Transportation

[rockmanj]

How do you all get around? Bus, walking, biking, driving? I usually bike these days, and have set a goal of at least 60 miles a week. In the past few weeks, I have been doing over 80 a week. Does anyone else here bike?

[dragonrage]

Subway, buses, Biking, car.

Biking is my hobby. I do it when I can. I like trail riding.

[Archangel]

I take the subway, being a college student i get 50% off so my car is pretty useless for now

[XanBcoo]

Driving all the goddamn where.

[enkoujin]

Bus/train for the most part with walking in between.

I've been thinking of getting a new bike, but it's always so cumbersome when you have to lock it up with both a chain/cable and a u-lock (and that even won't stop it from being stolen). You always have to find a way to make your new bikes look really old so people are less likely to steal it.

[dragonrage]

Funny that you mention that. A co-worker just got his bike stolen today, it was a higher end road bike too. Sucks that he won't be riding around the city with the rest anymore, at least for a while.

[Kraco]

Biking. Almost everywhere and in any weather. It's fast enough to be reasonable, very convenient compared to navigating in heavy car traffic and you never need to look for a free parking lot. Works as exercise as well, naturally. The only times it's not convenient is when you need to transport a new TV or something... Or you are wearing a formal suit. It can get rather uncomfortable when the temperature drops below -15C in the winter and very uncomfortable when it hits -25C, but you never get anywhere in life if you let the little things detain you.

[rockmanj]

Driving all the goddamn where.
TEXAS!

@Kraco I try to do that, but my bike was out of order for a few months after I got hit by an expensive SUV (the driver did not stop). It didn't deter me, but my bike was broken. I guess it is just one of the risks of biking in Chicago. Ah...I did drive last week, but only because I needed to get to my apt. really quickly.


Bus/train for the most part with walking in between.

I've been thinking of getting a new bike, but it's always so cumbersome when you have to lock it up with both a chain/cable and a u-lock (and that even won't stop it from being stolen). You always have to find a way to make your new bikes look really old so people are less likely to steal it.

I had a shitty mountain bike of mine get stolen in a good neighborhood (the same one I was run down in) and had both a u-lock and cable (the locks were also taken). I just use a u-lock now and hope that it is deterrent enough.

This is the kind of bike I have now: http://www.cyclofiend.com/working/images09/wb113-3Jeffs%20Schwinn%20001.jpg

note: not my actual bike.

[David75]

Driving, my work makes it mandatory for several reasons such as too much material and great distances covered everyday at multiple places.
I'd have a bike even at my old age, because I was a bike guy before I started working.

[shinta|hikari]

Drive. My workplace is 15 minutes away by car but 45-1 hour if I take public transportation (tricycle>jeepney>jeepney>walk).

[Killa-Eyez]

PT by day but fly by night. ;)

[Xelbair]

Car, unless there is hardcore traffic jam i can be in 5 to 15 minutes at my Uni, and it is 40 minutes by foot, and 20 by public transportation if i'm lucky.
I usually go biking from time to time for fun, but 'parking' my bike near my Uni would be like saying 'goodbye' to it.

[rockmanj]

Driving, my work makes it mandatory for several reasons such as too much material and great distances covered everyday at multiple places.
I'd have a bike even at my old age, because I was a bike guy before I started working.

Old age? :\

[Buffalobiian]

My main mode of transport is bus. It was what I used during my uni years, I've been bus-ing to work these past 8 months, and I bet I'll continue to use the bus for the coming 2 years that I'll be at uni again. The next two years after that.. I'm not so sure since clinical schools will be the main setting as opposed to the university and it'll depend on where I live and the availability of public transport in between.

I do occasionally borrow the car for some shopping or to my casual work in the suburb, but that accounts for like 5% of my total use.

I don't find biking an appropriate mode of transport for me because it means I'm perspiring when I arrive. On a more shallow level, Australian laws make helmets mandatory so it mucks up your hairdo. It's a good move for safety, but a bad one for pushing people to use more eco-friendly transport.

Public transport also lets me catch up on sleep, so that's cool too.

[David75]

Old age? :\
A running joke I seem to keep running.

Other reasons I'd have troubles using a bike is that Paris is incredibly dangerous for anything other than cars or trucks. Most of my biking life was in other cities where it was "safer". Paris and suburbs is hell on wheels, so the bigger/stronger you are, the better.

[Death BOO Z]

motorcycle. Evo X-250.

25 minutest to get to the university instead of 70 (bike ride to the station and train). 10 minutes to get to work instead of 50.I Although I now pay gas and insurance, I still get around faster and whenever I want, so it's worth it.

my bike (crappy, crappy cheap model) got stolen one week after I got the motorcycle.

[enkoujin]

Recently, I've actually developed an interest in the mode of transportation of vehicles because public transit is awful and only those with high tolerance to sour odours, run-ins with some mentally-disturbed homeless, racists and other people with rude etiquette could ever ride it without a care in the world.

What do you all think of the smart fortwo and mopeds for year-round purposes? I'll probably get it somewhere after I'm done university.

[Archangel]

motorcycle. Evo X-250.

It looks... adorable

[David75]

Recently, I've actually developed an interest in the mode of transportation of vehicles because public transit is awful and only those with high tolerance to sour odours, run-ins with some mentally-disturbed homeless, racists and other people with rude etiquette could ever ride it without a care in the world.

What do you all think of the smart fortwo and mopeds for year-round purposes? I'll probably get it somewhere after I'm done university.

2 wheels, too dangerous. No really. 25 times more chances of having an accident, and not a nice one.

Smart ForTwo, well it's a nice car, too bad it's so expensive for what it does. It's just that's it's a pure city car, not very practical to move things either. But then you can always have things delivered home.

[Assertn]

Leased a new Honda Insight. Though I work from home so transportation isn't a huge concern anyway.

[rockmanj]

I like the idea of Insights, but the back window is kind of hard to see through. Are you having that issue? Also I think the guy at the bike shop I frequent is taking the piss. He lifted my seat and handlebars super high, and now I can't even touch the ground while sitting.

[Kraco]

Also I think the guy at the bike shop I frequent is taking the piss. He lifted my seat and handlebars super high, and now I can't even touch the ground while sitting.

It takes a few minutes to adjust them yourself...

[rockmanj]

Someone told me that the average person could walk 15 miles in a day with no duress. I wonder if this is true. It does not seem like a lot.

[Sapphire]

Depends on the weather for sure.

[Archangel]

More like it depends on the country, I hardly think most Amerifats could walk 5 miles without dropping dead on the way

[David75]

Well, the average American is taking less than 5500 steps a day. 2000 steps average for a mile, 2.75 miles average a day for your typical redneck ( :D )
The average Amish is taking 18 000 steps a day, 9 miles. Strangely enough, they almost have no weight problems, few type 2 diabetes and other weight related illnesses.
But you could always argue that 9 miles are somewhere 2.5 to 3 hours a day. A lot of time in a society organised around cars, with great distances to be covered for your work, distances that you can not walk/bike conveniently, let alone cover with public transportation.

I do not mean to say this is all society's fault, but it plays a great part.

Now if someone tells me 15 miles is easy for the average person... well, it's 66% more than your average amish, so I'd say bullshit :D
And remember that it's 5 hours for an average guy that walks and should still be able to hold a conversation breathing normally

[darkshadow]

I've never had problems with breathing after walking for a long time, it's more my feet that get sore if I'm not wearing proper shoes; walking around cologne/gamescom for six hours killed my toes hard, but I wasn't really tired at all.

[David75]

I've never had problems with breathing after walking for a long time, it's more my feet that get sore if I'm not wearing proper shoes; walking around cologne/gamescom for six hours killed my toes hard, but I wasn't really tired at all.

There's that rule that you should be able to walk (or train) at the maximum level that allows you to still be able to talk normally.
When you go past that, your training will probably be too strong and create problems.

For your problem, you have to choose shoes with a better fit I guess.

[Xelbair]

well i've been walking for 48h straight at some conventions(i'm not one of those lazy ass guys who just get into one room and spend all the time over there, mind you), Walking that much is not a problem if you aren't forcing yourself(ie walking too fast).

[Ryllharu]

I think it is more of a matter of what you normally do in terms of how long you can walk or stand. When I worked warehouse and service jobs, my feet killed for the first week or two and then I never had any problems no matter what I did. Now that I spend 9+ hours sitting in a chair, standing for more than three hours or so makes my feet hurt again.

As for Americans being fat, that's mostly a suburban/rural issue. We have to drive everywhere to get any place. City dwellers walk all over the place (or at least walk to the nearest public transportation), and tend to be in better shape. The vast majority of the fatties live in the suburbs.

[Archangel]

well i've been walking for 48h straight at some conventions(i'm not one of those lazy ass guys who just get into one room and spend all the time over there, mind you), Walking that much is not a problem if you aren't forcing yourself(ie walking too fast).
You must come out of those smelling funky as all hell :x

[David75]

Something I'd like to try someday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQz_cYjsH4

[Archangel]

Something I'd like to try someday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQz_cYjsH4
Just how fucking rich is that area? From the buildings to the cars it was like something out of a Richie rich comic

[Kraco]

Maybe I'm evil but I was waiting for the driver to crash, and was very disappointed when he didn't. With that driving style relying on luck so much, it would only be a matter of time.

[Archangel]

Maybe I'm evil but I was waiting for the driver to crash, and was very disappointed when he didn't. With that driving style relying on luck so much, it would only be a matter of time.
I noticed that too, it was like the laws of traffic didn't apply at all.

Maybe it's because it's below 50cc or some shit... it's been a while since i read on that.

[David75]

Well, it's a electric assisted bike... common nick for such bikes is Pedelec.
Thing is, they did go to the extreme and fit lots of cells and a powerfull motor.

The video was shot in Monaco, explaining the luxury all around... The bike itself is a whoping 12 000€ (mainly cells I guess...)

Another angle where you see the guy pedaling... and more peaceful ride in Berlin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzsHFka92X8&feature=player_embedded

Regarding road legal issues?
The second vid shows the thing is equiped like a moped... and I guess should be like a 125cm3

In Europe, that would be considered a pedelec only if it is a bike, the electric motor is 250W or lower, electric assistance stops at 25km/h.

then you have mopeds, no need for motorbike driving liscence, but you need a motorbike helmet, insurance, vehicule lights, number plate... but you're limited to 45km/h

Next step is a light motorbike driving liscence, up to 125cm3 for petrol engines. I do not know for other types. But that bike would fit in that category. So you need plates, insurance, motorbike helmet, vehicule lights etc...

This is not your average bicycle, isn't it?

[DeadlyOats]

Where the video was edited... I wonder if that's where the near misses occurred, or maybe he got a traffic citation at one or more of those edited out parts :rolleyes: It would have been funny to see his hands signing for a traffic citation from that camera view... lol

[darkshadow]

I dunno what was so crazy about the way he drove...cyclist all weave in and out of traffic like that here, I do it too sometimes if I'm in a hurry.

[Xelbair]

if i could i would kill those cyclists - seriously - they are most dangerous thing on the roads.(from a car driver point of view)