Cycling Tips & Stories

[Note: The King Williams Quiz is no over and the solutions have been posted. See the solution to our puzzler below . . . ]

You may have heard that the pupils of King Williams College, Isle of Man, are sent home over the holidays with a fiendishly difficult "General Knowledge Paper", asking 180 obscure questions of all sorts.

Katy Trail near Windsor

We're not that inventive here at MoBikeFed corporate headquarters, but we will leave you with just one fiendishly difficult puzzler to contemplate over the holidays:

Which of the 180 King Williams College questions can be interpreted¹ as having a direct connection with MoBikeFed's recent advocacy efforts related to Missouri's Katy Trail?

Need a hint? Refresh your memory of the situation by spending 2 minutes taking advocacy action to help "Complete the Katy" . . .

Update Jan 19th: King William College has now posted all of the answers to the quiz.

So if all else fails you should be able to figure out the answer by looking at the list of answers (PDF file).

If you don't see the answer right off, you might look at the Katy Trail advocacy page again.

Need more hints? Visit the comments section.

Please don't spoil the fun by posting the answer if you're sure you've figured it out . . . let everybody have a chance to work on it. I'll post my answer soon after New Year so you can see if yours & mine agree. If you want to know before then you could email me your answer, director [at] mobikefed.org

¹I say "can be interpreted" because there is a good, logical answer to this question, and that "logical answer" to the question connects directly with our Katy Trail advocacy efforts. No one knows for certain what the official answers to the 180 questions are, yet, because the official answers haven't been released.

The Solution

See the relevant answer in the King William College Answer Sheet (PDF file)--Section 4, Question 2.

See the lyrics of the song or the Wikipedia article.

Listen: Johnny Cash, Leadbelly. permanent link to article: "Holiday puzzler . . ."
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/21/2006 12:06:00 PM |comment on this article

Cyclists--here is information about the Tour de Grape, May 12-13, 2007. The Tour de Grape is one of a growing number of Missouri Advocacy Events that donate a small amount from each registration to the Missouri Bicycle Federation.

The first annual Tour de Grape to benefit HavenHouse St. Louis is planned and ready for action as a two-day, 100 mile pledge cycling tour of the wine areas near Farmington and Ste. Genevieve, MO over May 12 and 13, 2007. Participants pay a modest $25 registration fee and collect minimum pledges of $250 each, and prizes will be awarded to individuals and teams raising the most money for HavenHouse's programs and services.

HavenHouse St. Louis provides lodging, care and support services for up to 33 families, or 100 people, each night in their 32,000 sq. ft. facility in Creve Coeur. "The actual cost of our program (room, meals, transportation to area hospitals and support services) is $75 per family per night. Families may receive vouchers of up to $50 per night, and half of the families' remaining $25 obligation is paid by third parties such as Shrine temples, Medicaid or health related foundations," explains Kathy Sindel, Executive Director. "We rely upon the generosity of individuals and the success of events like the Tour de Grape so that we can serve more than 1,500 families next year." HavenHouse provides what a family needs to rest, regain their strength and focus on their critically, chronically or terminally ill child.

The Tour de Grape is the perfect brainchild of a committee including organizer Roger Kramer, USA Cycling Certified Coach Chris Mileski, and route chairs Charley Sindel and Larry Keith. "Over half of the families that travel to HavenHouse for their child's hospitalizations in St. Louis actually reside in Missouri or Eastern Illinois and last year, 15 families from the route areas stayed at HavenHouse as guests. We feel that we are including our extended family with this event," says Kathy Sindel.

"We know this ride is early in the season, so it is a great way for cycling enthusiasts to prepare for a great year of riding," says Kramer. "On day one, participants will ride one of two routes around the hills of Farmington, and on day two, they will enjoy the history and scenery near Ste. Genevieve and the Illinois areas from Chester to Fort des Chartres as they choose two routes of different lengths." Lunches are served both days, and an awards dinner on Saturday will recognize the people raising the most money for HavenHouse.

For more information, visit www.tourdegrape.com, www.tourdegrape.org, or www.havenhousestl.org.

permanent link to article: "First Annual Tour de Grape, May 2007"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/20/2006 02:01:00 PM |comment on this article

Just so you'll be prepared when that next big snowstorm hits Missouri:

What do you get when you cross a mountain bike with a snowboard? A whole lot of fun! If you're into riding and like the snow, I highly suggest you check out ski-biking. . . .

My first day on the mountain with the skibike drew an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone that I shared the mountain with. Customers and staff alike. Throughout the day, no less than fifty people approached me and told me it was 'one of the coolest things they'd ever seen'. They also asked how to steer it, stop it and if I could do tricks on it.

I can say without reservation that skibiking is by far the most fun that I've ever had on snow, bar none. I've been skiing for twenty-six years and I can also say that it's the easiest snow-sport that I have ever learned. If you've never tried skibiking; find a mountain that has unrestricted access or restricted access to the intermediate runs and 'go for it'. You'll be carving graceful turns in a matter of runs…not days, weeks, years. It really is that easy. But consider yourself warned: Skibiking is highly addictive!

Read the full article here. permanent link to article: "Skibiking"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/20/2006 08:38:00 AM |comment on this article

By
Richard E. "Rich" Corbett,
Certified Master Cycling Instructor & Senior Regional Trainer
Platinum 2008 Steering Committee Chair

What is a right hook? If you don't know, you should! A right hook is when a motorist passes you, brakes, and then turns right in front of you, causing or almost causing a collision. Most often, you run into them, but only after they have broken the law by cutting you off.

Recently there have been several of these crashes, and, sadly, the police do not always understand the physics of this classic motorist fault crash. So you need to know some basics as to 1) how to prevent them from happening, 2) how to avoid them as they begin to develop, and 3) what to do if you still get cut off by a $#$%$ motorist who does not know basic traffic law and courtesy.

Prevention
Be aware of the intersections and drives on your route that people regularly turn at, and watch (with a rear view mirror) as you approach these, and if you see a motorist coming from the rear whose arrival timing might put them in conflict with you, do two things: 1) put your left hand/arm out in a slowing/moving left signal (hand and arm straight, pointed at about a 45o angle to the left), then 2) move a foot or two to the left to emphasize your presence. Motorists who are going to turn right will almost always slow and go behind you, and those who are going thru the intersection will move left a little and pass you.

Avoidance
Be prepared, as you approach these locations to brake and or swerve/turn to the right, if someone sneaks past your prevention measures. This means you must be extra alert as you cycle, especially as you approach intersections and driveways. You don't need to be fearful, just alert. Emergency braking (do you know how to do this?), and/or a quick turn to the right (do you know how to do this?) can stop or steer you out of the path of an illegally turning motorist. Both these maneuvers are taught in the LAB Road I Course (see the August Update for the upcoming classes for GABA members).

Mitigation/follow-up
If all your efforts fail, hopefully you are smart enough to be wearing a helmet, and that you strike the offending vehicle at as shallow an angle as possible (the quick turn will let you either avoid the collision or hit it at a very shallow angle).

If a crash occurs, and if police respond, be sure to ask the Officer "Have you had any special training in bicycle-motor vehicle crash investigation?" If they answer no then ask if an officer with such training could carry out the crash investigation.

Summary

• Ride aware - know what is gong on around you and think 'what if' as you ride along- know what you will do if various, predictable things happen.
  
  
• Be prepared - know how to do emergency braking, and quick turns, as these two maneuvers can save you.
  
  
• Know what to ask - be sure to ask any police officer who responds if they have had the special training to be able to do a competent crash investigation.

Ride safer by doing these things and your cycling will be more enjoyable, as you will ride with confidence, not fear.
permanent link to article: "Avoiding the Right Hook"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/18/2006 05:50:00 AM |comment on this article

Bicyclist Allan Dunlop writes:

[I]n all the cycling courses I teach, I suggest that people try to turn every 'car-bike interaction' into an interaction between two humans. In the countless human behaviour experiments I conduct on a daily basis, I've found that this approach yields real benefits.

Read the rest of Allan's interesting article here. permanent link to article: "Interacting with motorists"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/17/2006 05:41:00 AM |comment on this article

A recent KCStar article covered some of the bicycling scene in Kansas City, including the Prairie Village Yacht Club's weekly rides:

These amateur athletes crave the rush of cold air and the sounds of the city as they pedal throughout the Kansas City area. And their numbers are growing as others join in their healthful and exhilarating way to exercise, while making friends along the way.

Ben Wilson says he wears cold-weather gear during the fall and winter while doing night rides. . . .

Wilson jokes that his colleagues browbeat anyone not wearing a helmet. Lights located on the front and back of the bicycle are required. The fun continues with drinks and dinner at the restaurant. Because of the sport’s popularity, up to 200 people congregate weekly on Thursday nights at the Blue Moose restaurant in Prairie Village. Another hot spot on Wednesday evening is Chelly’s Café, a Mexican restaurant just west of 85th Street and Wornall Avenue.

“We meet afterwards in the Blue Moose lounge to eat, drink and socialize,” Wilson says. “I love biking so my weekends are spent riding with friends from the Prairie Village Yacht Club. It’s a social club with no dues or regulations.”

Find out more about the Yacht Club here. permanent link to article: "The Prairie Village Yacht Club strikes again . . ."
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/13/2006 04:30:00 PM |comment on this article

I was recently approached by award winning advertising agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to do a composition for their client, Specialized. Specialized is a bike manufacturer and they needed some Christmas music, but with a twist: They wanted me to create the music from only bike sounds. They didn’t even know if it was possible, so they left the song choice up to me to see what I could come up with. Since Jingle Bells is a little overdone this time of year, I thought Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” would be a great alternative. At first I didn’t think it could be done, but as I recorded sounds from my road bike and mountain bike it started to take shape. Here’s the instrumentation and score:

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Glockenspiel & Clarinet melody = spokes.
Cello & Violin pizzicatos = plucked derailleur cables.
Triangle = disc brake hit.
Percussion = shifting, coasting, finger over turning spokes, chain pulls, braking, clipping into pedals, back-spinning, air out of tires.

This has to be heard to be believed . . . listen here or watch the video here (Specialized Bicycle Components web site).
permanent link to article: "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy played on bicycle parts"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/13/2006 04:26:00 PM |comment on this article

Every Christmas season, Mark Reynolds, an avid cyclist, would buy bikes for needy kids so he could share his passion for a sport that changed his life.

“Only a few people knew Mark would do this,” said his mother, Dona, a St. Joseph resident. “He would take them to Salvation Army to distribute.”

In 2004, she continued the tradition after Mark, 35, was attacked and killed by a mountain lion while riding his bike in Whiting Ranch Park in Northern California, near his home. . . .

“If it had two wheels, Mark was on it,” she said. “Mark loved cycling.”

The last two years, the Mark Reynolds Memorial Bike Fund has purchased more than $50,000 in bikes for kids who need them all over the country. The organization makes sure the bikes are assembled by professionals. Children also receive a helmet with their bike.

Read the rest of the story on the KCStar web site.

Visit the Mark Reynolds Fund web site here. permanent link to article: "Mark Reynolds Fund gives bikes to kids . . ."
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/13/2006 05:48:00 AM |comment on this article

Following the shocking revelation that heat generated by vigorous exercise is a major contributor to global warming, we are all having to reassess our own activities. It comes as a major surprise to many of us that storing energy in human fat is actually a valuable way of reducing our impact on the environment. Government may be introducing plans to extract this fat by large-scale liposuction programmes and storing it underground, but we all have a responsibility to reduce our participation in ecologically hazardous physical activity.

Looking at my own lifestyle, it was easy to identify my cycling habit as a major problem. I'm only too aware of the amount of heat that cycling can generate but cutting down was not going to be easy, so six months ago I turned for help to my friend Jeremy. He has not cycled since he was a child and is a respectable three stone heavier than me. He now runs a consultancy helping people like me to face up to and overcome our environmental deficit.

I explained to Jeremy that I had been trying to reduce my cycling mileage:

"I've been trying to keep it down to 10 miles a day but it just keeps creeping up - sometimes I'm doing 20 or 30 a day. And the weekends are the worst; when the sun is shining I just can't resist heading for the hills."

Read the rest of the article here--thanks to Jeff for the lead. permanent link to article: "How to give up cycling"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/12/2006 10:09:00 AM |comment on this article

For me supporting MoBikeFed is a natural. Every I ride, whether it's on the city streets of West Plains or one of the State "lettered" routes I think of who is looking out for my safety. No other organization acts on behalf of bicyclists in the state like MoBikeFed. Whether it's advocacy in the form of legislation or awareness campaigns, no other organization represents my concerns to the groups that need to hear them!

Jeff Huff,
West Plains

MoBikeFed's end-of-year fund raising and membership campaign is going on right now.

A private foundation has given MoBikeFed a $15,000 matching grant--challenging MoBikeFed members and supporters to match that amount by January 31st, 2007.

Until January 31st, every dollar you donate towards bicycling in Missouri--whether your regular membership or just a contribution--will be matched dollar for dollar by the private foundation.

Any amount you can contribute, large or small, helps us reach our goal.

You can join, renew your membership, or make a donation online here in about 5 minutes.

Related:

• What has MoBikeFed been doing for YOU lately?
  
• Learn more about MoBikeFed's mission, goals, and accomplishments.

permanent link to article: "Why I Support MoBikeFed"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/10/2006 07:35:00 AM |comment on this article

Columbia's YouZeum is planned to teach children about physical health and fitness through a series of fun, engaging exhibits and activities. The YouZeum, located in downtown Columbia, is slated to open summer 2007:

The YouZeum was slated to open by the end of this year, but construction has been delayed. Problems stemming from the age of the 30,000-square-foot building are behind the delay, said YouZeum board chairman Jim Ritter. The building was originally constructed in 1937 and served as a post office. . . .

Formerly called the Health Adventure Center, the not-for-profit YouZeum project was conceptualized by the Boone County Medical Society Alliance in the early '90s. In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education donated the Federal Building at 608 Cherry St. for the YouZeum . . .

By combining education with interactive experience, Executive Director Gwen Robbins said she hopes YouZeum patrons will better understand how their health and lifestyle decisions affect their own well-being, as well as the well-being of their families and those in the community. From making quick decisions in the life-size emergency room to fighting "germ wars" on an interactive video screen, children and adults will have the opportunity to experience "real life" situations through innovative technology at the YouZeum.

"When a kid gets to laugh while learning the reason the candy bar's not such a good choice, it becomes fun," Robbins said. Visitors may also take a healthy cooking class in the YouZeum kitchen. . . .

permanent link to article: "Columbia's YouZeum to educate about health and fitness"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/10/2006 07:11:00 AM |comment on this article

VeloNews reports:

When Steve Tilford crashed his bike into an icy lake on the second lap of Sunday's KLM Marketing UCI Cyclocross Race, his first instinct was to get back on and start racing.

A warm blanket and some dry clothing would have to wait. The Trek-Volkswagen rider from Topeka, Kansas, had another epic chapter to write in his already-storied career, which includes five world mountain-bike and four national cyclo-cross titles.

Tilford tossed his waterlogged bike out of the lake and after just one lap on the 2.5km course had chased down and passed Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific-Salsa) en route to winning the second annual edition of the race at Kansas City's Wyandotte County Park.

The bizarre incident and his stunning comeback had even Tilford shaking his head in disbelief afterwards.

"I was on my hands and knees on the ice and my bike's laying there flat on it," Tilford said. "Then all of sudden, the ice broke through and I just went in up my waist and down to my shoulders."

Before his ice bath, Tilford was 20 seconds clear of Prenzlow after the first of eight laps in the 60-minute event. But on his second trip through a frozen, rutty patch of mud on the tree-lined course, he lost control and skidded out onto the ice.

permanent link to article: "Icy swim doesn't stop Steve Tilford from winning KC area cyclocross races"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/04/2006 08:46:00 PM |comment on this article

With all this snow and ice around, it's a great time to mention the IceBike web site again.

I took some of their advice on clothing a year or two ago and went from the "Michelin Man" look to just a few layers (2-3 generally) and--just like they said--ended up not only more comfortable riding but also warmer.

Maybe you just found this web site while looking for something else. If so about now you are wondering just how crazy these folks are. Plenty!

Contrary to popular opinion, the bicycle makes a fairly good winter vehicle. This is not to suggest that care can be thrown to the winds. But with proper skill and technique, the bike provides safe and reliable transportation. It always starts, regardless of how cold it is. There are studded tires that make the most wicked slick ice manageable. It is easy to find a parking space, and it never gets stuck in the snow. Well, almost never.

Much of winter cycling is done on roads that are bare, no ice anywhere. In these conditions, the only concern is the weather. If you would go skiing or play hockey in cold weather, then ICEBIKING is not very different. All it takes is the will, a reliable bike, dressing for the weather, getting out in the snow, and learning a few new bike handling skills.

The hardest part is the first 100 yards. Mother Nature is not your Enemy!

permanent link to article: "IceBike!"
posted by Brent Hugh at 12/01/2006 09:54:00 AM |comment on this article