Scraping Off The Barnacles

Winter time at the shop:

So, yeah..... it's slow going time at your local bicycle shop right now in terms of repairs. I am keeping busy, but it is that kind of "busy" where you take a little extra time with everything. Just to stretch things out to the maximum time limits. You know.....something like this: 

So, let's see.....this spoke wrench fits okay. Maybe I'll try that adjustable one for kicks. Hmm.....it's only .25mm out of true, but maybe I can get that out. Let's see......

Yeah...that's the deal now. Everything takes more time. Experimentation. Learning new things. Oh! And "project bikes"!

"What is a project bike?", you may ask. Well, it is one of those deals a mechanic takes on that he/she will "get to" at some time or another. Basically, the "get to" is code for "winter time project". My project bike this winter is this Lejeune road bike I picked up several months ago from an unknown seller. That's right. I never met the guy. The sale was brokered through my boss at the shop where I work.

So, here's what I know about this bike: Circa '72-'73 Lejeune  with Campagnolo Record components. Lejeune is French and so are the threads on the bottom bracket shell and steer tube.

Wheels have the 36 hole Fiamme "Red Label" tubular rims on high flange Campagnolo hubs. The rims were mounted with tubulars but they were.....ah, crusty! I peeled those things off pronto and pitched them. No use saving those flaking masses of cotton and rubber.

Decals look okay where they are not missing chunks. In those days, decals were tranfers and were not clear coated over.

It's funny looking at how "fine" bicycles used to be made. Of course, for its day, this was the top-o-the line racing bicycle. Reynolds 531 steel tubing joined in a lug construction style. These were hand made frames, and being "production run" issues, the finishing isn't top notch where customers were not apt to look.

I mean, take a look at that serial number, as an example. Sloppy. Poorly done. And the bottom bracket shell is, ah.......rough, shall we say? All part of the "charm" of these old timers, I guess you could say. But then again- how many folks can say they have a hand made bike with a full Campy Record group, serial number 198? Not many, I would guess!

The days have been spent doing what needs to get done at the shop, but I have been sneaking in during off hours and taking this old bike apart. I have been cleaning up the frame, and will scrape all the barnacles off it and the components as best I can.

The plan is to carefully clean it, restoring the finish a best I can, and restoring the components to working order. The grease is completely dried out! I also will de-lace the wheels and probably go with clincher rims from Velo Orange.

Tubulars were checked into, but oh! The prices! No thanks.

I'll be going with the widest shoes that fit, and I suspect 30mm will be pretty good here. That'll make a nice, cushy, smooth rolling bike I can ride on pavement and gravel. (Yes- I said "gravel")

Fortunately for me, the bike was nearly in rideable condition when I got it, save for the deflated and decaying tubulars. It shouldn't take a whole lot to get this old girl out there for some fun rides later on next season. I'll update this as I go along, so look for more on this rig here later. 

Scraping Off The Barnacles

Winter time at the shop:

So, yeah..... it's slow going time at your local bicycle shop right now in terms of repairs. I am keeping busy, but it is that kind of "busy" where you take a little extra time with everything. Just to stretch things out to the maximum time limits. You know.....something like this: 

So, let's see.....this spoke wrench fits okay. Maybe I'll try that adjustable one for kicks. Hmm.....it's only .25mm out of true, but maybe I can get that out. Let's see......

Yeah...that's the deal now. Everything takes more time. Experimentation. Learning new things. Oh! And "project bikes"!

"What is a project bike?", you may ask. Well, it is one of those deals a mechanic takes on that he/she will "get to" at some time or another. Basically, the "get to" is code for "winter time project". My project bike this winter is this Lejeune road bike I picked up several months ago from an unknown seller. That's right. I never met the guy. The sale was brokered through my boss at the shop where I work.

So, here's what I know about this bike: Circa '72-'73 Lejeune  with Campagnolo Record components. Lejeune is French and so are the threads on the bottom bracket shell and steer tube.

Wheels have the 36 hole Fiamme "Red Label" tubular rims on high flange Campagnolo hubs. The rims were mounted with tubulars but they were.....ah, crusty! I peeled those things off pronto and pitched them. No use saving those flaking masses of cotton and rubber.

Decals look okay where they are not missing chunks. In those days, decals were tranfers and were not clear coated over.

It's funny looking at how "fine" bicycles used to be made. Of course, for its day, this was the top-o-the line racing bicycle. Reynolds 531 steel tubing joined in a lug construction style. These were hand made frames, and being "production run" issues, the finishing isn't top notch where customers were not apt to look.

I mean, take a look at that serial number, as an example. Sloppy. Poorly done. And the bottom bracket shell is, ah.......rough, shall we say? All part of the "charm" of these old timers, I guess you could say. But then again- how many folks can say they have a hand made bike with a full Campy Record group, serial number 198? Not many, I would guess!

The days have been spent doing what needs to get done at the shop, but I have been sneaking in during off hours and taking this old bike apart. I have been cleaning up the frame, and will scrape all the barnacles off it and the components as best I can.

The plan is to carefully clean it, restoring the finish a best I can, and restoring the components to working order. The grease is completely dried out! I also will de-lace the wheels and probably go with clincher rims from Velo Orange.

Tubulars were checked into, but oh! The prices! No thanks.

I'll be going with the widest shoes that fit, and I suspect 30mm will be pretty good here. That'll make a nice, cushy, smooth rolling bike I can ride on pavement and gravel. (Yes- I said "gravel")

Fortunately for me, the bike was nearly in rideable condition when I got it, save for the deflated and decaying tubulars. It shouldn't take a whole lot to get this old girl out there for some fun rides later on next season. I'll update this as I go along, so look for more on this rig here later. 

The Bitter And The Sweet

The Bitter: Of course, if you are a cycling fan, or a road racing aficionado, you know what happened during Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia yesterday. Wouter Weylandt was killed in a high speed crash on a descent on the course of the race, and the cycling world is in shock.

These kinds of tragedies are very hard to absorb, much less understand. I thought the esteemed blogger, "Bike Snob NYC" caught a good vision of what it is like for a lot of us. (Read it here)

There are a lot of folks that are not cyclists, or are casual cyclists, that may not grasp the "why" of what some of us engage in. (I know my family has a hard time with some of what I do!) I only hope that the negativism that may come from those quarters isn't allowed to dampen the spirit of adventure, the joy, and yes- the risk that all of us as cyclists understand is there.

My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and team mates of Wouter Weylandt.

The Sweet: Of course, if you hung around here through all the Trans Iowa madness, you know Janna Vavra notched the first finish in any Trans Iowa by a female. I found a link to her report for Nebraska Cycling News, which I read just yesterday. I thought I'd share it today.

I have to say that one of the most surprising things that happened when I got involved with Trans Iowa was how my perceptions of people that competed on bicycles was forever changed. It started that cold April day in 2005, and every spring since, that hasn't stopped happening.

Janna adds to that experience of mine with her class, her character, and her athleticism. She mentions how being in Trans Iowa forever changes people, and I can vouch that putting the event on has also forever changed my life as well.

Cycling: It can be bitter, and it can be sweet. 

The Bitter And The Sweet

The Bitter: Of course, if you are a cycling fan, or a road racing aficionado, you know what happened during Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia yesterday. Wouter Weylandt was killed in a high speed crash on a descent on the course of the race, and the cycling world is in shock.

These kinds of tragedies are very hard to absorb, much less understand. I thought the esteemed blogger, "Bike Snob NYC" caught a good vision of what it is like for a lot of us. (Read it here)

There are a lot of folks that are not cyclists, or are casual cyclists, that may not grasp the "why" of what some of us engage in. (I know my family has a hard time with some of what I do!) I only hope that the negativism that may come from those quarters isn't allowed to dampen the spirit of adventure, the joy, and yes- the risk that all of us as cyclists understand is there.

My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and team mates of Wouter Weylandt.

The Sweet: Of course, if you hung around here through all the Trans Iowa madness, you know Janna Vavra notched the first finish in any Trans Iowa by a female. I found a link to her report for Nebraska Cycling News, which I read just yesterday. I thought I'd share it today.

I have to say that one of the most surprising things that happened when I got involved with Trans Iowa was how my perceptions of people that competed on bicycles was forever changed. It started that cold April day in 2005, and every spring since, that hasn't stopped happening.

Janna adds to that experience of mine with her class, her character, and her athleticism. She mentions how being in Trans Iowa forever changes people, and I can vouch that putting the event on has also forever changed my life as well.

Cycling: It can be bitter, and it can be sweet. 

Friday News And Views

<===Image from Team Leopard Trek's Facebook page.

Hey- Maybe he's just that good.... The latest supposed "controversy" surrounding Fabian Cancellara, the current World Time Trial champ, is that he was using some "super-greased ball bearings" in his bikes last season. A report in La Derniere Heure newspaper suggested that a technology called "Gold Race" was used which is claimed to give its user gains of up to 2.5 seconds per kilometer.

Either that or Fabian is just that good at time trials. I mean, last year they were claiming Fabian was using an electric assist in his bottom bracket. What's next? A magic miniature nuclear generator hub? Sheesh! Can't a guy just dominate and be left alone anymore?

Road racing. I tell ya..........

Mini-update on the gravel road stage race deal: Okay, I have to say that I am just amazed at the responses I have gotten surrounding this idea for a three day gravel stage race thing. I have been getting comments here on the blog, e-mails, and offers of help and even a preliminary sponsorship idea.

So, this idea will get further attention for sure. I have some people whose advice and thoughts I want to receive and consider before pushing ahead any further, so please be patient with me and know this is being thought about and planned for by some passionate folks. When I have some more solid news, I will be back to share.

Trans Iowa V7: I will have the usual update on the blog for tomorrow, but additionally, I will be posting a separate "Course Conditions Report" this weekend, so stay tuned for the latest gravel roads report on the T.I.V7 course soon.....

The Snow Dog Update: Well, it had been since mid-February that I had any communication with The Phil Wood & Co. regarding the Mukluk's rear wheel. I sent the wheel back in on February 23rd, and then.......

I decided to shoot them an e-mail Wednesday to see if they even had the wheel or not. Yesterday I received a short e-mail stating that they indeed had my wheel and that they were waiting on free hubs, which they were out of, and the earliest they expected to have those was next week. Then the communique' stated that they would let me know when it was ready.

That was it.

So.........the saga continues. 

Have a great weekend folks. It's springtime! Ride yer bikes and have some fun!

Friday News And Views

<===Image from Team Leopard Trek's Facebook page.

Hey- Maybe he's just that good.... The latest supposed "controversy" surrounding Fabian Cancellara, the current World Time Trial champ, is that he was using some "super-greased ball bearings" in his bikes last season. A report in La Derniere Heure newspaper suggested that a technology called "Gold Race" was used which is claimed to give its user gains of up to 2.5 seconds per kilometer.

Either that or Fabian is just that good at time trials. I mean, last year they were claiming Fabian was using an electric assist in his bottom bracket. What's next? A magic miniature nuclear generator hub? Sheesh! Can't a guy just dominate and be left alone anymore?

Road racing. I tell ya..........

Mini-update on the gravel road stage race deal: Okay, I have to say that I am just amazed at the responses I have gotten surrounding this idea for a three day gravel stage race thing. I have been getting comments here on the blog, e-mails, and offers of help and even a preliminary sponsorship idea.

So, this idea will get further attention for sure. I have some people whose advice and thoughts I want to receive and consider before pushing ahead any further, so please be patient with me and know this is being thought about and planned for by some passionate folks. When I have some more solid news, I will be back to share.

Trans Iowa V7: I will have the usual update on the blog for tomorrow, but additionally, I will be posting a separate "Course Conditions Report" this weekend, so stay tuned for the latest gravel roads report on the T.I.V7 course soon.....

The Snow Dog Update: Well, it had been since mid-February that I had any communication with The Phil Wood & Co. regarding the Mukluk's rear wheel. I sent the wheel back in on February 23rd, and then.......

I decided to shoot them an e-mail Wednesday to see if they even had the wheel or not. Yesterday I received a short e-mail stating that they indeed had my wheel and that they were waiting on free hubs, which they were out of, and the earliest they expected to have those was next week. Then the communique' stated that they would let me know when it was ready.

That was it.

So.........the saga continues. 

Have a great weekend folks. It's springtime! Ride yer bikes and have some fun!

I Know What I'd Rather Watch

Ever since this whole UCI thing started up, I have been thinking about how they will "certify" frames for use in professional road racing and triathlon. They have a weight limit, of course, and an aero tubing profile limitation, and some other wonky rules that limit bicycles and their construction for record attempts on the track, and so on and so forth. Of course, rules are part of any contest, and sport couldn't be run without a structure.

I think we all get that, and agree upon it.

However; the entire process of extracting money from bicycle companies to "certify" that they meet UCI standards is a bit unnerving to me. It's going to do two things: #1: Make the UCI a lot of money, (and so- where does that money go?), and #2: It will raise the prices on bicycles sold to the public.

Now the UCI says it is to make sure everyone is on a level playing field and the race inspectors jobs would be easier.

I say, "it's a bunch of bovine excrement.", that's what I say. Here's why......

You want a "level playing field" for bicycles? Okay, take a step over here and see what the sport of NASCAR has done. Spec cars, and besides the "engine", they are about as identical as you can get. They even have templates the cars have to fit into. You know, so they are "certified" ready to go. Certified parts in the chassis. Certified body shapes. Everything is controlled.

In my opinion, this is the direction that the UCI is headed in terms of bicycles for professional racing. I say- "cut to the chase". Just make 'em all ride one bike. A "UCI" made turnkey chassis kitted out with whatever drivetrain choices from Campy, SRAM, and Shimano are available. What? You dont like that the manufacturers would be out of it? I say that it would save them a ton of money not sponsoring professional teams, and therefore should make bicycles cheaper for all of us. Or maybe they could actually make bicycles "for people" instead of bicycles for "people's fantasies". But who am I kidding.....

Like that would ever happen.

So, what is reality, and what would really work here? I say, let the boys be boys and have at it. We already have testing for safety, and those standards are pretty darn high. So make every race bike pass the safety tests. Then- have a couple easy rules. You know- like overall length, identical wheel sizes front and rear, and a weight limit, (that is what they have now, and I think that is just fine). Then the all-important rule: It must be an off the peg bike. No custom-one-off anything. Everything in the Pro peloton must be manufactured ahead of time for consumers to ride as well. Race on Sunday-sell on Monday.

Inside of those simple boundaries, let the bicycle companies go nuts with technology. That's something I would rather watch than homogenized bicycles according to some arcane cycling over-lords being ridden by bio-freaks controlled by radios. Oh wait.....

They got rid of radios, right?

Update: Late this afternoon I received a press release from the UCI. (Hmm.......veddy eentahrestink!) So, at any rate, here is a brief synopsis of the contents. The UCI states that the confirmation/certification process is in "high demand". Really? (Thank you "Mr. Obvious"!) Of course it is going to be in "high demand" because manufacturers "need" to have those bikes underneath pro riders. Okay, so no news there. Then it goes on to say that Richard Sachs was one of the first to "request certification", and that he said it was as "easy as registering for a race".

Okay, another bombshell! No offense to R. Sachs, but those frames could be certified from 5,000 miles away by a monkey, since they haven't changed in 30 years. The guy is building bikes that the UCI would love to see everyone riding. Tell me that something cutting edge has been certified, then I'll be impressed.

Finally, this one is rich! Straight from the press release: "It is important to note that the above mentioned costs are merely cost-covering prices. The UCI will not in any way profit from the approval process." How much are they charging, you might ask? Well, for each model, and up to eight sizes, the UCI is asking the following: (Again, straight from the press release)

"The cost of the comprehensive procedure is CHF 5,000 (SwissFrancs), that of the intermediate procedure CHF 3,000 and that of the simplified procedure CHF 500."

Those prices are roughly equivalent to US dollars, by the way. (And I bet not including shipping!) The highest price is for things like time trial bikes, the mid-price for your monocoque type carbon fiber road rigs, and the lowest price for "tube constructed" bicycles, (read: Like Richard Sachs bicycles). It costs more if you carry more than 8 sizes of each model.

Okay, 5 grand to measure a frame, and they say it isn't making them any money?

Wow.

I Know What I'd Rather Watch

Ever since this whole UCI thing started up, I have been thinking about how they will "certify" frames for use in professional road racing and triathlon. They have a weight limit, of course, and an aero tubing profile limitation, and some other wonky rules that limit bicycles and their construction for record attempts on the track, and so on and so forth. Of course, rules are part of any contest, and sport couldn't be run without a structure.

I think we all get that, and agree upon it.

However; the entire process of extracting money from bicycle companies to "certify" that they meet UCI standards is a bit unnerving to me. It's going to do two things: #1: Make the UCI a lot of money, (and so- where does that money go?), and #2: It will raise the prices on bicycles sold to the public.

Now the UCI says it is to make sure everyone is on a level playing field and the race inspectors jobs would be easier.

I say, "it's a bunch of bovine excrement.", that's what I say. Here's why......

You want a "level playing field" for bicycles? Okay, take a step over here and see what the sport of NASCAR has done. Spec cars, and besides the "engine", they are about as identical as you can get. They even have templates the cars have to fit into. You know, so they are "certified" ready to go. Certified parts in the chassis. Certified body shapes. Everything is controlled.

In my opinion, this is the direction that the UCI is headed in terms of bicycles for professional racing. I say- "cut to the chase". Just make 'em all ride one bike. A "UCI" made turnkey chassis kitted out with whatever drivetrain choices from Campy, SRAM, and Shimano are available. What? You dont like that the manufacturers would be out of it? I say that it would save them a ton of money not sponsoring professional teams, and therefore should make bicycles cheaper for all of us. Or maybe they could actually make bicycles "for people" instead of bicycles for "people's fantasies". But who am I kidding.....

Like that would ever happen.

So, what is reality, and what would really work here? I say, let the boys be boys and have at it. We already have testing for safety, and those standards are pretty darn high. So make every race bike pass the safety tests. Then- have a couple easy rules. You know- like overall length, identical wheel sizes front and rear, and a weight limit, (that is what they have now, and I think that is just fine). Then the all-important rule: It must be an off the peg bike. No custom-one-off anything. Everything in the Pro peloton must be manufactured ahead of time for consumers to ride as well. Race on Sunday-sell on Monday.

Inside of those simple boundaries, let the bicycle companies go nuts with technology. That's something I would rather watch than homogenized bicycles according to some arcane cycling over-lords being ridden by bio-freaks controlled by radios. Oh wait.....

They got rid of radios, right?

Update: Late this afternoon I received a press release from the UCI. (Hmm.......veddy eentahrestink!) So, at any rate, here is a brief synopsis of the contents. The UCI states that the confirmation/certification process is in "high demand". Really? (Thank you "Mr. Obvious"!) Of course it is going to be in "high demand" because manufacturers "need" to have those bikes underneath pro riders. Okay, so no news there. Then it goes on to say that Richard Sachs was one of the first to "request certification", and that he said it was as "easy as registering for a race".

Okay, another bombshell! No offense to R. Sachs, but those frames could be certified from 5,000 miles away by a monkey, since they haven't changed in 30 years. The guy is building bikes that the UCI would love to see everyone riding. Tell me that something cutting edge has been certified, then I'll be impressed.

Finally, this one is rich! Straight from the press release: "It is important to note that the above mentioned costs are merely cost-covering prices. The UCI will not in any way profit from the approval process." How much are they charging, you might ask? Well, for each model, and up to eight sizes, the UCI is asking the following: (Again, straight from the press release)

"The cost of the comprehensive procedure is CHF 5,000 (SwissFrancs), that of the intermediate procedure CHF 3,000 and that of the simplified procedure CHF 500."

Those prices are roughly equivalent to US dollars, by the way. (And I bet not including shipping!) The highest price is for things like time trial bikes, the mid-price for your monocoque type carbon fiber road rigs, and the lowest price for "tube constructed" bicycles, (read: Like Richard Sachs bicycles). It costs more if you carry more than 8 sizes of each model.

Okay, 5 grand to measure a frame, and they say it isn't making them any money?

Wow.

A Paved Battlefield: Part II- Know Your Enemy

Know Your Enemy: In the cycling world, we all get why we do what we do. You know, riding a bicycle, staying healthy, being more responsible with our resources, and well, let's admit it- having fun. 

 Trouble is, we're like the Amish. We know why we do what we do, like the Amish know why they do not have electricity, but the rest of the world thinks we're odd, at best, and at worst, they think we're stupid. 

I mean, look at me here (<==) This was taken last week when it was snowing on my commute to work by bicycle. If you are a cyclist, you understand, but we're a vast minority, and most people just do not get it. Like the other day, a family friend that knows me well told another friend of hers that I was out riding, in December, in the cold, while it was snowing. The guy thought he was being lied to. He told my friend, "No one rides a bicycle in this kind of weather!"

See what I mean?

Or how about this story published on "Cyclelicious" where a cyclist is harassed by two policemen, one of which is quoted as saying, ".....you shouldn’t be riding a bike in San Francisco. I don’t ride a bike here, it’s too dangerous!!” The story goes on to relate how the cyclist educated the police chief as to how and why she rode in the metro area, to help preserve her life. The police got educated. One small victory.

More Education: So, we just need to educate people better, right. Right. Absolutely correct. We need to start by realizing, like it or not, that most everyone that isn't a cyclist probably thinks we are freakish, weird, odd, possibly stupid, maybe insane, and that because of this, we don't know what is good for us. Maybe they think that we are so "out there", we can't be reached, so they may as well just treat cyclists like the idiots they are. We as cyclists need to be educated as to what the reality of our existence means out there on the roads.

Harsh? Unrealistic? Well, think about this: If a man walks into a pit full of alligators, willingly, and gets eaten alive, most of us are going to figure that this doofus had it coming, no? I mean, why would you think you could even do such a dumb thing and live, right? I believe this is exactly what most of non-cycling America thinks about cyclists on the roads and byways.

I don't mean to say that we as cyclists don't belong on the roads. I don't mean to say that what happens to cyclists at the hands of folks in automobiles is somehow excusable, or even remotely "right". I'm just saying this is probably the psychology of most non-cyclists out there. They don't understand the "why" of what we do. They have no basis for making a case for what we do as being sane, so they react to us in like manner, as if we were insane, and it goes down hill from there. To them, we are putting ourselves at unnecessary risk.

So, yes: the non-cyclist needs to be educated, but so do we. We need to understand that in many ways, we cyclists are "the enemy" in the minds of a lot of folks today. We need to accept that what we do isn't seen as something a normal person would do in society in the U.S. today, and hopefully we can change that perception for tomorrow. That will take some time.

Until then, we as cyclists should act accordingly.

Tomorrow: The Car Culture And Cycling

A Paved Battlefield: Part II- Know Your Enemy

Know Your Enemy: In the cycling world, we all get why we do what we do. You know, riding a bicycle, staying healthy, being more responsible with our resources, and well, let's admit it- having fun. 

 Trouble is, we're like the Amish. We know why we do what we do, like the Amish know why they do not have electricity, but the rest of the world thinks we're odd, at best, and at worst, they think we're stupid. 

I mean, look at me here (<==) This was taken last week when it was snowing on my commute to work by bicycle. If you are a cyclist, you understand, but we're a vast minority, and most people just do not get it. Like the other day, a family friend that knows me well told another friend of hers that I was out riding, in December, in the cold, while it was snowing. The guy thought he was being lied to. He told my friend, "No one rides a bicycle in this kind of weather!"

See what I mean?

Or how about this story published on "Cyclelicious" where a cyclist is harassed by two policemen, one of which is quoted as saying, ".....you shouldn’t be riding a bike in San Francisco. I don’t ride a bike here, it’s too dangerous!!” The story goes on to relate how the cyclist educated the police chief as to how and why she rode in the metro area, to help preserve her life. The police got educated. One small victory.

More Education: So, we just need to educate people better, right. Right. Absolutely correct. We need to start by realizing, like it or not, that most everyone that isn't a cyclist probably thinks we are freakish, weird, odd, possibly stupid, maybe insane, and that because of this, we don't know what is good for us. Maybe they think that we are so "out there", we can't be reached, so they may as well just treat cyclists like the idiots they are. We as cyclists need to be educated as to what the reality of our existence means out there on the roads.

Harsh? Unrealistic? Well, think about this: If a man walks into a pit full of alligators, willingly, and gets eaten alive, most of us are going to figure that this doofus had it coming, no? I mean, why would you think you could even do such a dumb thing and live, right? I believe this is exactly what most of non-cycling America thinks about cyclists on the roads and byways.

I don't mean to say that we as cyclists don't belong on the roads. I don't mean to say that what happens to cyclists at the hands of folks in automobiles is somehow excusable, or even remotely "right". I'm just saying this is probably the psychology of most non-cyclists out there. They don't understand the "why" of what we do. They have no basis for making a case for what we do as being sane, so they react to us in like manner, as if we were insane, and it goes down hill from there. To them, we are putting ourselves at unnecessary risk.

So, yes: the non-cyclist needs to be educated, but so do we. We need to understand that in many ways, we cyclists are "the enemy" in the minds of a lot of folks today. We need to accept that what we do isn't seen as something a normal person would do in society in the U.S. today, and hopefully we can change that perception for tomorrow. That will take some time.

Until then, we as cyclists should act accordingly.

Tomorrow: The Car Culture And Cycling

A Paved Battlefield: Introduction

Special Series: I'm going to tackle a subject for at least a few posts that is complex, raises passions, and might be seen as a bit odd for this blog. But it isn't, really, if you stop and think about it. I'm talking about cars, bicycles, people, and how we all interact as users when we are riding on/in these vehicles.

To be honest, this subject was one I thought I might write a rant on and move along to something else the next day. However; it quickly became apparent that a conversation I had about car drivers versus road cyclists was going to become a much more multi-faceted subject than I had thought at the outset.

High Stakes: Recent newsworthy stories about cyclists being injured by car drivers, or even killed by car drivers, are becoming all too common. I wrote recently about a high profile case in which a driver struck and seriously injured a cyclist, then left him for dead on the side of the road. (The driver escaped felony charges which prompted much outrage and this Facebook site which exists to allow stories of this sort to be collected and discussed.) One has to wonder why there should even be a debate at all on such behavior, which shouldn't go unpunished, or even happen in the first place.

Obviously the stakes are high in this debate, and passions are hotter than a tin roof in the Texas sun when it comes to these stories. I do not claim to have the answers or the salve to sooth the damages done, but I wanted to explore this subject and offer up my take on it. I've started a dialogue with a few folks already on this topic and their thoughts will be influencing these posts as well.

The Problem Is You: Generally, in cases where lots of fingers are getting pointed outwards, there needs to be a realization that there are four other fingers pointing back at you, and those fingers belong to you. Yes, everyone has a lot to learn in this area, and we all could do well to look in the mirror and clean up our own acts first. As drivers, and as cyclists, we need to be reminding ourselves that we all have a right to live, to not be afraid as we are using the roads and streets, and that we all need to abide by rules and laws that exist on the books today. It is my belief that if we do our parts in being responsible as cyclists, we will garner more respect and have a stronger influence. That alone in itself won't solve the issues, but until cyclists get their own house in order, it will be hard to convince "the other side" that they need to change their ways.

What We Need To Do: Tomorrow, I will talk more about the issues and actions that cyclists need to understand and change in order to show other road users that we can play fairly and responsibly out on the pavement.

A Paved Battlefield: Introduction

Special Series: I'm going to tackle a subject for at least a few posts that is complex, raises passions, and might be seen as a bit odd for this blog. But it isn't, really, if you stop and think about it. I'm talking about cars, bicycles, people, and how we all interact as users when we are riding on/in these vehicles.

To be honest, this subject was one I thought I might write a rant on and move along to something else the next day. However; it quickly became apparent that a conversation I had about car drivers versus road cyclists was going to become a much more multi-faceted subject than I had thought at the outset.

High Stakes: Recent newsworthy stories about cyclists being injured by car drivers, or even killed by car drivers, are becoming all too common. I wrote recently about a high profile case in which a driver struck and seriously injured a cyclist, then left him for dead on the side of the road. (The driver escaped felony charges which prompted much outrage and this Facebook site which exists to allow stories of this sort to be collected and discussed.) One has to wonder why there should even be a debate at all on such behavior, which shouldn't go unpunished, or even happen in the first place.

Obviously the stakes are high in this debate, and passions are hotter than a tin roof in the Texas sun when it comes to these stories. I do not claim to have the answers or the salve to sooth the damages done, but I wanted to explore this subject and offer up my take on it. I've started a dialogue with a few folks already on this topic and their thoughts will be influencing these posts as well.

The Problem Is You: Generally, in cases where lots of fingers are getting pointed outwards, there needs to be a realization that there are four other fingers pointing back at you, and those fingers belong to you. Yes, everyone has a lot to learn in this area, and we all could do well to look in the mirror and clean up our own acts first. As drivers, and as cyclists, we need to be reminding ourselves that we all have a right to live, to not be afraid as we are using the roads and streets, and that we all need to abide by rules and laws that exist on the books today. It is my belief that if we do our parts in being responsible as cyclists, we will garner more respect and have a stronger influence. That alone in itself won't solve the issues, but until cyclists get their own house in order, it will be hard to convince "the other side" that they need to change their ways.

What We Need To Do: Tomorrow, I will talk more about the issues and actions that cyclists need to understand and change in order to show other road users that we can play fairly and responsibly out on the pavement.