Cyclists In Burbank Beat JetBlue To Long Beach!

July 16, 2011 7:46 PM

(File Photo/credit: AP)

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LONG BEACH (CBS) — Bike vs. Plane? It should be obvious to anyone who would win that contest.

Well, not so fast!

Some bloggers, hearing about JetBlue’s $4 fare from Burbank to Long Beach decided to lay down a challenge and see if some bike riders could beat the airline in a cross town race.

A cycle group known as the Wolfpack Hustle set off just before 11 a.m. Saturday.

A blogger also left his home, in Burbank, about the same time.

Using the bike path along the LA River for most of their trip, the cyclists made their destination in a little more than an hour and 30 minutes.

Even though the flight time was about 20 minutes, the blogger had to leave his house, check in, board and deplane. Not to mention arriving an hour before his flight even left.

By the time the plane took off, the cyclists were already in Long Beach.

The cycle group said the challenge was meant to show how easy it is to get around the Southland by bike…and how much more convenient it is.

Cyclists In Burbank Beat JetBlue To Long Beach!

JJ

Great job guys!
PeteM

As if anyone really cares!

tee

YEAH That’s the problem. Glad you’ve identified it. Now how do we change that ?

Steven

Why, easily. You elect Democrats and they continue making laws dictating every aspect of our lives.
http://wnewarchivist.wordpress.com The Archivist

Did the bikers have to add-in time for changing into and out of bike clothing at either end? How about for the post-ride-shower? Were the cyclists trained, regular cyclists, or were they typical airline passengers? It’s an interesting article, but I’m just not sure that their ‘It’s more convient!’ argument is valid, and I’m certain the implied ‘everyone should do this!’ argument is not.
Joe

@The Archivist
Good points.

FYI The person taking public transit made it ten minutes after the cyclists.
The flight was delayed but not by more than the amount the cyclists beat them.
The new flights were a Jet Blue promotion, not a good solution to a problem.
And the cyclists piggybacked on the publicity. Smart.

Frank_S

When the world reaches peak oil we all will care unless you can afford $15 a gallon gasoline.

Flashman

Peak oil will occur in about 150 years (maybe later), that’s how much oil is in the ground, waiting to be pumped out.

There is a LOT of oil left.

And, it’s all natural. It’s organic.
schnider

im pretty sure we’ve long passed peak oil, fellas
jvon

“Peak oil”? We still haven’t hit “peak coal” yet and people have been warning about it for 150 years.
CRITman

Just a word about coal. I am working with an Indian tribe in the NW to assist them in set up to drill into a 200 Million Barrel oil reserve under them, and a coal reserve of 16.7 Billion Short Tons. If anyone really wants to really see the truth of what we have in reserves of liquid oil, shale oil, and oil shale, all you have to do is research the web. Not many people will do it because it is very time consuming since you must read reports, articles, along with geological and seismic reports. Regardless of what the politicians and envromentalists say, we actually have more oil under the US than they have in the middle east. And obtaining this oil can be done without damage to the enviroment.
Scott Martin

Frank – when we reach peak oil, or when you greenies invent hydrogen / air cars, The Middle East will be bathing an oil and begging us to buy it for $1 per barrel. I wish people would study basic economics. Oversupply leads to low price. As for the article, my guess is some of the group would make it on some days, but those that FLEW are almost guaranteed of making it and having energy to have dinner and return home.
blackavenger

Oil peak ?????
Since we have discovered that oil is a chemical process that takes place from the carbon/hydrogen and other naturally occurring elements inside the mantle of the earth, NOT a byproduct of dead ferns and dinosaurs, we may never run out of oil. There isnt any thing in oil to suggest that it was made by the rotting process. That is an absurd assumption, since rotting flesh and intestines or plant fibers do not create oil. Compost is a more likely by product. Oil production will soon be duplicated in labs and will become a economic boom to our nation.

winston

We live in a controlled society and people love it. Meaningless stories like this and sport events keep the sheeple passive and content…

BillBobBoo

and then some sheeples make comments don’t they?

BZ

Wow, I am (hardly) impressed. If I leave today and the plane leaves tomorrow I’ll beat it too. How about if I leave 2 days early but walk. It might be close. Maybe. This is a non-story.
Dave luege

they probably hog up the lanes holding up traffic as well.

jake49

Uhh they went on the LA river trail most of the way. Yeah I hate it too when they get in the way like that

Robert

We do care .. this demonstrates the crippling of our once jet-fast economy by TSA and its regulations. I used to commute from Austin to Dallas twice a week. Got to the airport ten minutes before plane departure and was in Dallas in 30 minutes. It is now faster ( and less degrading ) to drive. In the long run, though, we decided it was no longer worth the effort and we cut off our distributor in Dallas – we traded off some profit for a bit less liability (it is dangerous to drive that often in a hurry) and hassle. Direct example of the TSA hurting our economny – which is not that well known (DisneyWorld knows it) – the fact that our freedom in general has been hurt is already well known. Some people care and some people do not.

Mike_88

If he had a suit on, I bet he would have landed the account despite the smell.

Rocco Henderson

..and I’ll bet that blue collar worker can’t wait to pedal home after an exhausing day.

PabloKoh

I know lots of blue collar workers who fit pipe, plumb and do electrical work all day and stop off at the gym on the way home. Bicycling beats spending $4.50 for traveling only 15 miles in stop and go traffic.
KENYAN BEATS AMERICAN TO WHITE HOUSE!
frankie lorain

@palbokoh You are a damnned liar. Any one of those trade workers who are pulling their weight don’t go to the gym because they workout at their jobs in the heat. You wrote “lots” and I call B.S.
John Huan Vu

I take you’ve never been to L.A. There wouldn’t be a restaurant industry if you took out all the people who rode their bikes to their jobs. But I guess restaurant workers aren’t “blue collar” enough for you. Nice try at taking the populist angle, though.
SELPilot

I used to work in a factory (back when LA still had factories). Rode my bike to and from work. Couldn’t wait to get out and on the bike. You’d be surprised how refreshing it can be.

Kent

Problem one. How many people are in shape to ride roundtrip from Burbank to Long Beach regardless of what your wearing. Two, how many times do you think you could do it before being mugged or just shot for sport, and would a suit or spandex be more likely to provoke said attack? I spent an evening in North Long Beach peddling my dead car battery from my car to the auto store and waiting for a replacement. Good times.

Kent

forgive me:’you’re’, better yet. ‘they’re’. Don’t yell at me please! I tried so hard!

comic_guy

How about better proofreading: Even though the flight time was about 20 minutes, the blogger “hag” to leave his house…

Goldie

I know it’s so upsetting to see mistakes like that! It made me want to eat a kitten.

Robert Brooks

lol eat a kitten
Flashman

Fried, baked, or raw?

MEBravoli

Well, now, comic_guy, how about the one, “A cycle group knows as…” Last time I checked, it was “known as” but I could be wrong….

Michelle

The writer must’ve gotten a government education.

SerfCityHereWeCome

Along with the drooling idiot who approved such a ridiculous flight route.

soqueesh mulhatra

Affirmitive action has degraded the quality of every profession.

GelberFlam

You’re right. But. It’s spelled “Affirmative.” Try to keep up.
Gavrick

As have H1-B and L-1 visas used to import cheap labor from Asia.

Eric Slowik

Dont worry its just migrant workers writing the things americans wont write.
brian

must of had a big delay on the ground or atc could not handle all the flights landing in long beach at one shot not to metnion competing with aritravic of lax departures am sure the radar lite up like a xmass tree atc is saying holy cow batman we have planes for once
Mr. Reasonable

What is the point of this experiment? Would any reasonable person take a flight from Burbank to Long Beach? Why not try something more realistic like flying vs. riding from LA to Sacramento?
Ed Fiddler

That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
Count Yob

And they didn’t have to be groped by the TSA, either!

Davis

Very true. They do risk a nasty crotch rash however.

joe

The cyclist got some good exercise, saved a little money, and didn’t get felt-up by the TSA. Good work!
disbeleaf

The point is that in 10,000 years, none of this will matter. And by the way, Bush had nothing to do with this, just in case there was some need to blame.
Jeff

I like to ride my bike too, but not everywhere. What if it’s raining, snowing, freezing cold? And I really can’t show up at my job all sweaty and smelly. Plus, let’s say you ride your bike or walk pretty much everywhere, just think of all the extra food you’ll need since you’re burning all those extra calories.

John

God forbid people incorporate exercise in their daily life. With obecity at its highest rate ever, I can’t believe you are making this arguement.

Gregg Weber

Heart attack?
Jeff

Obesity too.

Jason Carroll

many larger companies when they have a new building made or renovations done, will incorporate a shower for the workers there. So actually, you can arrive all sweaty and smelly if you wanted, then take a shower, and arrive at your desk in actually a much more refreshed state than any of your coworkers. this leads to lower insurance costs since youre less likely to need heart attack help, and youre more alert while working so youre more productive. Youre not burning much more calories than otherwise anyways. Check it out yourself, most of your calories used are just in regular day to day breathing and living, not exercise. This is why – and they are right – all the exercise professionals tell us the way to get a 6 pack abs is start in the kitchen. if you eat in excess constantly, then no matter how much exercise you do, you will never get your dream abs. You need to change your eatting habits.

Dave Shaffer

I can’t wait to see how many idiots use the bike lanes to Elroy once our wonderful F1 track is built. Austin really is weird, but in a stupid sort of way.

Rummy

Em, is it really necessary to fly across the city?
Big Daddy

GREAT story for us amurcans. as i’m sitting on my couch as i have been for the last 10 days, potato chips all over me, empty cupcake wrappers here and there, BIG bottles of soda needing some refills…and somebody had the audacity to mess all that up by telling me that i can get somewhere faster on a bike than on a plane? what is the point, folks, that i should get off my lazy butt and try to help reduce the 70% of US health-related illnesses and thereby reduce the need for anybody’s health care??? BOO-freaking-HISS, folks. i’m an amurcan, and i wanna be fat and lazy till it kills me.

Cletus

Where do you get your bottles refilled? Sign me up!
Adam Taylor

Bravo!
TRIPLETS

HA HA HA HA HA I NEEDED A GOOD LAUGH…..

The Clintidote

But when they got there by bike they were sweaty and luggageless.
Allen

..and the bikers were not molested by TSA. Useless TSA slowing down airlines, yet another violation of our rights. Add it to the list of gov’t violations of our rights:
They violate the 1st Amendment by placing protesters in cages, banning books like “America Deceived II” and censoring the internet.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns.
They violate the 4th and 5th Amendment by molesting airline passengers.
They violate the entire Constitution by starting undeclared wars for foreign countries.
Impeach Obama, vote for Ron Paul.
(Last link of Banned Book):
http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000190526

Mooney

Yay we have rights… Gid rid of all the planes & bikes. Now the highway patrol can harrass us for using those corridors. I think you’re missing the point…

jim

Bike riding is a hobby sport. We are not going to live our lives on bicycles.
These idiots probably belong to that weird lefty bike “mass something or other”.
A$$holes.

jack

critical mass

jill

Hate them!!!

TRIPLETS

Yes and it is a $100 fine if you drive into the bike lane….
bill

Lose weight fatty and shut up.
Joe

Uh, wow.
Ever hear of professional cycling? Apparently not.
Bikes are just slow vehicles.
YOU are not going to live your life on a bicycle, that’s okay by me, but others do.
At least when they don’t take their car.

JOe Dutra

I hope they were packing heat as they cycled though Compton.
steve

The upside to the blogger flying is, presuming the blogger is a male, that he got a free prostate exam from the TSA…
blupill

lol
Jus Sayin

Plus, the guy who flew had to submit to an anal exam.
Stan Kinder

The blogger arrived in a fresh suit. The cyclists arrived in sweat soaked spandex and sopping wet hair.

Jason Carroll

last time i flew, i knew i was too hot on the plane in a full suit. i had to take off my sports coat so i wasnt sweating. in addition to my suit being wrinkled from sitting in it for a while.

h4x354x0r

LOL every auto driver hates every other auto driver just as much, or even more, than they hate the cyclists. H8rs gonna H8, wut U gonna do? In the meantime, I keep doing what they don’t think can be done: using a bicycle for daily transportation. This is even in Missouri, where we really do have both intense heat and humidity AND bitter icy cold.

I’d tell you my secret, but you wouldn’t believe me.

Jason Carroll

ive ridden in the snow. the road tires actually cut through it pretty well. not normally anyone on the sidewalks. i never have to worry about getting into an accident.

OldTimer

They did a similar test years ago – long before 9/11 – to see if it was faster to get from an office building in downtown San Jose to a building in LA by flying and picking up a rental car or just getting in your car and driving the 340 miles, driving won by an hour (the flight was delayed).