@MarkBrigham @bikenite A3. I recently learned that the City of Oakland contracted with a company named Adhara to measure road quality via camera. https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/23/list-worst-roads-in-oakland-data-official/
They assigned ratings and use them to prioritize repaving.
Thanks all for the questions tonight. And thanks for answering, reading & discussing.
The queue is empty! Please add more with the BikeNitePQ tag for next Friday.
Reply, boost and favorite to keep it going. Thanks for being a part of this community. And you can follow #BikeNite, if you haven't yet. Use the hashtag to help boost awareness!
And our last question this week as usual: your week in a photo.
Q8. What did you see this week? Reply with a photo if you'd like. Cycling related or not is fine. Tell us about it!
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@MarkBrigham asks: (it's been a lighter week for questions, so thank you for sending in a bunch!)
We’re 7 months through the year.
Q7. If you set cycling or fitness related goals for 2026, are you on track to achieve them? Would any words of encouragement from the #BikeNite community help motivate you?
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Q6. Are there some things that you do now or are considering doing that you never would have considered when younger?
(For example, I think it's time for me to buy one of these: https://dabrim.com)
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@pete asks:
I clean snapped a brifter off a bike the other day, which is now sat in the shed awaiting replacement parts alongside another that has no chain and a worn cassette as it somewhat embarrassingly has been for perhaps 18 months:
Q5. Do you have bikes that are out of action and if so, how long have they been that way?
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@InkySchwartz has a related question:
Q4. What seems to be the lifespan of bike paths/MUP before repaving is needed?
I assume they need more time between repaving than a car carrying road, but what is it?
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@MarkBrigham asks, as a follow-up:
Q3. Does your community have smoothness standards for municipal and county roads, and for bike & walk-specific infrastructure? Please cite examples if you have them.
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@MarkBrigham asks:
Q2. Dedicated walk & roll (bike, inline skate, wheelchair, scooter) paths age and weather to the extent that they become punishing, if not dangerous, to ride. What steps have people taken to advocate for maintaining existing but dilapidated infrastructure so walk & rollers can enjoy it again, safely?
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Welcome to #BikeNite on Friday, July 31st.
Thanks for joining our chat. Anyone can join, now or later. Reply to what you like, and boost for visibility.
Our intro:
Q1. Where are you posting from today? Any interesting non-cycling happenings this week?
Our community discussion #BikeNite starts in about an hour, at 4pm Pacific (UTC-8). I post cycle-y questions w/ Q1, Q2, Q3; if you answer w/ A1, A2, A3, etc, it's easier to match.
Tag #BikeNite if you want your answer to be more discoverable; follow it to see questions & replies in your feed. Boost & reply to replies to keep the discussion going.
(You can follow the BikeNiteQ tag so questions are easier to find, but don't include this in your answers)
Call for questions! Next #BikeNite is in 2 days, on Friday!
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Next #BikeNite is this Friday at 4pm Pacific standard time (UTC-8)!
This is our weekly call for questions. Reply with any you'd like me to add to the discussion on Friday. Please add the BikeNitePQ hashtag so it's easier to find a Proposed Question. There is room for more!
(BikeNite is a Q&A type discussion on the Fediverse.) #BikeTooter cc @bikenite
On my ride home, I stopped at an intersection, and waited for a car to cross. I heard a weird noise, turned around, and smiled when I realized it was a barking dog in a car.
The driver flipped me off when I looked again! I wasn’t even in the way!
I imagine this feeling is what informs much of the Berkeley Hopkins St anti-bike sentiment?
@ascentale @bikenite A8. Someone brought this trailer to the last kidical mass. It’s used to block off the cross streets. The structure was finished just in time. The welds were still hot.
#bikenite
@bikenite A8. not the prettiest, but I was happy to see a hardened island in here to calm traffic a bit. Someone died a few years ago a block away. He was riding his bike and someone made a left turn into him. These posts and concrete will help make drivers make slower left turns and reduce the chance of crashing.
@cainmark @bikenite A7 cont'd 3/3
* Cardboard for skidding: If kids are into it, they can lock up their rear wheels over a piece of cardboard and skid.
If I remember more, I'll let you know! Have fun and I bet the kids will get a lot out of the opportunity!
Edit: I remembered more
* This all assumes you've had the opportunity to do helmet check (eyes, ears, chin), ABC quick check, etc. I like to ask the kids to try to answer the questions for me. "What do you think 'B' stands for? Why is there a 'Q' in the ABCs?!"
* Some kids think it's funny when I describe a "raw potato" as a tire firmness gauge.
* Less fun but probably important is getting kids to use the handbrake rather than dragging their feet to stop.
* If kids are well-skilled at straight line drill/slow race you can test to see if they can take one hand off of the handlebar so they can try signaling. Baby steps, first take one finger off, then entire hand except 1 finger, and so on
* Pedal power position!
* Giveaways are great
#BikeNite
Things to add fun:
* If kids are too good at straight line drills, let them ride fast a few times, then tell them you want to do something the opposite. Tell them that the last person to cross the finish line without riding outside of their lane wins. The slow race is a good way to test handling skills.
* Once they do the intersection course then I made up a game where they are in charge of the grown ups. Each instructor/adult has a few kids behind them leading a small "train". The kids behind tell the instructor when to stop or go. It gets especially interesting when there are turns or when multiple trains are at an intersection together. Kids have to talk it out and decide who gets to go.
* I think it's called the Chaos Box? Kids have to ride in a small designated area without putting their foot down. If anyone puts a foot down or rides outside of the box, then they are out. Box gets smaller until there's a winner.
2/3
#BikeNite
@cainmark @bikenite A7. It has been a while since I have taught a kids rodeo (I am a LCI too!)
I think kids sort of like the games. We have them ride in a straight line activity, where they have to stay within the boundaries of the chalked lines. Some kids are skilled enough to do that really quickly.
We create a course with chalked intersections, yields, stop signs, etc and ask them to do the course.
We have some plywood boards with a 2x4 screwed into the bottom that are fun to ride over. The 2x4 in the center is biased to one side so that when a rider approaches, that side is always down.
Sometimes we do a small neighborhood loop to talk about safety with cars on the road, if it's a small group.
1/3
@bikenite @DeltaWye @trouble A6. When I was younger, I read in one of those mountain bike magazines that it's better for your knees and energy level to ride at a higher cadence with less resistance. That's a habit I've kept up.
I don't usually mash, but I did notice that when I tried doing a Peloton workout, it was easier to get a harder workout by increasing the resistance while pedaling a little slower. It felt like mashing, and afterward, I felt knee pain in the front of my leg above the kneecap on both legs. So I try not to do that anymore and instead just try to pedal at a high cadence, forget about watts.