Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge break-ins

If you're planning to do some biking, walking or viewing of bald eagles on the historic Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River, don't plan on parking on the Missouri side of the river -- at least for now.

Trailnet -- the St. Louis nonprofit agency that leases the bridge from the city of Madison, Ill., and operates the bridge -- announced Monday that the St. Louis parking lot has been closed.

In Sunday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "On Your Side" columnist Matthew Hathaway reported on the rash of vandalism and car thefts at the Missouri parking lot. Here's the first three paragraphs of the column:

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge may be the best place in town to take in stunning views of the Mississippi River. Last month, the National Park Service agreed and listed the 78-year-old span on the National Register of Historic Places.

Pity is that it's hard to take in the vistas midway over the 5,353-foot-long pedestrian bridge while keeping an eye on your car parked on the Missouri side. There is no security there and, not surprisingly, break-ins are common. It's so bad that St. Louis police posted signs warning visitors to keep valuables locked in their trunks.

Petty criminals may not be the brightest of the bunch, but they often are literate. And, usually, they know that most trunks can be opened from the inside, once you smash through the driver's side window.

The column goes on to describe a St. Louis County family's recent experience on the bridge, in which a thief broke into the car, popped the trunk and stole two purses. One of the women told the Post-Dispatch that the break-in was the fifth one reported that day.

On Monday, Trailnet Executive Director Ann Rivers Mack responded to the Post-Dispatch article. Here's the text of that response:

TO: Post Dispatch Editorial Staff
We at Trailnet value the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge as a tremendous asset to our region. We have invested significant capital into making Bridge improvements and are also invested in ensuring parking safety. We are extremely frustrated with the difficulties in addressing car break-ins at the Bridge.

Over the last six months, we have taken a number of steps to address parking including a three-season parking attendant (at a significant loss to Trailnet); warnings on our website; alerting 4,000+ e-Newsletter subscribers; and additional warning signs installed at the Bridge. Vandalism none-the-less continues and we are working on a long-term plan.

Currently, we are in discussions with Madison, IL and St. Louis Police and have closed the Missouri parking lot. The bridge continues to be open daily to walkers and cyclists.

Trailnet does not have the resources to continue to manage this community asset without long-term partners. In 2006, public funds represented less than 12% of our total budget. Given that Trailnet does not own the Bridge or parking lot, Bridge management plans include increasing regional stakeholder investment. These investments will better assure that the Bridge functions as a sustainable, safe and enjoyable venue for years to come.

We will update our website regularly on monitored parking and Bridge management plans.

Hathaway wrote a column about Trailnet's response in today's Post-Dispatch with the headline "Old Chain of Rocks Bridge: Odd solution." Hathaway is skeptical about Trailnet's temporary solution:

Trailnet is in the business of building trails and promoting walking and cycling. It isn't an anti-crime group. Still, Trailnet's solution to the break-ins seems hopelessly naive.

People willing to smash a car window may not be morally squeamish about mugging pedestrians and cyclists on the Missouri approach to the bridge — especially if a closed parking lot means fewer people will visit the bridge and those who do will be more vulnerable.

The Illinois lot for the bridge remains open. To get there from Missouri, take Interstate 270 across the Mississippi and the Chain of Rocks canal to Illinois Route 3 (Exit 3A). Take Route 3 south to Chain of Rocks Road. Turn right on Chain of Rocks Road, and cross the canal bridge. The road dead-ends at the parking lot for the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

You may be wondering why the city of Madison, Ill., is involved in the bridge. The bridge was built in 1929 as a toll bridge and purchased by the city in 1939. The city operated it as a toll bridge until 1968, and it once carried historic Route 66 over the river. The Road Wanderer Web site gives a pretty good overview of the bridge.

Labels: cycling, hiking, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, safety, Trailnet, trails

Roger 1 comments 10:04 AM

Cyclists like safety push in bill

This topic -- the effort by California cyclists to get state lawmakers to pass a bill that would require motorists to give cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance while passing cyclists -- normally belongs to the expertise of Fritz's Cycle-licious blog.

But the reason I noticed this front page today was that a copy of it was hanging in the Belleville News-Democrat's newsroom. We're looking at front pages from throughout the country to get ideas for refining the look of our paper.

(For you newspaper junkies out there, there are slight similarities between the look of the San Jose Mercury-News and the News-Democrat already. That's because the same person, master newspaper designer Deborah Withey, led the redesigns of both newspapers several years ago. The newspapers share a common tie, the GriffithGothic family of fonts.)

As you can see, the Monday edition of the Mercury-News has a graphic illustrating what the law means. Just click on the image to see the front page in more detail (PDF file), and then you can read the full story.

Several states have approved similar laws to what is being proposed in California, but the bill faces stiff opposition.

Opponents, including the Teamsters Union, worry that drivers forced to swerve around cyclists would place themselves on a collision course with oncoming traffic, especially on narrow roads.

"The bill puts drivers, particularly commercial drivers, in a very difficult place since you're expected to keep a certain distance from bicyclists, and bicyclists are not required to keep a certain distance from you,'' Barry Broad, a lobbyist for the California Teamsters Public Affairs Council, told the Mercury-News.

Labels: cycling, newspapers, safety

Roger 3 comments 12:53 AM

Monday, January 29, 2007

Updated bicycle safety video

Earlier today, I posted a vintage bicycle film from 1950. Below is an up-to-date bicycle safety video recently produced by the League of American Bicyclists and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's not quite as much fun as the 1950 classic "Bicycle Safety," but it has lots of useful tips for you.

Labels: cycling, safety

Roger 1 comments 12:21 PM

Bicycle Safety (1950)

Young America Films, a subsidiary of the Centron Corp. of Lawrence, Kan., created this bicycle education film, simply titled "Bicycle Safety," back in 1950. While you might get a chuckle or two from some of the scenes, many of the lessons taught by this film remain valid 57 years later.

If you have about 10 minutes to spare, enjoy today's feature presentation:

Labels: cycling, humor, safety

Roger 0 comments 1:01 AM

Bicycle Repair Man!

I'm still in the bicycle humor mode, so to honor all the men and women who keep our bikes in tip-top shape, here's some vintage stuff from Monty Python:

Labels: cycling, humor

Roger 0 comments 12:19 AM

Saturday, January 27, 2007

A bicycle can't stand alone....

Let me share with you some bicycle-related humor that I've received recently from various e-mail sources.

The first comes from a cycling friend, Tracy, who shared a list of puns. Some of them are rather punishing, including this one:

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

The second recently was sent to members of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's mailing list:

Two engineering students were walking across campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want.'"

The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."

The final one comes from a long-time Cursillo friend, Milt. Here goes:

A woman named Jill stood up at her church's Testimony Meeting, or as some churches call it, "Cry Sunday," one Sunday morning, took the microphone from one of the church ushers and bared her soul to the enrapt congregation:

"I want to tell you about the awful accident that my husband, Jim, has suffered this past month. He was riding his bike, lost control, ran off the highway and hit a tree. He was rushed to the hospital and could have died, but thank the Lord, all he suffered was a broken scrotum."

The congregation gasped in horror. The men in the congregation were obviously uneasy and writhed in their seats.

"Jim has been in terrible pain all month since the accident. He has trouble breathing. He has trouble swallowing his food. He can hardly lift anything, he's in so much pain, and he has missed work because of it. He can't lift our children up to hold them and give them the personal love that they need. Worst of all, we can no longer cuddle and have intimate relations. He is in constant pain, a pain so terrible that our love life has all but slipped away into oblivion. I would like to ask you all in the congregation to pray for Jim, and pray for us, that his broken scrotum will soon heal and be as good as new."

A dull murmur erupted within the congregation as the full impact of this terrible accident sunk in, and the men in the congregation were visibly shaken up with the thought that, "there but for the grace of God go I."

Then, as the murmuring settled down, a lone figure stood up in midst of the congregation, worked his way up to the pulpit, obviously in pain, adjusted the microphone to his liking, then leaned over and said to the congregation:

"My name is Jim, and I have only one word for my wife, Jill. That word is: STERNUM!"

I invite you to share your bicycling humor in the comments below. All that I ask is that you keep it reasonably clean!

Labels: cycling, humor

Roger 2 comments 12:59 PM

Friday, January 26, 2007

Busy, busy, busy

The Tour de Stooges and the Tour de Grape are more than three months away, the Tour de Belleville is about six months away, and the Tour de Coal ride is about eight months away. But I haven't written much here because of planning and other projects related to those three rides.

Because of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's Bike Swap Meet on Sunday at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Ill., I had to pick up the pace on getting the brochure on Tour de Stooges ready to go. I normally don't print those until late February or early March, but the meet and the deep discounts we're offering for early registration have forced me to get them printed this week.

The swap meet also forced me to attempt to fix the problem with the mailing list for the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society so I can get the word out about the meet and upcoming events. I had to download an update to the Dada Mail program we use to send the newsletters, and as far as I'm aware, just about everyone received it.

I will be spending all day at the Tour de Grape booth at the meet. I have to work solo because the rest of the ride main organizers will be recovering from HavenHouse St. Louis' annual HopeFest auction that raises money for the group, which provides lodging for the families of children receiving treatment at St. Louis-area hospitals. Meanwhile, Gateway Council of Hostelling International-USA Executive Director Mark Cockson and hardy volunteers will be giving out information about that group's great rides, including Tour de Stooges and Cycle Across Missouri.

From what I understand, some people over at STLBikeFed were a little concerned about having the event in Illinois instead of Missouri. I don't think that's a big worry. People from Missouri are used to coming to Illinois for weekend bicycle rides, and it's not that difficult to drive from downtown St. Louis to Collinsville. I'm certain the Gateway Center will be a much nicer venue for the event than the previous sites, and it will help build the visibility of STLBikeFed on this side of the river.

On Monday and Tuesday, I met with organizers of Tour de Belleville and Tour de Coal.

This year's Tour de Belleville will be Friday, July 13, and will feature routes of 7 and 14. Money raised from the event will be used to purchase emergency phones for the Richland Creek Greenway/MetroLink Trail. Last year was the first year for the event, and it drew about 500 cyclists.

Tour de Coal, also in its second year, will be Saturday, Sept. 22, in Benld, Ill. Organizers were encouraged by the turnout on a cool, cloudy day, and they're expecting a nice turnout for the event. Tour de Coal features routes of 15, 30 and 63 through the flat-to-rolling rural scenery of southern Macoupin County.

Here's hoping next week I have more time to spend on the indoor trainer!

Labels: cycling, Gateway Council of Hostelling International, Illinois, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, Tour de Coal, Tour de Grape, Tour de Stooges

Roger 1 comments 12:20 AM

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Route 66 Trail-Breaking

The League of Illinois Bicyclists is inviting you to be a part of history on National Trails Day 2007, which will be Saturday, June 2. Bicyclists and other "trail-breakers" will traverse the entire 369 miles of Illinois' new Route 66 Trail, a route of quieter roads and trails showing off the best of the old "Mother Road".

Bicyclists and other users will each ride one of 13 legs of the Route 66 Trail, simultaneously covering the entire distance of the route. They will converge at six different Route 66 towns, where ceremonies will be held at noon.

The following communities will be hosting ceremonies: Edwardsville, Staunton, Springfield, Bloomington, Pontiac and Joliet.

The ride is free, but you need to register to get a packet of information and a T-shirt for the event.

You can view the route on these PDF files:
North-to-South
South-to North

Speaking of LIB, the organization is selling Illinois Pedal Power jerseys, and they appear to be a fine addition for any Illinois cyclist's wardrobe. They come in sizes ranging from XS to XXXL. Including postage, the cost of the jersey is $63.05 for LIB members and $69.05 for non-members. To order the jersey, just download this PDF order form, fill it out and send it to LIB.

Also, LIB once again is offering its National Bicycle Month plate for Illinois motorists. The plates are approved for use by the Illinois Secretary of State's office for use during the months of April and May in place of your normal Illinois plates. The plates are $28 and can be order by downloading this PDF form, filling it out and sending it and a copy of your Illinois vehicle registration to LIB.

LIB has done a lot in recent years to promote cycling in the state. LIB received funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation to produce a video on motorist-cyclist safety. Copies of the video have been distributed to 900 high school and private driving education programs and to more than 900 police and sheriff's departments. LIB also has been active in cycling advocacy issues, including the effort to make cyclists intended, rather than permitted, users of Illinois roads.

Labels: cycling, League of Illinois Cyclists, Route 66, trails

Roger 0 comments 2:13 PM

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Bicycle Swap Meet coming Jan. 28

The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation is putting on its 5th annual Bicycle Swap Meet & Classic Bike Show on Sunday, Jan, 28, at the Gateway Center, 1 Gateway Drive in Collinsville, Ill.

The event will take place from noon to 3:30 p.m. Admission to the event is $5.50. The STLBikeFed also is offering a Early Bird Special for $10.50, which allows you in the building at 10:30 a.m. so you pick out your dream bike.

For full details about the event, click on the image at left to download a PDF flier, but here's a quick rundown on what you can expect:

>> Bike vendors of all types selling their wares at great prices.

>> A classic bike show featuring Stingray, balloon-tire and middleweight bikes.

>> Entertainment, including the St. Louis Arches youth circus troupe.

I'll be there, but it will be a work day for me. I will be busy promoting the Tour de Stooges and Tour de Grape. Hope to see you there!

Labels: bicycles, cycling, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 2 comments 2:42 PM

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Man sets world record on stationary bike

A 49-year-old man from Aurora, Ill., has set a world record for riding a stationary bike.

The Associated Press reports that George Hood has ridden a stationary bike for 85 hours, breaking the record set last year by Brian Overkaer of Denmark. Hood began his quest at 4 a.m. Wednesday at the Five Seasons Sports Club in Burr Ridge, a Chicago suburb, and stopped shortly before midnight Saturday.

George is raising money for the Illinois chapter of COPS, which helps the families of slain police officers.

I hope George is an inspiration to those of us -- including me -- who get bored after 40 minutes on a stationary bike!

Labels: Illinois, stationary bike

Roger 0 comments 10:47 PM

Friday, January 12, 2007

Illini 4000 for Cancer

UPDATE:

Illini 4000 for Cancer, a group of 25 University of Illinois students, is planning to bicycle more than 4,000 miles this summer to raise $100,000 for the American Cancer Society Research Fund and Camp Kesem at the University of Illinois, a camp for children who are coping with cancer or who have a parent who has died from cancer.

The students plan to start their ride in New York City and wind up in San Diego. Their effort already has drawn attention from The Associated Press, which distributed a story in late December about Illinois 4000 for Cancer.

The ride is open to students and recent graduates from colleges throughout the United States. Cyclists can sign up for the event here: http://www.illini4000.org/apply.html. The deadline for signing up is Feb. 5.

If you would like to make a monetary contribution to support the cause, you can make donation via PayPal at the group's Web site or you can write a check payable to "The Illini 4000". Checks can be mailed to

The Illini 4000
URH 170, 1005 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801

Labels: cycling, Illinois, tours

Roger 0 comments 1:53 PM

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Technology: friend or foe?

Generally, I'm a big fan of computer technology, but there are times when it makes me want to pull my hair out. (And fortunately, despite turning 46 yesterday, I still have plenty of it to pull out!)

The case in point: Trying to get the word out about the change of location for the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's Meet 'n' Eat.

When we made arrangements several months ago, we were not aware of Old Spaghetti Factory's plans to close its restaurant at Laclede's Landing in St. Louis for remodeling. One of our members, Paul Skeans, let us know the he heard about the plans just days before the Meet 'n' Eat, and we moved quickly to find an alternative.

We made an effort to get the word out by updating the group's Web site and sending updated information to the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's online calendar. I also posted a notice on this blog because I know many of our group's members regularly read this site.

We also tried to get the word out via e-mail, and that's where the problems took place. Glitches still remain with our new newsletter program, so many people did not get our recent newsletters. When we tried to get the word out with our old system, the Web site's server would not allow two of our three batches to go out.

I understand why Internet providers and companies that host Web site put restrictions on how many e-mails can be sent at a time, and it's because of the spam that clogs our inboxes. Unfortunately, it makes it more difficult for people or organizations that don't have the resources for elaborate e-mail programs to get the word out.

If anyone didn't get the message and showed up at the Old Spaghetti Factory, I apologize for the problem in getting the word out. I hope to have the problem fixed before we send out our next newsletter.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, computers, technology

Roger 1 comments 9:36 PM

Monday, January 08, 2007

New location for BABES Meet 'n' Eat

For those of you who were planning to attend the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's Meet 'n' Jan. 10, we have some important news for you:

We have moved the event from the Old Spaghetti Factory on Laclede's Landing in St. Louis to Mariachi's at 400 S. Illinois St. in Belleville. We were forced to moved the event because Old Spaghetti Factory is closed for renovations until the end of the month.

The time of the event remains 6:30 p.m. If you know anyone who was planning to attend the Meet 'n' Eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory, please let them know about the new location.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society

Roger 0 comments 2:08 PM

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Bikeless in Belleville

As of this afternoon, I am bikeless in Belleville. Fortunately, this is a temporary situation.

My mountain bike is in the shop because my rear wheel needs to be replaced. I've been popping way too many spokes, a big reason I don't ride the mountain bike more than I do, so I'm getting a stronger rim and all-new spokes. At the same time, my road bike is in the shop for its winter tuneup.

Since my third bike is currently in the hand of my nephew, Julius Parod, I do not have a bike at my humble Belleville home. I'm not too concerned because the weather is likely to turn colder next week, and my week will be full with work and events related to the 46th anniversary of my birth.

Speaking of my nephew, he's likely to outgrow my old bike in the near future. He's already almost as tall as I am (6-foot-1), and I wouldn't be surprised if he's taller than me by Easter. Since he's only 16, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a few more inches left to go.

Labels: Belleville, cycling

Roger 0 comments 6:58 PM

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Tour de Stooges registration open!

Yes, I am aware that the Tour de Stooges is four months away -- May 5, to be precise -- but registration for the event is now open!

It's worth your while to sign up for the ride in advance. You can save up to $10 off the cost of the ride if you sign up before April 1 and up to $5 off if you sign up between April 1 and May 4. In addition, you get $5 off the cost of your T-shirt if you order before April 1. Once again, you can sign up online through the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's online store or by downloading our PDF registration form, both accessible through the ride's registration page.

All-U, which created an original design for our T-shirt last year, will do so again this year. This will be a special version of the shirt because 2007 is the 10th anniversary of Tour de Stooges. We also plan to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of St. Louis-native Joe Besser, the only Stooge who wasn't born on the East Coast.

We are planning plenty of new surprises in 2007, including an awards presentation to honor people who given countless hours over the years to make the ride the success it has been.

We hope to see you in May at McKendree College in Lebanon, Ill., for a fun day of cycling.

Labels: cycling, Tour de Stooges

Roger 0 comments 7:00 PM

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Happy New Year!

OK, I'm a day late in wishing all of you a Happy New Year, but it is a heartfelt wish nevertheless.

I spent most of the day trying to fight off a cold I have and laying the groundwork for the redesign of this Web site. I managed to design a template for most of the inside pages of the site, and it shouldn't take much time to convert the tour accounts to the new style.

Updating the template for the blog page and the home page will take a little more time because I will have to make some adjustments. For example, I will have to find a way to present the RSS feed and blog links that are on the right side of the page. I also need to design the new front page to make more visually appealing.

I was happy with the design of the site when I first did it in 2001, but it is out of date. Here's what I hope to accomplish with the redesign:

• Reflect the fact the site, particularly the blog page, has grown beyond bicycle tours.
• Present the information in a CSS-based design that will download more quickly.
• Improve the navigation among the pages.

At this stage, I probably won't publish the full account of the BubbaFest ride until I upload the new pages.

Roger 0 comments 2:00 PM