There are two kinds of places to lock up your bike. Portland's various establishments offer up more cycle accommodation than I have seen anywhere. Bright yellow pylons bracket the generous area. These spaces are at a premium during peak hours though. After they fill up, one needs to find the improvised places. It is pretty cool the things we will lock our bikes to in this urban world. Gas meters seem to offer a veritable bouquet of pipes and closed angles to secure your ride. Cable locks are handy for trees and even some newspaper stands. Street signs always work the trick provided they are tall or do not predict some terrible omen to the rest of your riding day.
It comes as no surprise that art has begun to mix with bicycle advocacy. Some style has been added to the traditional "U" shaped piece of steel sticking out of the sidewalk. The shapes just in my neighborhood include: eyeglasses, toothbrushes, and stethoscopes. The functionality of such street art / bike security remains to be seen. Sometimes the height is all wrong, or other times the thickness of the metal is a bit difficult for the U-lock. But in general, it is a good trend and certainly more interesting. David Byrne of the Talking Heads is a huge advocate for cycling and opening up people's imaginations. He has spearheaded awareness with his art pieces all over New York City( link ).
No comments:
Post a Comment