Dear, darling, dreadful, dastardly - you know, context is everything. :)

I saw more bike commuters. And WAY more bikes on the racks at the law school.

I saw one somewhat-overweight woman riding down the very-torn-up sidewalk at front st on a full suspension bike. Probably a thrift store bike, but I didn't get a good look. I smiled. No doubt not a regular bike commuter. Good for her for riding.

Traffic was definitely worse yesterday. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed like the stinky oil-burning cars had come out in large numbers.

Could be that a lot of cars that failed emissions (and others lacking license or insurance) were out yesterday.

There were a few more this morning. Lots of people in their sweats, sneakers and backpacks looking like they really miss the bus and subway.

I offer to get her on a road/MTN bike, but she refuses. She loves that bike and doesn't want another. Believe me I try. She views this as a temporary situation, and doesn't want to be a full-time commuter.

And, we both laugh about her short cranks and lack of gear inches. It's not like I am making fun of her. Not every husband is an insensitive boor.

I saw many more bikes this morning on my regular commute from W. Philly to CC. The Bicycle Coalition did a bike count on the Walnut St bridge yesterday and says that bike traffic was up 82%.

Yeah, but one thing that surprised me, only 23 bikes and one jogging stroller were parked at there free valet parking yesterday.

Plus, yesterday we only encountered two other bikers. Today, only one. Normally I see at least six each morning.

The southside walkway on the Ben Franklin Bridge is now open, which is a big improvement over the north side.

But I didn't see any more cyclists this morning.

Yea, they threw me off this moring changing up the sides on me.... I usually take the bus over the bridge, but the traffic was so bad I got off at the bridge & biked across...Alot faster than taking the bus the whole way! Glad to see another Philly-bound Jersey commuter out there!

Ofofhy- If you offer to replace her freewheel with a 13-tooth or something, would she let you?

I actually just picked her up a 16T at lunch today. I just have to hope that the hub isn't some funky metric thread. Komet coaster hub from the '60's.

You see shared misery. I see shared joy.

Sounds pretty mild. When they had a major transit strike in Toronto about 15 years ago, I thought everything would be great, but I was driven off my regular bike and into my car. So many morons hit the road who had never driven to work before, whether by bike or car, it was intolerable on a bike. Really made me appreciate the regular crowd.

Go to work 40 minutes earlier, read the newspapers, relax.

Best way to beat the crowd.

Maybe you should consider getting her a bike that's worthy of riding instead?
A bad bike is bound to make anyone slow and comical looking.-Koffee.

I agree with Koffee. And I am glad you are taking steps to solve this problem for your suffering wife. I would add placing new high pressured tires to the list of improvements. In my experience rehabilitating an old steel British three speed for serious riding, adding new high pressured tires was the number one improvement I done to it. The cranks that are similar to your wife's bike were kept as well as everything else except for replacing cables. The comedy act ends and a "new" bike and commuter is born!

You did better than I did ofofhy. My mind wasn't working well and the only thing I could come up with was Dead Husband which I found pretty baffling.

They had a publicity 'race' yesterday between a cab, a bike, and a car to try to demonstrate that a bike was fastest during the strike.

The actual results were: Cab was 14 minutes, $12.00, Bike was 16 minutes, "free", and a car was 22 minutes, $25 (did they include parking fees?). So bike was 2nd fastest but 2 minutes is nothing.

Did they count the time that takes to actually GET the cab in rush hour?

more bikers out today... motorists still don't feel our pain though.

this will be fun, till it rains or snows.... you wanna see an angry city lets wait for a cold rainy day with no septa.

i wish i thought we were winning converts with this but it is to cold and people are weak!

if your biking the strike, good for you!

The results of the Daily News "race" between bike, taxi, car, train and walking today had the bike winning by four minutes.

See http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/...l/13067781.htm
and
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/...l/13067785.htm

"I finished four minutes faster than any of the others after a heart-pumping 10-mile ride. I could've stopped off for a jelly doughnut, and still finished ahead."

I saw more people out there on bikes as well. I would say that about half of them appeared to be new commuters.

I also noticed that there was less congestion on the roads, at least along Spring Garden and Arch Streets.

Ofofhy previously described the bike in question: "It is geared at 32x20, perfect for her. It has 24x1.75 tires, which were from Holland before I changed them out (rubber was shot). All of the racks, fenders seat, and lights appear to be originals". - IMO a fine and most worthy, decent bicycle for commuting four miles in Philadelphia, assuming that the commute does not involve the hilly areas of Manayunk or the like. If steep hills are a factor, it is unlikely Ofofhy's wife is going to start bike commuting during the strike on any bike no matter how worthy it is of admiration from cyclists in the know.

Ofofhy and Koffee have a different sense of what is a comical choice in equipment suitable for commuting in relatively flat cities. The only significant problem presented by the weight of this old cruiser for short commutes would be if Ofofhy's wife needs to carry the bike up and down stairs as part of the commute. Assuming the size is right what is the problem other than perhaps some snooty cyclist turning up his/her nose at such an unworthy un-trendy bicycle? Can't go fast enough? Not efficient enough? BFD!



For reference purposes, I include pictures of two bicycles parked at Broad and Walnut in Center City Philadelphia last month. IMO, these brakeless, fender less, no comfort bikes are hysterically comical in their unsuitability for commuting/cycling in Philadelphia. They are even funnier and less worthy than the full suspension bikes I saw being used to get around the Penn/Drexel campus area. I am sure I would have had a good laugh if I had actually seen the owners of these "worthy" bikes racing around Center City Philadelphia.

As a former resident and bike commuter of Philadelphia, with a daughter in college there I appreciate Ofofhy and other's commentary on biking there during the strike.

When I originally posted my description it was in the Classic and Vintage forum, where all of those points I raised were directed towards that crew there. When we purchased the bike, we lived in Center City about 10 blocks from her place of employ. It was the perfect, fun bike for that particular area. She didn't commute by bike then, but we would ride it to the market or the bar.

Now that we have moved further out, I agree that she should have a better bike for a commute, but she does not want to be a regular commuter. I just didn't like the way K.B. was implying that I forced her to ride this bike and that I rode behind her laughing all the way and making jokes at her expense.

As for stairs, it only needs to go up and down our front steps (all three of them), and I carry it in and out for her. I am enjoying commuting with her, as I normally walk her to the El stop and bike from there. Do I wish she would commute daily? Yes. Will she? No. Am I OK with that? Of course.

What would a "better" bike than the one that was perfect for a 10 block area bring to a 4 mile commute? Other than being theft bait? If your wife chooses not to bike commute, no problem -as you have written. The "better" bike stuff is irrelevant to changing the situation IMO.

The single speed bikes in your photos are probably used by messengers.

They are really nice bikes ... yup ... either messengers or wealthy hipsters