Beer and Bicycles...Another Happy Ending

This Happy Ending, pictured above, is the repaving of Denver Avenue South in South Seattle as it intersects with South Lucile Street. The railroad tracks--the very ones that grabbed my front tire one rainy morning on my way to work years ago and threw me arms first into the pavement--are ended! The remaining tracks in the foreground are on private property and are not part of the street proper. All the tracks, and there was a wild splaying of tracks, are gone excepting the one below which is still a very active track coming into and out of the railyard.

And as you can see in the photo above, that remaining crossing is relatively smooth now.

Looking the other way, away from that remaining track, is this view of smooth pavement on Lucile, a delight to ride now.

This nondescript building is home to the Georgetown Brewing Company at 5200 Denver Avenue South. They moved here a year or so ago, and it is my hunch that their moving into the neighborhood might have been contingent on the City's cleaning up the nasty railroad remnants. I have no evidence, but I'm betting that once again Beer and Bicycles just have this karma. They are naturally intertwined.

One of these days I'm going to stop in at the brewery again and drink a fresh pint while toasting the removal of the tracks that did me in that one slick morning. I'll drift back to that moment as I pulled myself off the pavement, removed the grit from my arms, checked for serious injuries--thankfully none--and recalled asking myself how I took that tumble even though I knew to be careful of railroad crossings, especially in the rain.

I guess knowing to be careful, and being truly careful, aren't necessarily the same things.

Do be truly careful out there, and don't forget to toast our lucky stars:

1. to not getting seriously hurt when we otherwise might have, and
2. to the offending railroad tracks being ripped from their concrete beds as they slept.

All hail Safe Streets!


Keep it ripped,

CurioRando

Cycling into Christmas Day...and into India!

Was I nuts to ride a borrowed bicycle through the dark, strange streets of Bangalore with heavy traffic heading toward me on the "wrong" side of the road, and the real possibility of a milk cow, bullock or dog jumping into the mix? I don't think so. If anything happened, my riding companion was a brain surgeon after all!

Plus, every vehicle driver honks at least every 15 seconds, so I was never caught unaware of a single vehicle's presence!

Seriously though, I will confess to nervousness as I anticipated my first cycling in India. But as with just about all of the things we most fear, it's just not that bad. And in this case, I truly loved it!

I couldn't have had a better guide. Arvind Bhateja, pictured second from left above, happens to be a neighbor in DartreDame's parents' apartment building. He is also fast. He finished first in the first ever Bangalore brevet the week before (though this one wasn't ACP sanctioned, their upcoming one is!) in about seven hours. Told you he's fast. Arvind is also training for an upcoming Triathlon in Singapore.

Arvind is also very generous. Since I had no ride, he loaned me his Look 566 bicycle (after he made saddle and handlebar adjustments). And though I know he had planned to ride like the wind with his cycling pals (Roopak Suri is on the left and Mohan Kumar is second from the right), he hung with me instead.

Roopak lives in Delhi, and he too is very fast. He rides about 300k a week, I think he said. He is on the Delhi racing team. Mohan, again also fast, is newer to cycling, and he hails originally from Kerala, DartreDame's family's home state as well. My next trip to India, I hope we get to visit beautiful Kerala!

So what was the riding like? First off, you've got to visualize yourself as a corpuscle in the bloodstream. That was my strategy. You've seen those photos of cells going through an artery, right? All the corpuscles are individual, but they bob along despite obstacles and always squeezing through like one fluid unit. That was my vision from riding around in cars and auto rickshaws, and it worked for me on the bike.

In our case, we corpuscles departed before dawn so as to escape Bangalore Central prior to the arterial traffic rush. Christmas Day is an official holiday (residual from British times?), but most shops are open and traffic is still as congested, so leaving early was a good strategy. The challenge with that is seeing the road. You just can't assume the road is smooth, because it might be for a long while then...boom! There will be a deep, gaping hole. But I had taken my Ixon IQ light plus a helmet light, and I stuck to Arvind's wheel pretty tightly. And when the morning brightened, I knew I had endured the worst.

And as Arvind had planned we were nearing the outskirts as the Sun came up, and all was good. He pointed out the beautifully designed buildings at the high tech center called Electronics City. Big campus with gracefully carved, space age-looking buildings.

After we hooked up with Roopak and Mohan, we headed for the gate that sits on the border between the states of Karnataka (home to Bangalore) and Tamilnadu. The whole time we cycled on Hosur Road. And the road condition was actually great outside of Bangalore proper. It was about a 60k ride, roundtrip.

On the return we stopped for Chai Tea at a local roadside stand. That's where I took the photo below of Arvind's bike that I rode, and where a fellow traveler snapped the shot of the four of us above. I'm not a coffee drinker, so the cliched randonneuring coffee stops here in the Seattle area don't interest me, but if we had little Chai stands I'd be hard pressed to ride by without stopping. It was a sublime cup of tea, and with me cycling in India!

Then, entering back into Bangalore, the Sun really came out and so did the people. We passed by all kinds of shops just opening up. My favorite was riding by a meat stall with a butcher carving up a goat hanging from a hook just feet from us in the morning glow. It was Christmas morning, and I was cycling in India.

I wish I knew how to convey my love of India. All I can conjure up is that it is a present place, and I feel very much in the present there myself. I'm sure being on vacation and being held gently by family and friends like Arvind is part of it. I recognize that when I've been in India I've not been jammed for time between work and other demands. But still, I've vacationed other places too, and India and Indians are special. Cycling into India was beyond special! Thanks, Arvind, for your generosity.

A few other notes. Arvind's family founded a hospital in India. His wife, Anandita, is also a physician, and while we were there she ministered to the SingingCyclist's health as he recovered from a diarrhea and vomiting bout, to DartreDame and her sinus and diarrhea issues, and to Maya, Dartre's mother. She has treated lots of issues for building residents over the years, and for no compensation. She says simply: "Why have a physician in the building if you can't be cared for?" I also witnessed first hand as both Arvind and Anandita answered pesky medical phone calls from patients at all hours of the day and night without complaint. These examples perhaps get at part of the Indian spirit I cherish.

Now don't go thinking I was any kind of intrepid traveler cycling in India. Millions do every day. They typically ride Atlas or Hercules bicycles that are truly utilitarian. Built tough and heavy to last, they are everywhere. I got the impression though that serious road cycling for sport may not be viewed as such a revered thing since many regard the bicycle as a sign of the lower classes. That may explain why there are relatively so few sport cyclists. I asked Arvind whether he figured he knew all the sporting cyclists in Bangalore ( a city of 8 million residents), and he reckoned he did. And Bangalore has got the most robust cycling scene of any Indian city. With a country of over a billion people, talk about a potential audience for randonneuring and other sport cycling!

And of course I've already posted about one of the first cyclists in India. Remember Thomas Stevens?

And finally, see how visible I am in the photo above with my randonneuring reflective sash? I think I agree with (was it Jan Heine?) who said that reflective gear is more effective than lighting as for cyclists being seen. I really like my new Indian cycling pals; I do encourage them to consider seriously the complexities of being seen when cycling at night. This is one of the lessons I've learned from my nighttime randonneuring: you just can't overdo it, and reflective gear on the moving parts (legs and feet) go a long way.



Keep it present,

CurioRando

Older Brains are Smaller Brains: Wear Your Helmet!

Photo from the New York Times Health section.

If you didn't already have enough reasons to wear your helmet, this story from the New York Times says that our brains shrink as we age. Therefore, there's extra room inside our skull so that if we fall our brains get slammed around more. Conclusion: if you're older, wear your helmet.

And in case you wondered whether wearing your helmet matters in a crash, statistics confirm you are significantly more likely to suffer serious head injury without a helmet. Conclusion: if you eventually want an older, smaller brain and you're young, wear your helmet now so you can wear your helmet later.

Keep it...on,

CurioRando

Choo Choo Ch'Boogie!

Ever get your bicycle wheel caught in the groove next to railroad tracks?

I have, and I know lots of experienced cyclists who have also even though we know better.

On a recent 300k, I saw a rider Karl who was always ahead of me by a kilometer or so for much of the day. Occassionally, I'd see him up ahead on a flatter, straighter section of road. At one point I saw him riding way ahead in the distance. Then I saw what looked like something in the middle of the road. A cow? No. It was Karl, broadside to the road.

As I got to him he was dusting himself off, inspecting his ripped clothing and taking an inventory of the condition his condition was in. He seemed OK excepting the ripped jacket and general banging up one gets from getting one's wheel stuck in the gap between the rail track and the pavement.

He said he just kept going too fast. The track also intersected the road at an oblique angle, and it required an especially cautious approach.

My fall came on a morning commute to work a few years ago. How many times had I crossed those very tracks? Countless.

One side benefit of wider tires is that they don't get caught as easily. That's a benefit I'll have with my new ride with its 650B tires.

In thinking about this post I got this old song stuck in my head: Choo Choo Ch'Boogie. Heard of it?

Written by Darling, Horton and Gabler according to Wikipedia, I first heard it at State College, Pa during my college days. It was performed by our local bar band, Tahoka Freeway. I loved the song, but never fully got the lyrics. 

The song was first performed by Louis Jordan in 1946, and it tells the tale of the returning GI's from WWII. They returned home (once they hit the coast) by train. The song recounts their high expectations for employment opportunities only to find the opportunities not so much. It tells this tale through the refrain of the clickity clacking train.

My Dad came home from the war the same way. My Mum tells the story of how she was in a cab on her way to pick up her returning GI-husband who she hadn't seen at all for the two years he'd spent in Europe. The cabbie figured out that she had asked to go to the wrong train station (imagine more than one train station in any town today!), and he told her she had it wrong! He then took her to the right one where she indeed met my Dad. 

Today, they'd have texted one another that evening and of course would have emailed all along any way. Far cry from the occassional letter over several years!

Since my Dad had worked for Westinghouse before the war and such companies were required to take back the soldiers, he returned to his old job.

Before I veer off further from the subject of getting thrown by the tracks, here is a link to Louis Jordan's version. I prefer the Tahoka Freeway version, a little wilder and with slide steel guitar and beer. Here are the lyrics of Choo Choo Ch'Boogie:

Choo Choo Ch'Boogie

Headin' for the station with a pack on my back

I'm tired of transportation in the back of my hack

I love to hear the rhythm of the clickety clack

And hear the lonesome whistle see the smoke from the stack to pal around

With democratic fellow named mac

So take me right back to the track, jack

Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie, woo-woo

Woo-woo, ch'boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie

Take me right back to the track, jack

You reach your destination but you don't go back

You need some compensation to get back in the black

You take a morning paper from the top of the stack

And read the situations from the front to the back

But the only job that's open needs a man with a knack

So put it right back in the rack, jack

Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie, woo-woo

Woo-woo, ch'boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie

Take me right back to the track, jack

Gonna settle down by the railroad track

Live the life o'riley in the beat down shack

When i hear a whistle i can peep thru the crack

Watch the train rollin' when it's ballin' the jack

Love to hear the rhythm of the clickety clack

So take me right back to the track, jack

Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie, woo-woo

Woo-woo, ch'boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch'boogie

Take me right back to the track, jack

Take me right back to the track, jack

Keep it right back to the track,

CurioRando

Needed: Calls/Emails to Make Cycling Safer!

I posted a little while back about the effort in Washington State to win Vulnerable User legislation to encourage automobile drivers to be more responsible around vulnerable users such as cyclists, tractor drivers, et al.

Well, Good News! The bill has passed out of committee, but it needs your help. Especially if you live outside of the Puget Sound area, your voice will matter a great deal (Puget Sound folks, please weigh in too!).

See the notice I received today from the Cascade Bicycle Club updating me on the progress of the bill, THANKS for taking action!

Thank you for sending a message to your legislator in favor of the Vulnerable User Bill! Your voice, along with 2,200 others, are part of what will make Washington's roads safer for everyone.



The bill squeaked through the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 5-3 vote last Friday afternoon. You can read more on the Bike Blog here.


We will still need the help of more Washingtonians outside Cascade's traditional service area to pass the bill through the Senate, since legislators are hearing from so many people in the Puget Sound Region. For example, some legislators around Lake Washington have received 200 or 300 of your messages, while some east of the mountains have only received one.


Please continue to educate your friends about the bill, and send them to our updated Action Page to send a message. Once again, your help is crucial to passing the Vulnerable User Bill.

The pic above is of three activists with compelling stories to tell, but who didn't get heard at the committee. If you have a story, please do contact your legislator for sure, and hook ukp with Cascade to help them make the most of your story. In my experience, stories for legislators matter.

Pass it along!


Keep it civilly active,

CurioRando

Field Testing the Stoplight

It works! Thanks Seattle Department of Transportation for fixing the stoplight switching issue. And thanks Bicycle Alliance of Washington for passing the legislation to make it possible.

By adjusting the video technology, the stoplight by my house now registers my presence while astride my bicycle, and it changes. How delightful!

See previous posts here and here about how all this came to be.

How do I know the stoplight works properly now? Because I'm crud-free and cycling again!



Keep it delightful,

CurioRando

Lighting for Randonneuring, Newbie Style, Part 2: Tail Lights

There are lots and lots of tail lights out there. My main advice here is not so much about which as about how many. I'd have two, or more. Two lights make you twice as visible (at least). One could argue that two provide an element of depth for following drivers. And certainly, if one fails (batteries, malfunction, whatever the cause), you're so much better off with one than none.

Additionally, make certain they can be seen. No obstructions. Able to be viewed from the sides.

Now for why I like this light we get into intricacies. I like the "Senso" feature that turns it on when the bicycle is moving or if you go through a tunnel and it is suddenly dark. How often do you go through tunnels? Not often. But when randonneuring you likely don't know whether you will or won't. But have you ever ridden through a dark tunnel without a tail light. It feels very vulnerable. That's exactly when you do need a tail light.

And if you've paid attention to any of the stories about riders hit from behind by motorists--those who have been killed and those who haven't--it will wake you up. There just isn't too much when it comes to lighting--especially tail lighting. For that reason I don't now own, but have been considering, helmet rear lighting like the photo below.

Problem with these is that they flash, which would be very annoying to those cycling behind me. However, when night riding alone, which I did for a long while on that first ever through-the-night brevet, I think it might be smart since there isn't the additional movement and lighting of riding partners.

Below is a picture of the tail light I got for DartreDame's bicycle. Because she has a rear rack it mounts very easily, is mounted very visibly right off the back, and it incorporates reflectors with the light. Nice and big. I like that for her. I'd like it for me, but not enough to install a rear rack. Hers also incorporates the "Senso" feature.

In case you still need some motivation, do check out these accounts of motorists hitting cyclists from the rear:

• Safety Summit post
• Larry McQuein post
• John Vincent post
• Ghost Bike post
• Veer, the movie post

Lots of reasons for staying seen!


For more on Headlights, see Lighting for Randonneuring, Newbie Style, Part 1: Headlights.


Keep it lit up,

CurioRando

Lighting for Randonneuring, Newbie Style, Part 1: Headlight

This is a headlight primer for newbies. Simple, I hope. Also enticing I hope for any newbie randonneur, even if you haven't ridden through the night. I don't pretend to be an expert, because I've only ridden through the night once, in summer. But because I'm not an expert, perhaps I'm coming in right where newbies need it. At least that is my aspiration.

Here's my recommendation. It ain't cheap, but it's reasonable and from what I've found, a pretty good value. The IXON IQ by Busch & Muller has met my needs as a newbie randonneur attempting his first night brevets.

Here's what I like:

• good beam, two settings
• rechargeable batteries
• ability to use regular AA batteries if needed
• acceptable battery life
• no wires
• easy removability
• capacity for charging from dynamo, if needed
• simplicity
• reliability
• seems to be rugged
• can be used as a handlight for repairs, etc.

Now I will have a dynamo lighting system on my randonneuring bicycle, but for the present, the IXON IQ is a pretty good solution for me.

You can certainly find lots and lots of posts and listserve threads all about the best beams for this or that condition with photos, diagrams and plenty of compare/contrast. Good stuff that, and I'll be poring over it when I start deciding about my new randonneuring bicycle lighting system. But for an easy way to light up a first nightime brevet, I like the IQ.

But there's another advantage the IXON IQ has for lighting the way for newbies. You can loan it out to a certain friend who you're luring into randonneuring so that he or she can have good, dependable, much-better-than-commuting lighting. Once they try it out and discover for her/himself the joys of a well-lighted, extended nightime ride, then you've got a potential sucker...er, recruit. They don't need a dynamo hub, just a place to clamp it on.

The photo above is from the Harris Cyclery website, though I got mine (and DartreDame's) from Peter White Cycles.

As for mounting, I first mounted it on my handlebars. Works well except that the glare from my handlebar bag cue sheet holder (top flap) was very annoying. I fashioned a black veil that I pinned over the cue sheet cover, and that worked fine. But...and here is a sign of the true spirit of randonneuring...never satisfied with randonneuing equipment, I procured a Low Down Type 1 Light Mount from Velo Orange.

No glare. The light is lower down, but it is also exposed to splash. And if one reads the instructons carefully, the B&M folks warn about spash. We'll see.

I augment the headlight with the Cateye HLEL-450 Helmet Light pictured below. Good for cue sheet and road sign reading. Again, there are plenty of others out there.

There it is: one guy's recommendation. There are plenty of other good battery lights that will go the distance. Explore lighting; explore the night.

For a description of what I found (surprising critter sounds and such!) when I rode through the night that very first time, check out this post about my first 400k.


For more on Tail Lights, see Lighting for Randonneuring, Newbie Style, Part 2: Tail Light.


Keep it low down (maybe),

CurioRando

Smile...You're on Stoplight Camera!

In a previous post titled Simon Says...Change!, I pondered how stoplights register whether a cyclist is awaiting a green light. Is it magnetic or an "electric eye"? Turns out it is "video detection", at least for some stoplights in Seattle. Here is the email I received in response to my inquiry.

"Thank you for writing to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to let us know of the difficulty you have experienced being detected by the traffic signal while riding your bicycle at the intersection of (X Street and Y Street). Providing safe and reliable access to all commuters is a priority for SDOT.

SDOT encourages alternative modes of transportation such as bicycles, scooters and motorcycles. We recognize the frustration experienced by cyclists when they approach a traffic signal and are not detected, forcing them to either wait for a vehicle to arrive or to travel through a red light - neither of which is a good option.


This intersection uses video detection. After receiving your e-mail, one of our technicians went to the site and created additional video zones for bicycle detection.


I hope this takes care of the issues you have been experiencing. If you should find that you are still having difficulty being detected, please let us know at (206) 386-1206 or traffic.signals@seattle.gov. SDOT is committed to making Seattle accessible for all modes of transportation.


Sincerely,


Dianne Thomas, Traffic Signal Operations


Seattle Department of Transportation"


Unfortunately, I've had three weeks (as of today) of crud, and I haven't ridden my bicycle at all during that time. If you'd like to hear me complain about my malady, contact me offline and I'd be happy to complain to yet a new person. Everyone else runs when they see me coming! I'm quarantined it seems, not because folks are afraid of catching my crud, but because if they hear me complain again there head will explode. End of rant.

Point is, I haven't been able to field verify, but I sure liked the response  got from our Seattle DOT.


Once again, the obligation of municipalities to respond to such requests was won by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington in the legislature.

Here are the basics if you want to try it:

According to the Alliance: "The bill requires that vehicle traffic control systems be upgraded to reliably detect both bikes and motorcycles. Districts must prioritize upgrading on existing systems for which complaints were submitted. They must also establish and publicize a procedure for filing such complaints in writing or by e-mail, and must maintain a record of them."

The address for Seattle is: traffic.signals@seattle.gov.


For Washington State highways: wsdot.wa.gov/Contact/feedback.htm.

To get the proper address for other municipalities and counties in Washington, go to mrsc.org/cityprofiles/citylist.aspx for cities and mrsc.org/byndmrsc/counties.aspx for counties.

Also, the Alliance would appreciate your letting them know how your experience goes as you interact with this new system. You can reach them at: info@bicyclealliance.org.


Thanks, BAW!


Keep change alive,

CurioRando

Cycling in the Rain & Steelhead Fishing: You gotta be out there in it

It occurred to me while cyclo-commuting to work in the rain the other morning how I'm coming to view cycling in the rain as the same as Steelhead fishing. The photo above shows DartreDame and me on her first ever Steelhead fishing trip (actually, her first ever real fishing of any kind). We began in the early morning snow, and our new relationship was on the line. Turned out she loved it and landed three Steelies and a Bull Trout on her first day, all on the fly! And guess what I caught? I caught Dartre: the catch of my life!

OK, back to cycling and fishing. So what's the similarity between winter Steelheading and cycling in the rain? In winter Steelheading you stand in a freezing cold river, typically with a strong wind, and driving rain or sleet or snow, and you endure. You pay your dues.

And...if you're smart you develop some strategies to keep warm and dry. I tried it all:

• Neoprene gloves (too tight, therefore too cold; also clammy)
• Nylon jacket (sweaty, therefore cold)
• Hand warmers (too gimmicky and clumsy)
• Toe warmers (ditto, only more so)
• Cheap waders & boots (leaky and cccccold)
• Cotton undies (cute and authentic-looking, but little thermal effect)
• Jaunty "fishing" caps (photo-worthy, but inept at weatherproofing)

Eventually, I graduated to:

• Layers
• Wool
• Base layers
• Breathability
• Fleece
• Layers
• Neck Gaitor
• Glove liners, Wool mittens
• Lots of food, ingested at a rapid tempo
• Lots of Water, same
• Quality Waders
• Wool or Fleece Cap
• Layers

But more than clothing, both activities are about a certain state of mind. Friends would wonder what I liked about wading a cold river in pretty horrible conditions. For me, it was just that. If I had the right gear, I loved snuggling into myself and wrapping myself in the smug satisfaction (smuggling?) that I could match the conditions. Once you accept the challenge--and are prepared--being immersed in dramatically wild weather is itself very fun!

I love the snowflakes, the subtle colors, the changes in the sky. The smells. On our last 200k--the Three Rivers Cruise--it was that pungent odor of decaying Salmon carcasses that when mixed with cold sharp air was intoxicating. Not the same sharpness in the warmer fall days. You just gotta be out there in it.

And then there is the act of wading a river. You don't so much plod forward as you'd walk on land. More like skating across the bottom rocks. You kind of glide with the current. Your weight must be secure on one foot before lifting the other, but sometimes you can float-shuffle. The main point is that you loosen up, relax, and "go with the flow". That's right, you immerse your self--your whole self--into the water, hokey pokey style. If you fight the water, or are tight, you'll go down. Believe me, I know because I've done it.

Same with riding your bicycle in the rain or driving a car on icey roads. It's a soft approach. No fast turns, and hopefully no fast stops. Easy does it.

I believe that the chief thing I'm getting at is that you have to just BE in the elements rather than fight them. To Steelhead in nasty weather you don't steel yourself so much as you let yourself ease into it. To cycle in nasty weather it's best to relax. My tendency while cycling in the rain is to hunch my shoulders and tense up. Not the best. I'm still working on that easing on down the road.

Of course, this is all well and good if you're well-prepared. Once you get chilled, it's a different matter. Everything is harder and less fun. There were days Steelhead fishing that it would take a long darn time to warm my toes back up. I mean they were just numb, and I was pretty toasted.

My goal as a newbie randonneur is to take my Steelheading lessons and get myself outfitted so that I don't reach that familiar popsicle state too often. The satisfaction then of riding in really bad conditions--but remaining relatively comfortable--is its own reward.

I probably better watch what I wish for. Am I dooming myself to some nasty brevets this coming year? Just in case, I've prepared since the March 2009 Berkie 200k where we rode twelve hours in the rain.

John Vincent, whom I met on that brevet, and I (note the hunching shoulders) have just finished in this photo, and it's funny how many improvements to your preparedness you can conjure up in hour after hour of rainy cycling.

Here are a few of my newer preparations:

My illumiNITE helmet cover, supposedly waterproof in addition to its nightime reflecting effects.

When I test rode the helmet cover during my work commute last week it caused coworkers to comment along the lines of: "Wow, you're really ready!" and "You look so Continental!" It has gotten me noticed...for better and worse.

At the end of last winter I got these mitts at the Outdoor Research store (and factory) in Seattle.

Jury is still out. I like the handy (really, not intended) cords (not shown) for tightening cuff, but they could get caught in spokes! YIKES. Need to modify.

Lastly, booties. I bought these last summer despite the smarta** local bicycle shop employee who mocked me for buying booties when it was 70 degrees outside. HA! It ain't 70 now buddy, and I knew a good find when I spied it.

What I like most about these is that they are SO easy to get on and off. And let me tell you, when I'm already cold it's amazing how such a thing as the difficulty of donning has an effect on whether I'll don them or not. Plus, they are large enough to fit well and hopefully not get shredded, because they don't interfere with my shoe soles. Again, we'll see, but first testing was positive. Below is the ingenious closure system.

Oops, not so obvious, but it is a wide swath of Velcro.

Then there is the wind. In a recent randon group listserve discussion it was revealed that the wind for cyclists is a headwind across 200 degrees of the total 360 degree circle from whence wind can come. You read that right. If it feels like the wind is more often a headwind than a tailwind, it is because that is so.

In flyfishing for Steelhead, the same phenomenon holds. On top of the cold weather you can just about guarantee you'll be casting into the wind, so you better learn how to do it. Cursing sometimes helps, but usually it's a tight loop that is the ticket. In cycling, same thing. Make yourself into a tight package and slice through.

Winter Steelheading isn't for everyone, but it has its special rewards. Same for cycling in the rain.

Keep it layered,

CurioRando

Simon Says...Change!

I've even tried Simon Says, but many traffic signals just won't change to green when I'm alone at an intersection on my bicycle.

While that won't change overnight, there is now a mechanism to address those signals thanks to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. Last legislative session they succeeded with Senate Bill 5482 (Section 10) to create some accountability.

According to the Alliance: "The bill requires that vehicle traffic control systems be upgraded to reliably detect both bikes and motorcycles. Districts must prioritize upgrading on existing systems for which complaints were submitted. They must also establish and publicize a procedure for filing such complaints in writing or by e-mail, and must maintain a record of them."

The address for Seattle is: traffic.signals@seattle.gov.

For Washington State highways: wsdot.wa.gov/Contact/feedback.htm.

To get the proper address for other municipalitie and counties in Washington, go to mrsc.org/cityprofiles/citylist.aspx for cities and mrsc.org/byndmrsc/counties.aspx for counties.

Also, the Alliance would appreciate your letting them know how your experience goes as you interact with this new system. You can reach them at: info@bicyclealliance.org.

I submitted such a complaint yesterday. I also asked how these signals register a vehicle anyway. Is it by weight? Do I have to stand in a certain place? Is there an "electric eye" as we used to call them at some signals?

Haven't heard back yet, but I'll let you know what I hear.

What I like about the Alliance's work is that not only might we get some progress on the signals, but it is yet another step toward bicycle parity.


Keep it turning green...gotcha! I didn't say Simon Says: Keep it turning green,

CurioRando

Bellevue, WA Bustin' Out with Bicycle Plan

As for funding, that remains to be seen. The Seattle Times reported recently that Bellevue is planning 80 miles of bikelanes, though funding is sketchy.

Bellevue was designed for cars, and it shows if you're cycling: little shoulder room. City Councilmember John Chelminiak wants to make changes. Compared to its neighboring communities, Redmond and Kirkland, Bellevue has a long way to go. And, of course, the Cascade Bicycle Club is pushing Bellevue to go farther and faster.

Here is a map of proposed new bicycle routes. And here is a map of proposed bicycle projects.

According to the Seattle Times, here's a comparison of local cities:

Bellevue: 33 miles of bike lanes and 11.5 miles of off-street paths. About 300 commuters (0.5 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.

Redmond: 73 miles of bike trails and lanes, including regional trails such as the Sammamish River Trail. About 400 commuters (1.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2007, Redmond was recognized as a bronze-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.


Kirkland: 40 miles of bike lanes. About 100 commuters (0.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.


Seattle: 44.6 miles of trails and 130.4 miles of on-street bicycle facilities (including bike lanes, climbing lanes, pavement markings, bicycle boulevards and signed local street connections). About 7,000 commuters (2.3 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2009, Seattle was recognized as a gold-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.

Go Bellevue!!

Keep it funded

CurioRando

"Changing a Culture of Negligence"

I attended the Cascade Bicycle Club's Traffic Justice Summit this evening. I was late, but I got there in time to hear the testifying by head-on collision survivors and friends and family of cyclists killed by cars.

Ilse has commuted by bicycle for 15 years, three years on the same route. She was hit head-on at 10am by a driver who had crossed over to her side of the road. He had a prior record she said, and two years later killed Tatsuo Nakata, an aide to a Seattle Councilmember.Tatsuo was crossing  a street in West Seattle in 2006, and was well-known and beloved by many.

Michelle spoke of Kevin Black who was killed by a negligent driver according to the final Seattle Police report. There is no law on the books according to County and City officials, so the driver got a ticket in the mail with no appearance in court.

Another man spoke of being struck on Hiway 305 on Bainbridge Island in 2004. He was thrown 85 feet and by that and this man's weight the police calculated the driver was going 48 mph. He had "extensive damages" to his body. The driver was on a hands-free phone and looked down momentarily to see who was calling. According to the driver behind her, she veered into the cyclist. The injured cyclist said: "It has to be against the law to step into a car and not pay attention."

Two others spoke of their friend Carrie who left their house to go cyclotouring. Their friend was a very experienced cyclist, a racer, who was struck by a driver going 55mph. Carrie was struck several days into her tour on a straight road, during daylight hours while Carrie was riding on the shoulder of the road and wearing bright clothing. The driver was deemed 100% responsible, and got a traffic ticket only. Carrie was kept alive so that her organs could be donated per her request, but never stood a chance. Her boyfriend's back was broken in four places as well. It was Emily, Carrie's friend, who declared that she was not an activist prior to this July, but that she is in this fight for Traffic Justice till we prevail saying we must be about "changing a culture of negligence."

Another man was struck by the driver of a stolen car going 65 - 70 mph. He has, he told us, diminished brain capacity and a skull that is one half titanium. More specifically, he told us he had 1/4th the brain on that side left.

My take is this: the Vulnerable User legislation that the Cascade Bicycle Club is spearheading is not a cure-all. But it does one very important thing. It makes negligence inexcusable. This changes the dialogue and hence drivers' awareness so that cyclists are acknowledged to have a right to the road. That right then must be legally respected, and drivers will know there are consequences. That's a good start.

For more on what Oregon has already done, chronicled on film, go here.

For more on the proposed Vulnerable User legislation in Washington State, go here.

For a post on randonneur John Vincent's story of how he was struck on a brevet this year, go here.

For more on a Texan who was killed a few weeks ago, go here.

For more on changing a culture of negligence, I think we all need to go to our own driving habits first, and then do our part to make driving attentively the rule of law.


Keep it attentive,

CurioRando

Traffic Justice Summit in Seattle: October 14 at 5:30pm

I've written about Vulnerable User legislation previously. I also reviewed the movie Veer which was in part about getting that legislation passed in Oregon. Now, we're taking it up in Washington State.

Why? Currently, a motorist who kills or injures a cyclist--a vulnerable user--gets a traffic ticket at most. No consideration for the relative vulnerability. As a result, I'll posit it doesn't occur to most motorists just how vulnerable it can be. The result is less care.

We need to stake our claim for our fair share of the roads, and our fair share of political power.

The Cascade Bicycle Club is leading by convening their Traffic Justice Summit. The Traffic Justice Summit will include Senate Judiciary Chair Adam Kline, Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr, Seattle City Council Public Safety Chair Tim Burgess along with reserchers, experts, advocates, families, friends and victims to learn the facts and talk about what we can do as a community -- and as a state -- to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

Here's a link to the legislation.

Here's a link to more info on the summit.

Keep it just,

CurioRando

Pray for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living!

Larry McQuien, may you rest in peace.

Larry McQuein was riding his bicycle in the Fort Worth, Texas area last Saturday when he was struck by a driver traveling in the same direction on a road with no sight obstructions. The driver's car "veered into" Larry. It has been reported that Larry was cycling at the time with his son who was following some distance behind.

For the news report and a little about who Larry was as a person, not just as a cyclist, go here and here.

For a local columnist taking state lawmakers to task for their failure to protect Larry and all cyclists in Texas, go here.

For more information about how Oregon passed "Vulnerable Users" legislation, see my post reviewing the movie ironically titlted Veer.

For movement in Washington State toward following the lead of Oregonians and passing "Vulnerable User" legislation, go to Publicola.

For background on Mother Jones, the famous union organizer who coined the phrase that became the title of her autobiography: "Pray for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living", go here.

Our hearts go out to Larry McQuien's family. To honor him and protect ourselves, let's fight like hell for Vulnerable Users legislation, three feet laws, and/or other measures to give cyclists their fair share of space and respect.

Keep him in our prayers, then advocate and fight for our rights,

CurioRando

Recumbent Bicycles for Randonneuring, Interviewing John Vincent, Part 2: Builders, Relative Merits, Peering into the Future

Here is Part 2 of my interview with John Vincent, newbie recumbent rider and intermediate randonneur (he cringes when I call him a veteran randonneur). Part 1: Eliminating Pain can be found here. Though I do explore John's recent episode of being nearly run over by a car, I want to be clear that neither John or I are suggesting his accident was in any way related to the kind of bicycle he was riding. The accident had occurred just before the interview so it was topical.

Wouldn't have mattered what John was riding. The driver didn't look. A good reminder: stay vigilant!

Thanks, John for taking the time and being thoughtful about the answers and tuned into the audience's needs! By relating your own particular circumstances very openly you have graced the interview with greater depth and truth than if you'd kept it generic.


Keep it upright-even if it's not an upright,

CurioRando

Builders, Relative Merits,

Peering into the Future

CurioRando: Who are the best recumbent bicycle builders?

John Vincent: First of all I am no expert when it comes to bents. But there seems to be two styles of bikes: short wheelbase or long wheelbase. Long wheelbase, the most popular, is the one that won the four-person team at Race Across America (RAAM). All four were Rans X-Stream. It is about 23 – 25 pound bike and it is a long wheelbase bike. It won the four-person RAAM. It beat all the upright bikes.

So there is a lot of excitement about that being a good brevet bike. It is a little more upright, not as reclined. It’s got a big back wheel and a smaller front wheel, and it is a longer wheelbase so it’s more comfortable. Easy Racer makes the Gold Rush Racer which David Cambon up in British Columbia rides. He’ll give the advice to buy these ultralight recumbents, but for himself he rides a heavier bike and he does it successfully. Many people love their Gold Rush bikes.

On the other side--the short wheelbase bikes--there is Bacchetta Carbon 2.0 (as well as a whole lineup of other bents), and they make a bike similar to the Carbent. The Carbent makes theirs with 700c or 650c wheels. The Carbents are under 18 pounds. You can get a 17 and a half pound recumbent. The Bacchetta Carbon 2.0 is very light. Those are the two high racers that people are talking about. Both have good speed, and both are ultra light.

There are numerous recumbent companies besides Carbent, Rans, Bacchetta, and Easy Racer. Everyone has an opinion and individuals need to test ride and read about them first. There are numerous reviews of various bents.

My bent is very fast on rolling terrain and is doable going up hills. A lot of people on the heavier recumbents avoid hills because they are just too difficult. So they just ride flat rides.

The short wheelbase bike does not have a fairing attached, while the long wheel base often has a fairing and a body sock. There are some people out there doing some pretty amazing things on recumbents. They aren’t the slow heavy bikes you’ve seen in the past.




CR: Anything you miss about the uprights?

JV: You know, I had set my heart (laughing) on a Tony Pereira bike or a Steve Rex or a Stevenson or a Thompson bike (see previous post on Pereira bicycles here). There are so many different builders out there. I had set my heart on a lightweight steel, randonneuring bike, and I wanted to be into that mode. All of my friends are. I like to join the flock; I don’t like to fly alone. I miss just being one of that group. When you are riding a recumbent you are riding alone, or you kind of separating yourself from the group a little bit. I love the way upright bikes look.

I also have to carry my own tires because I ride 650c. Some of the things about recumbents are rather unique, and so you relearn everything. I miss what I know. While uprights were physically uncomfortable for me, I miss the comfort of knowing bikes. The recumbent world is its own little group. I didn’t choose to be in that group. My body told me I needed to be there.




CR: I think for people that are thinking of going ‘bent this is very useful information. I know you had this car essentially run you over the other day. Can you tell me what happened, and can you tell me the degree to which, if any, being on a recumbent had to do with it?

JV: Yeah, I’m coming up a one percent grade road, and I’m probably going 8 miles/hour…




CR: Where was this?

JV: First Avenue South and 160th (in Burien, WA). Someone drove past me and drove up to this light, and the light turned green. Now I’m probably 50 feet back. Typically, a driver will look in their rear view mirror, signal, and turn right. There was plenty of time to turn. They didn’t have their turn signal on, and they were stopped at the crosswalk, not moving. I’m watching them. I’m watching them, and I’m progressing up this road. I watched the SUV because I’m very aware of what they were doing. We’re both going North and it is a green light and I’m in the bike lane. The green light is both for going straight (North) and for a right turn (East), and as I get to the passenger side door the SUV begins to turn right. It was probably seven feet away from me. I’m looking in their window. My head is about to the bottom of her window, looking into her front window of her SUV.

My eyes are peeking over her window sill. I’m looking at black—their SUV is black—coming at me and their front right wheel turned into my front wheel and crushed it. It tore my wheel out of the dropouts and broke the drop outs. Crushed them. I didn’t slide at all; I just got jack hammered to the ground. I just went Wham! My wheel went spinning off someplace and I’m on my side. There were three 911 calls, two cop cars, and a fire truck.

Someone is screaming at me: “Are you OK? Don’t’ get up!”

And finally two guys come along and I do get up (nothing broken), and I’m hearing a voice: “Did I do that? I’m so sorry.”

And I’m saying “Lady, do you not look into your rear view mirror? Do you not see cement?”

If you’ve only got your mirror pointed at the sky, you’re goanna miss cars and bikes. Honestly, when I look in my rearview mirror I see cars, and I see some road and I see a wide range top to bottom. She didn’t look in her rear view mirror. She was probably talking to someone, conversing with her mother who was in the passenger seat, or was lost, or didn’t know where to turn. All of a sudden, she turned. I was, by that time, in her blind spot.

She admitted to the police that she remembered seeing me as she came up to the light but she must have forgotten that I was still there. She didn’t have her turn signal on. It was over $1000 damage to the bike and I was lucky.



CR: So the cops determined it was her fault?

JV: She tried to say it was mutual, it was joint responsibility. The policeman said, “No ma’am, whoever is in that bike lane is your responsibility. If there is somebody in that bike lane and you hit them it is your fault. They have a right to that lane.”

That was clearly stated. Now I’m waiting for the investigator from the insurance company to give final whatever. I sent him pictures, and he didn’t even know what a fork was, or what it looked like. (John has since received full payment for bike repair and a payment for pain and suffering).

CR: I saw a film called Veer that I posted about previously. One of the stories they told in the film is how bike advocates won a new law in the Oregon legislature this last session that I think is called a Vulnerable Operators law. If someone hits a cyclist, who as a class are considered a vulnerable operators, the person who hits the cyclist gets an extra fine and/or points because of the disparity of vulnerability. They showed hearing testimony in the film in which husbands or kids were killed or severely injured. Typically what happens in the current law is that you get a citation for going thru a stoplight or…

JV: Basic criminal law, basic traffic infraction.

CR: Yep, could be $1000 or $700. Whatever it is, if you kill somebody there is no other penalty. So the advocates are layering on a much stiffer additional penalty because you could kill somebody who is in a much more vulnerable position. The movie is worth seeing just for that story alone (it covers a wide range of Portland bicycle subculture activities besides the Vulnerable Operator law). The film portrays the statements of a legislator who is a retired State Patrol officer. He is strongly opposed to the law, talking about cyclists insisting on riding on the road instead of the shoulder due to punctures. He was just absolutely—he’s a legislator so he has power—righteously opposed, but the advocates won due to the compelling testimony of the families who survived their loved ones’ deaths at the hands of automobile operators.

JV: I understand that, first hand.

CR: Back to recumbents more generally, I assume from riding with you on a couple brevets this year and from my riding with Tom Russell on his recumbent on this last 400k brevet that you’ll probably zoom ahead next time we ride together. I might catch you again on the hills?

JV: Exactly, if I’m riding as the bike is designed for riding: at 18 – 20 mph. Obviously, given wind, slope, terrain I could be going a lot slower. But generally speaking, I ride much faster on the level to rolling ground than I did on my upright. Nothing remarkable up hills. I would envision a yo-yoing effect.

CR: The future of recumbents? Do you think that they are going to grow for a certain group? Do you think they will overtake uprights? Do you have a sense?

JV: Here’s the thing. In terms of marketing when you look at the advantages and disadvantages, the recumbent is built for comfort and long distance. Most people I know do lots of 30 mile rides in the Spring and Summer. There is a lot of out-of-saddle riding going. Uprights are probably better for that kind of riding but that doesn’t mean a bent can’t stay with the pack.

There are some I know who are really athletic who ride lightweight recumbents who are able to stay with uprights and pass them. This is even odder: there are recumbent riders doing crits in California racing 30mph (laughs) and placing in their community crits. They are very fast and accomplished riders.

The world is changing. There are some upright groups that don’t want any recumbents with them. A little discrimination going on there. Some people think recumbents don’t belong. That’s going to change. When a recumbent group wins RAAM, you see them beating uprights over the Rockies and over the Appalachians. They simply beat upright teams by averaging 20+ mph 24/7. There is something to be said for that, and that is going to draw some people. When a good bent and a good athlete are coupled together amazing things happen. They can be faster than upright riders. On the other hand you take old, fat guys and put them on recumbents and they don’t do much for the industry.

The other thing is when you see the performances at PBP. There is this Frenchman who has finished in the top five every time he rides, sometimes he is winning. In 2007 he didn’t set a record but he finished first, again. And the past two years he has been doing nothing but riding a recumbent. He did a 600k this year in France and he did it in 19 hours and some minutes. Tell me that that isn’t going to say something. There are some riders out there that are going to make themselves known. You get a feeling that recumbents have been slowly proving themselves as speed machines.

Talk to recumbent manufacturers and competitors. The guy who built my bike did the Furnace Creek 508 and he’s done some other rides, and he thinks that they are the best option for ultra distance. For me it’s just (laughing): “Please let me finish the ride”. (Laughing) I just want to be in under 90 hours. If I can complete a 1200 that includes a significant amount of climbing, man I’d be so thrilled. That’s where I’m at. I think that’s where it’s going. As you see more people being successful, it changes people’s perspectives.

CR: Yep, makes sense. What would you like folks to know?

JV: You got my email about your calling me an experienced randonneur (in an earlier post), and I just have to giggle at that. There are a lot of guys in the Seattle club (Seattle International Randonneurs) who have done so many 1200’s. In comparison to them, I’m pretty much a rookie.

CR: So you want to set the record straight?

JV: I’m one or two seasons ahead of you.

CR: So, if I call you more seasoned than I am you’re OK with that, but…

JV: I’m OK with that. I’m still trying to figure out how to finish out the longer rides. I have been around the block a few times though. Next year my goal is to do a 1200k.

CR: Do you know which 1200k ride you want to ride next year?

JV: I know the Cascade 1200k (in Washington State) is next year. That is pretty much long climbs. Most of the hills on that are looong mountain pass climbs. You’ve got White Pass, Chinook Pass up and back down, across the desert which has its own mortality, I guess. Then up through Mattawa and Quincy, And then Loup Loup Pass, and over the North Cascades Highway from Mazama. So there are some significant distances and some are long steady climbs in open spaces with different but doable terrain, but it is not easy. Who knows what is going to be next year? (CR: Since the interview, both SIR and ORR have released tentative Brevet Schedules for 2010.)

I’d love to do the Colorado Last Chance 1200k. It is probably the easiest with the fact that you’re still going to face winds, thunderstorms, and rattlesnakes on the road. I don’t know what’s being offered next year. Sometimes the Van Isle 1200k. The Van Isle up on Vancouver Island might come back. That one heads up from Victoria to Port Hardy and back. You’re kind of out in the wilderness. There is a marvelous story by Kent Peterson who did a 1200k up there.

CR: Well I might have to try and make that my goal for next year: one of those 1200k’s.

JV: This is the time to do it. What I’m doing right now is I’m focusing on weight loss. I don’t eat as much. I stop eating in between meals. I let myself get hungry and about the time I get hungry I go out for a 15 – 20 mile bike ride. I ride empty, and that is my goal to lose some significant weight. If you carry an extra 30 pounds mile after mile, at 300 miles it has a way of affecting your body and your brain. You’re not thinking 30 pounds, you’re thinking: Oh my God, am I ever going to make it? The two long rides I’ve done have had moments of crisis for me: partly because I got sick, not feeling well, and all of a sudden I’m short on time. I hit a crisis moment. I want to hit controls a little quicker, with less weight. I can and I want to take full advantage of a recumbent which is a comfortable ride. I want to get up hills a little faster. We’ll see, that’s my challenge: lose some weight and ride more hills.