Two cyclists in New Zealand found that riding in the buff was all fine and good except for one omission. No helmets.

The two naked men were stopped by police and received a warning for wearing no helmets on December 7 at Whangamata, a popular New Zealand beach resort on the Coromandel Peninsula, the New Zealand Herald reported Monday.

Helmets are compulsory for all cyclists under New Zealand law.

Captain Creeg [BROL Member] has been kind to share his sun protection canopy with us on the thread I started earlier today on my quad planning. Thanks for sharing! Here are three pictures he has posted, along with his description of what he did.

Here is what Captain Creeg did:  [details here] Took an old aero Profile bar laying around from my DF days and clamped just the aero clamps minus the bar to the back of the seat frame. So now there’s two tubes sticking backwards. Made the canopy frame out of PVC and attached it to the aero tubes. Tightened up the aero tube expansion bolts to secure the canopy frame. Pulled the seat mesh over the canopy frame and secured/tightened with large zip ties. Drilled a couple small holes in the PVC and ran brake cable with housings from the leading edge of the canopy back to the aero bars and tightened with turnbuckles to tension the canopy.

He goes on to say:

The whole thing is tight enough it doesn’t move from wind or road vibration but is still loose enough I can reach back and pull it down like a cockpit canopy to block sun directly in front of me while still seeing the road. Being mesh, it blocks the sun but allows some air through for both ventilation and less wind resistance than if it were a solid piece. Next experiment will be a lighter canopy frame, using fiberglass tent poles.

Thanks Again!!!

Jim

A quad it may be…

Bryan, ‘Bentrider Managing Editor, has published his 2009 Christmas Wish List. It just happens that two of the cycles I considered, the RANS Trizard [#1 on his list] and the Utah Trikes Quad [#3 on his list] are both cycles that Mr. Ball would be content to receive. Have a Merry Christmas Bryan!

For me, for the purpose intended, I think the UTC Quad will best meet my needs.

Here is a Hase Kettwiesel Ride:

BROL’s Steamer [from Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA] says:

Testing out the Kett this afternoon [12/19] in 4″ of snow. It just goes through everything, even 24″ high walls of snow created by plows. (mountain drive, and differential, IGH, and momentum are your friends

Cross Creek Cycling Club (Fayetteville, NC) took the top honor in Division II for the second year in a row. In 2009, the club hosted its first cyclo-cross race – the Dragon Cross CX, as part of the NCCX Winter Series. Cross Creek also promoted or co-promoted the Tour de Moore Road Race, the Dragon’s Challenge Individual Time Trial, and the North Carolina State Criterium Championship.  The group held adults and juniors skills clinics, a cyclo-cross training series, and a K-5th grade Bicycle Rodeo. It also took part in several initiatives that benefitted the community in 2009, including the Wounded Warrior Project, Crankin’ for Crohn’s Ride, Cumberland County Special Olympics, Moses Mathis – the Bicycle Man, Ride without Limits, 3rd annual Bike Ride for Sam, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. For more information about this club, visit www.crosscreekcyclingclub.org.

CONGRATS C4 on another award winning year.

USA Cycling Announces 2009 Club of the year Winners!

Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 18, 2009) — USA Cycling has announced the recipients of its annual Club of the Year awards. Nine USA Cycling-sanctioned clubs received recognition for outstanding programs throughout the 2009 season and will receive complimentary registration fees for the 2010 racing season.

Clubs were judged on several key areas including race promotion, membership composition, instructional clinics and seminars, club activities, charitable contributions, and racing performance. Of the more than 2,200 USA Cycling member clubs, 70 applied for the awards program.

Three primary clubs were recognized based on membership size (Division I = 76+ members, Division II = 30-75 members and Division III = 1-29 members), while six more were awarded Club of the Year designations in specific categories – Collegiate, Mountain Bike, Track, Best New Club, Women’s, and Junior/High School.

Bruce and his wife Katherine

I interviewed Bruce Runnels back in July (http://athletes.50interviews.com/2009/bruce-runnels-cycling-for-health-fitness-and-enjoyment/), and while I typically email the list of questions to interviewees ahead of the interview, I forgot in his case. The one question that Bruce had a hard time answering, and I would too without time to ponder it, is what his motto is. The following is what Bruce recently wrote to me, now that he has had time to think about it.

“By the way, one of the questions you asked me was whether I followed any particular motto in my training or racing. I believe I told you that generally I don’t have a single motto. Interestingly, your question has caused me to think a good deal about it. I still don’t have a totally original answer, but it seems like my inspiration comes in two forms: “1. show up, and 2. never surrender.” This may seem a bit too trite, but it really does characterize my own personal approach. Showing up is half the challenge, whether it’s showing up for an early morning training session that I may not want to do, or showing up on the start line of a race being more than a little intimidated and anxious about what’s going to happen (or about what I’m supposed to do), or showing up for a weekend group ride in freezing temperatures, or showing up at a team meeting when I’m just meeting everyone for the first time (and wondering whether I’ll be able to do my part), etc. For me, never surrendering is another big part of the challenge. Basically, resist the urge to give up, or give in, when the going gets tough, whether it’s recovering from an injury, pushing the last few yards over a tough climb, or living with the lactic burn in my legs on a hard ride, or staying on another racer’s wheel when I’m feeling at my limit (because I know that the other racer is probably feeling the same thing), or feeling cold to the point of shivering, etc. Some readers might think it’s crazy for someone like me, at age 60, to think about my exercise regimen in these terms, but age is immaterial in my mind. Who’s to say what I’m supposed to think when I’m at age 60. Why can’t I think about these things in the same way that I did when I was 20, or 40. Maybe it’s all too philosophical, but for me it’s part of my drive.”

I have received feedback from others that I interviewed about how the interview process was enjoyable, and made them think and remember things they are fond of. When we think about being interviewed, most of us feel nervous. Through the interviews for this project, I have learned that interviews can be fun, two-way exchanges of information, and when done right, all parties walk away feeling satisfied.

The process of interviewing 50 athletes over 50 has been life changing for me. If there is a subject that you are passionate about and want to immerse yourself in, I encourage you to look into the 50 interviews process. You can find out more at www.50interviews.com.

Video shot 12/17 by Mikael in Copenhagen, Denmark as he was on his way home.

Want more… [check his blog—Copenhagen Cycle Chic]

Brake power to give tired cyclists a boost (The Times of India)

The Kinetic energy stored when braking can be used to drive the bicycle when you tired.

Here’s our cyclist tee shirt getting a bit of love from a model… More pics to come!!

VERY limited edition T-shirt.

Color: White/Black and Black/White

Motiff: cyclist

To order, please email us at bernard@getset.sg or chris@getset.sg or leave your details in the comments column

Note: ALL SOLD OUT

Looking at all of this snow got me search the Web for ideas for winter bicycling. I found this on the NPR.org site to share with you, from a 2007 blog posting by Jill Horner. Look out for those moose holes. – Terry

Jill Homer of Juneau, Alaska, is training to ride 350 miles in the human-powered Iditarod. The race, which starts in February, follows the same route used by the famous dog sled teams.

People sometimes say, “Wow, riding a bike on snow — that’s great. But how does it work?” Snow-biking can be different from regular cycling, so I’ve compiled a list of 10 tips for riding a bike on snow.

1. Think surface area: If you’ve ever used snowshoes before, you know that all that mass at the bottom of your feet can mean the difference between coasting atop power or wading knee-deep in it. Snow bikes work they same way. They incorporate wide tires with a flat profile in order to distribute bulk (you) as evenly as possible, allowing for maximum floatation.

2. Fat is the new skinny. As long as there have been bicycles, there have been weight-weenie types trying to shave grams off wheels. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see a spoke-free wheel sporting tires as thin as razors. But once you slice into snow, skinny tires might as well be razors. Snow-bikers know that fat means float, and have been developing bicycles to accommodate increasingly larger wheels for years. I predict that not too far in the future, someone will build a bicycle frame with room for motocross tires. Look for it.

3. There is no shame in walking. Cyclists hate to admit when they come to a hill or an obstacle they just can’t conquer. I have seen cyclists blow out their knees and face-plant over logs just to avoid suffering the indignity of getting off the bike and walking. Snow-bikers have no such pretensions. We know that bikes are not ready-made for snow, and vice versa. If snow is too soft, or too deep, or too wet, we simply step off and amble along until we can ride again. We learn to enjoy it, like walking a dog, but without the constant slobbering.

4. When in doubt, let air out. Often, snowy trails are what we would call “marginally ridable.” By letting air out of tires, you can increase the surface area and improve your floatation. Sometimes it means riding on nearly flat tires at a pace a snail wouldn’t envy, but, despite what I said in the previous paragraph, it’s still better than walking.

5. Learn your snow types. It’s been said that Eskimos have dozens of different words of snow. Snow bikers also understand the myriad varieties: powder, sugar, corn, hard-pack, sandy, slushy, and so on. Each type comes with its own challenges. But understanding the nature of the white stuff you are trying to ride atop, you can adjust your riding and wheels to meet the conditions.

6. Don’t be disappointed when you fail to set a land-speed record. Snow, like sand, puts up a lot of resistance, and snow bikers are not known for their speed. I have often heard accounts of cyclists who said felt like they were careening down a hill, only to look down and see they hadn’t even breached the 10 mph barrier. In snow races, 10 mph is considered fast. Eight mph is average. Six mph is respectable, and four mph isn’t uncommon. When asked to describe the nature of the 2006 Iditarod Invitational, which was plagued by cold temperatures and fresh snow, third-place finisher Jeff Oatley said, “It was about as intense as a 2.5 mph race can be.”

7. All brakes are not created equal. When contemplating what brakes to put on their bikes, cyclists have all kinds of reasons to choose between disc or rim. But snow bikers, who often find their rims coated in a thick layer of ungrippable ice, have the best reason of all: Rim brakes could mean an icy death by gravity. Go with disc.

8. Re-lubricate and be free. There is nothing that will slow down a snow biker faster than having their hubs freeze up, which is always a possibility when the mercury drops below zero. We have to lube up our moving parts with a special low-temperature grease, sold widely in cold regions like Fairbanks and Minnesota.

9. Stay away from moose tracks. Common injures for road cyclists include road rash and head injuries. Mountain bikers have problems with broken collar bones and bad knees. Alaska snow bikers are always being tripped up by the deep, narrow holes moose leave when they walk through the snow. Avoiding these minefields will help curb post-holing injuries like broken ankles.

10. Stay away from dogs. We talk a lot about fear of angry moose, grumpy bears and rabid wolves, but our most likely animal to have a dangerous encounter with remains the sled dog. They approach so quickly and quietly that we sometimes don’t even have time to jump off the trail. A collision can be disastrous — imagine tangled lines, confused canines and a lot of sharp teeth. Add to that an annoyed musher who’s likely packing heat, and you stir up the kind of fear that convinces snow-bikers to give those racing puppies a wide berth.

Jill Homer blogs at Up in Alaska.

ABOUT: iAM is a magazine created by the students of the Supraprint Communication class in the fall of 2009. All work published in this magazine is created, edited and managed by the students of this class, taught by Florangela Davila. The content seen in iAM is the product of extensive hours of work in order to share the identities of real people with you.

He who knows others is learned;
he who knows himself is wise.
~Lao-tzu, Tao te Ching

One needn’t have their name penned into history books to claim “I am.” Yet, we have limited ourselves to only share the stories presented in mass media. “iAm,” the efforts of students from the Supraprint course at the University of Washington, proposes that each individual has a face, a story and an identity. The project’s goal is to share our identity, and to encourage you to discover who you are.

Click here to view the Table of Content of iAM Magazine

Click here to view my page on iAM Magazine (Featuring cyclist Chris Black, downtown Seattle and fixed gear)

Here is a bit more about the man who was closet in predicting the year, day, hour, minute, and second that the blog would reach 100,000 hits. David says: So, who is Contestant 3713277? His prediction was 12/4/2009  5:01:10 p.m., simply because December 4, 2009, is his birthday–belated, Happy Birthday. This contestant has chosen to NOT remain anonymous. He is David Yount, BROL member BlueRidge [who hails from the blue ridge area of North Carolina--Waynesville]. David is an avid cyclist, riding a RANS Dynamik Pro Crank Forward Bicycle. He enjoys riding single-track courses in the hills of Southern California. Jim, I don’t know that I have any words of wisdom. I am just continually amazed at how blessed I am to have a good job and healthy, happy family. And I’m grateful for interesting blogs like yours and my brother’s. One last time, a big thank you. David

Rather than collect his winnings, David has asked that I donate those winning on his behalf to my favorite charity(maybe cycling related) in his and Cycling Experiences… names. That is an excellent idea. I selected the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy [RTC] and David agrees. I will make the donation [$100] tomorrow, 12/08/2009. At David’s request, the money will go to the Southeast Region Rails-to-Trails ~ office in Tallahassee, Florida. David, thanks for the kind gesture. We may even see some mention of this on the RTC Trailblog.

Thanks to all the contest participants and viewers who followed along. –jim

Links:

• Special article from David’s brother Cecil “Zeke” Yount [Zeke gives us background]
• Rails-to-Trails Articles in this blog

Watch the videos, then read the text below…

Perceptual blindness, is the problem of not being able to see things that are actually there. This can be the result of a mental focus which cause mental distractions. Even though an observer was looking right at the missed events, their attention was focused on other visual stimuli, or they were otherwise cognitively engaged (i.e., talking on a cell phone). The first step in dealing with perceptual blindness is to understand it and acknowledge that it exists. By doing that, we are able to improve our skills to diminish its effects. This is why it becomes very important to limit your distractions when operating your vehicle. Knowing your limitations is important. Limiting distracting activities while driving/riding enables you to be more focused & aware when on the road. This goes a long way in making our roads safer for everyone.

Something else that can cause problems is having no internal frame of reference to perceive the unseen objects. It is due to how our minds see and process information. This is why more information to drivers about cyclists becomes so very important. The more drivers are reminded that cyclists are riding among them, the easier it becomes for their mind’s eye to see the cyclists. This is part of what was being addressed in the ‘Share The Road’ signage campaign. On one hand, it educates drivers that cyclists have a right to use roads, and it goes a step further by putting a mental picture of a bike fresh in the driver’s mind, making them more likely to notice cyclists when they encounter them.

Change blindness, the inability to perceive features in a visual scene when the observer is not paying attention to those specific details, is another difficult area. That is to say that humans have a limited capacity for attention which limits the amount of information processed at any particular time. This is why lack of vigilance while operating your vehicle will alway produce dangerous outcomes.

We have to be aware of our mental limitations as we engage in a variety of activities. Sitting at home watching a movie doesn’t ‘require’ the same level of attention & focus as driving a multi-ton vehicle on the roads. So it becomes each drivers responsibility to know the mind can only focus on so much data at any given time. Then make adjustments to the incoming data when getting behind the wheel.  Becoming distracted while perusing information on the internet won’t bring about the same negative results as conversing so intently with your ride-partner that you fail to be aware of the traffic conditions around you.  This is another reason single or double line riding is safer.  Constantly & continually maintain your focus on  what is going on around you when you are on your bike to increase your personal safety.

That is why limitations on cell phone usage while operating a vehicle increases safety on the roadways. Eating the fast food ‘in the parking lot’ before pulling out into traffic improves safety conditions on the roads. Not putting on make up, or refraining from reading while driving increases our ability to take in more information as we drive. Not listening to headphones while riding, not ‘zoning out’ while on our bikes enables riders to focus on the ever-changing environment around them.  That increased ability to focus and react to potential problems improves our ability to safely maneuver on the roads, whether driving or riding.

Texting while operating a vehicle brings up an additional problem. Cognitive capture, also known as cognitive tunneling, when the observer is too focused on the instrumentation and not on the whole environment. It takes far too much cognitive focus text-messaging to do anything else. That is what makes texting and operating a vehicle extremely dangerous & reckless. If you’ve ever done it, you know that texting can hyper-focus your mind to the point that your surroundings completely disappear momentarily. As you are driving/riding, too much goes on for you to have those ‘lost’ moments. So the only responsible thing to do is making the decision ‘not’ to text while operating your vehicle.

The last issue to discuss is the phenomenon of SEP, also known as Somebody Else’s Problem. It causes people to ignore matters which are generally important to a group but may not seem specifically important to the individual. When trying to alert the public to the risk of low-probability, high-consequence tragedies such as motor vehicle-cyclist incidences… it may appear to both drivers & cyclists that we are asking them to act on someone else’s problem.

This is where laws being passed & enforced will bring increased results in safer roads. Unfortunately, by bringing consequences for not utilizing care while interacting with others on the roadways, it then makes it everyone’s problem. Doing this increases the vehicle operator’s desire to attend to what they may feel is someone else’s problem, specifically using care & diligence toward other users while on the roadways. 

We are excited about hearing from all of you.  Take a moment to leave a comment about your thoughts on our information…

Westminster council has announced a new initiative to enforce penalty notices for cyclists, similar to those issued to drivers. It is to become the first Local Authority to issue its staff with the power to stop cyclists and issue penalty notices to those breaking the law.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 of the 30,000 cyclists that enter Westminster every day breaks the Highway Code, including offences such as ignoring red lights, riding on pavements and disregarding road signs. Wayward and law-breaking cyclists are the biggest cause for complaint, announced Angela Harvey, the chairman of the Scrutiny Committee at Westminster Council. Harvey put the proposal together after a number of people announced their frustration at these so-called “Lycra Louts“.

According to Angela Harvey, the council wants to encourage cycling, while ensuring pedestrians are safe. This contradicts the figures from the Department for Transport which show the number of cyclists that were killed or seriously injured between March and June 2009 has risen by 19% compared to last year, to 820. It almost seems the cyclists are the ones who need to be kept safe; although many argue that cyclists cause the accidents.

“These louts are a danger to pedestrians and often a dangerous nuisance to motorists, particularly when they insist on riding in the middle of the road.
Many times I have to move to avoid being hit by a lout riding on the pavement or on a “no cycling” path – not always easy particularly when you’re with children.” Andrew Brown, December 7, 2009.

In disagreement with Angela Harvey’s proposal of Westminster Council staff issuing the penalities because “ they [the police] just aren’t taking this seriously enough. There are more of our officers on the street than there are police at any given time, so it is a sensible solution” Tom Bogdanowicz, of the London Cycling Campaign argued,

“Enforcement of moving traffic offences needs to be carried out by trained police or police community support officers. They are best qualified to enforce the regulations on pavement cycling and most other offences as they have the training and authority to do their work.” He also claimed that authorities need to address the issues that cause cyclists to break the law; and in doing this recognise that where road conditions have been improved for cyclists, the number of offences has fallen.

This proposal has been hugely popular with drivers and pedestrians in the Westminster area, although many cyclists have argued that they are being demonised as they are not the only road users to break the law.

I first mentioned Dave in a post on rescuing corrupted image cards, but he is certainly worth mentioning again.  Dave is an Austin photographer who does some fantastic wedding and portrait work.  if you enjoy photos that capture the emotion and atmosphere of the moment, Dave does an excellent job of that.  To get a better idea of his talent hop on over to his website, or to see his latest work you can check out his blog.  Of course I have to give him props for his success as an amateur cyclist.  It is not easy balancing family, work and cycling while remaining competitive in the amateur ranks, but Dave has found recent success in his racing and that is great to see.

I’m getting lots of Trizard hits [352 since 05/09] and decided to add Larry’s article to my blog.

BROL’s Larry Varney gives the RANS Trizard [a delta trike] another look. “Another” because Bryan Ball, BROL’s Managing Editor also reviewed the Trizard [referenced here].

Larry says:

If you have the urge to try a trike, and you want to check out something a bit different from the tadpoles that all your friends have, take a look at a delta. There are some good ones out there, and none will offer you better performance than the Trizard from RANS. And, they’ve made the decision a bit easier now, with a component and color choice that allows you to choose between a $1995 version and a $2995 one, rather than a single $2600 model.

As usual, Larry Varney gives us an informative and interesting read. Thanks Larry!

Other articles with Trizard information in this blog.

Cecil "Zeke" Yount, the humanitarian.

I hope you read my earlier post where Zeke and his wife are very involved with their community and the Annual Haywood County Motorcycle Parade and Toy Run. This year they expect to raise another $14,000 in cash and another full Salvation Army Truck load of toys.

We know him as a cyclist and a community organizer/fund raiser. Zeke is a member of the League of American Bicyclist and BicycleHaywoodNC, a member of LAB. Cecil is not only a biker, he is a cycling activist.

Here is a part of this man you may not know. Cecil Yount is a guardian—a guardian of World War II Veterans to our Nation’s Capitol to see the National WWII Memorial. Through the HonorAir Flight Network, which provides a charted jet for the veterans to travel on, Zeke has now made 3 trips escorting WWII Veterans from western North Carolina.

He says:

I am always ready to spend the day with the guys and gals of WWII. Once they start talking (and they don’t often, which is a hallmark of the WWII Vet), I really develop a deeper appreciation for their sacrifices some 50+ years ago. To see citizens come up and shake the hands of these folks and say “thank you!” is remarkable and awe inspiring. They also bring history to life for me. On this trip, I met a Vet, who played sports with my namesake before he was killed on Saipan. We were privileged to share the memory of a Veteran, who was on Iwo Jima when the flag was raised. It is truly an emotional journey each time I’m allowed to join these folks…

Please enjoy this video:

In addition to his activist, community, and guardian roles, Cecil [“Zeke”] publishes a blog with stories about his cycling exploits as well as commentary about the roles I’ve mentioned here. Please continue your visits there and thanks Zeke for all you do! Three thumbs-up and hats off to you!

Jim

Don Saito has published his summary of his cycling adventure around the 48 contiguous states of the USA. It is a very powerful read and certainly worth our time.

Don says:

Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and an accomplishment I can be proud of, as it was something I actually did, myself. But, it was a LOT of work, discomfort, and pain – sometimes straining my physical self to the point of crying out with the effort (Yarghh!) Before beginning, I knew conceptually that, yes, it would be hard, that there would be times when I would be physically miserable, that I could be maimed for life, or even killed. But to see the wonders of this country that I have always wondered about, to have the adventure of a lifetime, and to see for myself, what I might be able to accomplish – those were the rewards which enabled me to start and to keep going – that, plus the promise of the industrial grade bragging rights. I learned a few important concepts while on my journey – nothing really new that I didn’t already know conceptually, but were made much more real and useable to me:

Thanks Don for all that you have shared with us. You do indeed have industrial grade bragging rights.  Cheerios! (crunch, crunch)

My blog articles on Don Saito

Yesterday, we had moderate to heavy rain in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was the day to see how wet SCEPTER would get in rain coming straight down. The system, as set, protects the cameras, the computer, wiring and adapters. I give the setup an A-.

Although there was no “rain” on the cameras, over time [tested for a hour] there was a collection of moisture from mist resulting from a slight wind. I’d prefer to have none–B+. I think a large canopy may stop this. I do not intend to use one. If the rain is too hard or blowing from the side, I’ll have to bring her in. Any umbrella smaller than one with a 64” diameter would not have worked.

The inside of the box [I call it “Tidy Box”  ~ explanation later] at the rear-end of the buggy holding AC adapters, plugs, sockets, etc. was bone-dry–A+, as was the box containing the laptop–A+. Where I could open this box, I would not open the one with the wiring and so forth. Overall, this part of the setup performed as desired and as expected.

The bed of the buggy got wet—as expected. To keep it dry, I need a “skirt.” That is a valid consideration.

Conclusion: If an event continues in the rain, I am set today to capture video.

Other Pics…

Munich is a cyclist friendly city. This ‘Red Bicycle*’ was parked along with many others at the Olympiazentrum S-Bahn train station.
* Radl is a nickname for a bicycle in Munich. Elsewhere in Germany it is known as fahrrad.

f/1.8, 1/30 sec

A cyclist is in a critical condition after being trapped under a single-decker bus in a collision in Birmingham city centre…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: frontier city. For a different topic see disney world crowd levels. The blog is also related to: city guide.

Last night, David Yount, won the CE 100K Milestone Contest. Rather than collect his $100 winnings, he asked that I donate the money to my favorite charity [maybe cycling related].

I chose Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. David concurred and together we selected the Southeast Region to receive the money. I made the donation at 9:00 a.m. today. My receipt is below.

Thanks to David for his generosity and to my many readers for their multiple visits to this blog.

Rails-to-Trails Articles in this blog

Thanks to Milo Bateman, RTC Membership Coordinator, for receiving the donation and rendering this receipt. –jim