When Bicycling Goes Bad

In the Parque Nacional, preparing for the race.

During a bike tour the other day we came upon this group of cycle racers preparing for a 'carrera de actividades,' sponsored by Bici Activa Radio, which entails pedaling fast to from destination to destination and performing some, probably silly, activity at each stop.

The bicycles are waiting.

I was surprised to see a number of cyclists smoking (tobacco) cigarettes. But I was soon to see that many of them didn't give much importance to life expectancies.

A smoke to prepare for the race.

While I and a group of tourists wait for the light to change in order to cross Carrera Septima, the racers come tearing out of the park.

And, with barely a moment's pause, race across busy Carrera Septima.

Stoplight's red? Traffic's coming?  No worries!

A motorcycle and a TransMilenio bus come roaring along.

Suddenly, a crashing sound!

A bicyclist is down.

And so is a motoryclist, who apparently swerved in panic to avoid the cyclist.

Showing no concern for the damage he's done, the cyclist gets up and pedals on, leaving the motorcyclist to repair his machine and himself. 

Another bicycle-hater is born. Can we blame him?

This is what gives cycling a bad name. I've gone thru my share of red lights and flown past stop signs, but generally when there's no traffic close by. 

This sort of dangerous, reckless riding, and total unconcern for others gives all cyclists a bad name.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

Kicking Off Bogotá Bike Week 2014

A contest of 'ecological bicycles.' But aren't all bikes 'ecological.'

Bogotá's seventh-annual Bicycle Week kicked off today with contests and games in the Parque Nacional. The rest of the week, whose schedule is here, includes discussions in high schools and universities, an event about women and cycling and a commuters race, tomorrow afternoon, between bike, bus and car.

What's missing here, as in other years, are concrete programs to get people to pedal to school or work. That would mean a sensation of safety, secure parking and showers upon arrival, and financial incentives for cycling, to at least balance the big incentives drivers receive.

The cynic in me can't ignore right on the tail of Bicycle Week will follow The Automobile Showroom in the country's premier exhibition hall, Corferias. There, they'll be persuading Bogotanos to stuff more cars into the city.

The family that pedals together stays together. Riding a four-person 'bike' on La Ciclovia.

This 'bike' looks like a matchbox racer of yore.

A contestant in the weird bicycle contest.

How to turn a bicycle into a unicycle.

Nice try!

Finally got it now

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Cycling on 2, 3 and 4 Wheels in the National Park

Bogotá's District Institute of Recreation and Sports, the IDRD, is lending these pedal vehicles in the Parque Nacional on many Ciclovia days.

I'm not sure what to call them - bikes? trikes? quadricycles? pedal vehicles? But they do look fun, if not so maneuverable.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Kicking Off Bogotá's Bicycle Week

'Welcome to the Day of the Bicycle.' If only every day were bicycle day...

Bogotá's 6th Week of the Bicycle kicked off today in the Parque Nacional with mountain bike races, an exhibition of low-rider and old timey bikes and even a bicycle museum. The week will also have forums, a bike show and other events.

These things are fine, and hopefully will popularize cycling here. But I've always believed that reducing air pollution, making car drivers respect cyclists and making cars pay their costs to society (read: more expensive gasoline, higher taxes and charging for car parking) are necessary to motivate more Bogotanos to get onto bikes.

'Fewer Cars, More Bikes.' Let's hope so.

Entrance to the bicycle museum.

A bicycle by Leonardo da Vinci inside the Bicycle Museum.

A low-rider bike. 

I didn't know Guy Fawkes cycled. 

A rider pumps uphill in the Parque Nacional.

Kids pedal thru a maze in the Parque Nacional. 

Bikes and riders from days gone by.

Women mountain bikers charge uphill in the Parque Nacional.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours