#1 2013-07-24 15:23:19

MichaelBluejay
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From: Austin, TX
Registered: 2008-05-26
Posts: 1,452
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Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

A new website uses Google maps to help you find other cyclists to commute with.  Arrows show the starting and ending point for each user registered on the system.  Awesome!

http://bike-buddy.open-austin.org

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#2 2013-07-29 10:49:18

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Wow, really pretty cool for getting new cyclists started.
Thanks, everyone involved, for creating.
Thanks, Michael, for posting.
Looking forward to trying the system out.....

Last edited by AusTexMurf (2013-07-29 10:49:53)

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#3 2013-07-29 11:02:22

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Registered w/ Bike Buddy and sent a couple of feelers out to new commuters.
It will be interesting to see how and how much this system gets used....

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#4 2013-08-12 08:27:09

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Really cool resource with lots of potential.
I haven't had anyone contact me back, though.
Will keep fishing......

http://bike-buddy.open-austin.org/

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#5 2013-08-12 18:19:24

dougmc
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Registered: 2008-06-01
Posts: 620

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Looks like there's a new commuter who wants to commute from a short distance from my house in Oak Hill to just short of Pflugerville.  About 22 miles assuming that he can take the most direct routes.  Pretty hardcore :)

(Though using the bus part of the way could certainly make it less so.)

Side note: this is funny --

funny-ba-ad.png

Not complaining about it -- I understand why the ad is there.  It's just funny.  Looks like there's also a RBFCU auto loan ad in the rotation as well.

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#6 2013-08-12 22:03:32

MichaelBluejay
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From: Austin, TX
Registered: 2008-05-26
Posts: 1,452
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Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Yeah, Google picks the ads.  And every person sees a different ad.  I'm more concerned that your browser isn't showing the right font for "Bicycle Austin".  I thought everyone had Impact installed?  It's a narrow font so it keeps the other text from spilling onto multiple lines.  Guess I'll have to so some rejiggering....

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#7 2013-08-13 00:19:53

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

dougmc wrote:

Looks like there's a new commuter who wants to commute from a short distance from my house in Oak Hill to just short of Pflugerville.  About 22 miles assuming that he can take the most direct routes.  Pretty hardcore :)



Folding bike, nice tern or bike friday, w/ internal 5sp or better............rack, lock, dynamo lights, etc........
Affords so many choices.......
If the person in question has the initial investment.
Bus, Redline, Smart Car, car share, ride the whole enchilada, etc......

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#8 2013-08-13 00:48:54

dougmc
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Registered: 2008-06-01
Posts: 620

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

MichaelBluejay wrote:

I'm more concerned that your browser isn't showing the right font for "Bicycle Austin".  I thought everyone had Impact installed?

It's Linux, so that's probably why the fonts aren't quite the same.

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#9 2013-08-25 20:51:35

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Brad would like to work the Austin Bike Buddy code over for DFW. Can anyone help him get directly in touch with Chip, or whoever is in charge of the Bike Buddy open sourced coding project....
Thanks.

---Quote (Originally by AusTexMurf)---
I posted this in commuting because it is an open sourced code project, volunteer/community based.
Thought that perhaps others might be interested in morphing the program/code to work in their communities....
That's all.
---End Quote---
YES! I would love to do this in DFW!  The dorba.org website would be perfect for this, and I will try to get our developer in contact with Open Austin to get the source code...
-----------

***************
Chip,

I'm contemplating a hosting site using your work for DFW bike commuters.

In addition to the information provided at the below site are there additional pointers or concerns?

https://github.com/chip-rosenthal/bike-buddy

Commuters here used to use gmap-pedometer.com to record routes and then share at dorba.org commuting forum, but DORBA website imploded a few years ago and has never fully recovered.

Thanks!

-Brad
***************
“Life is like riding a bicycle – in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.”  - Albert Einstein

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#10 2013-08-26 07:40:43

dougmc
Administrator
Registered: 2008-06-01
Posts: 620

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

If you click on Chip's name in the github stuff, it gives an email addresses for him.

He's also on Facebook here, though I don't know that that would be a better way of reaching him than email.

As far as I know, this project is all Chip.  (Well, beyond what people have entered using what Chip wrote, of course.)

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#11 2013-08-26 17:47:42

owlman
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Registered: 2011-12-16
Posts: 142

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Do they have any success stories yet?  or information on how many users have actually contacted other users?

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#12 2013-08-26 21:25:20

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

owlman wrote:

Do they have any success stories yet?  or information on how many users have actually contacted other users?


I think we need to help get the word out.........outside the box, to reach those that don't commute by bike, but might.

Some ideas include:
Neighborhood association email groups, news digests, email lists, etc...
Community Impact newspaper
Austin Chronicle
COA bicycling program website
CapMetro funded ad in the Redline and/or MetroExpress ?
Local Bike Stores ?
Yellow Bike ?
BikeAustin ?
Advertise on pedicabs ?
Billboard near downtown ?

Other ideas ?

This program has lots of potential. Just need to get the word out.

Also, email link must have been overlooked.
I will get the info back to Brad.

Thanks, all.

Last edited by AusTexMurf (2013-08-26 21:28:01)

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#13 2013-08-27 00:05:27

MichaelBluejay
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From: Austin, TX
Registered: 2008-05-26
Posts: 1,452
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Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

Okay, I just added Bike Buddy as the very first link in the sidebar on Bicycle Austin.

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#14 2013-09-04 10:17:46

AusTexMurf
Member
From: South Austin
Registered: 2008-11-21
Posts: 439

Re: Find bicycle commuting partners with Bike Buddy

MichaelBluejay wrote:

Okay, I just added Bike Buddy as the very first link in the sidebar on Bicycle Austin.


Thank you, Michael.

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