Two Things

Image courtesy of Rene Herse Cycles

 New Rene Herse 32" Tires And Thoughts On 32" Gravel:

 News this week broke on several new 32" tires, but the one new entry into 32" which I found intriguing is the one from Rene Herse Cycles. They announced a 32" Indiana Pass tire which is a semi-slick central treaded tire meant for bike packing and all-road usage. 

My take on Rene Herse tires are you either really like them or you just do not like them at all. They can be problematic for some folks and the negatives are all over the internet for anyone to find if you look for those comments. Others rave about these tires and love them. I'm not in either camp, and yes - I do have a set. 

None of this matters to me, but what I do find interesting is the fact that Rene Herse is doing a 32"er at all. I think it is pretty well known that Panaracer makes Rene Herse tires, so first off, you have to think that a Gravel King 32" tire is coming at some point.  

But I also find it interesting that Rene Herse is not known as an OEM type of business. Rene Herse is almost exclusively an aftermarket brand. So, if Rene Herse finds 32" a thing they need to address, they must feel the demand is going to be there in the aftermarket for their tire. 

But it also probably points to Panaracer having an OE order and that some company (or companies) are going to have a 32" Panaracer tire spec on 32" bikes. My guess its a Gravel King, because why not? Panaracer has made the Gravel King name its Golden Goose for over a decade now. No reason to stop using that name. Well....unless they think up something 'better'. 

Personally I am still on the fence concerning a 32"er. But I do have something in mind which I feel a 32"er would be great at. So....maybe. We'll see.... 

Charles City, Iowa social media post

Electric Bikes, Scooters Ordinance Example

Readers may know and perhaps remember me bringing up how many Iowa communities were wrestling with the issue of electrified bicycles, scooters, and other electric powered vehicles with two wheels. 

Some of these communities are now placing ordinances into effect to regulate these devices and I have an example from one such community here to share today. This is from the town I was born and raised in, Charles City, Iowa. 

Note: You can click on the image to emlarge it a bit. 

Key highlights are that Charles City calls scooters and the like "PTV" vehicles. Interesting... 

Then there are the speed limits. 8mph on sidewalks, (where permitted), and 15mph on trails. Plus, all things not a bicycle are prohibited on streets with a speed limit of 30mph or above. 

Helmets for younger riders and age restrictions on Class 3 e-bikes. Otherwise the "bicycle" part is largely left alone. Obviously, this ordinance is focused on scooters and e-moto devices. (PTV's)

One thing to keep in mind is that Charles City, Iowa is a small community. The population is 7,396 as of 2020. So, their regulation needs are perhaps quite different than say, a big urban area. That said, I think this ordinance will be easier for the authorities to enforce since it primarily focuses on the scooter issues. 

What Cycling Is And What It Is Not

Image courtesy of Des Moines Street Collective

 The latest episode of the "Guitar Ted Podcast" has elicited possibly the strongest and the most commentary we have ever received after an episode. Some of the comments are the positive reinforcement types which one might expect fans of the podcast to return to us. However; a few have been centered around this issue which pervades cycling today. The question concerning eBikes and what is an eBike and what is not an eBike. 

The image here from the Des Moines Street Collective's social media earlier in this year is typical of the messaging which is being portrayed by much of the cycling advocacy and some brands as well. This is guidance for governments - both state and city - to help them formulate laws and ordinances. It is also there as a purported educational tool for cyclists, although I would offer that those who need to hear this message will never do so because they do not care to listen. 

That's a whole 'nuther nut to crack and discuss. 

What I feel is missing here is really more about a question I do not see being asked and an answer would go a long way, I think, in helping anyone make sense of this madness. The question? "What is cycling, and what is not cycling? 

In a sense, that is what the poster above is trying to answer. E-bike? Cycling. E-Moto? Not cycling. Pretty straightforward.....or is it? 

I would focus on the rider, not the machine. Cycling involves participation on the rider's part. In other words, cycling is pedaling.  If you do not have to pedal, it is not cycling and is something else. What you call "the something else" - moto, moped, just being a passenger - That's up to you, and frankly, I do not care what you call it. It is NOT cycling. That is what is important here. 

This shouldn't be vague, because e-scooters are not cycling. 

Anything which allows the rider to not pedal at all at any time is not a bicycle. Period, end of story. Those devices should be regulated and enforcement of rules and ordinances could be very simply enforced. An officer sees you just sitting, standing, or otherwise being moved without pedaling? Ticket. Citation. Maybe even confiscation. 

As a cyclist I can see the difference when I am out riding. I do not need to see what the machine is, I just have to observe what the rider is doing, or not doing. Now, you may say, "What about a normal bicycle and coasting? Fair question.

As I said, as a cyclist, I can see when a bicycle should be pedaled. Obviously up a hill is one such instance. But it also doesn't take a genius observer to see when an object is coasting further than it should be on flatter terrain. Speed is also a factor in this. A little training for officials - who have to make judgement calls on other vehicles already - shouldn't be all that difficult to communicate. To my mind, "cycling action" needs to occur or the device is not a bicycle.

So now all the so-called "pedal assist" bikes would be okay. Those must be pedaled to move the vehicle and its rider down a trail. There is pedaling going on. Scooters, e-motos, throttle equipped bikes? No-go. These are what would be - essentially - banned from the privileges actual cyclists enjoy. Those vehicles should require licenses and insurance.  And while we're at it, so should side-by-sides and ATV's..... But that is another issue. 

But the point is, enough with the three-class nonsense, enough with trying to decipher one machine from another. If the device does not REQUIRE pedaling to move, it is not a bicycle or a tricycle. 

Related Article: How New York City Is Proposing To Deal With Micro-Mobility Issues.  (Bicycle Retailer and Industry News)

Two Things

From the 2005 RAGBRAI

Cycling Season Is Over (Here)

In Iowa if you ride a bicycle you've probably been asked about RAGBRAI, the annual recreational, week-long ride across the state started in 1973. 

It's as if you don't ride a bicycle unless you are going on RAGBRAI. It gets annoying sometimes. I was asked this past Tuesday (while RAGBRAI was in progres), by a passing motorist if I was going on RAGBRAI. 

Ya know, people actually ride bicycles for more reasons than just RAGBRAI. But for the non-cycling public here, RAGBRAI is cycling. There is no other reason to ride a bicycle. That is fact, at least here it is. 

Another fact: Cycling season ends after RAGBRAI. Most roll their bikes into the garage after RAGBRAI and never look at those two wheels again until June of the following year. I know this as I was a retail bicycle mechanic for decades in Iowa. Other folks quit cycling as school openings approach, football season kicks into gear, and Fall yard work beckons. 

I see it every August. The precipitous fall off of cycling related activities, sales, and interest in the spot overall. The Collective just experienced one of its best months over the period I tracked from late June into July. This will be the pinnacle of our year. From here on out the business dwindles like the Sun in the horizon, with darkness coming sooner every day. 

I'll keep on riding all year, as I have, and as long as I can do that. But I'm a weirdo around these parts. 

Image courtesy of the Street Collective

Debate Rages On:

I've written a lot about conflicts between motorists and electrified vehicle users here already. I hate to have to continue this conversation,but this Summer the issue has reached a fever pitch here in Iowa. 

Local law enforcement departments across the state, local hospitals, and local cycling advocates are all voicing concerns over the sharp increase of wild, out of control use of electric scooters, e-Motos, and e-Bikes, mostly by under-aged folks who are not being safe in terms of themselves or others around them. 

Solutions voiced range from awareness/education to outright bans on cycling of any sort. The latter by ordinary citizens tired of dodging these vehicles.  

One hospital here in Waterloo had an emergency doctor advocating for motorcycle related helmets and full-coverage clothing for any two-wheeled electric device capable of going faster than 20mph. Some have advocated for users to have to obtain certificates by going through classes run by governments. Some are advocating for the licensing of the vehicles themselves, while others just want all of it to go away. 

 This issue has blown up this year to be a big-time problem and regular 100% human powered cyclists had best be aware of what is going on within their communities. If you ignore this issue you may find you are on the other side of the law when it comes to where you can ride and at what speeds you can ride at. 

I'm sure other parts of the USA are also wrestling with these issues. My gut tells me it won't be solved this year, at least here in Iowa, but when this all blows up again in 2027, and it will, something will have to give.  

Lots Of Talk- Little Action

"Mobility solutions" is a big talking point these days.

The debate about electric motors on two wheeled vehicles that happen to also need human power, (Hybrid Powered Cycles) is now taking a back seat to "mobility solutions".

Wha....?!!

Okay, translation: Electric powered scooters, the aforementioned "HPC's", and electric cars and motorcycles for urban transportation. NOTE- No one is talking about buses or trains anymore. It's all about "personal" mobility, because these urban planners have given up on mass transportation because, let's face it folks- we are a bunch of spoiled brats. 

Yes. All. Of. Us.

I was talking with Mrs. Guitar Ted and some other friends about this subject over the last several days. I arrived at my conclusions by way of looking at history, of course. If you know anything about me, you know I am always interested in history. Where we are today is a product of our choices and by extension, that makes up our history. The consequences of which we will be dealing with for the next several generations.

It wasn't all that long ago. Maybe 150 years ago or so. Most folks didn't have the luxury of getting up and going any time they wanted to to, anywhere they wanted to go. You could walk. For sure. That took time to get anywhere. You maybe had a horse, if you were well enough off. Those required feed and care and a place to service their needs. Not everyone had those resources. Then there were some trains. Very limited in scope. And then there were wagons. Risky. Expensive. Required a horse. Usually a trip to anywhere was a very, very big deal in those days.

Since then we have come to a place where anyone can go anywhere at any time. If, let's say, car and truck traffic disappeared tomorrow, well, taking the economic impact out of that equation, you would have a whine go up, a hue and cry that would instigate revolution. Seriously. People would contemplate murder. If you saw what happened at gas stations during 9-11, you know what I am talking about. I saw it and heard it. It wasn't pretty. It was frightening.

I bring this up because all this utopian talk of electric this, mobility that is just talk. It isn't really going to happen anytime soon, because this generation that is already in cars isn't giving that "right" up without a fight. There will be a couple of generations that follow that will, most likely, be similar. We're talking decades of change.

We've already seen failed experiments in dockless bikes, electric scooters, and now the big corporations are co-opting "mobility" so as to have a hand in it. Harley-Davidson and GM being notable here. They will be hoping to direct the narrative on "mobility" for the future. You don't think they will do it just like the bike industry has in mind do you?

I don't think so......

Lots Of Talk- Little Action

"Mobility solutions" is a big talking point these days.

The debate about electric motors on two wheeled vehicles that happen to also need human power, (Hybrid Powered Cycles) is now taking a back seat to "mobility solutions".

Wha....?!!

Okay, translation: Electric powered scooters, the aforementioned "HPC's", and electric cars and motorcycles for urban transportation. NOTE- No one is talking about buses or trains anymore. It's all about "personal" mobility, because these urban planners have given up on mass transportation because, let's face it folks- we are a bunch of spoiled brats. 

Yes. All. Of. Us.

I was talking with Mrs. Guitar Ted and some other friends about this subject over the last several days. I arrived at my conclusions by way of looking at history, of course. If you know anything about me, you know I am always interested in history. Where we are today is a product of our choices and by extension, that makes up our history. The consequences of which we will be dealing with for the next several generations.

It wasn't all that long ago. Maybe 150 years ago or so. Most folks didn't have the luxury of getting up and going any time they wanted to to, anywhere they wanted to go. You could walk. For sure. That took time to get anywhere. You maybe had a horse, if you were well enough off. Those required feed and care and a place to service their needs. Not everyone had those resources. Then there were some trains. Very limited in scope. And then there were wagons. Risky. Expensive. Required a horse. Usually a trip to anywhere was a very, very big deal in those days.

Since then we have come to a place where anyone can go anywhere at any time. If, let's say, car and truck traffic disappeared tomorrow, well, taking the economic impact out of that equation, you would have a whine go up, a hue and cry that would instigate revolution. Seriously. People would contemplate murder. If you saw what happened at gas stations during 9-11, you know what I am talking about. I saw it and heard it. It wasn't pretty. It was frightening.

I bring this up because all this utopian talk of electric this, mobility that is just talk. It isn't really going to happen anytime soon, because this generation that is already in cars isn't giving that "right" up without a fight. There will be a couple of generations that follow that will, most likely, be similar. We're talking decades of change.

We've already seen failed experiments in dockless bikes, electric scooters, and now the big corporations are co-opting "mobility" so as to have a hand in it. Harley-Davidson and GM being notable here. They will be hoping to direct the narrative on "mobility" for the future. You don't think they will do it just like the bike industry has in mind do you?

I don't think so......