Go Back   EcoModder Forum > AltModding > Alternative Transportation
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 12-13-2007, 06:46 PM   #1 (permalink)
igo
Master EcoModder
 
igo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Wheeling, WV
Posts: 410

Mini Box Truck - '05 Scion Xb
90 day: 32.87 mpg (US)

It FITs - '09 Honda Fit Sport
90 day: 36.2 mpg (US)

Impreza - '13 Subaru Impreza Sport
90 day: 30.92 mpg (US)
Thanks: 12
Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts
What would it take to make cycling popular

I think that big changes are needed to make biking popular/ respected in mainstream America. First of all gas is still way to cheap to have the average joe bike 10 miles (or more) to work. Thats, the second problem is most of America is too spread out (...like suburbs). Bicycling is most popular it is in a fairly dense city with good bike infrastructure.

Basically I am saying the suburbs suck for making biking popular.

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 12-13-2007, 07:18 PM   #2 (permalink)
Dartmouth 2010
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hanover, NH
Posts: 6,447

Vegan Powa! - '91 Honda CRX DX
Team Honda
90 day: 66.52 mpg (US)
Thanks: 92
Thanked 122 Times in 90 Posts
Send a message via AIM to SVOboy Send a message via MSN to SVOboy Send a message via Yahoo to SVOboy
Extreme poverty xor the inability to take a car because of road restrictions.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 07:44 PM   #3 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 152

The Mighty Mira - '92 Daihatsu Mira
90 day: 61.32 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
High fuel prices wrt discretionary income (can either be low discretionary income, high fuel prices, or both), or legal restrictions as per SVOboy.

Of course, a massive media campaign, with celebrities being picture in the magazine riding bikes etc. Which would require there to be massive amounts of money being made off bikes, which have minimum maintenance costs, meaning minimum money to be made off people regularly, meaning no advertisersing money... ain't going to happen sorry. Would need a benevolent dictator for that to work.
__________________
"Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed." - Isaac Newton
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 07:45 PM   #4 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
igo - I think you've got a good point about infrastructure design. Urban planning issues are critical.

I e-mailed our city's planner to complain this summer because the city neglected to put a bike/walking path from the end of a cul-de-sac through to the road behind it. Not having that option forces cyclists/pedestrians to go 1.5 km out of their way. This is the same planner that didn't add a sidewalk on the bridge reconstruction to get to the *mart big box retail area.

She at least had the decency to admit it was an oversight (the cul-de-sac path).
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 07:45 PM   #5 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 152

The Mighty Mira - '92 Daihatsu Mira
90 day: 61.32 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
One thing I forgot: the power of the internet to bring specialized knowledge to the masses. It might catch on of its own accord.
__________________
"Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed." - Isaac Newton
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 07:49 PM   #6 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 152

The Mighty Mira - '92 Daihatsu Mira
90 day: 61.32 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
I e-mailed our city's planner to complain this summer because the city neglected to put a bike/walking path from the end of a cul-de-sac through to the road behind it. Not having that option forces cyclists/pedestrians to go 1.5 km out of their way. This is the same planner that didn't add a sidewalk on the bridge reconstruction to get to the *mart big box retail area.
There are negative costs associated with doing that - cul de sacs have lower crime rates, because there are so many eyes, only one exit, and thus only the people who live there really have business being there, strange comings and goings are noticed.
__________________
"Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed." - Isaac Newton
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 07:58 PM   #7 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
I'd say that's an acceptable objection to interconnecting pathways if you live in a gated, privately owned community. But not appropriate where the street & infrastructure was built from & is maintaned by common taxes.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 08:51 PM   #8 (permalink)
igo
Master EcoModder
 
igo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Wheeling, WV
Posts: 410

Mini Box Truck - '05 Scion Xb
90 day: 32.87 mpg (US)

It FITs - '09 Honda Fit Sport
90 day: 36.2 mpg (US)

Impreza - '13 Subaru Impreza Sport
90 day: 30.92 mpg (US)
Thanks: 12
Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts
The most bike friendly places always have good infrastructure. Bikes need there own lanes and lights. Also, it needs to be safe enough that a 12 year old or a 70 year old can ride with little to no risk. High speed traffic is also a bike utopia killer.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 09:51 PM   #9 (permalink)
ECO-Evolution
 
Lazarus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,482

Iron Horse (retired) - '97 Iron horse Intrepid

Ninja - '08 Kawasaki 250R
90 day: 76.23 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 44 Times in 33 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by igo View Post
Bicycling is most popular it is in a fairly dense city with good bike infrastructure.
I agree with this completely. Here most bike lanes have cars park in them and the ones that don't the street sweepers have swept all the glass and debris in the lane so it unusable.

Maybe some one from Europe can chime in but cycling in the US is a fringe sport. The sport of cycling is big business in Europe. Kids grow up riding bikes and there are races just about every day. I think this spills over to more of a cycling society. Here we have Nascar and football. Now that Armstong is no longer riding the Tour de France the popularity and exposure will decrease even more
__________________
"Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers."

  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2007, 09:56 PM   #10 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
A little OT, but have you seen the movie The Triplets of Belleville?

EDIT: metacritic link for the movie: http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...f%20belleville

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com