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Date: 04 Jan 2006 07:40:18
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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Hi, All:
I've only ever seen middle-aged guys on recumbents in the City, when I
see 'bents at all, and they're by themselves. They've always been in
Manhattan, except for once in Brooklyn, and in what's usually
recognized as safe neigbhorhoods, 'cept twice (Harlem and Ridgewood).
So I'm just wondering if City 'bent riders take extra precautions?
And just how do you lock up the thing to a lamp post, anyway? =)
I plan on using this thing mainly in the parks at first, but it'd be
nice to do "urban touring," too.
BTW, has anyone ever seen a 'bent rider on 9W to Bear Mountain? Lots
of bicyclists most any time of the year and day (and night -- namely,
crazy ol' me!), but I don't recall meeting a 'bent on that road, no.
A 'bent sounds like great fun, but if I can't use it in the City,
fuggedabouit! That's partly why I don't plan on buying a car, though
those hybrid Toyota Prius "cubs" look cute.
As for visibility...I'll just get one of those neon pennants....
Well, I guess I could always ride with the annual Five Boro Bike
Tour....
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Date: 10 Jan 2006 11:22:58
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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Joao wrote:
>
>
> Indeed! I know of only 4 women bent riders in or around the city.
It's always a Catch-22, isn't it -- the biggest complaint for females,
after the sheer feer of riding in traffic, is the comfort factor.
Unfortunately, with that solved the fear factor goes up due to limited
visibility!
> Yup. The guy is a bit wacko, and once he starts talking to you, he just
> won't let you go. But he does ride a recumbent, so all is forgiven ;)
I'd like to meet him. Chit-chat; I'm curious how he gets about on a
'bent as a messenger -- I was one for half a summer and I can't really
imagine how you'd do it with a 'bent.
> That's Dexter. That guy is freakin' amazing!
He is. I saw him on a job once, when on one of my own. Too bad I
couldn't chat with him.
A few pretty female bike messengers, too. It's an interesting
subculture.
> The S club (Metro Area Recumbent Society) sometimes does rides in the
> city. Then there is always the Harlem Recumbents who ride in the city
> and also long-distance group rides.
Ah, yes, them!
> Metro-Area Recumbent Society - http://www.recumbents.com/s/
>
> There is also the Harlem Recumbent club, but I don't have any contact
> information for them.
>
> Cheers.
Thanks for the refs! I'll find the Harlem folks once day I'm sure, and
I'll post contact info.
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Date: 10 Jan 2006 07:42:45
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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Alex Rodriguez wrote:
>
>
> Why?
'Cause it's looks high-end.
> It's not like just any rider is going to ride off with a bent.
In a City of ten million, it's very possible.
> I've seen them on 9W, but I don't know where they were going.
Hmm. I gotta get out there more!
> You can use a bent in the city, but there are better choices. The biggest
> drawback I see with using a bent in the city is that you are seated quite
> low. That makes it difficult to see what's going on around you. A regular
> diamond frame bike allows you to sit up higher and see what's going on around
> you.
Well, of course, I'd choose the route carefully -- though I was
inspired to see some guy biking his 'bent across 125th Street during
summer rush hour! -- and get on the sidewalk if need be.
> That helps others see you, but that doesn't help you see others.
I'm usually looking straight ahead anyway. Though it will be
interesting to adjust my "Spidey Sense" accordingly....
> Sure. Just be careful. The FBBT usually attracts a lot of folks who only
> ride once or twice a year. So their bike handling skills are lacking and
> it can be dangerous to have them riding around you.
> ---------------
> Alex
Thanks, but I never had anywhere near a problem, and I'm talking about
racing with the second-best of 'em (the best are already at the
starting line -- and just how does one get up there? Camp out the
night before??) as well as the worst -- tykes on their trykes.
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Date: 09 Jan 2006 17:54:00
From: Alex Rodriguez
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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In article <1136389218.861450.174410@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >,
jack_foreigner@yahoo.com says...
>Hi, All:
>I've only ever seen middle-aged guys on recumbents in the City, when I
>see 'bents at all, and they're by themselves. They've always been in
>Manhattan, except for once in Brooklyn, and in what's usually
>recognized as safe neigbhorhoods, 'cept twice (Harlem and Ridgewood).
>
>So I'm just wondering if City 'bent riders take extra precautions?
Why? It's not like just any rider is going to ride off with a bent.
>And just how do you lock up the thing to a lamp post, anyway? =)
>I plan on using this thing mainly in the parks at first, but it'd be
>nice to do "urban touring," too.
>BTW, has anyone ever seen a 'bent rider on 9W to Bear Mountain?
I've seen them on 9W, but I don't know where they were going.
>A 'bent sounds like great fun, but if I can't use it in the City,
>fuggedabouit! That's partly why I don't plan on buying a car, though
>those hybrid Toyota Prius "cubs" look cute.
You can use a bent in the city, but there are better choices. The biggest
drawback I see with using a bent in the city is that you are seated quite
low. That makes it difficult to see what's going on around you. A regular
diamond frame bike allows you to sit up higher and see what's going on around
you.
>As for visibility...I'll just get one of those neon pennants....
That helps others see you, but that doesn't help you see others.
>Well, I guess I could always ride with the annual Five Boro Bike
>Tour....
Sure. Just be careful. The FBBT usually attracts a lot of folks who only
ride once or twice a year. So their bike handling skills are lacking and
it can be dangerous to have them riding around you.
---------------
Alex
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Date: 05 Jan 2006 12:20:06
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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oldslowbenter wrote:
>
> I saw a tv show about bike thieves. One guy had a rigged sign. Victim locks
> bike to sign, crook pulls sign out of base calls accomplice with cell phone,
> puts sign back, throws bike into a pickup truck, flees scene in truck.
LOL! Sounds so damned Looney Tunes!!
Thanks for the tip...now I'll pull up on every damned post around here!
I already push against them to see how much lean they give, out of
superstition. =)
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Date: 05 Jan 2006 06:46:40
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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LOL -- that's very true!!
But unfortunately the bike thieves in NYC are often pros and drive
around in vans! They don't just ride off on a bike -- they ride off
with it! I'm reminded of the Jawas from "Star Wars: A New Hope." =)
Ken M wrote:
>
>
> Well I think from my limited exp. that someone riding off on your bent
> is not as likely as a traditional diamond frame, because you need to
> learn how to ride a bent, it's quite different from a regular upright.
>
> Ken
> --
> [T]he bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting
> calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles
> per gallon. ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist
>
> Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
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Date: 05 Jan 2006 10:09:10
From: oldslowbenter
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1136472400.769227.54350@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> LOL -- that's very true!!
>
> But unfortunately the bike thieves in NYC are often pros and drive
> around in vans! They don't just ride off on a bike -- they ride off
> with it! I'm reminded of the Jawas from "Star Wars: A New Hope." =)
>
I saw a tv show about bike thieves. One guy had a rigged sign. Victim locks
bike to sign, crook pulls sign out of base calls accomplice with cell phone,
puts sign back, throws bike into a pickup truck, flees scene in truck.
>
>
> Ken M wrote:
>>
>>
>> Well I think from my limited exp. that someone riding off on your bent
>> is not as likely as a traditional diamond frame, because you need to
>> learn how to ride a bent, it's quite different from a regular upright.
>>
>> Ken
>> --
>> [T]he bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting
>> calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles
>> per gallon. ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist
>>
>> Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
>
>
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Date: 05 Jan 2006 20:05:22
From: Cully_J
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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"oldslowbenter" <no@publicemailaccepted > wrote in message
news:1136477557_565@spool6-east.superfeed.net...
> >
> I saw a tv show about bike thieves. One guy had a rigged sign. Victim
locks
> bike to sign, crook pulls sign out of base calls accomplice with cell
phone,
> puts sign back, throws bike into a pickup truck, flees scene in truck.
>
>
Wow, if one's a bike thief, a rigged sign is an ingeneous idea!
Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the only people who'd use it are
relatively inexperianced bikers. People like kids and those who've been
busted for DUI. So chances are you'd be gettin a Huffy or Free Spirit!
Cully_J
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Date: 05 Jan 2006 06:37:23
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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Joao wrote:
>
>
> Hi, end of the alphabet! ;)
Heh heh..."XYZ" used to mean something in those MAD mag cartoons....
> There are quite a few middle aged folks, but a few younger ones as well.
> I'm 40 myself, but started riding my bents in the city when I was
> around 34 or so. And I know at least two bent riders in the
> lower-eastside who are also in their 30's.
We definitely need more women in this sport.
> Yup. Don't park it outside unless its a really cheap bent, and in a
> very safe area. A friend of mine down in Battery Park City parks his
> and his wife's EZ-1s clunkers outdoors, next to a police booth. in my
> case, I used to commute by bent, but since my office building changed
> its policy and no longer allows me to bring my bikes in, I've been
> commuting on a cheap fixie that I can lock outdoors. I also know one
> bike messenger who rides on a BikeE, and locks it all over the city
> during his work.
Wow! That's really something: a 'bent messenger?
Then again, after seeing that one-legged messenger, I'll believe
anything!
> With a very loooong chain.
If only there was some device capable of securing a bike high up on a
post...!
> I do it sometimes. I know of a few others as well. A buddy of mine
> (the one in BPC) used to live near Piermont, and commuted daily to
> midtown on his bent.
There should be a 'bent tour for NYC. I don't mean close down the
streets or something -- though that'd be nice! -- but something
informal, like a 'bent club social ride.
Any 'bent clubs in NYC?
> You can use it, but threat it as you would any expensive flashy bike in
> the city. You don't see a whole lot of Lightspeeds or Serrottas locked
> to lamp posts in the city, do you?
Not that I'm a bicycle thief who'd notice, but, no, I suppose not.
Well, anyway, my policy is practically to always lock the bike in a
highly visible place and not let it out of my sight for more than five
seconds at a time.
> My bike looks like this - http://allgoodnamesrtaken.com/grr/CP1.JPG ;)
LOL -- that's some anti-theft device you have there, hiding it like
that!
> Not my cup of tea. I used to do the 5BBT every year, but got tired of
> it. Too crowded, too many idiots with no bike or social skills thinking
> it was a race, and not enough riding for a full day commitment.
Yeah, it's crowded for the first hour, but once it opens up, it's
really great! I have to confess to a guilty thrill at ignoring the
cops assigned to traffic...I'll never forget the sight of cyclists as
far as you can see up Sixth Avenue, and as far as you can see down
Sixth Avenue, with no break in-between, apparently no one stopping
despite the cops!
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Date: 05 Jan 2006 15:21:36
From: Joao
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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NYC XYZ wrote:
>
> We definitely need more women in this sport.
Indeed! I know of only 4 women bent riders in or around the city.
> Wow! That's really something: a 'bent messenger?
Yup. The guy is a bit wacko, and once he starts talking to you, he just
won't let you go. But he does ride a recumbent, so all is forgiven ;)
> Then again, after seeing that one-legged messenger, I'll believe
> anything!
That's Dexter. That guy is freakin' amazing!
> There should be a 'bent tour for NYC. I don't mean close down the
> streets or something -- though that'd be nice! -- but something
> informal, like a 'bent club social ride.
The S club (Metro Area Recumbent Society) sometimes does rides in the
city. Then there is always the Harlem Recumbents who ride in the city
and also long-distance group rides.
> Any 'bent clubs in NYC?
Metro-Area Recumbent Society - http://www.recumbents.com/s/
There is also the Harlem Recumbent club, but I don't have any contact
information for them.
Cheers.
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Date: 04 Jan 2006 18:39:55
From: Joao
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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NYC XYZ wrote:
> Hi, All:
Hi, end of the alphabet! ;)
> I've only ever seen middle-aged guys on recumbents in the City, when I
> see 'bents at all, and they're by themselves. They've always been in
> Manhattan, except for once in Brooklyn, and in what's usually
> recognized as safe neigbhorhoods, 'cept twice (Harlem and Ridgewood).
There are quite a few middle aged folks, but a few younger ones as well.
I'm 40 myself, but started riding my bents in the city when I was
around 34 or so. And I know at least two bent riders in the
lower-eastside who are also in their 30's.
> So I'm just wondering if City 'bent riders take extra precautions?
Yup. Don't park it outside unless its a really cheap bent, and in a
very safe area. A friend of mine down in Battery Park City parks his
and his wife's EZ-1s clunkers outdoors, next to a police booth. in my
case, I used to commute by bent, but since my office building changed
its policy and no longer allows me to bring my bikes in, I've been
commuting on a cheap fixie that I can lock outdoors. I also know one
bike messenger who rides on a BikeE, and locks it all over the city
during his work.
> And just how do you lock up the thing to a lamp post, anyway? =)
With a very loooong chain.
> BTW, has anyone ever seen a 'bent rider on 9W to Bear Mountain? Lots
> of bicyclists most any time of the year and day (and night -- namely,
> crazy ol' me!), but I don't recall meeting a 'bent on that road, no.
I do it sometimes. I know of a few others as well. A buddy of mine
(the one in BPC) used to live near Piermont, and commuted daily to
midtown on his bent.
> A 'bent sounds like great fun, but if I can't use it in the City,
> fuggedabouit! That's partly why I don't plan on buying a car, though
> those hybrid Toyota Prius "cubs" look cute.
You can use it, but threat it as you would any expensive flashy bike in
the city. You don't see a whole lot of Lightspeeds or Serrottas locked
to lamp posts in the city, do you?
> As for visibility...I'll just get one of those neon pennants....
My bike looks like this - http://allgoodnamesrtaken.com/grr/CP1.JPG ;)
> Well, I guess I could always ride with the annual Five Boro Bike
> Tour....
Not my cup of tea. I used to do the 5BBT every year, but got tired of
it. Too crowded, too many idiots with no bike or social skills thinking
it was a race, and not enough riding for a full day commitment.
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Date: 04 Jan 2006 11:23:22
From: Ken M
Subject: Re: 'Bent Thefts and Robberies in The City?
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NYC XYZ wrote:
> Hi, All:
>
> I've only ever seen middle-aged guys on recumbents in the City, when I
> see 'bents at all, and they're by themselves. They've always been in
> Manhattan, except for once in Brooklyn, and in what's usually
> recognized as safe neigbhorhoods, 'cept twice (Harlem and Ridgewood).
>
> So I'm just wondering if City 'bent riders take extra precautions?
>
> And just how do you lock up the thing to a lamp post, anyway? =)
>
> I plan on using this thing mainly in the parks at first, but it'd be
> nice to do "urban touring," too.
>
> BTW, has anyone ever seen a 'bent rider on 9W to Bear Mountain? Lots
> of bicyclists most any time of the year and day (and night -- namely,
> crazy ol' me!), but I don't recall meeting a 'bent on that road, no.
>
> A 'bent sounds like great fun, but if I can't use it in the City,
> fuggedabouit! That's partly why I don't plan on buying a car, though
> those hybrid Toyota Prius "cubs" look cute.
>
> As for visibility...I'll just get one of those neon pennants....
>
> Well, I guess I could always ride with the annual Five Boro Bike
> Tour....
>
Well I think from my limited exp. that someone riding off on your bent
is not as likely as a traditional diamond frame, because you need to
learn how to ride a bent, it's quite different from a regular upright.
Ken
--
[T]he bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting
calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles
per gallon. ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist
Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
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