Friday News And Views

Proposed anniversary t-shirt design

Floating Ideas:

So, if you recall late last year I was pondering doing something along the lines of a t-shirt to celebrate 15 years of blogging, hi jinx, and tomfoolery here. Well, you can see here what I have in mind to offer.

It's just an idea. If I get enough feedback I will move forward on it. Of course, they will have a price and the more interest I get the cheaper they will be. I figure I'd need to see close to 40 folks bite on this, or otherwise I'll let it slide. I am not going to produce a small number of t-shirts and have them cost 20+ bucks a pop.

So, if that idea doesn't fly, I may just back waaay off and offer the logo as a sticker, which would obviously cost a LOT less money. If stickers are how I end up rolling, I will likely have a couple more designs made which reflect other things I've done here and sell the series of stickers in packs. Probably three designs: The "Cube", seen on the tee, a "Real.American. Gravel. sticker, and something marking the 14 year run of Trans Iowa- design yet to be determined- if I go that way.

So, at any rate, this is just for kicks. I'm not trying to make a bunch of money, and this would be a one-timer deal. I'll determine what to do finally by the end of March or so, because the anniversary happens in early May. Got a comment, advice, or question? Hit me up at g.ted.productions@gmail.com or write a comment below.

Trying to understand the logic in HPC for gravel....

 Making Sense Of HPC's On Gravel:

As many of you know, I take a very critical stance when it comes to HPC's (Hybrid Powered Cycles) because many of the claims that people make for them are....well, hard to make any sense out of, or are just platitudes regurgitated from rote memory. I'd rather take a critical view and see what really holds up, and what is basically "marketing BS", for lack of a better term.

So, I try to seek out information with a critical eye, but an open mind. The Kinesis Range has just been introduced, so I thought, hey! This is a highly respected UK brand so let's see what they are saying about this bike for gravel.

First off, let me say that this rig has the geometry spot on. Well done there. It has a Fazua Drive system, and "up to 55K range". Hold on.....what? "Up to" a little more than 34 miles? And it depends upon your selected boost, and how often you use it.... Hmmm.... Keep this in mind.

Then I read that the assist disengages above the legal 15.5mph limit. So.....if I am cruising at 16mph, or faster, (not at all uncommon), I get.....nothing. Well, hold on! No, I get "something", because now I am pedaling a 33+ pound bicycle. That's what I get. Obviously, the point is to boost the climbs, and suffer the weight everywhere else. A full 10+ pounds over what any of my bikes weigh? No thanks. See, this makes no sense. And it costs a LOT more too. $4,300.00 plus, to be exact. Equivalent models in a true bicycle, fully human powered set up would weigh sub-20lbs for that money. 

Now what about maintenance? No one speaks about this factor. The drive mechanism for the motor is at the bottom bracket. What happens when I roach that with dust and mud and water? I imagine this will cost a lot more than your typical bottom bracket overhaul. Safe bet there. Not to mention battery maintenance, and eventual replacement/disposal fees. Controllers are also susceptible to failure in harsh environments as well.

So, I fail to see where the advantages are here. If I go slower, I get more assist, but less than a half an hour ride, most likely. Otherwise I am pedaling a behemoth of a bike at over 33lbs with higher maintenance costs and I have a battery to maintain. Forget about portaging that, plus attendant gear, across a mile of muddy Level B Road. Sorry, but the HPC gravel bikes are going to have to do a LOT better than that for north of four thousand bucks.

From the 2019 GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational Update:

First of all, in case you didn't know, the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational is happening again on July 25th, which is a Saturday, of course, and the last day of RAGBRAI, because, well.......because! That's how I roll.

Anyway, we're going to do something a little different this time and go through several small villages instead of doing a ton of dirt roads. Oh! Don't you worry! There will be Level B Roads. Just not a whole lot of them.

That means a different course, and a course I've never used before. Yep! Brand new! It'll follow the Cedar Valley, roughly, to the Southeast, and back again on the opposite side of the Cedar River for a bit. I am figuring on around 110-120 miles at the moment, but that could change once recon starts.

I will be starting recon ASAP on this route and that may include some pretty long rides. That all fits in with my plan to do just that this year. At any rate, I want to go see this area because I've not ridden most of my proposed course. The course we did last year was really hard, given the weather and the amount of hills. I expect that this course will be somewhat easier. Not so many big hills, and more flat riding. But as for the weather, well.......That's out of my hands! 

Stay tuned for more updates.

This bike path probably doesn't qualify, but many in W'loo/Cedar Falls do.

Death Caused By Hit & Run Driver Locally: 

Sunday we awoke to the bad news that a cyclist had been killed by someone using a car on a local connector road between Cedar Falls and Waterloo called Green Hill Road.

This happened after the bicyclist got off work late at night and was commuting home. He was a car-free person, and was hit and killed then the driver left the scene. The rider was lit up like a Christmas tree, was very aware of commuting by bike issues, and took precautions when possible. (He was a customer at the shop I worked at) Where he was hit was along a four lane road after mid-night. This road had a bicycle path, but Cedar Falls does not clear its bike paths in Winter. 

I'm not going to get into details on the death, but I do want to say my piece on how this area, and the nation, does not look after its most vulnerable citizens as they travel. I know I'm preaching to the congregation in that most of you that read this will be understanding of my take. That said, we all need to be talking more about this. Too many people are dying, and since I commute by bicycle and walk a lot, it could be me someday. It could be you too. Also, I get the unpleasant irony between this and the item above, so let's just leave that be.

But the important point here is that the cyclist who was killed by the person driving a car was forced to ride in the street. Had the bike path been cleared, as many are in Waterloo, by the way, one would be led to believe that perhaps this all could have been avoided. But it is an issue wherever pedestrians and cyclists have to travel within this city. I'll keep my comments to Waterloo/Cedar Falls, but I know many of you have similar situations.

In fact, I had several "closer than I wanted" calls where another major throughway between the two cities had another four lane project going on. This was, and always has been, a very heavily used artery by walkers and cyclists. This past Summer, while work was being done to renovate the area, there were no provisions for pedestrians or cyclists to cross at two heavily trafficked intersections. I personally witnessed handicapped folks and other peds having to try to get across the road, Frogger style, with absolutely no mercy shown by drivers. It was, in a word, disgusting. And construction workers did nothing to help either. I could go on.....

Cedar Falls has been repeatedly asked to plow the major connector bicycle trail between Waterloo and their fine city, but they say "there is no money". Even offers of volunteer snow clearing have been rebuffed by the City. Now, perhaps, a husband, father, and contributor to the economy of this area who was mowed down by a careless driver and is dead could have been spared had the City found that money. One life. It was worth more than whatever it costs to clear that bike path, don't you think?

I do.......

That's all for this week. have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Friday News And Views

Proposed anniversary t-shirt design

Floating Ideas:

So, if you recall late last year I was pondering doing something along the lines of a t-shirt to celebrate 15 years of blogging, hi jinx, and tomfoolery here. Well, you can see here what I have in mind to offer.

It's just an idea. If I get enough feedback I will move forward on it. Of course, they will have a price and the more interest I get the cheaper they will be. I figure I'd need to see close to 40 folks bite on this, or otherwise I'll let it slide. I am not going to produce a small number of t-shirts and have them cost 20+ bucks a pop.

So, if that idea doesn't fly, I may just back waaay off and offer the logo as a sticker, which would obviously cost a LOT less money. If stickers are how I end up rolling, I will likely have a couple more designs made which reflect other things I've done here and sell the series of stickers in packs. Probably three designs: The "Cube", seen on the tee, a "Real.American. Gravel. sticker, and something marking the 14 year run of Trans Iowa- design yet to be determined- if I go that way.

So, at any rate, this is just for kicks. I'm not trying to make a bunch of money, and this would be a one-timer deal. I'll determine what to do finally by the end of March or so, because the anniversary happens in early May. Got a comment, advice, or question? Hit me up at g.ted.productions@gmail.com or write a comment below.

Trying to understand the logic in HPC for gravel....

 Making Sense Of HPC's On Gravel:

As many of you know, I take a very critical stance when it comes to HPC's (Hybrid Powered Cycles) because many of the claims that people make for them are....well, hard to make any sense out of, or are just platitudes regurgitated from rote memory. I'd rather take a critical view and see what really holds up, and what is basically "marketing BS", for lack of a better term.

So, I try to seek out information with a critical eye, but an open mind. The Kinesis Range has just been introduced, so I thought, hey! This is a highly respected UK brand so let's see what they are saying about this bike for gravel.

First off, let me say that this rig has the geometry spot on. Well done there. It has a Fazua Drive system, and "up to 55K range". Hold on.....what? "Up to" a little more than 34 miles? And it depends upon your selected boost, and how often you use it.... Hmmm.... Keep this in mind.

Then I read that the assist disengages above the legal 15.5mph limit. So.....if I am cruising at 16mph, or faster, (not at all uncommon), I get.....nothing. Well, hold on! No, I get "something", because now I am pedaling a 33+ pound bicycle. That's what I get. Obviously, the point is to boost the climbs, and suffer the weight everywhere else. A full 10+ pounds over what any of my bikes weigh? No thanks. See, this makes no sense. And it costs a LOT more too. $4,300.00 plus, to be exact. Equivalent models in a true bicycle, fully human powered set up would weigh sub-20lbs for that money. 

Now what about maintenance? No one speaks about this factor. The drive mechanism for the motor is at the bottom bracket. What happens when I roach that with dust and mud and water? I imagine this will cost a lot more than your typical bottom bracket overhaul. Safe bet there. Not to mention battery maintenance, and eventual replacement/disposal fees. Controllers are also susceptible to failure in harsh environments as well.

So, I fail to see where the advantages are here. If I go slower, I get more assist, but less than a half an hour ride, most likely. Otherwise I am pedaling a behemoth of a bike at over 33lbs with higher maintenance costs and I have a battery to maintain. Forget about portaging that, plus attendant gear, across a mile of muddy Level B Road. Sorry, but the HPC gravel bikes are going to have to do a LOT better than that for north of four thousand bucks.

From the 2019 GTDRI

 Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational Update:

First of all, in case you didn't know, the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational is happening again on July 25th, which is a Saturday, of course, and the last day of RAGBRAI, because, well.......because! That's how I roll.

Anyway, we're going to do something a little different this time and go through several small villages instead of doing a ton of dirt roads. Oh! Don't you worry! There will be Level B Roads. Just not a whole lot of them.

That means a different course, and a course I've never used before. Yep! Brand new! It'll follow the Cedar Valley, roughly, to the Southeast, and back again on the opposite side of the Cedar River for a bit. I am figuring on around 110-120 miles at the moment, but that could change once recon starts.

I will be starting recon ASAP on this route and that may include some pretty long rides. That all fits in with my plan to do just that this year. At any rate, I want to go see this area because I've not ridden most of my proposed course. The course we did last year was really hard, given the weather and the amount of hills. I expect that this course will be somewhat easier. Not so many big hills, and more flat riding. But as for the weather, well.......That's out of my hands! 

Stay tuned for more updates.

This bike path probably doesn't qualify, but many in W'loo/Cedar Falls do.

Death Caused By Hit & Run Driver Locally: 

Sunday we awoke to the bad news that a cyclist had been killed by someone using a car on a local connector road between Cedar Falls and Waterloo called Green Hill Road.

This happened after the bicyclist got off work late at night and was commuting home. He was a car-free person, and was hit and killed then the driver left the scene. The rider was lit up like a Christmas tree, was very aware of commuting by bike issues, and took precautions when possible. (He was a customer at the shop I worked at) Where he was hit was along a four lane road after mid-night. This road had a bicycle path, but Cedar Falls does not clear its bike paths in Winter. 

I'm not going to get into details on the death, but I do want to say my piece on how this area, and the nation, does not look after its most vulnerable citizens as they travel. I know I'm preaching to the congregation in that most of you that read this will be understanding of my take. That said, we all need to be talking more about this. Too many people are dying, and since I commute by bicycle and walk a lot, it could be me someday. It could be you too. Also, I get the unpleasant irony between this and the item above, so let's just leave that be.

But the important point here is that the cyclist who was killed by the person driving a car was forced to ride in the street. Had the bike path been cleared, as many are in Waterloo, by the way, one would be led to believe that perhaps this all could have been avoided. But it is an issue wherever pedestrians and cyclists have to travel within this city. I'll keep my comments to Waterloo/Cedar Falls, but I know many of you have similar situations.

In fact, I had several "closer than I wanted" calls where another major throughway between the two cities had another four lane project going on. This was, and always has been, a very heavily used artery by walkers and cyclists. This past Summer, while work was being done to renovate the area, there were no provisions for pedestrians or cyclists to cross at two heavily trafficked intersections. I personally witnessed handicapped folks and other peds having to try to get across the road, Frogger style, with absolutely no mercy shown by drivers. It was, in a word, disgusting. And construction workers did nothing to help either. I could go on.....

Cedar Falls has been repeatedly asked to plow the major connector bicycle trail between Waterloo and their fine city, but they say "there is no money". Even offers of volunteer snow clearing have been rebuffed by the City. Now, perhaps, a husband, father, and contributor to the economy of this area who was mowed down by a careless driver and is dead could have been spared had the City found that money. One life. It was worth more than whatever it costs to clear that bike path, don't you think?

I do.......

That's all for this week. have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Friday News And Views

Let's look at these flowers from my yard and try to forget about the rain.

Trails Close Due To Flood Damage As More Rain Hits The Area:

Wednesday it was learned that a major connector trail from down town Cedar Falls to the George Wyth State Park had been closed due to flood damage and also from damage incurred when a person drove a car down that part of the trail.

This is on top of the closure of the River Loop Trail in Waterloo for repair of a sewage line that ruptured and is sending raw sewage into the Cedar River.

As if that weren't bad enough, now we are supposed to have possibly severe weather and up to two inches of rain through Sunday. What do you suppose our water logged ground and swollen rivers will do with that? Yeah..... Hopefully it isn't as bad as they say it might be.

Then there is the chances for bad weather as I try to get to Nebraska. I'll have to be on guard for any severe weather and gauge my chances carefully before trying to drive through any potential storms. Saturday looks better down that way than Friday, but I have to get there safely first. If I manage to miss the bad weather, things should be okay, but I imagine the roads will be wet to start out with for the event.

Stay tuned.......

The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. The Kingpin rear end is pretty interesting.

Cannondale Introduces The Topstone Carbon With Kingpin Rear "Suspension". 

Secrets..... For about as long as I've been writing this blog I have had some secret or another I have had to keep under my hat. The Topstone Carbon bike is one of those secrets. Yesterday it was finally announced, so now I can talk about it openly.

I've known much about this bike for about a month, and I saw actual images of one a few weeks ago. In fact, MG, who broke the story on RidingGravel.com yesterday, has one. Of course, if you think about it, we all pretty much knew Cannondale would eventually come out with a carbon version of their Topstone aluminum bike, but the Kingpin rear end was not foreseen.

As far as the bike goes, I am sure there is something to it. It makes sense, and I think the idea is sound, but as with anything that moves on a bike, it eventually will become a problem. How this Kingpin deal wears and acts after a couple of thousand miles is what I am interested in.

I'm a little dismayed at the lack of tire clearances, (40mm tops for 700c) , but I feel this is more of a Domane competitor than it is a gravel bike. The whole geometry package is basically a Synapse, so that kind of tells the story there. Cannondale isn't concerned about working on a solution for the front end of the bike to mitigate vibrations because they are hedging their bets against a fall off in the gravel scene. If that happens, well, with Synapse geometry and a slick 32mm road tire this is right in the Domane/Roubaix bike wheelhouse. Not that this is a bad thing, but I think Cannondale isn't really making a gravel bike in the vein of a Warbird, for example, either.

Next thing ya know they will make brake actuation electronic.

 In The "Answers To Questions Unasked" File: 

I know you've been wondering when these brake manufacturers were going to get rid of those unsightly and snaggy brake lines. They are just always in the way, right? (Said no one ever) Well, Magura is your huckleberry as they have just announced a hidden master cylinder/hydraulic hose/handle bar set up which only leaves the lever sticking out now.

This is radical stuff. It's cool that they can do this, but do we really need it? Sometimes I like to turn the reality of new designs on their head and look at it 180° differently. So, in the case of these levers, what if we all had this sort of set up, and had it for years. Then suddenly we get an introduction of a product with exposed brake lines. What would be "better" about that than the internal, hidden brake stuff? Then I like to take the answers for that and compare to what the marketing says about the "new" way. Magura says the new set up is more crash resistant, (real world data? I just don't see this myself), and the design is "cleaner and more integrated". Soooooo.......it's about looks? 

The way we've been doing things allows for quick and easy stem swaps, handle bar changes, and ease of installation. Brake systems can be moved from bike to bike easier, and replaced without much fuss.

You tell me which way is better. If you want to explore this concept more, the Magura page on this "innovation" is here.

That's it for this week. Have a great Solstice and get out and ride if you can. The days get shorter from here!

Friday News And Views

Let's look at these flowers from my yard and try to forget about the rain.

Trails Close Due To Flood Damage As More Rain Hits The Area:

Wednesday it was learned that a major connector trail from down town Cedar Falls to the George Wyth State Park had been closed due to flood damage and also from damage incurred when a person drove a car down that part of the trail.

This is on top of the closure of the River Loop Trail in Waterloo for repair of a sewage line that ruptured and is sending raw sewage into the Cedar River.

As if that weren't bad enough, now we are supposed to have possibly severe weather and up to two inches of rain through Sunday. What do you suppose our water logged ground and swollen rivers will do with that? Yeah..... Hopefully it isn't as bad as they say it might be.

Then there is the chances for bad weather as I try to get to Nebraska. I'll have to be on guard for any severe weather and gauge my chances carefully before trying to drive through any potential storms. Saturday looks better down that way than Friday, but I have to get there safely first. If I manage to miss the bad weather, things should be okay, but I imagine the roads will be wet to start out with for the event.

Stay tuned.......

The Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. The Kingpin rear end is pretty interesting.

Cannondale Introduces The Topstone Carbon With Kingpin Rear "Suspension". 

Secrets..... For about as long as I've been writing this blog I have had some secret or another I have had to keep under my hat. The Topstone Carbon bike is one of those secrets. Yesterday it was finally announced, so now I can talk about it openly.

I've known much about this bike for about a month, and I saw actual images of one a few weeks ago. In fact, MG, who broke the story on RidingGravel.com yesterday, has one. Of course, if you think about it, we all pretty much knew Cannondale would eventually come out with a carbon version of their Topstone aluminum bike, but the Kingpin rear end was not foreseen.

As far as the bike goes, I am sure there is something to it. It makes sense, and I think the idea is sound, but as with anything that moves on a bike, it eventually will become a problem. How this Kingpin deal wears and acts after a couple of thousand miles is what I am interested in.

I'm a little dismayed at the lack of tire clearances, (40mm tops for 700c) , but I feel this is more of a Domane competitor than it is a gravel bike. The whole geometry package is basically a Synapse, so that kind of tells the story there. Cannondale isn't concerned about working on a solution for the front end of the bike to mitigate vibrations because they are hedging their bets against a fall off in the gravel scene. If that happens, well, with Synapse geometry and a slick 32mm road tire this is right in the Domane/Roubaix bike wheelhouse. Not that this is a bad thing, but I think Cannondale isn't really making a gravel bike in the vein of a Warbird, for example, either.

Next thing ya know they will make brake actuation electronic.

 In The "Answers To Questions Unasked" File: 

I know you've been wondering when these brake manufacturers were going to get rid of those unsightly and snaggy brake lines. They are just always in the way, right? (Said no one ever) Well, Magura is your huckleberry as they have just announced a hidden master cylinder/hydraulic hose/handle bar set up which only leaves the lever sticking out now.

This is radical stuff. It's cool that they can do this, but do we really need it? Sometimes I like to turn the reality of new designs on their head and look at it 180° differently. So, in the case of these levers, what if we all had this sort of set up, and had it for years. Then suddenly we get an introduction of a product with exposed brake lines. What would be "better" about that than the internal, hidden brake stuff? Then I like to take the answers for that and compare to what the marketing says about the "new" way. Magura says the new set up is more crash resistant, (real world data? I just don't see this myself), and the design is "cleaner and more integrated". Soooooo.......it's about looks? 

The way we've been doing things allows for quick and easy stem swaps, handle bar changes, and ease of installation. Brake systems can be moved from bike to bike easier, and replaced without much fuss.

You tell me which way is better. If you want to explore this concept more, the Magura page on this "innovation" is here.

That's it for this week. Have a great Solstice and get out and ride if you can. The days get shorter from here!

Gotta Keep'em Separated

You can paint whatever lines on this street that you want- It doesn't mean a thing.

It always seemed pretty obvious to me, but I have been commuting by bicycle for nearly 18 years now. Mostly on the same route too. What I noted a long time ago was that if you can separate yourself from traffic, you are safer. So, when I first heard about "protected bicycle lanes", essentially a bike path with some sort of physical barrier between cyclists and traffic, I knew that was the way to go when it came to designing paths and roads for cycling.

Then I saw where a study by two universities basically have come to the same conclusion. The studies say that cities with protected bike lanes realized a 44% reduction in fatalities for cyclists. No kidding! It was one of those, "Did they really have to spend money on a study for this?" moments for me. But then again- like I say- I've been in this game for almost two decades now.

Another chunk of personally observed experience came into play last year when the fair city of Waterloo, Iowa took a four lane street and divvied it up with painted lines and reduced the available lanes from four to two. They also reduced the speed limit to 20mph. Most of the time there have been no barriers except for a few months last year where they set in some pole barriers to direct traffic around the convoluted painted "bike lane", but only at intersections.

I've been paying attention to this and have cycled this street a lot in the last year. By the way, I never use the painted in "bicycle lane". Why? Becuase of what I observe as a situation that is unsafe, and definitely not as safe as using the wide sidewalk which runs nearly the entire bike lane on this street. My reasoning is that, based upon my observations, that drivers are far less likely to strike me with their vehicles when I am on a slightly elevated paved surface protected by a curb.

Pathways separated from motor vehicle traffic are my preferred routes to take, when the take you somewhere.

I have observed drivers going right over the "bike lane", and the lower speed limit? Ha! NEVER been enforced. Cars still speed along at 40mph all day and night on this stretch of city street. In Winter it is even worse, as the painted lines are often obscured by snow and ice, and by Spring are in dire need of repainting. Which, they may as well not bother with, as ineffective as the "bike lane" is in regard to motor vehicle traffic.

So, I get it. The study verifies my findings as well. Get cyclists and motor vehicle traffic separated and everyone will get along better and there will be less injury and death. It's a no-brainer. And I should be completely transparent and fair and tell you that this street which I used as an example is supposedly due to get a make-over which will feature separated bike lanes. Physically separated bike lanes. But I thought this from the onset- don't do a half-assed job and paint of bunch of lines on a street. That doesn't separate us from the dangers of traffic. It is pretty much a waste of effort and money. Do it right, or don't do it at all.

So, until it is done right, and we get separation, I'm going to create my own separation whenever possible. You can bag on me all you want for riding the sidewalk downtown, but I'm not willing to trust distracted, uncaring, unskilled drivers in three to five ton boxes of steel, plastic, and rubber barreling down this street at well over twice the posted speed limit. And of course, we all know that if I were in the street and got taken out by one of these people driving a motor vehicle, that they would get off with a mere slap on the wrist while I'm either dead or maimed. Nope. Not gonna take that painted, so called "bike lane" ever. 

Gotta Keep'em Separated

You can paint whatever lines on this street that you want- It doesn't mean a thing.

It always seemed pretty obvious to me, but I have been commuting by bicycle for nearly 18 years now. Mostly on the same route too. What I noted a long time ago was that if you can separate yourself from traffic, you are safer. So, when I first heard about "protected bicycle lanes", essentially a bike path with some sort of physical barrier between cyclists and traffic, I knew that was the way to go when it came to designing paths and roads for cycling.

Then I saw where a study by two universities basically have come to the same conclusion. The studies say that cities with protected bike lanes realized a 44% reduction in fatalities for cyclists. No kidding! It was one of those, "Did they really have to spend money on a study for this?" moments for me. But then again- like I say- I've been in this game for almost two decades now.

Another chunk of personally observed experience came into play last year when the fair city of Waterloo, Iowa took a four lane street and divvied it up with painted lines and reduced the available lanes from four to two. They also reduced the speed limit to 20mph. Most of the time there have been no barriers except for a few months last year where they set in some pole barriers to direct traffic around the convoluted painted "bike lane", but only at intersections.

I've been paying attention to this and have cycled this street a lot in the last year. By the way, I never use the painted in "bicycle lane". Why? Becuase of what I observe as a situation that is unsafe, and definitely not as safe as using the wide sidewalk which runs nearly the entire bike lane on this street. My reasoning is that, based upon my observations, that drivers are far less likely to strike me with their vehicles when I am on a slightly elevated paved surface protected by a curb.

Pathways separated from motor vehicle traffic are my preferred routes to take, when the take you somewhere.

I have observed drivers going right over the "bike lane", and the lower speed limit? Ha! NEVER been enforced. Cars still speed along at 40mph all day and night on this stretch of city street. In Winter it is even worse, as the painted lines are often obscured by snow and ice, and by Spring are in dire need of repainting. Which, they may as well not bother with, as ineffective as the "bike lane" is in regard to motor vehicle traffic.

So, I get it. The study verifies my findings as well. Get cyclists and motor vehicle traffic separated and everyone will get along better and there will be less injury and death. It's a no-brainer. And I should be completely transparent and fair and tell you that this street which I used as an example is supposedly due to get a make-over which will feature separated bike lanes. Physically separated bike lanes. But I thought this from the onset- don't do a half-assed job and paint of bunch of lines on a street. That doesn't separate us from the dangers of traffic. It is pretty much a waste of effort and money. Do it right, or don't do it at all.

So, until it is done right, and we get separation, I'm going to create my own separation whenever possible. You can bag on me all you want for riding the sidewalk downtown, but I'm not willing to trust distracted, uncaring, unskilled drivers in three to five ton boxes of steel, plastic, and rubber barreling down this street at well over twice the posted speed limit. And of course, we all know that if I were in the street and got taken out by one of these people driving a motor vehicle, that they would get off with a mere slap on the wrist while I'm either dead or maimed. Nope. Not gonna take that painted, so called "bike lane" ever. 

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.

Friday News And Views

All the engagements

Industry 9 Introduces New Hubs:

Industry 9, the high engagement, colorful, US made hub company from North Carolina introduced a new, high engagement hub this week. You maybe saw that somewhere on social media. If not, it is a new, closer tolerance hub that engages slightly quicker than the old ones.

Kind of a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a minor curiosity. That said, you'd think that the Pope had declared he was an atheist, by the reactions I saw, and I think that is just weird. Some folks declared you should just buy another, "instant engagement hub" from another US company. Some said the math was wrong that I-9 used. Some folks said the new hubs would have more drag......yada,yada,yada...... 

Here's my take: High engagement hubs are okay as long as they are (1) strong, (2) free rolling, and (3) don't weigh a lot. Otherwise, I could care less what the engagement is, what the degrees of free play is, or what have you. Why? Because I never have failed to make a move, climb a hill, or accelerate due to "lack of engagement". Now, I have had free hubs slip, pawls crap out, and bearings go bad. Those are far, far higher on my list of concerns than "free play" or whatever. But don't get into it with someone who is a free hub zealot. Sheesh! 

Oh yeah. Noises. Free hub "clackety-clack". Some folks get bent about the noises, or lack thereof. Honestly, I usually tune that out if it exists and don't mind if it doesn't. I've got far more important things to pay attention to when I ride, like wild flowers, the clouds, how the Sun hits that field "just so", and getting up the next hill. Your mileage may vary. 

But yeah, I like anodized hubs, US made stuff, and wheels. So, I may be getting a set of these this year.

Salsa Cycles twitter account posted this yesterday.

New FS Bike From Salsa Cycles On The Horizon?

In the cycling industry there is a concept called "product cycle", in which a certain concept or way of making something serves the market and then is "retired", redesigned from the "ground up", or what have you. The full suspension line up from Salsa Cycles seems to have run its course, judging by the lack of available product, so it seemed reasonable to think yesterday that a teaser seen on twitter was the harbinger of something new.

Words can be hints as well as images, so the text on the Tweet I saw referred to "rustling" and of course, you probably remember the Ponyrustler FS bike Salsa did for a few years. Yes.....that could as easily be a way to put us off the trail too. I realize that. But none the less, here we have a hint at something new coming soon.

You know, Frostbike is coming up next weekend, right? Well, there is a good chance that whatever is being hinted at here will be revealed then. If it isn't ready, then I'd say Sea Otter would be your next best release date. But I am betting Frostbike will be the venue that will be the reveal for whatever the heck it is we're looking at here.

Frostbike! Ah......the memories! I recall the good times well. I haven't been to a Frostbike for several years now. The reason being is that my workplace is in charge of the "getting registered" bit and well.......it never happens. So, once again, I will not be at Frostbike. Just know that it is beyond my control to do anything about that these days.

Waterloo is to be commended for at least attempting to look out for cyclists and peds.

Taking Care Of The Citizens- All Of Them:

Multi-use paths, (bike paths), are great. Recreation is important, but many communities are just now figuring out that plain ol recreating doesn't promote long term healthy lifestyles. (generally speaking here) However; practical, purposeful routes- routes that actually are useful and take you somewhere and back again- really do help communities get more healthy. People are apt to use routes to schools, stores, and work places more often than recreational trails and therefore they become healthier, they reduce "traffic", and cut down on gas and oil use. That is great to see happening where it is happening and all, but if you don't maintain routes in Winter, then everything comes to a screeching halt.

This goes for pedestrians as well. If you think people stop using routes for foot and cycle traffic in Winter, well, you haven't seen all the tracks I'm seeing out there. Tracks of people, bicycles, people with walkers, carts, and people with small children in strollers. There are a LOT of people that cannot, won't, or don't often drive a motor vehicle. I know it seems crazy, but it is true.

That's why I find a bit of pride welling up inside me when I see how well Waterloo, Iowa takes care of its paths in Winter. The image here is from my commute on Thursday morning, just two short days after a major snowstorm. Nicely done! I was able to make it to work by bicycle easily since the City of Waterloo has chosen to take care of its people. Thank you!

And that is a wrap for this week. I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend!

Friday News And Views

All the engagements

Industry 9 Introduces New Hubs:

Industry 9, the high engagement, colorful, US made hub company from North Carolina introduced a new, high engagement hub this week. You maybe saw that somewhere on social media. If not, it is a new, closer tolerance hub that engages slightly quicker than the old ones.

Kind of a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, it is a minor curiosity. That said, you'd think that the Pope had declared he was an atheist, by the reactions I saw, and I think that is just weird. Some folks declared you should just buy another, "instant engagement hub" from another US company. Some said the math was wrong that I-9 used. Some folks said the new hubs would have more drag......yada,yada,yada...... 

Here's my take: High engagement hubs are okay as long as they are (1) strong, (2) free rolling, and (3) don't weigh a lot. Otherwise, I could care less what the engagement is, what the degrees of free play is, or what have you. Why? Because I never have failed to make a move, climb a hill, or accelerate due to "lack of engagement". Now, I have had free hubs slip, pawls crap out, and bearings go bad. Those are far, far higher on my list of concerns than "free play" or whatever. But don't get into it with someone who is a free hub zealot. Sheesh! 

Oh yeah. Noises. Free hub "clackety-clack". Some folks get bent about the noises, or lack thereof. Honestly, I usually tune that out if it exists and don't mind if it doesn't. I've got far more important things to pay attention to when I ride, like wild flowers, the clouds, how the Sun hits that field "just so", and getting up the next hill. Your mileage may vary. 

But yeah, I like anodized hubs, US made stuff, and wheels. So, I may be getting a set of these this year.

Salsa Cycles twitter account posted this yesterday.

New FS Bike From Salsa Cycles On The Horizon?

In the cycling industry there is a concept called "product cycle", in which a certain concept or way of making something serves the market and then is "retired", redesigned from the "ground up", or what have you. The full suspension line up from Salsa Cycles seems to have run its course, judging by the lack of available product, so it seemed reasonable to think yesterday that a teaser seen on twitter was the harbinger of something new.

Words can be hints as well as images, so the text on the Tweet I saw referred to "rustling" and of course, you probably remember the Ponyrustler FS bike Salsa did for a few years. Yes.....that could as easily be a way to put us off the trail too. I realize that. But none the less, here we have a hint at something new coming soon.

You know, Frostbike is coming up next weekend, right? Well, there is a good chance that whatever is being hinted at here will be revealed then. If it isn't ready, then I'd say Sea Otter would be your next best release date. But I am betting Frostbike will be the venue that will be the reveal for whatever the heck it is we're looking at here.

Frostbike! Ah......the memories! I recall the good times well. I haven't been to a Frostbike for several years now. The reason being is that my workplace is in charge of the "getting registered" bit and well.......it never happens. So, once again, I will not be at Frostbike. Just know that it is beyond my control to do anything about that these days.

Waterloo is to be commended for at least attempting to look out for cyclists and peds.

Taking Care Of The Citizens- All Of Them:

Multi-use paths, (bike paths), are great. Recreation is important, but many communities are just now figuring out that plain ol recreating doesn't promote long term healthy lifestyles. (generally speaking here) However; practical, purposeful routes- routes that actually are useful and take you somewhere and back again- really do help communities get more healthy. People are apt to use routes to schools, stores, and work places more often than recreational trails and therefore they become healthier, they reduce "traffic", and cut down on gas and oil use. That is great to see happening where it is happening and all, but if you don't maintain routes in Winter, then everything comes to a screeching halt.

This goes for pedestrians as well. If you think people stop using routes for foot and cycle traffic in Winter, well, you haven't seen all the tracks I'm seeing out there. Tracks of people, bicycles, people with walkers, carts, and people with small children in strollers. There are a LOT of people that cannot, won't, or don't often drive a motor vehicle. I know it seems crazy, but it is true.

That's why I find a bit of pride welling up inside me when I see how well Waterloo, Iowa takes care of its paths in Winter. The image here is from my commute on Thursday morning, just two short days after a major snowstorm. Nicely done! I was able to make it to work by bicycle easily since the City of Waterloo has chosen to take care of its people. Thank you!

And that is a wrap for this week. I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend!

The Agenda

We don't have to put up with drivers distracted by these things.

Well, by now the dust should be settling on Campaign 2016. Once everyone settles down, (and hopefully they do), it will be time to get on with gettin' on. This country needs some changes, and I'll keep it on track here by focusing on two issues I'd like to see changed that relates to cycling.

Cell Phones & Distracted Driving:

You already know that cell phone distracted driving is a big risk to all who venture out onto the roads. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable, but everybody is at risk. Mrs. Guitar Ted got rear ended years ago by a distracted driver who was on her cell phone. Years ago. And we haven't done anything about this yet? Really?

Cyclists have given their lives to distracted drivers who, in many cases, get off with a simple fine and loss of license for a period of time. This is INSANE. But that isn't all folks. There is a very sick punchline to this. It makes me ill that this is reality now, but here goes.......

The technology exists already to set cell phones up with a "GPS lock". What that means is that the GPS tracking which is in every smart phone can literally lock down your phone if it detects movement over a certain velocity. We could have people unable to use their phones while driving now! While that would likely apply to passengers, and that is kind of a bummer, it is the price we would have to pay to keep accidents and crashes from happening that potentially could kill people. 

A small inconvenience, I say.

This is something our lawmakers need to get on board with now. It would save a lot of lives, benefit everybody on the road, and obviously, it would benefit cyclists and pedestrians.

Bike paths are great, but how about bike infrastructure that  is practical for all users.

Paths To Nowhere:


I was discussing the nature of recreational bike paths in our area with a coworker the other day. In this area, we have over 100 miles of bicycle paths, yet there is no good way to cycle the corridor between Waterloo and Cedar Falls safely without deep knowledge of the side streets. It is hard to get from the major learning centers to the residential areas, and from there to the retail areas without near death experiences daily. This is the case not only here, but throughout most of America.

Recreational bicycle paths are great, but we don't really need more of those. They essentially put cycling off into the territory of golf, fishing, or tennis. You go do that over there and don't get in the way, see? Well, what if you'd like to go do some shopping by bicycle? How about go from college to the downtown area? Or what about going to work by bicycle? Practical cycling is frowned upon, ignored, or seen as a threat, I guess, because if you try to use your bicycle in a way other than on a recreational trail, you are seen as something to be killed. Building more "bike paths" means "get those gol durned bicycles off our roads" to most citizens that don't bicycle.

What we need from our government is to make ways for cycling to be a lifestyle/transportation choice, not something one does on their off time to while away a sunny Sunday afternoon. We want to be able to get to the movie theater, to the college art gallery, or to our workplace on a path that is not a recreational trail, but a bicycle road, if you will. In fact, calling anything a "bike path" is not going to work. We need our own roads for cycling, like they have in Europe.

Okay, so that's my "agenda" for the governmental types to tackle for 2017 and beyond.
 

The Agenda

We don't have to put up with drivers distracted by these things.

Well, by now the dust should be settling on Campaign 2016. Once everyone settles down, (and hopefully they do), it will be time to get on with gettin' on. This country needs some changes, and I'll keep it on track here by focusing on two issues I'd like to see changed that relates to cycling.

Cell Phones & Distracted Driving:

You already know that cell phone distracted driving is a big risk to all who venture out onto the roads. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable, but everybody is at risk. Mrs. Guitar Ted got rear ended years ago by a distracted driver who was on her cell phone. Years ago. And we haven't done anything about this yet? Really?

Cyclists have given their lives to distracted drivers who, in many cases, get off with a simple fine and loss of license for a period of time. This is INSANE. But that isn't all folks. There is a very sick punchline to this. It makes me ill that this is reality now, but here goes.......

The technology exists already to set cell phones up with a "GPS lock". What that means is that the GPS tracking which is in every smart phone can literally lock down your phone if it detects movement over a certain velocity. We could have people unable to use their phones while driving now! While that would likely apply to passengers, and that is kind of a bummer, it is the price we would have to pay to keep accidents and crashes from happening that potentially could kill people. 

A small inconvenience, I say.

This is something our lawmakers need to get on board with now. It would save a lot of lives, benefit everybody on the road, and obviously, it would benefit cyclists and pedestrians.

Bike paths are great, but how about bike infrastructure that  is practical for all users.

Paths To Nowhere:


I was discussing the nature of recreational bike paths in our area with a coworker the other day. In this area, we have over 100 miles of bicycle paths, yet there is no good way to cycle the corridor between Waterloo and Cedar Falls safely without deep knowledge of the side streets. It is hard to get from the major learning centers to the residential areas, and from there to the retail areas without near death experiences daily. This is the case not only here, but throughout most of America.

Recreational bicycle paths are great, but we don't really need more of those. They essentially put cycling off into the territory of golf, fishing, or tennis. You go do that over there and don't get in the way, see? Well, what if you'd like to go do some shopping by bicycle? How about go from college to the downtown area? Or what about going to work by bicycle? Practical cycling is frowned upon, ignored, or seen as a threat, I guess, because if you try to use your bicycle in a way other than on a recreational trail, you are seen as something to be killed. Building more "bike paths" means "get those gol durned bicycles off our roads" to most citizens that don't bicycle.

What we need from our government is to make ways for cycling to be a lifestyle/transportation choice, not something one does on their off time to while away a sunny Sunday afternoon. We want to be able to get to the movie theater, to the college art gallery, or to our workplace on a path that is not a recreational trail, but a bicycle road, if you will. In fact, calling anything a "bike path" is not going to work. We need our own roads for cycling, like they have in Europe.

Okay, so that's my "agenda" for the governmental types to tackle for 2017 and beyond.