Saturday, January 28, 2006

Riding cross-country -- with Bubba!

Bubba's Pampered Pedalers has an ambitious goal for 2007: A coast-to-coast tour with pampering!

Bubba Barron, who completed a solo cross-country tour after his retirement from the St. Louis County Police Department, is in the beginning stages of organizing a tour starting mid-April 2007. His current thinking is to take about 10 weeks for the crossing and follow closely the original Trans American Route.

It should be an interesting trip, if you've got the time and money!

Roger 0 comments 2:41 AM

Friday, January 27, 2006

Portland, Ore., is best cycling city

Bicycling magazine once again has named Portland, Ore., the best cyclingcity in America and the best city with a population between 500,000 and 1million.

San Diego leads cities of 1 million or more, followed byChicago and New York. Madison, Wis., leads cities of 200,000 to 500,000,Boulder, Colo., leads cities of 75,000 to 200,000, and Davis, Calif., isthe best small town.

The good news is that St. Louis didn't make thelist of the worst three cycling cities in America. That dubious distinctionbelongs to Atlanta, Houston and Boston.

You can see Bicycling's press release at Business Wire.

Davis long has been considered America's best small cycling town because of itsextensive network of bicycle lanes and bicycle trails. For 2007, I thinkit's time for Bicycling to consider Edwardsville, Ill., for that honor.

While Edwardsville doesn't have designed bicycle lanes, many of the Madison County Transit trails do go through Edwardsville and link Edwardsville with other Madison Countycommunities or with rural roads that provide plenty of safe cycling. My experiencealso has been that motorists in Edwardsville are friendlier toward cycliststhan in other communities in the St. Louis area.

I realize Edwardsville may fall short in some of the other criteria like bike culture (number ofbike commuters, popular clubs, cool cycling events, renowned bike shops), but I still think you could make a good case for the city.

Roger 1 comments 2:05 PM

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Route 66 railroad bridge is gone

The Belleville News-Democrat is reporting in its Wednesday edition that the bridge that once took a railroad over historic Route 66 (later Illinois 157) in Edwardsville, Ill., is gone.

On Tuesday, crews were hauling away the remains of the abandoned railroad bridge. Plans call for the area under the bridge to be filled in with dirt, and a Madison County Transit bicycle trail will run over the former railroad bridge.

I know Route 66 enthusiasts such as Ron Warnick will be saddened by the news, but at least the railroad right-of-way is being used for a worthy purpose — connecting MCT's Watershed and Schoolhouse trails.

Roger 2 comments 12:02 AM

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Illinois' National Bicycle Month plates

Once again, the League of Illinois Bicyclists is offering limited-edition special license plates to mark National Bicycle Month, which is May. If you drive a car licensed in Illinois, you can buy the plates for $25 from LIB and put them on your car in April and May. To apply for the plates, you can download this file: 2006bikemonth.pdf (application/pdf Object).

Roger 0 comments 11:32 AM

Trailnet advocacy alert

Trailnet, the not-for-profit organization that promotes bicycle and pedestrian activities in the St. Louis area, has put out this advocacy alert for cyclists in the St. Louis area:

The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning a $7.3 million overhaul of the Dougherty Ferry Road bridge/overpass at I-270 during the summer of 2007. The project will be initiated after Memorial Day and will require three months to complete. Residents of Des Peres and Kirkwood will be affected by this projects and cyclists who enjoy the scenic South Ballas Road/West Adams corridor (Sugar Creek area).

One of Trailnet's goals is, “to deliver superior quality trail and roadway enhancements to meet the recreational and transportation needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.” We encourage interested citizens to contact MoDOT regarding bicycle/pedestrian safety and access of this project. Send your e-mails to the MoDOT engineers listed below before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2006 when the public comment period closes. Read a news article about this project at STL Today.

Contact MoDOT Project Manager Tom Montes de Oca at 1-888 ASK MODOT (275-6636) or e-mail Thomas.Montes-De-Oca@modot.mo.gov Contact MoDOT Area Engineer Karen Yeomans at 1-888 ASK MODOT (275-6636) or e-mail Karen.Yeomans@modot.mo.gov.

Roger 0 comments 2:28 AM

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Wide lanes, trails urged to make Rockford safer for bicyclists

The Rockford Register Star is reporting that the city of Rockford, Ill., is trying to make the city safer for cyclists.

The city is working with the League of Illinois Bicyclists to develop a map that identifies safe cycling trails and roads in the city.

Perhaps the city’s most influential advocate for better paths and trails is Mayor Larry Morrissey, the newspaper reports.

With skyrocketing gas prices, Morrissey said the desire for alternative forms of transportation is not only coming from the weekend cyclists, but from people looking for other means to get back and forth to work.

“I want to be known as the city with the best bicycle lanes, the best pedestrian lanes and the best transportation,” he said.

Roger 0 comments 3:00 PM

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Historic Route 66 railroad overpass slated for demolition

The Edwardsville Intelligencer is reporting that at least one Edwardsville resident doesn't want to see the old railroad bridge that crossed Illlinois Route 157 -- a former alignment of historic Roue 66 -- near Esic Drive demolished.

"It's part of the Mother Road," John Fritsche told the Intelligencer. "People weren't aware that this was going to happen."

The significance of this to cyclists is that the overpass is on the route of Madison County Transit's Schoolhouse Connector Trail, which will connect the Watershed Trail in Edwardsville with the Schoolhouse Trail at Illinois Route 162 near Maryville.

Route 157 is being rerouted, so the overpass isn't needed. The new trail will go beneath the rerouted Route 157, and plans call for the overpass the abandoned road to be removed and replaced with fill before the trail is constructed.

Jerry Kane, executive director of Madison County Transit, said when MCT looked at the highway plan, it didn't make much sense to try to save a bridge over a non-existent roadway.

"A study would have to be done on that bridge and that would have been expensive," Kane told the Intelligencer. "Then, it would have had to be redecked and railings added on, another expense."

IDOT Field Engineer John Scheibal said the bridge is scheduled for removal in the next 30 days or so.

I'm sure fans of the Mother Road would prefer the overpass stay in place. I agree it would be nice if the overpass could stay in place, especially if Mother Road advocates can make a solid case why the overpass should be saved.

But, given MCT's exceptional track record of building trails in Madison County, I'm willing to accept Kane's judgment on this one.

Roger 0 comments 6:42 PM

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Bicycle shop offers service after the sale

Hal Leventhal has run Bicycle World in Belleville for 20 years. Despite the competition from big box stores, he said business has never been better. While others have moved away, Leventhal wants to keep his business in Belleville's west end. He recently sat down with Belleville News-Democrat reporter Scott Wuerz to talk about his plans. You can read about it here:

Belleville News-Democrat | 01/09/2006 | Bicycle shop offers service after the sale

Roger 0 comments 2:02 PM

Monday, January 09, 2006

On turning 45

Today is my 45th birthday. Some people consider 45 a milestone, the sure sign that a person is in middle age. But I only think of birthdays such as 40 or 50 as milestones.

Because I have to work today, my family celebrated my birthday yesterday by having lunch at Red Lobster in Alton and a small gathering at my sister's house. I got the book "Three Nights in August" and DVDs of the first season of the "The Andy Griffith Show." Griffith's classic TV show is a few months older than I am, but it's amazing how well the show has aged!

I also found out that my niece, Ani, made the pages of the Belleville News-Democrat's Sunday magazine. The Sunday magazine has a man-on-the-street feature each week, and this week's question was, "What makes you smile?" If you want to find out what makes my niece smile, you can find out here.

After the party, there was plenty of time to get out on my bike. With a record-setting high of 70 degrees, it would have been a crime not to be out on the bike. Unfortunately, unseasonably high temperatures in January also bring a lot of wind from the south or west, so I picked a route to minimize the effect of the wind. I took the Watershed Trail from Wanda to Edwardsville, took Main Street down to the Madison County Nature Trail, took that road to Old Chain of Rocks Road, turn north on Sand Road to Old Poag Road, then took Wanda Road back to the trailhead. Riding through downtown Edwardsville and riding the tree-lined Madison County Nature Trail down to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus helped minimize the headwind.

I did find out that I have a LOT of work to do to be ready for the 2006 cycling season. I need to spend a lot more time at the new YMCA facility in downtown Belleville, and I have no excuses not to go, given it is across the street from the News-Democrat. I would like my 45th year to be healthy one, and now is the time to start!

Roger 2 comments 11:58 AM

Sunday, January 08, 2006

It's illegal to act like a Stooge in Oregon

I was listening to the NPR show "Wait, Wait -- Don't Tell Me" when I heard an interesting reference to The Three Stooges.

Apparently, it is against the law to act like The Three Stooges in Oregon.The show made reference to case where a 15-year-old boy said pinching and twisting the nipple of a 13-year-old boy cost him a trip to juvenile court July 20, where he was sentenced to three days of community service, a $67 fine and a misdemeanor record for harassment.

According to an article in the Mail-Tribune of Medford, Ore., Jackson County juvenile prosecutor Ken Chapman says ORS 166.065 defines physical harassment as "offensive physical touching." That includes such adolescent assaults as "wet-willies," "wedgies," "swirlies," "noogies," David’s "titty-twister" — and all other forms of adolescent "Three Stooges" behavior.

Don't worry. The folks at "Wait, Wait -- Don't Tell Me" assure us that it is legal to watch the Stooges in Oregon. Just don't be tempted to give anyone a poke in the eyes or a slap to the face when you're in Oregon, especially if you're a kid.

And thank goodness it's legal to have a bicycle ride dedicated to the Stooges in Illinois!

Roger 0 comments 2:35 AM

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Winter bikers defy weather

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

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

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

To fully understand the phenomenon, AP reporter Patrick Condon decided to try it for himself.

"I've lived in Minnesota the majority of my life but never had I steered a bicycle across ice-covered streets," Condon wrote. "I viewed those who did as at least a little insane. Until I gained a fresh perspective."

After reading the story, you can visit these Web sites:

Home of the Winter Cyclist: http://www.icebike.org/
Bike Winter: http://www.bikewinter.org/main.php

Roger 0 comments 7:32 PM

Friday, January 06, 2006

Attention all Illinois governments!

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is in the midst of its annual call for projects, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation reports. Bike Path Program and Recreational Trails Program submittals are due March 1. The Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program assists eligible units of government acquire, construct, and rehabilitate public, non-motorized bicycle paths and directly related support facilities. Grants are available to any local government agency having statutory authority to acquire and develop land for public bicycle path purposes.

The link above will give you some more information about the program, including links to the trail grants programs manual.

Roger 0 comments 7:14 PM

Super Smokers BBQ shuts down

It's a sad day for barbecue fans in St. Louis. The St. Louis Post- Dispatch reports today that the Super Smokers BBQ chain of restaurants in the St. Louis area, including O'Fallon, Ill., has closed down.

Super Smokers was known for its great variety of sauces and the delicious dry rub of spices it put on its beef and pork. It most definitely will be missed.

Fortunately, I have a bottle of the Super Smokers St. Louis Style sauce in my kitchen cabinets, so I will be ready to go when barbecue season resumes in earnest, which also happens to be time when cycling season resumes in earnest!

At least there are good barbecue options near me, including Big Mama's Barbecue and Pigs-in-a-Poke Barbecue, both in Belleville.

Roger 0 comments 3:36 AM

Turning a trestle into a bike trail

The Great Rivers Greenway District, the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails known as The River Ring, has acquired a two mile stretch of an abandoned rail corridor from the Mississippi River to downtown St. Louis.

The corridor, which includes a historic steel trestle, will be developed by the Great Rivers Greenway District into a biking and pedestrian route, connecting densely populated neighborhoods north of downtown to the McKinley Bridge Bikeway and the Branch Street Trestle Connector, as well as the popular Riverfront Trail along the Mississippi River.

The proposal would put St. Louis right up there with New York City and Paris in converting an elevated rail deck into a linear urban recreation area.

According to David Fisher, executive director of the Great Rivers Greenway District, the elevated rail deck winds through industrial areas, over Interstate 70 into downtown St. Louis. “The route will be a wonderful interpretive and historical experience, as well as an opportunity to enjoy the many unique views of the urban landscape of north St. Louis,” said Fisher.

To see the full press release from the district, see this file:
Ironhorse Trestle Final 12.29.05.pdf

Roger 0 comments 3:22 AM

Sunday, January 01, 2006

St. Charles County is prime cycling spot

St. Charles County, Mo., is becoming THE cycling mecca for off-road cyclists, or at least that's what the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting today.

John Donjoian, founder of Gateway Off-Road Cycling, is pleased by the expansion, the Post-Dispatch reports. He said mountain bikers from throughout the Midwest are discovering the trails that lace many of St. Charles County's wooded hillsides.

As for me, I'm off to the cycling mecca for road cyclists, Madison County, Ill., to do some of the trails around Edwardsville.

Being able to go on a comfortable bike ride on New Year's Day does a lot to lift the spirits. I wish I could enjoy cold-weather cycling as Jill Homer does up in Alaska, but residual effects from my childhood asthma makes riding in temperatures below 40 degrees really uncomfortable for my lungs.

Happy New Year one and all, and I hope you're in a place where you can ride your bike outside to start the year on the right track!

Roger 0 comments 1:11 PM