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Charlotte Greenways and Trails


Geospec

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I work at a local bike shop in Pineville.  As for miles on a bike, the longest ride I have taken so far is about 67 miles.  I am training to do the 24 hours of booty, solo.

Hmmm, I think I need to talk to you about a bike and a rack then! :P I'm looking to get a good bike, I want to start riding. I have a 2004 Acura TL and need to get a rack for the trunk that's secure and won't scratch anything. I'm not really looking to spend over $700 for a bike, less is better but I don't want to skimp on quality, I'd rather pay more for a quality product. I just want to ride greenways for the most part, no hard mountain biking or road only riding, just something hybrid of sorts. monsoon made the suggestion of either a Trek or Cannondale, what's your input?

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Hmmm, I think I need to talk to you about a bike and a rack then!  :P  I'm looking to get a good bike, I want to start riding.  I have a 2004 Acura TL and need to get a rack for the trunk that's secure and won't scratch anything.  I'm not really looking to spend over $700 for a bike, less is better but I don't want to skimp on quality, I'd rather pay more for a quality product.  I just want to ride greenways for the most part, no hard mountain biking or road only riding, just something hybrid of sorts.  monsoon made the suggestion of either a Trek or Cannondale, what's your input?

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Cannondales have crappy frames. They earned the nickname "CrackN'Fail" for a reason.

Two really nice options: The Gary Fisher Tassajara

http://fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.a...&bike=Tassajara

sells for 600$ This is a real mountain bike, that is at home on the trail as well as in the city.

Also, if you're looking for something super fast, but not a road bike, try the Trek 7500FX.

http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/City_Bike_...00_FX/index.php

It is also 600$ It uses 700cm road wheels and removes the front shock in order to make it lighter and faster. The trade off is that you lose some of the cushyness of a bike that has a front suspension. The benefit is that it is crazy fast. :)

There is also a nice comfort hybrid, the Navigator 300. It sells for 420$ and is designed to be super comfortable. Trade off is that it is a slower bike. It is still a quality bike, with some really nice touches such as built-in lights in the seat and peddles, as well as a suspension seat to reduce saddle sorness after riding.

You really can't go wrong with any of the big three bike companies: Trek, Giant, or Specialized. Don't spend less than 400$ Car racks will run you around 100$ When shopping for a bike ask what type of service is included(our shop gives free lifetime adjustments on the brakes and shifters), if the wheel have double wall rims (singlewall rims suck) and make sure that they are giving you a bike that fits you, not just what they have on the floor.

P.S. dept store bikes are the devil.

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I commute daily on bike (only 3 miles each way though) but I ride around town a lot here in Raleigh. I have a $300 Raleigh hybrid, which is pretty fast but still pretty comfortable. Not the most durable piece of work, though. I've found that city streets are generally more comfortable to drive on since drivers tend to be more alert anyway. What really scares the hell out of me are two-lane suburban streets with 45mph speed limits.

I really think that "Share the Road" signs help a lot - on the roads where they are posted. But they're a mixed blessing because I'm sure that the presence of those signs on some streets and the absence on others makes some people out there think that bicycles aren't allowed where the signs aren't posted.

Anyway, unless you live in Carrboro, don't ride a bicycle if you aren't willing to get made fun of and jeered at. It's an unfortunate fact that there are a lot of ignorant jackasses out there who think that they're better than you because they're in a car and you're on a bike.

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"Anyway, unless you live in Carrboro, don't ride a bicycle if you aren't willing to get made fun of and jeered at. It's an unfortunate fact that there are a lot of ignorant jackasses out there who think that they're better than you because they're in a car and you're on a bike."

Yes, that is sadly true. I get harassed on an almost daily basis. I am ordering a helmet mounted video camera this summer. I plan on putting together a video of the jerks I deal with every day. I am hoping to get one of the local news channels to run it as part of a piece on sharing the road...

When people give you %^$ for riding a bike on the road just ignore them and keep going.

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"I get harassed on an almost daily basis. "

are you serious?!?!?

so many roads have extra wide outside lanes for the express purpose of carrying bikes! why would be people do that?

I remember in chapel hill, the bicyclists said they preferred the wide outside lanes to bike lanes because it helps to sweep away rocks and sand, but i'm wondering if bike lanes are better for awareness for the general public.

Do you ride in the middle of the road/lane? Beyond that, i cannot imagine why anyone would harass a bicyclist.

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I would say a lot of the frustration is towards bikers who don't follow the rules of the road. Yes, bikes are allowed on the road and in many cities, they are actually banned from the sidewalks. But personally, I think that if bikers want to share the road, they need to follow the same rules as everyone else.

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for purposes of this discussion, we'll assume orulz and r&w follow the rules :). (No whiskey on that 12 mile bike commute, right?). I can imagine some car drivers assume the bike is in their lane, even if the bike on the far right side of an extra wide lane.

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  • 1 month later...

I stopped by on my way to work today and took a couple of quick pictures.  It looks like it will be very nice.  :)  I will try and get more shots of the progress this week. 

EDIT: crap, well I am having problems posting the images.

Here is a link to a slideshow of them however.

http://pics.livejournal.com/outunderstars/gallery/00004ad7

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I seem to be unable to access these photos. Can someone post them on this site?

Thanks!

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As I read through some of the forums... I noticed a lot of ppl suggesting the uncapping of Sugar Creek hoping and thinking it would produce some kind of water front activity.

Does anyone have any more thoughts about this. Any examples (pics if possible) of it being down in a city around our side.

I personally think it would awsome to see but have no idea how or what it would take to do it to sugar creek.

Just wanted some insite.

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I remember reading once that in fact there used to be paddle boat rides and other water types of things on Sugar Creek in Freedom Park. This would be in the 50s.

Unfortunately the paving of so much of Charlotte causes Sugar Creek to become a raging dangerous river during heavy rains and it rises by many feet. It will be difficult to engineer something that can deal with this characteristic of the creek now.

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Yeah, their sticking to the natural look along the greenway. I like it though, will be a nice place to run, walk, bike, maybe take the kids too when its complete.

Here are some pics I took the other day. Im not a photographer, so the quality isn't so great, but it was also a gloomy day out.

Charlotte5-31-05011.jpg

Charlotte5-31-05012.jpg

Charlotte5-31-05013.jpg

Charlotte5-31-05014.jpg

Charlotte5-31-05015.jpg

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Some examples of creek revitalization in other cities can be found in section 3 of the LSC master plan located on the park and rec website:

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+a.../Masterplan.htm

You can also read through the project goals and plans. As has been said, the county is bringing the creeks back to their natural state, while incorporating education, transportation and recreation opportunities in order to encourage development.

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The question mark behind the "uncap" can probably be removed... as it is to the point where it is now a certainty that it will be uncapped, as has already started to happen around uptown. The most capped part is around midtown square, and that will be upcapped within 2 years, as part of the pappas project.

For other reference, some past threads on this are:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10380

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8223

little sugar creek will be an awesome amenity when it is done. not only will be a bikeway/walking commuting path, but it will have ampitheatres, small lakes, shops, and trees... and eventually will be swimmable.

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The question mark behind the "uncap" can probably be removed... as it is to the point where it is now a certainty that it will be uncapped, as has already started to happen around uptown.  The most capped part is around midtown square, and that will be upcapped within 2 years, as part of the pappas project. 

For other reference, some past threads on this are:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10380

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8223

little sugar creek will be an awesome amenity when it is done.  not only will be a bikeway/walking commuting path, but it will have ampitheatres, small lakes, shops, and trees... and eventually will be swimmable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When is the Midtown project suppose to start construction/be completed?

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It is funded in large part through NCDOT. I believe it is on the transportation plan for ~2006, although the right of way acquisition and lot clearing has been ongoing between Freedom Park and Cordelia Park. The largest visual change is along Kings between Morehead and Baxter.

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