Taking Care Of Business

See that dark spec next to the rectangular part of the yellow sign? That's a pedestrian.

This heavy Winter snow and deep cold we have had throughout February has sparked several conversations about how municipalities take care of, or don't take care of, cyclists and pedestrians. I do not want to frame this conversation in terms of "clearing recreational trails", but that is part of this story. I do want to say a few basic things regarding cities and towns and relate that to what our cities and towns should be doing as it relates to its people who walk and cycle.

I am somewhat fortunate in that I live in a city that does make efforts to clear off several sidewalks and bike paths for Wintertime passage of cyclists and walkers. However; the city adjacent to where I live does not do this, and its mayor was quoted recently as saying that this particular city "could not afford to do that" (meaning take care of plowing off the broad cycle/ped ways that run through various parts of this city.)

Okay, this is a sad state of affairs when a city cannot afford to provide safe passage through its own system of transportation for its citizens, no matter if they are in a car, or if they walk, or if they cycle. It's not going to fly very well if, say, the City decides that "Elm Avenue" (fictitious street to serve as an example here) cannot be cleared because, well, the City cannot afford to do that. Can you imagine the hue and cry that would go up if that happened in any city in the Upper Mid-West? Why? Because it is assumed that if you make a way, (paved, gravel, dirt, bike path, sidewalk, etc), that it should be accessible all year. Snow or no. A city that says, "we aren't clearing sidewalks and bike paths" is really saying that they cannot/will not care for citizens who choose, or have to use means other than cars to get around. 

This path was cleared up until a bridge crossing, and what then? Get on the street!

 See my image above where the curve ahead sign is and note the spec next to the rectangular part of the sign. That's a woman who was forced out in the street to walk because the path wasn't cleared properly in a few areas. Now she had to be in danger of being struck by a car because, by no fault of her own, she had no other option to move from where she was to where she wanted to go except by way of using the street for a bit.

This might be due to other causes, sure. However; I see the footprints and tire tracks on my commute. Not everyone gets around by car, and some have to use other means. Cities should be responsible for making sure their paved walkways and cyclepaths are cleared in Winter so people like the woman above don't have to choose walking in the street. If they "cannot afford" to be clearing off these right of ways, then why did they install them in the first place? It's like building fire stations and then saying you cannot afford to pay firemen to man them. Oh.......yeah. That's actually a thing too.....

It just makes sense to take care of those who cannot drive and must walk or cycle, and by extension, those who choose to do so. They are out there, whether you think they are crazy or not. (Some might say you are cray-cray for driving, so there is that) But what you think of these people doesn't matter, cities and towns exist for the mutual benefit of those who choose to live within their bounds. The government is tasked with the duty to "protect and to serve" its citizens. If then, a snow storm comes along and dumps snow on right of ways, be they for cars, buses, walkers, or bicycles, it is then incumbent upon the government to make sure its citizens can use these amenities which they are taxed for.

Car culture is catered to the point of the exclusion of other citizens that do not or cannot use cars. This is wrong. We have made a lot of progress in some areas, but we've got a lot further to go before we can say our cities are caring for its citizens in the way that is only decent.

Taking Care Of Business

See that dark spec next to the rectangular part of the yellow sign? That's a pedestrian.

This heavy Winter snow and deep cold we have had throughout February has sparked several conversations about how municipalities take care of, or don't take care of, cyclists and pedestrians. I do not want to frame this conversation in terms of "clearing recreational trails", but that is part of this story. I do want to say a few basic things regarding cities and towns and relate that to what our cities and towns should be doing as it relates to its people who walk and cycle.

I am somewhat fortunate in that I live in a city that does make efforts to clear off several sidewalks and bike paths for Wintertime passage of cyclists and walkers. However; the city adjacent to where I live does not do this, and its mayor was quoted recently as saying that this particular city "could not afford to do that" (meaning take care of plowing off the broad cycle/ped ways that run through various parts of this city.)

Okay, this is a sad state of affairs when a city cannot afford to provide safe passage through its own system of transportation for its citizens, no matter if they are in a car, or if they walk, or if they cycle. It's not going to fly very well if, say, the City decides that "Elm Avenue" (fictitious street to serve as an example here) cannot be cleared because, well, the City cannot afford to do that. Can you imagine the hue and cry that would go up if that happened in any city in the Upper Mid-West? Why? Because it is assumed that if you make a way, (paved, gravel, dirt, bike path, sidewalk, etc), that it should be accessible all year. Snow or no. A city that says, "we aren't clearing sidewalks and bike paths" is really saying that they cannot/will not care for citizens who choose, or have to use means other than cars to get around. 

This path was cleared up until a bridge crossing, and what then? Get on the street!

 See my image above where the curve ahead sign is and note the spec next to the rectangular part of the sign. That's a woman who was forced out in the street to walk because the path wasn't cleared properly in a few areas. Now she had to be in danger of being struck by a car because, by no fault of her own, she had no other option to move from where she was to where she wanted to go except by way of using the street for a bit.

This might be due to other causes, sure. However; I see the footprints and tire tracks on my commute. Not everyone gets around by car, and some have to use other means. Cities should be responsible for making sure their paved walkways and cyclepaths are cleared in Winter so people like the woman above don't have to choose walking in the street. If they "cannot afford" to be clearing off these right of ways, then why did they install them in the first place? It's like building fire stations and then saying you cannot afford to pay firemen to man them. Oh.......yeah. That's actually a thing too.....

It just makes sense to take care of those who cannot drive and must walk or cycle, and by extension, those who choose to do so. They are out there, whether you think they are crazy or not. (Some might say you are cray-cray for driving, so there is that) But what you think of these people doesn't matter, cities and towns exist for the mutual benefit of those who choose to live within their bounds. The government is tasked with the duty to "protect and to serve" its citizens. If then, a snow storm comes along and dumps snow on right of ways, be they for cars, buses, walkers, or bicycles, it is then incumbent upon the government to make sure its citizens can use these amenities which they are taxed for.

Car culture is catered to the point of the exclusion of other citizens that do not or cannot use cars. This is wrong. We have made a lot of progress in some areas, but we've got a lot further to go before we can say our cities are caring for its citizens in the way that is only decent.

Pogie Lites: Update

So, here I am using some lighter gloves and the Pogie Lites in pretty cold temps.

Not long ago I did a review here on Pogie Lites. (See HERE) Now this was before we had any "real Winter" going on here. So, recently during a ride to work I thought I should do an update, because obviously, we have had some pretty cold temperatures here of late with plenty of wind to go along with that.

I think I've fine tuned the Pogie Lite set up for Winter that works for me. Notice, I said, "...for me." This may not work at all for you or anyone else, so you will have to think the following information through and filter it for your own needs.

Okay, with that said, my thoughts were that with the Pogie Lites, I may have to use a bit beefier glove underneath to provide the right of warmth for my hands. So on a pretty cold day, (single digits) with a decent amount of wind, I rode with my heavier Seal Skinz gloves. I found out pretty quickly that was too much glove. The lack of any wind getting through the Pogie Lites meant my hands easily over-heated inside those gloves.

So, I switched to using a pair of lighter Seal Skinz gloves I have. Now on their own, I might get away with riding with these in the 20's and light to no wind. Maybe. However; with Pogie Lites I almost get too warm in the single digits with these gloves on. It's really easy to get a sweat on, even with sub-zero wind chills. So, I ended up loosening up the cinched up end, (the side facing the stem) of the Pogie Lites to allow a bit of flow through in regard to air. This pretty much solved my issues with sweating out and now I can easily ride in difficult conditions, (read- sky high heart rates), and for as long as I want without getting too hot and without getting even the least bit cold.

The Pogie Lites are now an indispensable part of my Winter kit.

This has proven to be a pretty cool set up since the Seal Skinz gloves I am using, (seen above), are allowing enough dexterity that I can easily adjust other items of clothing, and get into pockets, etc, without having to "de-glove" to do things.

I wanted also to reiterate how the Pogie Lites are easy to get into and out of. This wasn't the case with my old pogies, and try pushing back any other style of pogie. You cannot do that. Nor can you operate your controls outside of other normal pogies. You can with Pogie Lites. To my mind, since they seem to work for me in as cold a temperatures as I will want to ride in, why buy anything else? 

 I just cannot think of a good reason to use another pogie now. I'll admit, I thought maybe deep Winter cold would preclude my use of Pogie Lites, and I was completely at ease with that thought. However; it simply was wrong thinking on my part. In fact, if it were a situation where it got below zero for the ambient temperature, I would switch to my heavier Seal Skinz gloves and still use Pogie Lites.

Now for the disclaimers: My hands are generally warm anyway. In fact, I sometimes can ride bare handed in sub-freezing temperatures if it isn't windy. (Not often, but still.....) So, I have what I would call "warm hands" generally speaking. Many folks hands are freezing at 40°F, so I get it if you think this sounds like rubbish. Just adjust this review accordingly for how it is your hands generally are.

Also, I will again reiterate that Bike Iowa sent me this pair of Pogie Lites at no charge for review. They weren't expecting this update, or did they even know about it beforehand, so this is purely just my take on these things. I genuinely like them and they work for me. Again- this may not be something that works for you. 

Pogie Lites: Update

So, here I am using some lighter gloves and the Pogie Lites in pretty cold temps.

Not long ago I did a review here on Pogie Lites. (See HERE) Now this was before we had any "real Winter" going on here. So, recently during a ride to work I thought I should do an update, because obviously, we have had some pretty cold temperatures here of late with plenty of wind to go along with that.

I think I've fine tuned the Pogie Lite set up for Winter that works for me. Notice, I said, "...for me." This may not work at all for you or anyone else, so you will have to think the following information through and filter it for your own needs.

Okay, with that said, my thoughts were that with the Pogie Lites, I may have to use a bit beefier glove underneath to provide the right of warmth for my hands. So on a pretty cold day, (single digits) with a decent amount of wind, I rode with my heavier Seal Skinz gloves. I found out pretty quickly that was too much glove. The lack of any wind getting through the Pogie Lites meant my hands easily over-heated inside those gloves.

So, I switched to using a pair of lighter Seal Skinz gloves I have. Now on their own, I might get away with riding with these in the 20's and light to no wind. Maybe. However; with Pogie Lites I almost get too warm in the single digits with these gloves on. It's really easy to get a sweat on, even with sub-zero wind chills. So, I ended up loosening up the cinched up end, (the side facing the stem) of the Pogie Lites to allow a bit of flow through in regard to air. This pretty much solved my issues with sweating out and now I can easily ride in difficult conditions, (read- sky high heart rates), and for as long as I want without getting too hot and without getting even the least bit cold.

The Pogie Lites are now an indispensable part of my Winter kit.

This has proven to be a pretty cool set up since the Seal Skinz gloves I am using, (seen above), are allowing enough dexterity that I can easily adjust other items of clothing, and get into pockets, etc, without having to "de-glove" to do things.

I wanted also to reiterate how the Pogie Lites are easy to get into and out of. This wasn't the case with my old pogies, and try pushing back any other style of pogie. You cannot do that. Nor can you operate your controls outside of other normal pogies. You can with Pogie Lites. To my mind, since they seem to work for me in as cold a temperatures as I will want to ride in, why buy anything else? 

 I just cannot think of a good reason to use another pogie now. I'll admit, I thought maybe deep Winter cold would preclude my use of Pogie Lites, and I was completely at ease with that thought. However; it simply was wrong thinking on my part. In fact, if it were a situation where it got below zero for the ambient temperature, I would switch to my heavier Seal Skinz gloves and still use Pogie Lites.

Now for the disclaimers: My hands are generally warm anyway. In fact, I sometimes can ride bare handed in sub-freezing temperatures if it isn't windy. (Not often, but still.....) So, I have what I would call "warm hands" generally speaking. Many folks hands are freezing at 40°F, so I get it if you think this sounds like rubbish. Just adjust this review accordingly for how it is your hands generally are.

Also, I will again reiterate that Bike Iowa sent me this pair of Pogie Lites at no charge for review. They weren't expecting this update, or did they even know about it beforehand, so this is purely just my take on these things. I genuinely like them and they work for me. Again- this may not be something that works for you. 

Here They Come

Riders take off from the start line of the Paris to Ancaster Bike Race

Photo Credit - Greening Media

You've probably heard that "they" were coming to gravel events. The Pro road team invasion of gravel events that many people have been lamenting. Well, I think a lot of folks expected that this would occur maybe at one of the West Coast based rides, and certainly, the Dirty Kanza 200 would be one of their targeted events.

Well, I've known about this one event, not a US based one either, but a Canadian event, that has been going on for a quarter of a century now and is going to see three Continental teams and one Pro mtb based team show up at their start line on April 28th of this year. It's called Paris to Ancaster.

It's interesting from a lot of standpoints. The semi-Pro/Continental teams that are going to contest the event represent what is "hot" now. Teams not married to the road scene doing something that was grown from the bottom up. Which is something new. Big races used to be the thing to do. Attract the Pros, semi-Pros, and up and coming talent. The prizes were cash. Maybe an invitation to race on an organized team with support of companies who provided gear, bicycles, and if you were good enough, a salary to live off of. The goal of becoming a sponsored rider, who didn't have to pay for anything, and was treated like a thoroughbred race horse, was the goal.

 Gravel races didn't take that avenue. They allowed anyone and everyone access to the same course, start line, and rules. Entry was dictated, generally, by the rider's desire to just try the course. Prizing? Whatever. Rules were few and easy to understand. Licenses were for car bumpers. This wasn't noticed at first by the "typical road scene". In fact, gravel/All-road cycling was something that was looked down upon for many years until recently. The coverage of the Pro road racing scene barely mentioned anything about gravel racing. Those guys were "dirt bags" and those races weren't even "real races".

Then something happened. Road racing wasn't what it used to be. The numbers didn't lie. Road races were disappearing, funding was drying up, and riders were not renewing licenses. Where was competitive cycling going? I recall not that long ago seeing articles lamenting the future of competitive cycling in North America. It was in dire straits. The question, "Where will North America's next Tour de France rider come from if there is no road racing scene anymore?" was seen in more than one article. Of course, this assumes that going to "The Tour" is the pinnacle of cycling achievement. Maybe it isn't. Many were just not giving a damn anymore, and the growth of gravel events is a good indication of this.

I come across new "grassroots" rides all the time.

So, what do you expect? Those roadies finally figured out that gravel events happened on "roads", just not paved ones. It wasn't all that different after all, just, well......less uptight. This was good. Then the word spread. Money started making its influence be known. Marketing twisted the story lines, and the original base of gravel pioneers were fearing that the "invasion of the roadies" was going to spoil the party. Well, here they come, and Paris to Ancaster will be the big show this Spring.

It's something that is a sign of the maturing of the gravel scene. I guess I just don't see that it is anything to fear. I mean, it is what it is. Many folks are joining in on the gravel scene, and it continues to gain momentum. That's good. That's good whether it is the inner city kid, the young woman rider, or the newest Continental road squad. Variety of events is not going to be affected by the monies being thrown around by some events, companies, and teams. Many "grassroots" events have changed, that is true, but new ones pop up all the time. If anything, there are too many of this grassroots type of event now. 

So, if you start hearing folks complaining about how "the roadies are coming" and what that is doing to the gravel scene, just remind them that there are new, basic, simple, free, nearly free, and totally grassroots races/challenges/rides being invented every year. I know. I maintain a calendar of events and it has grown from a handful in 2008 to nearly 600 now. Most of the new events are not anything a Pro road racer, or heck, even a Cat 3, would want to go "compete in". Whatever that looks like to a road racer. All I know is that roadies are not ruining the scene. Races with big production, fancy trappings, and prize money are not ruining the scene. They just aren't. The grassroots races/events are off the charts in 2019, and that wouldn't be the case if the road influence was "killing the sport".

Here They Come

Riders take off from the start line of the Paris to Ancaster Bike Race

Photo Credit - Greening Media

You've probably heard that "they" were coming to gravel events. The Pro road team invasion of gravel events that many people have been lamenting. Well, I think a lot of folks expected that this would occur maybe at one of the West Coast based rides, and certainly, the Dirty Kanza 200 would be one of their targeted events.

Well, I've known about this one event, not a US based one either, but a Canadian event, that has been going on for a quarter of a century now and is going to see three Continental teams and one Pro mtb based team show up at their start line on April 28th of this year. It's called Paris to Ancaster.

It's interesting from a lot of standpoints. The semi-Pro/Continental teams that are going to contest the event represent what is "hot" now. Teams not married to the road scene doing something that was grown from the bottom up. Which is something new. Big races used to be the thing to do. Attract the Pros, semi-Pros, and up and coming talent. The prizes were cash. Maybe an invitation to race on an organized team with support of companies who provided gear, bicycles, and if you were good enough, a salary to live off of. The goal of becoming a sponsored rider, who didn't have to pay for anything, and was treated like a thoroughbred race horse, was the goal.

 Gravel races didn't take that avenue. They allowed anyone and everyone access to the same course, start line, and rules. Entry was dictated, generally, by the rider's desire to just try the course. Prizing? Whatever. Rules were few and easy to understand. Licenses were for car bumpers. This wasn't noticed at first by the "typical road scene". In fact, gravel/All-road cycling was something that was looked down upon for many years until recently. The coverage of the Pro road racing scene barely mentioned anything about gravel racing. Those guys were "dirt bags" and those races weren't even "real races".

Then something happened. Road racing wasn't what it used to be. The numbers didn't lie. Road races were disappearing, funding was drying up, and riders were not renewing licenses. Where was competitive cycling going? I recall not that long ago seeing articles lamenting the future of competitive cycling in North America. It was in dire straits. The question, "Where will North America's next Tour de France rider come from if there is no road racing scene anymore?" was seen in more than one article. Of course, this assumes that going to "The Tour" is the pinnacle of cycling achievement. Maybe it isn't. Many were just not giving a damn anymore, and the growth of gravel events is a good indication of this.

I come across new "grassroots" rides all the time.

So, what do you expect? Those roadies finally figured out that gravel events happened on "roads", just not paved ones. It wasn't all that different after all, just, well......less uptight. This was good. Then the word spread. Money started making its influence be known. Marketing twisted the story lines, and the original base of gravel pioneers were fearing that the "invasion of the roadies" was going to spoil the party. Well, here they come, and Paris to Ancaster will be the big show this Spring.

It's something that is a sign of the maturing of the gravel scene. I guess I just don't see that it is anything to fear. I mean, it is what it is. Many folks are joining in on the gravel scene, and it continues to gain momentum. That's good. That's good whether it is the inner city kid, the young woman rider, or the newest Continental road squad. Variety of events is not going to be affected by the monies being thrown around by some events, companies, and teams. Many "grassroots" events have changed, that is true, but new ones pop up all the time. If anything, there are too many of this grassroots type of event now. 

So, if you start hearing folks complaining about how "the roadies are coming" and what that is doing to the gravel scene, just remind them that there are new, basic, simple, free, nearly free, and totally grassroots races/challenges/rides being invented every year. I know. I maintain a calendar of events and it has grown from a handful in 2008 to nearly 600 now. Most of the new events are not anything a Pro road racer, or heck, even a Cat 3, would want to go "compete in". Whatever that looks like to a road racer. All I know is that roadies are not ruining the scene. Races with big production, fancy trappings, and prize money are not ruining the scene. They just aren't. The grassroots races/events are off the charts in 2019, and that wouldn't be the case if the road influence was "killing the sport".