New Poll: How Many Bike Trips Per Week?

The question is simple. How many trips do you use your bike for where many would use a car. Heck, even count walking trips if you use your feet to get you to nearby places.

As always, you have to go to KC Bike Commuting to see the poll (it's in the upper right corner of the page).

For the sake of consistency, count each round trip outing as one trip. So if you commute by bike 3 days per week and stop at the grocery store on your ride home every tuesday, we'll just call it 3. If you end up making multiple trips to and from home and on the weekends, estimate your usual number transportation bike outings.

Poll: Car-Free Household?

The question is simple.

I'm giving 3 options here:

Yes: No one in your household owns a car. To make this clearer, "car" means any motor vehicle that you would have to own a license to use on the roadway. Motorcycles, too.

Share one car: In a household of multiple people of driving age, one car is shared between you. This can be a married couple, room-mates, life partners, whatever. If there is only one car and multiple adults in your domicile, click this option.

No: Either you're single with at least one motor vehicle, or there are multiple automobiles owned by people of-age in your dwelling.

In order to see this poll, you must visit KC Bike Commuting. It will be in the upper-right corner, as usual.

New Poll: How many bikes?

How many bikes in your household? Maybe there are 6 people and only 2 bikes. Maybe you're single and have 6 bikes. Heck, JR has more than 20 all by himself! Whatever the case, I want to see how many you've got.

Have an interesting story behind some of your bikes? Tell us about them in the comments.

If you don't see the poll in this post, you need to go to KC Bike Commuting to see the poll. It's in the upper right hand corner.

New Poll: How do you carry your stuff?

Go ahead and tell us.

Personally, I like my panniers, but this time of year I like a backpack to keep my gadgets safe from peril should I lay the bike down. Since I'm already wearing a backpack, I just toss my clothes in it, too. If I have anything extra, I bungee it to the rack.

How about you?

As usual, you need to go to KC Bike Commuting to see the poll. It's in the upper right hand corner.

Results:

Poll: What kind of bikes do you own?

I know there are probably 30 or more different classifications for bicycles, so I don't want people to tell me I left fixed gears out, or recumbents, or highwheel penny-farthings, BMXs or...

Most fixies are by definition road bikes, unless you're masochistic enough to go singletracking on a fixie. Most cyclocross bikes are also by definition road bikes, too.

Post in the comments, I have anonymous posting enabled, so there's no signing up for any accounts needed. Show us what you've got!


As usual, to take the poll, you have to visit my site if you're going through RSS. The poll will be in the upper right-hand corner.

Be sure to check out the previous polls.

Results are in:

Poll: What kind of winter riding do you do?

Well, results are in for First Tracks 2008. 18 of you brave year-rounders have put dibs on riding to work your first work day in 2008. That's better than I'd thought! Two of you are ambivalent, and that's okay!

About once per week, I try to publish a new poll for readers to take. It gives you guys something to do, and helps me figure out what kind of people actually take the time to read my ramblings. Everyone loves a poll!

Now, let's see what you've got in store for winter. I hope I didn't miss any of the obvious choices. Winter seems to be popular only for year-round commuters, cyclocross racers, off-roaders and occasionally obsessive-compulsive riders who will take the bike out on the road whenever it's safe to do so. A few of you guys are lucky enough to live where it doesn't get too bad during the winter. If you're south of the equator, no cheating by telling us what you're doing right now. Tell us what you do in July!

Most riders just put the bike up for winter, which is fine. Some choose to cross-train at the gym. Others choose to take spin classes or put their bike on rollers. And then there are those of us who just like to indulge. (Mmmm, Pie!)

So let's see what you're up to this winter.

As usual, to take the poll, you have to visit my site if you're going through RSS. The poll will be in the upper right-hand corner.

Be sure to check out the previous polls.

Results:

Poll: First Tracks 2008

I don't have anything better to call it. This is a "distributed" group commute. By signing up, you're committing to commute by bike (in whole, one way, or just part way) on your first work day in 2008. No excuses allowed. I have January 1st off, but I swear that I will commute by bike regardless of conditions on January 2nd.

As usual, to take the poll, you have to visit my site if you're going through RSS. The poll will be in the upper right-hand corner.

Are you in? I am!

By the way, I took the other two polls down, and copied the results into their respective posts for future reference. I'll do the same with this poll :)

Poll Results:

New Poll: How cold is too cold?

I rode three times last year where the temperatures were below zero (Fahrenheit). I think about 10 below would be my limit, hopefully I won't need to find out this winter.

This poll is more about any kind of riding, not just commuting. How cold does it have to be before you don't even think about taking your bike out? The poll is at the right corner of my site..

I just went out in 45 degree weather in a short sleeve shirt and my work pants to get some lunch. I logged about a mile. I don't think I'd want to go any further than that without some light gloves and ear cover, though.

Tonight, I'm going to skip my usual Monday night ride and hit the singletrack at Shawnee Mission Park. If anyone in the area wants to join up, I'll be over by the old marina docks (near the trailhead) at about 6:00 or so. Bring lights!

Poll Results:

Apparel Poll

I'm interested in how you guys handle the beginning of chilly season. I'm not talking 20-below-zero. When it's just a little too cold for your usual early-fall apparel, what's the first thing (or things) you add to fight the chill? Take the poll to the right.

And yes, I realize I forgot to add full-finger gloves to the list, AFTER I had published the poll. I'd have to start over again and get rid of the existing votes if I wanted to change anything. :(

If you're getting this via an RSS reader, then Click here to see the poll.

Random Tunage:
Bam Bam - Where's Your Child
Moonman - Galaxia (Solar Stone Remix)

Poll Results: