Ouch. This happened to me once

On 2/22/2018 12:31 PM, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 8:06 AM, Joerg wrote:

That is correct. When neighbors hear about Green Valley Road and my
suggestion to join me for a ride the reactions are between "No" and
"Hell no!". When it's trucking the bikes to a trail head the answer is
often an enthusiastic "Yes". Trucking is something I personally do not
like, I prefer to ride from the garage and not use a car at all if
possible.

+1. While on occasion we do put the bikes on the car, we greatly prefer
not to do that. When it's unbearably hot in Silicon Valley we'll often
go ride our favorite 40 mile coastal ride from Seaside, through
Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel, and we do drive there.

Those are the cold hard facts and sticking the head in the sand about
them isn't helpful. Yet that's what some folks do. Luckily few enough
that smart city leaders aren't influenced much by them.

LOL. Could you attend one of our City Council meetings and say that? We
are pretty lucky in my city. We have three people that tend to vote
based on facts when it comes to most issues, two engineers and one
attorney. It's sometimes hard when you hear emotional pleas that have no
basis in fact, especially when they come from your neighbors and from
people you've known for decades whose kids went to school with your
kids, etc..

Emotional pleas like "Riding a bike is so dangerous!" and "We need bike
lanes everywhere" and "You shouldn't ride any time, day or night, unless
you have super-bright lights on your bike"?

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 2/22/2018 11:06 AM, Joerg wrote:


When neighbors hear about Green Valley Road and my
suggestion to join me for a ride the reactions are between "No" and
"Hell no!". When it's trucking the bikes to a trail head the answer is
often an enthusiastic "Yes". Trucking is something I personally do not
like, I prefer to ride from the garage and not use a car at all if
possible.

Those are the cold hard facts and sticking the head in the sand about
them isn't helpful. Yet that's what some folks do. Luckily few enough
that smart city leaders aren't influenced much by them.

Yet you try to refute the fact that riding bikes has been found time
after time, by study after study, to have benefits that GREATLY outweigh
its tiny risks. IOW you are literally safer riding a bike than not
riding a bike.

Do you give those facts to your neighbors? Of course not. Instead, you
perpetrate the "Danger! Danger!" myth every chance you get.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On 2/22/2018 12:30 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-02-22 09:11, sms wrote:
On 2/21/2018 10:57 AM, AMuzi wrote:

I, for one, would rather NOT ride on kiddy paths, a significant reason
among many being I'm hardly ever going where one exists.

You don't understand that most of the bicycle infrastructure is NOT
"kiddy paths." It is mainly used by commuters during the week. On
weekends you may get some small kids on the first quarter mile from
parking areas, but they don't go much further than that.

You should come ride the American River Trail than runs from Sacramento
to Folsom. A very direct ride from suburbs to employment centers.


And quite full during rush hour. Also on weekends and holidays. Many of
those are riders who spend money at restaurants and such.

Some cities have wisened up and are increasingly providing connectors to
the trail. Folsom being the leader they will now even connect a rather
distant singletrack to it. Then a bike lane connector from El Dorado
Hills which will likely siphon off some discretionary spending in their
favor. As it should.

The rewards for such smart city leaders are often very visible. For
example, when I cycle by restaurants or cafes and there are a dozen road
bikes parked out front. Here in Cameron Park that simply does not happen
because our village leaders are not as smart.


Â*... Ditto for several long MUPs in Silicon Valley.

I don't doubt that some people can point to some MUPs and show that they
have significant use for transportation, not recreation.

But those are far, far from typical. A thorough survey would show that
probably 99% of MUPs are used 99% for recreation, most often in a
drive-there-and-ride-a-while mode.

With very few exceptions, it's dishonest to use transportation funds to
build these linear playgrounds.


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 2/22/2018 9:30 AM, Joerg wrote:

snip

Next time I am down there I'll have to load a bike into the car and
explore that. Last time I had a hotel room in Redwood City and that
didn't seem all that bike-friendly.

http://www.cyclismocafe.com/

The next trip will probably be to
San Jose, Brooktree area. Any suggestions for a hotel with good bike
path connectivity?

So many hotels meet that criteria.

Mountain View:
Hotel Zico
Extended Stay America

Campbell
Campbell Inn
Marriott Townplace Suites
Motel 6
Carlyle

Santa Clara
Hilton
Marriott
Hyatt Regency

Other than a gap in the Los Gatos Creek trail between Meridian and
Virginia, all the MUPs have connections to each other (the trail behind
NASA/AMES and Moffett Field is unpaved, but can be done even on a road
bike).

There is also the Coyote Creek trail which is not yet connected, but
it's not all that interesting.

You won't find many kids on these routes during the week. Some of them
have some sections with a lot of kids on the weekends.

Hotels in this area tend to be very expensive on the weekdays.

On 2/22/2018 9:30 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 9:07:02 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:

snip

But of course you knew all this, and I suspect that you use a DRL when
commuting.

Not when it's sunny. I didn't this morning because of all the light reflecting off the (late season) snow. Plus, with my 50lb studs, I was riding about 10mph. I was in the road, or the snowy shoulder, toe-to-toe with buses and cars. Joerg would have sh** his pants. This is the road, but way more snow today -- and more sun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmgd5rzyeCc&t=71s That puts you in downtown. I tried the pedestrian facility/MUP, but the snow was too deep, and the deep boot print/holes were annoying. That's the deal with physically separate facilities, they don't get plowed or cleaned.

What mattered more was "10MPH." Where a DRL is extremely helpful is when
riding fast because often vehicles don't realize that a bicycle can be
coming toward them at 20-25 MPH, and they will make a turn, or exit a
side street or driveway, in front of you. While you still should be
prepared to take evasive action, it happens a lot less when a vehicle
sees you coming because of a DRL. It's much more effective than a neon
colored shirt.

Oh, I had my rear blinky on. It totally saved my life. So did my shoe covers and pocket tool.

Not sure about the pocket tool, but definitely the rear flasher and the
shoe covers were instrumental, and it's good that you understand this.

On 2018-02-22 09:31, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 8:06 AM, Joerg wrote:

That is correct. When neighbors hear about Green Valley Road and my
suggestion to join me for a ride the reactions are between "No" and
"Hell no!". When it's trucking the bikes to a trail head the answer is
often an enthusiastic "Yes". Trucking is something I personally do not
like, I prefer to ride from the garage and not use a car at all if
possible.

+1. While on occasion we do put the bikes on the car, we greatly prefer
not to do that. When it's unbearably hot in Silicon Valley we'll often
go ride our favorite 40 mile coastal ride from Seaside, through
Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel, and we do drive there.


Because bike paths ar sorely lacking east of Folsom some people here
have resorted to the "split commute". They strap their bikes to the back
of their cars, ride down there on Highway 50, park and then ride to
work. Unfortunately Sacramento Regional Transit owns many of the parking
lots down there and they are now banning parking by people that aren't
using their light rail.


Those are the cold hard facts and sticking the head in the sand about
them isn't helpful. Yet that's what some folks do. Luckily few enough
that smart city leaders aren't influenced much by them.

LOL. Could you attend one of our City Council meetings and say that?


If it wasn't so far away I would.


... We
are pretty lucky in my city. We have three people that tend to vote
based on facts when it comes to most issues, two engineers and one
attorney. It's sometimes hard when you hear emotional pleas that have no
basis in fact, especially when they come from your neighbors and from
people you've known for decades whose kids went to school with your
kids, etc..


Got to have facts plus the financial resources in the city coffers. If
either of those isn't there it's no good.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2018-02-22 10:35, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 9:30 AM, Joerg wrote:

snip

Next time I am down there I'll have to load a bike into the car and
explore that. Last time I had a hotel room in Redwood City and that
didn't seem all that bike-friendly.

http://www.cyclismocafe.com/

The next trip will probably be to San Jose, Brooktree area. Any
suggestions for a hotel with good bike path connectivity?

So many hotels meet that criteria.

Mountain View:
Hotel Zico


Hmm, I stayed at the Zico some years ago. AFAIR it was in the middle of
freeway ramps. They cook up a very good breakfast though.


Extended Stay America

Campbell
Campbell Inn
Marriott Townplace Suites
Motel 6
Carlyle

Santa Clara
Hilton
Marriott
Hyatt Regency


Thanks, I'll store this post and check those out when the time comes.


Other than a gap in the Los Gatos Creek trail between Meridian and
Virginia, all the MUPs have connections to each other (the trail behind
NASA/AMES and Moffett Field is unpaved, but can be done even on a road
bike).


I'd love to do some high speed riding in one of those old hangars at
Moffett Field :-)

That's the area where we often do EMC testing. Though as a location I
prefer the site at Mariposa, big time.


There is also the Coyote Creek trail which is not yet connected, but
it's not all that interesting.

You won't find many kids on these routes during the week. Some of them
have some sections with a lot of kids on the weekends.

Hotels in this area tend to be very expensive on the weekdays.


I know but the clients pay :-)

Beats me why so many high-tech companies are still in Silicon Valley.
Though over the last 5-10 years the client locations have shifted for
me. The highest concentration is now in Texas which is why I had to
become an early riser.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2/22/2018 12:20 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-02-22 10:35, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 9:30 AM, Joerg wrote:

snip

Next time I am down there I'll have to load a bike into the car and
explore that. Last time I had a hotel room in Redwood City and that
didn't seem all that bike-friendly.

http://www.cyclismocafe.com/

The next trip will probably be to San Jose, Brooktree area. Any
suggestions for a hotel with good bike path connectivity?

So many hotels meet that criteria.

Mountain View:
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Hotel Zico


Hmm, I stayed at the Zico some years ago. AFAIR it was in the middle of
freeway ramps. They cook up a very good breakfast though.


Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Extended Stay America

Campbell
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Campbell Inn
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Marriott Townplace Suites
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Motel 6
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Carlyle

Santa Clara
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Hilton
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Marriott
Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Hyatt Regency


Thanks, I'll store this post and check those out when the time comes.


Other than a gap in the Los Gatos Creek trail between Meridian and
Virginia, all the MUPs have connections to each other (the trail behind
NASA/AMES and Moffett Field is unpaved, but can be done even on a road
bike).


I'd love to do some high speed riding in one of those old hangars at
Moffett Field :-)

That's the area where we often do EMC testing. Though as a location I
prefer the site at Mariposa, big time.

Apple used to have an outdoor EMC site out on the San Mateo coast,
between Pescadero and San Gregorio, on Stage Road, a very popular
bicycle route. The rented it out to other companies as well. This was
before they had an anechoic chamber to use. I was told that the few
residents in that area were very concerned about that outdoor test site.

Beats me why so many high-tech companies are still in Silicon Valley.
Though over the last 5-10 years the client locations have shifted for
me. The highest concentration is now in Texas which is why I had to
become an early riser.

Don't you know that there is some sort of mandate that every tech
company be located in Silicon Valley?! Seriously, our congressman has
repeatedly stated that these companies should be expanding in other
states and cities with high unemployment and declining industries (like
coal and steel). He gets attacked whenever he mentions this, as if the
only thing that ever matters for an area is having as many jobs as
possible, and traffic, water, housing, etc., don't matter.

On 2018-02-22 12:53, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 12:20 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-02-22 10:35, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 9:30 AM, Joerg wrote:

snip

Next time I am down there I'll have to load a bike into the car and
explore that. Last time I had a hotel room in Redwood City and that
didn't seem all that bike-friendly.

http://www.cyclismocafe.com/

The next trip will probably be to San Jose, Brooktree area. Any
suggestions for a hotel with good bike path connectivity?

So many hotels meet that criteria.

Mountain View:
Hotel Zico


Hmm, I stayed at the Zico some years ago. AFAIR it was in the middle
of freeway ramps. They cook up a very good breakfast though.


Extended Stay America

Campbell
Campbell Inn
Marriott Townplace Suites
Motel 6
Carlyle

Santa Clara
Hilton
Marriott
Hyatt Regency


Thanks, I'll store this post and check those out when the time comes.


Other than a gap in the Los Gatos Creek trail between Meridian and
Virginia, all the MUPs have connections to each other (the trail behind
NASA/AMES and Moffett Field is unpaved, but can be done even on a road
bike).


I'd love to do some high speed riding in one of those old hangars at
Moffett Field :-)

That's the area where we often do EMC testing. Though as a location I
prefer the site at Mariposa, big time.

Apple used to have an outdoor EMC site out on the San Mateo coast,
between Pescadero and San Gregorio, on Stage Road, a very popular
bicycle route. The rented it out to other companies as well.


That would be perfect. Still, CKC in Mariposa is the best. Just have to
make sure you don't step into bear poop on their outdoor range. At night
there's live country music and dancing in town. Once there even was a
saloon fight.


... This was
before they had an anechoic chamber to use. I was told that the few
residents in that area were very concerned about that outdoor test site.


Because aliens might land their UFOs there?


Beats me why so many high-tech companies are still in Silicon Valley.
Though over the last 5-10 years the client locations have shifted for
me. The highest concentration is now in Texas which is why I had to
become an early riser.

Don't you know that there is some sort of mandate that every tech
company be located in Silicon Valley?! Seriously, our congressman has
repeatedly stated that these companies should be expanding in other
states and cities with high unemployment and declining industries (like
coal and steel). He gets attacked whenever he mentions this, as if the
only thing that ever matters for an area is having as many jobs as
possible, and traffic, water, housing, etc., don't matter.


Some companies are gradually realizing that there is a growing number of
engineers who, like myself, would not be dragged by 10 horses to live in
Silicon Valley. The ones that are still considering it will cost them in
the serious six figures if they are good. In part because renting a tiny
bathroom with an attached bed can cost north of $3k/mo.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 11:10:24 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:
On 2/22/2018 9:30 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 9:07:02 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:

snip

But of course you knew all this, and I suspect that you use a DRL when
commuting.

Not when it's sunny. I didn't this morning because of all the light reflecting off the (late season) snow. Plus, with my 50lb studs, I was riding about 10mph. I was in the road, or the snowy shoulder, toe-to-toe with buses and cars. Joerg would have sh** his pants. This is the road, but way more snow today -- and more sun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmgd5rzyeCc&t=71s That puts you in downtown. I tried the pedestrian facility/MUP, but the snow was too deep, and the deep boot print/holes were annoying. That's the deal with physically separate facilities, they don't get plowed or cleaned.

What mattered more was "10MPH."

Well, I did do better than 10MPH on the down hills. I was trying to stay ahead of some obese guy on a mountain bike.

Where a DRL is extremely helpful is when
riding fast because often vehicles don't realize that a bicycle can be
coming toward them at 20-25 MPH, and they will make a turn, or exit a
side street or driveway, in front of you. While you still should be
prepared to take evasive action, it happens a lot less when a vehicle
sees you coming because of a DRL. It's much more effective than a neon
colored shirt.

That's not true at all. On a morning like this morning, a high-viz jacket would have been far more visible. Those things pop against a snowy background. http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...g/IMGP4989.jpg I see the jacket before the (motorcycle) tail light.


Oh, I had my rear blinky on. It totally saved my life. So did my shoe covers and pocket tool.

Not sure about the pocket tool, but definitely the rear flasher and the
shoe covers were instrumental, and it's good that you understand this.

It's my lucky blinky! It's saving my life right now -- from heart disease, cancer and flesh-eating bacteria.


-- Jay Beattie.