride-bike-request
        for details, or to be placed on the mailing list.

6/10    The next CSUA Bike Ride is Sunday, 6/12, leaving evans at 11AM.
        Mail ride-bike-request for more info.

4/8     For a draft of the new City of Berkeley bike plan, get one mailed
        to you from: sus1@ci.berkeley.ca.us (City planning dept.) The
        next bicycle planning meeting is: Wed. Apr. 20, 7:00pm @ North
        Berkeley Senior Center, Hearst @ MLK Jr. Way.           -- Marco

4/5     If you are concerned about pending and existing bicycle rules on this
        campus, mail rshiflet@uclink2.berkeley.edu and ask him about it.
        (The biking ban between 7:30a and 5:30p is still in effect AND they
         are considering not allowing bikes anywhere inside of buildings) -- M
        \_ Fight the Power!  Fight the Powers that Be!
        \_ No justice, no peace! oh, oops

3/19  Ride Bike!  Want some exercise?  Grab your bike and show up in front
             of Evans Sunday noon.
        \_ Anyone got an extra bike?
           \_ I have one but lost 1 wheel. Want it?