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New U-Lock Holsters

Written by Boston Biker on May 23

Some of you might know that I make stuff.  Here is my newest creation, a U-Lock Holster.  Not an original design, but I wanted something easy, devoid of logos, black (although I could put reflective fabric on in the future), and strong.  Got some nylon strapping, some super strong thread, and went to town.  Pretty sure my u-lock holster is the strongest part of my kit now.

Comes in biggens, and little.  Depending on if you have a full size lock or a mini.

 

If you like em you can get em here.


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I’m On Patreon Now!

Written by Boston Biker on Feb 27

Do you want to help me continue to bring you great news about biking in Boston, while also getting great rewards?  Then support me on Patreon!

Become a Patron!

 

Thank you!


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Riding A Bicycle As A Revolutionary Act

Written by Boston Biker on Oct 06

Something I have been thinking about lately, frankly something I think about all the time, is the future of the earths climate.

I am not currently “old”, whatever that means. Luck willing I could look forward to 40- 50 more years of life on this planet.

Which means my silver years could be spent in the 2060’s.  Right when I start to really slow down, climate change is expected to really speed up.  By 2050 sea levels in the Boston area will be 2 feet higher (which means a good storm floods most of the city).

If we continue to emit at the level we do, the earths average temp could be 7 degrees higher by 2050…which would make going outside for most of the year unbearable, and staying inside unbearable without AC.

There will be more storms, more droughts, more food disruption, more climate migrants, forest fires, ocean acidification, asthma alerts, wars for water, more floods, tropical illness moving north…the list of horrible outcomes grows daily as we discover just how disruptive our actions have been on the world.

I keep thinking about myself when I reach my grandparents age.  I see how they move, how they breath, how they get around, the challenges they face, and I imagine myself trying to navigate those challenges in a world ravaged by global warming.

I also think about kids I see running around who might live 70 or 80 more years.  How their silver years will be even more grim than mine, how they might deal with an ecosystem that may not be fit for human life.

There is not a nice way to say this, but if you are driving a car around, especially when you don’t absolutely need to, you are part of this problem.  When I turn on my heat at home and the oil in the tank in the basement lights up I am part of the problem.  When we buy airplane tickets to fly half way around the world, when we vote for candidates who deny the reality of climate change, when we buy things we don’t need, when we use single use spoons, when we leave the lights on…the list is very long.  It would seem our entire lifestyle is a part of the problem.

It can be overwhelming to look at the list of things Americans are doing to ruin our future.  It can be hard to know what to do, where to start, and how to do anything about it.

There is a simple thing you can do that will make the future better, and have positive effects for you right now.  Ride your bicycle.  Ride it for fun, ride it to work, ride it to the store.  Leave your car at home and take your bike to the show, to the movies, to the park.

Not only will you be avoiding carbon emissions, which is critical to slowing and eventually reversing global climate change, but you will be changing the culture.  We live in a toxic culture, that is polluting our future and stealing our silver years from us.  Riding a bike helps to repair that toxic culture.  It also shows others that its possible to break free of the toxic cycles that keep us damaging our future.

Years ago when I started riding a bike in this town there were hardly any cyclists.  But slowly over time more and more folks started riding, defying the poor infrastructure, and aggressive road culture.  Soon hundreds, and now thousands of people ride their bikes every day in this city.  The government is building more infrastructure for cyclists, people are healthier, and things are changing.

 

cmbudapest

Once you make the change to cycling, your friends and family see that its possible, and they start.  Their friends see them doing it and so they give it a try.  The positive change spreads through example, and through solidarity.  The toxic culture retreats and a new one is born.

Think about your future, think about your silver years.  Then go out and go for a bike ride.  Its a revolutionary act, and its one you can do right now.


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Bike Helmet Designed By People Who Don’t Ride Bikes

Written by Boston Biker on Oct 06

This thing is only a concept, which if I am understanding design correctly means it really has very little to do with the final product (or reality), but still it won an award…presumably the people giving out that award rarely ride bikes.

There is a lot wrong here.

Lets start with the small things and work are way up.

The helmet has no ventilation, going to be hot on most rides…especially with the visor down. Some people don’t mind that style though so lets move on.

How heavy are all the cameras and computers and display and sensors? I am going to guess heavier than foam and a thin plastic shell. Do you really want an extra pound or two on your neck for long rides? Will it fly off my head due to the extra weight during a violent fall?

How will it perform in the rain? In the snow? My cell phone doesn’t like getting cold or wet and its “water proof” Will that screen actually display anything in the sun? What if its night time and someone shines headlights in my eyes?

What happens to all that fancy stuff when you actually smash your head into something? Do the electronics and display become tiny projectiles? Is the absorbent quality of the helmet affected by having all that crap attached to it? Will I be bathed in optics and display parts all over my eyes?

Judging from the video it presents data in such a way to be far more distracting than traffic itself. Giant blue dots to let me know I am moving in the right direction? Sounds? Text in the middle of my view? How exactly do you select those different options, are we going to toss eye tracking into this thing as well? Or do I have to reach up and tap my helmet to select options while riding? Voice activation?

Why a rear facing camera? It’s actually a good thing to turn your head around and look behind you once in a while, its lets you see what you are dealing with and is a visual cue to other road users that you might be about to turn. PS. a tiny mirror does the same thing and is a lot cheaper.

What are those impact detectors on the side supposed to do? Anyone who has ever been passed by a car too close knows when something is near them, I don’t need expensive sensors to tell me that. Also the way Boston streets are designed I imagine they would be screaming constantly as most of the time you are riding in very cramped conditions. Thirdly, what exactly am I to do when the cars get too close? I can’t always move away from them. Its not like I am backing my minivan into the garage and need to know when I am too close to the wall, the cars are much bigger and heavier than me, when they get too close I am mostly at their mercy if they choose to move away from me or not.

How big are the batteries in this thing? How heavy are they going to be? With all this fancy stuff strapped to my head I imagine I couldn’t ride for more than an hour or two without having to swap them out or recharge them.

What is the carbon footprint on something like this? Am I going to have to worry about e-waste from my helmet now? Will it be full of brominated fire retardants, lithium ion batteries (which can catch fire if punctured), rare earth minerals? Will it be made with sweat shop labor in china? I am riding my bike to try to decrease the amount of emission and suffering in the world, not increase it.

How much is this going to cost? Helmets don’t last forever, even if you don’t crash you should still replace them every few years just because the foam degrades. Are the electronics removable? Is the helmet in pieces so you can only replace what you need? A cell phone or VR helmet with this much tech goes for $500-$600, am I supposed to drop half a grand every time I drop my helmet on the ground, or get hit by a car, or every three years?

This design is a failure.


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Jeff Jacoby Is A Dirty Sleaze Bag Who Tries To Get Attention When Cyclists Die

Written by Boston Biker on Jun 29

It seems Jeff Jacoby, resident murderous goon at the Globe, likes to make stupid public statements after cyclists are killed to try and squeeze just a little more attention for himself and his horrific view points.  I wrote way back in 2015 how stupid he was for doing this, and at the time he got a huge amount of push-back.

Seems he has learned only bad lessons from this behaviour, as he is once again trying to capitalize on the recent death of Amanda Philips.  

It would appear from the twitter responses though that the internet is no longer taking any of his shit.

here is his masterful insight on display…

The universal reaction to him was pretty much “what the fuck are you talking about Jeff?”

Below is a sample, see here for the whole thing (there are dozens of them).


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The Word On The Street

  • RSS Here is what people are saying

    • Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023
      TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →
      jsallen
    • Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023
      TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →
      jsallen
    • It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022
      ... Continue reading →
      commonwheels
    • It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022
      ... Continue reading →
      commonwheels
    • Hello world! June 9, 2021
      Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Continue reading →
      thecommunityspoke
    • Run The Jewels Lead Free Pewter Hand Carved And Cast Pin Set January 3, 2021
      Made these lovely RTJ fist and gun pin set. Hand carved in wax, and then cast in lead free pewter.  Because these are made by hand you can do fun things like add an extra small pin so that they sit just so (also means they have “customized” brass back plates to accommodate the extra […]
      Boston Biker
    • My Work In The Wild: Feather Head Badge With Chris King Headset January 3, 2021
      One of my customers sent me this amazing picture of my feather badge installed on their (awesome!) bike.   Check out Manofmultnomah (here and here), apparently Chris King took some interest in it as well.  Want one of your own?  Buy it here, or here... Continue reading →
      Boston Biker
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg
    • Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020
      TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →
      greg