The Cycling Dude

From England to Australia By Bicycle: A Video, and Photo Odyssey

All over the world people tour by bicycle, one state, one nation, one continent at a time.

Some go further.

Many of these adventurers share their tales online, sometimes years after the journey took place, when they finally find the time, and resources, to do so.

The latest to be brought to my attention is the following:

Bike2Oz is the unfolding story of a young school teacher who convinced her partner to cycle with her from Oxford to Sydney.Rather than damage the climate by flying, they choose to pedal the 12,000km hopping on cargo ships to get across the oceans. They partied for car free day in Italy, dodged arrest in Iran, get groped in Pakistan and fall ill in India.
Watch the series and find out if their relationship (and the planet) survived the epic trip?

Kevin and Lowanna filmed their entire 12,000km cycle adventure across the UK, Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India,Singapore and finally Australia.

This journey was 8 years ago.

As they wrote:

As the effects of global warming grow, Government action decreases. We wanted to see the world while contributing as little as possible to its' destruction. We also wanted to search for solutions to the transport crisis and found the bicycle offered the best compromise. Both of us are very new to the virtues of the bicycle (having spent most of our lives on four wheels). We were excited to discover that cycling offers you the intimacy of a walk in the countryside combined with the ability to cover serious distances (at least fifty miles a day).

It is amazing how effortless cycling becomes when you swap the old '3 speed' for something designed for comfort

Not only did they record their adventure by video, but there is a blog, and photo collection, that shares the expedition in more detail.

The videos, and photos, are a stunning testiment to the beauty, and variety of the world they travelled, from the weather, roads, and cultures they encountered, to the health, and political dificulties they endured, and more.

What I truly enjoyed most were the wide variety of bicycles encountered in every country they passed through.

Agree, or disagree, about the issue of Global Warming, a visit with the story these travelers have to tell will be time well spent.

Bike2oz: Go Here first, then here for the 2500 photos, and more.

Bent u een Fietser?

DO U BICYCLE?

Do YOU Bicycle?

Do you BICYCLE?

For over 5 years that question has been the one I've asked on this blog as I spread the word that The Cycling Dude is a place "Dedicated to the proposition that bike riding is good for you and fun", and has the stories, and links to resources, to prove it.

Yesterday I linked to a story, out of The Netherlands, and this morning I received an interesting e-mail from David Hembrow, of Hembro Cycling Holidays/Cycling Study Tours, that serves as an interesting follow-up:

Hi Kiril,

Thanks very much for posting about the Study Tour.

I really hope we can make a difference worldwide with this.

We visited here many times before we emigrated.

It's quite remarkable how this country can be so close to, and easy to visit from the UK, yet even from the UK there is hardly any understanding of what has been achieved in the Netherlands.

Given this, I think it's hardly surprising that it's also not well known in the US.

I sent out thousands of copies of the press release and I'm afraid I can't say for certain how I found your contact details.

I searched for blogs about cycling at one point, so I suspect that is where I found you.

The question on your website, "Do U Bicycle?", would translate into Dutch as "Bent u een fietser?".

However, it is effectively meaningless. Of course they cycle. Everyone cycles. They'd think you're asking if they race bicycles.

I've continued reading in Dutch (which I'm still learning) and English about what is going on here and of course I've kept riding around.

I'm still learning.

It's really remarkable how cycling has become so much a part of the Dutch culture. For instance, I read a few days ago that over three quarters of Dutch people take at least one cycling holiday each year.

Anyway, thank you for helping to get the message out.

As I'm sure you are aware, it's far from just the US which could learn from this.

I'd like to wake people up in the UK about how, despite the huge amounts of paperwork coming from the country where I was born, they're doing nothing useful at all, and in fact watching cycling continue to decline.

I really hope we manage to raise awareness a bit.

It's not just about cycling, but about society (people have to talk to each other when they cycle instead of drive and Dutch society is very peaceful as a result) and about freedom: there is no group in society here which doesn't have personal mobility and that includes children who are not reliant on having parents taxiing them around.

Yours,

David

If you haven't already, I encourage you to check out the articles, and videos, David shares on his sites, and on YouTube.

The videos, especially, are an eye-opener. ;-D

Saluting Thomas Stevens, Cycling Pioneer

123 years ago a brave man took a ride into history, a ride that changed the activity of Bicycling forever.

How many cyclists are even aware of his story.

I wasn't, until I finally joined the Adventure Cycling Ass. this morning.

From a report in the August 30, 1884 Harper's Weekly:

On this page we give the portrait of Mr. Thomas Stevens, who started from San Francisco, California, April 22, with the avowed intention of riding around the world (barring the Oceans) on his bicycle...

Emigrating to the far West in 1871, he had not been east of the Mississippi until he started out on his famous bicycle ride across the continent. Seven men have within the last three years attempted the same feat, but the great difficulties encountered in crossing the 1500 miles of rocky mountain, barren deserts, and bridgeless streams between California and the Missouri River have invariably turned them back.

More than one-third of the route followed by Mr. Stevens had to be walked. Eighty-three and a half days of actual travel and twenty days stoppage for wet weather, etc., made one hundred and three and a half days occupied in reaching Boston, the distance by wagon-road being about 3700 miles. He followed the old California trail most of the way across the plains and mountains, astonishing the Indians, and meeting with many strange adventures.

The page from which this excerpt was taken is here.

He continued his journey all the way around the world!

On a PENNY-FARTHING, a HIGH-WHEELER (A Columbia Standard) ??

Damn straight! ;-D

He was the First. ;-D

At Project Gutenberg you can read Volume 1: San Francisco to Teheran, and Volume 2: Teheran to Yokohama of his books (1000+ pages!) about his journey, free online. ;-D

Jim Langley has some thoughts about this event, and other stories about cycling journeys, here.

NPR has a 4 minute, Jan. 2007, interview with the man who wrote an intro to a re-issue of the Books (First Re-issued in 2001, in 1 volume, then re-re-issued in 2 volumes in 2006, with all versions available at Amazon.).

If you can read German the folks at the great Penny-Farthing Riders website have a page devoted to Stevens, from which I found the picture. ;-D

Raising A Cyclist In 21st Century America: Part 2

Has it been a year since I first heard of the Glider Rider?

Last December I shared with you a series of correspondences between myself and Randy Eady, of MPS-Ready Solutions.

It was all about a childs bicycle called the Glider Rider, and 2 presentations planned for Velo-city 2007 Conference, in Munich Germany, on "The Challenge of Raising A Cyclist In 21st Century America", and "Human Powered Vehicles (HPV); the ANTI-Segway. (Exploring a Cultural Paradox; Back to the Future of Individual Traffic)."

He even shared a Letter to the Editor, of Bicycling, that he's not sure was ever published!

What was really interesting to me was something he was planning for the future.

You see he also shared with me an article he had just finished writing, and hoped to get published, about how innovative Bike Designs are good Start-up Business Ventures.

(Read my original piece from Xmas day 2006.)

Well, I recently received that long promised update e-mail. ;-D

He wrote:

Sorry for overlooking getting a copy of the presentation to you that we corresponded about last year.

1) Attached is the article that I presented in a paper at the Velo-City 2007 (The Challenge of Raising a Cyclist in 21st Century America)

We want to have our Glider Rider Adult Version (GRAV) on display in Brussels for 2009.

The beginning of this 5 minute video [promoting the Conference] really sets the stage for our new design.

I did a Google Search and found the article on Start-up Businesses! ;-D

So you, dear reader, are getting a two-fer. ;-D

As I wrote then "The article is an informative essay that discusses the balance principles, attributes, and benefits, of  four new bike concepts:  the Sideway bike (UK), the StreetSurfer (AUS), the StairCycle (US) and, the soon to be announced, Glider Rider-Adult Version (GE/US)."

On January 16, 2007 this article was published on Gather.com, and republished on the Glider Website on March 13th.

More recently the article was given a thorough overhaul, with pictures, and a whole new section on something fascinating called the COOL'cle.

This version of the article will serve as support of a Technology Demonstration at The International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence (ICADI), St. Petersburg, FL Feb 2008

Here is the PDF version of the 4 page published article:

Bicycle Design: A Top Transportation Start-up Business Venture.

The article sent me in the update is part of a presentation he made at the 2007 Conference in June.

This presentation served to visually and verbally introduce the Adult Version of the Glider Rider (G.R.A.V.) to the world:

It’s a touchy subject bike manufactures have recently struggled to get their arms around: find a solution to diminishing rider capability and interest without sacrificing style and good looks for function.

The latest industry design emphasis seems to tilt toward pedal assistance or electric bikes (pedalecs as they’re known in the biking world)...these work if your balance, fitness and fiscal health are up to it.

Another alternative is to create a trike that enables people to stay mobile longer and to participate in everyday activities. Yet no matter how good you make it look, a trike is, after all, still a trike.

The auto manufacturer Volkswagen picked up on this theme with their 2006 Golf Gti car commericial which just shows a handlebar tassled tricycle and says, “for some, the man was always in the child.”

The advertising goes on to suggest that adults should not give up their adult status and leap back to the security of a trike before they have to.

That’s actually very sound health advice. And, a thought that has been undercored most recently in studies focused on specific physical activites that the Glider Rider in both the adult and children’s format accentuate: muscle balance development and bilateral coordination. Importantly, this product hits the scene on the heels of the social acceptance of healthy aging.

Here is the PDF version of the 4 page published article:

0 2 B 4 Again: What's to Know before you hop back on that Trike... (Yes, Page 4 is the 1st thing you see, but just scroll down to get to the start and you should be fine from there. ;-D)

In March Randy wrote an essay that discusses the notion that Glider Riders are smarter.

It's all about Concentrating better and learning faster.

In Elementary schools across this European nation, researchers have found children in the two to five year old age range who learned how to balance, coordinate and operate a new kind of pedal-free, balance learning bike called the Glider Rider, show greater intellectual ability, can concentrate on tasks better and for longer periods of time.

Read: Glider Riders Are Smarter.

Watch a video of a joyful toddler tooling around on his ride. ;-D

The Father writes: "My kid loves this bike and the other kids always ask him to
borrow it. It has been a great purchase!"

For a few other, older, articles, as well as alternative access to articles mentioned here, if the Gather Links go bad, check out the News Section of the Glider Rider Website.

Even if you are not convinced to plop your toddler on one of these babies, or try the eventual adult version yourself, there is a lot of food for thought here that is worth considering.

Raising A Cyclist In 21st Century America

Last month I received an e-mail from a man with a company that makes a very unusual bicycle.

He submitted an e-mail ( And several follow-ups. ) that served several purposes, and he hoped I would share it ( them ) with readers of this blog:

Promote a Conference he would be attending in 2007.

Promote presentations he would be making there.

Promote the unique product of his company.

Discuss the issues of how best to get pre-schoolers into the swing of bicycling.

Share some interesting thoughts, and statistics, related to cycling in America, and other countries around the world.

I read the e-mail, and checked out the company website, and we had some e-mail back, and forth.

Lets begin with the initial e-mail from Randy Eady,of MPS-Ready Solutions:

Hi, Dude!

I was trolling for data to prepare two presentations for a EuroBike Conference next year and came across this on a fella named Gary Green's bicycle and beach.com site and he linked me into your site...

U.S. Bikers Less Safe Than European Counterparts:

In the United States, cyclists are 12 times more likely than people in cars to die en route to their destinations. On a per-kilometer and per-trip basis, U.S. cyclists are twice as likely to die on the road as German cyclists, and more than three times as likely as Dutch cyclists. While cycling fatalities in all of these countries have fallen in the last 25 years, U.S. cycling deaths have declined largely because of a drop in cycling, while in the Netherlands and Germany investments in infrastructure that make cycling safer account for much of the decline...

Given your international interest in cycling you may want to know about the Velo-city 2007 Conference, in Munich Germany, and my particular presentations:

PAPER #1

The Challenge of Raising A Cyclist In 21st Century America:

In Europe the laufrad has "revolutionized" the way 2-5 year olds learn how to ride a bike ( "Running Bike"  ( lauf = run, rad = bike wheel )  For your benefit:  Fahrrad is "bicycle" and Rad is "bike" in German. ) without the dependency created by stutzrader ( "support wheels".  Outside stabilizers as they are called in most English speaking places.  In the US, a brilliant marketing campaign came up with the clever misnomer:  Training Wheels, some 50 years ago.. It has helped thousands of children get on the path to an active lifestyle and garnered numerous toy design and educational awards. ).

Yet in North America there is a reluctance to embrace the laufrad, an inexplicable resistance to comprehending the benefits of the "laufrad phenomena" in Europe and denial of the increasing emergence of "training wheel dependency" in American society.

Even with an overall flat-to-declining US bike riding population, surging levels of childhood obesity and more children abandoning bike riding because they become dependent on outside stabilizers (known as "training wheels" in North America), the self-proclaimed world's leading bike magazine, Bicycling ( July 06 issue:"How to Raise a Cyclist". It was an extensive several page spread, but is not on the website.  ) stated: "the best way to teach 2-4 year olds how to ride is to put them on a training wheel equipped bike."

Many American's blithely say "we just take training wheels off, while Europeans add pedals." Actual rider-ship belies that statement. More European children are learning to ride untethered at an earlier age. More American children are carrying extra body surface area and are learning to balance a bike at a later age, if at all.

This presentation features North American's largest and most experienced direct distributor of laufrauder. The Glider Rider Division of MPS-Ready Solutions has been selling the "running bike" in the United States for over two years. We have used various educational approaches/demonstrations to prove the merits of the concept and have begun to open windows of perception in product use by suggesting its application in America as a therapeutic tool for special needs and developmentally challenged children. We will also discuss how the culture of obesity and the "anti-integrative" exercise philosophy in the US influences comprehension of the laufrad.

Why at Velo-city 2007?

To underscore the urgency of creating engaging and playful vehicle choices that promote physical wellness habits early in life and counter the ever-increasing influence of a sedentary lifestyle and a culture of obesity.

PAPER # 2

Title: Human Powered Vehicles (HPV); the ANTI-Segway. (Exploring a Cultural Paradox; Back to the Future of Individual Traffic)

Introduction:

Human behavior is hard to change. And behavior, with respect to human powered vehicle conveyance in the middle of Europe is very different from practices in "middle" America. We will examine cultural/behavioral differences manifest in the European and American approach to mobility, systemic wellness problems related to automobile-reliant urban transportation and the challenge of incorporating eco-sustainable lifestyle choices like "Call-a-Bike" programs in America. Suggested solutions may lie not with technology or sophisticated urban planning but a basic mentoring process.

Discussion:

Responding to the "oil crisis" of his day--as the literal price of horse power (oats) soared in the early 1800s--German inventor Karl Drais not only designed the first foot-propelled, human-powered, wheeled vehicle, he also ushered in the concept of individual traffic. This milestone set a prerequisite to ensure European pedestrian travel moved beyond a transportation issue and into the realm of infrastructure planning. In a sense, Drais reminded the populace that future personal trips would not only involve a walking component, but integrate with public thoroughfares. From the simple velocipede, profound implications can be drawn comparing contemporary Euro--American transportation and mobility behavior.

One paradoxical example: the manner in which Segway Human Transporters are permitted where most HPVs are prohibited. Lobbying campaigns touted technology, ignored health concerns and cleared the path for permissive regulation so US cities could put Segways on sidewalks. Not as a mobility-assist device; merely for convenience. This same anti-walking logic now applies in places like malls/amusement parks. By focusing on the legislated sidewalk acceptance of the Segway (in every major city EXCEPT San Francisco) and the exemplar success of Toronto's BikeShare program, this presentation will suggest only progressive municipalities understand that a city's walk and "bikeability" are some of the most important measures of the quality of its social health and vitality. Conclusions will revolve around the use of a civic planning tool called the Green Transportation Hierarchy. (A graphically depiction of the priority of consideration in governmental planning for various mo des of transportation, walking first as the most green form, followed by cycling, transit, delivery vehicles, taxis, and finally SOV (single-occupant automobile).

Why Velo-city 2007

Because we want to expand the discussion about the underlying cultural, behavioral and ethical differences that manifest in the European and North American approach to mobility and some of the systemic wellness problems related to automobile-reliant urban transportation.

My correspondence with Randy produced more interesting information.

He had written a Letter to the Editor, of Bicycling, that he's not sure was ever published:

(I opened the letter like this because they subtitle their magazine "The World's Leading Bike Magazine"):

Dear WORLD's Leading Bike Magazine,

As you are the globe's preeminent authority on all things two wheeled, I was caught by surprise when your How to Raise a Cyclist article recommended starting 2-4 year olds on "a training wheel equipped bike." Perhaps a broader glance around the world may have better grounded your essay writer's instruction.

European cycle enthusiasts have recently recognized so-called, yet mis-labeled "training wheels" were the construct of clever marketing nearly a half century ago. (They offer little benefit in the way of balance training and generally instill fear/doubt in a rider's natural balance capability.)

By using a new form of pedal-free bike for the past three years on the continent, the application of outside stabilizers has become the exception and the average age of newly self-supported bike riders is now about four and a half.

Though this may seem a minor point, when the underlying issue for "raising a cyclist in the U.S." is actually countering the influence of a sedentary lifestyle and a culture of obesity. Shockingly, health organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Heart Association and American Medical Association report balance ability now peaks at about the age of 10, that 18% of adults (18-55 years of age) report being non-bike balance capable and that childhood obesity is expected to reach the 25% level in the U.S. population by 2010. It's no wonder the NIH predicts one out of three (one out of two hispanic) children born after 2000 will contract diabetes. It's also no wonder the bike industry will be facing lower and lower rider-ship levels if more and more children get stuck on training wheels and aren't weaned off before they're drawn to the virtual fascination of a screen-based substitute.

Randy Eady

Intergenerational Balance and Movement Instructor, Boca Raton, FL.

I asked him if his company was US, or German:

We're an American-German company ;-)

Here's why:  We see our product "cycling" between the US & Europe, i.e., children's version started in Germany and migrated to the USA.  The adult version will start in the USA and migrate to Europe in 2009-10.

He shared with me excerpts from the soon to be updated ( Early 2007 ) FAQ page from the Glider Rider Site that is very interesting, and informative, and worth checking back with the site next year.

He also shared with me an article he has just finished writing, and hopes to get published, about how innovative Bike Designs are good Start-up Business Ventures.

As he wrote to me:

Why?

The bicycle is the world's best selling form of transport with 100 million sold each year - twice the number of cars sold - so a lucrative niche market exists for the more creative among us.  Four illustrations from around the Globe that expose these opportunities are the Sideway bike (UK), the StreetSurfer (AUS), the StairCycle (US) and, the soon to be announced, Glider Rider-Adult Version (GE/US).

The article is an informative essay that discusses the balance principles, attributes, and benefits, of these four new bike concepts.

I'll add an update here when I get word of the publication of the article. (Follow-up: Nov. 2007)

Finally, here are some interesting statistics he dug up as he is preparing for the Conference:

Snapshot: Deutschland/USA Bike Riding Comparison...

Germany:

Overall Population: 82,431,390.

66 Million bike riders in Germany.

City and Urban Bikes: 27% Trekking Bikes: 28%.

MTB/All-terrain Bikes: 15% Cruiser: 8% Other: 12%.

40% of Bikes in Germany are sourced from Asia (74% in US come from Asia).

USA:

Overall Population:300,000,000.

82 million bike riders (25 Mil MTB, 27 Mil Road Bikes, 18 Mil Hybrids).

(As of 10/06) Less than 25% of the US population rides bikes.

3000 people per day in the US lose bike riding ability due to non-injury related demographic factors such as aging, obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

Largest growth sector: Hybrids (55% growth rate in last five years)
28,128 hybrids were sold in May 2005, rising by 70 per cent in May 2006 to 47,870, worth $10.4m, about 17 per cent of the US bike market.

Sources: National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA), US Bicycle Product Suppliers' Association (BPSA), and USDOT/FHWA.

Dutch ride twice as often.

The German Government is moving forward with a national bicycle traffic plan to promote cycling throughout the country. The goal is to increase bicycle use to 30 per cent by 2012. Holland serves as a role model: Dutch citizens use their bikes for 27 per cent of all daily travel needs. In Germany, the current figure is around 12 per cent.

According to the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA), almost $5.2 bil/yr is spent on bicycles, parts and accessories, with 10 mil bicycles sold each year. Of the 80 mil bicyclists in the US, 55% are adults and there are 25 mil mountain bikers. Some 1.7 mil bicyclists also participated in 4,900 cycling events in 1998, during which time 175 hours of sports TV coverage was dedicated to bicycling. Of all bicycle sales, discount stores, toy stores and department stores account for 62%. (Direct)

Unlike most countries, cycling in the US has long been regarded as primarily an activity of childhood, to be left behind once one became old enough to acquire a driver's license and access to an automobile. Back in 1975 over 2/3 of all bicycle traffic fatalities were juveniles while mature adults were just 1/8 of the total. Over the past several decades however, the number of children encouraged to take up cycling has fallen dramatically, while the number of mature adult cyclists has grown at a somewhat slower rate to partially offset what would otherwise be an enormous decline in bicycle fatalities. As of 1998, just 30% of all bicycle fatalities were still juveniles, while mature adults now make up 50% of the total. USDOT/FHWA.

Somewhat Dated Statistics:

60 million Americans bicycle at least once per year [ Bikes Belong ].

25% of the U.S. population bicycles [Omnibus Transportation Survey by Bureau of Transportation Statistics, July 2001].

While in Japan 15% of commuters bicycle to work, in the Netherlands 50% of commuters bicycle and in China 77% commute by bike; only 1.6% of U.S. commuters bicycle to work [Washington State Energy Office Extension Services].

Eye opening. ;-D

Good News for Miss. River Trail

My friend, and sometime contributor of reports, and opinion, from the wilds of Louisiana, and its neighboring states, Larry Lagarde, brings news that should interest fans of the Mississippi River Trail:

The Pontchartrain Levee District, a governmental entity responsible for flood protection in 6 parishes (counties) between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, is funding a study to determine the feasibility of creating a paved, 122 mile bike path along the Mississippi River. If the path is created, it would tie into existing paved paths running atop the crown of the Mississippi River levee in metropolitan New Orleans and Baton Rouge, resulting in a paved bike path over 150 miles long.

This new trail would certainly be good news for the Southern Louisiana portion of the Mississippi River Trail. Here, long sections of the MRT are routed along highways with either marginal road surfaces, little to no shoulder or high traffic speeds. Currently, the MRT doesn't even go to Baton Rouge (Louisiana's state capitol, 2nd largest metro area and home to LSU).

Creating this paved trail and routing the MRT over it will provide hundreds of thousands of local residents with a safe and scenic place to walk, roller blade, jog or bike, improving the quality of life and increasing property values. The trail will also introduce revenue from bicycle tourists creating new jobs in small lodgings, restaurants, attractions and shops along the route.

If you have any doubts, just look at what the Danube River Trail has done for rural Austria or what the Coeur d'Alenes Trail is doing in Northern Idaho.

As stated on the Federal Highway Administrations website, "bicycle and pedestrian projects are broadly eligible for funding from almost all the major Federal-aid highway, transit, safety, and other programs."

With last year's enactment into law of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), more federal funding is available for bike trails than ever. Add to the equation the levee's importance to Homeland security and the potential the levee offers to be a safe route to schools in local communities along the route and it seems that funding for this project should be a slam dunk.

I encourage organizations such as Mississippi River Trail, Inc., the League of American Bicyclists, Adventure Cycling, Inc. and others to come together to help make this trail a reality.

Respectfully, Larry Lagarde

Check out Larry's website, and excellent Blog:

Ride THIS Bike

Great Bicycle Rides and City Trails Worldwide

Is Helmet Use Promoted to Detriment of Safety Courses?

I have never claimed to be an expert on everything cycling.

Sadly I don't have the time to steep myself in becoming one, though I try to find time to explore websites I find.

Heck, lately I've not even been able to get out for long rides ( Right now the heat wave, here in the OC, has prevented me. )

By finding websites of use to cyclists, and by posting about various issues, it has been my hope to get visitors to check out the sites, and stories, and to get people more knowledgeable than I, and even with differing opinions, to chime in with comments, and essays, on various subjects.

I pride myself in the collection of resources I've gathered, and hope that more people discover their usefullness every day.

It has been 2 years since I added a link to my Special Invite in the sidebar.

I think, at least with the commenting part, and the event tips, I've been a little bit successful as I can always count on several regulars to add considerably to the discussion of the topics written about here, and I occasionally get word of various events.

It is no secret that, while I think education is important with regards to making better cyclists, and even motorists, I am also a strong supporter of Helmet use ( From personal experience, I know that wearing a helment can prevent serious injury, and even save your life. ), and respect the opinions of those who promote it ( See links in sidebar ).

I also respect the folks encouraging Safety Education.

Some of those folks take exception to studies, and organizations, that say that "The use of helmets is the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes."

I would love to add to my collection of Cycling Safety Education sites ( 10 related sites are listed ), but in the meantime let me share an e-mail I got from regular commenter, and fellow BikeBlogger, Fritz, of Cyclelicious, and Longmont Bicycling Resource.

What he has to say gets to the heart of the debate over helmets, and to trying to find ways to educate people about other important ways to stay safe while cycling.

Fritz writes:

Okay, let's look at these numbers Kiril. You wrote "Children 15 and younger accounted for 21 percent of the 725 killed." That's 152 children who died on a bicycle in 2004. And then you wrote, "Universal bicycle helmet use by children ages 4-15 would prevent 135-155 deaths annually."

If 152 children died, how do you prevent up to 155 of those deaths????? And then people wonder why folks like me who actually read the studies call them out as total BS.

You quote Dr. Rick Blum, who says, "The use of helmets is the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes." Helmets are indeed effective, but Blum is spouting pure hyperbole: the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities is NOT helmets, but it's good riding safety education for children AND the adults who drive around them. A big part of the problem is adults driving 40 mph through residential areas and school zones. If these morons would understand that kids are part of the residential environment and just slow down, a big part of the problem would go away.

Helmets are fine, but overemphasizing this minimally effective countermeasure over the real issues is like putting a bandaid on a amputated limb.

This isn't just some hypothetical splitting hairs issue, either -- real dollars are involved. Colorado was one of the first states to distribute federal Safe Routes to School dollars for bicycle safety. I reviewed $6.5 million in grant requests from various agencies; only $2.3 million was available to distribute. Somewhere around $1 million was requested for helmet education and promotion (which acts mostly to make children and parents afraid to ride their bikes), when what we really wanted was to promote cycling to school.

One of the recipients for 2006 is the city of Longmont for a very strong bicycle promotion and education program there in conjunction with the school system. Helmets are part of it and the kids are required to have helmets to participate, but the way it's done doesn't detract from the main purpose of that program.

There is a lot of debate, and discussion, all over the cycling community, on a host of issues such as this one.

If you have the time you owe it to yourself to check out any cycling message board, or e-mail list, that catches your attention when checking out various sites in my sideboard, and you will see just how involved, technical, and even very heated, the discussions can become.

Just beware: Your e-mail in-box could quickly be overloaded. ;-D

That's why I have not subscribed to any lists in years. ;-D

Thanks, Fritz, for the above contribution. ;-D

Technorati Tags: Cycling Helmets, Cycling Education, Bicycle Education, Cycling Safety, Bicycle Safety, Bicycling, Cycling

About Phil Liggett by James Raia

Phil Liggett will be broadcasting his 34th Tour de France, beginning July 1 in Strasbourg, France.

There is a nifty book of poetry ( Dancing on the Pedals ), in my sidebar, and the review, by Bill Strickland, on Amazon, says it all:

Lighthearted, ironic arrangement into verse form of Phil Liggett's florid, enthusiastic narrations of cycling's greatest races. Anyone who has ever watched the Tour de France on TV knows Phil, and his flights of rhetorical brilliance are legion. Bicycling Magazine writes, "His voice defines the sport the way Howard Cosell's did for boxing and football." Astonishingly poetic and intelligent, Phil Liggett's narrations lend themselves perfectly to this found poetry approach.

Journalist, Author, and Radio Talk Show Host, James Raia has a very nice piece on this legendary man.

A Poem all Cyclists can Relate to

I came across a poem, this morning, while perusing the website of the Different Spokes, which bills itself as "SoCal's Most Diverse Cycling Club".

The poem is by Mike Gleich, and is in memory of his Father.

My Friend Strong as Steel.

Cyclist takes Sarasota Florida to task

Back in January the death of a college student cyclist caused a writer to lash out:

As a fellow student, and frequent bike rider, I am outraged. I am furious that while a city closes its sidewalks to build multimillion-dollar condos, it leaves its pedestrians and bicyclists to fend for themselves.

It would seem only common sense to provide safe passage around such construction.

I am furious that the infrequent bike lanes, if they are usable, are narrow and often obscured by debris. I am furious that utility poles, which bicyclists must dodge, are located directly in the middle of the sidewalks along U.S. 41 and other streets.

Um, it seems this city won't make any list of cycling friendly US cities, doesn't it. ;-D

However, all is not lost!

City Transit has Bike racks on its busses!

There IS a County Bicycle/Pedestrian/Trail Advisory Committee.

Sarasota has a Cycling Club. ( Though the nearest Cycling Trails of note are in the St. Petersburg, Largo, and Tampa regions.  A State Cycling Map can be had here. )

You can even report issues related to needed routine preventative maintenance including the edging, sweeping, and structural repair of bike paths or trails on county maintained roads, here.

For financially strapped and ecofriendly students alike, a bike is sometimes the most popular, if not only mode of transportation. While bicyclists must obey traffic laws and take certain precautions, drivers, too, must be aware that others share the road.

Good points.

The city of Sarasota needs to step up to the plate and protect its citizens. Instead of being known as an affluent beach town, why not be known as one of the most pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly cities in a state that has the highest percentage of bicycle-related fatalities?

Residents, who regularly utilize the busy and dangerous roads, cannot afford to wait.

Alexandra DiSclafani

In my wandering around the city website I had hoped to see more info on cycling in the city, but was disappointed.

The City Manager, Michael McNees, has a 9 month old Blog on Blogger, but a search for the terms Bicycle, Bicycling, and Bike Trails sadly turned up no results.

HERALD-TRIBUNE.COM ( 1/25 ): Bicyclists treated with too little regard.

Technorati Tags: Bike, Bicycle, Bicyclists, Cyclist, Cycling, Pedestrian, Trail, Trails, Florida, Sarasota

Bike Riding Does a Body Good

Martino, of Martino's Bike Lane Diary, shares an absolutely fabulous 3 1/2 min. video of a cyclist on a  glorious ride to remember.

Sit back, and enjoy.

Has the HiWheel Bike replaced Recumbents and the Gym

A few months ago I received an e-mail from a David Toppin, Captain of the MA. Chapter of The Wheelmen, regarding a book excerpt from message sent out to a mailing list for the National Bicycle Greenway website.

I just found the e-mail again and wish to share it with you.

What is a HiWheeler ( aka the Penny Farthing )?

Well, let's just say that bicycles ain't what they used to be these days. ;-D

Things were a little different 118 years ago, and there are people that are dedicated to  riding these bikes, and preserving their heritage: The Wheelmen are among those adventuresome, and dedicated, cyclists.

Anyway the author of an upcoming new book has been spreading the word about it, and a national Bike Ride/Author Tour scheduled for 2007.

How America can Bike and Grow Rich, The National Bicycle Greenway Manifesto by Martin Krieg.

As the author explains:

This excerpt comes to you  from "How America can Bike and Grow Rich, The National Bicycle Greenway Manifesto"  that will be a part of the 2007 Nat Bike Party that my author tour will engender. It explains why the HIWheel bike has placed recumbents and the gym both of which have been such a huge part of my life, in a holding pattern.

"All right Fred, you made it! And yahoo Phil, this is rockin'," I said as I started working my way off my tall bike.

"Well Martin you were right, I think we are gonna turn some heads." Phil observed.

After a few minutes getting everyone introduced, I said, "Yeah, here is where it gets interesting. I remember when we rode this stretch seven years ago and the locals were all cheering Steve Stevens on. They weren't looking at our high tech recumbents or the tandem trike Larry loaned me from his shop, they were looking at Steve."

Steve Stevens (no relation to the Thomas Stevens who circumnavigated the globe on a bicycle in 1884), had just completed a ride from San Francisco to Boston on his HIWheel. He had done so in an amazing 29 days, a new world record that still stands today. And unbeknownst to me at the time, seeing all the attention he and his bike were getting, he had planted a seed.

Even though I could now see that the HiWheel created a lot of excitement, the notion of my riding one was easy for me to dismiss. Reasoning that I needed to keep the playing field leveled between myself and cars, there was not going to be any way that I could build one into my world. As a transportation cyclist, I needed to be able to get places fast without a lot of effort. And it was for this application that I knew that the HiWheel was in a word, IMPRACTICAL.

I was closed to the possibility of doing anything more than admiring what is also called a Penny Farthing  until two years later when I pedaled a tall wheel for the first time. I had bought a well used, replicated version to bring attention to our booth at the NBG Festivals we used to produce. However when I finally worked up the nerve to try it, even though it was not mechanically sound, the joy of floating above the cars and the rest of the world below forced me to rethink my priorities. The danger of being so high off the ground suddenly paled in comparison to the sudden feeling of magnificence that soon overwhelmed me.

I determined if I could learn how to walk again and do what it took to reverse my paralysis and all of the other complications brought on by my 1977 head injury to ride a traditional bicycle and then a recumbent across the US, then I could ride a few blocks on a HiWheel bike. Besides, I now did yoga and had been doing so every day since I had completed my last coast-to-coast bike ride. I knew that no matter how bad my bones got shaken out of alignment, that I could still remedy the situation.

I also loved making people smile. The joy riding my HiWheel  brought to others told me I had to do what it took to be able to ride it more. But where would I find the time, I wondered.

Soon I determined that if I rode one a few days a week when I was not working out with weights, that I could develop enough expertise to be a able to ride it in a parade or two. However, once I got the bike repaired and it became evident that the longer I rode, the less energy I had for the gym, I asked myself if I could ride more and work out less. When I could see that my body felt and looked as fit as it ever did the more I HiWheeled and the less I pushed iron, I did a very hard thing.

I gave up my gym membership!

I traded in the safety and familiarity of a social world of fellow health seekers sequestered from the rest of the world  by walls and windows for asphalt, cars and the fit and the mostly unfit. For 24 years,  working out had been a way of life for me. It had gotten me beyond the helplessness of my head injury setback. I had become so accustomed to seeing my body change as I focused on different parts of it with resistance training  that I was only minimally aware of the fact that most people only paid attention to their bodies when they were sick.

As such then, I would be using the time I had spent under a health club roof to place the National Bicycle Greenway vision before an America that really needed it. The several hours a day I spent riding to and from the gym, as well as working out in it, I began to spend on my HiWheel bicycle. And just as soon I could see that just by riding the Penny Farthing  I was bringing hope to the the young and the old, the overweight and the fit and all the different ethnicities that make up the world around us. All the happiness that resulted pushed me on.

Five years ago, I would have been happy with a couple of blocks worth of pedaling, while being able to ride a parade or two would have tested the limits of my joy. And yet here now, I was on my way across the country on the bicycle where it all began; that forever changed the way man would move about.

Besides connecting me to the people on the street, the HiWheel was also connecting different cyclists to one another. Since even within the ranks of cycling there are different factions all with their own agendas, needs and desires, the HiWheel bike had built in leadership qualities. As I got around on the HiWheel and more and more touring, racing, training, commuting, off-road, recumbent and casual cyclists got a chance to see  motorists give me more respect than they were getting, I could see that more and more of them wanted to be a part of my family. And as my  family grew, a critical mass of us would be elevating the public consciousness to show how important it is for us to be on the road.

And it is here that I count mountain bike cyclists as an interested party. Even though their preferred riding turf is off road, in getting to the dirt many of them pedal the road. And more of them would travel that way if the streets were safer for them to do so. Nor does any off this account for the fact that studies have shown that most of the off road bikes  that are sold today spend most of their time riding not off road, but on road.

And then there are the people who ride recumbent bicycles, a marginalized population of cyclists indeed. They are seen by many of the mostly younger cyclists who ride traditional upright bikes, as being less capable. They dismiss the recumbent rider as being a man or woman who is limited by age, health or weight problems. So the fact that since 1983, I had only been riding recumbents, partly to get attention for the National Bicycle Greenway, seemed to communicate that I had special needs. It was this that served to limit the support I needed for our vision.

I could not wait to return to the speed and the comfort of a recumbent bicycle but for now I was a man on  mission. Besides now it wasn't just going to be one Hi-Wheel biking turning heads through DC, there were _____ of us!!

"What do you say we get moving?" Larry offered. "I don't want to be late this year and we can't afford any wrong turns with all these high bikes.  All those roads that lead to the Capitol can get so confusing. "

"That's why you guys  got me. This is pretty much the commute to my shop," Phil said. "I'm not far from the Mall and that's pretty much where DC City Hall is. And so what I did is get us on the quiet route and not the route I take when I am hammered. And I'm always hammered. But what I have will be very pleasant.   And you're right, we should get going."

The Book is set around "a visualization of the upcoming 2007 coast-to-coast author tour that Martin Krieg will be doing on an antique, turn of the century HiWheel bicycle. In his book, he and his small team (pictured in the margins here), will be using his booksignings and their dialogue with reporters, each other and the people they meet along the way to describe what will happen when Krieg's business plan for the National Bicycle Greenway (NBG) gets funded and then starts producing results."

Read more about this here.

Krieg also has a website with an Online Book called How to Bike the US.

Technorati Tags: Bicycle, Bicycles, Cyclists, Commuting, HiWheel, Recumbent, Greenway

Angry Coloradoan 5: Bikes on Street Sort of OK

Well, now, see that wasn't so bad.

Curt DOES have a reasonable bone in his body...

AND he likes this Blog, too! ;-D

"No wonder so many people are disgusted with you. ;-D"

There are just as many people around here who cheer me.

Neither is what I really wanted, just trying to provoke some thought, and bring to light a few points.

The reason ( I imagine ) that CDOT restricts bikes on that stretch of road is because of the amount of traffic, and the fact that there is a frontage road on both sides of it for a good portion of its length.

I googled it long ago but had not thought to do it again until recently.

I do appreciate the fact that you posted the second letter, and I am not totally against bikes on the street. Both motorists and cyclists could stand to clean up their acts ( I, as everyone, could probably stand to do some spring cleaning ), some more than others.

I have a sense of humor, but I also like to stir the pot, and sometimes, unfortunately, I bring up some really bad stuff from the bottom ( which I seem to have done this time ) and the humor is taken out of context.

And by the way I think that you have an excellent web site.

Thank you for the time that it takes to keep something like this going.

Thanks again for posting my Letter.

And, that, Boys, and Girls is that. ;-D

Thank you, Curt, for being such a good sport and responding, thus contributing to a discussion that I'm sure has been enlightening to those who have taken the time to read it.

Technorati Tags: Bikes, Cyclists, Streets, Traffic, Motorists

Angry Coloradoan 4: I believe in what I say

In my last post I shared the previously unpublished Letter of Curt Groen to his local newspaper, and my response to that letter.

Now I wish to publish the response of Curt to my post of yesterday:

Why is it surprising that I have responded to your piece?

Is it the fact that I believe in what I say?

Or that no one should have the gall to go up against the cycling community?

In your response it says "That he implies that many of Ft. Collins cyclists are Drunken Motorists, deprived of their drivers licenses, and desperate for any mode of transportation to get them around town does not deserve a response."

What it really says is "quite a few" and to me there is a hugh difference between quite a few and many, but I guess that is a matter of opinion.

The fact that it does not deserve a response may be due to the fact that it is the truth.

Now if you want to read into it that I feel ALL cyclists are a problem, I guess that is your prerogative, and I guess it further advances your side of things to your benefit.

You ask "Are they in addition to the usual striped Bike Lanes?" in reference to the sharrows:

No at this time there is no bike lane there.

It is a busy state highway, and also South College Ave., of which most of South College is restricted from use by bikes.

Now in regards to the Bike Bridges:

No, they are not in addition to the striped lanes.  They are meant to move the Bike traffic off the auto bridge (for the safety of the cyclists mind you).

A FEW bikers choose to ignore the fact that there is no Bike lane across the bridges where this occurs ( Too bad: It must be the same cyclists that are doing it EVERY time I am on that street, giving the MAJORITY of the good cyclists a bad name ).

RE: "Cyclists ARE drivers of vehicles and, as such, they have the right to safely use the streets in any way the law legally allows."

Just because someone has a concealed weapons permit, and feels that they can justify shooting someone, doesn't mean that they should unless there is no other option, whereas cyclists have many options open to them and are rarely put in a do or die situation. ( I'll bet you have fun twisting that one around. )

Just because you "may" doesn't mean that you "should".

Now about "That Curt is a Motorist with "issues" toward cyclists, who claims to BE one himself, is a matter between him, and his Psychiatrist.":

My statements bring up valid concerns, but "Does Curt feel guilty that he rides a bike, and just how often DOES he ride the poor thing?".

No I do not feel guilty that I ride a bike, and I take it to places where I will not endanger myself by putting myself in the potential path of a steel projectile coming up behind me.

I realize that it is just a bike, a mode of transportation, not something alive and with feelings:

RE:  "and just how often DOES he ride the poor thing?"

Now just who needs the Psychiatrist?

Is the fact that you are attacking me due to the fact that I have hit home with some points that maybe you are guilty of?

Are you a part of the "ME, ME, ME, NOW, NOW, NOW" crowd?

It sure sounds as such.

JESUSCHRISTONABICYCLE ( or JCOAB for short ) !!!

I'm just a harmless little fuzzball, Curt... Pedalling across the land on his Trusty Steed. ;-D

Curt, my last post addressed your fear of bike riding in the street, and made another suggestion for where you can learn helpful tips on how to overcome it. ( See the end of this essay for more such resources )

As Ken Kifer says: "There are many people who think that bicycling is especially dangerous, not recognizing that cyclists travel more miles per fatality than pedestrians and more hours per fatality than passenger vehicle users."

I was surprised not that you would defend yourself, only that it took an essay by me to get you to do so in a public forum.

Afterall, the same Google Search my Stats said you made yesterday, if made anytime after January 27th, would have led directly to a place where you could have posted your unpublished letter for those closer to home ( or here ), including the some of letter writers, to maybe come across long before now.

I am also not surprised that you believe riding in the street is too dangerous to do, and/or that cyclists do not belong on the street next to cars: You are not the 1st person that I have encountered with those misguided beliefs and, sadly, won't be the last, I'm sure.

Quite a few, or many, who's gonna go out there and count [ Or run around with a breathalizer to catch those stupid enough to risk being caught PUI ( That's "Pedaling Under the Influence" for you folks in Rio Linda ) ? ] You?  Me?

We both lead busy lives, and I don't have the extra cash for the trip out of state, anyway. ;-D

RE: "if you want to read into it that I feel ALL cyclists are a problem".

I calls 'em as I sees 'em, and I see a man who thinks his fellow cyclists, or many of them anyway, are a problem, should not be allowed to ride on the street.

And what is the motivating reason for this belief?

"I have made a choice, and that is not to ride my bike in this town because it scares me to death".

As you say that is YOUR choice.

You believe that your fellow Motorists, like your fellow Cyclists, or many of them both, anyway, have no business on the street, and so you choose to ride your bike where you fee safe, and are agitating for the city to do things that will force your fellow cyclists to do the same, whether they share with your fear, or not.

No wonder so many people are disgusted with you. ;-D

I'm curious as to why a street would be a "No Bike" street, but as far as busy State Highways are concerned here in California some of ours run through residental, and business districts, and some have Bike Lanes on some stretches, and the sensible cyclist survives them all quite nicely.

As for Bike Bridges:

If there is a sign that said I MUST use the bridge then I'd use it, if safe to do so.

If there is no such sign, and the street going over the bridge is like those going over similar places I encounter every day, then I'd safely take the lane until I'm over the bridge.

If I judged the Bike Bridge unsafe I'd find an alternative route, if not able to use the street bridge, until the problem was taken care of.

Just because there is no Bike Lane on a street does not mean I can not travel safely on that street.

Your apparent idea that a "Bad" Bicyclist is one who rides where there is no Bike Lane is misguided.

IF it is safer for me to take the lane instead of using the Bike Lane available to me then I will do so, or choose an alternate route if convenient for me to do so.

If a Bike Lane is strewn with debris, or is one of those stupid ones to the left of park cars, you can bet yer sweet bippy I'll take the lane for however long I need to if I have to.

I WILL NOT get on the sidewalk, as so many people think cyclists should do in that situation.

As for your Gun Analogy:

Bicycles don't kill people. People do. ;-D

Example based on your Anaolgy: Just because I can ride my bike on Bristol Street during rush hour, and can justify doing so, doesn't mean I should unless there is no other option.

The point IS that, unless there is a posted sign telling me that I CAN'T do so, it is entirely up to me whether I want to do so, or not.

I know what to expect riding along Bristol ( It's one continuous Rush Hour during the day ), but it IS safe for any cyclist unafraid to ride on the street, and experienced in doing do.

You may not feel guilty about riding a bike, but you certainly seem to be afraid to do so.

Just because you can ride your bike elsewhere than the street, and can justify doing so, doesn't always mean your should.

Get over your fear, and you will get a whole lot more out of the experience of being a cyclist

Just because someone disagrees with you does not mean they are attacking you.

You made a public statement.

I responded, and offered you the opportunity to respond in turn, AND the opportunity to share a letter that would not have seen the light of day otherwise.

I did NOT have to do any of that [ I think I deserve a free sample of your fine, quality, BBQ Sauce for being so nice! Hee, hee. ( Damn, but that stuff sure looks tasty! Honest! ) ], and am sure there no doubt are many Bloggers who would not have.

You DID NOT have to respond, and showed courage in doing so ( You have dared to pedal where several Journalists, Activists, and Politicians, have feared to ride ).

I respect that.

In turn you should have expected that I would try to continue the dialogue, and that others might toss in their 2 cents as well.

I am not guilty of anything except being "An ordinary road cyclist spreading the word", and the word is BICYCLE! ;-D

As for: "I realize that it is just a bike, a mode of transportation, not something alive and with feelings".

Curt, my friend, you really MUST relax, and develope a sense of humor. ;-D

Mine is, um, rather peculiar, and I don't care who knows it. ;-D

USEFUL READING:

1. How to not get hit by cars.

2. Bicycle Transportation Institute.

3. "Cyclists ought to act and be treated as drivers of vehicles."  The Books and essays of John Forester.

4. Ken Kifer on Bicycle Traffic Safety.

5 -13. See the 9 links in the group titled "BICYCLE SAFETY: Information that can save your life."

Continue to part 5.

Technorati Tags: JESUSCHRISTONABICYCLE, JCOAB, Bike, Bikes, Cycling, Cyclists, Motorist, Motorists, Community, Transportation, Lanes, Highway, Traffic, Safety, Street, Streets, Fuzzball

Angry Coloradoan 3: The Letter not Published

Curt Groen has responded to my post yesterday.

This came about due to an e-mail I sent him:

Dear Curt,

Thank you so much for your comment to my coverage, a while back, of your letter on cycling in Ft. Collins.

It always pleases me when the subject, or writer, of a story I Blog about responds.

I promoted your comment to POST status because I believe that it, like your original letter, deserved a wider audience, and a response.

I will be alerting Fritz, and Pedaller, as I imagine they too will be quite interested in what you have to say.

Sincerely yours,

KIRIL KUNDURAZIEFF

Before we get to that I wish to share, as promised, the letter by Curt that was never published.

As he explains it:

The letter that was not published, that you say was my first, was never put out that it was first. It was a response to the folks in my community.

As you will see, I stand corrected on that point as his letter is a response to those letters sent to the newspaper in response to his published piece.

Since Curt didn't indicate this point in his response to me I made the wrong assumption.

Here, in its entirety, is Curt's response to those in his community:

First of all, I own a bike also.

Next, to answer Paul Miller and Rick Price.

Paul first:

Have you noticed how many right turn lanes and acceleration lanes have disappeared around here lately, gone to the bike lanes?

And yes, who typically wins when you pit a two-ton vehicle against a 20-pound bike, why are they being put in a situation where they can be pitted against each other?

I am not after the majority of bikers out there, just the ones that cannot abide by traffic laws, and the City Traffic Engineers.

Which brings me to Rick:

If we had "Transportation planners on city staff who do a fine job" the bike lanes would be bike paths, co-located with walking paths, that were incorporated into alleys and the city parks so as to encourage bikes to stay away from traffic and out of the danger of mixing with traffic.

When I lived in Colorado Springs, I don't remember bike lanes on the city streets, I remember bike/walking paths, which were used extensively by both pedestrians and bikers.

I enjoyed riding on the paths there so much more than riding in a bike lane as I am forced to in this town, worrying about the car behind me getting me from the rear.

So that Price won't have to open his eyes, I'll summarize:

Vehicular traffic has to slow down and accelerate to get around the bikers that crowd the traffic lane or ride where there is no bike lane.

Sharrows (which is what started this line) will greatly slow traffic where installed, and in the case of south College greatly endanger Bike riders, and the disappearance of right turn lanes and such forces vehicles to sit and idle at lights.

If Mr. Price is President, Friends of the Fort Collins Bicycle Program, Inc., I think his time would be better spent on trying to get the City to go with bike paths instead of the present bike lanes.

Gas taxes pay for highways, nothing that comes from a bike pays for them (not speaking of the owners who own autos also).

I have made a choice, and that is not to ride my bike in this town because it scares me to death because I have to share the road and the way people drive in this town, which is atrocious, but that is a whole other subject.

Oh, so as not to forget, just what can be said about Gary Pugh's statement:

Gee, sorry about your Aunt, maybe she should look into one of the new International pick-ups, you know one of the really big ones.

Oh, brother... where to begin, where to begin?

Curt, just because you are afraid to ride your bike in the street is no reason to try to make life difficult for your neighbors by encouraging changes that affect their right to choose where to ride their bike. ;-D

Preachers of Vehicular Cycling, and of Safe Cycling Techniques, understand that knowledge is power, and the more informed a cyclist is the better a rider he/she will be.

I strongly recommend that you, and anyone else afraid of the street, read an 8 part series by Biking Toronto called 8 Secrets to Cycling in Traffic ( The series, in its entirety, in 1 shot, was posted 3/15/06 ).

While some Vehicular Cyclists would do away with Bike Lanes all together, and recommend people avoid Bike Trails, I'm not one of them, except where Bike Lanes to the LEFT of cars that are allowed to park next to the curb are concerned.

As for Gary Pugh:

You DO realize that whole piece was a JOKE don't you?

You must have wrote your reply before Joel Nolte sent in his, or you would have seen this:

After reading through the letter (in the Jan. 27 Coloradoan) titled, "Cyclist has negative impact," it seems obvious to me that Gary Pugh is in reality lampooning Curt Groen's letter from Jan. 8.

Read Pugh's letter again, taking careful note of the vehicles involved in the alleged crash, and the stated damages to each vehicle and occupant. Don't overlook the hilarious final sentence.

It seems that a different title might have been appropriate for the letter - perhaps "Writer's tongue planted firmly in cheek?"

You DO have a sense of humor, Curt, I hope? ;-D

Continue to part 4.

Technorati Tags: Blog, Bicycle, Bike, Bikes, Cycling, Cyclist, Lanes, Traffic, Laws, Transportation, Walking, Paths, Trails, Streets, Pedestrians, Sharrows, Vehicular

Angry Coloradoan Defends Letter and Berates BikeBloggers

In January I wrote about the Angry Coloradoan who thinks Cyclists should pay taxes.

Based on the content of the letter published in the newspaper, I, a few BikeBloggers and, apparently, many of his fellow Coloradoans had some choice words for him.

You simply MUST read the wonderful collection of responses to his January letter gathered on The Reading Room Blog of the Ft. Collins website called Experience Plus.

Now, quite surprisingly, I find that Curt Groen has responded to my piece ( but NOT to the folks in his own community, over at EP ), and certain comments left by 2 readers.

What follows is what he has to say ( Promoted, from mere Comment Status, to this post where it can get the attention it deserves. ):

The letter that says that I own a bike, but that I am scared to death to ride on the streets of Fort Collins because of the way the bike lanes are laid out was never published.

The point of the letter that was published was the use of sharrows, and the fact that the City wants to put them on an extremely busy highway, which I believe will expose bikers to a great deal of danger.

Yes, there are a lot of bikes being used in Fort Collins, quite a few are due to the fact that people have DUI's and have lost their license and need transportation.

If those who do ride would use the bike lanes properly, things wouldn't be quite so bad, but we have people who ride in the car lanes rather than using bridges that were built for the cyclist.

Yes there are motorists that run red lights, but not to the extent of some of the cyclist.

Motorists will run the tail end of a yellow light or the beginning of the red, but cyclist's will run it dead in the middle of the red light because stopping will break their momentum.

Money for roads come from the use of motor vehicles.

I don't mind sharing the road with bikes, but from what I have been seeing the cyclists think that it is their right to have full use of the roads, and yes even being a bike rider myself, I still think that that there should be some sort of use tax set up of the cyclist.

As far as "sweeping generalizations" and "becoming self-righteous", reading your posts it is easy to see just who that refers to.

Curt Groen

Oh yeah...

Frizt, as far as who the Bozo ( a foolish or incompetent person )
is, you just want to throw out the comment and not really say any thing relevant.

I think that you have described yourself.

After reading this I'm still of the opinion I expressed before, and have more to say now.

For those who don't know what a Sharrow here is a brief description as they apply to the streets of Ft. Collins ( Based on a blurb for the archived original article by Jim Strine, on December 31st, 2005 ):

Shared-lane arrows are markings on a road signaling to motorists that bicyclists share their lanes.

Lanes shared between motorists and cyclists will be marked by shared-lane arrows or "sharrows." The painted markings depict a bicycle with two chevrons above it.

My 1st question after reading this is: Does Curt feel guilty that he rides a bike, and just how often DOES he ride the poor thing?

He tosses off his "street cred" 1st as an aside about how his "1st"  letter was never published ( I'd publish it HERE, if he still can send me a copy ) and later as an afterthought conclusion to, this, his 2nd rant against his fellow cyclists, and I'm supposed to take anything he says seriously?

Questions 2 and 3: If Curt is so afraid of riding on the street has he done anything to overcome that fear, such as taking classes on Safe Cycling Techniques offered somewhere within convenient travel distance by car, or buying a copy of John Forester's book called Effective Cycling, and reading it?

If not, then why not?

Question 4: What's with the continued sweeping generalizations?

Curt continues to write as if ALL cyclists are a problem, instead of just those who are ignorant, and foolish in the way they ride their bikes.

That he implies that many of Ft. Collins cyclists are Drunken Motorists, deprived of their drivers licenses, and desperate for any mode of transportation to get them around town does not deserve a response.

Cyclists ARE drivers of vehicles and, as such, they have the right to safely use the streets in any way the law legally allows, including avoiding designated bike "bridges", and even Bike Lanes ( if for their safety they need to move to their left and "take a lane " among moving motor vehicle traffic ).

Sharrows seem to be just making clear what Motorists, especially, should already be aware of, and if by being there they help edumicate both Motorists, and Cyclists, in how to get along then I'd like to know, in more detail, what the problems are with them, especially in the eyes of any cyclists.

A more important question regarding them is a 2-fer:

Are they in addition to the usual striped Bike Lanes?

If so, then isn't that redundant?

That Curt is a Motorist with "issues" toward cyclists, who claims to BE one himself, is a matter between him, and his Psychiatrist.

Ft. Collins, with a Bicycle Co-ordinator Office funded by the city, and 150 miles of Bike Lanes, must be doing SOMETHING right.

Continue to part 3.

Technorati Tags: Bicycle, Bike, Bikes, Bikebloggers, Cyclists, Lanes, Streets, Sharrows, Transportation, Vehicles, Motorist, Motorists

Angry Cyclist takes Sarasota Florida to Task

Sometimes it seems as if Cyclists are treated with little regard.

A college student in Florida, Alexandra DiSclafani, vented her anger, last month, in the aftermath of the death of a fellow student, and cyclist:

New College of Florida lost a member of its community on the evening of Jan. 18. Fourth-year student John Roewert, 24, was killed when the bicycle he was riding was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 41 and 10th Street in Sarasota.

As a fellow student, and frequent bike rider, I am outraged. I am furious that while a city closes its sidewalks to build multimillion-dollar condos, it leaves its pedestrians and bicyclists to fend for themselves. I am furious that the infrequent bike lanes, if they are usable, are narrow and often obscured by debris. I am furious that utility poles, which bicyclists must dodge, are located directly in the middle of the sidewalks along U.S. 41 and other streets.

For financially strapped and ecofriendly students alike, a bike is sometimes the most popular, if not only mode of transportation. While bicyclists must obey traffic laws and take certain precautions, drivers, too, must be aware that others share the road.

The city of Sarasota needs to step up to the plate and protect its citizens. Instead of being known as an affluent beach town, why not be known as one of the most pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly cities in a state that has the highest percentage of bicycle-related fatalities?

Residents, who regularly utilize the busy and dangerous roads, cannot afford to wait.

HERALD-TRIBUNE.COM ( 1/25 ): Bicyclists Treated Wth Too Little Regard.

Winter Bike Riding

"Hey, it snowed last night, wanna go bike riding?"

Most people, when asked that question would respond with a hearty, and heartfelt, "Are you Nuts?" ;-D

Then again, the folks in the following story, out of Minneapolis, Mn., are definitely NOT most people. ;-D

On the most frigid winter nights, they are a startling sight.

Out of the darkness they appear: the flicker of a bicycle’s back reflector as the rider cruises over icy streets and past the bumper-to-bumper traffic.

From Minneapolis to Milwaukee, from Alaska and Illinois to Sweden and even Russia, winter bikers – and the clubs and Web sites devoted to them – are springing up all over the place. Some cyclists are in it for the workout, some because they want to live in a world with fewer automobiles and less consumption of fossil fuels...

On a Web site heralding winter cycling in Moscow, Grisha Strasnij says winters are perfect for ice biking and downhill racing because “the ice adds new challenges and requires new skills.”

AP Reporter Patrick Condon decided to give it a try, and gained a new perspective regarding folks he previously thought must be just a little insane.

He interviewed Winter Cyclists who own cars but also bike Commute on occasion, and 1 who doesn't own a car at all.

After getting a few tips he was ready for his excursion.

He was  dressed to the 9's. ;-D

It was 4 degrees above on the December morning I chose for the 4-mile ride to my downtown office.

I felt like a Navy SEAL suiting up for a mission.

Dri-fit long underwear (to help sweat evaporate off my body). One more layer on my legs and three more on top. Two calf-length pairs of wool socks. Black ski-mask covering my entire head. Goggles and helmet. Two pairs of gloves.

The goal was enough gear to ensure that not a centimeter of bare skin would be exposed. I knew I’d look ridiculous, but I also knew that subzero wind chills can be deadly in minutes.

How can you pedal in all that gear?

Seems it wasn't that hard... in the beginning. ;-D

The first few blocks on my seven-year-old mountain bike were a breeze. The tires gripped the slushy streets nicely, and – while the chilly air penetrated the layers – my pumping legs generated enough warmth to make it tolerable.

I even started to feel a little cocky. Coasting across a bridge, I saw multiple lanes of stop-and-go traffic. “Enjoy your gas guzzlers, suckers!” I thought to myself.

Over confidence is a Bitch, heh, heh. ;-D

A few blocks later my feet were cold. I noticed how my heavy panting inside the face mask was condensing into a chilly mush around my mouth. And how the sweat evaporating off my back made it feel like I was standing with my rear to an open refrigerator.

In another few blocks, my no-fog goggles started to fog. My feet felt as if I’d soaked them in ice water, and my fingers weren’t far behind.

No pain, no gain, the saying goes, and the further he went the more he gained confidence.

But with the pain came a feeling of hard-won confidence, and it propelled me as my destination grew closer. I started to think, “This really isn’t that bad.”

The last few blocks, I really hit my stride, and by the time I got to the office I wanted to keep riding. It’s a feeling, I discovered, that’s common to many winter bikers.

I'll stay here, in the OC, and ride my bike in the sun, and rain, thank you. ;-D

Cyclists who do this consider it a Lifestyle Choice, and are always gals to meet others of like mind.

As one cyclist said:

“When people wonder about it, or say that I’m crazy for doing it, I just tell them it’s really not that hard. The hardest part is the mental adjustment. Once you get past that, it’s pretty easy – you’ve gotta believe that you can, or you won’t ever do it.”

Not being sure how long the link to this story will stay active I'm sharing here Patricks list of Winter Bicycling Tips:

1. Any bike can be ridden in winter, but a mountain bike or bicycle with studded tires helps with traction. Some bikers add fenders to block flying winter sludge and snow buildup on tires.

2. It gets dark earlier and visibility can be bad even in daytime, so lights front and back are a must. Most states require them year-round after dark anyway.

3. Skip the heavy, padded clothing. Use lighter layers, but don’t overdo it; a little chill when you start out is just right. You’ll warm up.

4. Avoid moisture-absorbing fabrics like cotton, especially for the layer closest to the skin; try the so-called “wicking” fabrics that move sweat away from the skin.

5. The top layers should have Gore-Tex or other material that keeps out water and wind.

6. Hands and feet are most likely to get cold. Several pairs of gloves and socks are a good idea; so are shoes or boots that are warm without being clumsy.

7. In extreme cold, leave no skin exposed. That means a ski mask and goggles. A helmet is a must; wipeouts are even more likely on wintry streets.

Good advice, all of it.

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ( 1/8/06 ): Ice Adds new Challenges to Bicycling.

The way to a great life is to ride a bicycle

12/17/05 -- From Robert Damora, of Texas:

Dear cyclists:

While spending a quiet Saturday night. and looking throughout the Internet for information, (or people) regarding cycling, I just discovered this blog.

I am a new resident to Texas (I recently moved here from Arizona) and I've been re - energized by the accomplishments I made as a result of cycling.

Using the old phrase, "Cycling has been very, very good to me", cycling has given me a new, and healthy body.

Here's why....

Back in late Sept 2005 I went to my doctor for a physical exam. After a short examination, his nurse took some of my blood in order to check my cholesterol level.

After one week, I went back to him to get the result of my blood test. He told me my cholesterol was too high; about 275. And, I was overweight. I weighed 270 lbs. He placed me on a 40 - grams - a - day low fat diet. Also, he threw in a statin drug to help lower my cholesterol.

"If you want to live longer, you need to lower your weight, and your cholesterol."

So I dusted off my Gary Fisher MTB, and began riding.

By riding with my daughters I kept up the regime for ten weeks, the time he gave me to drop my weight, and see if my cholesterol would drop.

Four days after I began taking the statin drug, I was getting sore. He told me to stop taking the drug. Ten weeks later I went back to him to have more blood taken in order to check my cholesterol level.

On the following week I went back to him. My weight dropped 10 pounds, and my cholesterol dropped to 138. He, and I, were surprised, and impressed.

While cycling has given me the results I've needed, I have found myself telling people that the way to a great life is to ride a bicycle.

Now, if I can only get my wife to ride the old bike I fixed up for her.

Another finder of religion, heh, heh. ;-D

The Joys of Cycling North Carolina Backroads

Margaret Dickson writes, in Up and Coming Magazine ( a North Carolina Weekly ), that at middle-age, in preperation for a trip with a family member, she has discovered the joys of bicycling.

Another convert, heh, heh, heh... ( cue Evil Laugh MP3 )

Some local Pols recommended she begin cycling in the rural areas of Cumberland County which are apparently generally flat and not heavily traveled.

So borrowing an older sons bike, she rides off into the Wade and Godwin communities of northern Cumberland County.

To her it is a trip back in time...

She writes:

Early on Indian summer mornings, it is so quiet I hear the chirping of insects as they chatter to each other and maybe even to me. Petunia-like blossoms gone wild run along edges of fields planted with cotton, corn now plowed under, and crops a city girl cannot identify without help. Cat tails, some burst open and floating their fluffy insides, line the roadside. Residents actually hang their wash on clotheslines, where it wafts relaxingly. The loudest sound is the muffled hum of Interstate 95 traffic, not so distant from these quiet byways....

Names on roadside mailboxes reflect families who have been in that part of Cumberland County forever - Godwin, Royal, Autry, Barefoot, Tatum, McGill. Newer names join them daily, foreshadowing a different future.

Even city girls can feel the seductive pull of this slower, quieter life. It is enough to make me want to stop the clock.

After a discussion of changes she observes in the region, and acknowledging that change is difficult, she continues:

As I pedal the quiet roads, though, I understand that change cannot help but come, and the best - really, the only - choice we have is to manage the inevitable as best we can. Resisting it is futile, so channeling it in ways that both preserve the old and accommodate the new is the only real option. There is good in both.

Her final observation ends with a comment that ties nicely into my earlier post on saddles:

I have also come to understand that bicycling is an appealing sport for those of us in mid-life, including those of us who share no characteristics with Lance Armstrong. It is a way to not only get some exercise but also to enjoy outdoors and enjoy our community in a way we cannot as we whiz through in an air conditioned vehicle entertained by the radio and CDs.