Cycling Tips & Stories

Charles Hansen has written a wonderfully detailed account of his trip on the Katy Trail in 1999. He started by exploring St. Louis:

Riding through Forest Park I noticed an open gate to the zoo in front of me with no one staffing it. There were no signs prohibiting bikes and the temptation was too great so I pedaled right in at slow speed, passing several bear cages before the mounties told me I couldn't ride there. Continuing to the museum I was surprised to discover that it was free all the time. I was amazed that the city would sponsor both a free zoo and art museum, although I'm sure they each have other contributors. . . .

Then the Katy Trail to Treloar:

I wondered what kind of reception I would get in my cycling gear, but quickly discovered that I needn't have worried. Perhaps what I enjoyed most about the tour was the sincere friendliness and interest of the people I met on the way, especially outside of the large cities. I'm sure part of it was being exposed to lots of cyclists of all sorts by virtue of living close to the trail, but a larger part is the natue of the people who live here.

He continued the Katy Trail to Boonville, then traveled on via roads to Kansas City:

Coming back to Missouri I spent a couple of hours exploring the West Bottoms area where railroad tracks (or previous railroad racks) snake their way in alleys between brick buildings, with frequently complex street and structure arrangements. The sound of train air horns was almost constant in this area of Kansas City, a sound which stirs my spirit. Coming up from river level I rode through the developing River Market district and had a satisfying lunch at the like-named brewery.

permanent link to article: "Katy Trail adventure"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/26/2004 09:21:00 AM |comment on this article

According to a story in the Wichita Eagle, a historic store building near the Katy Trail in Easley will soon be restore:

The Easley Store was built in 1890 by William Easley, a third-generation Boone County resident. He ran the store and was the first of several Easleys and others to serve as postmaster for the post office that was incorporated into the store in 1893.

Sapp said the store was supposedly built a mile or two away from the site it occupies today. When the MKT rail line came through, the store was moved, presumably to get it closer to the depot. It sold groceries, drugs and hardware and, in more recent years, rented bicycles for use on the Katy Trail.

permanent link to article: "Historic store near the Katy Trail to be renovated"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/26/2004 09:06:00 AM |comment on this article

NPR's Savvy Traveler had a story about a pair of cyclists who rode the Lewis & Clark Trail:

"Jo and I just pulled into Missouri's Arrow Rock Campground. That's Farrell Adkins, the campground host. We're bicycling from Saint Louis to North Dakota, the Lewis & Clark trail, along the Missouri River.

When you follow a major river like the Missouri, you're following civilization, the ebb and flow, war and peace."

permanent link to article: "Bicycling the Lewis & Clark Trail"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/24/2004 02:17:00 PM |comment on this article

Is it too cold to go and and ride? Articles in both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Springfield News-Leader say no:

"Don't be deterred to run just because it's cold," said Dave Watt, executive director of the American Running Association. "Just use some common sense."

Experts say that with the right clothing and sound judgment, it's OK to keep running outside even at 20 below. But they also tell runners to know their personal limits.

IceBike.com has really good bicycle-specific advice for getting out the in cold. permanent link to article: "Is it too cold to exercise outside?"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/24/2004 01:17:00 PM |comment on this article

According to an interview with People magazine, President George W. Bush listens to an iPod while enjoying his favorite form of exercise, mounting biking:

“I use it mainly for when I go out and ride my mountain bike. I crank it up. Van Morrison and Linda Gail Lewis are on there.”

(The People magazine article was quoted in a KCStar article.)

permanent link to article: "Pres. Bush iPods while mountain biking"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/20/2004 08:32:00 AM |comment on this article

A new free package of publications from MetLife, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Citizen Information Center is now available. KC infoZine has an article about the new package of pamphlets:

The most important benefit of exercising is to: lose weight, improve cardiovascular function, look your best, build strong bones, or reduce stress? This may not be a question on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," but it's one that some Americans fail to answer correctly. The answer, of course, is all of the above.

The pamphlets can be ordered for free online here. permanent link to article: "The Truth About Fitness and Exercise"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/19/2004 09:12:00 PM |comment on this article

With the weather in Missouri taking a decided turn for the colder this week, it's a good time to take a look at some ideas for dressing for the cold weather.

The usenet group rec.bicycles.misc has a good discussion with many suggestions for dealing with weather in the range 20-35 degrees fahrenheit.

About.com's Kevin Weiss also has detailed ideas about dressing in weather from 50 degrees fahrenheit down to freezing:

Layers, layers, and more layers. The best way to prepare yourself for the weather is to wear it all in layers. You can peel off layers as the weather (or yourself) warms up. Another advantage - wicking. The layers closest to your skin can be made of your favorite wicking material: Coolmax®, polypropylene, even wool.

Bicycling Life's article, "Winter cycling", starts out with pronouncement:

Well, guess what folks; Winter Cycling is not only practical but growing in popularity, a great deal of fun as well.

permanent link to article: "Riding in the cold"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/19/2004 08:29:00 PM |comment on this article

A Salt Lake Tribune article details the efforts of Salt Lake City to make itself more friendly for fitness activities like bicycling, walking, and running:

Now, it seems even rising gas prices are conspiring to get people to think in terms of "walkable communities" and "active community environments," she says, using the language city planners use to describe modern designs.

Health department officials, hoping to improve the health of all Utahns, formed the alliance in 2000. Members include transportation officials, mayors, park and recreation managers and city planners who brainstorm ways to get cities thinking about making their cities more amenable to foot traffic.

"Putting parking and crosswalks in the middle of the blocks - all those things that are frustrating to drivers are actually beneficial for people who are walking or who try to lead physically fit lives," she says.

"Maybe it was done to bring shoppers downtown, but anything that encourages walking is going to help. Whether it's reducing pollution or increasing the health of the public, there are so many benefits."

When are Missouri's large cities going to see the benefits and put such an ambitious plan into action?

Just ten years ago, Salt Lake City--like today's Kansas City and St. Louis--had a very poor record for pedestrian safety. Ten years of enlightened policies have turned this around.

It could be done in Missouri, too. permanent link to article: "A city that works to make itself more friendly for fitness"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/15/2004 12:54:00 PM |comment on this article

The VeloRution blog has a new home. A recent article talks about a poll about the greatest invention to come out of England:

“There is something to be said for an invention that generates such passionate positive feeling. The bicycle is a very pure invention, the basic design has remained largely the same for more than a century, it is environmentally friendly, and it changed the face of mass transport.”

permanent link to article: "Velorution: Bicycle the greatest invention?"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/15/2004 12:43:00 PM |comment on this article

A pair of intrepid explorers piloted their couchbike across Prince Edward Island among other adventures:

As storm clouds loomed overhead, he and his partner surveyed our bicycle. Ours was a lot like other tandem bikes one might spot on the roads from time to time. It had two sets of pedals and very long lengths of chain. The frame was welded together and made of light but strong chromoly steel tubing. But what made our bike so special, and also what seemed to be Constable Demeau's chief concern, was the couch. It was an old leatherette loveseat. Our frame was built around it, and Eivind and I were perched on top of it. We sat side by side on the cushions, our legs extended in front to spin the pedals. I steered the bike with a tiller linked to the two front wheels on either side of the couch.

permanent link to article: "Couchbiking across Canada"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/13/2004 01:30:00 PM |comment on this article

RunnersWeb.com has a detailed and interesting article entitled "Female cyclists health and nutrition - A guide to the proper care and feeding of female cyclists":

The differences between the performances of men and women athletes are greatest in the lower ranks. This can be explained by the differences in lean body mass and muscle fibre size. Interestingly, the differences between the VO2max of elite men and women athletes can almost all be accounted for by the differences in lean body mass, red blood cell number and physique. . . .

[B]ody fat accounts for almost all of the differences in VO2max between elite men and women.

permanent link to article: "The female cyclist--equipment, training, diet"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/04/2004 06:43:00 PM |comment on this article

According to a KCStar article:

Doctors and communities must encourage Americans 65 and older to adopt healthier lifestyles, according to a study Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Merck Institute of Aging & Health.

“They are not doing all they can, not only to enjoy more years in their lives but also more life in their years,” said Terrie Fox Wetle, president of the Gerontological Society of America, which released the survey at its annual meeting.

Nationally, Missouri ranked near the bottom — 48th out of the 50 states plus Washington, D.C. — for leisure-time physical activity. About 40 percent of the state's seniors said they had no such activity during a one-month span.

Missouri's lack of pedestrian and bicycle friendly infrastructure must play a large part in this serious problem. permanent link to article: "Missouri near bottom in physical activity for senior citizens"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/04/2004 10:26:00 AM |comment on this article

Think your winter riding is tough? Check this out . . . permanent link to article: "Winter cycling . . ."
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/04/2004 09:58:00 AM |comment on this article

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article on cyclist Martin de Camilo, whose foot injury prevented from doing long-distance walking and hiking:

Martin de Camilo and her husband had been casual riders before her accident, she says. But being sidelined from walking, they turned to biking in a new way.

"Biking is really good for me, because it doesn't make my foot do the same movement," she says. "It's a different type of exercise altogether. It's a pushing down instead of making my foot bend. It's very, very easy to take biking to the next level versus taking something like walking to the next level."

permanent link to article: "Long distance walker turns into long-distance cyclist"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/04/2004 09:55:00 AM |comment on this article

Six regional St. Louis photographers will exhibit cycling photographs on Saturday, December 4 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Big Shark Bicycle Co. Big Shark is located at 6133 Delmar, next to the Pageant Theater. The six photographers have chronicled the regional and state cycling scene through their respective lenses. The artists are: Matthew James, Daniel Elavsky, Phillip Shoulberg, Kim Morris, John Mussleman, and Matt Cazalas.

Work will be presented in a variety of formats including gelatin silver prints, digital work, projection, and portfolios. All work is original and most photographs will be available for purchase.

Each photographer brings his and her own view of the cycling world. These views range from artistic to documentary forms. The range of experience includes photographers that have taken photos for major national publications to corporate staff photographers to student photographic work. All are committed to their documentation of the fluid beauty and electric excitement of the sport of cycling.

The general public is invited to the free exhibition, refreshments will be provided by Big Shark and New Belgium Brewing Company. For more information contact Matthew James at (314) 862-1188. permanent link to article: "Cycling Photography Exhibit and Artist Reception in St. Louis Dec 4th"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/01/2004 07:59:00 AM |comment on this article