Potential Energy

Since the beginning of the year, I've been writing about ABC, volunteers, and administrivia. This morning, while riding my bike to work, I was reminded of what keeps me coming back to bicycles. Bicycles are basically fun. There are many dimensions to cycling and so there's always new things to explore and there are always new routes to ride. Recumbents and uprights, tandems and solos, road bikes and off-road, racing, touring, and commuting... these are just some of the many dimensions available to bike riders.

I've spent some time living and riding bicycles in Europe where cycling is much more of a way of life than in this country. As I was watching the light-rail cruise along Camelback Rd, I was flashing back to a small town in Germany where the "tram" was an integral part of the transportation network. As I was looking out over broad expanse of the Valley, I was reminded of gliding easily across the flat lands of Denmark. The Congressional Bike Ride in Washington DC featured some of the best urban bike facilities anywhere. A few years ago, I rode out of DC on the fabulous Washington and Old Dominion (WOD) Trail , a 45 mile Rails-to-Trails route.

The paths along our canals are awesome accommodations to bicycles. I think they can go toe-to-toe with some of the best that any major metropolitan area has to offer. Our spring riding weather is as good as anybody's. We also get about 4 to 6 weekends in the fall which are pretty close to perfection. But the stuff in between is pretty good too. It may get uncomfortably hot here during a summer mid-afternoon, but the morning and early evening are generally rideable that time of the year. The winter mornings here in the Valley may be cool but by the middle of the day, it's often very nice. We almost never ride in the rain here. Basically, we have a great climate for cycling. Sure, there are hearty souls in other parts of the country who can claim year-round riding conditions because they're not afraid of riding in snow and with lights, but does that really count?

My point is that the metropolitan Phoenix area has tremendous potential to be a world class bike-friendly area. Obviously our climate is conducive to year-round riding. Our terrain is not as demanding as many cities. Our infrastructure here is relatively new and growing. We tend to have fairly wide streets. Valley Metro is making a commendable efforts to integrate bicycles into their operations. Tucson's half million residents are already recognized as living in a top rated bicycle-friendly city. The League of American Bicyclists rated Tucson as a bicycle friendly community at the gold level. Scottsdale and Tempe have both achieved silver status. Phoenix currently has no designation. Could Valley Metro do more? Of course. Could we use more bike lanes? No question. Could Phoenix go gold? Sure!

During the National Bike Summit in March, Andreas Rohl, the Director of the city of Copenhagen's bicycle program, said that this country has lots of "low hanging fruit". He means that if we just do the easy stuff, we'd make huge gains. Let's do the easy stuff! It'll be fun.... just like riding a bike.

El Tour De Phoenix

At the starting line.


Bush Highway


View of Saguaro Lake


Finish line

Kristi worked booth at the Expo on Friday, the day before the El Tour de Phoenix ride. Someone had an extra registration and she thought I'd want it. So, at less than 12 hours before the event, I find that I'm in it. I spent an hour or two getting my gear ready and got about four hours of sleep before getting up at o'dark-thirty to drive to Mesa for a 6:30 start. The course is a 72 mile route which ironically never sets wheel in the city limits of Phoenix.

The folks at Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc. sure put on a nice ride. The traffic control alone must be a massive logistical effort. I don't think I stopped at any intersection. I was waved on by the person controlling the intersection. The aid stops were roughly every 10 miles. I think I skipped four of them and fueled up at the other three.

I recorded my performance on GPS and it is available here:

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=377227#

My finish time of 4 hours and 19 minutes puts me pretty solidly in the silver. I'd have to shave 34 minutes off my time to be in the gold but I could slack-off for almost an hour before I would be among the bronze finishers. The complete results are here:
http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/!ETP/ETP09Res/ETP09-FS.html

I might have done better if I'd actually trained for the ride, but I felt pretty good about being able to just go out and do it.

April is Bike Month

Scottsdale Cycle the Arts kind of kicked things off, but April is bike month.

Lots of links at http://www.valleymetro.org/bikemonth

These events are all opportunities that ABC could be involving ourselves in. I think that if we were just a bit more organized, it shouldn't be that hard to promote ourselves better.

I'm going to plan to ride my bike to work on April 22 and maybe some other days. Post-equinox, the daylight shouldn't be an issue. I've been hoping that the new access road from Anthem down to Tramonto would be open by now. It seems like it might only be days away, but it could be weeks. When it does open it, should shave almost 2 miles off of my commute distance each way. It might get down to under 40 miles round trip.

Which club should I join and what are the dues?

I recently received an email from a local cyclist who was asking about ABC and said he was up in the air as to what club he should join. What follows is an edited version of my response to him.

ABC membership is currently only $25 per year and applies to any and all ABC chapters that you might choose to ride with. Fees vary for special events, such as the Desert Classic in the spring, or McDowell Mtn in the fall. For special events, a discount is typically given to ABC members. We also typically honor Greater Arizona Bicycle Association (GABA) membership for such special events and vice versa. All ABC chapters are based on a weekly riding schedule, with an established starting time and location (mostly public parks). Geographically, our [insert chapter name here] Chapter might be the closest chapter to you. Of course guests are always welcomed by any chapter. Giving several of them a "test ride" might be very instructive. Seek out the ride leader, sign-in before the ride, and let them know it is your first ride with them as a guest.

ABC is organized under the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) and riders in ABC events are covered by our insurance which is provided through the LAB. Event and mechandise discounts, our monthly electronic newsletter, as well as ride insurance are just some of the many benefits of ABC membership. In my experience, what an individual gets out of belonging to a cycling club is directly related to what they put in. Because of our organizational structure, you can get involved at any level you're comfortable with from the chapter on up to the national organization. The more people get involved in a constructive way, the better it is for the club. But even if all you do is show up for an occasional ride, you can know that a portion of your ABC membership will go to support safe and enjoyable cycling and advocacy in a wide range of ways. ABC board meetings are always public, so we are a very transparent organization. As an ABC member, you will always have an opportunity to be heard.

As club president, I am interested in seeing new members join ABC. As a cyclist, I'm interested in seeing that anyone with an interest in cycling is able to pursue it to their greatest satisfaction. No matter what your goals, or how you choose to pursue your interest in cycling, I'm happy to share my thoughts with you, and I am always interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject. Thanks for your interest in ABC.

National Bike Summit 2009

Photo by MoBikeFed

http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit09/index.php

From March 10th to the 13th, hundreds of bike entusiasts attended the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. Kristi Felts Moore represented ABC and I showed up in time to ride in the Congressional Bike Ride which is the final event of the conference. This was the ninth National Bike Summit, and each year the event gets bigger and better. This year many opportunities lie ahead. With the inauguration of a new President and the swearing in of a new Congress just months ago, the political climate has changed. There is a tremendous sense of hope that we are entering a new era of transformative policy change, even as we face challenging economic issues.

As our country contemplates how to spend billions of dollars to stimulate the economy, we have clear choices. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood addressed the summit, noting that the DOT will be "a full partner in working toward livable communities". But Federal money is trickling down to state and local governments and opportunities abound for local spending on infrastructure supporting bicycling. Bicyclists appreciate the positive impacts that cycling can have on health, the environment, and the economy. But we need to promote this view so that those who are making decisions about our future consider all users of the transportation system, particularly bicyclists and pedestrians. I encourage everyone to take some time to think about how you can influence those in government, at all levels, to support bicycling.

On a more personal note, I feel compelled to confess that my inner Boy Scout failed me, and I showed up for the Congressional Bike Ride woefully under prepared. I've often said, "Its difficult to justify good cold-and-wet weather riding gear when you live in Phoenix, but it's impossible to test it." Maybe I've just been living here too long, but I dismissed the need for full-finger gloves. It's Spring! Right? The daffodils are just about to bloom. Right? It was almost 90 degrees when I left Phoenix, but it started snowing on me during the ride. It was just flurries and the roads weren't slippery, but I was cold. I don't know if my blood really is any thinner for living in the desert but my fingers and toes were really complaining. On a more postive note, it was a treat to ride in our nation's capitol among some of the most iconic landmarks in the world.

Locally, the spring equinox is behind us and for those who avoid riding with lights, it's getting lighter earlier and staying lighter longer so there are more opportunities to ride. If you've been hybernating and haven't yet emerged for the Spring, hesitate no longer.

National Bike Summit

Tim, Larry, Kathy,Gene, and Kristi

Congressional Ride Start

There's nothing quite like...

I've often said, "There's nothing quite like riding away from home on a bicycle, knowing that you won't be back by bedtime." I don't think it really matters if you've loaded all your gear into panniers or if you put a suitcase in a SAG wagon. Whether you're going to Wickenburg for the night or riding coast-to-coast, either way, I think there's a heightened sense of freedom and independence that you just don't get from a day-ride. Bicycles are often a kid's first real experience with freedom. For me, getting a driver's license as a teenager was a big deal, but it was many years prior to that when I had realized that a bike was good for more than just riding up and down the same old street. With a bike I could actually take myself where I wanted to go and I could cover distances that I'd previously thought required a car and an adult driver.


Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. " I prefer to say that a person really only has to worry about three things in life: We have to protect ourselves from the elements and serious injury; We have to maintain proper nutrition; We have to decide to move around or stay put. Every other worry is either secondary or optional. This doesn't really get much more clearly apparent when traveling under your own steam. That is when you come face-to-face with what's really important in life. "Hydrate or die" isn't just a marketing slogan. The choice of what to take and what to leave behind becomes a very personal decision that has to do with what's really important to you.


Tim and Cindie Travis considered worry number 3 and decided to move around. They rode their bicycles away from their home in Prescott, Arizona and they just kept riding. I suspect that the desire to run away from home is nearly universal. A week in a time-share isn't quite like joining the circus, but maybe the driving force is basically the same for both. I think that the desire for adventure is universal. When I'm touring on my bike, it seems that everybody I end up talking to has a bike story. Usually it has to do with their cousin's daughter who rode to Tierra del Fuego or some such. I regard this as evidence of the universal appeal of adventure. Even if folks aren't up to it themselves, we all seem to thrive on living vicariously. The opportunity to share in other's experiences expands our horizons and makes us feel good. Sometimes it even inspires us into adventures of our own. Sometimes it creates a passion that might even grow to eclipse the original inspiration. I know my Dad's stories of riding his balloon tire bike around New England in his youth inspired me to try my hand at touring by bicycle and it's become a part of my life.

Well, just such an opportunity for inspiration is at our doorstep. Come hear Tim and Cindie Travis share their experiences of years of living on the road and seeing the world from the saddles of their bikes. You'll find the details of this upcoming event elsewhere in this issue of The Chain Letter. This is sure to be an inspiring event suitable for the whole family. Bring the kids, bring your spouse, bring your cousin's daughter. I'm sure you won't look at your bike the same after spending an evening with Tim and Cindie.

Paradise Valley Chapter Ride

Starting from Roadrunner Park near SR-51 and Cactus Road, the Paradise Valley chapter headed for South Mountain for "silent Sunday".

Some went all the way to the top. My ending mileage was 54 miles. The good news was there was really only one climb.

Moon Valley Chapter Ride

I rode with the Moon Valley Chapter. The "grasshopper" pedestrian bridge at Moon Valley Park near the corner of Coral Gables Drive and 7th Avenue provided a backdrop for a group photo. The 47 mile ride was pleasant and without incident. The far point of the ride was the corner of Lone Mountain Road and Pima Road. The route is available at:

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=328975

A refreshment stop in the Desert Ridge Marketplace offered an opportunity for socializing.

Where do you want to ride?

Event: The January Board Meeting of the Arizona Bicycle Club (ABC). The public is welcome.
Date: 7:00 PM, January 7th 2009
Location: Amerischool at 1333 W Camelback Rd. Phoenix Az 85013
Notes: Following the business portion of the meeting (around 7:30) there will be a presentation by Neill Thompson on Route Mapping featuring TrimbleOutdoors.

Overview

I think that when bicyclists show up for a club ride, one of the things they are likely to expect is a route map and/or directions. The collective knowledge of local routes and conditions is one of a bike club's biggest assets. Historically, that tribal wisdom has been difficult to document, store, maintain and share. For the past two and a half years, I've struggled with finding ways to produce route maps for club rides. My primary goal was to produce a quality map. I searched for tools and techniques that not only worked for me, but that other people might adopt. Initially, I never considered that some riders might want to download route information to their GPS unit or cell phone so that they could be prompted for turns. Today, that seems like a reasonable request. Producing a quality printed map is still a vital goal, however, the problem of managing a collection of routes is equally important. The relatively recent proliferation of GPS devices and geographic data has created new opportunities. Organizations such as Google.com, Bicycling.com and TrimbleOutdoors.com have joined forces to provide solutions to these challenges. To take advantage of this capability, a GPS device or expensive software is not required for riders nor ride leaders. I am planning to demonstrate the use of free Internet based software from TrimbleOutdoors.com for route mapping. Additionally, I will be demonstrating ways ABC could manage a collection of favorite routes. Looking at a route using Google Earth puts it in a whole new perspective.