Trek Pure Sport or Electra Townie 28 or Trek Lime ???

On Sep 7, 11:45 am, Ozark Bicycle
wrote:
On Sep 7, 11:25 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

At any rate, I think another point of view deserved an airing. With a
greedy corporate juggernaut such as Trek beating the drums for the
'other side', I think these guys need all the exposure they can get.

Could you, please, provide a definition of what this "other side" is, and
what makes it so evil?

Did I mention "evil"? Perhaps you have something on your mind?

Your Freudian slips aside, the 'other side' is the side that wants to
relegate bicycles to bike lanes, bike paths, etc. The side Trek, in
their quest to sell more bikes, is supporting. The side that, in the
long run, works against the use of bicycles as legitimate means of
transportation.

As opposed to this:

http://www.labreform/BFC.html

FWIW, i just biked past TREK's main plant in Waterloo, WI this past
Aug. 26. I saw no reserved bike lanes or bike paths. The plant is
located on WI Rte. 19, which has some extra width and is a good bike
riding road. But if TREK has the views you attribute to it, it's been
singularly unsuccessful in its own home town.

FWIW, i just biked past TREK's main plant in Waterloo, WI this past
Aug. 26. I saw no reserved bike lanes or bike paths. The plant is
located on WI Rte. 19, which has some extra width and is a good bike
riding road. But if TREK has the views you attribute to it, it's been
singularly unsuccessful in its own home town.

Interesting point! Route 19 never bothered me much because it does, as you
note, have a pretty wide shoulder. But near as I recall it's not indicated
as a bike route, or marked as such. Not sure about the town itself. I'll
forward this to the relevant person at Trek and see what she has to say.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Sep 7, 11:45 am, Ozark Bicycle
wrote:
On Sep 7, 11:25 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

At any rate, I think another point of view deserved an airing. With a
greedy corporate juggernaut such as Trek beating the drums for the
'other side', I think these guys need all the exposure they can get.

Could you, please, provide a definition of what this "other side" is,
and
what makes it so evil?

Did I mention "evil"? Perhaps you have something on your mind?

Your Freudian slips aside, the 'other side' is the side that wants to
relegate bicycles to bike lanes, bike paths, etc. The side Trek, in
their quest to sell more bikes, is supporting. The side that, in the
long run, works against the use of bicycles as legitimate means of
transportation.

As opposed to this:

http://www.labreform/BFC.html

FWIW, i just biked past TREK's main plant in Waterloo, WI this past
Aug. 26. I saw no reserved bike lanes or bike paths. The plant is
located on WI Rte. 19, which has some extra width and is a good bike
riding road. But if TREK has the views you attribute to it, it's been
singularly unsuccessful in its own home town.

On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 20:47:01 -0700, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:

Interesting point! Route 19 never bothered me much because it does, as you
note, have a pretty wide shoulder. But near as I recall it's not indicated
as a bike route, or marked as such.

Did you get to join the giant (sorry, not wrong word. G , REALLY
BIG) Lime ride at Trekworld?

On Sep 7, 7:12 pm, landotter wrote:
On Sep 7, 4:58 pm, Ozark Bicycle

wrote:
On Sep 7, 3:49 pm, vey wrote:

Ozark Bicycle wrote:

As opposed to this:

http://www.labreform/BFC.html

Maybe that site is off line?

Mea culpa!

http://www.labreform.org/BFC.html

I agree with them to a point. Back in Gothenburg we have dedicated
bicycle roads completely separated from traffic with their own lights--
they're incredible. Of course you're free to use the roadway as well.


That's part of the potential problem, IMO. The US mentality often
becomes: "Use the bike path, get off the road" in places with such
facilities. I have encountered this myself, including an incident with
a police officer years ago.

IMHO, the best approach is to make cycling accepted as a normal,
mainstream form of transportation and recreation, always recognizing
the cyclists have the same rights and *responsibilities* as do
motorists.


My neighborhood here has cycle lanes on a couple major routes, and
they're there simply because there was enough room to paint them. They
were done well. Cycling is up hundredfolds here on the east bank of
the holler, probably due to folks seeing my magnificent bod hauling
dog food in an ancient Timbuk2 bag.

To be honest, I'm more worried about the local evening peloton of
yuppies that fly through stop signs en masse, even when they don't
have the right-of-way. I'm thinking thumbtacks. Beautiful thumbtacks--
even more badass than the pump scene in Breaking Away. Damn Townies.

That's a matter of educating the cyclists and enforcing laws, is it
not?

Monday, I was riding with a friend, when a group of 15-20 riders were
going the other way. They were riding 2-3 abreast, taking the entire
lane of a two lane road. Traffic was backing up behind them and they
were not yielding an inch. Totally irresponsible. And then they wonder
why motorists get hostile.

On Sep 8, 6:47 am, Ozark Bicycle
wrote:

Monday, I was riding with a friend, when a group of 15-20 riders were
going the other way. They were riding 2-3 abreast, taking the entire
lane of a two lane road. Traffic was backing up behind them and they
were not yielding an inch. Totally irresponsible. And then they wonder
why motorists get hostile.

Yeah, sounds like the yupeloton. I've yelled at them a couple times
before, "hey man, yield to the car" and such and basically gotten,
"It's none of your fukin' business" or just an FU--and I've tried to
explain that when they change motorists perception of bicyclists into
adversaries--that's something that affects me personally. Thus, I'm
thinking thumbtacks and a snarky phrase uttered in Italian, probably
about their mother--but I might go extra patty with cheese, which
would be to insult their entire ancestral tree before I deploy the
IED.

On Sep 8, 7:56 am, landotter wrote:
On Sep 8, 6:47 am, Ozark Bicycle

wrote:
Monday, I was riding with a friend, when a group of 15-20 riders were
going the other way. They were riding 2-3 abreast, taking the entire
lane of a two lane road. Traffic was backing up behind them and they
were not yielding an inch. Totally irresponsible. And then they wonder
why motorists get hostile.

Yeah, sounds like the yupeloton. I've yelled at them a couple times
before, "hey man, yield to the car" and such and basically gotten,
"It's none of your fukin' business" or just an FU-

I called out: "Cars back, single file!" and got blank stares.

My immediate concern, of course, is a totally ****ed off motorist
pulling out to pass and causing a problem for me and friend. Long
term, the hostility can come back to haunt cyclists when they're
riding alone......

-and I've tried to
explain that when they change motorists perception of bicyclists into
adversaries--that's something that affects me personally.

Yep.


Thus, I'm
thinking thumbtacks and a snarky phrase uttered in Italian,

What's the Italian for "****ing clueless newbie"?


probably
about their mother--but I might go extra patty with cheese, which
would be to insult their entire ancestral tree before I deploy the
IED.

On Sep 8, 8:06 am, Ozark Bicycle
wrote:

What's the Italian for "****ing clueless newbie"?

Babelfish gives me this, which is in the ball park:

"Stupido cyclist inesperto maledetto"

:-D

On Sep 8, 8:14 am, landotter wrote:
On Sep 8, 8:06 am, Ozark Bicycle

wrote:
What's the Italian for "****ing clueless newbie"?

Babelfish gives me this, which is in the ball park:

"Stupido cyclist inesperto maledetto"

:-D

Perhaps Sergio can provide a pronunciation guide?

Interesting point! Route 19 never bothered me much because it does, as you
note, have a pretty wide shoulder. But near as I recall it's not indicated
as a bike route, or marked as such.

Did you get to join the giant (sorry, not wrong word. G , REALLY
BIG) Lime ride at Trekworld?

That was pretty wild. Never seen so many (identical) bikes built up at one
time. I went to the first show, so we had great weather, and the ride was a
lot of fun. The folk in the second group (2 days later) got nailed by nasty,
cold rain. They didn't get quite the experience we did!

The effect was perfect though. Bicycles to be used for everyday
transportation, instead of bussing people the 3-4 miles out to where things
were being held that evening. Lots of fun afterward to, cruising through
downtown Madison (the bikes had front & rear lights on them). Quite the
scene.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:37:32 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:



The effect was perfect though. Bicycles to be used for everyday
transportation, instead of bussing people the 3-4 miles out to where things
were being held that evening. Lots of fun afterward to, cruising through
downtown Madison (the bikes had front & rear lights on them). Quite the
scene.

I heard some of the BMX-able riders were doing some interesting moves
on them, as well. G

See that? Limes on the road, not the path...