Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Articles, More on Bikeshare from the Internet

I am posting for the interest of our friends, websites on bikeshare abroad.  This could be a solution to our mass transport woes.

bike-sharing.blogspot.com/ -

munbikeshare.wordpress.com/

www.nyu.edu/sustainability/campus.projects/bike.share/

bike-sharing.blogspot.com/

news.harvard.edu/gazette/.../harvard-backs-bike-share-program/ -


bikesharephiladelphia.org/

www.capitalbikeshare.com/how_it_works -

www.streetfilms.org/the-biggest-baddest-bike-share-in-the-world-hangzhou-china/

jorgeusbiker

Monday, June 27, 2011

Bikeshare in the Philippines

The username of this blog is bikeshare.  You might be wondering why?

Elsewhere in the world, in Europe and USA, large companies and wealthy individuals are promoting bikeshare.

Bikes are encouraged as means of commuting. A communter subscribes to a service, and he can, using his subsc ription card to get a bike from a station, ride it to the next point, locks the bike to an automatic self service locking mechanism for the next biker to use.  There are numerous nodes in the city where commuters can pick up bikes, lock them up and so on.  A nice way to conserve energy,lessen global warming and pollution.

The system  is called BIKESHARE...

Maybe someday, somebody would have the sense to have the same system installed here - it is a form of social entrepreneurship to save the planet.

But for many poor workers, especially construction and factory workers, many are shifting to (mountain why, because they are cheap and affordable) bike commuting.  Using a bike to go to work returns the investment for the bike in 6 months at most (200% ROE a good investment!).  But sadly, these bikers are subject to pollution and unsafe riding conditions because of:   poor enforcement of the helmet rule, lack of safety on the part of bike riders themselves, lack of safety training by motorbike riders, inconsiderate and reckless fx and jeepney drivers, lack of facilities and safe roads for bikers.

There are firefly rides to drum up support and we hope the maturity of people and their support for biking shall continue to improve and grow stronger,,

BIKESHARE

Sunday, June 26, 2011

June 26 ride









Our Bikes

















Link to Tour de France

Tour de France link

The above is the official website of tour france.  Just click and be linked to the worlds greatest cycling show on earth.  Shall it be Cavendish or Contador. What the website shows however is is the 20l0 tour yet.

Let the excitement begin and build up.

bikeshare

Our June l9, 2011 ride story

THE RIDE

I thought that the ride would not push through because it was raining hard at 4:30.  I  texted Luis and said "tuloy" (go!).  Lo and behold when I went to the starting point, almost everybody was there.  So after loading the things in the van. off we went and since it was still raining, everybody was wearing either a rain gear or raing coat.

l.  First stop, as scheduled was the Sacred Heart in Tayuman. of course to pray and ask for blessing.  Thereafter, there was no more rain.

2.  Second stop was at Pisong Kape where we had breakfast, mostly lugaw with egg..  Litttle rest, some picture taking and then Bugarin Climb.  The next stop was supposed to be Paete, but we stopped next at

3. Mabitac rest house right after descending Bugarin.  Then ride to  up to Paete.

4.  At Paete, we had some snacks, of eggs, banana and softdrinks.  Some picture taking.

5.  Then climb Malaya, to Lumban, Pagsanjan, and up to Pila.  I chased the paceline and even led for a while.

6.  Another stop at Pila, ate buko.  They were large bukos and cost us Pl6.00 each.  The poor woman owner did not know how to skin the buko???  Her bolo was dull and it took her sometime to serve all of us.

7.  Then a group stopped at Victoria to pose with the giant ducks (counterpart of the giant carabao in Angono)?

8.  It rained hard at Calauan.  I took my time taking pictures, because we knew we were near.

AT THE PANSOL LOS BANOS BATHHOUSE

First thing we did was to find places to park our bikes, and remove wet clothes and shoes and wear dry ones.

Then eating time.  It was boodle fight, rice and viand on banana leaves:   eggplants, fish, and sinigang. with very spicy sauce and plenty of cold cold water and soft drinks. When we were full, rested for a while and then

Dip into the hotbath (no longer the spring water but distributed by waterworks.  But it did not matter)  While at the pool, we remembered Ado the Alakpa alakman.  So to remember him by, GSM and a case of San Mig Lights were bought to be drank.

And then kuwentuhan and karaoke.  Most active, were Gerry (Cataps) and Richard.

And then the kuwento of the 7 days.   He he he he

At 5 as scheduled, we rode the 3 vans and road home.  Thanks to the birthday celebrants and VM staff.

There Oughta be Some Order

We need to improve on many thing that piss us off on the road:

l.  Motorcyle riders, jeepney drivers, tricyle drivers must drive safely.  When they drive, they drive as if bike riders do not exist.  For a measly P8.00 fare, a jeepney driver will without warning screech to a halt in front of you or drive you off the road just to get one (l) one passenger.As for motorcycle riders, many of them must learn traffic rules, courtesy, and safety.  Many of them don't and they pay dearly with broken body parts if not their lives...

2,  Smoke belching vehicles must have their smoke belching corrected.  Its  bad for our lungs.

3.  Gratings that are traps on the road must be removed.(DPWH?)

4.  All motor vehicle drivers must be educated that bikers. like them are entitled to one lane on the road.  One lane, repeat one lane not a sliver of space.(LTO? TMG)

5.  Our dear beer, wine, alcohol (alcogel?) drinkers, and others must not throw broken glasses or glasses on the road.  They are the main causes of flats. I thought we have proper solid waste disposal.  And the road is not the place to throw solid waste.... Hmmmm.

6. Road joints especially without seal in the middle can cause flats or fatal crash.  In Jalajala there are so many.  It takes little amount of asphalt (bitumen to remedy this. Where does the road maintenance budget go?) DPWH?

7.  The taunted bike lanes that are used as parking of homeowners or with dangerous obstacles in the middle?  Are you kidding?

Concerned bureaucrats must do something?!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Blogrolls and gadgets on this blog

Please read the blogroll at the right side of this blog because you will read a lot of interesting article on tour de France, the riders, the teams, the routes, and their equipment.  There are plenty of articles from VeloNews.  The additions and gadgets that I have installed might more interesting than this blog.

There are slideshows on Lance Armstrong, video bar on tour de France, slideshow on our ride and a lot lot more