As one of the organizers of the Tour de Coal ride (Sept. 26 in Benld, Ill.), we had a couple of big decisions to make today.
The home base of the ride for its first three years, the 7-year-old Benld Elementary School, was recently condemned because of massive subsidence caused by one of the 30 former coal mines that surrounds the community.
The first decision was whether to do the ride in 2009. We unanimously decided the ride should go on!
That made the second major decision easier: where to base the ride. Coal Country Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mickey Robinson was already on top of that one. He had contacted civic leaders and gotten permission to use the Benld Civic Center, 200 E. Central Ave., so the ride is definitely on!
We hope the Tour de Coal will serve as a rallying point for the community. The Gillespie-Benld area has taken its share of hard knocks in recent years, with the devastation at the school the latest one. How bad is the damage at the school? Paul Skeans, the superintedent of the Gillespie School District and a key organizer of the ride, said a portion of the school's floor has fallen about 28 inches.
The school district will need a lot of help from the state and federal governments to find a temporary solution and to build a new school. I'm pulling for the community that solutions can be found.Labels: Tour de Coal
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For many, many years, cyclists and runners who used the 7.5-mile Forest Park Bike Trail in St. Louis had to navigate a hazardous intersection at Hampton Avenue to travel around the city's crown jewel park.
Those days are over. As part of the Interstate 64/U.S. 40 reconstruction project, a tunnel has been built so cyclists and runners can go beneath Hampton Avenue. The tunnel opened Tuesday, St. Louis Post-Dispatch transportation writer Elisa Crouch wrote in her Along for the Ride blog. You can see a photo of the tunnel there.
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I'm starting to get geared up for the Tour de Stooges. My house is cluttered with water jugs, tire pumps, first aid kits and two cases of spray paint. Early next week, food will be added to the piles of supplies,
We're expecting another nice crowd on Saturday, May 2, at Lindendale Park in Highland, Ill., for the 12th running of the Tour de Stooges. We hope you can join us this year on one of our five routes -- 15, 22, 31, 42 and 64 miles -- and for lunch and all the slapstick comedy you can stand.
Two pre-registration deadlines are fast approaching. For those of you who want to register by mail, you needed to get your forms filled out and in the mail by Friday (April 24). For those of you who want to register online, the deadline is noon April 29.
The cost of the ride is $30 for adults and $20 for children 5-12. If you pre-register for the ride, we'll throw in the T-shirt pictured above. Click on the picture to see a bigger image of the shirt.
If you wait until the day of the ride, the cost of the ride remains the same, but you'll have to buy the shirt separately for $20. It's definitely worth your while to pre-register for the event!
I'm sure many of you are waiting to see what the forecast is for May 2 to commit yourselves. If you were on last year's ride, you'll definitely remember the west wind that blew 15 to 25 mph all day long. We hope the day's a bit calmer so everyone will enjoy the ride!Labels: Tour de Stooges
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The Missouri Bicycle Federation is tooting its horn about the strides the city of Columbia, Mo., has made as a cycling and pedestrian and for good reason.
MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh noted over on the organization's Web site these facts:In a note to MoBikeFed members, Brent noted, "That's above the latest figures from Portland, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and comparable or even higher
- Single-occupant vehicle trips to work and school have dropped by 15% in a single year.
- Bicycle trips more than doubled--increasing from 3.4% to 8.7% of all work/school trips. (Nationally about 0.5% of commute trips are by bicycle.)
than the latest figures I can find for cities like Madison, Wis., and Berkeley, Calif."
GetAbout Columbia program gets much of the credit for promoting bicycling and walking as transportation in the community, home of the main campus of the University of Missouri. You can read more about Columbia's strides at MoBikeFed's Web site.Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri
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In its short history, the Tour de WingHaven has gained a reputation as a top Midwestern single-day race, and USA Cycling has solidified the race's status by putting it on its 2009 National Racing Calendar.
This year's event will be Sunday, June 21, in O'Fallon, Mo., and it's the only Missouri race on the 31-event National Racing Calendar. Racing will begin at 8 a.m. for Cat 4/5 racers, and the event culminates with the 84-mile men's pro race. The course is a 3-mile closed loop through WingHaven, which bills itself as a 1,200-acre residential and commercial community in O'Fallon.
McEagle Properties, which created WingHaven, is the presenting sponsor of the event. Here's what Chris McKee, McEagle's president, has to say about the event:"As the developer of the WingHaven community, McEagle is excited to have the opportunity to bring a top level, national caliber, professional sporting event to the community. This event will not only showcase our developing community along with promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, but will also provide a family-friendly and free to the public European-style event to WingHaven, the city of O'Fallon, and surrounding areas. What a great way to spend Father's Day with your family!"Last year's winner, Dan Holloway, now races for the professional Garmin-Slipstream U23 cycling team. The Tour de WingHaven began in 2006.Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing
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I've always liked The Amazing Race more than any other reality show on TV, and host Phil Keoghan has given me another reason to enjoy the show.
Phil is in the midst of a bicycle journey across America. Phil is riding to raise money for the National MS Society, and you can donate money to the cause through his site.
Phil has made his way into Nebraska and is riding today between Holdrege and Sutton. He will ride through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio on his way to his final destination, New York, where he's expected to ride May 9. His journey began March 28 in Los Angeles.
Phil is doing a video blog of his journey, and you can view it here.
You actually can ride with Keoghan if you want, but you have to sign a waiver to do so. Here's the starting points for Midwestern cities:Labels: bicycle rides, television
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Last week, I wrote about Zack Colman's anti-bicyclist column in The State News, the student newspaper of Michigan State University. Today, I point out a rebuttal column by State News copy editor Scott Myers that was published Monday.
Myers' column is written in the same style as Colman's original column. For example, here's the opening salvo:White 2009 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno.Not surprisingly, Myers' column got a lot of praise from the cycling community, at least judging by the comments. It also got a lot of comments from the anti-cyclist crowd, complete with the stereotype that all cyclists disobey traffic laws because a few do. While some cyclists do disobey traffic laws, so do some motorists.
That’s the bike I ride — and if you’re a motorist on the road and plan on running me over, I hope you have a good lawyer, because I might sue you.Intentionally.
Because you see, with all these dangerously inattentive motorists on the road nowadays, doing things like changing songs on their iPods, sending text messages while driving or falling asleep because they can’t get enough sleep to function on the same schedule as 90 percent of the rest of the world, I’m tired of getting run over.
And, considering I’m exactly where I should be, I’ll win the case.
As for the original Colman column, word about the column has spread far and wide. The League of American Bicyclists even has included Colman's column in its Trash Talk feature. "In what we can only hope is a sorry attempt at satire, the author says that bicyclists should get off the road. If they’re not in bike lanes or on sidewalks, Colman promotes distracted drivers running over bicyclists with “big, people-killing cars” to show who rules the road," LAB pointed out.Labels: advocacy, Michigan, newspapers, safety
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In December, St. Louis County enacted a law effective countywide that requires children 16 and under wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, a scooter, roller skates, roller blades or a skateboard.
But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday that only two citations have been given out since the law went in effect. A reporter's survey of the St. Louis County communities of Kirkwood, Maplewood and Maryland Heights indicates that many police departments are unaware that the law applies to their communities.
A couple of departments questioned the practically of enforcing the ordinance. Here's one example:
"Is it practical to enforce if you come across three or four kids out riding bikes without helmets?" Maryland Heights Police Chief Tom O'Connor told the Post-Dispatch. "What the hell do you do, confiscate their bikes and then drive them all home to tell their parents? It ought to be the parents' responsibility in the first place."
The helmet law does not affect the city of St. Louis because the city is a separate entity from St. Louis County.Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri, safety
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Over in New Castle, Ind., Curtis A. Cross, has been accused of biting off a chunk of cyclist Jeffrey H. Guffey's ear on April 1.
The Star-Press of Muncie, Ind., reported that Guffey told police he shouted at a driver of a sport utility vehicle, "Slow down, there are kids out there!"
The SUV driver -- later identified as Cross -- pulled to the side of the street and got out of his vehicle, telling Guffey he "wasn't going to talk to him like that," according to a police report.
Guffey said he told the driver, "I'm just asking you to slow down. I don't want trouble, but there are kids out."
The man hit Guffey in the face, then "took him to the ground, where he struck him some more with his hands, then bit off his ear," city patrolman M. Chase Hightower said in a police report. "Guffey stated the man then got up and spit his ear out at him."
New Castle Police Chief James Nicholson said "a good chunk" of Guffey's left ear was torn off. Guffey was treated at a hospital. Cross has been charged with one count of battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
Here's a video from WISH-TV in Indianapolis about the incident:Labels: bicycling, crime, Indiana
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I'll give Zack Colman credit for one thing. At least he has the courage to put his name and photo to asinine comments about bicycling.
Unlike most of the clowns who post comments anonymously or under fake names on newspaper articles about bicycling, Colman didn't hide his identity in a recent column that appears in the State News, the student newspaper for Michigan State University. Here's what he said about bicyclists:Black 2001 Saturn SC2. That’s the car I drive — and if you’re a bicyclist on the road but not in a bike path and you see my car, I hope you’re wearing a helmet, because I might run you over.Not surprisingly, the column has drawn a lot of comments. Mary Dougherty of the League of Michigan Bicyclists is urging people to e-mail Colman and set him straight.
Maybe not intentionally.
But you see, with all these things I can do in my car nowadays, such as choose a different song on my iPod, send a text message while driving or fall asleep at the wheel because I had to wake up for a worthless 8 a.m. biology lab, I might not notice you.
And, considering you are where you should not be, I might hit you.
In the column, Colman is under the mistaken idea that bicyclists should ride on sidewalks rather than streets, where they have a legal right to be in Michigan. In many Michigan communities, it's illegal to ride a bike on sidewalks. It's even illegal to ride bikes on sidewalks on Michigan State's East Lansing campus!
Here's another choice nugget from Colman's attempt at writing a column:Bicyclists on the road are a driving hazard to people in automobiles, since many bicyclists make turns without using hand signals and ride too close to other vehicles when there is no designated bike path.Some people have come to Colman's defense, saying that it was intended to be satire. If it was, it was a pretty poor attempt. I speak from experience. I once attempted satire while I was still a college student writing for the Southwestern Journal, a weekly in Brighton, Ill. I failed miserably. Satire is a difficult form of writing to master, and satire clearly isn't one of Colman's strong suits.
For example, I was driving to work Tuesday when a bicyclist pulled up in front of my car in the right lane on Farm Lane going northbound where it intersects with Shaw Lane. There is no bike path at this portion of the road, and I needed to be in the right lane to avoid the left turn only lane, but the bicyclist was in the way.
Some will say I could be more patient on the road.
But roads are for cars, not bicyclists. The bicyclist should not have been in the car lane.
I hope Colman learns from his mistake and grows up to be a responsible columnist.Labels: advocacy, Michigan, newspapers, safety
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The other day when I was posting a reminder about registration for the Tour de Stooges (May 2 in Highland, Ill., by the way!) at the STLBiking.com forums, I saw this interesting ride on Memorial Day weekend on the Katy Trail.
Off Track Events is billing the Pedaler's Jamboree as Missouri's first-ever bike powered music and camping festival. Cyclists will make a 75-mile round trip over two days, May 23-24 from Columbia to Boonville and back, on the Katy and MKT trails.
In addition to the easy riding on the trails, event organizers also are promising free music at various stops along the trails, free entry to a beer garden in Boonville to listen to music, free pickup and drop off at gear at Boonville and rewards for self-contained cycling.
The cost of the ride? $30 if you sign up by May 16 and $35 if you procrastinate. Children 11-16 are half-price, and children 10 or younger are free. It will cost you an additional $10 to camp in Boonville, and there are hotels available in Boonville if you'd rather not camp.
Big Smith, a Springfield, Mo.-based band with a large following in the Midwest, will be the headline performer May 23 in Boonville. Below is a sample of Big Smith's music:Labels: bicycle rides, Katy Trail, Missouri
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On his new show "Stuff Happens" on the Planet Green cable network, Bill Nye the Science Guy has reopened the debate about whether bicycling actually is bad for the environment. One of my friends from the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society, Thomas Carter, has this to say about a recent episode of the show:"Well, the other day the show was based on things in garages. And where doThe study Nye speaks was written by Karl T. Ulrich of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and it's titled "The Environment Paradox of Bicycling" (PDF file). In short, the study suggests there is an immediate energy savings by bicycle riding, since a cyclist is up to nine times more energy efficient than a single-occupant car. However, the study suggests cyclists increase their longevity by 10.6 days for every year of cycling. Because of that, they consume more energy over their lifetimes, thus doing more harm to the environment.
most people store their bikes, but in a garage. So. ...
He also mentions an amusing University of Pennsylvania study that claims
people who ride bicycles on a regular basis were actually harming the
environment. This is because bicyclists live longer, and by doing so they
are around to consume more and produce more waste.
Okay... bad idea or what."
Back in 2006, several media outlets wrote about the study, including NPR, Mongabay.com, the New York Times and Salon.
It should be noted that some of those media sources also describe Ulrich as an avid cyclist and that he admits, "Those who adopt the bicycle as a means of transportation could potentially develop an increased awareness of the environmental impact of their actions and may over their lifetimes reduce energy consumption substantially in their other, non-transportation activities."
I don't know about you, but I'm going to keep on cycling!Labels: bicycling, television
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The city of Chicago is pulling out the stops in its bid to get the 2016 Summer Olympics. Luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Rodham Clinton are assisting Mayor Richard Daley with the technical presentation to the International Olympic Committee.
But that doesn't support for the Chicago bid is stopping at the Illinois state line. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's among the supporters for the Chicago. Should Chicago get the bid, Madison, Wis., would be the host city for most of the cycling events."Frankly, they needed to find some hills," Doyle said on the NBC Chicago Web site. "It is my understanding from the people who designed this course, that it would be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging course, in the history of the Olympics."
Chicago is known for lots of things -- everything from a world-class art museum to a major-league baseball team that hasn't won the World Series since 1908 -- but it's not known for its hills.
Yes, Illinois has some hilly areas, the northwestern corner of the state near Galena and deep Southern Illinois in Shawnee National Forest. Both areas, however, would be hard-pressed to be handle an Olympic competition and the huge crowds.
That's where Wisconsin fits in. Wisconsin definitely has the hills, and Madison is better equipped to handle large crowds than any other community in hilly sections of Wisconsin and Illinois.
In making his case for Wisconsin's ability to handle the cycling competition, Doyle cited Wisconsin's bike trails, high percentage of bicycle riders and the major bike manufacturers headquartered in the state, including Trek Bicycle Corp.
The Associated Press also reported that Doyle assured the IOC that the Madison area would be easily reachable from Chicago. He said a high-speed rail system that links Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison and the Twin Cities should be operating by 2016.
According to AP, the road race would start in Madison and finish at Blue Mound State Park, about 25 miles west of the city. The mountain bike course would be at Tyrol Basin, a popular ski and snowboard destination near the city of Mount Horeb west of Madison. The time trials would be in Madison.
Track races would be conducted at a permanent velodrome to be constructed in Chicago's Douglas Park, while BMX racing would take place at a temporary venue at Douglas Park. Douglas Park is in the city's west side, bordered by Roosevelt Road, California Avenue, 19th Street and Albany Avenue. Ogden Avenue -- once part of historic Route 66 -- goes through the park.
By the way, St. Louis is part of Chicago's proposal, but not for cycling. Preliminary Olympic soccer matches would be held at the Edward Jones Dome if Chicago gets the bid.
Labels: Chicago, Illinois, Olympics, Wisconsin
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I was disappointed -- but not surprised -- to learn that Cannondale bikes no longer will be produced in the United States.
I have been a loyal Cannondale rider since 1985 because I've found Cannondale's stiff aluminum frames best suited to my cycling style. The fact that both of the Cannondales I've purchased were made in the United States was an added bonus.
According to a press release from Cannondale's new owners, Dorel Industries, the company will cease to make bicycles at its Bethel, Conn., facility. The Bike Biz blog noted that all but the lower-end bikes have been made outside the United States for some time, but all manufacturing will cease at Bethel in 2010.
Instead, Bethel will be part of Dorel's "Worldwide Centers of Excellence" and will serve as global headquarters and innovation center for high-end and enthusiast bicycles for Cannondale, Schwinn, GT and Mongoose.
Dorel also plans to switch its Bedford, Pa., facility to a bicycling testing facility and an site for inside sales and service, and customer service.
In typical public-relations speak, Dorel tried to put the best spin on the fact 200 jobs will be lost in Bedford. "In shiftingBedford's operations away from bicycle frame manufacturing by 2010, CSG (Dorel's Cycling Sports Group, formerly the Cannondale Sports Group) will be able to take full advantage of the strengths and capabilities of the new Taichung,Taiwan -based Center of Excellence in manufacturing oversight, sourcing, testing and quality control. Therefore, headcount atBedford will be reduced from the current 300 employees to approximately 100 by the end of 2010.
The other Centers for Excellence are Basel, Switzerland (for high-end and enthusiast bicycles sold/marketed in Europe), Madison, Wis. (for global mass market products) and Vancouver, British Columbia, (for active lifestyle and urban apparel and footwear).Labels: bicycles, Cannondale
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Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday announced that work will begin later this month on linking the Kansas City area to the Katy Trail State Park, The Associated Press reports.The 46-mile Rock Island Trail-Katy Connector will run 42 miles from Pleasant Hill, 35 miles southeast of Kansas City, to Windsor, where it joins the main 225-mile trail.
That means that cyclists will be able to ride on a trail all the way from the Kansas City metro area to the St. Louis metro area, or vice versa. The trail now ends in St. Charles
The new trail is being paid for with $18 million from a settlement the state reached last year with St. Louis-based utility AmerenUE over the December 2005 collapse of the Taum Sauk reservoir in southeast Missouri, AP reported. Ameren also agreed to let the state use its easement along the old Rock Island railroad for the trail.
Brent Hugh, executive director of the Missouri Bicycle Federation, says the long-term goal is to tie the Katy Trail to other trail systems in Illinois and Nebraska. "We could literally be looking at an 800-mile network of trails through five states, and the Katy Trail is the backbone of it," he told AP.
Labels: Kansas City, Katy Trail, Missouri
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When AT&T customers start getting their new Real White Pages and Real Yellow Pages in the next few weeks, they'll be seeing the Tour of Missouri right on the front cover.
Tour of Missouri and AT&T have reached an agreement in which the Tour of Missouri is featured on the cover of the Real White Pages for the city of St. Louis and parts of St. Charles. The tour is also featured on four Real Yellow Pages suburban directories serving specific areas of St. Louis County.
Ravi Batheja, AT&T Advertising Solutions marketing manager, said in a press release: "We are pleased the Tour of Missouri is featured on the cover of our new AT&T Real Yellow Pages directory for this area. We always strive to make our directory covers special on the outside and tailor the contents inside our print directories and the online search options to best serve the needs of our communities. You can count on the AT&T Real Yellow Pages as your complete source of local information."
Steve Brunner, the Tour's marketing director and president of King of the Mountain Sports, the event’s marketing agency. said the inclusion on phone book covers in a first for a major cycling event. "To be on AT&T’s covers is a testament to a great partnership and promotion for this worldclass event. It's historic in nature," he said.Labels: Tour of Missouri
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I wasn't too surprised to see the Katy Trail made the list of 10 Great American Bike Trails recently published at Forbes Traveler and republished at USA Today. I rode the vast majority of the225-mile trail last summer from St. Charles, Mo., to Clinton, Mo., and it exceeded my expectations.
The article, written by Jeff Wallach, quotes Polly Mayberry of the Great Bicycle Trails Web site as saying: "As older riders, surface matters to us. We don’t want to ride a trail that’s too rough. The Katy Trail would be a ten because of the beauty of the territory and the trail surface—mostly of hard-packed limestone. It’s basically flat and it’s an easy ride for people of all ages. You can ride for mile after mile seeing nothing but country."
The other trails that made the list were:If you want to see a short glimpse and a photo of each trail, go to Forbes Traveler's slideshow. Too bad I don't have the time or money to get to all of these great trails!
- Hiawatha Trail, Idaho to Montana
- Underground Railroad Trail, from Mobile, Ala., to Owen Sound, Ontario
- Deschutes River Trail, Oregon
- Great Divide Trail, Roosville, Mont., to Antelope Wells, N.M.
- Trans-America Trail, Astoria, Ore., to Yorktown, Va. (The trail also goes through Missouri and Illinois)
- Slickrock Trail, Moab, Utah
- Green Mountains Loop, Vermont
- C&O Canal and Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage Trail, Washington, D.C., area
- Central Park Loop, New York City
Labels: bicycling, touring, trails
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The Student Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale appears to have a found a good way to serve students who use their bikes as a mode of transportation.
The Student Center recently started the Saluki Spokes program to help those who bike to work, school or for fun or exercise keep their environmentally friendly alternative modes of transportation in working order, The Southern Illinoisan reported.
Saluki Spokes offers several services, including loaning bike locks for use during time on campus and lending wrenches, screwdrivers and oil for basic bike repairs and adjustments. Fix-A-Flat kits are available for purchase.
While Saluki Spokes is not a bike repair shop, both the staff at the Student Center and the Student Recreation Center are dedicated to providing the recreational cyclist, the student, the staff member or the campus visitor with the help needed to repair their bike while here on campus. A valid Dawg Tag -- the student, faculty and staff identification card --or driver’s license will be required to borrow tools, locks, etc.
There are two Saluki Spokes locations: the Craft Shop in the Lower Level of the Student Center and the Student Recreation Center.
From time to time, Saluki Spokes will be putting on bicycle repair workshops.
As an adjunct instructor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, I hope the Saluki Spokes is a success and spreads to SIUC's sister campus and other colleges throughout the country.
Roger 0 comments 10:34 PM![]()
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