Chip Haynes

Unless the bike lacks brake pads (coaster brake, disc brake, brakeless fixie), that usually works very well, but make sure that when you turn the bike over, you're not sort of accidentally squeezing those brake levers against the floor- and tightening the brakes more than you might want!

Adrein-

I am always impressed with the winter riders up north. Wow. Would I do it if I were up there? I don't know. I've certainly lived where it was cold, but I was younger then. This has, for us, been a long annoying bit of winter even here in west central Florida. Sure, I still ride, but it's not like I'm going to freeze to death or anything. No snow, no ice, and the "wind chill" here is a joke compared to what you've had to face up there. You don't have to be that brave here to ride year around.
I think I'll stay.

"I wonder what it would be like if transportation advancement stopped with the bicycle."

Did it not?

Clifford-

If you think about it, by time the bicycle became all the rage, a bit on either side of the year 1900, we already had about all we needed for transportation: Trains and ships and all like that. Bicycles themselves never got much better after that, as the Sturmey-Archer three-speed hub came along around 1902. What else do you need? Someone once called the bicycle the noblest of man's inventions, and I think they were right. But of course we couldn't leave well enough alone. Eventually, however, it will all slide back a bit as the oil goes away, so there's hope yet that the bicycle will make a stunning comeback.
Maybe next week.

And here I'm grousing about temps in the 50's (F). MINUS TEN??? Oh, my.

I've a small list of errands to ride around town tomorrow on my fixie, as I swapped out the front (and only) brake on it today, so of course I must test it! Spent the afternoon working on it in the garage, door open and sun shining in. Very nice, if a tad cool for me. It's supposed to be in the low 70's here tomorrow, and in the 80's by the end of the week. So much for winter. I'm over it.

I've got bikes to ride!

I apologize for not stopping by here earlier. Like, say, a month go. I am on the county's bicycle advisory commitee here, and I see what you are going through all over around here: How do you make the place better/safer for bikes and peds? Routes and amenities are the two biggies: Places to go and ways to get there. It can be as simple as lowering speed limits and adding bike racks. As a matter of fact, that's a big part of it right there.
Also, you need to make sure local cyclists aren't their own worst enemies. If you want drivers to share the road with cyclists, cyclists need to share, too. I've seen too many "critical mass" rides do far more harm than good when it comes to public relations to promote cycling. Being really annoying (as much fun as it is!) seldom really helps in the long run. And trust me, this is a very long run, indeed. Making any place bicycle friendly takes decades. Seriously. The only thing that happens overnight is that it gets dark for a little bit. You want bicycle friendly? Be in it for the long haul- for years. Run for City Council. Get on committees. Speak at meetings. Be The Cyclist.
And savor the small victories- they do add up.

Yeah, Justin's got a point there: It might just be the tire not seated properly on the rim. But given a choice between the two problems, I'd much rather be able to simply true the wheel with a spoke wrench. I've seen some tire/rim combinations that just did not like me, or each other, and refuse to seat well. An old friend of mine that had a bike shop Way Back When used Murphy's Oil Soap to swap down the rim and tire bead to get it to pop into place. That, and way too much air pressure, usually did the trick. Or blew the tire to smithereens. It can go either way.
What I hear from bike shop mechanics these days is that they are seeing alot more tire seating problems due to the newer cheap rims that lack the significant bead cleat of older wheels. There's nothing there for the tire to latch on to. Not good.

Alas, Mlies, I have a black thumb. Remember the Mojave Forest? Yeah, well, see, they left it with me when they went on vacation. My bad.

However: I am growing cotton here in the yard, and that is WAY cool. (It tried growing polyester, but killed it.) Funny thing, though: I undertstand that, except as an ornamental, it is illegal to grow substantial amounts of cotton in Florida as a crop. It attracts the boll weevil, and that is a bad thing. But for now, my small plantation is safe, and I use the resulting cotton to clean small bike parts in the garage. What I'd REALLY like to grow is cacao (chocloate). I've heard all different opinions on whether or not we are warm enough for that, though. (We are just below Lat. 28 North.) We are right on the coconut line. Perhaps I should strart with that, and add a lime tree or two.

Then I could put de lime in de coconut...

Adrien, this has been, and still is, a blast! I will hang around here and tell you, one and all, that I check my email everyday, and I'll even answer the phone if I hear it.

Or the door, if you knock.

Jeremiah's post above reminded me: We are allowed to bring folded folding bikes INSIDE our buses, rather than use the racks on the outside. That might be an option.

Way to go, Everett! (Hope you like the book!)

As for me, I'll not disappear just like that, just 'cuz the promo's over. I will be here, nosing around a bit, to post and hang out. I promote bicycling. That's what I do. Yeah, I wrote a book on it, but I really enjoy getting people out there and riding.