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The problem with all white bikes

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Old 08-18-11 | 07:08 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by himespau
Maybe it's the fact that I pass a real one on my way home every day that makes me think about it more than most.
This. I pass one everyday on my commute to work. I'm always extra careful crossing that intersection. Its a somewhat blind intersection, with a stop sign on my end and cars parked all along the busy cross street. You almost have to get out 10 feet infront of the stop sign into a lane to see past the cars. Cars also fly through that area. Always makes me thing twice when I pass it.
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Old 08-18-11 | 07:31 AM
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the problem with all white bikes:

they're not attractive. buying white tires was the dumbest thing I've ever done
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Old 08-18-11 | 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by hamfoh
buying white tires was the dumbest thing I've ever done
+1.
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Old 08-18-11 | 07:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla

The first two listings I clicked on for NYC were children...got too depressed to read anymore. Thanks for the link, but now I'm pretty bummed out.
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Old 08-18-11 | 08:03 AM
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I've known about ghost bikes and there are a few in my town but I never thought about how riding an all white bike would shock people. IMO it's not a ghost bike if it isn't solid white. If you have a white frame and white rims, big deal so long as there's a little color on there. I'd never consider this unrideable because it's too white.
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Old 08-18-11 | 08:11 AM
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Originally Posted by EpicSchwinn
I've known about ghost bikes and there are a few in my town but I never thought about how riding an all white bike would shock people. IMO it's not a ghost bike if it isn't solid white. If you have a white frame and white rims, big deal so long as there's a little color on there. I'd never consider this unrideable because it's too white.
That's not quite the same. I see one fixie around here with bullhorns with white tape, no decals on the all white frame, white saddle, white wheels/spokes, and white tires. That's the one I always se and think is a ghost bike. Yours has some character to it and is enough different that I wouldn't put it in the same class.
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Old 08-18-11 | 08:19 AM
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The ghost bike i pass everyday is actually a fairly weird story. two of those smaller firetrucks were racing each other to a fire and ended up hitting each other. this lady was on her bike at the intersection and they got her. it's not on the ghostbike site though. It's still here. I looked up the story again and they referred to the trucks as "hotdoggin" it so I guess they were ****in' around
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Old 08-18-11 | 08:20 AM
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Thanks for the clarification. We have road-side memorials all over the place here (Philly burbs) with flowers and photos and such but I have never seen a ghost bike.
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Old 08-18-11 | 08:49 AM
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Ya a white frame with decals or other non-white parts that isnt solid isnt a ghost. I always thought a ghost bike was ALL white (spokes, saddle, hubs, tires, cranks, etc).

I also pass one on my commute to work. Drunk driver hit the cyclist and took off. Never got caught

+1 on white tires looking stupid
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Old 08-18-11 | 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Infidel79
The first two listings I clicked on for NYC were children...got too depressed to read anymore. Thanks for the link, but now I'm pretty bummed out.
Real life is often a total downer.
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Old 08-18-11 | 10:09 AM
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I actually saw an all white bike attached to a fence on this one bike trail where somebody had been struck and killed by a car. Had not put together the relationship until that ghost bike link.
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Old 08-18-11 | 10:50 AM
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The ghost bike I pass every day was where a guy got his tires caught in some trolley tracks on the road and tried to pull them out as a city bus came around the corner and he went under its rear wheels. I came home just after they'd taken his body away but hadn't done any clean up. Just knew from the size of the pool of blood someone had died. Now I'm very paranoid around trolley tracks. Almost wiped out in some last weekend.
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Old 08-18-11 | 02:07 PM
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Wow, never seen or heard about this before.
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Old 08-18-11 | 02:09 PM
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Originally Posted by himespau
The ghost bike I pass every day was where a guy got his tires caught in some trolley tracks on the road and tried to pull them out as a city bus came around the corner and he went under its rear wheels. I came home just after they'd taken his body away but hadn't done any clean up. Just knew from the size of the pool of blood someone had died. Now I'm very paranoid around trolley tracks. Almost wiped out in some last weekend.
I'm so paranoid of train tracks whenever I see them. No joke.
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Old 08-18-11 | 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Jaytron
I'm so paranoid of train tracks whenever I see them. No joke.
me too. during our 'group' rides a lot of times we'll just go through lights while one person holds up traffic (if we have a lot of people). There's this one part during downtown where the one rail goes through and running the red there makes me incredibly uncomfortable for myself and the rest of the riders. I feel like it is a disaster waiting to happen.
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Old 08-18-11 | 09:01 PM
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Toronto has taken spray painting bikes to a whole new level. There are dozens of neon spray painted bikes across the city. They call it art. (I call it wasting a bike that could easily be made rideable and one less place to lock a bike)

Ghost bikes do exist here though, they often re-appear on anniversaries too.
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Old 08-18-11 | 10:54 PM
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Originally Posted by himespau
The ghost bike I pass every day was where a guy got his tires caught in some trolley tracks on the road and tried to pull them out as a city bus came around the corner and he went under its rear wheels. I came home just after they'd taken his body away but hadn't done any clean up. Just knew from the size of the pool of blood someone had died. Now I'm very paranoid around trolley tracks. Almost wiped out in some last weekend.
90 degree rule. Some people you just can't save from themselves ? Favorite narrative from a surf movie "In God's Hands", pretty much sums up life in general in explaining it ?

As I watched them train today... I was filled with a certain sadness. So many people aspire to greatness. So few succeed. I could see the separation happening before my eyes. - The big waves of Hawaii wouldn't be waiting for them. A challenge to one... a threat to the other.
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Old 08-18-11 | 11:41 PM
  #43  
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My sister texted me the other day when she noticed a new one. While I was out riding today I decided to look over and into cars of those passing me. It's scary to see just how many people are distracted/texting while flying by in their cars. I think the best we can do is ride legally and predictably, be visable, and wear a helmet. The rest is up to the drivers
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Old 08-19-11 | 12:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
Real life is often a total downer.
This.
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Old 08-19-11 | 09:57 AM
  #45  
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i see ghost bikes all the time in the city+on roads around ny. I only consider it a ghost bike if it is solid white (no logos cause ghosts dont care about advertising). That bianchi isn't a ghost bike.

I would never buy a solid white bike and think it's weird when I see people riding them...i doubt they have any awareness of what a ghost bike is. White is cool but matte black is cooler anyway =p
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Old 08-20-11 | 02:01 PM
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Originally Posted by hamfoh
the problem with all white bikes:

they're not attractive. buying white tires was the dumbest thing I've ever done
Checked it out. Looks pretty clean to me. I'd ride it.
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Old 08-22-11 | 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted by fuji86
90 degree rule.
Not always practical...like when there are cars around
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Old 08-22-11 | 07:38 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
I always thought so too. I'm amazed at how many people - especially those in bigger cities - haven't heard of ghost bikes.
We even have ghost bikes here in Alabama.
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Old 08-17-12 | 01:57 AM
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That's the only reason why I got my components white. Personally I hate the color and can never keep it maintained. Why would anyone choose a color they personally like?
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Old 08-17-12 | 02:59 AM
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i like the look of an all black bike, "maybe minus spoke nipples being silver" with white bar tape and white saddle. I had this setup on my bike and it looked wicked. it only sucked because the gloves i was using during the winter rubbed off on the white bar tape ruining it, its one thing to clean a saddle thats white which isnt difficult but i couldnt keep my tape white so i switched to black tapel
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