Author Archives: jsallen

About jsallen

John S. Allen is the author or co-author of numerous publications about bicycling including Bicycling Street Smarts, which has been adopted as the bicycle driver's manual in several US states. He has been active with the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition since 1978 and served as a member of the board of Directors of the League of American Bicyclists from 2003 through 2009.

European Cycling Federation report about motor vehicles

Posted on October 15, 2019 by jsallen

See https://ecf.com/what-we-do/road-safety/motor-vehicle-regulation-safer-cycling Generally good stuff. I like the call for automatic emergency braking. This will prevent rear-end collisions, and can potentially eliminate the right hook — though not the screened left cross. Automated speed control with an override for emergencies … Continue reading →

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Van rental

Posted on October 9, 2019 by jsallen

I’m used to driving a small sedan, but this past weekend, my son and I volunteered at the rest stop for a bicycle club century ride and rented a large cargo van (Ford 250Z) to transport supplies. Safety feature: back-up … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | 2 Comments

Another embarrassing Dutch bicycle education video

Posted on August 16, 2019 by jsallen

Here’s a video from the Dutch cycling Embassy, a promotion. Dutch education teaches children how to follow Dutch rules. It doesn’t teach them basics of bike handling or safety in traffic. The teacher makes an empty claim that it does, … Continue reading →

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Grade crossing

Posted on August 5, 2019 by jsallen

Shining Sea path, Falmouth, Massachusetts, northbound at Ter Heun Road. (You may click on “Vimeo” at the right below the image to get a larger view) shining-sea-terheun from John Allen on Vimeo. So, let me ask you: how many bicyclists … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | 2 Comments

Trying out a V Bike

Posted on July 31, 2019 by jsallen

In late 2017, several V-Bike dockless bike share bicycles appeared on Carter Street opposite the commuter rail station in downtown Waltham, Massachusetts. Soon the bicycles were gone from Carter Street, but one sat in front of a house on Pearl … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | 5 Comments

Dutch bike handling skills

Posted on May 26, 2019 by jsallen

What do Dutch cyclists learn  about bike handling in their vaunted public-school bicycling courses? Evidently not much. In the video here (auch hier auf Deutsch), I don’t see even one cyclist who has learned how to stop and restart efficiently … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling | 13 Comments

Jacob-uptown response

Posted on May 20, 2019 by jsallen

I know of a John Allen who is the Vatican correspondent for CNN and National Public Radio and another who has recently taken over from General Petraeus in Afghanistan, but I’m the only John Allen I know of who actively … Continue reading →

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A Dutch cyclist comments on Amsterdam vs. Vancouver

Posted on May 6, 2019 by jsallen

https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2019/05/06/Cycling-Vancouver-Vs-Amsterdam/ Also be sure to read the comments. You have to click to agree to be good before they appear.

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Massachusetts traffic law, the nation’s most disorganized and confusing

Posted on April 19, 2019 by jsallen

A major revision of Massachusetts traffic law has been overdue for decades.  It is the most disorganized and unreadable body of traffic law of any state and the only one not based on the Uniform Vehicle Code. In preparing comments … Continue reading →

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Citi Bike and Lyft recall

Posted on April 16, 2019 by jsallen

Citi Bike (New York City’s bike share system), also other bike share systems and the Lyft ride-share company, are recalling hundreds of electrically-assisted bicycles as of April 16, 2019, see this blog post. The brakes shown in the photo here … Continue reading →

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