September/October 1996 Newsletter
Club Elections Notice - Oct. 14
Bolder Bicycle Commuters will hold its annual elections of club officers at its next meeting on Monday, October 14, 1996 at NIST room 1103, 325 Broadway. According to our bylaws, the officers to be elected are:
Chair: Schedules and conducts club meetings.
Vice Chair: Fills in for Chair when absent.
Secretary: Takes minutes and keeps club records.
Treasurer: Maintains checking account & financial records.
The club has been short on volunteer energy recently. If you have some time and interest to give over the next year, please consider volunteering for one of these positions.
Members must have their dues paid up in order to be able to vote in the club elections. You are paid up if the date on your newsletter mailing label is "10/96" or later. If you are not paid up, please bring your dues to the elections meeting to qualify to vote.
Calendar
10/14/96 - October General Meeting - Elections
The meeting will start at 7:00 pm at NIST, 325 Broadway, room 1103. No food or drink is permitted.
10/27/96 - Daylight Savings Time
Remember to set your clocks back and pay attention to the road conditions.
11/11/96 - November General Meeting
The meeting will start at 7:00 pm at NIST, 325 Broadway, room 1103. No food or drink is permitted.
12/9/96 - December General Meeting
The meeting will start at 7:00 pm at the Main Library on Arapahoe and 9th. No food or drink is permitted. All General Meetings are held on Mondays (the second Monday of the month) starting at 7:00 pm. For more information about meeting logistics contact Bill Doub at (303) 449-7439 or (303) 449-9529.
In Memory of Bob Farley
byDave Allured
Bob Farley, Boulder resident and long-time activist in Bolder Bicycle Commuters, died on Monday, August 20, 1996, while on vacation in Switzerland. He died of natural causes.
Bob was a great friend and advocate of bicycling and walking. He was comfortable cycling on many streets as well as the bike paths, and was a supporter of on-street and off-street bike facilities.
He spent countless hours researching and commenting on city proposals for bicycle facilities and other transportation facilities. At club meetings he was frequently the one who informed the rest of us on the details, by bringing in the city project documents and knowing most of the technical and financial details.
His philosophy combined environmentalism with conservation of finances. He supported the simpler cycling and pedestrian modes, and frequently criticized large, fancy, or inappropriate transportation projects. He wanted transportation funds spent where they would do the greatest good for the most people, and for transportation rather than recreational purposes.
Bob was also active in other local issues such as open space, growth, open space, and the environment. He was an active member of the Hiking Club, the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, the Democratic Party, Martin Park Neighborhood Association, and the Sierra Club. He was also a trip leader for Colorado Mountain Club.
Bob contributed in many ways to BBC. He was a persistent street corner recruiter for BBC memberships. He was a great person to count on for volunteer work such as speaking at public hearings, assembling the newsletter and delivering flyers to bike shops. We will miss his friendship and assistance in many ways.
Biography of Bob Farley - by Ruth Blackmore
(Note: Many of the locations are written phonetically and are not spelled correctly. The following text is not an essay, but the notes Ruth Blackmore used at Bob Farley’s memorial service.)
Bob Farley was born in Fuzhou, China, March 29, 1932 as Robert Malcolm Farley. He died in Wurenlof, Switzerland, August 20, 1996. Bob’s father was a missionary teacher of English, French, and Chinese Art and Archeology at Fu-ge-en Christian University on the Minn River. In 1936, at the age of 4, Bob, along with his mother and brothers, came back to the United States and settled in North Dakota while his father stayed in China for another year. From North Dakota, the family moved to Minnesota, and then to Chicago from 1939 to 1941. In 1941 his father died.
The family then moved back to St. Paul, MN, where Bob attended school from elementary through high school. Bob and his brother Curtis spent their summers on the farm of relatives in North Dakota. From 1953-1955, Bob served with the U.S. Army in Germany. He entered the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1959. Bob was an adventurous person and took the opportunity to join family members hen they lived overseas. He was a great traveler and loved taking photographs from all his journeys. He has an extensive photo collection which his family hopes to put together some day soon. In the late early 60s, his sister lived in Panama and Bob visited her there. From there he went to Peru to hike.
In 1971, his brother Curtis went to India and Bob visited him for 6 months spending a lot of time trekking in the Himalayas, going to Katmandu, and hiking to the base camp at Mount Everest. In 1986-1987, Curtis went to China to teach and Bob naturally went to China to spend several months and visit his birth place. He traveled all over China by train. His travels also took him to Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Wales, and his last trip which was to be 5 weeks of biking and hiking in Switzerland. These travels were often shared with his companion of 20 years, Jean Brownhill. Jean says that Bob just loved going to new places and making new friends.
Jean and Bob met 20 years ago in Boulder through their love of folk dancing. Bob was a member of the International Folk Dancers. He was also a great lover of classical music.
He was drawn to the outdoors and the beauty of nature both in the winter and in the summer. He was an avid hiker, biker, camper, boater, and outdoors man. He often took groups camping, rafting, and hiking in Colorado. One of his hobbies was gardening. He loved flowers, especially the wild flowers and was always wanting to beautify things at home or in the Martin Acres area where he lived. When Martin Acres had a program to plant trees about 8-10 years ago, Bob was always out helping people plant trees. He was active in the Martin Acres Association and was always looking to improve things.
In Memory of Bob Farley - August 26, 1996 -- by The City of Boulder Transportation Advisory Board (TAB)
The City of Boulder Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) wishes to extend its sincere gratitude and appreciation to Bob Farley for his contribution to the community of Boulder. Bob was present at virtually all of the TAB meetings, devoting many hours to the cause of improving the City of Boulder. His comments and suggestions were always well thought out and constructive, and the Board truly appreciated and respected the considerable time, effort, and caring he put into trying to improve this community. TAB especially would like to note Bob’s courage in standing up for what he believed in and trying to bring balance to controversial issues, often in the face of strong majority opposition.
It is the hard work from citizens like Bob that make Boulder a unique and wonderful place to live, and the Board will miss having the opportunity to talk and interact with him. The members of the Board would also like to extend their condolences to Bob’s family and friends, who will surely miss him.
Sincerely,
The City of Boulder Transportation Advisory Board
Safety Tidbit
Bob Bernier
Don’t forget to give an audible signal prior to passing a pedestrian. "Passing on your _____" works well, but give the pedestrian time to respond.
"Cars have harassed bicycles off the streets onto sidewalks, in turn, harassing pedestrians off sidewalks and back into cars." - citizen on the Close Call Comment Line.
The High Wheeler
John Militzer
Many of you may be sadly aware that a venerable Boulder bicycling 'landmark,' The High Wheeler is going out of business. Even with all of the other fine bike stores and shops in town, will anyone truly replace them?
The BBC Library
John Allen submitted copies of the following to the BBC library (in other words, Gwen’s filing cabinet.) If you are interested in any of the articles, give me a call at (303) 494-7698.
"Bicycle Use of Highway Shoulders" by A.M. Kahn and A. Bacchus published in the Transportation Research Record
Guide for Development of New Bicycle Facilities 1981 published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 444 North Capital Street, N.W., Suite 225, Washington D.C., 20001
Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities prepared by the AASHTO Task Force on Geometric Design in 1991.
Free Bike Registration
John Militzer
Did you know that last year, $500K in bicycles were stolen in Boulder? That compares with (just) $1M for all of Denver. Many stolen bicycles are recovered, however, few get back to their owners, largely because the Police are unable to find out who they belong to. Beginning Oct. 10th, the City of Boulder Police Department will begin offering bicycle registrations. To a certain extent, the program will mirror what has been available at CU, however, there will be no charge and the registrations will be open to all citizens rather than simply focusing on the student population. Also, the registrations will remain on record permanently as opposed to expiring in 5 years with CU. The registration data base will allow cross checking with an existing system in Denver, and eventually all along the entire front range as well as CU. Registrations can be transferred when a bicycle is sold, and they will/should be available when new bicycles are purchased at a dealer. Initially the registrations should be available on Wednesdays from 8:30-6:30 or 9-12, Saturdays at the Police Department 1805 33rd street, however you may want to confirm those times by calling Detective Jim Byfield at 441-3342. You should bring your bicycle and/or information to identify the make, color, style, purchase date and cost (if available), your name and address and most importantly the correct serial number. In exchange you will get a permanent sticker for your bike.
Jim deserves a great deal of credit for initiating this program. He noted the backlog of unclaimed 'compound beauties' and pursued the program with the City and with a contemporary in Denver. As you may know, the 'compound beauties' are normally sold at auction each year, with the money going into the City's general fund. My personal opinion is that these funds should go back into 'bicycle' related activities, whether through the Police or the City Alternative Modes Departments. I would hope such would include education programs for schools, small construction projects, sign-age, repair of stolen bikes for donation to the needy, or support for these types of programs. If you agree with this opinion, you should contact the City Council.
Proposed Motion for October Meeting
John Militzer
A modification to the BBC bylaws is proposed whereby selected policy, and/or official club positions to be voted upon by the membership may be cast by ballot published in the newsletter prior to announced and scheduled club meetings at which the final vote of the stated motion will be officially tallied.
Pros:
Individuals unable to attend an 'important' meeting will still be allowed to participate
A greater involvement of the membership at large will be realized and hopefully an expanded regular meeting attendance
A larger representation of the bicycling community will be represented by BBC's positions
Cons:
Open debate is often the seed needed to expand most people's awareness enough to establish their 'final' opinions
There is a danger of 'uninformed' decisions being made
There is an admittedly small chance that someone could stuff the ballot.
Tips for Winter Riding
Premena
Don’t stand in salted snow. The salt in the snow depresses the freezing point of the water. As the snow sublimates off your feet, your feet will be colder than if you had stood in unsalted snow.
Wear high visibility clothes and use reflectors and lights. Yellow and light colors are much more visible at night than red. Reflectorized ankle straps and vests are also effective.
Dark comes earlier and lasts longer. Cold batteries have a greatly shortened life for lighting. For instance, if you go into a movie in the cold weather, take your light and batteries in with you. They will give you much better service.
Cold toes can be combated with toe-warmers over your toe clips. Also, cut the toe section from worn out socks and sew them onto the top of good socks. The toe part has extra warmth and extra bulk is not added to your heel area. Use the upper part of the old socks for a combination of pants clips and ankle warmers. (Or wrist warmers?)
Watch out for loose gravel! Especially as it builds up from cars pushing it over toward the curb. Also be careful of the depression made when pedestrians leave the sidewalk to enter the street.
Wet leaves in the street [and wet bridges - etc.] can be quite slippery. When riding on a slippery surface in a shared roadway be conscious of what would happen if you slip and fall in the street. If someone is following you closely in a car, remember that the driver could run you over.
Spin the wheels of your bike to clear the slush from the wheels and brakes after leaving yo8ur bike outdoors. The slush can turn to ice and jam the wheel solid, ice up your brakes, or ice your fenders.
Remember that wet brakes are often far less effective when you first apply them. When riding in wet conditions apply your brakes periodically to test them and get some of the water off of them.
When conditions get really bad, pay attention to "Frozen Brain Syndrome." FBS is the tendency to get so involved in personal survival that you don’t pay adequate attention to externals like road hazards and traffic because you just want to get through it as soon as possible…sometimes judgment deteriorates under these conditions. You may take chances that are dangerous.
One ‘minor’ accident can happen in less than a second and put you out of bicycling for a long time. It could cost you more money than a new bicycle or two. Ride safely and enjoy living!
De-icer
Fred Porter
As most of you have noticed, streets treated with the liquid de-icer stay damp long after the snow has melted. Magnesium chloride, the primary ingredient, exhibits strong deliquescence, the property of absorbing water from the air. It easily absorbs enough water to liquefy itself and produce a thick wet film on the street. A concentrated solution of MgCl2 has very high surface tension and relatively high viscosity which are the characteristics of a good motor oil. Whenever the humidity is above 34% the salt absorbs water from the air; daytime humidity in Boulder is often below that, but above that at night and in the early morning. Some types of pavement may be more slippery than others when coated. The city should try to determine if certain places are inappropriate for the "goo," or if any additives make it worse, or could make it better. As a resident of a corner where the goo replaced truckloads of gravel, I experience the reductions in dust clouds all winter, but I can easily feel the glaze on my street.
I know of at least two accidents caused by this greasy film, both single bike crashes. Deliquescent glaze is not as obvious as gravel. Be careful out there, especially after dark (like I needed to tell you) and in the morning.
Winter Commuting Tips
John Allen
Most people think bicycle commuting is limited to good weather. I think that is more of a perception than reality! I ride in all weather, all year. The only weather I dislike is WIND. I ride on windy days, but very windy conditions are the only time I actually dislike cycling. Still, I’d rather ride the bicycle on windy days than drive.
It might surprise most of you, but I think that bicycle riding in the winter has many more advantages over the car than it does in the summer. Cars left outdoors are CO-O-O-LD. Their windows get covered with snow and ice. The inside gets frosted. If you throw in the extra time needed to clean the windows and pre-heat the car (an environmentally unconscionable action), winter bicycle commuting can SAVE TIME. Not only that, your neighbors will notice how much ore efficient winter bike riding is over driving. This is what I have learned after more than twenty years of year-round bicycle commuting.
What to Wear
It won’t surprise you to hear that layering is the way to dress for winter riding. Try not to overdress. If you are a little chilly when you start riding, then you are probably dressed just right. After only a short ride you will warm up and become very comfortable. I find it easier to put on more clothes than to shed them.
One of the peculiarities of winter riding is that some of your body gets very cold while the parts protected from the wind get very warm. My back perspires even on the coldest days. I watch the weather more closely in the winter and adjust clothing by temperature. I always carry extra wear for my head and hands than predicted temperatures call for: hat plus head band and gloves plus liners.
I assume that you wear glasses when you ride to protect your eyes from things in the air. Be sure they are ventilated because they will fog up when you stop. They clear again immediately as soon as you start riding. When it is snowing, sometimes the snow will turn to ice when you stop. Snow and ice are easily removed with your windshield wipers - gloved fingers.
I used to suffer with cold feet below 10o, but have finally solved that problem. (It’s tacky looking, but it works.) I purchased a pair of leather high top basketball shoes one half size oversize to allow room for extra socks, and treated them with snow proofing. Now my feet stay toasty and warm even below -10o. Some hiking boots now on the market will probably work as well and look better.
I adjust my winter riding based on temperature as shown in the following table. I always ride in street clothes. If you ride in cycling clothes, then you need to figure your equivalent. I may tolerate cold more than you, so I recommend that you start out dressing a little warmer.
Temp.
Riding Clothes
Above 45 oF
Long pants, flannel shirt or long sleeve shirt with a sweater or vest
30-45
Headband, wool gloves, jacket or sweater
20-30
Knit hat, medium gloves, coat or jacket and sweater
10-20
Heavy gloves, heavy socks, knit hat, heavy pants that are lined or long underwear
0-10
Heavy gloves with liners, 2 pairs of socks (1 pair heavy and one pair light), oversize high top shoes, heavy knit hat or hat plus ear-band, coat and sweater, long underwear and wool pants or lined pants.
Below 0
Heavy wool mittens with shell, knit hat with scarf or balaclava or hooded coat, 2 pairs of socks (1 pair heavy and 1 pair medium), oversize high top shoes, heavy lined pants plus long underwear or wool pants plus heavy wool long underwear, long underwear top, heavy shirt, heavy sweater, and hooded coat.
Travel Time
It takes you longer to ride in the winter, wherever you are going. The extra clothing slows you up. So does all the added friction in the bearings and chain. If you want to arrive on time then you need to allow a little extra time. (Or a lot depending on how cold it is.) I have developed a simple rule of thumb to plan my travel time: Increase travel time by 10% for each 10 degrees below 50. This means that a twenty minute commute at 50 degrees becomes almost a 30 minute commute at 20 degrees.
For example:
Temp (oF)
50+
40
30
20
10
0
Time (min)
20
22
25
28
31
35
Riding on windy days takes longer too. As an engineer, I have a rule of thumb for that too. I estimate that my average speed decreases by the square root of the wind speed. That is for a circuit course where the wind is sometimes a head wind and sometimes a tail wind. It simply isn’t true that the gain from the tail wind offsets the loss due to a head wind. The easiest thing is to just add extra time on windy days. If your average speed is 16 mph when there is no wind, then on a day with 16 mph winds, your average speed will be reduced by four mph (the square root of 16) to 12 miles per hour. This means that your trip will take 1/3 longer. Plan accordingly.
Bicycle Equipment and Maintenance
Because it is dark during normal commuting times for several months of the winter, you need lights.
When it is snowing, snow builds up on your gears making shifting difficult, if not impossible. I find that my rear derailleur is ineffective and limited to only a few gears. I recommend full fenders. They help keep you dry, and they reduce the dirt and accumulation on your bike and drive train.
To make you more visible, put 3M reflective tape all over your bike. You can also buy reflective fabric to sew or iron onto your clothing. (Or buy clothing with this tape.) If you don’t have pedal reflectors, install reflective tape on the crank arms. It works as well and is much less obtrusive.
Chains get dirty quickly in the winter. I keep mine clean with a rag and WD40. Simple, effective, and inexpensive. Clean once weekly and after each snow.
How about all that road grime that quickly accumulates on your bike? The answer to that is - are you ready - Diaper Wipes! Also called handi-wipes, one package of these lasts me several years. (I use the generic equivalent.)
Snow
It is obvious that riding on snow covered streets is not like riding on dry pavement. Riding in snow takes more effort because of the additional rolling resistance. Be sure to allow extra time for your trip. A big advantage to riding in snow, besides fun, is the additional effort required means that you get a greater workout per mile!
Actually, you should be aware that there are different types of snow and riding in each is a little different. Freshly fallen snow is easy to ride in. I think riding in new snow is loads of fun. Leaving the first racks down a street in new snow is a mystical experience. Well, it is for me! Here in Colorado we are blessed with mostly dry powder snows which are not too difficult on a bike. I don’t walk or drive (instead of bike) until the snow depth exceeds twelve inches.
The riding characteristics of snow vary with temperature. And you skiers are surprised? In the fall and spring our snows are often "wet" unlike during the middle of the winter. These snows pack well. Deep, wet snows offer lots of rolling resistance even when freshly fallen. I consider any new snow when the temperature is above 20o to be a "wet snow." As the temperature approaches 30, the snow pack gets very slippery. I slip sideways sometimes, but seldom fall because deeper snow provides enough lateral force to help you stay erect. If you get wild in deep snow, and push cornering beyond the edge, the landing is soft. You will slip more readily in lighter snows so exercise more caution.
Riding in "wet" snow has an additional disadvantage: it collects on your free wheel and rear derailleur where it freezes. Shifting becomes difficult and your free wheel gets clogged causing your chain to skip.
When it is very cold, daily high temperatures below 10 degrees, the snow may not pack well. This snow is easy to ride in before packed by traffic. After traffic, riding on this snow can be difficult. The snow doesn’t pack into a firm, ride-able surface but often retains a consistency like fine dry sand. Even after it’s compacted, it is not firm. I think it offers more resistance than when freshly fallen. The ruts left by cars in deep snow can be difficult to negotiate. This snow is usually encountered from late December through February. Unless the temperature stays really cold, it soon gets warm enough for the snow to be packed well by traffic. This snow then develops a good riding surface.
Sand and salt on firmly packed snow can warm it enough so it takes on the characteristic of soft sand. This snow is more than hard to ride in, it is treacherous because it isn’t uniform, changing from a firm riding surface to a soft mush in just a few feet. The soft stuff will slow you rapidly. This can bring you into a slide or spin. If you aren’t careful, it could take you down in front of approaching traffic, so watch out! This snow is easily detected because the color and texture are different from hard packed snow. Because of the sanding in Boulder, this snow usually has a light brown color. At the very best, this snow makes it difficult to ride in a straight line.
When the temperature approaches 30 degrees, the snow can pack in to a very hard, slick surface much like ice. This snow is just as slippery as ice but usually a little easier to ride on because the texture is rougher.
Snow conceals the traffic signal detection markings to it is difficult to position your bicycle properly to activate the signal. During the day time, there is usually enough traffic so a car will trigger the traffic signal for you. At night, however, traffic is often so light that you need to push the pedestrian button. Alternatively, just treat the signal as a stop sign and proceed when safe. Often snow accumulation of traffic islands makes access to the pedestrian button extremely difficult.
Ice
Ice or ice like conditions are often encountered as a result of snow melting then freezing overnight. A bicycle relies on side friction to remain erect. The risk of a spill is greatest on ice because the side friction is lowest. Also, unlike sand, icing conditions are often more difficult to detect. Coast when crossing ice. Maintain a straight line, any attempt to maneuver can put you down. Brake gently, for the same reason. If you must turn when on ice, steer around your turn without leaning. I ride on ice a lot and am able to avoid falling. Usually, I only take a spill once a winter. Most of the time it is on ice. Taking a dump on ice is painful.
The temperature of ice makes a big difference with on how slippery it is. The closer the temperature is to 30 degrees, the slipperier the ice. Near zero, ice is about as sticky as dry pavement, so you can ride accordingly.
The time of the day is also significant. At dusk, "black ice" occurs. As the sun goes down, the pavement temperature rapidly cools turning melting snow to ice. The color comes from the pavement color. As the night gets colder, the ice gets less slippery. The ice is slipperiest when just freezing so this is the time to be extra cautious. I look for two things: cars slipping and a change in color from "wet" to semi-gloss.
In the morning, you need to be on the lookout for the reverse condition: sun melting ice. In the mornings, dull ice is cold and safer. Shiny ice is the threat. As the temperature warms above freezing, the ice gets soft, like wet snow, and is not nearly as difficult to negotiate.
Another place to be on the lookout for ice is on the north side of buildings and mountains. The temperature of the pavement is much colder where it is shaded from the sun. It freezes first in these areas and thaws fast. The pavement in shady areas can be treacherously different than elsewhere. Be on the lookout. Snow sticks first in these areas too. This is a good time to make a mental note so you can avoid or use extra caution in these areas.
Sand
Sand is the winter biking nemesis. It accumulates in the bike lanes and will be encountered most of the winter. Removal is slow and sporadic. It amazes me that sand that takes only hours to apply takes weeks to remove. Sand slows you down. It reduces your friction making stopping and turning maneuvers far more hazardous. Cars either do not recognize this added threat to the cyclist or simply choose to ignore it, because they do not give the cyclist an extra margin of clearance. At least it doesn’t seem so to me.
The behavior of cars on clean pavement increases the hazard for cyclists. Riding on the sand accumulated in the bike lanes adversely affects your ability to execute emergency maneuvers to avoid an accident. Both turning maneuverability and stopping ability are dramatically reduced. In order to maintain the same level of risk, you must compensate by riding much slower in these conditions. Or, you can do what I do, ride in the automobile travel lanes. IN my opinion, t his is by far the safest course Your stopping ability is not diminished and your maneuverability is actually enhanced. I believe these factors compensate for the additional threat caused by having to deal with overtaking traffic.
A Lot of Little Letters
Linda Andes-Georges
I know writing doesn’t come easy to everybody. And to some people, writing letters is poison- especially letters of complaint where you have to be specific and careful in order to accomplish your objective. But writing "notes" to suggest change can be quick, simple, and still accomplish much if the notes arrive often enough or in sufficient quantity.
Notes don’t have to be masterpieces of literature: they just need to say "I see a problem; can you help fix it?" Get two friends to duplicate your note-effort, and voila, you have a "movement" - or so it may seem to the note recipient. Recently two people wrote notes to the managers of Crossroads Mall and Marshall’s Road Plaza asking for more and better bike racks. The answer was encouraging. The process is not moving very fast, but with a few more notes - yes, you detect a hint here - Mr. Philip Carlson (General Manager) and Company will think there are hundreds of us (and there are).
Ead’s needs some encouragement too, and many other places around town. Mike’s Camera finally jumped on the bike-wagon - for which I profusely thank them, every time I go there. The merchants of Pearl Street think non of their patrons ever ride bikes. Next time you shop there, tell them you’re a cyclist and that you will bring your tourist-cyclist friends back to visit them. Just a moment of your time spent in this way causes interesting ripples.
We cyclists need to be more than whiny critics - we need to be vocal, visible, and positive - With as little effort on our part as possible! Buy a batch of Post Office postcards and start your helpful-suggestion note campaign today.
Misc. Suggestions for the Newsletter
John Militzer
How about offering a "letter's to the editor" section, that could/would include reprints of pertinent letters (maybe classifieds too) that have appeared in the Colorado Daily and the Daily Camera in addition to member comments. I know I miss many simply because I take only the weekend editions.
This sounds great. If people forward these articles, letters, etc. to me, I will attempt to get permission to republish them. This usually isn’t too hard. I do not read the local papers, however, so other people will have to catch them. --gwen
How about having a monthly interview with selected individuals. One that popped into my mind was the owner of the High Wheeler. Did the Daily Camera do that already?
I like this too. Are there any amateur or non-amateur reporters out there? --gwen
Sharing the Road with Bicycles
Excerpts from the Iowa Department of Transportation Driver License Renewal Certificate
Give bicycle riders the space they need. Change lanes when passing or allow at least 3 to 4 feet (1.0 to 1.3 meters) for clearance. Bicyclists deserve and man need a full traffic lane to avoid debris in the roadway or to make themselves more visible.
If a bicyclist decides to ride on the road, even when there is a bicycle path available, give the rider the needed space. Some studies show there are more bicycle accidents on bike paths than on highways.
Bicyclists may ride two abreast. On roads with heavy traffic, riding single file is encouraged.
News from Des Moines, Iowa
John Allen
It is approaching one year since I received the job offer and prepared to move. I have enjoyed many aspects of the change. Des Moines is a much better place to ride a bike in many respects than Boulder. The lack of bike facilities is a real impediment and discourages many people I talk to from riding. They feel it’s unsafe. That leave me to ponder this enigma: Is it better to build bike lanes and trails that are inherently unsafe to encourage bicycle travel, or to leave bicycle travel to the few, like myself, willing to ride in traffic?
There are some trails around here. They have blind spots, sharp curves, and narrow bridges that plague Boulder’s trails. They also have posts creating unnecessary hazards at many trail entrances. If only bicycle trail designers were as competent as highway designers of the 1920’s… Perhaps it wouldn’t be so if the designers rode bicycles as their primary mode for utilitarian travel in all sorts of weather. However, everyone I talk to here thinks they are great! Sound like Boulder too. I guess you can give hungry people tainted food and they will be grateful if they don’t feel the ill effects right away. Because of their gratefulness, are we to conclude that they like tainted food?
The biggest complaint I have about bicycling in Iowa is the lack of paved shoulders on principal highways in Iowa. I have ridden some heavily traveled two lane major highways with gravel shoulders. When forced to travel on these roads, even I was uncomfortable and took local roads as soon as possible. Fortunately, Iowa has a great network of rural roads. The traffic is light. Compared to Iowa drivers, Colorado drivers are reckless maniacs around bicyclists.
Three weeks after Pedal the Peaks, I got well acquainted with Iowa by riding from Des Moines to Sioux Center in the northwest corner to ride RAGBRAI - the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Around Iowa. From there we headed east to the Mississippi.
Riding around northwest and central Iowa isn’t so great. The ride was five days of hog lots and cornfields. The weather was fine - sunny and in the seventies every day. The last two days were scenic as we approached the Mississippi River.
The thing that impressed me most was seeing 10,000 bicycle riders streaming down the road. If they had each been a car, there would have been gridlock. I really liked seeing it because, for me, it was a vivid display of the efficiency of the bicycle as a mode of transportation. There simply isn’t a transportation mode that comes near the efficiency and economy of the bicycle. For the same number of people to cross a point in cars within the same amount of time, 3 or more additional lanes would have been required.
The towns were special. We went through a small town about every 15 miles. They had plenty of food for sale, beer, dancing, and entertainment. I learned the Macarena. The townsfolk were often sitting by the road watching us parade by. Kids were happy to squirt you with water to cool you off. This is a good event for rural Iowans between planting and harvest. Their hospitality is amazing. In one town I asked (a family) directions to one of the public showers and got offered theirs. Then after I had showered, they served me a beer and we had a nice chat. What Iowa lacks in scenery is made up in hospitality. Except the "Help Wanted" tandem failed to find help even among 10,000. Still, it was fun.
The best way to describe RAGBRAI is "a rolling party." At one farm along the route, they were giving away free beer. Some provided cookies. Most sold something to make a little money. Civic groups in the small towns had food to sell. Once in a while it was terrific food at a bargain price. I had a terrific pie ala mode at one spot for only $1.25. It was as good a piece of pie as I’ve ever had. In Orange city, they handed out free oranges to the riders. It Charles City, they handed out free pieces of pie!
When I say party, I mean it got pretty wild at times. There was a lot of alcohol consumed by a few - a few hundred that is. Reminded me of college days. Now I know what naked beer slides are. Seems like the people willing to take their clothes of shouldn’t…
There were some neat churches in these small towns. We passed through Spillville where Dvorak played for a time. The ride ended in Guttenberg on the Mississippi River above Dubuque. For you geographically impaired, that is near the southern border of Wisconsin, if that helps. I rode home from Guttenberg to Des Moines, about 235 miles. The ride to the start and the ride home from Guttenberg showed how important this event is to Iowans. I was topped several times by people who wanted to encourage me or just talk to me about RAGBRAI. One of the special things that happened was approaching the town of Petersburg with massive thunderstorms ahead. I was still a mile from the town when the rain hit me. I knew I was coming to the town because I could see this magnificent pair of steeples ahead. The Catholic church in Pestersburg is magnificent. The town had only the church, the bar, and a few houses. I took shelter in the bar. There were 3 other cyclists already there who were also riding home from RAGBRAI. The got in before the rain hit. Seeing this church was really special. I never would have stopped had I been in a car, sheltered from the rain. Actually, I wouldn’t have even been going through this little town.
The next day, a farm family yelled to me "Want some lemonade?" Of course I did! They had seen me coming and wanted to talk to me about RAGBRAI. At a country store, still fifty miles from Des Moines, a man offered me a bed for the night. I had been riding against the wind all day and it had taken me ten hours to cover 100 miles. I decided to press on. Fortunately, the wind died and I covered the last fifty miles in 3.5 hours, including my stop over for dinner. I had been worried about having to ride too long in the dark and the batteries in my light going out. That’s the Murphy’s Law effect. Passing a WalMart in Ankeny, about 20 miles form home, just before dark, I got spare batteries, then ate, not having to worry about riding home in the dark any more. I reached home at 10 PM.
Next year is the 25th RAGBRAI. Is anyone interested in joining me?
I hope everyone at BBC is doing well and that you are keeping up the good work. Remember to have picnics, potlucks, and social rides too!
If anyone is traveling this way, be sure to stop and say hello. If you need a place to crash for the night, my place has room. If you can stay long enough, I’ll take you on a bicycle tour of farmland. We can even go visit the bridges of Madison County.
Boulder CoHousing at Nomad
Townhomes are still available in Nomads CoHousing. Call Zev Paiss at (303) 499-8189 for more information. There will be a community garden, pedestrian plaza, and common house.