pc486

Removing roads decreases congestion: Braess' paradox

Roads for private cars are generally overbuilt and run directly into Braess' paradox. E.g. Five years after Sepulveda Pass widening, travel times on the 405 keep getting worse.

That's great to know. I'll keep that in mind when I need a new set of tires.

Not taking advantage of free street parking is crazy. Think of all that extra storage and space in your garage when you don't have to park in it!

The 38 tires should really help on the rougher paths. Maybe I'll pick them up when I wear out my current set.

I haven't tried the front rack yet. Not out of dislike but because I usually pack nothing or way too much. 🤣

Same goes with fenders. I haven't installed them, and probably won't. It's too sunny where I'm from.

The frame is made in Vietnam. The quality is alright, not amazing but certainly appropriate for the price point. No issues with it so far and better than some frames I've seen from the PRC.

It can roll without a rolling rack, but not easily. Good enough for a few feet here and there. I suggest going for the rolling rack if you want to push it around train platforms and such. The saddle is padded on the underside though. It's nice when going up stairs.

One more thing: the drive train is exposed when folded. Watch out for dirty chains and be careful when loading it into a car. It's easy to damage the derailleur hanger or disk brake if it tips over. Support the bike with a box or tie it down when transporting it.

FYI, these are speed cameras, not red light cameras. They're set such that you'd need to be doing 36+ mph in a 25 mph zone.

I own a Tern Verge D9. It's a functional and sporty folder.

The Verge is a snappy feeling ride. Think road-bike handing. The tires are also good, but at 30mm it won't like anything rougher than hard-pack dirt. They're also ISO 451, not the more common 406. This size has fewer tires to choose from for a slightly nicer roll. It's up to you to not if that's a worthy hassle.

FYI, the magnetic latch is terrible. You will have chipped paint on the fork. I don't mind but you may.

Careful folding and unfolding. The stem fold likes to bite the brake and shifting lines. That will screw up shifting.

The matching rack they sell uses oversized tubes. You may need to replace the hooks on existing panniers. Also the racks sits closely to the pedals, so large things may have some foot overlap.

I'm sure I have other thoughts floating around about the Verge D9. Ask anything you'd like to know about it and I'll try answering.

A white paper from a civil engineering arm of a university closely associated with TX DOT citing MDOT?

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair

That's exactly what they're called and they're getting popular. Find a bike bus near you! Bike Bus World

At least Oregon has nature on your side. All kinds of freeway expansions have exorbitant costs because they'll require blasting away mountains or encroaching the coastline. So far y'all have your heads on straight when the who-pays-for-it question arrives. Meanwhile, here in California cost is no measure as we're advancing a bill that streamlines widening state route 37 into sensitive wetlands, only for that new pavement be literally under water within 25 years.

Keep up the good fight, neighbor.

NHTSA FARS 2023 ARF dataset reports that 45-54 has a higher accident rate than 55-64, 65-74, or 75+ groups. The most fatal-accident prone age groups are 15-20, 21-24, and 25-34.

Every age group will flunk out, young and old.

We're already past the "fuck it" phase. 16.7% of fatal crashes involve unlicensed drivers (NHTSA FARS 2023 ARF).

A very common mistake is to commute what you'd drive. In many cases you'd do better on paths and neighborhood streets. For example, maybe part of an unavoidable highway segment has a frontage road. Hop off onto the frontage for that segment, even if it's technically 60 seconds slower.

Google Maps is a decent start, though imperfect in detail (routing through a busy park on footpaths, or not routing through a park that has a good dirt path). Use street view and OpenStreetMaps to explore ways that auto routing won't pick.

+1 to the suggestions on starting with shorter trips. They'll work out any kinks in your setup and give you time to become confident on your bike.