tedi k wardhana

hello everyone!
My name is Tedi Kresna Wardhana, 40 years old, living in Tangerang, that is about 12 miles west of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia.I am definitely new here at this forum. I am also new at pedaling as transport, not sport.
Ever since cycling for fun when I was a kid, it has been just a few months ago that I was inspired, then started to use the bike as commuting vehicle.
The traffic here in Jakarta (Tangerang where I live is the suburb) is worsening, so rather than using the car, and get stuck, and grow beard as well, I started to pedal to the city, which is a 14km (approx.9miles) ride, one way. This distance I knew, after I bought this psychocomputer (any objection my calling the cyclocomputer?), a cateye velo8 for 100.000 indonesian rupiah, US$ 11 (any place cheaper?)
The venture started, when I discovered my 70-year-old-father's bike, which sat in the garage for more than five years, i guess, and I had not even bothered to look at it, let alone try!!
So one day, five months ago, I looked closely, and thought, hey, it is a nice bike anyway!!
While most bicycle enthusiasts here in Indonesia have mountainbikes, this bike of my daddy's is not a popular kind. It is a diamond back parkway, I believe was bought in miami, around 1995-6.
Because it looked like a racing bike, like one soviet racing bike (start shosse, in ciryllic) I bought 20 years ago, I still can smell that it was not the same. I finally found at diamondback's web catalogue that it was a cyclocross bike. and nobody in jakarta told me that!!
This bike, which sat in the garage unused, I took outside, pumped the tires a bit, lubricated the chains, and I started pedalling. Wow, it felt good. It did feel good, because previously I rode leisurely around my compound, on an steel mountainbike, which was heaaavy.

I am a freelance photographer, so I do not have a office. But ever since I took daddy's bike (with permission, sure) whenever I have to go alone, not with wife nor my three children, I use the bike.
I put fenders on, a bike rack (The girl at the shop with an amazed look said: Why put all that on your sport bike? It won't look cool!!) (I answered with no sound: I am not using it for transport, not sport, you stupid girl!) strap my backpack on the rack while looking forward to buying panniers ( very,very rare here!) The place that I often have to go to, is a professional photo lab, which is 14 km one way, thus 28km to and fro. I ride with no ambition, so 45minutes each way, with an average speed(according to psychocomp) of 18km/h. It is bad isn't it?

So here I am, learning from you guys, reading all your arguments.
Meanwhile, I will ride.
TRANSPORT, NOT SPORT.

chalkdusty

Hello, Tedi!

I really enjoyed reading your introduction. Isn't it great to have parents who will give permission to ride their bike?!

I'm new to the forum too and have been enjoying reading the comments on the various threads. I knew that the motorists in my area (about an hour automobile ride south of St. Louis, Missouri) were not kind to cyclists. I live in a rural area that is populated by "good ol' boys" who drive pickup trucks and allow their dogs to run around unchained. I've been hit by soda cans thrown from vehicles, yelled at, not given enough clearance when motorists pass by, honked at - loud blast right beside me - to startle me. Not to mention the dogs that have nipped at my heels. I'd like to be able to commute to work as it is only 5 miles one way, but I'm hesitant to do so because of the poor manners that the motorists have here. I've read lots of similar comments in the Advocacy area of the forum. How do the motorists in your portion of the world treat cyclists?

By the way, I'm riding an '03 Lemond Tourmalet and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am hoping though that when I'm 70, my daughter will take an interest in cycling and ask to ride it.

Happy TRANSPORTING!!

chalkdusty

tedi k wardhana

hi chalkdusty,

from your story, it seems very scary to ride bicycles in your neighbourhood.
in my part of the world, the threat comes from public transport, minivans and buses that is, that cuts and stops abruptly in front of you, to pick up passengers not neccesarily at designated bus stops.
other menaces comes from motorbikes. the population of motorbike has grown enormously, so honking at cyclists they consider slow, is the norm.
otherwise it is still fun riding, especially up to several miles from home where the traffic is not so dense. as I also learn by reading the threads, and by doing, I am able to take alternate routes, other than the routes I usually take when driving.
I try as much as possible to avoid the pollution.
anyway, the most fun is when all cars stop at a traffic jam, and I zap through, smiling.

chalkdusty

tedi,

Thanks for the information on "sharing the road" in your part of the world. We really don't have any forms of public transportation in my county, except for the school buses to transport students to/from school. We are just too far from the city (St. Louis) for public transport to be feasible, though many people who live here work up in the city. I feel fortunate that I don't have to commute through that mess everyday. I think it will take a lot to get Americans to see the bicycle as a true form of transportation. The love affair with the automobile is very strong. Maybe when the price of gas climbs higher, bikes will make a comeback for those who work locally. Then I'll be ahead of the game, 'cause I already have a bike that I could commute on (if I could just get up the nerve to do so.)

Most of my riding is done for recreation on a paved bike trail at a local state park. Gets a little boring seeing the same path each time I ride, but this morning I saw 5 deer (2 does and 3 fawns), a turtle, and one small snake. I really don't like snakes, so I'm glad it was a very small one. Anyways, being creative with the bike trail and some connecting paths to various parking lots, I managed to get in 20 miles before it got too hot to ride. It gets quite hot and humid in Missouri in July and August. We've been in the midst of heat warnings for the past 5 days. Hopefully, it will break in the next day to two.

Happy pedaling past the traffic jams!

chalkdusty

climbo

I love it when that happens too