Commuting - Transit strike in NYC (Mayor on a bike?)

I found this article (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nymike103039812dec10,0,3443577.story?coll=ny%2Dtop%2Dspan%2Dheadlines) interesting -- looks like a transit strike is being threatened in NYC and the Mayor plans to 'ride' it out... There's an interesting aside in the article about a LBS that did some great business during the transit strike in 1980.

:thumbup: To the Mayor if he is going to ride to work it will help all of us. Plus show that it is not hard to commute to work.

You beat me to it. Let's see if he'll go through with it.

:D I think he will ride just to prove a point.Hell if needs a bike I got nice Trek 2200 he can use and a few hybrids.Well maybe not the 2200 Thats my ride don't you dare ride my bike.

Originally posted by JDP
You beat me to it. Let's see if he'll go through with it. I think he will and I'l be dancing in the street when he does!

I saw a pick of the mayor's bike. It's not a hybrid. I can't belive the mayor or the media didn't know his bike was a Lightspeed!
OH WELL!!

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/64258.htm

Hard to tell, but that does look like a Lightspeed Appalachian... I guess thats the billionaires hybrid ;)

While it's cool that Mayor Mike has a backup plan to get around by bike in the event of a transit strike, what of the other 6.9 million mass transit rides that won't happen if this strike takes place? I guess this is the downside that proponents of comprehensive mass transit never get around to mentioning -- it's great until the union thugs that run these systems decide they don't like the working conditions and strand you for days or weeks until they get what they want. The more ingrained mass transit is in the logistics of moving people around in a given area the more vulnerable that area is to this sort of disruption.

Originally posted by Dahon.Steve
I saw a pick of the mayor's bike. It's not a hybrid. I can't belive the mayor or the media didn't know his bike was a Lightspeed!
OH WELL!!

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/64258.htm

The bike he's holding in the pic looks awfully large for him. I bet it's a bike someone brought in for a photo op.

Curd recommended that the mayor take the bike lanes on Second Avenue to work and First Avenue home, even though it means he would have to ride alongside auto traffic. "Generally, the outer avenues are less well-traveled than the inner ones," he said.

too bad the article reinforces the idea that riding a bike in traffic is dangerous. i've ridden and skated in NYC during rush hour and it's definitely not any more dangerous than riding a motorcycle. as with most places you have to watch for idiot drivers, but b/c of the heavy traffic it's actually not bad and you often ride around the cars.

oh well, at least it's some publicity for cycling.

(12/13/02) New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is not only Cannondale's newest customer, he's also suddenly emerged as the cycling world's most high-profile advocate for bike commuting. Bloomberg purchased a Cannondale F300 mountain bike today, and has vowed to ride to work next week if the city's bus and subway workers go out on strike as feared. The transit workers' contract with the city expires Sunday, and Bloomberg has promised to commute with a bike-mounted police escort in the event of a strike. More... (http://www.cannondale.com/company/press/bikepress/20021216.html)

The article also mentions that Carmen Electra purchased a bike from the same shop not long ago; for thoes guys in NYC looking for a riding partner!

It is great that there is such a high profile cycling advocate, but Grendel has a very valid point. Not everybody can ride a bike, for various reasons, gluttoness, distance, etc... what about all those people that will be left stranded?

Originally posted by Spire
It is great that there is such a high profile cycling advocate, but Grendel has a very valid point. Not everybody can ride a bike, for various reasons, gluttoness, distance, etc... what about all those people that will be left stranded?
Luckily the strike was averted so it's not going to be an issue, at least not for now. It would be cool if the Mayor still decided to bike in once in a while -- I mean, if you have a brand-new bike and a police escort, why not? :)

Once, when we were young and foolish, my wife and I rented a tandem in Central Park and rode it into Times Square. A true adventure!