Other employees interested in bicycling, bikes

[shootingstar]

I've worked for my present employer for the past 7 yrs. It's govn't and many employees. Within my immediate workgroup (18 people), there was 1 person who got interested in cycling. Had her used bike fixed, started commuting several times /wk. after parking car at a lot, on bike to work. I would make some observations/tips on bike buying. Certainly I never tried to be expert --just obvious sensible advice and encouraged them to pummel bike shop with questions, etc.

In the past 3 wks., more different employees asked me/talked about cycling:
*A guy who wants to buy a bike so he can accompany his little son's growing competency on bike. He's sending kid to a summer bike camp. I told him he might not be able to catch up with son unless he's willing to jog along. Child is 4 yrs. old.

*A woman, mother of 2, who has longingly 1/2 yr. ago told me about wanting to bike. Just this wk. after trying to ride her son' bike (she is under 5 ' tall), she can hesitantly ride without the training wheels. We talked about bike fit, use of brakes, safe places to learn cycling if one falls. Her cycling son is 8 yrs. He and mother simultaneously have just learned to bike..of course son is flying off around the playground.

*another woman tells me she rides with her store bought drone above. I gently told her there are a lot of restrictions flying drones. I didn't quite understand of how she was using the drone..

*still another woman on maternity leave, bought a Chariot bike trailer and is eager to try it out. Might be more time before this happens...baby is only 4 months old. She invited me to go cycling with her and baby one day. I'll have to figure that one out since it's way over in south end of city ...an area I don't know at all. I have confidence that she will rapidly adjust to baby trailer, since...she used to be a bike courier long ago.

[Muirenn]

Very cool. My fellow employees also cycle, but they are roadies with a lot of experience, so it is 'still' more me asking them. I do know a lot more about bike specs and gear than they do, though.

Drone? ... um. You have to find out exactly what she is doing with this. A video would be cool.

[shootingstar]

I didn't quite understand her...drone flying near /over her...which is illegal.

By the way, our employer has a larger drone for specific uses....to do surveying work over huge landfill piles etc. Anyway, it crashed and currently sent away for repair. It was controlled by a trained technician according to federal law requirements. ...so stuff happens...easily.

[Muirenn]

I didn't quite understand her...drone flying near /over her...which is illegal.

By the way, our employer has a larger drone for specific uses....to do surveying work over huge landfill piles etc. Anyway, it crashed and currently sent away for repair. It was controlled by a trained technician according to federal law requirements. ...so stuff happens...easily.

That was the point, the drone is bizarre, but hysterically funny, to be honest. I can imagine a youtube video....

[north woods gal]

Can't comment on the drone thing. They're a rare bird, up here.

When I worked in suburban Chicago, I did get a lot of comments on my bikes, because I commuted with them, eventually going all bike and selling my car. Most of the comments were positive, but, interestingly, a few were not. One guy, in particular resented the way I demolished his fanatical belief that a car was an absolute must to survive in the Chicago area. How dare I suggest otherwise?

My boss was very concerned about my safety and my ability to get to work in the winter, so I made extra sure that I didn't miss a day due to snow or cold. I did it, though, and in the end, he was actually proud of me for doing it and even bragged about it, at times. He was also very accommodating and found a place where I could safely keep the bike inside, given that bike theft in Chicago is rampant.

[Muirenn]

Are you still Car-Free?

[north woods gal]

No, sorry to say. I'm now married and living in a rural area and just not doable, at least for my husband, whose disabilities limit him on how much riding he can do. We still do some, together, every day, and then I continue my riding, afterwards. If I was living in the big city, again, though, I'd do everything in my power not to own a car and go bike, only. In fact, I've gone bike only several times in my life. Much prefer that lifestyle.

[ny biker]

In the past a few co-workers have asked me for advice when they were shopping for a bike. Mostly I tried to steer them to a trustworthy LBS near their home, or REI at the very least. Typically they did not want to pay LBS prices. More recently, a co-worker who is logging more miles than me these days will ask me for suggestions on where to buy specific gear. He hadn't ridden at all for several years until last summer, and since then he's gotten a new bike and has gone from about my speed to way faster. Occasionally someone will mention how annoyed they get with cyclists running red lights and stop signs, and I usually agree with them.

Re: drones. a year or two ago I read about a woman in Virginia shooting one down. This was in a rural area southwest of DC. She was sitting on her front porch cleaning her shotgun when she saw a drone flying over her neighbor's yard. Her neighbor happens to be Robert Duvall, the actor, and it was not his drone -- someone was trying to use it to get a closer look at him or his property. The drone drifted over the fence into her yard so bang, she took it down.

[Muirenn]

No, sorry to say. I'm now married and living in a rural area and just not doable, at least for my husband, whose disabilities limit him on how much riding he can do. We still do some, together, every day, and then I continue my riding, afterwards. If I was living in the big city, again, though, I'd do everything in my power not to own a car and go bike, only. In fact, I've gone bike only several times in my life. Much prefer that lifestyle.

I hope to do that, one day. We don't even have basic public transportation, here, and are quite isolated. So it's a no-go.

[Muirenn]

Re: drones. a year or two ago I read about a woman in Virginia shooting one down. This was in a rural area southwest of DC. She was sitting on her front porch cleaning her shotgun when she saw a drone flying over her neighbor's yard. Her neighbor happens to be Robert Duvall, the actor, and it was not his drone -- someone was trying to use it to get a closer look at him or his property. The drone drifted over the fence into her yard so bang, she took it down.

Oh my Goddess! That made my day!

I just looked up Robert Duvall's info. He lives in The Plains, VA. Population 217. That explains it. The Paparazzi are lucky the woman didn't hunt them down.

[shootingstar]

Then I learned of someone who fell off her bike and seemed to have sprained her wrist. I urged her to see doctor then physiotherapist.

still, it's nice to see people who I've known for several yrs...now interested and doing some cycling.

[north woods gal]

I understand. Going bicycle, only/no car is a decision that should be carefully thought out. There's a lot to consider. Be glad to share my experiences if anyone is considering it in the future.

[ny biker]

I understand. Going bicycle, only/no car is a decision that should be carefully thought out. There's a lot to consider. Be glad to share my experiences if anyone is considering it in the future.

I didn't own a car until I was in my mid-30s. It wasn't necessary living in Philadelphia, Chicago or NYC, and in fact was more of a hindrance. It was easy to rent a car if needed in the former two cities, not so much in NYC but I was able to do everything there I needed by subway, bus, train or cab. When I first moved there, I went to rug store and bought a 9x12 and an 8x10 rug. The guy in the store folded them in thirds, rolled them, tied twine around them and attached plastic handles. Then we hailed a cab and put them in the trunk to get them home. Ikea ran buses from several locations in Manhattan to their store near Newark airport, Greyhound-type buses with luggage bays where you could put your purchases. I didn't have a bike then and there was no bike share or car share. In some ways I expect that it's easier to get around now than it was then.

When I moved to DC, I soon decided to get a car. Even though I lived and worked in the city, the transit system wasn't set up to get me where I wanted to go on weekends, there were no good grocery stores within walking distance of my apartment, and cab drivers charged by zone rather than using meters and they tried to rip me off once too often. It's definitely easier now with bike share and car share for people who live in DC or near Metro in the close-in suburbs. Still my current home is not near enough to Metro and there's no mass transit at all near my office, and I like to get out of town on weekends, so I'm happy with my car.