Cycling Tips & Stories

The Great Lakes Radio Consortium has a fascinating interview with a winter bicycle commuter:

By the first snowfall, most of us have long ago put our bicycles away. But in every city, there are a few diehard souls who keep pedaling all winter long. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Karen Kelly offers a profile of the winter cyclist:

I remember the first time I saw a winter cyclist in Ottawa. It was during a snowstorm and I had just moved to the capital city of Canada. I looked out my window to see a guy on a bike plowing through a snow drift. He had one glove on the handlebars - and the other carrying a three foot long art portfolio. It was outrageous. But even more surprising - Ottawa is full of these people.

We're talking a good four months of frigid temperatures here. And there are bicycles on the road every single day. I wanted to know what could possibly motivate someone to hop on a bike when the temperature is well below freezing.
. . .

But between the cars and the weather, it's not surprising that most people assume winter cycling is dangerous. Researcher Lisa Routhier decided to take a closer look at that assumption. She recently earned a degree in environmental studies from Carleton University in Ottawa. While there, Routhier surveyed 60 winter cyclists and 62 people who don't ride in the winter. She calculated the number of riders with the number of collisions and found no increase in cllisions during the winter months. And generally, Routhier found the people on the bikes aren't really worried.

"One of the questions I asked was do you feel safe when you're riding your bike in the winter and 82 percent responded they feel safe all or most of the time when they're on their bike. And what I found and what many people will notice is that many days during the winter, the roads are actually bare and dry curb to curb. There's no difference from summer cycling conditions."

(by way of the Mid-America-MTB list) permanent link to article: "Bike commuting in winter"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/30/2003 11:43:00 PM |comment on this article

Kids across America voted Lance Armstrong Athlete of the Year in a Sports Illustrated for Kids poll.

[St. Louis Cardinals baseball start Albert] Pujols was second with 8,514 votes, followed by LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Michael Vick and Roger Clemens. Last year's winner was Shaquille ONeal.

Meanwhile, Armstrong also topped a worldwide Reuters poll of sports journalists to be named Reuters Sportsman of the Year.

The American cancer survivor, who topped the poll with 42 points out of a possible total of 93, matched the feat of Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain when he clinched his fifth title in the sport's biggest race.

"What he's done in that race is extraordinary...He's the number one sportsperson in the world right now," said Ondrej Foltin at the Herald Sun in Australia.

But Armstrong only narrowly beat England rugby union flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson who received 37 points and German six times Formula One champion Michael Schumacher who gained 36 points.

permanent link to article: "Lance Armstrong twice voted Athlete of the Year"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/20/2003 11:29:00 AM |comment on this article

An article in todays KCStar (free registration required) lists the many benefits of exercise:

If he were to list the benefits of exercise, Tom Thomas says there would be 1,000 entries, no sweat.

High on the list would be a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. And lower blood pressure. And a boost in high-density lipoprotein, the goodcholesterol.

And there's no doubt that Thomas, who directs the exercise physiology program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, would mention increased insulin sensitivity, a lack of which often leads to Type 2 diabetes. And a probable decreased incidence of some cancers. And weight control. He'd point out the benefits to bone density, and to muscle maintenance. And then there's the whole cognitive and emotional piece.

"If exercise could be made into a pill, it would be the most-prescribed pill we have," said Cedric Bryant, an exercise physiologist and a vice president (for educational services) with the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. . . .

The power of physical activity came home to her in an experiment she conducted a few years ago. She listed the effects of inactivity and those of aging. They were nearly identical.

permanent link to article: "The many benefits of exercise"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/16/2003 10:32:00 AM |comment on this article

Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as cycling in the winter. Gin Kilgore writes this, by way of introduction to BikeWinter, a very nice set of tips and ideas for winter cycling:

I'm no cycling guru whose blood has been thickened on arctic expeditions. I'm just an urban bike commuter who, through experience and advice from friends, has gone from being a fair weather to all weather cyclist. The process was gradual. The first winter I didn't invest in special gear; I just piled on what I had. I learned how to ride in a range of weather conditions simply by doing it and watching my friends. Winter biking isn't something difficult, something you need to equip for. The only equipment you really need is the willingness to do it.

permanent link to article: "WInter Biking Tips"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/14/2003 08:31:00 PM |comment on this article

Maddie Earnest wrote a wonderfully detailed report of her Katy Trail ride for The Commonspace:

I'm sorry to say that it was my competitive streak that had reacquainted me with my bike in the summer of 2000. Jason was gathering together a team of folks to ride the MS 150 bike ride. I did not believe myself interested or able to ride 150 miles in two days. However, as Jason began assembling the team I found myself incredulously asking Jason, "You mean she's doing it? . . . if she can do it, I can do it." I think you get the picture. I found myself surrendering lazy Sunday mornings for the purpose of whipping my body into shape for the ride. It worked, and I rode the 150 in both 2000 and 2001.

permanent link to article: "Katy Trail Ride Report"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/10/2003 08:05:00 AM |comment on this article

Randy Niere took a series of photos showing the latest progress on Kansas City's Riverfront Heritage Trail. The part on-road part off-road trail connects downtown Kansas City, Missouri, with downtown Kansas City, Kansas. Plans are to have the trail open in time for the Lewis & Clark bicentennial celebration in the KC area around July 4th, 2003. permanent link to article: "Work continues on KC's Riverfront Heritage Trail"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/08/2003 10:07:00 PM |comment on this article

The rapidly increasing obesity rate among American adults and children is more and more being called and "epidemic" by public health authorities--and one with serious and long-lasting public health consequences.

The way are communities are planned, organized, and operated contributes a great deal to this problem. Public health authorities are challenging communities to do something about it:

"Overweight and obesity are among the most pressing new health challenges we face today," [Health and Human Services] Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "Our modern environment has allowed these conditions to increase at alarming rates and become a growing health problem for our nation. By confronting these conditions, we have tremendous opportunities to prevent the unnecessary disease and disability they portend for our future." . . .

When there are no safe places for children to play, or for adults to walk, jog, or ride a bike, that's a community responsibility.

permanent link to article: "Communities urged to take action to increase physical activity"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/06/2003 09:45:00 AM |comment on this article

Beware the dreaded bike-eating tree. permanent link to article: "The bike-eating tree"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/06/2003 08:36:00 AM |comment on this article

Mark Davis writes in the KCStar:

Ed Chasteen climbed off his old red bicycle Saturday and declared, “Hey, it's over! Oh, man.''

The 68-year-old Liberty man had just logged the last leg of 10,000 miles he said he had ridden since the start of the year. Along the way he has raised nearly $20,000 to fight multiple sclerosis, from which he suffers.

Sun News of the Northland also has a story on Chasteen's 10,000 miles. Chasteen has MS and says, "I discovered that if I ride, I can run; if I don't, I can't walk." permanent link to article: "Ed Chasteen reaches 10,000-mile goal"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/03/2003 10:44:00 AM |comment on this article

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article about BicycleWORKS in St. Louis:

This is BicycleWORKS, a 12-year-old nonprofit operation where boys and girls come with hopes of earning a free bicycle and something more - a sense of pride and self- esteem.

permanent link to article: "BicycleWORKS in St. Louis"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/01/2003 05:56:00 PM |comment on this article