Biking Everywhere

So here's a story of three bike parking spaces...

Robinsons Magnolia

Cubao Expo

The office

I wish all building owners and administrators would install proper bike parking facilities in their establishments, just like the one in Cubao Expo. Sometimes, it's not that easy to find a pipe or a railing where I can safely lock my bike. Robinsons Magnolia's "bike parking" space is right in their 2nd level basement parking and it consists of metal pipes that are beside the support columns. But I think the worse part is the very steep ramp that serves as the entrance/exit of the basement parking. I actually opted to walk my bike up the ramp instead of pedaling.

At the office, I only have two choices for bike parking - the railing on the ramps for persons with disability or the window railing. I chose the latter because it's the one found indoors. It's in our fire exit, beside the stairs, so there's not much space for multiple bicycles. I think I'll write our building administrator to provide more adequate parking spaces for bicycles. I just need to scout for a suitable location that I can suggest to her.

Adequate bicycle parking is an important infrastructure not just for current bikers but for potential bikers as well. I believe in the maxim "build and they will come". Once people see that there are proper biking infrastructure in the places they frequent like the malls or their offices, they will most likely be encouraged to pedal instead of drive. Installing these bike parking facilities can go a long way to empower people to bike everywhere.

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Installing bicycle parking spaces is just the first step. A major policy decision towards a more bike-friendly metropolis is intermodality. And Copenhagen showcases how a city can be so bike-friendly, you can always bike everywhere you want to go.

Episode 03 - Intermodality - Top 10 Design Elements in Copenhagen's Bicycle Culture from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Going for Celeste

So I passed by one of my favorite bike shops, Simple Cyclery, and asked the owner Gilbert about the vintage Bianchi frame he was selling. I now have a price target. Now, all I need is the money.

How I'd love to ride in a bike like this!

Donations are welcome. :)

And for those who are asking...

Simple Cyclery

87-D D.Tuazon Ave.

Brgy.Lourdes, Sta. Mesa Heights

Quezon City 

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Riding the Green Wave

Episode 02 - The Green Wave for Cyclists - Top 10 Design Elements in Copenhagen's Bicycle Culture from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

In the previous post, I featured a video on Copenhagen's policy on uniform bike lanes. This policy has been the cornerstone of the success of their biking culture. Recently, Copenhagenize.com released the second installment of this 10-part feature. This second episode talks about the Green Wave.

The Green Wave is coordinated traffic lights for cyclists. Ride 20 km/h and you won't put a foot down on your journey into the city centre in the morning and home again in the afternoon.

The Green Wave is a very interesting strategy because it rewards cyclists who maintain an average speed with a continuous straight path. This reinforces the strategy of ensuring that cycling is the fastest way to travel in Copenhagen. Increasing the convenience of the cyclists has boosted the number of bikers in their roads. This entails excellent traffic planning and coordination - both are necessary in a thriving metropolis such as Metro Manila.

Below is another look at a street with a Green Wave.

The Green Wave in Copenhagen from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

One of the things that caught my attention is the width of the road. I'm still trying to figure out how did they put their cycling lane in a road that continues to have 2-way car traffic. I just need to figure out the dimensions of their roads, carriageways, and bike lanes. Then I'll try to compare these measurements with our own. This could be the start of a more systematic advocacy for many biking groups.

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Speaking of riding the green wave, I think I have been bitten by the Celeste bug.

The Big Picture: Bikes, Not Cars

Below is an excellent video about how Copenhagen has prioritized the bicycle, over the automobile. I think it's worth equating "livability" with "bike-friendliness". A metropolis that is filled with fly-overs is not a bike-friendly city. A city should prioritize making transportation outside of the automobile faster and safer. Therefore, a cyclist and walker friendly city is a better city.

Without proper bike lanes, I think we need this campaign here

Another important message of the video is the idea that if we build the proper infrastructures, the people will start using their bicycles more. I believe in this message. It's not about the current number of cyclists on the road but about our ability to accommodate daily commuters that would push people to actually choose this method of transportation. I wish that this becomes adopted as a policy by the government, both nationally and locally.

The Big Picture - 01 - Top 10 Bicycle-Friendly Design Elements in Copenhagen from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

My Dream Opafiets

Some day, I wish I could ride in my own Velorbis Classic Gents bicycle. I'll either ride it in the Netherlands or have it shipped here. I love the beauty and the simplicity of this retro-style bike. Riding in an upright bike is very classy. I wish we have our own "slow bike" culture here in the Philippines so I could dress up as classy as these guys below.

Opafiets means 'grandfather bike' in Dutch. It is a "generic term used to describe typically a two-wheeled, utilitarian bicycle, with mudguards or fenders, a rear carrier or rack, relaxed frame or geometry, an upright seating position and generally an ‘old-time’ look reminiscent of the early 20th century. It is a style of bike you will find all over Northern Europe, from bicycle friendly cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, to Berlin, Hamburg, Stockholm and Oslo".

Most of the bicycles in Metro Manila are either racers or mountain bikes. I occasionally see some upright bikes that are most likely from Japanese surplus stores, but they are the minority in the road. One of these days, I'll ask Lee of Bzkleta to build me a Velorbis imitation from some scrap bike parts. The only challenge is finding a frame big enough for my height.

I have a theory - to encourage more people to ride a bicycle, maybe it would help to make cycling more fashionable. We're used to seeing bikers either with shabby bikes or with shiny sporty ones. It's rare to see pogi bikes on the road. Maybe if people start seeing more gentlemanly (and lady-like) cyclists using bespoke bicycles on the road, people would start thinking that biking is not just for the fit, the fast, and the strong.

Sky Cap and Other Stuff

Today, I did some shopping for my bike. I bought a small bottle of WD-40 to start protecting my bike from rust.

I also bought some elastic cord ties from National Bookstore to tie stuff to my bike. I've been using bungee cords but the hooks have caused scratches on my frame and racks. I also bought a Sky cycling cap from Simple Cyclery. I'm a big fan of the Sky Cycling Team ever since they started last year. And I hope Froomey wins this year's Tour de France.

Pictured above is my current bike setup. I'll be trying to use the crate so I won't need to wear my backpack tomorrow morning. I also have a BrookShield Ass Saver as my provisional mud guard.

Fixie for Me?

via Simple Cyclery