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2009 cycling season in review

This year wasn't my best when it comes to cycling. My finances didn't allow me to take a weeklong trip this year; my hope was to have done RAGBRAI, but that fell through because my money had to be spent elsewhere.

Except for the diehards, the cycling season in the St. Louis area generally ends in early November. We were lucky to have a mild November, so the season went a little bit longer than normal. Here's hoping for a few mild days in December, including next Sunday when Interstate 64/Highway 40 in St. Louis is open to bikes for one day only before it's reopened to cars next Monday.

Without a multiday highlight ride this year, I had to look at individual rides for my highlights of the year.

Longest ride of the year: OK, a 60-mile ride normally wouldn't be my longest ride of the year, but it was this year. That came in July, when I rode connected Madison County Transit trails, including the Quercus Grove Trail extension, from Collinsville to Staunton and back.

As a metro-east cycling enthusiast, it thrilled me to know that you can ride from Collinsville to Staunton and back on trails and designated road routes. As I wrote earlier this year, it is now possible to ride from downtown St. Louis to Staunton on bike trails or designated on-road bike routes.

The ride was noteworthy because I didn't start until after 4 p.m. and rode the last eight miles after sunset. That was because I had to fix a flat tire on the Quercus Grove Trail between Hamel and Edwardsville on the way back home.

Most interesting rides: Those took place in the Chicago area Nov. 11-12. On the 11th, I rode 20-plus miles on the Green Bay Trail between Evanston and Highland Park, and I followed that up with a 30-mile ride from Evanston to downtown Chicago and back.

I rode my sister Teresa's hybrid on both rides, and that seemed to be a good choice. I was surprised that so much of the Green Bay Trail is crushed limestone. I guess I'm really spoiled by the MCT trails down here. Still, because it runs along the Metra lines that head north from Chicago through Evanston and into Wisconsin, it is relatively secluded and yet give you easy access to the downtown areas of the northern suburbs.

I particularly was impressed with the ride from Evanston to downtown Chicago. My initial plan was to do a short ride through the Northwestern University campus and along the lake because my back was hurting. But once I started riding, the pain subsided and I decided to ride into the Chicago. The question was how to get from Evanston to the Lakefront Trail, and I was surprised how well the on-road bike routes are marked in Evanston and Chicago. I had no problem at all finding my way to the Lakefront Trail, and I was impressed how cars and bicycles could co-exist on the roads I traveled up there.

I felt truly fortunate the same mild weather that extended the cycling season in the St. Louis area also blessed the Chicago area that week.

Favorite club ride: I enjoy every ride I do with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society because it a chance to see some of the nice rural scenery in St. Clair, Madison, Monroe and Clinton counties.

However, the rides I particularly enjoyed were the rides I led out of the Lau-Nae Winery in Red Bud, Ill. The closing of Ravissant Winery in Belleville forced us to find new sites for our Winery Rides in addition to the Hidden Lake Winery near Aviston.

I wasn't familiar with all the roads in the Red Bud area, so an initial search on Google reveals some routes with promise. However, I learned quickly that just because it shows up on a map, it doesn't mean the roads are suitable for road bikes. Three of the roads that looked promising degraded to dirt and gravel, Fortunately, that allowed me to find some roads that our riders enjoyed,

Many of the roads north and west of Red Bud are filled with rolling hills -- nothing really difficult, but hilly enough to make things interesting. There's some pretty country in Randolph and Monroe counties, and the folks at Lau-Nae were very happy to have us.

Tour de Stooges: Our numbers were considerably lower this year -- 375, compared to the 600 to 700 we're used to getting. However, the quality of the ride ranked among the highest of the 12 editions of the Tour de Stooges I've led. Despite forecasts of 30 to 80 percent of rain, the people who came out saw lots of sunshine and little wind.

I'm looking forward to the 13th edition on May 1, and I can tell you we are making some changes to the ride to make it more affordable for those of you on a budget.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, bicycle rides, Chicago, MCT Trails, Tour de Stooges

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:29 PM

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

St. Louis earns the Bronze

Kudos to the city of St. Louis! The League of American Bicyclists has designated St. Louis as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community!

St. Louis earned its bronze for the city's bicycle education and enforcement efforts.

Two St. Louis-area businesses also earned honors. REI-St. Louis earned Gold as a Bicycle Friendly Business, while Velocity Cafe and Cyclery earned a Bronze.

Overall, Missouri ranks 17th among Bicycle Friendly States. Columbia once again is a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Illinois ranks 11th among the Bicycle Friendly States. Chicago was named a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community, while two of its suburbs, Naperville and Schaumburg, earned Bronze.

The Land of Lincoln had four Bicycle Friendly Businesses. REI-Lincoln Park and REI-Northbrook earned Silver designations, while Spin Doctor Cyclewerks in Barlett and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District earned Bronze.

While I'm sure the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is deserving of its award, it's my view that the Madison County Transit District has done more. Most cyclists in the St. Louis area know about MCT's extensive network of bicycle trails. In addition, MCT has bicycle racks on all its buses, and the district estimates it carries an average of 800 bikes each month.

Perhaps someone at MCT can be persuaded to fill out an application to earn a Bicycle Friendly Business designation.

Labels: Chicago, Illinois, League of American Bicyclists, Missouri, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:34 AM

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Chicago man wants to buy back stolen bike

Charlie Dennis, a 27-year-old Army veteran from Chicago, is willing to buy back his stolen bike -- no questions asked.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown today shared Charlie's story in today's column. Charlie's Salsa road bicycle is a big part of his life. Two years ago, Charlie rode the bike from Denver to Chicago. Two weeks ago, it was stolen from his apartment complex.

"Please, it means a lot to me," pleads a sign posted outside the complex. The sign provides a phone number for the thief to call to make ransom demands and to arrange the bike's return.

I recommend you go over to the Sun-Times Web site and read the column for yourself. It's a good tale of a man's attachment to his bicycle, something all cyclists can relate to.

Labels: bicycles, Chicago, theft

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:24 PM

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Wisconsin lends a hand to Chicago's Olympic bid

The city of Chicago is pulling out the stops in its bid to get the 2016 Summer Olympics. Luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Rodham Clinton are assisting Mayor Richard Daley with the technical presentation to the International Olympic Committee.

But that doesn't support for the Chicago bid is stopping at the Illinois state line. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's among the supporters for the Chicago. Should Chicago get the bid, Madison, Wis., would be the host city for most of the cycling events.

"Frankly, they needed to find some hills," Doyle said on the NBC Chicago Web site. "It is my understanding from the people who designed this course, that it would be one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging course, in the history of the Olympics."

Chicago is known for lots of things -- everything from a world-class art museum to a major-league baseball team that hasn't won the World Series since 1908 -- but it's not known for its hills.

Yes, Illinois has some hilly areas, the northwestern corner of the state near Galena and deep Southern Illinois in Shawnee National Forest. Both areas, however, would be hard-pressed to be handle an Olympic competition and the huge crowds.

That's where Wisconsin fits in. Wisconsin definitely has the hills, and Madison is better equipped to handle large crowds than any other community in hilly sections of Wisconsin and Illinois.

In making his case for Wisconsin's ability to handle the cycling competition, Doyle cited Wisconsin's bike trails, high percentage of bicycle riders and the major bike manufacturers headquartered in the state, including Trek Bicycle Corp.

The Associated Press also reported that Doyle assured the IOC that the Madison area would be easily reachable from Chicago. He said a high-speed rail system that links Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison and the Twin Cities should be operating by 2016.

According to AP, the road race would start in Madison and finish at Blue Mound State Park, about 25 miles west of the city. The mountain bike course would be at Tyrol Basin, a popular ski and snowboard destination near the city of Mount Horeb west of Madison. The time trials would be in Madison.

Track races would be conducted at a permanent velodrome to be constructed in Chicago's Douglas Park, while BMX racing would take place at a temporary venue at Douglas Park. Douglas Park is in the city's west side, bordered by Roosevelt Road, California Avenue, 19th Street and Albany Avenue. Ogden Avenue -- once part of historic Route 66 -- goes through the park.

By the way, St. Louis is part of Chicago's proposal, but not for cycling. Preliminary Olympic soccer matches would be held at the Edward Jones Dome if Chicago gets the bid.

Labels: Chicago, Illinois, Olympics, Wisconsin

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:49 AM

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Kinky Llama delivers "toys" on a bicycle

Anthony Mikrut, aka the Kinky Llama, has found a niche for himself in Chicago.

The Kinky Llama, a purveyor of adult goods that promises one-hour delivery—by bicycle, no less — to most places in Chicago. Mikrut, 33, told the Chicago Tribune that his company has been around for 21/2 years and that, despite the recession, he's busier than ever.

"I think people like to have a little fun when they're not having the best time in the market," he told the Tribune.

After you view the video above, go to the Tribune article to learn a bit more about the Kinky Llama's business.

Labels: bike messengers, Chicago

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:31 AM

Thursday, January 15, 2009

What happened to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation?

I first noticed the changes at the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation while visiting my Facebook page. No longer is the group called the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. Instead, it's now called the Active Transportation Alliance.

As the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the organization has successfully pushed for safer and better bicycling in Chicagoland for nearly 25 years. But the organization's leaders determined they needed to push for better conditions for walkers and people who use mass transit.

"From this work, we have learned that active and sustainable forms of transportation rely on each other. With an expanded mission that includes pedestrian and transit advocacy, we look forward to even greater success improving the region’s overall transportation culture," organization leaders said on the Active Transportation Alliance Web site. "It continues to strive to reach its two primary goals — seeing a region with 50 percent fewer crashes and where 50 percent of all trips are made by bike, foot or transit."

Labels: Chicago

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:02 AM

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Notes from the Illinois cycling scene

Some random notes about cycling in Illinois:

BRAKELESS BIKES: Last Sunday, the Chicago Tribune wrote about the fixed-gear bike trend, and newspapers throughout the country are picking up the story.

There's just one problem: Riding a bicycle without brakes on streets and highways is illegal in Illinois.

Nevertheless, many cyclists are jumping onto fixed-gear bikes because they see them as a pure form of cycling. Critics say running fixed-gear bikes on the street without brakes are a traffic hazard.

BIKE TRAIL TO CLOSE: Thanks to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's round of state budget cuts, 11 state parks are slated to close, including the Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Channahon Parkway State Park, Gebhard Woods State Park in Morris and Illini State Park in Marseilles.

The Hennepin Canal Parkway is a 104.5-mile linear park that spans five counties (Rock Island, Bureau, Henry, Lee and Whiteside). The canal's towpath today is a popular destination for cyclists and is a part of the Grand Illinois Trail.

Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, told the LaSalle News-Tribune that closing the trial could have a devastating impact on northern Illinois tourism. Barsotti told the paper that if the state allows the Hennepin Canal Parkway, which received federal funds for its construction as a bike path, to go into dispair, the federal government could withhold highway funds.

“The Hennepin Canal, also the I & M (Illinois and Michigan Canal), which is affected — that’s a major, major part, a highlight of the trail. And here we are, after making a huge investment. We’re going to lose that,” Barsotti told the paper. “I think the state has put too low of a priority on tourism in Illinois. Bicycling is one part of that, and it’s a growing interest throughout the country.”

The Lockport-based Canal Corridor Association says the Channahon and Gebhard Wood parks are major access points for users of the I&M Canal State Trail, a 61.5-mile trail from Rockdale to LaSalle that uses the old towpath for the I&M Canal, which links the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers.

The canals were built to link the Chicago area to the Mississippi River, ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. Both became obsolete as barges became bigger and the larger Illinois Waterway, which connects the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers was completed.

The Canal Corridor Association is urging people to contact Blagojevich and state legislators to keep access to the trails open.

The budget cuts don't affect any trails in the metro-east, but they also affect historic sites in our area. Fort de Chartres, the Pierre Menard Home and Fort Kaskaskia, which are on this year's Illinois Great Rivers Ride, will be closed because of the cuts.

ANOTHER ILLINOIS BICYCLE TRAGEDY: This week has not been a good one for Illinois bicyclists. An Illinois man was killed when he was struck by a Kentucky state trooper's car, four Amish men were injured when a motorist struck their bike, and now a 13-year-old Springfield boy was killed Friday night when he was struck by a Jeep.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported the boy was trying to cross busy Veterans Parkway at Lawrence Street. Initial police reports indicate the Jeep, which was driving on Veterans Parkway, had a green light, driving with the flow of traffic and had the right of way and that the boy entered his path.

Labels: Chicago, fatal accidents, Illinois, League of Illinois Bicyclists, trails

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:15 PM

Monday, March 17, 2008

Dear bicyclists ...

The Chicago Tribune on Sunday published a commentary by Cate Plys: an open letter to cyclists in the Chicago area. You kind of get the direction she's going in her opening salvo:

Yes, yes, we know. You're better than us. You care about the planet. ... You assume the people you leave in your two-wheel wake are marveling at the reds, greens and oranges -- envying you.

We're not. We're thinking that most of you are a bunch of smug, self-satisfied, frequently dangerous jerks. We're thinking you should lose about 10 pounds before subjecting the world to those bike pants again.

Plys is annoyed by Chicago's new bicycle ordinance, which levies fines up to $500 for vehicle drivers. The laws impose fines on motorists who turn left or right in front of someone on a bicycle, pass with less than 3 feet of space between car and bike, or park in or otherwise obstruct marked bike lanes.

But before you jump off the deep end, Plys says she's a bicyclist herself. Her concern is that the ordinance targets only motorists and that nothing is being done to punish cyclists who disobey the rules of the road.

Plys also contends that instead of focusing on ordinances such as this one or Chicago's bike rental proposal, the city should be concentrating on building a grid of bicycle paths common in European cities.

Labels: advocacy, Chicago, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:19 PM

Friday, December 07, 2007

Chicago's new city sticker

In 2008, Chicago's car owners will get a visual reminder to share the road with cyclists.

Patsy Diaz, a 17-year-old senior at Jones College Prep, won the city’s 2008-09 vehicle sticker art design contest, City Clerk Miguel del Valle announced Wednesday. Diaz’s design fusing the Chicago skyline with images of a car, a bicycle and the words “share the road,” received the most of the 21,238 votes cast online and at City Hall during the final week of November.

“I thought it would be a cool idea just to show the bicycle through the mirror, showing to the people how it makes them aware that bicycles are right there to share the road,” Diaz told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Her winning design will adorn nearly 1.3 million car windshields beginning in June.

More than 400 students from 60 Chicago high schools participated in the annual contest by submitting artwork that incorporated the theme "Share the Road" into their designs, according to a press release from the City Clerk's office. They were invited to submit artwork highlighting the City of Chicago's efforts to make Chicago's roads safe and friendly to all, including bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists. A panel of independent professionals, including artists, civic leaders, bicycle and transportation groups reviewed all entries and voted for the top ten.

You can see the second- and third-place finishers designs at the City Clerk's Web site.

Labels: advocacy, Chicago, cycling, Illinois

Roger 1 comments links to this post 12:19 PM