Like sitting on the handle bars
Check it out: Rob Gierthy emailed us with a video he created of commute home via bike:
I have a small video camera attached to my bike that I record my commutes with. This past Monday was such a surprisingly nice day that I thought I would share it and uploaded the video to YouTube. It documents a slow ride up the sidewalk on Madison (I know I shouldn't be on the sidewalk, but the traffic is so congested there that it seemed safer), down and across Swan to Hudson, and then through Washington Park. It might not be that exciting but for me it is a celebration of the arrival of spring.
There's a surprising zen quality about watching the video. And the images (cinematography? biketography?) are beautiful in spots -- the wide angle lens makes the sky look huge.
A little more from Rob about his commute
I've been commuting by bicycle the two miles to my job at the Empire State Plaza for almost a year now. My initial plan was to keep going until it got too cold and then stop, but a combination of a mild winter and my stubbornness kept that from happening. Covered in wool from head to toe during those cold months I forgot how enjoyable biking actually is. Now that it is suddenly warm enough that I can bike in shorts and sandals it is a revelation. No longer is it a mental and physical struggle to fight the wind and cold. Instead it is fun and liberating. The warm breeze feels great and actually seeing people out reminds me that I don't live in a barren lifeless wasteland.
Here are more of Rob's commutes. A snow-filled commute video is embedded after the jump -- it's speeded up, so it feels a bit like a skeleton run.
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Comments
Agreed! Zen quality...
And quite a treat for someone who left Albany 17 years ago, but loves it fondly still.
... said Joe Fusco on Mar 21, 2012 at 4:33 PM | link
What kind of camera (and mount) are you using?
... said Jared on Mar 21, 2012 at 4:49 PM | link
Jared,
It is a Contour+ mounted to the bike with their flex strap mount (basically a rubber strap, but it is surprisingly secure).
Rob
... said Rob on Mar 21, 2012 at 6:32 PM | link
It's a lovely video of the neighborhood I ride in, but really, Rob shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk. There are lots of pedestrians around there and bicycles need to be on the roads unless there is some imminent danger. I ride along those same streets very regularly and it's quite safe if you are careful and visible.
... said BT on Mar 22, 2012 at 6:53 AM | link
I was going to let the sidewalk thing slide because, having taken that route (Madison to Swan to Hudson) I can attest to the madness of the situation. But then you ran a red light, and that really burns my butter.
... said ethan on Mar 22, 2012 at 9:03 AM | link
Ethan,
You are referring to the one on Dove, right? I questioned it myself when I did it, but decided that at the intersection of two one ways with a full view of the street I am crossing for several blocks and no cars on my street or the crossing street, that crossing at a walking pace would be acceptable.
I personally think being on the sidewalk is more dangerous, and crossing a street from a sidewalk even more so (I walked across Swan).
If the cops want to give me a ticket I guess they have the proof they need. I'll keep in find your burnt butter when I find myself in the situation again.
Rob
... said Rob on Mar 22, 2012 at 3:14 PM | link
Great video! Looks like a fantastic ride.
... said daleyplanit on Mar 22, 2012 at 3:25 PM | link
Maddening that the only southbound way out of the Empire State Plaza is that narrow pathway, isn't it? I've had my share of close calls with inattentive pedestrians at the blind spot.
... said Thinkanddo on Mar 28, 2012 at 5:58 AM | link