[PotomacCyclist]

@GovernorSilver 129917 wrote:

According to our CDC, death by motor vehicle is still one of the leading causes of death in the US. I have to ride on the streets with cars every time I commute, and thus I risk my life/health every time I ride. I also risk my life/health every time I get into my car and drive.

Those British trial riders risk life/health to do their stunts, but I bet they don’t commute by bike to work every day. I’m not convinced that the risk levels are all that different.

But that’s because there are far more trips on the road than downhill bike races. The percentage of getting seriously injured in a downhill bike race is likely much higher than for a bike commuter who follows defensive riding principles. Nothing in life is 100% risk-free, but I’d think bike commuting (at reasonable speeds) is much safer. Even safer is riding on bikeshare. Something like 20 million total trips or more without a single fatality. That won’t happen with downhill bike racing.

[PotomacCyclist]

I like parkour/free running although I don’t practice it myself. And yes, I see that can also be risky. But not in every situation. (It’s also connected to the Ninja Warrior/American Ninja Warrior contests. Those require a lot of agility and upper-body strength. While they involve a moderate risk of injury, there doesn’t appear to be a serious risk of death. One exception is the Warped Wall. If someone ever fell from the top of that and landed head-first, that could be bad.)

I’m not calling for any sort of ban. I’m simply adding commentary to these videos, because I don’t think a lot of viewers appreciate how destructive the process actually is. I used to watch the videos in amazement and awe, but then I started looking into the price that they pay. I liked the creativity and the bike skills in the earlier videos. The latest one not as much. It comes across to me as more like one of those amateur YouTube videos, where some adrenaline junkies do insane stunts just to film it. I hope MacAskill doesn’t go down that path, because that didn’t appear to be his approach before. He has much more to offer than just extreme risk taking.

This is also why I don’t follow downhill bike racing that much. I saw part of a broadcast a few months ago, just out of curiosity. I was stunned to hear the long list of very serious injuries from almost every single competitor in the field. Not just sprained ankles or bruised ribs or other “garden variety” injuries. It sounded more like a battlefield injury report: broken backs, shattered limbs. crushed bones. It doesn’t have the same artistic element that MacAskill’s earlier videos had, and the races are too short in duration (at least for me).

They are putting these videos out in public, so people should feel free to comment on it and criticize, which I’m doing. I used to be more of a fan of MacAskill but I think he’s starting to become foolish. I also think it would be a waste of talent if he gets himself killed when he could dial it back just a bit and continue to create videos for a much longer time. Maybe even survive into his later years and continue to be a personality in the stunt bike world.

As for the risk-taking gene, I know that exists. It’s similar to those rock stars who lived wild lives and burned out very quickly, although their risks came from the use of voluminous amounts of drugs and unprotected… other activities. That’s partly why I started to get tired of rock and some popular forms of music. (I used to play music a lot, so it’s a field that I’m deeply familiar with. Or at least I used to be familiar with. I don’t know about that many current performers other than a few of the bigger names.) I like the freedom in their attitudes, but I wasn’t as fond of the excesses that many of them indulged in. Maybe I just got old. (I can’t tell you to get off my lawn because I don’t have a lawn.)

[PotomacCyclist]

Reminder: The CaBi bike corral at 13th & NY Ave NW closes for the winter after this Friday. Both corrals will return in the spring.

[PotomacCyclist]

@GovernorSilver 129852 wrote:

I’m sure he’s a big boy and has already been nagged by concerned friends and loved ones. At first, I thought he was simply born with more “risk taker” genes than the average person, but as with many things in life, the real answer may be more complicated:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324102604578497133593217870

On a related note, a roundup of injuries sustained by a more famous stuntman:
http://kotaku.com/jackie-chans-major-injuries-a-catalogue-of-pain-461465578

Some of these performers can be quite naive outside of their specialized skill or talent. It’s sort of like musicians from the 1950s and 1960s who entered into terrible record contracts and ended up with very little despite successful hits and albums. They knew a lot about music and performing, but almost nothing of business and law.

Or he may feel an obligation to follow the demands and suggestions of his manager or sponsor (Red Bull). He’s dependent on those sponsors. If he doesn’t have good business and promotional skills, he could have a very difficult time making a living without those managers and sponsors. But those sponsors may only be looking at short-term gain, not the long-term health of MacAskill.

If he keeps ramping up the risk level, it’s almost inevitable that he will end up paralyzed or dead. Even someone as skilled as he is falls frequently during the filming of these videos. We know this from the behind-the-scenes videos and from his own interviews.

I can easily see him being caught in a bubble, where he only hears the words of his managers and sponsors, and some fans who only look at short-term enjoyment but don’t consider the risk to MacAskill’s long-term well-being. Or he may think that he is completely dependent on the sponsors and managers and can’t afford to disagree with them. That’s entirely realistic and possible.

[PotomacCyclist]

His video with the super-sized toy props

[PotomacCyclist]

It seems as though his videos are involving more and more risk, as if he’s trying to outdo himself with each one. His earlier videos involved tricky moves and some risk, but he wasn’t riding up on narrow ledges so high up. The video at the abandoned train station was great. He did ride on top of old train cars but those were stationary and much wider than the ledges in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShbC5yVqOdI

The set of the children’s toy video (where he was riding around super-sized versions of kids toys like Hot Wheels loops and building blocks) was cool too. He fell several times, as seen in the outtakes at the end of the video (and also in a separate behind-the-scenes video) but again, he wasn’t so high up. He landed on his back during one backflip/spin combo. He appeared to be injured on that crash.

But those are all different from this video. In terms of risk, I’d say the earlier ones were like participating in pro football or gymnastics, both of which can involve hard crashes and collisions and serious injuries, but not necessarily death (although some of the injuries have occasionally been very severe). This one is more like being a tightrope walker without a net. One minor slip-up and you’re likely paralyzed or dead. That’s the part that troubles me. That’s also the part that reminds me a lot of Martyn Ashton. He was injured while doing a stunt high above the ground. Despite his skills, he slipped, fell and broke his back, leading to his paralysis.

They both seem like decent guys so I don’t really care to see MacAskill join Ashton in the wheelchair club. But I fear that’s where he’s headed if he keeps ramping up the danger factor on his videos. I liked the earlier videos because he and the director were turning bike stunts into art. This one is still artistic but he’s crossing over the line to being reckless, I think. If you put yourself into such extreme high-risk scenarios over and over again, it’s only a matter of time before you end up very badly.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Crickey7 129804 wrote:

Not sure it needs repeating, but do NOT read the comments on WTOP’s website.

I like to post to help show that the rabid “drivers never break laws and if they do, it’s OK” crowd do not represent everyone out there. I won’t get worked up about individual arguments because I know I’m unlikely to “win” an Internet argument. So I don’t bother. But I do bother to get the word out there, that there are people who are concerned about traffic and transportation safety and who think that all people on the roads, sidewalk, crosswalks and trails deserve respect and a safe environment. The extremists won’t change their views, but more moderate people might start to give these matters more thought after repeated conversations and posts.

I usually just post a few replies or messages and move on. I finally came to my senses at some point and realized that it’s not worth engaging some people in ongoing shouting matches, while at the same time, I think it’s useful to get in some points for general consumption on comment sections. (Except for some of the very ideological websites. Sorry to say it, but it’s true. Comments on those sites are much more extreme, and much more “tolerant” of hatred and threats against undesirables, such as cyclists, hipsters, people who live in central cities, and most people who are considered “different” in some way.)

I also learned to tune out a lot of the noise. I go in expecting a lot of garbage. I scan through those quickly. If I see some points that can be countered quickly, I will do so. The raving hate statements can’t be countered, so I don’t even try with those, other than to point out how dangerous those people are, and that they pose as much of a danger to American civilians as any foreign terrorist does. (If you look at fatality rates, those reckless/aggressive drivers actually present a far greater threat to most Americans.)

[PotomacCyclist]

He’s a skilled rider, no doubt. But I really think he’s going to end up like Martyn Ashton, the guy who made those Road Bike Party videos using a road bike to do stunts. Ashton fell during one stunt and broke his back. He is now paralyzed and wheelchair-bound.

MacAskill has already suffered multiple injuries while filming other videos. During one interview, he said he had hardly ridden over a one or two-year period because of all the injuries and the physical pain. The guys who perform in these videos get injured a lot.

[PotomacCyclist]

I encountered a taxi driver in Pentagon City who did something similar a while back. I was riding on 12th St. with a green light. He was approaching in the opposite direction, from the mall, also with the green light. He began a left turn. I was already halfway through the intersection, crossing Hayes St. toward the mall. I’m pretty sure he could see me. Even though it was in the evening, that area is very brightly lit. He actually sped up to make his turn, so that he would reach the intersection at the same time as I did. There was no other traffic so he wasn’t trying to beat any oncoming car traffic or anything else. He was asserting his right to run me over. I had to speed up to avoid him, even though I knew he was entirely in the wrong. If I slowed down to make a point, that would only have gotten me run over.

Unfortunately, there are some homicidal jerks on the roads, which really isn’t a surprise to most people who have spent time riding around. Most drivers are not like this, but a significant minority are.

[PotomacCyclist]

He’s paid a heavy price for all those videos. Multiple injuries, several of them quite severe. For a couple years, he was barely able to ride at all because of the injuries.

[PotomacCyclist]

@83(b) 129548 wrote:

There’s a woman on East Capitol who sings a little ditty to scofflaw cyclists. I’ll be waiting at a red light, smugly basking in my own self-righteousness. She’ll be next to me at her bus stop, basking in her own eccentricity and vegan shoes. And every time a cyclist comes through and runs the light she’ll sing out something like “Oh look at you, aren’t you: above the law; a very important person; a special snowflake; etc.”

I’ve tried adding accompaniment with my Crane bell, but sadly I lack the rhythm necessary for percussion instruments.

Like this? 1:45 mark

[PotomacCyclist]

If and when the documents are posted, they should be found here:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?parkID=198&projectID=34546

The site doesn’t appear to get updated that often. The last meeting notice is for the 12/14/2011 meeting:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/meetingNotices.cfm?projectID=34546

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=34546

[PotomacCyclist]

I rode over to National Harbor recently, the first time in a year or two. I posted about it on the RackSpotter thread. I was very surprised to see that there are now bike racks everywhere in the main restaurant/retail area. Bike racks on every corner of the two main streets (except for a quiet corner next to a parking garage).

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?8366-Behold-RackSpotter-A-crowdsourced-bike-parking-tool!&p=129358#post129358

No bike racks at the convention center though, unless they were hidden inside another parking garage. The crushed shell path is still in place too. I rode over on cyclocross tires. It wasn’t too bad, but I still don’t enjoy riding on that surface.

Glad to see that the property management has changed their views about cycling at NH for the most part. No one said anything as I rode around. I passed by Prince George’s County police as well as NH security. They didn’t say anything to me about riding there. I stayed on the streets for the most part. I rode on a couple empty sidewalks but I slowed down to walking pace when I did that. I rode very slowly in general because the area was crowded with visitors.

I also rode up past the MGM casino site. That project is massive, about the length of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The design also looks like an Imperial Star Destroyer from Star Wars, sort of. It’s a moderately steep climb from the main NH site to the top of the MGM casino resort. That could present problems for casual cyclists, especially if they are riding heavy CaBi bikes in the future.

The Tanger Outlet mall is also uphill from NH. I’m a bit out of shape right now (or I could say I’m not in peak form at the moment) and I got gassed by pushing too hard up the hill. My bike is fairly heavy but it’s still lighter than a CaBi bike.

I have to think that there will be a lot more downhill CaBi traffic than uphill traffic if NH becomes part of the CaBi network. This might present rebalancing issues. I don’t know if there would be rush hour rebalancing problems there. While there are a couple offices at NH, is it really a major business center? I wouldn’t think so, but maybe there are more offices than I know about. The restaurants/bars and convention center at NH wouldn’t necessarily have peak hours. Same with the casino and the outlet mall. There might be more traffic to all three destinations in the evenings, after locals get out of work. But I’m not so sure that would result in rebalancing problems by itself. The bigger issue will be the steep climb up Harborview Ave. Something to consider as NH and Prince George’s start to plan for future CaBi stations.

It’s similar to the elevation change between downtown DC and the Columbia Heights/Petworth areas. I remember reading that there is more AM rush hour CaBi traffic (from CH/Petworth to downtown) than PM rush hour CaBi traffic in the reverse direction, most likely because of the hills. While NH may not have the same work commute bike patterns that DC does, the hill might lead to many more trips from Tanger/MGM down to NH than uphill trips.

If most of the NH-area bike trips are within the main NH area, then this might not be a major issue. But if a large percentage of the NH-area trips are between NH and MGM or NH and Tanger, then there would be a need for more rebalancing throughout the day. The NH stations could be serviced with vans that also cover the Alexandria stations. It’s not too far a drive across the bridge (but it will be slower during peak commute periods).

Just some early thoughts about potential issues for NH bikeshare. I still think it’s a great idea but they will have to keep the rebalancing issues and the Harborview Ave. hill in mind.

[PotomacCyclist]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10237[/ATTACH]

[PotomacCyclist]

In other news, National Harbor seems to have joined the bike-friendly community, sort of. I rode over there for the first time in a year or two. I knew they had bike racks at the point where the crushed shell path leads up to the main NH waterfront area. The expectation is that cyclists would lock up their bikes at those racks and proceed ahead on foot only. Or perhaps cut over into the parking lot and ride on the regular streets.

That’s what I did, half-expecting a security guard to tell me that bikes were not allowed at the NH complex. But then I saw another bike rack in the main NH area. And another. And another. The entire area now has bike rack coverage. At least the restaurant and bar area. Every single corner of the two main streets has a bike rack now, except one quieter corner next to a parking garage.

The convention center doesn’t seem to have any bike racks though. I think they should consider adding some there too.

As posted in another thread, the spokesperson at NH recently spoke favorably about adding bikeshare stations at NH as well as at the future MGM casino and the Tanger Outlet mall.

I wasn’t expecting any of this, not after the initial hostility toward cycling that the NH management displayed in their first year. I guess they read and heard all the complaints from people. I emailed them one of those complaints myself.

They still need to do something about that crushed shell path, especially if they want to bring Capital Bikeshare to NH in the near future. The path from the Wilson Bridge is smooth, paved asphalt. But once you approach NH, you run into a poorly maintained parking lot, with a lot of gravel and small potholes. That leads to the crushed shell path. While it’s possible to ride over it, I would be concerned about riding on skinny road tires on a regular basis.

Now that NH is more accommodating to cyclists, I will probably head over there more frequently than before. I went there a few times a couple years ago, maybe around 2011-2013. But zero times over the past year or two, until now.

The MGM Casino is across the street from the Harborview Ave bike path, so it will be possible to bike there when that opens next year (if they hold to the announced schedule). The Tanger Outlet mall has a couple bike racks at the southern end. I think they could use a few more bike racks, including some on the north end of the complex.

[Author]

Posts