Aloha HBL member supporter believer!

As we begin the beginning of a new year, I personally have to acknowledge that the year 2020 is a numerically special year, at least for me. Is there anyone else who had lofty expectations for this particular year? I remember thinking surely by 2020 we will all be wearing jetpacks and using rocket propulsion to get around from floating city to floating city. I imagined we would have connected with every country through incredible social media resources and we would all be working together to solve major world issues such as hunger and homelessness. I thought undoubtedly by 2020 all world leaders will be able to facetime each other and become decently better acquaintances than ever before and possibly even best friends. That these same leaders the world looks up to for future inspiration, would be focusing all their country’s energy and resources on creating better world-wide policies and solutions to benefit all inhabitants of the earth, including mother nature first and foremost. If nothing else I thought, for sure bicycling infrastructure will be so user friendly and futuristic, people will question why we ever drove 2000 lb. vehicles to get around a few blocks. They would incredulously wonder why one would choose to deal with rush hour traffic, pricy parking and challenge their sanity with auto maintenance expenses, DMV lines and ridiculous gas prices on a daily basis, when all of this could be avoided by simply riding a bike on the floating bike paths.

So here we are, exactly 2 months away from the year 2020. I don’t have a jetpack yet and there aren’t floating cities. Hunger and homelessness are ongoing challenges, as is the communication by most world leaders with one another. Dennis Rodman has better relations with Kim Jong Un than most world leaders, yes the all-time ultimate rebounder for the Chicago Bulls who liked to dress in costumes as often as he wasn’t on the court piling up rebound stats- that guy! Mother nature has taken some major shots and continues to take them and is now in desperate need of our attention and care. Well what about bike infrastructure; where are we on that you ask? Surprisingly we do not have floating bike paths, however, bike lanes and sharrows are being laid down all over our heavily used roadways making them safer for bikers and drivers using them to get around this beautiful island we call O‘ahu! Best yet we are slowly making our way to actual construction of the Leeward Bikeway to offer riders an exclusive path that would allow them to ride comfortably without motorized vehicles from Aloha Stadium to as far west as ʻEwa! Imagine that, because that my friends is the near future!

Focus your thoughts on what you want to see happen, and get involved with HBL’s Advocacy and Education teams!

CL3

by HBL Member, Anthony Chang

After a 14 year break, I started bicycling again in May. The most challenging aspect so far has not been relearning how to ride a bike or even the challenges that come with navigating the roads of Oahu… its been a finding a helmet that will fit my size Extra Large eastern shaped head. I found out many helmets are built for western shaped heads, which tend to be more oval, going from forehead to back of head circumference wise, versus Asian heads, which tend to be more sphere like,  closer to perfect circles. This might not be a problem if you have a smaller head, but unfortunately measurement wise, my head has a 62cm circumference, 63cm so its not too tight, putting me into Extra Large helmet size range. As a commuter bicyclist and someone who just likes to be color coordinated, I wanted to get helmets that would match my various collared shirts and t-shirts, so I wanted to get multiple but without spending a lot of money. Since I’ve tried and purchased 3 helmets (brand, model name), Giant Compel, Giro Bronte, and Specialized Align. All three helmets look great and have 20+ vents to help your head breathe. My least favorite is the Giant Compel. It can squeeze the temple if not adjusted, making it uncomfortable, especially for longer rides, probably built more for western shaped heads. To date I have only worn it for 10 minute or less bike rides. The nice part, besides the way it looks, it has an option to add a light to back of the helmet (around $35), which attaches via magnet. It has 4 different modes of on, a fast strobe, slower strobe, or constantly on and only needs to be recharged after 3 to 4 hours of use I’ve been told the light dims over time. Locally, the Giant Compel can be bought at McCully Bike for around $30 + tax.

My second favorite is the Giro Bronte. Its very comfortable worn. While the chin strap is very soft, the clips slide off it too often for my liking. Locally, the Giro Bronte can be bought at McCully Bike for around $35 + tax. You can get a MIPS option online for $45-$50.

My favorite has been the Specialized Align. I felt it was the most comfortable helmet, even before I read it was signed after a version that was released in Japan. The chin strap stays in place, with the clips never moving. The back of the helmet has three reflector strips, so light should reflect if shined on the back of your head. I just also like the way they look the bests, from the side the more triangular shape evokes speed. Locally you can purchase these at the Bike Shop for $40, with MIPS option at the
store or online for $60 each. 

 

*This article was prepared by Anthony Chang in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of the Hawaii Bicycling League.