Cycling Tips & Stories

The Ultramax Marathon is Missouri's only ultra-marathon event. The event which took place Saturday, September 27th, in the Lake of the Ozarks area, includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike course and 26.2-mile run.

The Lake Sun Leader has stories on the fastest man and on the slowest on the triathlon.

The KCStar had stories on the triathlon before and after. permanent link to article: "Ultramax Triathlon at Lake of the Ozarks"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/30/2003 06:48:00 PM |comment on this article

The Morris County, NJ, Daily Record has a story today about a 76-yr-old woman who is planning to ride across Missouri on the Katy Trail:

[Mary Dell Morrison] took to biking and hiking after retiring from the New Jersey public school system nearly two decades back.

At 76, she's still going strong and steady.

In 1999, she biked cross-country with 30 others to increase awareness of breast cancer. She was the oldest person in the group put together by WomanTours of Idaho.

permanent link to article: "76-yr-old cyclist rides across Missouri"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/24/2003 10:32:00 PM |comment on this article

Pitch Weekly has a nice report on the Kansas City Bicycle Club's annual Double Nickel Ride.

[Heather] Jordan, who planned the two-day Memorial weekend event, likes to take some of the warier beginning riders to places where they won't experience the difficulties of chaotic city biking. "Jamesport is one of those areas," she says. "I can't think of an area that is more bicycle-friendly. The cars are used to topping a hill and having a buggy there." . . .

The club encourages nonmembers to come to riding events like this one (and the weekly rides in Kansas City locations) to see if it's something they might enjoy. Bikers feel comfortable splitting up and going at their own speeds -- Jordan and her husband often ride with separate groups because they enjoy biking different distances.

permanent link to article: "KCBC's Double Nickel Ride"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/22/2003 05:07:00 PM |comment on this article

The Johnson County Bicycle Club has a nice page on finding the best way to get from point A to point B by bicycle. A short excerpt:

Where you drive is rarely the best route for riding.

The deafening din. The stench. Wheel-swallowing potholes. Congestion. Parking cars and opening doors. Turning traffic. Speeders and lane hoppers. Cell-phone users. Trucks on steroids. Treacherous oil patches. Incessant stoplights. Deadly grates and threatening curbs. These are just a few of the hazards bicyclists face on busy city streets.

So, why are you riding there? Even though it might seem like the logical place to pedal because it's the direct route or the way you drive, there's almost always a better route for bicycling. And when you take it, a wonderful thing happens: The trip becomes scenic, stress-free and fun.

permanent link to article: "Finding the best route"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/22/2003 05:02:00 PM |comment on this article

Recent research has shown that 96 percent of kids have their bicycle helmets fitted incorrectly--even when parents help them in adjusting it. According to the STLToday article on the research,

To properly fit a helmet, Parkinson recommends using the phrase "helmet MVP": M is for "move" the helmet down on the forehead (the bottom of the front of the helmet should be less than two fingers above the brow), V is for making a "V" around the ears with the straps, and P is for "pulling" the chin strap snug.

permanent link to article: "Properly fitting a bicycle helmet"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/21/2003 11:46:00 PM |comment on this article

MSNBC columnist Gersh Kuntzman tackles the question of why Americans are fatter than they used to be, and fatter than people in other similarly industrialized countries.

[T]he American Journal of Public Health, . . . devoted its entire September issue to why Americans are so freakin’ fat.

If you guessed, "Because we eat so freakin' much," guess again: The supersized portions are only the half of it.

The other half, according to Kuntzman, boils down to this:

• "We're the only animals on the planet that live in communities that make us more obese."
  
• Americans bike and walk far less than Europeans.
  
• Government brings many areas of expertise in to sign off on new developments and city planning--transportation, environment, public safety, economic development, etc. But public health officials are rarely or never involved.
  
• Our communities cut us off from human contact with each other, and according to the Journal of Public Health, "a lack of social networks and diminished social capital . . . can contribute to obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, and increased rates of mortality."
  
• "No one is doing anything about all these problems."

Read Kuntzman's column for the complete story.

The September 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health has full text online of the articles to which Kuntzman refers. permanent link to article: "Why are Americans obese?"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/19/2003 01:08:00 PM |comment on this article

Liberty cyclist Ed Chasteen continues his stories about the people and places he's seen in his quest to ride 10,000 miles this year. He starts out by saying something nice about MoDOT:

Orthopedic surgeons must work long hours for the Missouri Department of Transportation. How else to explain the total recovery of the broken shoulder to either side of Highway 210 as it runs past Orrick? For the past few years the shoulder had deteriorated almost daily, until it was hazardous for cars that might need to pull off the road and life threatening for bicycles trying to give way to 18 wheelers on the road. Now completely recovered and inviting, the shoulder is a reason to bike this way.

Sun News of the Northland has the rest of the story. permanent link to article: "Ed Chasteen reaches mile 5800"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/19/2003 01:03:00 PM |comment on this article

Road Safety International has recently introduced a "black box" device for the family car that records driver speed, acceleration, use of seatbelts, and other data, in much the same way that and airplane's "black box" records flight data.

More than that, the automobile black box actually gives feedback to the motorist in real time, warning of unsafe turns, acceleration, hard breaking, high speeds, and the like. The audible signal gives the driver 10 seconds to modify the problem and only records an "infraction" if the unsafe condition persists after the warning.

This may all sound like some kind of a nightmare "1984" invasion-of-privacy scenario, with every move you make in your car recorded and documented. But corporate fleets and emergency vehicles have been using the system for years; they report an astonishing drop in accident rate when the system and the accompanying driver training are used.

Now Road Safety Int. is planning to offer a $300 unit to private individuals. Their prime target is parents of teenage drivers. The Road Safety web site has experiences of teens and parents who have tried the system. Even accounting for a good bit of PR spin from the company, the testimonials make for some pretty interesting readin.

Ian Ayres and Barry Nalebuff wrote an article about the device for Forbes magazine:

The Berlin highway safety administration found that after the city's police department started using data recorders in their patrol cars, damage during rescue trips fell by 36%. Also in Germany, a taxi company installed these boxes in its fleet and collision rates fell by 66%. In the U.S., Sunstar Emergency Medical Services found that black boxes reduced its ambulance accidents by 95%. If there were a drug as effective in saving lives, people would be clamoring outside the Food & Drug Administration for its approval.

Ayres and Nalebuff conclude that "Fear of getting caught may be a more powerful motivator than fear of getting killed."

[T]hese devices give real-time feedback to drivers when they are doing something dangerous. Ricardo Martinez, the former head of the NHTSA, remembers his days working ambulances in Louisiana. The vehicles had something called a Growler. If he accelerated too fast or took a corner too hard, the machine would squawk. If he didn't slow down, it would squawk louder and make a record of the transgression. When he got back to base, he'd have to explain the indicators. The Growler made him drive more safely.

Road Safety international's black box is essentially a version the Growler adapted for use in passenger cars.

Ayres and Nalebuff think that the automobile black boxes will become common equipment on cars, encouraged by insurance companies who will give good driver discounts to customers who install the box (and maintain good driving records on the system, of course).

Could this be part of the solution to the poor, inattentive, and downright dangerous driving that cyclists and pedestrians see all too often on our city streets? If you have feelings one way or the other, leave a comment about this article . . . permanent link to article: ""Black Box" recorder in automobiles dramatically increases driver safety"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/18/2003 02:49:00 PM |comment on this article

The Toronto group Advocacy for the Respect of Cyclists recently posted a summary of some interesting research:

A report by Peter Jacobsen, published in the September issue of the Injury Prevention Journal, demonstrates that the more people there are walking and cycling in any given location, the less likely they are to be struck by a motor vehicle.

"Since it is unlikely that the people walking and bicycling become more cautious if their numbers are larger, it indicates that the behavior of motorists controls the likelihood of collisions with people walking and bicycling. It appears that motorists adjust their behavior in the presence of people walking and bicycling.

A motorist is less likely to collide with a person walking and bicycling if more people walk or bicycle. Policies that increase the number of people walking and bicycling appear to be an effective route to improving the safety of people walking and bicycling."

permanent link to article: "Safety increases as walking and bicycling increase in an area"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/18/2003 01:31:00 PM |comment on this article

It's not too late to get your local schools involved in Walk/Bike to School Day on October 8th, 2003. The Walk To School web site has tips on organizing an event and getting things moving--it's a lot easier than you might think.

Considering that Missouri's childhood obesity rate is almost double the national average (which itself has tripled in the last forty years), Missourians need to put seem real muscle behind efforts, like Walk to School Day, that are designed to help kids make physical activity a part of their daily lives.

It starts as a simple idea: Children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It's an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the sense of safety and community that comes with being out together. Some schools focus on health and fitness messages, others on safety training for pedestrians and drivers.

But for most communities, one day isn't enough. Many realize that what they really want is for children to be able to walk to school every day, not just as a special event. And that can lead to the kinds of permanent changes that make the community better for everyone. Better sidewalks, safer street crossings, and improved driver and pedestrian behavior can be a boon to everyone, young and old, while making streets safer and the community healthier.

permanent link to article: "Walk/Bike to School Day, October 8th, 2003"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/17/2003 08:11:00 AM |comment on this article

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports:

Christine Parsons and hundreds of other cyclists will create a memorial in motion when they commemorate the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with a ride this weekend from New York City to the nation's capital.

The 280-mile trip will test all the riders. But Christine, 15, of House Springs, a sophomore at Northwest High School in Jefferson County, faces another challenge.

Christine is part of an eight-member team from the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments in St. Louis. She is one of four visually impaired cyclists who will ride behind sighted pilots on tandem bikes.

permanent link to article: "Visually-impaired St. Louis-area cyclists participate in ride commemorating 9-11"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/12/2003 05:53:00 PM |comment on this article

The Columbia Daily Tribune covered this year's Mid-Missouri MS150 ride, which started, overnighted, and ended in Columbia last weekend. The MS150 in Columbia attracted 2,300 riders.

Ed Chasteen has a very interesting report about his MS150 ride this year.:

Though I have MS, I can't presume to speak for others who do. I ride my bike all year long so I can ride with all of you every September. You inspire me. Speaking just for myself, I must say that I admire you. I respect you. I love you. Bless you.

The Columbia Tribune has an article about Lisa Peck, who has MS and participated in the MS 150.

The Kansas City Kansan has an article about (you guessed it . . . ) Kansas City, Kansans, who participated in the MS150.

The Lake Sun Leader has an article about Morgan McNally, who rode in the Ozark MS150. permanent link to article: "This year's MS150"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/09/2003 10:31:00 PM |comment on this article

An EV World article tackles the recent research linking poor walking and bicycling facilities in the U.S. and our current obesity epidemic:

[S]ince the 1970's both Germany and The Netherlands have made concerted efforts to promote both walking and biking among their respective citizenry.

The effort has paid off. In The Netherlands, as well as Denmark and Sweden, all countries with high percentages of walking and biking, obesity is one-third that of the USA. In Germany the rate is half that in the US. So, the link between regular walking and biking and lower obesity rates seems pretty firmly established.

[The researchers] identified six key factors that made it possible for these two nations to encourage walking and biking, starting with significant improvements in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Both nations aggressively sought ways to get people out of their cars and onto sidewalks and bike paths. They have deliberately created walker/cyclist-friendly streets and neighborhoods, going so far as to close off through streets with artificial dead-ends that only walkers and cyclists are permitted to pass between. . . .

The Dutch and Germans have made the effort to ensure the safety of their pedestrians and cyclists by not only building extensive "people-friendly" streets as opposed to America's "auto-centric" thoroughfares but also by enforcing very strict traffic laws. Not yielding to walkers and bicyclists can result in very hefty fines, the authors report. The result is a dramatic decline in both cyclist and pedestrian deaths in both countries. . . .

While the authors agree that changing decades-old patterns of behavior, not to mention traffic laws, driver education, street designs and a myriad of other policy decisions, will take time, they believe it can and should be done. They point out that while Europeans in physically active countries like The Netherlands and Germany tend to live longer, their per-capita health care expenditures are only half that of the United States.

permanent link to article: "U.S. obesity clearly linked to poor walking, cycling facilities"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/09/2003 04:03:00 PM |comment on this article

Phil Gash submitted this amusing story he heard on a recent ride:

My stoker and I cycled about 1/4th of the Lewis and Clark Trail starting in St. Charles last July and we finished in Vermilion, SD. We traveled on a tandem and lived out of our panniers for a few weeks.

After the Katy Trail we rode from Boonville to Smithville in a couple of days. We got to Smithville early, so I decided to clean up the tandem. I was at on end of the motel's parking lot. In mid-afternoon a lot of pickups with big bass boats started pulling into the motel. There was a bass tournament the following day, Saturday I believe. So they opened an iced chest of beer and started talking fishing, and pretty soon a few of them wondered down to me, gave me a beer and began asking questions about how I managed on a tandem bike. One fellow said he understood why I liked cycling so much, his two brothers were into it. I asked if they rode mt. bike or road bikes. He said he didn't know, but his younger brother had a new carbon fiber TREK, so I knew that he was a road cyclist. Then he added the brother had totaled the bike. I asked if his brother was hurt, he said no. That seemed odd, so I pressed him for the details.

His brother had a top rack for his TREK and had driven to Calif to see relatives. He returned via Hwy 50 in Nevada, which has been called the most lonely road in America. His brother got bored and decided to think of something challenging to do. And you know what that was ? Seeing how long he could hold his breath.

I don't know how long the brother could hold his breath, but he passed out, went off the road, rolled the car which of course totaled the TREK, and the brother walked away without a scratch....

Now I know why bass fishing is a safe sport.

permanent link to article: "One way to total a carbon-fiber Trek . . . "
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/03/2003 04:10:00 PM |comment on this article

John Lieswyn rode in last weekend's Gateway Cup in St. Louis and covered the event in his CyclingNews Diary:

Surrounded by stately mansions that eight years ago cost $80,000 and now go for four times as much, this course is wide and safe even when wet like it is tonight. I rolled around the course to watch the women's race, and took some time out to inform a few clusters of residents who were enjoying the race from their lawn chairs.

permanent link to article: "St. Louis Gateway Cup in CyclingNews"
posted by Brent Hugh at 9/03/2003 01:12:00 PM |comment on this article