Article about cyclist in NYT
"Good thing he's a millionare as I imagine he'll lose a few bikes this way at LGA or JFK.
""...Unless you are taking your bike with you, a decent lock is required to tether your transportation to a pole or fence at the airport. As for other essential gear, like helmets, he goes without."""
That devastating injury was what drove him to cycling.
Dear Alanis,
Welcome to the message board. I trust you'll enjoy your stay.
- Christian
(see pic w article) so it appears he isn't silly enough to think you can lock a bike for days at any airport and expect it to be there when you get back (the writer apparently wasn't experienced cyclist).
Maybe it is a small suitcase.....BUT where does the suitcase go on his bike???
How about an article on bicycle safety rather than
some Bozo who hasn't busted his helmetless head...YET.
Rob
Just because a guy doesn't wear a helmet doesn't mean we should disregard the message he's bringing, the clever way he is doing it, and the contribution he's making to NYC cycling (from a guy that's not even an American).
Here is a person that has invested lots of time, money and effort into promoting cycling; a successful entrepreneur that put his money where his mouth is. He's a cycle nut just like us and now he's managed to get a pro-cycling article published in the New York Times (...I'm certain that the NY Times would be thrilled to write another article on bike safety...yawn...).
And hopefully some people that don't bike will be suprised by the short time it actually takes to ride to Manhattan from the airports (25 minutes from LAG, under 1 hour from JFK) and may see biking as a realistic transportation alternative for the first time. A new perspective on cycling because of a goofy article about riding a folding bike to the airport. That's clever message delivery if you ask me.
Hurray for Michael de Jong and his guerilla marketing in support of cycling.
Okay, perhaps BOZO was a NO NO.
1)However, where does the case go?
2)His goal is admirable, But for $2.00 you can get to LGA and leave the Bike home.
3) If you did do as he suggested and chained it up at ANY Airport, it would be clipped. Of course after the Bomb Squad checked it first.
Unless there is a place to leave or store your bike, it is not very realistic. Even the Dahon bags are not designed for carry on.
A cute article, but more like a rich boy's adventure.
Rob
"""2)His goal is admirable, But for $2.00 you can get to LGA and leave the Bike home.""
Why would you ride your bike anywhere within the city when you can take mass transit for $2.00?
He takes the bike with him on flights. He doesn't lock it up for days or weeks at the airport."
Have you ever taken mass transit to LGA? Major pain in the ass - first a subway (maybe more than one, depending on where you are), then a bus. His 20 min. by bike is about 3X faster. If I were going to 'leave the bike at home', I'd take a cab or airport bus, not the MTA.
"The bus of course is a good use of Mass Transit, But the ""Cab""??? Then again I take the car.
NO ONE HAS ANSWERED WHERE THE SUITCASE GOES???"
"If he uses a Samsonite 29"" aka Bike Friday aircase, he can pull it on the specially designed Bike Friday foldable trailer.
Go to Bike Friday to view the details.
- Christian"
TRUE... BUT I DID NOT SEE IT IN THE PHOTO.
I'M NOT ONE TO BUST CHOPS...But I would assume the reporter would tackle the reality of chaining your bike to a fence at the airport.
Whatever...
TRUE... BUT I DID NOT SEE IT IN THE PHOTO.
I'M NOT ONE TO BUST CHOPS...But I would assume the reporter would tackle the reality of chaining your bike to a fence at the airport.
Whatever...
I've been searching the Web for foldable bikes that have carrying cases that can be attached to the bike rack as luggage while you're riding. So far I haven't found a thing and, although I commend Michael de Jong for getting the article published, you have to question the reporter for allowing such an obvious flaw in the story to be left unanswered. More sloppy work by the New York Times.
and pick it up again when outbound. That would mean no case transport except at his home city.
Hmmmmm.
but it got deleted for some reason.
Has no one on this board ever used left luggage?
You know. pay to store some baggage?
During lay overs I have left baggage in the lockers that you pay for rather than lug them around the airport.
In Business or First class lounges you could leave your bags and such while you enjoyed the lounge or roamed the airport.
However the lockers in many public areas such as airports have been remove for security reasons.
I have never seen an Airport storage area for baggage other than LOST BAGGAGE.
I would try to store the bag at a nearbye hotel and have them shuttle me over to the airport. That is a strong posibility.
rob
You've no doubt heard the story of the investment banker who, having worked late and having a company-expensed limo available to him but not wishing to go home yet himself, sent his briefcase home in the limo (to Greenwich or wherever).
Not that it would work too well in practice but this guy seems eccentric (and wealthy) enough to send the suitcase to the airport by taxi while he rides his bike!
"The Bike Friday case has a clever set of wheels and a ""tongue"" that attach to the bottom of the suitcase forming a ""trailer"". The tongue attaches to a hook on the chainstay of the bike. You put your panniers in the suitcase while riding, then take them out at the airport, fold up the bike, pack it in the suitcase and check it at no extra cost. I've owned a couple of Bike Fridays and used to have the trailer rig, but I rarely used it."
i loved the picture of lance riding in central park this year with no helmet.
go lance!
http://www.nycc.org/mb/Thread.aspx?B=1&T=5408&TP=1&C=(1)
I wonder if Times UP or another similar advocacy group has ever worked on securing a parking area near the airports. I live in Brooklyn and hate how slow the public transportation is to LGA and the expense of a car service to either airport, but it has been the question of parking the bike that has kept me from riding. Anybody ever hear of this as a potential project?
"In 1992, my bike was in the trunk of a cab, headed to JFK. A plume of smoke appeared ahead of us. I suggested to the driver that perhaps he turn on his radio and see if there was something on the news. He did.
Sure enough, there had been a crash at Kennedy. In the next moment we came upon police in the freeway who were motioning all the traffic off it.
I got into my riding shorts in the back seat. Once the cab was on the surface road, I got my bike from the trunk, assembled it, attached my bag, a Kirtland saddle wedge, to the seat post...and rode right back down the on ramp on the other side of the road.
...So there I was, quite all alone, humping to JFK on the otherwise empty freeway—around twenty-five minutes of humping, as I recall, maybe thirty. I did encounter a policeman. He asked where I was going. I told him. That was OK with him.
End of story: I rolled up to British Air just in time to make my flight, or so I thought. I would have...except for the fact the airline, for no known reason, closed the door to the plane some minutes ahead of time even though the plane was going to sit on the tarmac. No matter, they weren't going to open the door for me.
I protested, ""I'm going to the Olympics!"" Which is true: I was...but god knows, not as a participant. I mean, I was already in my 50s and you just don't see too many thick-waisted (and wasted) cyclists in their 50s in the Olympics. Well, if god knew it, the airline people didn't. I think they thought I was going to be in them. They found me an Air Iberia flight that left six hours or seven hours after the BritAir flight.
By the time I arrived in Barcelona, I had been up for over a day. I sat in the velodrome stands on a night when, I think, five or six gold medals were awarded. I don't know that I saw any of them. I was in my seat. But mostly asleep.
Ah, but at least I can say I biked on the Van Wyck."
