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How to Lock a Bike Properly

Biking is a great way to get around, but only if your bike stay where you left it. With the increase in the number of bikes, e-bikes, and scooters on campus, it’s important to properly secure your rides. While campus may seem comparatively save, some campus bike racks are difficult to use and it’s worth learning how to lock bikes properly. In this post, we will discuss the proper way to lock securely.

Using the Proper Lock

Choosing the right lock is also an important factor in keeping your bike safe. While cable locks may be cheaper and more convenient, they are also much easier to cut through. Instead, consider investing in a U-lock or a heavy-duty chain lock. These locks are much harder to break and are a better deterrent to thieves. When using a U-lock, make sure to position it in a way that makes it difficult for a thief to get leverage with a crowbar or other tool. A cable lock may be used as a secondary lock to secure wheels, bags, or a helmet.

Locking Your Bike to a Fixed Object

The most important step in securing your bike is locking it to a fixed object. This can be a bike rack, a post, or any other sturdy structure that can’t be easily removed or broken. On campus, use the bike racks rather than railings, posts, or trees. When you lock your bike, make sure the lock goes through both the frame of the bike and the wheel. This makes it much harder for thieves to steal your bike and leaves less room for a pry tool inside the U-lock. Sometimes backing into position works better to capture the rear wheel and rear triangle of the frame. Do not lock only to the front wheel, the front fork, or the back wheel. Try to capture the frame and at least one wheel inside the lock. With quick-release wheels (or anytime, really), the front fork is not a secure way to capture the frame.

Additional Tips

In addition to locking your bike to a fixed object with a proper lock, there are a few other things you can do to make sure your bike stays safe. Never leave your bike unattended for long periods of time, and avoid leaving it outside overnight. If you have to leave it outside, try to find a well-lit area with plenty of foot traffic. Unfortunately, Duke doesn’t have many options for covered or indoor bike storage. You should register your bike with Duke Parking and Transportation Services, which can help return your bike if it’s ever recovered. Some have success hiding Apple AirTags or similar devices for tracking their stolen bike. Learn more ideas here: thebestbikelock.com/how-to-lock-your-bike

Conclusion

Biking is a healthy way to get around Duke’s campus, but it’s important to make sure your bike is secure. By following these tips above, you can help prevent bike theft and keep your bike safe. Remember, always lock your bike to a fixed object, use a proper lock, and take additional precautions when necessary.

Photos

See if you can spot the problem in each of the photos below. Click to enlarge.

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There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Menu Calendar?

UPDATE: we are now hosting EIGHTEEN (18!) Calendars: Grab the links below for any calendars you need or want. Menus are live now!

"DPS - Elementary School Lunch Menu": "e033ace1eabc7f445f279e48c1492cd0e5db67aef703ca0c93acb5d980d6ba84@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Middle School Lunch Menu": "aa6e7d0349a33681b17ed1dcaeec77de4dd48c5c4cb3b88e5248d6970f974ea5@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - High School Lunch Menu": "f43adf5cc404f764f1117c696a46822123284ddd9fb29787fa24987307c6ce66@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Breakfast in Classroom School Breakfast Menu": "df27dbb6e42cc1d73ea68a0b347d01045e0f675bed503de0d9398a553fdfef04@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - K12 School Afterschool Snack Menu": "bcfd3480f426a8d1990bd619f4a888aa2188047795925985e4bf9cc50080ac0d@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - K12 School Breakfast Menu": "7cda9ed521242ca7f784e4be49659ea7bd0e111254d624a484856d393a46185d@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - PreK School Breakfast Menu": "49070180e250dc55fc9b9fb50f8af587ca8f0d185d0071b0f8a0a165795fa47a@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - PreK School Lunch Menu": "f549af9de7f100ae4ffae580797d614a77e69ac66ebb022d4813a6c96de91b50@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - PreK School Snack Menu": "fe8ad901d2cf0c82cd5c432977a0fe373e5c636dcdc63c330e95c79953d703d6@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Almuerzo Escuela Elemental": "9d2d4085f41a4590166d8ffc53ddad4dda719e774d4d33199bc7a074c3644955@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Almuerzo Escuela Secundaria": "2bb8971f94aec9f659533e827184663b3a997a669f4fbe4c3d6251d664545c4d@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Almuerzo Escuela Intermedia": "25481c7e9c55e194b3a403147b08a60ebb7c172ed806fa1f415006ee4279e848@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Desayuno Escuela Desayuno en el Aula": "9f5ac2b3a512255654fc0c989b0e9f9cf2d01b0aaaa1a6ed0d476345d716fa72@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Meriendas Después de Clases Escuela K12": "79e83fe767d41b79f70f4166a2da3e2268fc08afef2054a24da82810ef4aa9e4@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Desayuno Escuela K12": "239a570eb9534fb421707056c2a6d66c9eceb64fa75d187f56b344759cf4e0da@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Desayuno Escuela PreK": "70397351d0ae781bdf4f70a2829c38dbf926fdd7d4878ff06537801710ee36ac@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Almuerzo Escuela PreK": "ab6c50f1b38abeafeaa860eecbc3bef1c838cb5849c8c7b2ed0ba5b61aa84635@group.calendar.google.com",
"DPS - Menú Merienda En la Escuela Escuela PreK": "588c0960558a35ba62c2e521cd0d648f54d09d67ea16d52f6625c67484745117@group.calendar.google.com"

To their credit Durham Public Schools still has free lunch for all students, but my family has mostly packed lunch because mornings are busy and it’s a hassle to access the menus, which are only hosted as PDFs on a DPS website.

On mornings that I do remember about school lunch, I go to the website, download the PDF, open the file, check the menu and see if my kid will eat what’s offered that day or if we need to pack a lunch – too much friction. So, to make the menu more accessible, I recently worked on converting the PDF into a Google Calendar. With some Python code wrangling, and help from another programmer, I now have the DPS school menu calendars for English and Spanish for the current month for all three school levels! I can now see the menu alongside all my other calendars and events!


If this rocks your world, here are the links to add it to your calendar program of choice:

English
Español

I hope these calendars save parents time, get more kids to eat the school lunch, and reduce social stigma around free lunch. With a little more work, this could probably be extended the remainder of the menus available on the DPS website for Whitted School, breakfast, etc. Even better, could DPS host Calendar files themselves?

I knew I had done something useful when within the first day of me posting it on the PTA email list serve I got these responses:

“Gods!! This calendar link is amazing! Thank you sooooooo much!!”

“Thank you!! Super helpful, much appreciated!!”

“David, this is seriously the best email I’ve ever gotten!!! Thank you so much, looking up the menu everyday was so annoying, and my only old-guy solution was printing it onto paper … AMAZING!”

“This is amazing, David. My kiddo will not eat at school anymore (infuriating) but I know a lot of people will truly get a lot out of this. And right now, using our superpowers for the greater good is all we got! And it is extra important. Thanks“

“You sir are the man! Well done!”

“Incredible”

“Not all hoagies wear capes. Thanks David!”

“Thanks David! … I’ve heard from a lot of folks that the menu situation is annoying. So definitely it would be valuable to host on ekpowe.org for families as well.“

“Works great!!! Thanks!”

“This is awesome. Thanks!”

“Those are serious superpowers, David! awesome!”

“This is fantastic! My son asks about the menu every morning and I love having it on my calendar.”

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Triangle Day School

Next up for the Summer Camp Smart Commute Challenge is Triangle Day School (TDS), which offers summer camps for students ages four to fifteen. Eight weeks of camps run with various activities such as nature-based adventures, arts projects, STEM activities, literacy exploration, cooking & baking, and sports.

Located on Neal Rd. in northwest Durham, the lack of safe biking infrastructure makes it challenging to reach TDS on two wheels, especially with a kid. Luckily, a GoDurham bus route serves the American Village neighborhood just south of the railroad tracks and that same route goes right past Old West Durham! The closest bus stop to TDS is at Constitution Dr near Neal Rd. With some extra planning, time, and determination, TDS can be accessed from the 11B bus route, and the whole bus network, if you transfer at the Durham bus station.

Google Maps route from Old West Durham to Triangle Day School on the GoDurham 11B bus
Google Maps route from Old West Durham to Triangle Day School on the GoDurham 11B bus.

The 8 min, 0.4 mi walk from the bus stop is mostly sidewalk, but has a sidewalk gap near the railroad tracks.

Looking north up Neal Rd. from south of the railroad tracks
Looking west on Neal Rd. from east of the railroad tracks.

Looking north up Neal Rd. after the railroad tracks
Looking west on Neal Rd. from west of the railroad tracks.

The downside is that while Google Maps estimates just a 9-minute drive from my house, the one-way bus trip will take 30 minutes. To then get to work from TDS on the next bus, it will take another 30 minutes to reach my office at Duke. This is infeasible for most people, even with some working/reading on the bus using the free wifi. And while I’m considering it an adventure, it is a sobering reminder of the transportation challenges that many face on a daily basis.

Google Maps route from Triangle Day School to the Engineering Campus of Duke University on the GoDurham 11B bus
Google Maps route from Triangle Day School to the Engineering Campus of Duke University on the GoDurham 11B bus.

 

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Museum of Life and Science

Bike Rack in front of the main building at the Museum of Life and Science.

This week I’ll be biking my kid to the Museum of Life and Science for my Summer Camp Smart Commute Challenge. I’ve ridden to that location previously, both for a summer camp and just visiting the museum. It is readily accessible from Durham bike trails including the Ellerbee Creek Trail from Downtown Durham or the South Ellerbee Creek Trail from Watts Hillandale Neighborhood. See this old, but relevant map.

Bike Rack in front of the main building at the Museum of Life and Science.
Bike Rack in front of the main building at the Museum of Life and Science.

I’ll probably take W Knox St. east from Old West Durham and then pick up the Ellerbee Creek Trail through Northgate Park, as shown here.

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Camp Riverlea

Camp Riverlea is a summer day camp in the Durham, NC area for children entering grades K – 7th. Camp Riverlea was founded in 1971 and continues to be a summer camp tradition for Durham children. At the time of writing, Camp Riverlea offers bus transportation, included in tuition, from three stops in Durham:

  1. Hillandale Rd.
    This bus stop is located at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 1737 Hillandale Rd., Durham, NC 27705. The stop is at the back of the church parking lot.
  2. Duke (Crest St Park)
    The Duke bus stop is located at Crest Street Park, off Erwin and Fulton (which turns into Hillandale road). The park is near the VA and DCRI. If it’s raining, there is a pavilion for cover.
  3. Forest Hills
    The Forest Hills Bus Stop is located in a gravel parking lot on East Forest Hills Boulevard, near the intersection with University Drive and behind the tennis courts.

Camp Smart Commute Challenge

As part of the Summer Camp Smart Commute Challenge, I will be biking my kid to the Hillandale Rd. bus stop.  There are two viable paths to reach St. Luke’s from the Watts Hillandale / Old West Durham neighborhoods. If you cut through some private property from Arrowhead Drive you can get past the playground entrance to the parking lot where the Camp Riverlea but picks up. Normally I wouldn’t recommend trespassing, but the goat trails on the side of Hillandale aren’t a very good option either as they would require biking in the middle of the lane and delaying car traffic or walking along the paths in the shoulder and private property.

Indian Trail looking east across Hillandale Rd., near the golf course.
Indian Trail looking east across Hillandale Rd., near the golf course.

 

Hillandale looking South from St. Luke's
Hillandale looking South from St. Luke’s

Wooden footbridge from Arrowhead to St. Luke's near the kids' playground. This is private property so take heed.
Wooden footbridge from Arrowhead to St. Luke’s near the kids’ playground. This is private property so take heed.

There is a project to add a bike lane and multiuse path to Hillandale but your guess is as good as mine as to when that will be complete. Check out DCHC MPO Durham Project U-4726HN – it was started 9/29/2015 and now has an estimated completion in 2026 (11+ years!).

Screenshot of Durham transportation projects showing lots of delays including Hillandale Rd.
Screenshot of Durham transportation projects showing lots of delays including Hillandale Rd.

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Duke Faculty Club Summer Camp

The Duke Faculty Club (DFC) Summer Camp is a day camp for rising first graders and up, who are ages 5 and up. Daily camp activities include games, sports, arts and crafts, and swimming. The day camp does not require the child’s family have a pool membership.

DFC is accessible from NC 751 (which is good for drivers, but bad for everyone else) or from Science Drive through Duke’s campus. The campus can be accessed from the south, east or north fairly safely, making Duke Faculty Club a destination one could bike to. There is also a GoTriangle bus that goes down Erwin Rd, which could be used to reach the camp, but it isn’t very frequent, and it would still require a 0.7 mile-long walk at the end.

Link to Route on Garmin

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Schoolhouse of Wonder at West Point on the Eno

My first route of the Summer Camp Smart Commute Challenge is the longest – 5.25 miles from Old West Durham to West Point on the Eno Park. The route utilizes West Ellerbee Creek Trail, neighborhood streets, and a short sidewalk segment in front of the new Northern High School.

Here is the course route for your Garmin GPS and Google Maps. Also, James Nishimuta led a RAD ride from Duke which used this route and more.

Schoolhouse of Wonder has camps in Durham, Wake, and Orange counties. In Durham, they have a locations at Eno River State Park at Cole Mill Access and at West Point on the Eno Park. With the recent construction of Northern High School on N Roxboro St., West Point on the Eno Park is now reachable by bike for a lot of Durham! To get there you  can use either segment of the Ellerbee Creek Trail to get north of I-85, and then you get on neighborhood streets from the new bike facilities along Stadium Dr.

The keys are a new stoplight across N Roxboro St. at Wellington Dr. and a new sidewalk along the east side of Roxboro at the edge of the Northern High School Property. While I don’t normally recommend riding on the sidewalk, Roxboro is too fast of a street. This sidewalk really should have been an off-street multi-use path.

So, as pledged, I will try this out on June 12th, 2024, and update this post if necessary. Is this this a place you’d bike to? Let me know in the comments.

Update: Complete!

While it’s fresh, here are the sketchy bits:

  1. Ellerbee Creek Trail at Guess rd. has a HAWK signal, which confuses drivers and can be deadly, but wasn’t busy at 7:45a. Might be bad in evening rush hour?
    Birmingham and Winston had nice traffic calming speed bumps!
  2. Carver – unsignalized crossing / unmarked crosswalk.
  3. Horton – similar to Carver
  4. Holt School rd. – narrow lanes, no shoulder, has a hill. I recommend the sidewalk on the west side of the road
  5. Wellington light to cross Roxboro – has car and bike detector loops and beg buttons.
  6. Use the sidewalk at the edge of Northern High School as the key to linking up to Old Farm rd. and Seven Oaks rd. (Do not use Argonne or Chateau)

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Shifting Gears: Avoiding the Car Drop-off Line at Summer Camp

A Summer Camp Smart Commute Challenge

I’m fortunate to have a neighborhood school just down the road. During the school year, we pedal our way to the elementary school nearly every day, and it’s a great start to my short bike commute to work. This summer, we’re upping the ante with a pledge to cycle or take a bus to each summer camp at least once.

Transportation Considerations for Summer Camps

While I’ve come across many posts, shared spreadsheets, and Social Media threads about summer camps in Durham, none seem to focus on transportation. While I wouldn’t choose a camp based solely on bike-ability, I understand that some parents face real constraints, such as bus routes, work schedules, lack of car access, and financial considerations.

My pledge will include the following camps: Schoolhouse of Wonder at West Point on the Eno, Duke Faculty Club, Camp Riverlea’s bus pickup spot, Museum of Life and Science, and Triangle Day School.

Motivation: Document Obstacles Tethering People to Their Cars

Every Wednesday during the school year, a few parents and I lead a group ride to school we affectionately call the BikeTrain. Inspired by the Alameda BikeBus of @CoachBalto, our version is a short ride on safe neighborhood streets from Oval Park to the EK Powe Elementary school.

On school year evenings, commutes for activities are a mixed bag. While we have groceries, restaurants, and piano lessons a stone’s throw away, karate and soccer practice are a different story, with distance and dangerous roads as the main obstacles.

During the school year, I don’t use my car a lot, but summer presents more transportation needs. Our summer solution has mostly been carpooling and sharing the driving load with other families, but this involves a lot of coordination, scheduling, and logistics. This summer I want to document some routes for those interested in car-free options. I’ll attempt to bike or bus in the spirit of BikeTrain every Wednesday!

Join the Journey

I’m on the lookout for fellow parents willing to switch up their commute. Walk, bike, or carpool to summer camp even once and share your experience! Write about it, capture it in photos, or record some video clips. Can you cover any other camps? We’d love to hear about it in the comments. Let’s change gears on the summer camp commute and skip the drop-off queue!

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Applications of Spatial Coherence to Ultrasonic Imaging – ICIAM 2023

Abstract

Conventional pulse-echo ultrasound imaging relies primarily on signals’ relative magnitudes and is limited in its ability to mitigate acoustic clutter and other types of image degradation. Advances in computing power have recently enabled an alternative data analysis method utilizing spatial coherence, a measure of the similarity of the signals received across an ultrasound array. The theory of spatial coherence and applications to diagnostic medical ultrasound imaging will be reviewed.

Authors

    • David Pierson Bradway (Duke University)
    • Gregg Trahey (Duke University)
    • Nick Bottenus (University of Colorado Boulder)
    • Will Long (Duke University)
    • James Long (Rice University)
    • Katelyn Flint (Duke University)
    • Matthew Huber (Duke University)

References

  1. Lediju et al. Ultrasonic Imaging, 2008.

  2. Bottenus et al. Proceedings in IEEE IUS, 2016.

  3. Pinton et al. IEEE TUFFC, 2011.

  4. Lediju et al. IEEE TUFFC, 2009.

  5. Mauldin et al. IEEE TMI, 2011.

  6. Gallippi et al, UMB, 2003.

  7. Gallippi and Trahey, Ultrasonic Imaging, 2002.

  8. Chiao and Hao, IEEE TUFFC, 2005.

  9. Ferrara et al, IEEE TUFFC, 1996.

  10. O’Donnell and Flax, IEEE TUFFC, 1988.

  11. Fink, IEEE TUFFC, 1992.

  12. Krishman et  al. IEEE TUFFC, 1996.

  13. Lediju et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2011.

  14. Byram et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2015.

  15. Chao et al, Ultrasonic Imaging, 2019.

  16. Synnevag et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2009.

  17. Tranquart et al. UMB, 1999.

  18. Mallart and Fink, JASA. 1991.

  19. Goodman, Fourier Optics, 2005.

  20. Pinton et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2014.

  21. Lediju et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2011.

  22. Bottenus et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2013.

  23. Long et al, IEEE TUFFC, 2017.

  24. NEMA, AIUM. “NEMA Standards Publication UD 3-2004: Standard for Real-Time Display of Thermal and Mechanical Acoustic Output Indices On Diagnostic Ultrasound Equipment, Rev. 2,” 2004.

  25. J. G. Abbott, “Rationale and derivation of Mi and Ti – A review,” UMB 1999.

  26. Sheiner et al, JUM, 2007.

  27. Houston et al, JUM, 2011.

  28. FDA. “Marketing Clearance of Diagnostic Ultrasound Systems and Transducers: Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff.” 2019.

  29. J. Ricketts, and G. Head. “A five-parameter logistic equation for investigating asymmetry of curvature in baroreflex studies.” AJP-RICP. 1999.

  30. W. Long, N. Bottenus, and G. Trahey. “Lag-One Coherence as a Metric for Ultrasonic Image Quality.” IEEE UFFC. 2018.

  31. Smith et al, IEEE TSU, 1983.

  32. James Long, Will Long, Nick Bottenus, Gianmarco Pinton, Gregg Trahey. Implications of lag-one coherence on real-time adaptive frequency selection. Oral presentation at IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, Kobe, Japan, 2018.

  33. James Long, Will Long, Nick Bottenus, Gianmarco Pinton, Gregg Trahey. Applications of lag-one coherence to real-time adaptive frequency selection. Oral presentation at the Annual Integrative Ultrasound Meeting, Orlando, FL, 2019.

  34. Long, W., Bradway, D., Ahmed, R., Long, J. and Trahey, G.E., 2022. Spatial coherence adaptive clutter filtering in color flow imaging—Part I: Simulation studies. IEEE open journal of ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 2, pp.106-118.

  35. Long, W., Bradway, D., Ahmed, R., Long, J. and Trahey, G.E., 2022. Spatial Coherence Adaptive Clutter Filtering in Color Flow Imaging—Part II: Phantom and In Vivo Experiments. IEEE open journal of ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control, 2, pp.119-130.

  36. N. Bottenus and K. F. Üstüner, “Acoustic Reciprocity of Spatial Coherence in Ultrasound Imaging,” IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control, vol. 62, no. 5, pp. 852–861, 2015.

  37. N. Bottenus, G. E. Trahey, and K. F. Üstüner, “Ultrasound coherence imaging using hardware receive beamforming and broad transmit beams,” Proc. SPIE, vol. 9419, Mar. 2015.

  38. Vienneau, Ozgun, Byram.  “Spatiotemporal coherence to quantify sources of image degradation in ultrasonic imaging,” IEEE TUFFC, vol. 69, no. 4, 2022.

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