Trondheim, Norway, is a steep, cold city but is also considered one of the most bike-friendly cities. They have a trampe, like a ski lift for bikes, in their town. Maybe if we all name our first born Trampe we can get one.
31 Comment(s)
This is so cool, I WISH Duluth would get a couple of these. . . Having to wait for the bus at Superior to get up to 6th Ave & 9th is such a pain in the neck. I am so glad the racks are on all year though, that’s a start.
This is awesome. I don’t care where they put it. But we need one.
I mean, yeah, Swan, peddling our fat asses up the hill is a great idea. But the fact is that getting up that hill is a daunting barrier to using bikes at all for many many people. I have to be in a certain state of mind to do it myself. If I’m already feeling wiped out, or it’s very hot, it means I go for the bus. And hitting a bike rack that has space isn’t a guarantee.
Swan, since you want to know why I don’t just peddle my fat ass up the hill, I zigzag when I peddle uphill. I can’t peddle straight up a steep street like 6th Ave E. If you’re in a car and driving up the hill, and you don’t mind me doing it my way on a street you are driving up, fine.
HBH is right — sometimes the idea of having to go back uphill after riding downhill is daunting.
I wish the city would construct more off-the-street paths like the Lakewalk Extension, I just came from a ride there and wow, is it fabulous, riding my bike without having to dodge traffic or loads of pedestrians like the Lakewalk in Canal Park.
It takes ~ 10 minutes to walk from Lake & Superior Street to 6th Avenue East and 9th Street; 20 in the middle of winter.
From Lake Ave and Superior Street to 6th Ave E and 9th Street is 15 blocks, with a not insignificant incline. You can seriously walk 15 blocks (nine of them uphill) in 10 minutes?
I do agree that 6th Ave E needs to be safer and more pedestrian/bicycle friendly.
Given that we can’t seem to convince the city to expend the paint required to stripe off bike lanes on Woodland and Glenwood, the likelihood of this thing happening around here strikes me as a bit remote.
Another neat thing in Norway is you can “borrow” a bike. I didn’t do this but I noticed all the bike stands in the cities where you just insert a card (I suppose like a bus pass?) and take the bike and then drop it off at another stand when you are done. Our tour guide said it was a free service.
Thank you for the video. I saw this in Trondheim as well. It was a great benefit to a hilly city and a city much like Duluth. We need this on our steep sections of hills.
Starting with over 1,000 bikes and 80 solar-powered, wireless-internet-connected kiosks it will be the largest bike share in North America.
Financing for this project came from Bush-era federal legislation to finance pilot projects to increase non-motorized transportation in Minneapolis ($1.75 million) and from Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN ($1 million)who are hoping some of us get our fat asses pedaling a bike before they have to pay for our triple by-passes.
Ahhh.. I meant to address my comment to Jude & Claire.
And I just want to point out that no, Minneapolis is NOT Duluth, but I’m going to continue to compare what’s going on in the two cities to provide some sort of perspective, even if people in both places seem annoyed to be compared to one another.
Where would such a track go in Duluth? Keep in mind a street with low-levels of traffic, no parking lane, and a defined curb are needed. Also, the street would have to be uninterupted (i.e. no driveways). I just can’t think of a good place where this could be implemented in Duluth……
Hi Everyone,
The Hillsider published a story relating to the city’s unanimously approved Complete Streets resolution.
The story, written by by Codie Leseman is on page 6 of the April Hillsider. The city is looking for public input about bicycle routes. There will be six public meetings and if you cant’ attend the one in your neighborhood you are more than welcome to attend another meeting. Pick up the April issue to see what he wrote. Visit the Fit City Duluth site under “bike” to learn more
One place that I can think of would be Chester Park Drive from 8th St to Kent Rd. It basically connects East Hillside to the colleges, and there are only houses on one side of the street. Plus, it’s really fun to coast down on the way back.
Yeah, but that doesn’t start until 8th Street. So it would be one good spot.
When my husband rides his bike to work in the summer the trip to work is fine. When he comes home from Canal Park he takes the Lakewalk and then goes up 12 Avenue from London Road to 3rd or 4th Street, he comes back drenched in sweat from the effort to pedal uphill. I am worried he is going to give himself a heart attack.
I’m not proud, I walk my bike when it gets too steep for me to ride it. . . Mr. Claire tells me he goes up 21st to 4th, then right at Woodland, then left at 8th. . .
Anybody have a clue what something like this might cost? Couldn’t we just do a fund-drive (anybody remember “pennies for Hartley”?) Why wait for government to give us something we could make for ourselves? If we raise the money, all we need is city permission (well, okay, that might take a little work, but it’s do-able.) How about a funding campaign, “A Tenner for a Trampe”!)
This is so cool, I WISH Duluth would get a couple of these. . . Having to wait for the bus at Superior to get up to 6th Ave & 9th is such a pain in the neck. I am so glad the racks are on all year though, that’s a start.
Yes, we should get one of these, but first we have to make 6th Avenue East more safe.
What are they doing with their foot?
Why don’t you just pedal your fat ass up the hills?
…you can Trampe up the hill almost as fast as you can walk? (Shit won’t cut it on 4th Avenue East.)
It takes ~ 10 minutes to walk from Lake & Superior Street to 6th Avenue East and 9th Street; 20 in the middle of winter.
6th Avenue East needs to be made more safe.
This is awesome. I don’t care where they put it. But we need one.
I mean, yeah, Swan, peddling our fat asses up the hill is a great idea. But the fact is that getting up that hill is a daunting barrier to using bikes at all for many many people. I have to be in a certain state of mind to do it myself. If I’m already feeling wiped out, or it’s very hot, it means I go for the bus. And hitting a bike rack that has space isn’t a guarantee.
Swan, since you want to know why I don’t just peddle my fat ass up the hill, I zigzag when I peddle uphill. I can’t peddle straight up a steep street like 6th Ave E. If you’re in a car and driving up the hill, and you don’t mind me doing it my way on a street you are driving up, fine.
HBH is right — sometimes the idea of having to go back uphill after riding downhill is daunting.
I wish the city would construct more off-the-street paths like the Lakewalk Extension, I just came from a ride there and wow, is it fabulous, riding my bike without having to dodge traffic or loads of pedestrians like the Lakewalk in Canal Park.
I like this idea for an old guy like me. Kinda reminds me of when we dug the canal.
I love it! As easy as Startstilling, Kjorestilling, Tyngden pa hoyre Fot.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to post the following image to PDD.
http://www.harborcityschool.org/tikiwiki/tiki-browse_image.php?imageId=413
PIEDMONT AVE!!
There!
Did it post?
This spot is why I can’t bike commute in the winter.
Adam, am I reading this right:
It takes ~ 10 minutes to walk from Lake & Superior Street to 6th Avenue East and 9th Street; 20 in the middle of winter.
From Lake Ave and Superior Street to 6th Ave E and 9th Street is 15 blocks, with a not insignificant incline. You can seriously walk 15 blocks (nine of them uphill) in 10 minutes?
I do agree that 6th Ave E needs to be safer and more pedestrian/bicycle friendly.
Takes me 40 minutes to walk from Chester Creek Cafe to downtown. And vice versa.
The only thing the twin ports needs are proper bike lock-ups that are screwed/nailed to the concrete.
Well, that, and the occasional bike trail/route/room on the side of major traffic areas.
About 8,000 times faster, and that’d be like the catapult on an aircraft carrier.
*Walks away whistling ‘Danger Zone’*
Given that we can’t seem to convince the city to expend the paint required to stripe off bike lanes on Woodland and Glenwood, the likelihood of this thing happening around here strikes me as a bit remote.
Another neat thing in Norway is you can “borrow” a bike. I didn’t do this but I noticed all the bike stands in the cities where you just insert a card (I suppose like a bus pass?) and take the bike and then drop it off at another stand when you are done. Our tour guide said it was a free service.
Jude, that’s so cool! In Paris, they have the same thing, stands for renting bikes all over the city, except you have to pay.
40 minutes?! Holy pork!
Thank you for the video. I saw this in Trondheim as well. It was a great benefit to a hilly city and a city much like Duluth. We need this on our steep sections of hills.
Ruth and Claire,
The bike-sharing program in Paris is called Velib and is the model for the massive bike share Minneapolis is rolling out this June called Nice Ride.
http://www.niceridemn.com/
Starting with over 1,000 bikes and 80 solar-powered, wireless-internet-connected kiosks it will be the largest bike share in North America.
Financing for this project came from Bush-era federal legislation to finance pilot projects to increase non-motorized transportation in Minneapolis ($1.75 million) and from Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN ($1 million)who are hoping some of us get our fat asses pedaling a bike before they have to pay for our triple by-passes.
Ahhh.. I meant to address my comment to Jude & Claire.
And I just want to point out that no, Minneapolis is NOT Duluth, but I’m going to continue to compare what’s going on in the two cities to provide some sort of perspective, even if people in both places seem annoyed to be compared to one another.
Where would such a track go in Duluth? Keep in mind a street with low-levels of traffic, no parking lane, and a defined curb are needed. Also, the street would have to be uninterupted (i.e. no driveways). I just can’t think of a good place where this could be implemented in Duluth……
Hi Everyone,
The Hillsider published a story relating to the city’s unanimously approved Complete Streets resolution.
The story, written by by Codie Leseman is on page 6 of the April Hillsider. The city is looking for public input about bicycle routes. There will be six public meetings and if you cant’ attend the one in your neighborhood you are more than welcome to attend another meeting. Pick up the April issue to see what he wrote. Visit the Fit City Duluth site under “bike” to learn more
Masterblaster,
One place that I can think of would be Chester Park Drive from 8th St to Kent Rd. It basically connects East Hillside to the colleges, and there are only houses on one side of the street. Plus, it’s really fun to coast down on the way back.
Yeah, but that doesn’t start until 8th Street. So it would be one good spot.
When my husband rides his bike to work in the summer the trip to work is fine. When he comes home from Canal Park he takes the Lakewalk and then goes up 12 Avenue from London Road to 3rd or 4th Street, he comes back drenched in sweat from the effort to pedal uphill. I am worried he is going to give himself a heart attack.
Up one over one
Up one over one
Up one over one
…
-Duluth Bicyclist’s Mantra
It’s funnier to just bludgeon your way up the Tischer Creek trail.
I’m not proud, I walk my bike when it gets too steep for me to ride it. . . Mr. Claire tells me he goes up 21st to 4th, then right at Woodland, then left at 8th. . .
A couple of people gathering nodes, top and bottom. Stretch it out a bit, enough time to have a pint…doesn’t appear to reach spilling speed.
Yes, ~10 minutes. Note the tilde and the Duluth Bicyclist’s Mantra.
Anybody have a clue what something like this might cost? Couldn’t we just do a fund-drive (anybody remember “pennies for Hartley”?) Why wait for government to give us something we could make for ourselves? If we raise the money, all we need is city permission (well, okay, that might take a little work, but it’s do-able.) How about a funding campaign, “A Tenner for a Trampe”!)