Recently in cycling Category
Thanks to Commissioner Daugherty for getting us "Share the Road" signs along Hamilton Pool Road! There are three in each direction between RR12 and the Blanco County line.
I think the biggest effect these signs will have is a subliminal message to motorists saying, "The county thinks it's OK for cyclists to ride on these roads."
With a different mindset, Austin and Travis County could regard cycling as a vital part of our economy, contributing to the wealth as well as the health. Here's a NY Times article about the impact in Portland:
Cyclists have long revered Portland for its bicycle-friendly culture and infrastructure, including the network of bike lanes that the city began planning in the early 1970s. Now, riders are helping the city build a cycling economy....in a city often uncomfortable with corporate gloss, what is most distinctive about the emerging cycling industry here is the growing number of smaller businesses, whether bike frame builders or clothing makers, that often extol recycling as much as cycling, sustainability as much as success.
In a report for the City of Portland last year, the firm estimated that 600 to 800 people worked in the cycling industry in some form.... there are about 125 bike-related businesses in Portland, including companies that make bike racks, high-end components for racing bikes and aluminum for bikes mass-produced elsewhere. There are small operations that make cycling hats out of recycled fabric. Track, road and cyclo-cross races are held year-round, and state tourism groups promote cycling packages.
We have many building blocks here in this county -- starting with seven time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong -- and a lot of racers who train here. There could be a world class velodrome here, along with a new home for the Olympic team.
So can't we take cycling - -recreational and commuting -- into account when we design road plans for 2030?
Dear Commissioner Daugherty,
I apologize for interrupting your speech Tuesday night at the meeting about Hammett's Crossing. I'm glad nobody else at the event behaved as I did, and that we otherwise had an informative meeting. Most of all, I'm sorry to have prevented your expressing your opinions on the proposed bridge.
I lost my temper, and went out of bounds, when you dilated on supposedly unreasonable cycling advocates, rather than discussing our bridge. It seemed you were trying to unite your listeners around a common bogeyman, those cyclists always getting in our way. I was frustrated during your speech because this meeting was not the time to spin off into a cycling discussion.
I live on Hamilton Pool Road, and I ride my bike several times a week throughout western Travis, northern Hays, and eastern Blanco counties. I wish you had instead described how you had made Hamilton Pool Road safer for cyclists.
But that's no excuse for disrupting a public meeting. Sorry.
Regards,
Hugh Winkler
Who knew Blanco had a free citywide bike project?
Excellent idea! Ride naked to highlight cyclists' "indecent exposure" to cars. Sign up here for the HPR naked ride! Oh wait -- there's one in Austin June 30.
So the Texas Bicycle Coalition is all proud that they got SB248 past the Senate. But they passed it with this little provision known as the Brimer amendment. The amendment means you don't need to give three feet of clearance on roads without paved shoulders!
If you don't need a safe passing law on Hamilton Pool Road, where do you need it?
The bill as amended is worse than no bill at all, because it enshrines in the law that the three foot requirement isn't necessary on those roads. I mean, right now, you can at least argue that it is a necessary safety measure whether enshrined in law or not; but now anyone can point to this law and refute that.
For that reason, we now have to defeat the Safe Passing bill. Or get that obnoxious amendment removed in conference. The Brimer Death Bill. Keerist.
I counted about 25 of us who showed up to ride today in Austin with Floyd Landis, Tour de France Champion. That covers his plane fare, I guess. The chance to ride around my (recent) town, over streets that were once part of my route repertoire, with the TdF champ -- and to banter with him -- was priceless. "The selection will occur on the climb to Scenic Drive" I mentioned. "Are you going to attack?" he asked. Now I would have, you know, but I encountered mechanical trouble; my computer broke, and I was unable to attack, or even really to follow on the subsequent climb on Balcones.
Floyd made a point of dropping back through the "peloton" and chatting with each of us for a bit. Several times. And after a while it wasn't such a novelty -- he was just one of the group.
I showed up wearing my bootleg black "Free Floyd" T-shirt. Got it from some creative entrepreneur on the Web, just days after they made the testosterone allegations against Floyd public. I was an early doubter of the science behind those allegations.
During the ride there was this weird pause -- pictured above -- Floyd's the one looking at the camera. I thought the pause was to let stragglers catch up, but they caught up within a minute or two. Turns out the Bicycle Sport Shop boys were trying to arrange for Lance to come join us. We were near his new house, and we rode ceremonially past it a few minutes later. At first the guy on the phone indicated Lance was going to meet us; but after about 15 minutes it didn't happen and we proceeded.
I say weird because, hey, we are riding with the Tour de France Champion, you know. The experience wasn't going to get better by throwing in the ex TdFC. I mean, if he wants to ride along, sure. But no need to ride nearby his house and wait to see if he'll come. There was the danger of putting Floyd in the shadow of the local hero. I thought it was weird.
But let me emphasize what you always read: Floyd's "unassuming"; I can attest first hand. If the local boys thought the experience would be improved by adding Lance, so be it.
Here are some random snippets from exchanges I had with Floyd:
- He didn't know what happened in Paris-Roubaix this morning. I described O'Grady's 25 km break to him.
- He has done P-R a couple of times and doesn't want to do it again.
- Later, I tried to talk him into it anyway. I pointed out that 40 year olds have won P-R and that if he does have to take two years off, well then.
- He doesn't watch cycling.tv, because it sucks not being on cycling.tv. Not a quote.
- He's never heard of Podium Cafe, and I mentioned it as a web forum with maybe a more positive attitude than Daily Peloton Forums where a lot of wiki defense has gone on. However: I would guess, Floyd really isn't much interested in bike racing fandom (yet :) ), and the DPF makes sense in defending his USADA case. I mean Floyd's not going to get on a forum and start commenting on a race. Not a quote.
- He hates having to talk about and deal with the accusations.
I also had a chance to chat with Dr. Arnie Baker, Floyd's riding buddy and medical point man in arguing his case. Dr. Baker appears to be In Shape, with I'm guessing 1% body fat. He said, most people don't get that the measurements are gray, not black and white. I suggested their team should look into who owns the patents on the test procedures that are used in the T/E and CIR tests; could any scientists in this investigation having conflicting interests? Is anyone involved receiving a royalty on use of the test? He said, Hmmm.
Not one pedestrian, cyclist, or motorist recognized Floyd Landis, Tour de France Champion; at least none made it known to us that they did.
Circumstances have made it so that the Tour de France Champion has been brought low. Instead of racing this spring in California, Georgia, Flanders , France, and Spain, he has to go around this country, giving it up to audiences of 25, and be a politician instead of a bike racer. He's asking us to believe him and back him. I guess there could be people who would look you in the eye, ask you for money to defend themselves, yet know themselves, that they are guilty. Do you think Floyd is one of them? I sure don't. And I think you have to help anyone falsely accused. Come on out tomorrow, April 16, to the Town Hall meeting at the Alamo Drafthouse on S. Lamar, meet Floyd, and hear Dr. Baker's argument.
[Updated: added photos after the break...]
The Floyd Fairness Fund roadshow is coming to Austin for two events. Floyd needs your help. The "science" condemning him stinks, they have confirmed that, and Floyd will look you in the eye and tell you he won fair and square. So either you believe he's a bald-faced liar, or you come to his defense as the true Tour de France Champion.
Sunday April 15, you can ride with Floyd for $50! . I'm there for sure. Let's hope the whole ride is conducted as a départ ceremonial.
Next, there's a Town Hall Fundraiser Monday evening, 6 pm at Alamo Drafthouse. You have to go! Dr. Arnie Baker will present his slide show outlining four of the 20+ points they will present at the CAS hearing next month. Arnie has said they are keeping their powder dry and saving their best arguments for the hearing.
So come on out. Even if you're not all that motivated to defend him, heck, 50 bucks to take a ride with the defending TdF champ?
A man who police say used wires, broken bottles and nails to wage an eco-terrorism campaign against Lubbock cyclists could spend time in prison.David G. Knape, 62, of Lubbock staged at least a year-long campaign against unsuspecting cyclists, according to police reports. He stretched wires between trees at "neck level" and put nails and glass in the pathway of cyclists.
"This could kill someone," said Dewayne Wallace, an avid cyclist whose friend was flung from his bicycle and cut across the neck by one of the wires.
I will admit that on a bike path, mountain bikers are to hikers, as cars are to cyclists on a road. They can be dangerous, and they disrupt the peacefulness of the walk. I used to walk the Barton Creek greenbelt, and on a Saturday it's difficult with mountain bike caravans whizzing past every 2 minutes. "Coming left!". My ass you are.
Still... never thought of the old clothesline trick...
HPR, and other Texas roads, would be safer for cycling if motorists would slow down and pass cyclists with a safe margin. Florida and Utah have such a law; California is considering one. Last session, the Texas Senate failed to pass a Safe Passing bill by only four votes. This session, we're making another run at it.
Safe passing requires motorists to slow to 45 mph and give three feet of clearance. If there's some oncoming traffic that makes it unsafe for the motorist to pass, then they just put on the brake until it becomes safe. It's sad that you need to spell out a common sense law like that, but I guess good laws really only enforce common sense.
