Bikes as Transportation

Complete Streets Policy needed in Richmond, Indiana

2010-03-10T12:28:35Z

a shared use sidepath in Portland, Oregon.

Complete Streets refers to the concept of designing and operating roadways with all users in mind - including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

Yesterday I was leafing through hundreds of pages of documentation about the U.S. 27 renovation through Richmond, and the importance of this hit home.

The documentation showed the many kinds of coordination and considerations that the state must go through to complete something which to some could appear to routine maintenance. During the “Early Coordination Phase” there are required considerations for hazardous waste, air quality, water quality, wildlife, historic homes, social justice, and the list goes on.

Incredibly, although the project at hand is for transportation, there were not signs of due consideration given how the road update could impact other kinds of road uses besides driving cars. A “Complete Streets” policy would require this basic consideration.

]]> To be clear, the current process gives some consideration to other uses— sidewalks are planned to be updated and some new crossing signals installed, but big picture consideration is clearly not present. The proposal straightens the road in some places, which will speed up traffic. This is done in the name of bringing the road up to current standards, with justifications like “correcting substandard horizontal curvature”. However, no consideration is mentioned for the negative impact that faster roads have on those walk and bike.

Likewise, the project marches right by a major gap in our published bike route network with no consideration of the impact, or how this project could help complete the network.

I can see how the long list of considerations in road construction could feel like bureauracy, but it does seem like a major deficiency that considering other kinds of transportation options is not on the list.

Locally, our city has other policies which include the intent of more sustainable transportation practices, but don’t spell it out so directly. Our Comprehensive Plan has a focus on sustainability and requires a “non-motorized network” to be completed, and the Mayor’s Climate Agreement includes this:

2. Adopt and enforce land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and create compact, walkable urban communities;

3. Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit;

Adopting a Complete Streets policy could happen very quickly here, because it can done directly with a Mayor’s Executive Order, and a template for a document is easily borrowed from the Complete Streets Executive Order recently signed in Philadelphia.

Around Indiana, Complete Steets policy is already being adopted. Bloomington passed a Complete Streets policy in 2009. Also, Madison County recently passed their own complete streets policy

At the same time, there currently Complete Street bills pending both for the State of Indiana and in the United States congress. Those efforts are documented on the Bicycle Indiana site while the best general information about Complete Streets is on the Complete Streets website.

Until March 18th, 2010, there is still time comment on INDOT’s plan for 27 renovations in Richmonds. See my previous post for more context, and contact send your own comment to INDOT asking them include Complete Streets principles in their process for this project.

Completing U.S. 27 piece of bike route network is essential

2010-03-06T18:19:43Z

This message is a public comment on INDOT’s proposed renovations of U.S. 27 as it it passes through Richmond, a project budgeted at $21 million.

The message is currently in draft form. You are welcome to comment below, but to count as a formal comment, you need to send it to INDOT by e-mailing mjackman@indot.in.gov by March 18th, 2010.

I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to have these state funds at work in our community. They come at a time when we badly need transportation improvements and our local funds are depleted. I’m encouraged that the proposed work will improve pedestrian facilities by updating sidewalks and adding more crosswalk signals.

Still, the preliminary plan I saw has major room for improvement if it is to best address Richmond’s needs along the U.S. 27 corridor for decades to come.

]]> On Safety and softening the curve at North C Street

Aaron has been commuting from downtown to the North Side for the fitness benefits and financial savings, but remarks about the poor suitability of the short stretch that has to use U.S. 27.

The most striking change in the proposed plan is a “curve softening” around North C street. With a significant price tag, the state proposes purchasing and destroying several homes, building a new road diagonally across a block, where traffic currently shows down to make two right angle turns in an “S” curve just before the road reaches a stoplight at North A street.

Such a costly major change should come with a comprehensive justification of the benefits, yet all that was presented that was it would be safer, without elaboration. When I asked the engineer James Loew about hard data on crash or safety issues, he confessed that he knew of none. City Planner Scott Zimmerman had also not been informed of any hard data on safety issues with the current treatment.

What straightening the road here will certainly do is raise the average traffic speeds just as the road enters our population dense downtown, to ironically possibly come to a complete stop just two blocks later, just after taking advantage of the multi-million dollar minor speed increase in the softer curve.

I’m gravely concerned that a greater threat to our safety is the higher traffic speeds produced by the proposal. Traffic will now be moving faster through a population-dense area where people are more likely be cycling and crossing the street. This change will further discourage walking and biking in downtown Richmond just at a time when, as a community, our need is greatest for healthy lifestyle improvements and savings on gas. Looking into the future, trends on fuel prices are expected to increase, making alternative transportation especially important to consider in long term projects.

A better choice for Richmond is to follow in the footsteps of such cities as Portland, Oregon which has added a number of road treatments to intentionally slow traffic down through urban areas, increasing the safety and quality of life of those who bike, walk and live there.

Research in London, England found that 20mph speed zones through the city cut accidents and injuries in half. With what data is the State of Indiana justifying increasing average traffic speeds as it enters our downtown?

Another research report concludes “a sedentary car-based lifestyle is far more likely to kill you than going out for a bike ride. A lack of physical activity is the most prevalent risk factor for heart disease.” To secure our safety on the road for years to come, means to consider bicycling an essential, integrated part of our roads, not just an “enhancement”.

A proposed change: Completing 27 for cyclists

Becky enjoys commuting to work by bike, but does not attempt making the missing bike network connection on U.S. 27. Without a safe connection the north side, some trips don’t happen by bike that otherwise could.

The preliminary plan does not address one of the greatest deficiencies in the design of the current U.S. 27. A need for improvement is plainly seen on the Richmond Bicycle Map published in 2008. This map documents recommended bike routes around town, especially alternatives to roads with highest traffic volume, like U.S. 27 and U.S. 40 which are not recommended for safe cycling. In a few cases there are gaps on the map, where there is no route we can recommend for those on bikes to safely travel from one part of town to another. The most glaring gap in the map is a route to the north side of town. While U.S. 27 provides a direct shot north, convenient in a car, it is a hazardous road for cyclists to travel on. When U.S. 27 crosses the Whitewater river and heads uphill there is no safe alternative for cyclists. Thus due to the inadequate design of U.S. 27 as it crosses the Whitewater River and heads north to Oak Drive, where our recommended bike route network continues. With no other bridges crossing the river in this area, a cyclist needing to travel through this area has no choice but to brave the conditions of U.S. 27, which are not designed for such traffic.

Click to see photos of the proposed connector

Our Indiana code states: “A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway has all the rights and duties under this article that are applicable to a person who drives a vehicle…” Is not the existence of a safe route the most fundamental right that applies to a roadway?

For just a brief section we need a “27 for cyclists” to complete our network, bringing U.S. 27’s transportation facilities in compliance with Richmond’s Comprehensive Plan which calls for a “completed motorized and non-motorized network”.

The proposed route would start in the city’s Freeman Park, cross the Whitewater River and the back lot of the old Reid Hospital, and continue up a hillside to connect with Oak Drive.

To be clear, completing this stretch is not what I would consider an “enhancement”, to use the government language sometimes applied to transportation projects which consider the needs of those who choose to cycle. This is a grocery route, not a spandex speedway.

On the future of Richmond’s transportation

One aspect of INDOT’s presentation was that notably lacking was any consideration of the evolution of our transportation needs over the next few decades.

Elsewhere in Indiana, there are examples of forward thinking communities in action. Bloomington has positioned itself as a Transition Town with a focus on local production & exchange, renewable energy & efficiency, & thriving resilient communities.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis has recently put in over 20 miles of bike lanes added 54 more bike racks downtown. Both cities have recently been named Bronze-level bicycle-friendly cities. These are the transportation policies we need to follow to secure the future of our transportation needs in the face of increasing fuel costs and expanding waistlines.

Richmond is poised to take advantage of our unique location in a more bicycle-friendly future, but we need the support the state to see our plans through.

We are already an endpoint for the Cardinal Greenway trail, which continues to work towards completion. The National Road Heritage Trail is designed to cross the state from east to west, and plans underway to bring it through Richmond. We are also a connection point for Ohio’s Cardinal Trail route. Further, the United State Bike Route System has a proposal under development that will connect existing segments with a route through Richmond. The State of Indiana developed it’s own state-wide network of bicycle touring routes called the Hoosier Bikeway System and included Richmond as an overnight stop. The project is inactive now, but is could reasonably be activated again in the future.

Just as US 27 and US 40 I-70 position Richmond to be well connected with distant places by car, we are already well positioned to be connected with distant places by bike, but our infrastructure within our city limits needs a few critical updates to enable us to live into the bicycle-friendly future which we are capable of achieving.

Right now we are missing a critical connection between our downtown residential area, and our growing North side which includes major destinations including IU East, Meijers and Reid Hospital, one of our largest employers and a supporter of healthy lifestyles.

Conclusion

It is understood that this proposal asks INDOT to depart from business as usual to best serve to use of public state tax dollars in Richmond, Indiana. New thinking and action is what we need now.

Video: How to Dress for Winter Bike Commuting

2010-01-10T19:43:40Z

Dottie commutes by bike with style through winter in Chicago, and she's put together this great video on how to dress for winter bike commuting:

My own philosophy and recommendations would be rather similar. She also provides her own blog post with more details and photos.

You'll find several more tips on this site in the clothing category.

Reflections on box bike touring

2009-09-19T20:27:59Z

So I had this crazy idea to take a heavy, hundred pound bike on a 5 day, 220 mile bike trip through the rolling hills of Southeastern Indiana. To make the trip more interesting, my 18-month old, 30-pound daughter would ride in the bike I peddled, with my wife and retired father riding their own bikes along side us. My friend Kurt would also join us on a homemade recumbent bike he finished welding the night before departure.

We rode from Richmond, Indiana to Clifty Falls State Park over two days, camped and rested for a day, and rode back. Rather than journaling a day-by-day account of the trip, I’ve gathered some reflections on different aspects of the trip.

]]> On bike touring with an 18-month old child

This part turned out to be very easy and enjoyable for both of us. She enjoyed riding and gave us the bike hand sign each morning indicating she wanted to get on the bike again. Her symbol looks like hanging one arm over the edge of the box bike, like people rest their elbow on a car window.

Each day had at least 6 hours of on-bike time, and she happily rode through all of it. She napped while we were in motion and we made sure she had a comfortable bag or stuffed toy to lean on. We also made sure she had a drink, snacks and a small number of toys constantly accessible.

She found the scenery engaging, and would point at things she saw, like dogs or birds or horses. Because she was right in front of me, I could also easily talk to her, or point over her shoulder to draw attention to something on the landscape. She clearly recognizes birds and horses now, and also seems to understand “on your left” and “on your right”.

For sun protection we strove for full coverage with clothing. Each day she rode in long pants, a long sleeve shirt, shoes and socks, and a Zoggs kids sun hat under her helmet. It has an extra big brim, as well as coverage for her neck. We used kids sun block for her hands and face. The breeze from biking kept her cool, and we had no problems with sunburn or heat exhaustion.

For rain we brought a weather canopy which provides a waterproof cover for the whole box. However, we never needed it.

For emergencies, like major bike breakdowns or tantrums, we had a support vehicle with a car seat that was able to be on the scene in 30 minutes or less. However, cell phone coverage was spotty for both us and the support person, so the actual emergency response time could have been longer. We never needed to call the car for baby support or for a bicycle maintenance issue.

For on-road safety, the primary plan was to choose rural roads where we saw few cars. The box bike is generally so slow that going “too fast” was rarely a problem. I rode the brakes on bigger hills to keep the top speed under control. In the few places where we did encounter more traffic, I had a high-visibility yellow vest to wear. This increased the distance from which we could be seen.

Bike touring with our 18 month old daughter was a success. We were able to modify our touring plans in a way we still enjoyed as parents, and she was able to have many new experiences and get a large dose of the outdoors.

On bike touring slowly

Our group wanted to ride together, which meant riding at the speed of the slowest rider, which was often me. Only one of four riders even had a bike computer, and he constantly registered average speeds of just over 10 mph.

Having a slow bike in the group seems like it would be annoyance, but it actually turned out to be a benefit. Don and Kurt could have ridden faster but expressed that they enjoyed riding at a more relaxed pace. My wife found the pace to be comfortable as well.

Although it wasn’t possible to ride the box bike much faster, the slow speed turned out to be a positive for the trip. Last year a rider crashed riding too fast down a hill, and I know at least Kurt was aching more on that faster trip.

Slowing down allowed us to reduce the risk of injury and take in more of the scenery, without comprising any important goals of the trip.

I’ve learned that I’d much rather choose my cycling company and compromise on the pace, than to choose a pace and compromise on the company. Being able to ride with my family was a great experience.

On bike touring with a 100 pound bike with a 30 pound passenger

I’m not really certain how much my bike weighs. When I researched after I returned from my trip, I found that several references put the weight at 97 pounds, although I found no official numbers. My daughter added an additional 30 pounds, and her supply bag, water and misc supplies probably added another 5 to 10 pounds. So that’s something like 135 pounds of bike weight to push around. That’s about 100 pounds more than a typical touring bike might weigh.

The weight alone was not the only thing to slow the bike down. It has thick, durable tires which would be slower than road bike tires. The front hub has some efficiency loss as it generates electricity for the lights, and there’s even reportedly some resistance when the lights are off. The rear hub has some efficiency loss as it translates the gearing, unless I happen to be in gear 5 of 8. Further, the bike is decidedly un-aerodynamic.

But despite all these things, the bike still managed to feel relatively fast at times, and was enjoyable to ride. I was able to climb most of the hills with it, except for those which were especially steep. In those cases, I simply got off and pushed it, sometimes walking with it and sometimes jogging with it. I appreciated that pushing the bike used some different muscles and gave me a break from the saddle. Also, walking the bike often wasn’t much slower than the riders who decided to stay on their bikes and grind up the hills. It also worked out so most of these hills were lined with trees, providing both some shade and sceneries. In all, these short breaks were pleasant. Some times another rider would also stop to walk with me. We even swapped which bikes to push at times, taking turns to push the heavy bike up the biggest hills.

On bike touring route planning

Our route from Richmond to Clifty Falls is based somewhat on the old “Hoosier Hills Route 1” maps for the de-commissioned state-wide bicycle touring network. This year I put the route into mapmyrun.com primarily so I could see my the elevation graphs of my modified route.

Since I worried about weight of the box bike, I updated the route to avoid a 300 foot climb around Canaan. As fate would have it, the alternate route sent us down a gravel road for over a mile, which also included a significant hill, and then routed us to a road that didn’t exist. The end result was was that we were dumped on a busy 55-mph road for seven miles with little shoulder.

On the return trip, I no longer feared hills on the box bike. I would rather have scenic up hills than stretches of flat road with heavy traffic or gravel detours.

One one of the 300 foot climbs, it seems I pushed the bike for only 5 or 10 minutes. The reality is that most of the hill weren’t that steep.

My adjustments to the route for next time would not be about avoiding hills, but further avoiding the few bits of main roads that remain in the course.

If you’d like the details: Hopi pointed out Pennington Road as a way out of the west side of Metamora, avoiding a bit more of 52. Taking Fairground Road avoids a stretch of 350 when coming in and out of Osgood. I will also try avoiding the stretch of 229 between Oldenburg and Batesville. Using Vote Road and North Huntersville Road should do for that. Already on this trip we were avoiding nearly all of 229 by using Pence Road, Whistle Creek and Harvey Branch.

Staying off busy roads keeps me in a relaxed state of mind that allows me to focus on the scenery rather than our safety.

On bike touring in rural Indiana

I’m fortunate to live in a such a beautiful place so ideally suited for bike touring. The large amount of rural roads are well suited for this, and there is a pleasant variety of terrain from flats to small rolling hills and the occasionally large or steep hill. For people who live nearby, I definitely recommend getting out and exploring by bike.

On recumbent bikes versus upright bikes for bike touring

All my previous significant bike tours had been done on a recumbent bike, and this was my first on an upright bike. My recumbent has been rather comfortable for touring, and I was concerned about being comfortable in the saddle for so long on this bike.

It’s still my view that the recumbent riding position is far more comfortable for longer trips, but this worked reasonably well. The saddle required wearing bike shorts and taking precautions against saddle sores, and I was certainly ready to get off it at the end of the day. I found I could lean over and rest my elbows on the handlebars while gripping the breaks, providing another position to rest my back and arms in.

In some ways I think it improved my opinion of touring on upright bikes. Although it’s been several years, I don’t think I was ever this comfortable when riding my old Nishiki road bike for longer distances, perhaps because it didn’t allow me the option to sit up straight, as the bakfiets does.

On having a support vehicle for the group bike trip

Ideally I like the idea of doing fully self-supporting touring. But I have to say that it worked very well to have one support vehicle to support four riders. We were able to save significant money by using it to help prepare our own meals and camping gear. It also carried the incredible amount of stuff that seems to be required to take care of a small child.

Four riders seem liked a good number because it allowed a faster couple to ride ahead together, and a slower couple to proceed more contemplatively together.

Involving a car made the bike trip somehow imperfect for me, but I have to admit it worked quite well for us. Besides— after we loaded the car there was only room for at most two adults and the baby. If we had all been driving to the same camping destination I suspect we may have needed two cars, or at least a larger vehicle.

It’s also interesting that while it’s an all-day trip for the cyclists, the support car only needs to travel a couple of hours each day.

On modifying a bakfiets for bicycle touring

We made a few modifications to our box bike to make it better suited for touring. To make it ideal for touring would have meant overhauling just about everything but the frame, as the bike is really designed for shorter around-town trips.

I lowered the gearing
The stock pedals were swapped out with reversible pedals that can be clipped-in to.
New holes were drilled so that the seat restraint could be moved to the middle, centering the weight of the baby over the frame.
A seat pad was added to the bench, with a non-slip material underneath it
A piece of twine was attached to each shoulder strip with a rubber band on the end. These were used to grip a sippy cup and a snack cup. If either was dropped, the baby could pull the twine to reel the item back in, saving distress and an unplanned stop. I could reach the twine to reel it back as well. (Of course the baby preferred to eat snacks which were stored elsewhere, by pointing at a banana in Kurt’s basket as he rode by. She also preferred to share my water bottle than to use her own.
A baby-size backpack rode on the seat next the baby. She often leaned on it to sleep. I used to store things I might want to access while riding: maps, my phone, snacks, my water bottle and books to hand the baby. Sometimes she made a game of unpacking the backpack into the box, resulting in occasional near misses as something almost got blown overboard. In he future I would consider securing the backpack into place, since she sometimes threw it on the floor. The extra seat harness could be used for that.

On avoiding civilization

A refreshing part of our trip was to be away from many of the trappings of civilization for a few days. We saw few cars, entered few stores, and had little or no internet access. As it happened, most of our campsite was reserved for an organized bike tour, TRIRI, bringing over a hundred more cyclists into the park. This completed my vacation fantasy world in which I see more people riding bikes than driving cars.

On next time

I would keep the general route and the riding group. Riding in September also seems like a great time to go. As the baby gets heavier, I can’t say I’ll continue to use the bakfiets for long trips. I’ll continue to evaluate family biking options as we go.

New bike cargo trailer

2009-08-29T14:39:10Z

My family has acquired a new Bikes at Work cargo trailer and we’re starting to put it to use.

]]> While the box bike can carry plenty of weight, up to about 240 pounds, it’s limited in the shapes that it can carry. The eight foot long Bikes-at-Work trailer is rated to carry 300 lbs and carry shapes that very long or large.

These trailers seem to make an appearance in so many bike move videos because of their ability to haul couches, refrigerators and canoes.

I’ll be using mine haul recycled computers among other things. Our local hardware co-op gets donations of 3 or 4 complete computer systems at a time, and now I should be able haul those kinds of loads easily bu bike.

My first impression is really how long an eight foot bike trailer is. I mean, most truck beds aren’t even that long, especially with the trend of extended cabs in current trucks. So, while cars and trucks may have the power to haul even heavier loads, the versatile flatbed trailer design is able to haul some sizes and shapes that many cars and trucks can’t fit. (The previously mentioned canoe being one example).

Stay tuned for more photos as I put the new trailer to work!

SKS Chainboard: solving the greasy pant leg problem

2009-07-31T00:45:18Z

The SKS Chainboard in action

A significant deterrent to everyday bike riding is the prospect of getting chain grease on your clothing. European city bikes generally solve this problem with internal hub gears and partial or full or chainguards. The internal hub gearing also reduces the maintenance.

But here in the US, most bikes now have both front and rear derailleurs. And it’s just about impossible to find a chainguard that works in combination with derailleurs. But the new SKS Chainboard seems to be just that.

Read Patrick’s review of the SKS Chainboard on the Velocouture blog for a full review.

Bike News, July 2009

2009-06-26T02:00:25Z

Here’s what’s new in the bike world as I see it from here in Richmond, Indiana.

Upcoming Local Events

Reid Hospital is having their first Reid Ride this year. It’s a 24 mile ride from the eastern border of Wayne County to the Eastern side. It’s $10 per peddler, and they ask that peddlers be at least 12 years old. Passengers under 12 years old are welcome in trailers, box bikes, etc. The ride starts at 7:30 AM on July 25th and mostly follows Route 40 across the county, after taking Main St through Richmond. There are checkpoints at 6 mile intervals if you don’t want do the whole thing.

The ride is billed as “Family Friendly” and the logo curiously shows a family on European commuting bikes, including light kits and fully enclosed chainguards.

Seen Around Town

Kurt Ritchie got his back-to-back tandem recumbent back on the road:

Although, the last time I saw the bike it was back in the shop to repair a weak weld in the steering column. I wish the Beast a speedy recovery and hope it see it more around town this summer.

Becky and Matt McKimmy bringing a little vélocouture to Richmond with their inspiring bike style:

For more inspirational bike culture, see these videos of Copenhagen as a Cycling City and Charleston Cycle Chic.

Around the State

Earlier this year, we are discussing and help to shape updated bike laws for Indiana. The final bill, Senate Bill 553, did not pass. Bike Michiana has the details. Paul Taylor is already leading a renewed efforts for an updated proposal for 2010. Contact him if you’d like to collaborate directly on this.

Volunteering Opportunties

You may recall our announcement of a Bicycle Safety class back in January. The project is currently in need of one or more volunteer instructors to move forward. I believe the Townsend Center is still interested to offer this, and we will have an excellent, easy-to-use curriculum to teach from.

If you are looking for a one-time volunteering opportunity, considering organizing a themed ride around town. This can involve as little as picking a time and place to start the ride from, and promoting the ride through Bike Richmond. I’d like to see a “Cycle Chic” ride like the Charleston Cycle Chic ride mentioned earlier. Or perhaps a dapper and dashing tweed ride would more your cup of tea, modelled after Tweed rides in San Francisco.

Bike Touring Hospitality

Every year a number of transcontinental cyclists come through Richmond. If you’d like to meet some of these adventurous souls, you can join Warm Showers, a mutual hospitality network for bicycle tourists. I recently met Evan Heidtmann (below) this way while Chris hosted a traveling band of bike polo players.

Charleston gets Chic

2009-06-08T01:30:56Z

Charleston's got the right idea:

That's what I'd like bikes-as-transportation to look like more cities in the US.

Embedded in the video you may see some mentions of Pedal to Properties, a real estate designation system based around realtors showing homes by bike. That's another idea I love, I agree with their pitch that it could just the thing to help a realtor stand out in a challenging market. I know I certainly would have gravitated to such a realtor if one was using the program here in Indiana.

Vision of a Cycling City: Copenhagen

2009-05-09T12:46:59Z

In this excellent three minute video, glimpse into the cycling culture of Copenhagen, a city that gets it right:

bakfiets touring step 1: lower gears

2009-04-20T02:15:55Z

This week I lowered the gear on my bakfiets to prepare it for use on longer trips with steeper hills and bigger loads. It was shipped to me with a 17 tooth (17t) rear cog. Lowering the gear range involved purchasing and installing a 20t rear cog.

I found the 20 tooth cog online through Niagara Cycles, refered to as the “Shimano Nexus 20 tooth cog”. The product doesn’t seem to be listed on the site now. Perhaps it is temporarily out of stock. The part was about $6 plus shipping. My local bike shop charged me about $25 to install it for me, which seems like a good deal.

I was quite concerned that I wouldn’t like the change, that it would be too drastic. I had read online that people made this modification for “hilly areas”, almost as if there would be no good gears to use on level ground. My experience has been the change is no compromise at all. In fact, I think it would be sensible to sell them like this in the first place. On flat ground, I am more likely to be able to use the most efficient direct-drive gear. Before, the direct drive gear was set to high for my common use. The lower gearing is welcome on hills, allowing me to spin at a higher cadence. I doubt I’ll miss the lack of gears at the top end of the range. I rarely used them. As a cargo and kid bike, getting up to 20 mph sometimes is plenty, and the adjusted gearing still allows me to do that.

While I’ve only had a few days to test the new gearing, it already seems like a clear upgrade from the 17 tooth cog the bike shipped with.

Already this spring I’ve made a successful 20 mile trip with my 13 month old daughter, and she seems to love bike rides, even as long as that two hour trip. This summer I hope to try full day tours, with 50 or 60 mile distances. At this point, my primary concern is working out a shade solution for her.

Pranayama for car-free winter commuting

2009-02-04T02:29:12Z

Pranayama, or yogic breath control, taught me that breathing differently can make a big difference in how I feel. I applied an awareness of breathing to my car-free commuting and developed these two mindful breathing practices to increase my comfort walking and biking in the winter.

The basic breath I use is a heat conservation breath. It recognizes my primary heat source is myself. Maximizing warmth is accomplished by simply breathing in and out slowly through the nose. The nasal passage is a longer route than mouth breathing. A slower breath through the longer passage maximly warms the air before it reaches my core. A slow exhale means I’m holding on to the air I’ve just warmed up for a maximal amount of time.

A second technique, the breath mask, is an alternative to wearing a scarf or face mask. I breath in quickly through the nose then exhale slowly through my mouth aiming the warm air upwards. This creates a small cloud that warms my face. By breathing in quickly and exhaling slowly, I feel some heat on my face most of the time. The breath mask is ideal while walking into a headwind— the oncoming wind will blow the warm you’ve exhaled air back towards you.

Mindful breathing has made my winter walks more enjoyable. If you are looking to increase your own car-free commuting comfort, I recommend giving it a try.

Against Mandatory Helmet Law proposed by Indiana Senate Bill 553

2009-01-26T02:57:31Z

Indiana currently has a significant bike bill under consideration, Senate Bill 553. Bike Michiana, who helped draft the bill, has a good summary. There’s also discussion at Bike Richmond.

One of the many proposed changes in the law is a mandatory helmet law for those under 18 years of age.

Mandatory helmet laws are a point of controversy of cyclists, and many cycling organizations and cycling advocates, including myself, don’t support them. There are many well-documented reasons to not support a mandatory helmet law, backed up by research. Wikipedia has a good overview, and Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation has much to say against mandatory helmet laws, and the British Medical Journal has come out strongly against mandatory helmet laws.

A compelling proposal for mandatory helmets would at least address the major, well-documented reasons for not having such a law. Instead, this proposal offers only two weak justifications.

First, there’s the suggestion that we should make a law that is consistent with a minority of states. One could just as well argue that we should stay with the majority of states who don’t have such law. Then there was suggestion that would be good to be consistent with laws that apply to motorcycles, a vehicle that can travel much faster and thus more dangerous to operate. That’s like suggesting it would be a good idea to make motor vehicle safety laws that would be consistent with safety regulations of NASCAR drivers, who wear helmets inside their cars.

Helmets.org, a pro-helmet site publishes statistics about the number of fatal bike crashes that happen to kids to who would be affected by this law, during the hours which they may traveling two and from school. (Search on this page for Indiana). In that report they report zero fatalities for Indiana. That’s not the kind of crisis that sounds like we need new laws to address.

The reality here in Indiana is that beyond the general reasons for opposing mandatory helmet laws, we have other problems that complicate the alleged benefits. Most importantly, we have a lack of education among our cyclists, and among our drivers about cyclists. From what the Indiana Bicycle Coalition relayed to me fatal bicycle crash statistics in this area, a major contributor to these was not the lack of a helmet, but unsafe, and sometimes illegal, cycling which set the stage for the accident in the first place. Education can prevent accidents to happen at all, while a helmet cannot. Now on the one hand we lack bike safety education, on the other we lack enforcement of bike safety regulations.

A mandatory helmet law does nothing educate children about riding on the correct side of the road. And if our current bike laws aren’t being enforced, adding yet another just adds to the sense that the laws are meant to be followed, or are there to be enforced selectively against “bad kids”.

There are more effective ways for the Indiana government to support cycling and cycling safety, which I’ll cover separately.

As an experienced rider, a parent, and founder of Bike Richmond, I don’t support a mandatory helmet law. I find the rest of the proposed Indiana Senate Bill 553 to be a mixed bag. I’ll post more thoughts other details of the bill to Bike Richmond soon.

Cayenne for Winter Warmth

2009-01-24T16:05:48Z

I’ve tried many things to warm my skinny fingers on winter bike commutes. Wool mittens with overmitts are best for the coldest days, but the most interesting heat source I’ve found is my diet. I’ve rediscovered what the Chinese learned ages ago when they classified food as warming and cooling. Science now understands that “warming foods” work in part through better circulation, stoking the internal furnace.

One winter I experimented focusing my diet on warming foods and spices. On my morning oatmeal, I add small amounts of cayenne, cinnamon and powdered ginger— each has its own warming properties. Cayenne in particular is great for improving circulation. At work I keep a shaker of cayenne to add lightly to my lunch and at dinner I may add red pepper flakes or hot sauce. Even small amounts will help. There’s no need to create painful levels of heat. I combined this with centering my winter diet on warming foods like potatoes, onion and garlic. I cut out cooling foods like cucumbers, lettuce and ice water. Now my hands now stay warmer, longer throughout the winter.

You may also rub a little cayenne directly on your fingers and toes before you go out for immediate additional warmth. Add more slowly— it’s possible actually use too much in a result in painful burning sensation.

]]> Further references:

How to Keep Kids Warm on the slopes. This page includes the Cayenne-in-the-gloves tips and others
Flourishing in Chicago’s Winter includes a number of easy tips to improve winter warmth, including using cayenne.
Cayenne for improved blood flow explains about cayenne’s ability to improve circulation
Chinese food chart for warming and cooling foods (PDF) summarizes which foods are considered to have warming and cooling properties.

Effective bike advocacy in the face of declining city budgets

2009-01-23T02:37:42Z

One approach to bike advocacy is to believe that persuading the the right people in government is the way to get things done.

Here in Richmond, Indiana, the issue is generally not getting the local government on board to support cycling, it’s that the city budget seems to be in an ongoing decline. There aren’t particularly funds for non-critical projects, and there may be less funds next year. It’s a tough time to launch any new government initiative that involves local tax dollars.

My approach to bike advocacy is to believe that a small group of committed citizens can create positive change. With strategy and creativity there’s plenty that can be done while the city budget is in decline.

Here’s a summary of what we’ve done here in Richmond, what’s planned, and what’s possible.

]]> Removing “NO BIKES” signs

Getting “NO BIKES” signs removed dowtown was the catalyst for forming ‘Bike Richmond’. A petition was circulated to have the signs removed. The petition was presented to the mayor, who readily accepted it and ordered the signs removed. This cost nothing to organize, and no new budget items for the city. The project was relatively fast to execute, and made our downtown more welcoming to bikes and visitors.

Creating and printing bike maps

I already documented the process of producing bike maps in detail. Creating bike maps improved the real and perceived viability of bicycling in Richmond. The bike route network was approved by the city, but the maps were funded privately by a small handful of donors. As an agile, independent project, we were able to produce 5,000 maps for about $2,000. Omaha, a much larger city, recently spent over $50,000 to produce the same number of maps, while Cincinnati still struggles to update a decade-old map. For creating bike maps, the smaller physical size of our town worked to our advantage and so did having fewer layers of local bureacracy.

To proceed, I have several ideas for bike advocacy efforts that that can be effective without significant local government spending:

Educate ourselves

Ground zero is educating ourselves. There’s plenty to learn for free on the internet and through library books. If you’d like to follow in my virtual footsteps, you can see my bike advocacy links. Physically or virtually visiting functional bike communities is also inspirational. I follow with Copenhagenize.com and BikePortland.

Educate others

Taking a hard look a national and local bike injury data, it’s clear that many accidents are due to uneducated or irresponsible cycling, such as riding at night without lights and not following the rules of the road. This spring Stephen Johnson will be volunteering to offer a 10 week bicycle safety course at the Townsend Center, using curriculum developed by the BTA.

Cycling and Fitness Warehouse organized a free bicycle maintenance workshop, and is interested to do more. Potential topics could include road riding safety basics for adults, and tips for bike commuting year road.

There’s plenty of potential for bike-related education, and the simplest formats can be free: you just need an instructor and some students to show up.

Improve access to bikes

Bloomington, Indiana has a Community Bike Project, which is a volunteer-driven effort that accepts donated bikes, fixes them up, and gives them away or sells them extremely cheaply. The project is a win for the donors, a win for the volunteers who improve their bike maintenance skills, and a win for the recipients who get a great deal on a smooth running bike. Kurt Ritchie has started to collect bikes to start a Community Bike Project here.

Pursue a bike/pedestrian coordinator for the city

Michael Thuman and I have already been in conversation with the city about having a formal bike/ped coordinator. Possibilities for getting started with a bike/ped coordinator for the city could include using an intern or a volunteer. I gave a sample job description for this position to the Mayor to clarify what this position could do, which could include keeping bike issues on the radar for new road construction, organize events like bike-to-work day, and generally be a resource for bike information, inside and outside of city government.

In the long term, this position should be funded by the city to demonstrate its commitment to this part of its Comprehensive Plan to be a “sustainable city”.

Develop ‘Art Racks’

As creative individuals, we can come up with more interesting and visually appealing than bike racks than a standardized city program might roll out. Vicki Hair and others have been working with the high school welding class to produce custom ‘art racks’ to be installed downtown. It’s likely the city would approve them on public property (other cities have), but they could also be placed at local businesses with only private permission.

Learn from the best

I have been fortunate that some bike advocacy experts have sought me out to offer help. Nancy Tibbets from the Indiana Bicycle Coalition drove across the state to meet with local bike advocates. And Greg Raisman, a Traffic Safety Specialist, noticed I was visiting Portland and offered to spend a long lunch break with me. Both provided great advice. With people like this out there passionate to help, imagine what could happen with a little effort to seek out mentors and directly ask for help.

Plan for bike lanes

One of Greg’s tips was to buy a $10 measuring wheel on eBay, which could be used to accurately measure a road width by simply walking across it. That has enabled us to start DIY bike lane planning. Rather than waiting for the city to develop a bike lane plan, experienced cyclists can measure key roads ourselves and develop a solid plan for striping some existing roads, referencing the standard widths for car and bike lanes. We will of course needs the cities cooperation, but we can get the ball rolling by developing a specific proposal.

Greg also offered great tips for how we might repurpose existing roads. One concept is called the Road Diet. Another is Bike Boulevards. Both avoid costly construction of new facilities. Instead they make current facilities better for bicycling, and generally safer for drivers and pedestrians as well. We can consider these approaches as part of our proposed bike lane plan.

Pursue state funds

Nancy provided another great tip: While our local funds are dried up, there are Indiana state funds for bike safety education that are hardly being applied for. With some organizational effort, our community could apply for and receive and a $75,000 grant for bike safety education. Funds like that could pay to offer a bike safety education course to every six grader in the city.

Influence current projects

Advocates in Frankfort, Kentuckly recently successfully intervened in an update of Route 421 there. By switching from a “standard rural” road layout to a “standard urban” layout, they were able to add bike lanes to a stretch of road without requiring a wider right-of-way, or significant project cost changes.

In Richmond, we could be working more closely with the city to review the planned updates for 27, 40 and South E Street, to insure that they have the interests of cyclists in mind. The City’s current Comprehensive Plan calls for supporting a “non-motorized network” around the city, so we are helping the City to support it’s own stated goals.

Have fun!

Finally, I don’t underestimate the value of simply getting out, riding a bike, and having fun. People notice, and fun is contagious. Copenhagen Cycle Chic has the right idea.

When we follow through on several of this points, we will have demonstrated commitment and results that the City will consider when local funds are available. These cost-effective efforts will also put our City in a better position to be awarded state and federal funds for more extensive bicycle facility updates.

DIY sleeve extender for winter bike commuting

2008-11-02T20:00:52Z

Wrists are prone to getting cold while winter bike commuting. With arms stretched out to reach the handlebars, a gap appears between jacket and gloves. When my wrists are cold, I'm cold.

I tried jackets with sleeves that cinched over my gloves. These slipped. I tried giant over-mitts that tightened over my jacket sleeves. These slipped too, and the big mitts were bulky to carry around in my pockets when I was off the bike.

So I made this simple sleeve extender, shown in this photos after the jump. It's super to easy to use, doesn't slip, and is very low bulk. It also happens to look like an extra long shirt sleeve, rather than technical mountain climbing gear.

]]> Creating a sleeve extender couldn't be simpler: It's just the top of a sock that's been cut off-- about 4 inches works well-- after the bottom has worn out. My favorite pair of sleeve extenders were formally light-weight merino wool socks, but other kinds would work as well.