Cycling Tips & Stories

On August 28, the American Journal of Health Promotion and the American Journal of Public Health published the first national study to show a direct link between sprawl, physical activity and health. The peer-reviewed study, "Relationship between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity, and Morbidity," found that people living in automobile-dependent neighborhoods are likely to walk less, weigh more, and are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure.

A companion report issued on the same day by Smart Growth America and the Surface Transportation Policy Project, "Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl," which provides county-level analysis of the metropolitan areas studied, further demonstrates the need for public investment in community infrastructure. The studies come just days before the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to consider a transportation spending measure that threatens the elimination of the Transportation Enhancements program, which has accounted for a substantial share of all federal commitments to pedestrian safety improvements and other walking and bicycling facilities.

"Communities with a wider variety of transportation options, including walking and bicycling, are healthier places to live," said Anne Canby, President of the Surface Transportation Policy Project. "We urge Congress to remember this when voting on the transportation appropriations bill in early September: A vote to restore critical funds for bicycle and pedestrian facilities is a vote for public health."

Many communities around the country already have plans in the works to build more paths, bike lanes, and sidewalks, and are taking creative approaches to public transit and development. But these plans may fall through if federal funds for Transportation Enhancements and other programs for multi-modal investments dry up or are curtailed.

For more information about the report, including state factsheets and practical steps communities can take today to increase physical activity, see the report, "Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl".

Click here for information on Transportation Enhancements in each state.

For more tools and resources, visit ActiveLiving.org. permanent link to article: "Reports Link Sprawl and Health, Underscore Need for Bicycling and Walking Investments"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/28/2003 05:10:00 PM |comment on this article

The Touring Road and Trail Wisdom web site has many interesting bits of advice for cyclists--whether touring or not.

Some samples:

• 5) Be alert while cycling, develop a sixth sense to respond to your environment, for example: If you hear a transport behind you in the distance, wave, and the driver will give you plenty of room.
  
• 18) The Rockies are easier to negotiate than the Ozarks, the Appalachians, or most bankers.
  
• 64) Cycling can help you control stress and make you less anxious. Following a session of cycling, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. Jittery, hyperactive people become more relaxed after an exercise. One cycling session generates 90 to 120 min. of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or endorphin response. Many neurotransmitters improve your mood and leave you relaxed. You will feel better, think of when you are physically active, that feeling of self worth. Eat better. People who cycle or exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food. It’s no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

permanent link to article: "Touring road and trail wisdom"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/27/2003 10:32:00 AM |comment on this article

Steve Norton of Overland Park was riding his bike on a trail last Friday when a cougar ran across the trail in front of him. According to the KCStar story, there have been several cougar sightings around the metro area in the past year or so.

Hit the trails on your mountain bike and maybe you'll see a cougar . . . permanent link to article: "KC-area cyclist spots cougar"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/26/2003 11:40:00 AM |comment on this article

A UK city has implemented 115 different 20 MPH zones throughout the city, covering about 1/4 of the cities roads. The results in the city of Hull are quite astonishing:

Hull City Council’s 20mph zone programme is thought to have prevented 200 serious injuries and 1000 minor injuries over the years. The overall number of road casualties in the city has been cut by 20 per cent and the number of deaths and injuries have each been cut by about 40 per cent. Overall, the cost of implementing the zones has been £4.5 million, with another £5.4 million required to zone other areas of the city. The financial savings from the zones already implemented (in terms of injury costs) have been estimated at well over £40 million, giving a 10:1 value for money ratio.

The Institute of Public Policy Research’s report Streets Ahead confirms the link between poverty and children’s road safety: it shows that children in the poorest 10 per cent of society are three times as likely as children from the richest 10 per cent of society to be pedestrian casualties. Overall, child pedestrian injuries are four times as likely in poorer area, than in richer areas. All of the wards in Hull are amongst the third most deprived in the country and this has been a strong incentive in reducing speeds in the city.

The Hull 20mph zones involve the use of various traffic calming mechanisms including humps and bumps, speed cushions, road narrowings, etc. The sign at the entry point of each zone has been designed by local children and the council puts a strong emphasis on consultation with the emergency services, bus operators and local people: no 20mph zone is implemented unless all three groups are on board with the idea.

Do residents hate the 20 MPH zones? Are they controversial? On the contrary:

The results of post-implementation monitoring of the zones have been very positive. Seventy-two per cent of respondents say they think speeds have been reduced as a result. Forty-eight per cent think the zones have made the area “a more pleasant place to live” and 71 per cent would recommend traffic claming to someone in another area. Overall, 77 per cent think the 20mph zones are “a good idea”.

permanent link to article: "20 MPH zones in neighborhoods save lives, money"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/25/2003 11:00:00 AM |comment on this article

Home Zone News has information about Home Zones in the UK. Home Zones are neighborhood areas designed (or re-designed) to calm traffic, encourage walking and bicycling, and make cities and towns more neighborly and inviting. In short, they create neighborhoods designed for people, where automobiles are guests, rather than the other way 'round.

A typical Home Zone retrofit includes these features:

• changed road layout to incorporate 30-degree parking bays, marked on alternating sides to create chicanes which will help slow traffic down
  
• six gateway features consisting of a raised table and width restriction to mark the entry to the home zone. In all but two locations these are set back from junctions with surrounding distributor roads, allowing entry to commercial premises on the edge of the area
  
• shared surface
  
• new street lighting to double the number of street lights in the area
  
• 20mph zone
  
• planting areas
  
• installation of community mosaics
  
• a play area

permanent link to article: ""Home Zones" improve neighborliness, walkability, bikeability, in the UK"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/25/2003 10:54:00 AM |comment on this article

A New Hampshire couple have become the first to backpack the entire American Discovery Trail, a 5,058-mile cross-country route designed for hiking and biking.

The trail goes through the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas and uses the Katy Trail for much of the distance across Missouri. Read the KCStar story for more details. permanent link to article: "American Discovery Trail backpacked for first time"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/25/2003 10:26:00 AM |comment on this article

Anne Karpf wrote an eloquent article about the pedestrian's plight in Great Britain. By her description, the situation there mirrors almost exactly the situation here in Missouri.

According to the Highway Code, if a pedestrian has started to cross, they have right of way, yet I've never met a driver that knows it. . . .

It isn't just a case of miscreant drivers. "Drivers react to the environmental cues they're given: at the moment in this country, the cues are that it's OK to drive as fast as you can when you like," says Philip Connolly of Living Streets. . . .

The pavements [sidewalks] are rubbish because most of the money goes on road rather than pavement maintenance. This discriminates against older people, who make twice as many shopping trips on foot as everyone else. Going for a walk is twice as significant for them as for people under retirement age. An Age Concern study found that two-thirds of under-75s said they were too disabled to go out and walk more, even though less than one in five had a severe disability. What they were really saying is that the streets are disabling.

The new buzzword is walkability, but the government's preoccupation with congestion shows that it has adopted the agenda of the motorist. Accident-reduction and street-improvement aren't arcane wizardry - they follow automatically from traffic-calming and "Home Zones". Home Zones have lower speed limits (nine to 17 and a half mph, comparable to walking speed, though for some drivers this would defeat the purpose) and streets redesigned to give priority to children, pedestrians, and cyclists. Few complain, because the motorists here are also residents and parents. Traffic- calmed 20mph zones reduce accidents by about 60%. But what we also need is a cussed battalion of pedestrians who refuse to accept their colonised role on the streets.

By the way, Karpf's answer to the question, "Why didn't the pedestrian cross the road?" is "Because the government didn't want him to get to the other side." permanent link to article: "Why didn't the pedestrian cross the road?"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/25/2003 09:19:00 AM |comment on this article

A new CDC survey, summarized in the Salt Lake Tribune, shows that more than half of Americans do not get even minimal physical activity. About one-fourth of Americans are completely sedentary. According to the report:

[E]ven with playing with children and raking the lawn on the list of moderate-intensity activities, the 2001 phone survey released Thursday showed that 55 percent of adults still didn't get the recommended minimum: 30 minutes a day, at least four days a week. . . .

Health officials say Americans' lack of exercise is one of the nation's most pressing health problems, leading to increases in obesity, heart disease, hypertension or diabetes.

permanent link to article: "Lack of exercise leading health problem in U.S."
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/15/2003 10:01:00 PM |comment on this article

Ed Chasteen's 10,000-mile ride continues . . . permanent link to article: "Ed Chasteen continues 10,000 mile quest"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/15/2003 09:37:00 PM |comment on this article

Need a good reason to get out for a little ride? ReutersHealth has a summary of interesting research into lowering blood pressure among those with high blood pressure. As little as 30-60 minutes per week of exercise already starts to have a beneficial effect on blood pressure. About 75 minutes per week of exercise per week gave the "most bang for the buck".

According to the article:

No changes in blood pressure were observed in the sedentary group. On the other hand, all of the subjects in the exercise groups experienced significant reductions in both systolic blood pressure (the top number in a pressure reading) and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a pressure reading.)

permanent link to article: "Even a little exercise lowers blood pressure"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/15/2003 08:15:00 PM |comment on this article

SIANOMO (Southern Iowa & Northern Missouri) starts and finishes over the new concrete Lamoni (IA) Recreational Trail. Three different routes traverse scenic bistate countryside and state park. Minimal auto traffic in back country area. Several SAG stops. Longest run has challenging hills for those who dare. All roads lead to city park with sizzling hamburgers waiting.

The ride starts at 9AM on September 6th, 2003. Click here (and look for the link to "SIANOMO") for more info. permanent link to article: "SIANOMO (Southern Iowa & Northern Missouri) Ride, Sept 6 2003"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/14/2003 10:23:00 PM |comment on this article

The St. Peters police department has an interesting program to reward kids who are "caught" wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle. Details in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.
permanent link to article: "St. Peters police reward helmet use"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/14/2003 01:41:00 PM |comment on this article

STLToday reports this incident that happened to Dr. Gregory Luerding, a dentist and triathlete:

Luerding turned onto Lake Saint Louis Boulevard, a two-lane concrete road with a bicycle lane on either side.

"It is a hideous road. There were cracks in the pavement," he recalled. "I hit a crack going 45 miles an hour. The bike flipped. I'm sure I was flying through the air. I just don't remember.

"The next thing I knew, I was lying on the side of the road. I could tell something was wrong. I couldn't move my shoulder," Luerding said. . . .

"A bicycle helmet saved my life. I have no question in my mind," he said.

As a "belt AND suspenders" kind of guy, I can't help but mention that, in addition to wearing a helmet, it would be quite wise to avoid 45 mph downhills on "hideous roads" with "cracks in the pavement," especially if any of those cracks are running roughly parallel to the direction of travel . . . permanent link to article: "Helmet "saved my life""
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/14/2003 10:38:00 AM |comment on this article

Today's KCStar has a story about Glen Shepard of Overland Park, who is planning to ride this year's 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris:

"Starting out, you've got a lot of enthusiasm. After 275 miles you wonder if it's such a good idea," Shepard says, laughing. "That's when it becomes a mental thing. Your body can do it, but your mind has to push through. The goal is to finish and to do it in the fastest time you can."

Shepard finished the 1991 Paris-Brest-Paris in 79 hours, 32 minutes. His goal this year is 65 hours. . . .

"I sometimes think I'm in better shape now than I was 20 years ago," he says, blue eyes twinkling. "The Glen Shepard of '85 would not be able to stay with the Glen Shepard of 2003."

permanent link to article: "65-year old Overland Park man rides Paris-Brest-Paris"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/14/2003 10:12:00 AM |comment on this article

An article in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (reported in ReutersHealth) documents the frightening climb in childhood weight in America, and suggests and interesting way to fight the problem--a "Health Report Card". A few tidbits from the article:

Between 1963 and 2000, the percentage of US children who were overweight nearly tripled. . . .

[The researchers' suggested solution for overweight children is] "increase their physical activity and change their nutritional habits." . . . "Restrictive dieting is not the best strategy for overweight children."

permanent link to article: "Childhood obesity has tripled since 1963"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/12/2003 11:02:00 PM |comment on this article

Today's Bolivar Herald-Free Press has an article about Joel Schroeder, who is planning to ride the Kansas City MS150 again this year:

Schroeder has been pedaling his bicycle on country back roads in the event for 20 years - ever since its beginning in 1984. He is one of only three riders who have ridden in the noncompetitive bike tour all 20 years, and he's not going to let up. . . .

Bike riding became a lifestyle change for Joel and his family after that first race. He vowed to make biking a lifetime project

permanent link to article: "Bolivar rider prepares for MS150"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/06/2003 10:01:00 AM |comment on this article

According to a ReutersHealth article:

More and more children are donning protective helmets when cycling but most wear them improperly, exposing them to possible head injury, researchers said on Monday.

A study of 479 children aged 4 to 18 at a Falmouth, Massachusetts, clinic found 73 percent reported they "always" or "almost always" wore a helmet when cycling. Helmet use has steadily risen from 18 percent of child cyclists in 1991.

But a four-minute test found only 4 percent, or 20 of the children, passed the criteria for proper helmet fit.

The three main difficulties were that the helmet rested too high on the forehead, the strap did not fit around the ears in a "V" shape, or the helmet slid too easily forward or backward on the head.

"All of these factors expose the frontal region, the most common site of impact in bicycle head injuries," study author Gregory Parkinson wrote in the journal Pediatrics.

permanent link to article: "Many child cyclists wear helmets wrongly"
posted by Brent Hugh at 8/05/2003 06:34:00 AM |comment on this article