How Many Cities ...
12-24-14, 10:28 PM
#51
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There are ongoing improvements. All major road projects now include accommodations for bikes, thanks to Complete Streets laws in all the local cities as well as statewide. Lansing's off-street, completely segregated bike trail system is now 18 miles long, with modest improvements in the linkages to East Lansing and the campus area. The bike trail priority is now officially transportation rather than recreation. Considering this is a major car assembly center, still with enormous economic challenges, I think we're doing pretty good.
I sometimes wonder if the Lansing area would have been easier to navigate by bike, even without improvements, had there been newer technological resources like Google Maps when I lived there. With a car, it was easy enough to find good bike routes by driving around and observing. With just a street map and a bike, things were a bit more tricky!
12-25-14, 08:09 AM
#52
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…It's interesting to see where people have been and to read people's perspectives on various cities.
… Here’s my parochial (North American) list…Most of my riding in the non-residential cities beyond Michigan and Boston is done early in the morning and/or weekends, … and limited to the downtowns.
- Metropolitan Boston: premier (if you know your way around)
- …
- New York (Manhattan): intense after about 6:00 AM. Central Park is a treat.
- Toronto (downtown): hairy main streets with no bike lanes, but interesting if you find alternate streets…
This may be one of the northernmost ride descriptions on the Metro Boston thread. For the past two days the family and I have been visiting Toronto, and I’ve rented a bike-share bike, similar to our Hubways. I think if you were to distill the best features of New York and Boston, you would produce Toronto, at least for cycling. There’s the exciting and interesting environment of cavernous downtown streets, but easy access to pleasant neighborhood cycling. We stayed in a section at the periphery of the downtown called Yorkville, like Back Bay but larger and more elegant. Within about five minutes I was into a pleasant neighborhood of older but well-kept houses similar to Brookline.
The rental bikes were very heavy, but well-maintained, and tires properly filled. The three gears were quite suitable for the terrain and soon became pleasant to ride...Unfortunately I had to fit my riding into about an hour each day, prior to 7AM, so I did ride in the dark, as traffic increased with rush hour. Speaking of exciting downtown riding, though I went out with some initial trepidation into these new and unfamiliar streets, a rearview mirror instlled instant confidence.
My son was particularly interested to visit the various ethnic neighborhoods for which TO is famous. Though we walked and took the fabulous subway and streetcar system, cycling would be the ideal way to explore. Finally, to show how accepting the city is of cyclists, they have codified special dispensations to cyclists that in Boston are still de facto rather than de jure.
One downside perhaps of Toronto compared to Boston is that it appears at the outskirts to massively sprawl, and I suspect it takes quite a while to get out from the city into pristine country riding, like our Metrowest.
The rental bikes were very heavy, but well-maintained, and tires properly filled. The three gears were quite suitable for the terrain and soon became pleasant to ride...Unfortunately I had to fit my riding into about an hour each day, prior to 7AM, so I did ride in the dark, as traffic increased with rush hour. Speaking of exciting downtown riding, though I went out with some initial trepidation into these new and unfamiliar streets, a rearview mirror instlled instant confidence.
My son was particularly interested to visit the various ethnic neighborhoods for which TO is famous. Though we walked and took the fabulous subway and streetcar system, cycling would be the ideal way to explore. Finally, to show how accepting the city is of cyclists, they have codified special dispensations to cyclists that in Boston are still de facto rather than de jure.
One downside perhaps of Toronto compared to Boston is that it appears at the outskirts to massively sprawl, and I suspect it takes quite a while to get out from the city into pristine country riding, like our Metrowest.
12-29-14, 11:11 PM
#54
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Cities in which I have rode ...
Well, Sault Ste. Marie, ON where I live, obviously. Not a bad city for bikes. From home anywhere in the city is within a half hour. 23km MUP circles the city and passes within 200 meters of home. Newly updated traffic pattern on a main thoroughfare that includes bike lanes. Couple of choke points where proximity to traffic is tight - but I have found that if I don't ride too close to the curb I don't get crowded. It helps that there are two lanes each direction at those points.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI. I ride here occasionally - usually with child #2 on back while #1 is at school. Smaller than the CDN Sault. Easy to get around with friendly people.
Students abound in both Sault Ste. Maries, so that increases the number of bikes and civic awareness of them - though Lake Superior State University is a bigger deal in Sault MI than Algoma University and Sault College are in Sault, ON. The Canadian Sault is a heavy industry city, while the Uni is the big deal on the American side.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Brought bikes here on vacation this last summer. Good choice. Great city to ride in.
Reading PA. When I was driving truck we had a regular customer there that I delivered to. I carried a single speed folder in the truck with me. More hills here than I cared for single speed. Some great rails to trails stuff along the river as I recall. Some interesting corners in West Reading and Wyomissing across the river. Found Wyomissing a bit unfriendly though. They have some local policies regarding parks and recreation facilities obviously aimed and keeping the riff-raff from across the river away.
There many cities from my trucking days that all just blurr together now. Like the middle of nowhere truckstop along the Jersey Turnpike where I got stranded for the weekend. The folder helped save my sanity those weekends ....
That's all I can think for now ...
Well, Sault Ste. Marie, ON where I live, obviously. Not a bad city for bikes. From home anywhere in the city is within a half hour. 23km MUP circles the city and passes within 200 meters of home. Newly updated traffic pattern on a main thoroughfare that includes bike lanes. Couple of choke points where proximity to traffic is tight - but I have found that if I don't ride too close to the curb I don't get crowded. It helps that there are two lanes each direction at those points.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI. I ride here occasionally - usually with child #2 on back while #1 is at school. Smaller than the CDN Sault. Easy to get around with friendly people.
Students abound in both Sault Ste. Maries, so that increases the number of bikes and civic awareness of them - though Lake Superior State University is a bigger deal in Sault MI than Algoma University and Sault College are in Sault, ON. The Canadian Sault is a heavy industry city, while the Uni is the big deal on the American side.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Brought bikes here on vacation this last summer. Good choice. Great city to ride in.
Reading PA. When I was driving truck we had a regular customer there that I delivered to. I carried a single speed folder in the truck with me. More hills here than I cared for single speed. Some great rails to trails stuff along the river as I recall. Some interesting corners in West Reading and Wyomissing across the river. Found Wyomissing a bit unfriendly though. They have some local policies regarding parks and recreation facilities obviously aimed and keeping the riff-raff from across the river away.
There many cities from my trucking days that all just blurr together now. Like the middle of nowhere truckstop along the Jersey Turnpike where I got stranded for the weekend. The folder helped save my sanity those weekends ....
That's all I can think for now ...
Last edited by auldgeunquers; 12-29-14 at 11:14 PM. Reason: spelling
12-30-14, 02:37 AM
#55
Sophomoric Member
Cities in which I have rode ...
Well, Sault Ste. Marie, ON where I live, obviously. Not a bad city for bikes. From home anywhere in the city is within a half hour. 23km MUP circles the city and passes within 200 meters of home. Newly updated traffic pattern on a main thoroughfare that includes bike lanes. Couple of choke points where proximity to traffic is tight - but I have found that if I don't ride too close to the curb I don't get crowded. It helps that there are two lanes each direction at those points.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI. I ride here occasionally - usually with child #2 on back while #1 is at school. Smaller than the CDN Sault. Easy to get around with friendly people.
Students abound in both Sault Ste. Maries, so that increases the number of bikes and civic awareness of them - though Lake Superior State University is a bigger deal in Sault MI than Algoma University and Sault College are in Sault, ON. The Canadian Sault is a heavy industry city, while the Uni is the big deal on the American side.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Brought bikes here on vacation this last summer. Good choice. Great city to ride in.
Reading PA. When I was driving truck we had a regular customer there that I delivered to. I carried a single speed folder in the truck with me. More hills here than I cared for single speed. Some great rails to trails stuff along the river as I recall. Some interesting corners in West Reading and Wyomissing across the river. Found Wyomissing a bit unfriendly though. They have some local policies regarding parks and recreation facilities obviously aimed and keeping the riff-raff from across the river away.
There many cities from my trucking days that all just blurr together now. Like the middle of nowhere truckstop along the Jersey Turnpike where I got stranded for the weekend. The folder helped save my sanity those weekends ....
That's all I can think for now ...
Well, Sault Ste. Marie, ON where I live, obviously. Not a bad city for bikes. From home anywhere in the city is within a half hour. 23km MUP circles the city and passes within 200 meters of home. Newly updated traffic pattern on a main thoroughfare that includes bike lanes. Couple of choke points where proximity to traffic is tight - but I have found that if I don't ride too close to the curb I don't get crowded. It helps that there are two lanes each direction at those points.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI. I ride here occasionally - usually with child #2 on back while #1 is at school. Smaller than the CDN Sault. Easy to get around with friendly people.
Students abound in both Sault Ste. Maries, so that increases the number of bikes and civic awareness of them - though Lake Superior State University is a bigger deal in Sault MI than Algoma University and Sault College are in Sault, ON. The Canadian Sault is a heavy industry city, while the Uni is the big deal on the American side.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Brought bikes here on vacation this last summer. Good choice. Great city to ride in.
Reading PA. When I was driving truck we had a regular customer there that I delivered to. I carried a single speed folder in the truck with me. More hills here than I cared for single speed. Some great rails to trails stuff along the river as I recall. Some interesting corners in West Reading and Wyomissing across the river. Found Wyomissing a bit unfriendly though. They have some local policies regarding parks and recreation facilities obviously aimed and keeping the riff-raff from across the river away.
There many cities from my trucking days that all just blurr together now. Like the middle of nowhere truckstop along the Jersey Turnpike where I got stranded for the weekend. The folder helped save my sanity those weekends ....
That's all I can think for now ...
I think your idea of taking a bike along when driving a truck is genius! Seems like it would solve both the boredom and the lack of exercise.
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12-30-14, 09:42 AM
#56
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I've hung out in both Saults over the years, but I don't think I ever rode a bike there. How do you get across the river with your bike? I was remembering that pedestrians aren't allowed on the bridge, so I didn't think bikes were either. Maybe you take a bus with your folder.
I think your idea of taking a bike along when driving a truck is genius! Seems like it would solve both the boredom and the lack of exercise.
I think your idea of taking a bike along when driving a truck is genius! Seems like it would solve both the boredom and the lack of exercise.
, but bike are allowed on the bridge. I do see them crossing occasionally. When I cross I am usually also buying gas for the vehicles and some grocery items that are a bit cheaper in MI than ON.Bikes and Big Trucks - yes - good combination - especially if one gets stranded somewhere waiting out a weekend or a DOT mandated logbook reset. There were a few of us with bikes - often a BSO on the back of the cab in all the tire spray and gunk. I was not sure how I would like it so I bought a cheapo big box folder - and loved having it along. Clean bike in the cab sure beats cleaning the bike before a ride.
Truck stops., however, are not often located in bike friendly locations - but even riding circles in the parking lot beats recreational gluttony at the truck stop buffet for entertainment value, eh?
Don't do long haul anymore. Sold that bike to a friend. She loves it.
12-30-14, 11:04 AM
#57
Prefers Cicero
Toronto
Winnipeg
Kenora
Sault Ste Marie
Sioux Lookout
Timmins
Pittsburgh
These are all places I have lived in, or worked in as a consultant to Northern Ontario, except Pittsburgh when I was at a conference. Usually if I travel on holidays I am with my wife who doesn't bike, so I don't either.
Winnipeg
Kenora
Sault Ste Marie
Sioux Lookout
Timmins
Pittsburgh
These are all places I have lived in, or worked in as a consultant to Northern Ontario, except Pittsburgh when I was at a conference. Usually if I travel on holidays I am with my wife who doesn't bike, so I don't either.
12-31-14, 02:37 AM
#58
bragi
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1. Seattle (Ok, I live here)
2. Denver: possibly the the best-kept cycling secret of all time in North America. Great culture and infrastructure, and the weather is awesome 9 months a year.
3. Berlin: Clunky infrastructure, but it somehow works really well, and the culture promotes survival on a bike.
4. The entire German Rhineland: Yes, most of their bicycle network consists of tractor paths, but it works, and people aren't so much tolerant of bikes, they just don't seem to think they're anything special.
5. Chicago: It's flat, it's fun, and when people give you sh**, they don't do it with malice.
6. LA: surprisingly nice. It sucks in most places, as you'd expect, but in pockets, especially along the coast, it's pretty awesome.
Cities I hate cycling in:
1. Lexington, KY: not bad in and around the UK, but venture too far out, and people will assume the worst about you if you're not driving, and will act accordingly.
2. Houston: The obvious reasons.
3. San Francisco: It's a great place to walk, but its geography and density, plus its large population of wealthy dicks in BMWs, makes it a bit challenging to ride a bike in. Marin County is a bit nicer, especially if you're into more of a mountain biking experience. (Isn't this where MTB was born?)
4. Phoenix: see Houston.
5. Seattle: OK, I live here; familiarity breeds contempt....
