Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Gov. Blagojevich announces $2.5 million for bike trails

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced the release of $2.5 million for the construction of bicycle trails in Illinois. Madison and St. Clair counties received $707,000 for that, $600,000 for projects in Madison County and $107,000 for a project in St. Clair County. You can read about the metro-east projects in the Belleville News-Democrat. For a full list of Illinois projects, see this story from the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.

Roger 0 comments 2:59 PM

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Big weekend for bicycle racing in St. Louis

The 2005 Gateway Cup, the largest Labor Day bicycle racing event, takes place this weekend. The events start Friday night with Lafayette Sqaure race and continue through Monday's University City Race.

For more information about the races, visit STLBiking.com. It's not too late to enter any of the four races, even though it is too late to register online.

This will be a good chance for people to see exciting bicycle racing on four criterium course. Come on down and see there is more to American bicycle racing than Lance Armstrong.

Roger 0 comments 2:52 PM

Note to radio programmers and headline writers

First, a note to music programmers for radio stations that play music from the 1980s: It may not be a good idea to play Katrina and the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" for a while. The poor folks in the Gulf Coast who were hammered by Hurricane Katrina sure aren't walking on sunshine right now.

And for you copy editors and page designers out there, don't be flip and use "Katrina and the waves" as a headline. It is a totally inappropriate tone to take for a major tragedy.

Please consider making a donation for victims of the tragedy. You can visit the American Red Cross Web site and make a donation online, or you can call (800) HELP-NOW. Catholic Charities USA also is collecting donations online or you can call (800) 919-9338.

Roger 0 comments 2:32 PM

Disturbing animal images

Today, I share with you some disturbing animal images. Don't look at these photos if you are squeamish.

The first is from the Belleville News-Democrat. A squirrel with an arrow shot through its head managed to survive for at least five days on its own before it was picked up by the Belleville Humane Society on Monday. The squirrel appeared to have a crossbow arrow through the right side of its head to the lower left side, near its jaw.

UPDATE: Although the squirrel managed to survive five days with the arrow through its head, it was too seriously injured and had to be euthanized Tuesday.

It's tragic that someone felt the need to shoot an arrow at the squirrel, particularly because it isn't squirrel season in Illinois, but it's amazing the squirrel survived so long in that condition.

The second comes from a former employer, the Times-News (pdf file) in Burlington, N.C. Each year, the Times-News publishes photographs of hunters with the deer they killed during North Carolina's deer season in a special Deer Derby section. I don't necessarily have a problem with deer hunting, as long as the hunters use the deer as food, but I think it's a tad bizarre to publish photos of smiling hunters holding up the deer they killed.

I truly felt sorry for the Times-News' graphic artist, Linda Bowden, who had to scan in all those photos of dead deer each year. But that didn't stop me from making her a birthday card in 1999 that featured one of the photos she scanned in and the saying "We love you deerly."

Fortunately for me, Linda -- like a lot of people in my profession -- has a twisted sense of humor. She knew my views about the Deer Derby and thought it was the best birthday card she ever received!

Roger 0 comments 10:14 AM

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Bubba's Biker Board

Bubba Barron, the former St. Louis County police officer turned bicycle tourist and pamperer to the stars, has a new forum board. The forum is part of Bubba's new Web site, Bubba Fest Bike Tours.

The first Bubba Fest open to the public will be Nov. 13-19 in the Florida Keys, and the next one is scheduled for April 23-29, 2006, also in the Florida Keys.

Are you ready for Bubba?

Roger 0 comments 10:23 AM

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Century ride this weekend in Millstadt, Ill.

For those of you looking to do a full or metric century this weekend, the Gateway Council of Hostelling International is putting on the Beer and Brat Five-Star Century on Saturday in Millstadt, Ill. The ride begins at 6 a.m. from the VFW Hall at 200 Veterans Drive (Illinois Route 158). Lunch, of course, includes a nice, spicy bratwurst, but other food options are available.

Roger 0 comments 2:42 PM

Two-wheelers are 2nd-rate in this state

Our friends at the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation have passed along this link from the Beacon News, a newspaper in the Chicago suburb of Aurora. I think the column, written by Jeff Long, is basically on target.

Municipal, township and other governmental entities have fought legislative efforts to overturn Boub v. Wayne because of the fears of litigation from cyclists injured on their roads. I can understand that to some extent, but since Illinois cylists are allowed to use most roads, they should be offered the same protections as other users of the road.

I don't have a problem with police wanting to ticket cyclists who violate the law as long as they make the same effort to punish motorists who violate the law. Yes, like most cyclists, I roll through many stop signs, but I slow down enough so I can stop if I need to. And if I know the interesection is in a congested urban area or if the intersection has obstructions like buildings, tree or tall stands of corn, I stop.

Roger 1 comments 2:41 PM

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Here's some tests for you

You can thank Pam's Mommie Diary, a blog from a fellow St. Clair County resident, for introducing me to these tests. They're somewhat amusing. Below are my results and links to the tests should you choose to take them:

I am 25% White Trash.

The white trash in my blood will not keep me from becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but it will keep me from a good haircut and any sort of fashion sense.

Take the
White Trash Test
@ FualiDotCom

I am 59% Evil Genius.

Evil courses through my blood. Lies and deceit motivate my evil deeds. Crushing the weaklings and idiots that do nothing but interfere in my doings.

Take the
Evil Genius Test
@ FualiDotCom

I am 18% Hippie.

What? Am I a Republican? Why did I even bother taken this test?! I guess I’ll back to my George W. Bush fan club and tell them I just wasted 10 minutes of my life. At least I don’t stink, man.

Take the
Hippie Test
@ FualiDotCom

I am 17% Metrosexual.

I need some advice. I need to STOP BUYING MY CLOTHS AT WAL-MART!!!! I will never land a decent woman unless I shave this nasty facial hair, and spend more then $5 on a haircut.

Take the
Metrosexual Test
@ FualiDotCom

Roger 1 comments 11:47 PM

Stream of consciousness

Random thoughts from inside and outside the world of cycling.

BAD DOG, SILLY PEOPLE: On the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's Wednesday Evening Ride out of Millstadt tonight, several of us got chased by a big black Labrador retriever on Bluffside Road between Triple Lakes and Stemmler roads. Despite my efforts of yelling at the dog to go home, it didn't do so. It didn't try to snap at me, but he came awfully close to the bike. St. Clair County (Ill.) has a leash law, but many people forget the law applies to them and their animals. If these people truly loved their animals, they could build a physical fence or install an electronic fence so the dogs can roam freely in their yards without putting themselves in danger of getting hit by a car or chasing bicyclists and others that pass their property.

THINKING ABOUT A WINERY RIDE: Some of the BABES sounded interested in doing a weekend ride from the Ravissant Winery in Belleville. I had the pleasure of visiting Ravissant on Saturday to sample some of the winery's work and listen to John Farrar, Jay Dover and Jon Thomas perform some jazz melodies. I thought this might be a good place to start and and end a ride, and co-owner Matthew LaMons thought it might be a good idea.

BUBBA'S IN TOWN: Longtime cycling friend Bubba Barron, owner of Bubba's Pampered Pedalers, is back in St. Louis this week. I had lunch with him and Doug Kaufman on Tuesday. Bubba is taking a break after a busy summer of providing his tent service on weeklong bicycle trips. Bubba is really looking forward to his Bubba Fest ride in the Florida Keys in November. If I can scrape up a few bucks, I'll be down there.

Roger 0 comments 11:40 PM

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Get the ----- off my Bike Path!

Here's more proof that boorish behavior isn't limited to those who drive motor vehicles:

A 20-mile ride Friday evening (I've been on vacation this week, so I had a rare Friday evening off work!) included the MetroLink Trail in Bellevile. I was finishing off climbing the hill leading from North End Park when I saw three children talking to each other while walking in the correct direction in the left lane.

Suddenly, I heard an older middle-aged guy on his bicycle bellow out at the children: "You're in my way. Get the f--- off my bike path!"

Gee, how many times have we heard some bozo in a car yell, "Get the f--- off my road?"

I truly was dismayed to hear such an idiotic remark from a cyclist.

First of all, the MetroLink Trail and the Richland Creek Greenway Trail in Belleville are multiuse trails. That means bicyclists, runners, rollerbladers, skateboarders and walkers -- including children -- are intended users of the trail.

Second, the guy had plenty to room to pass. The children were staying in their lane, and he could have easily passed them and got back in his lane before I approached.

Instead of yelling at the kids, he could had said something like "passing on your left" when he approached them. Bicyclists are urged to say "on your left" when passing someone, but I usually say "passing on your left" when on a trail because most trail users don't know what "on your left" means.

And, of course, it's just plain stupid to yell profanities at children.

Our friends at the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation and Trailnet love to preach the "Share the Road" mantra, and I don't disagree that motorists need to learn cyclists have the right to be on most roads.

However, sharing the road means cyclists have to take responsibility for their actions. You have to follow traffic laws. You have to treat people the way you want to be treated.

When cyclists fail to stop at stop signs in busy urban intersections, ride three or more abreast on the open road, ride on the wrong side of the road or yell profanities at children, they make it more difficult for fellow cyclists who are trying to do the right thing.

On the other hand, each motorist or cyclist needs to remember that it is not my road or my bike path. Even though a road or trail may come under a city's, township's or county's jurisdiction, that doesn't make it your road or trail. Anyone who buys gasoline in Illinois can claim partial ownership of all Illinois roads because the motor fuel tax you pay on each gallon on gas is used to fund road projects throughout the state. And even if you don't pay motor fuel tax, there's a good chance your federal and state income taxes are being used to help fund road or trail projects throughout Illinois.

So the lesson here is to share our roads and bicycle trails and do so responsibly.

Roger 0 comments 11:30 AM

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Updates at Roger Kramer's Favorite Cycling Tours

Early today, I posted two new ride accounts at this Web site.

The first is the 2005 Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska. I'm happy with many of the photos here, and I think they show Nebraska isn't a boring state.

The second is the 2004 West Shoreline Tour. Yes, I know the new article and photographs are a year overdue. You can read about my adventures on the 1997 tour, in which I had an accident with a fellow cyclists, and the 2004 tour. Just in time for those of you who just finished the 2005 version of the ride.

Roger 0 comments 3:01 AM

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Crackdown on bicyclists delayed a month

According to the Chicago Tribune, the city of Chicago's plans to crack down on lawbreaking cyclists has been delayed until September. It seems the bike patrol's commander and another key officer are on vacation.

Hmmmm.

Roger 0 comments 1:55 PM

Monday, August 01, 2005

Glen Carbon may get help for bike trail

The Madison County Transit has made an offer the Glen Carbon (Ill.) Village Board can't refuse, the Edwardsville Intelligencer reports.

If MCT gets a $3 million grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, MCT would repave the Ronald J. Foster Sr. Heritage Trail from Fire Station 1 to its current terminus at Silver Creek and construct about 1.5 miles to trail to complete it at Illinois 4 near Marine.

It would be welcome news for those of with road bikes that the Heritage Trail be repaved with asphalt. Currently, the trail is paved with an oil-and-chip surface. Because there is no motor vehicle traffic on the trail (except for maintenance and emergency vehicles), the oil-and-chip surface never gets packed down enough to make it totally safe for road bikes.

Roger 0 comments 11:15 AM

The Answer Man on Lance Armstrong

D.L. of O'Fallon, Ill., had plenty of questions for Roger Schlueter, the Belleville News-Democrat's Answer Man. Here's D.L.'s questions:

• How much did Lance Armstrong make for winning the Tour de France?
• How many bikes did he use?
• How much do they cost and how do they differ from the bikes I ride?

You can read Roger's answers at the News-Democrat's Web site.

Roger 0 comments 12:13 AM