One less car indeed
Thread started by
deadone at 06.10.08 - 9:32 am
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/06/this-just-in-one-less-car-in-la.html
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HAHAH i just met that guy last weekend on the way to Choppercabras. He was cool, and that bike looked more used than any bike near it...Still funny though.
Even on the BS comments people revert to associating LA to the Freeway Ride! SO AWESOME! THANKS CRIMANIMALZ!
SKIDMARCUS
06.9.08 - 5:09 pm
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Last weekend on the way to Choppercabras? SKIDMARCUS is posting from 51 weeks in the future!
PC
06.9.08 - 5:12 pm
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Time Continuum Snob LA!
SKIDMARCUS
06.9.08 - 5:14 pm
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It's nice to see the Freeway rides get some love. Rollerbladers get none though.
Would our panties be up in a knot if the guy had a BMC _Bro_ Machine on the rack instead?
cabhauler
06.9.08 - 5:43 pm
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Personally, I am outraged that he put that bike on a rack when there is clearly plenty of room in the wayback. ONE LESS EMPTY SUV REAR STORAGE COMPARTMENT!
PC
06.9.08 - 5:59 pm
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I used to drive out to rides myself, so I'm not going to get up into people's business about riding to the ride. I realize people do have time and fear/comfort issues, and drive to ride is better than no ride at all.
That said, leaving the car at home is a great way to get to know the city better. There's often people to ride to and from with, and you can bond with people in small groups better. Solo riding is wonderful too for contemplation and to build up your confidence on the streets. You'll be surprised how close things actually and how quickly your legs can take you there.
cabhauler
06.9.08 - 6:06 pm
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maybe he's in my position... waiting for my car lease to expire so i can dump that embarrassing piece of luxury crap and replace it with a fourth bicycle.
indigis
06.9.08 - 6:38 pm
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Leave it to rich white people to feel bad about driving a nice car
tallcans4tallbikes
06.9.08 - 6:48 pm
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I'm actually hoping the banking arrangement fails on this car I bought on Friday.
Despite living up here, I still feel kind of sick to my stomach owning something like that.
bentstrider
06.9.08 - 6:52 pm
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steve aka jesus with a haircut on lafixed has one of those huge GAS SUCKS RIDE A BIKE stickers on the back window of his car. i love that guy.
ruinedbyidiots
06.9.08 - 6:55 pm
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SKIDMARCUS06.10.08 - 9:37 am
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I just bought a car. I'm quite happy with it. That said, I've put 300 miles on it in 2.5 weeks, and 200 of those were driving up to SB for mountain biking. Some things just can't be done easily without a car. Taking my dog to the beach or the mountains, going mountain biking, etc.
In a truly awesome move, however, I pulled into an open air parking lot in SB which for some reason had an adobe clearance arch over the gateway. The only reason for the arch was to mount a clearance warning, but the only reason a clearance warning was needed was because of the arch. The next lowest thing over the parking lot was the international space station. And to make matters worse, the arch was placed so that if you look around for clearance issues after stopping to take the entrance ticket, you cannot see it, because it is just above the windshield. At any rate, my brand spanking new bike rack was ripped off the top of my brand spanking new car, leaving me with multiple roof dents, 2 dented doors, a broken tailight, a bent rack, and who knows what else.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
On the "bright" side, the only thing on my bike that touched was the NiteRider headlight which, while covered with plaster dust, is utterly undamaged. I'm not quite sure how the plastic headlight mounted on titanium handlebars managed to be stronger than the steel and aluminium of the roof and rack, but it was.
ideasculptor06.10.08 - 12:15 pm
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i know where that parking garage is in dtsb. the bottom floor is all fenced in and is like what 4th and flower is to dtla when it comes to fixed gear bikes. only no one here is a messenger.
ruinedbyidiots06.10.08 - 12:26 pm
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Where is that parking lot? I just want to make sure I don't get nailed by it too since I like to rack my bikes on the roof.
Where did you go mountain biking? I rode Romero Canyon a couple of weeks ago.
mk452406.10.08 - 1:01 pm
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I cannot thank you enough for the UPDATE, user "deadone"! Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!
I'm pluggable!
PAM06.10.08 - 1:04 pm
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The lot is the one between borders and the movie theatre. Canon Perdido and Anapamucapa.
There is a covered parking area, but you cannot get to it from the entrance I was trying to use. I would have to exit the lot and re-enter elsewhere to get to the lower floors. Literally, the only reason for the 8'8" clearance sign is the 8'8" clearance sign.
I rode up to Little Pine on the upper oso fireroad and then down Santa Cruz trail. I've never understood the appeal of Romero canyon. I've always found it a little boring. There is so much fantastic riding on the backside of the mountains there.
I got bitten by a wasp about 5 times, right in the armpit, when I put my arms down after taking a few photos at the top. That was just the first disaster of the day. I've been walking around scratching my armpit every since, as it itches like hell.
ideasculptor06.10.08 - 1:11 pm
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I'll go look at that lot when I get a chance and maybe ask around to see if there can be some changes. Probably not since it's one of the parking structures.
From what I understand, the mountain trails, both on the front side and the back side are faster than down in Ventura County. Romero is supposed to be one of the easier ones, especially since the Zaca fire when the Forest Service bulldozed the single track on the upper part of the canyon and turned it into a fire road. I think that's the popularity of Romero -- especially after you get past the bridge.
Since then, it looks like nature is beginning to take its course and its starting to go back to being a single track trail. At least they got rid of those huge boulders.
Easy or not, I'm nursing a nice case of road rash from my Romero ride.
mk452406.10.08 - 2:55 pm
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I walked around to a couple of other parking lots to document that they have much less insane warnings. It turns out that one of the pics I shot even shows a sign that sayd warning - 8'2" this floor only. All others 7'0". All of the other lots also have swinging warning indicators hung at the correct height BEFORE you reach the hard ceiling so that an alert driver can spot the problem. If they can differentiate between the height requirements of other lots and provide warnings that actually warn, why is the one lot that got me so different. If I were the litigious sort, I'd probably have a pretty good case, I think. Instead, I just want to force them to remove the arch, since it serves no purpose and I am clearly far from the only person to have ever slammed into it.
ideasculptor06.10.08 - 3:10 pm
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email me at mk4524 at yahoo dot com with the info and I'll see if I can bring it up with the SB Bicycle Coalition. I think there are lots who drive up here from the South to use the trails and therefore use racks. I've seen too many bikes fall off trunk racks and trailer hitch racks to feel comfortable using one.
mk452406.10.08 - 3:20 pm
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