Comments on: Bicycling Magazine

By: Uneasy Rhetoric

Uneasy Rhetoric — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 05:43:38 +0000

I can’t imagine what bicycling in the East Bay would be like. That would be scary.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:44:46 +0000

I just don’t want to mess up my hair … just kidding. It’s better for biking than the east bay, at least.

By: Jim Vanderveen

Jim Vanderveen — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:43:38 +0000

I tried to pingback to this article, but it seems to have been blocked. My full comment is here, but in a nutshell I think Sacramento has some work ahead before we become a top bicycle town.

By: Uneasy Rhetoric

Uneasy Rhetoric — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:57:36 +0000

Grambeaux – I agree, this town has a long way to go before it becomes a top-notch cycling town (that didn’t really come across in the post), but I think we certainly have the potential to be one.

Frankly, I don’t commute by bike as much as I could (I don’t drive either), so, I’m part of the problem, I suppose.

And Jerry – I don’t like seeing those gas powered scooters on the trail but I promise I wouldn’t shoot you with anything more than a dirty look.

By: Grambeaux

Grambeaux — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:50:48 +0000

I cycle to work, 5 miles, and cycle just about everywhere else. It works in this non-cycling town because no one else is cycling. There are very few places to lock a bike so I’m able to roll it right into a store or pub with no problem. That isn’t a solution in a cycling town but it works fine here. The American River trail is a recreation trail and never was a commute route. Bike shops do have brochures as to the best routes through town and they work for me. A cycling town? Far from it.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:34:59 +0000

Laws be damned! I have not ridden for many years but If taking it up again I will go where there are no people or cars! The sidewalks! Had thirty five-yrs of dirt bike and dual-sport motorcycles.

Currently have gas powered scooter (like a motorized skate board). I would prob get shot at if I went on the bike trail with it!

By: Uneasy Rhetoric

Uneasy Rhetoric — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 05:46:05 +0000

Yeah, the trail doesn’t function well as a commuter highway unless you live and work right on it. The mixed-use bit doesn’t bother me. My closest calls have always been with other bicycles (and butterflies).

But you think the traffic circles are bike-unfriendly? I admit getting around them is a chore, but I appreciate that cars pretty much have to slow down and pay attention to what they’re doing going around them (so do cyclists, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing) – which is pretty much the reason for putting them there.

I think the bigger problem in the inner-neighborhoods are the yard debris piles stuck right out in the bike lanes. I think SABA’s been working on a yard debris canning program (which may not work if people put the cans in the bike lanes), but I don’t know how much support that has.

I also find the fact that designated “bike routes” (20th, 18th) don’t have the stop signs switched around to create “throughways.” But then, cars will use it as a quick shortcut too, someone will get killed, and we’ll have a memorial 4-way stop. Guess that isn’t such a good idea.

My final gripe is the lack of bike-lanes/bicycle friendly roads going all the way in to downtown. When I ride in, I usually take 11th from Broadway, which isn’t too bad. Heading east though, there’s pretty much nothing unless you’re willing to fight traffic. I find the intersection of N and 16th, where the three lanes go down to two, to be incredibly unnerving. Although it isn’t quite as bad as crossing Broadway at Riverside.

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 03:57:44 +0000

Serious cyclists don’t like Sacramento because our bike trail doesn’t really go anywhere useful and it’s mixed-use and has a very low speed limit. (I love it, but I do break the speed limit in the less-busy areas.) The traffic circles make midtown a lot less bike friendly than it ought to be, too.