Did the century ride at last year's Horsey Hundred. Our route was south and west of Georgetown, towards Frankfort, Midway and the Kentucky River. It was very hilly towards the river and Versailles, and it was a very challenging route. My longest ride prior to that was only 30 miles on gradual slopes with my heavier Cannondale R400. This was a completely new experience. Very, very exhausting but fun. I would have done this year's ride, but I had to be out of town. :(

 

Tom Eblen: Bike Lexington draws big crowd despite rain

By Tom Eblen, Herald-Leader Columnist, May. 25, 2009

 

Toddlers in trailers. Tykes on training wheels. Boys and girls on their first "real" bikes. Racers on titanium and carbon fiber. Grandmothers on cruisers. People of all ages and sizes on ancient Schwinns and Huffys.

 

Full story: http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/807818.html

Middleburg Heights cyclist who bikes to work sees danger in bike lanes

Posted by Jim Nichols / Plain Dealer Reporter May 26, 2009 05:30AM

 

The road to the nation's future, as the League of American Bicyclists sees it, will be bracketed by bike lanes and happily pedaling cyclists who feel safe and secure in their communal comfort zone.

 

It's enough to make Middleburg Heights resident Fred Oswald retch.

[...]

I'd agree that shared roads and streets probably are better/safer than paths for cycling, especially where demarcation and other methods for raising motorist awareness are used. Demarcation may be a transitional phase that lasts for several years, until motorist awareness of shared use becomes almost universal.

 

Among the hazards I encounter on city paths and not on streets are people walking dogs on long retractable leashes and not keeping them close, people walking or riding and not keeping to the right or being aware of what's behind as well as in front, families with small children on bikes, spreading out across the entire path, or riders who stop to take a break and park their bikes on kickstands, blocking the path.

 

Even more dangerous are the cyclists who consider themselves advanced or athletic, who ride at a vehicular pace on paths, riding 20mph or thereabouts around blind curves or in other areas where congestion or interference is to be expected.

 

That said, Oswald strikes me as a person who would be angry at anyone who doesn't accept his viewpoint as divinely inspired, no matter what his passion or area of interest - I believe the technical term is "Arrogant Prick."

That said, Oswald strikes me as a person who would be angry at anyone who doesn't accept his viewpoint as divinely inspired, no matter what his passion or area of interest - I believe the technical term is "Arrogant Prick."

 

LOL, thanks Rob you made me laugh two mornings in a row.  Although he had some good points, I thought the same thing about his attitude when I read the article.

Middleburg Heights cyclist who bikes to work sees danger in bike lanes

Posted by Jim Nichols / Plain Dealer Reporter May 26, 2009 05:30AM

 

The road to the nation's future, as the League of American Bicyclists sees it, will be bracketed by bike lanes and happily pedaling cyclists who feel safe and secure in their communal comfort zone.

 

It's enough to make Middleburg Heights resident Fred Oswald retch.

[...]

 

...That said, Oswald strikes me as a person who would be angry at anyone who doesn't accept his viewpoint as divinely inspired, no matter what his passion or area of interest - I believe the technical term is "Arrogant Prick."

 

I bet he works at a bike shop on weekends.

The basic physics of a shared road makes me nervous. Many females I know (purely anecdotal) are even more trepidatious than I. I find that the dominant voices on these cycling issues seems to be guys with a bit of death wish. I'm willing to stand corrected, but as a rank amateur and observer that seems to be the case.

>Even more dangerous are the cyclists who consider themselves advanced or athletic, who ride at a vehicular pace on paths, riding 20mph or thereabouts around blind curves or in other areas where congestion or interference is to be expected.

 

I think some bicyclists, and this is limited pretty much to the hard-core road bike & spandex crowd, have a hard time accepting that road bikes being ridden at maximum speed aren't a good fit for cities, and that includes urban bike paths.  Except for a few patches of open "road", the path from Cincinnati to Columbus (almost) doesn't really clear out until you get a mile or two north of Loveland. That's where road bikes can have the place mostly to themselves. 

 

There is also a general unwillingness to simply slow down or (gasp!) pull the bike off the road and stand there for 20 seconds while a group of cars pass a bad curve. 

 

As for riding with a mirror, I never have because I'm always able to hear cars coming. The exception is when you're bombing a big hill out in the country, and because of the wind, all the sudden you realize there's a car 6 inches off your elbow.

As far as traffic goes, the Olentangy path in Columbus is worthless between 3PM and 7PM--it's completely clogged with young female OSU students jogging and rollerblading 4 a--um--breast. Hmmm...

To the Editor:

 

Vehicular cyclists like Fred Oswald (PD, 5/26/09), seem to think they know it all when in reality, they do not. 

 

While I don't bicycle 5,000 miles per year, I bicycle a lot for errands, exercise, and leisure.  I admit I avoid busy streets like Bagley Road in Berea where I live, but vehicular cyclists seem to think it's because I have poor bicycling skills.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I avoid such streets simply because, for a variety of reasons, they are just as unpleasant to bicycle as they are to drive. More importantly, with all of those tailpipes aimed right at me, I don't want to breathe all of that vehicle exhaust, which I would be exposed to for longer periods on a bicycle than in a car. 

 

The notion that bike paths relegate cyclists to some sort of second-class status is ridiculous. They are a perfectly normal, rational, and acceptable way to enjoy cycling, particularly in parks and natural areas.  Most people enjoy the surroundings of Cuyahoga Valley National Park for example, when cycling on the Tow Path rather than than on Riverview Road simply because the Tow Path is a quiet, scenic, and leisurely way to enjoy the park. 

 

Oswald's statement that "people are arrogant enough to think that other people are too dumb to ride if you don't create facilities for them." is insulting and condescending.  With all due respect to Mr. Oswald, I think he needs to look in the mirror on this point, because he's being just as arrogant as he accuses others of being.

 

While he has a point about bike lanes in some situations, Oswald is taking the wrong approach by fighting the very idea of providing facilities for cyclists rather than working with other advocates on the bigger picture of community design.

 

If we want people to bicycle, we need to design our communities in ways that makes it easier for people to choose to bicycle and leave their cars in their garage.  These include, but are not limited to: eliminating the cul-de-sac design of neighborhoods, re-thinking zoning patterns that often force people into their cars, traffic calming on city streets, and yes, in some cases, bike paths that connect the neighborhoods in a community in useful ways and even a few bike lanes where they will work best.

 

The attitude of vehicular cyclists is only impeding progress on bicycling issues. Let's put the arrogance in check and work together. 

As far as traffic goes, the Olentangy path in Columbus is worthless between 3PM and 7PM--it's completely clogged with young female OSU students jogging and rollerblading 4 a--um--breast. Hmmm...

 

I neglected to include rollerbladers among the menaces I encounter on paths/trails. Regardless of gender, some seem to think it was built exclusively for their enjoyment and they get that side-to-side thing going with arms swinging and eat up the entire width of the trail. I prefer trails surfaced with hard-packed finely-crushed limestone over those surfaced with asphalt, for the very reason that skates don't work at all on them but my bike seems to roll just as easily as on pavement.

My bike is such a beater. It's a Murray Milestone all-terrain bike. It's too heavy. I only paid 15 bucks for it though.

As long as the weight is coming from the frame, you're in good shape. Just replace components as they break with decent stuff and soon you'll have a decent bike the know-how to fix it.

Just in case anyone would like to listen today.

 

Here's also a cool list of accomplishments and assets for bicycling in Cleveland.

---

 

 

Bicycling on The Sound of Ideas - THIS FRIDAY

 

Cleveland's NPR affiliate, 90.3 WCPN, is doing a live radio show tomorrow morning - Friday May 29 at 9:00am on bicycling in NE Ohio!

 

Tune your radio or listen online tomorrow morning to hear about bicycling and pedestrian initiatives that are happening or being discussed. If you have thoughts on how to make our region more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians, you can voice your ideas at 216-578-0903 or [email protected].

 

Our region has some very unique bicycling assets that you may not know about:

 

- Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park has over 100,000 square feet of thrills, is the only one of its kind and attracts people from all over the world

 

- Cleveland was the first U.S. city to have a Ciclovia-type street event that is now being emulated all over...including the United Nations World Health Organization initiative to have 1,000 cities do similar street events on World Health Day, 2010

 

- Three of the nation's Top 100 Bicycle Retailers are located in NE Ohio (Century Cycles, Eddy's Bike Shops and Spin)

 

- Cleveland is home of Cicli Polito, a bicycle frame builder who was recently awarded Best of Show at the prestigious North American Handmade Bicycle Show

 

- The City of Cleveland's Bikeway Master Plan has been used as a model for progressive planning by national organizations like the Rails To Trails Conservancy and their Transportation 2010 Campaign

 

- RTA was one of the first in the nation to have bicycle racks on their entire of fleet of busses

 

- We have hundreds of miles of bike lanes and multi-purpose paths in our communities and parks and a growing number of people who use bicycles for transportation as well as health and recreation

 

- Clevelanders in Motion, Slavic Village Development Corp and Steps to a Healthier Cleveland have all received significant recognition from national organizations such as Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, the Center for Disease Control and YMCA of the USA

 

Tune in tomorrow morning, Friday May 29 at 9am to 90.3 WCPN to find out more!

As long as the weight is coming from the frame, you're in good shape. Just replace components as they break with decent stuff and soon you'll have a decent bike the know-how to fix it.

 

You mean not coming from the frame? Other than the steel frame, I think the only other thing really holding me back are the wheels. I want to get an aluminum frame but I hear they ride really rough.

 

Looking at some of these bike parts websites, it's pretty amazing what some people pay just to shave a little bit of weight off of the bike. I'll probably start paying attention to craigslist.

I meant start with a good, solid frame and go from there. I found my bike on Craigslist for $80 last year and have added and subtracted along the way. I've replaced a rear wheel (fried hard-to-replace caged bearings, wonky spokes, un-truable rim; upgraded to Quick Release), tires (dry rotted) and tubes (only one, actually), the seat (painful), and the stem (stripped bolt). I've added fenders, a U-lock and bracket, a little computer (fun), and powergrips to the pedals (awesome). I've probably spent $400 total on the bike, but this was the smartest way to spend it; I learned something new every dollar of the way, and now I know what to look for in my next bike.

Mills Avenue: Then and Now

May 18th, 2009

by Keri. 

 

In October, I made the case for why municipalities should not divide existing wide lanes with bike lane stripes. Wide lanes already accommodate cyclists of all speeds and riding styles. This post is a follow-up with video showing the dramatic decrease in comfort to cyclists who are accustomed to riding assertively.

 

 

Just for fun, here’s another video of a cyclist (well, 2 cyclists, one is wearing the camera) riding assertively, safely and comfortably in a wide lane (Goldenrod Rd, south of University Blvd.):

 

 

Comparing the videos, is it not clear who really benefits from the bike lane?

Step back from the all-consuming need to “promote cycling” and ask yourself, how does it benefit cyclists to punish the competent and knowledgeable in an effort to offer a hollow illusion to the uninformed and fearful?

If advocates could get over the bike lane distraction, perhaps they would focus on the real problems of connectivity.  Winter Park has exacerbated those problems by converting asphalt to rough, unevenly-laid bricks on most of its already-limited quiet connector roads. Routes I used regularly 15 years ago are now virtually unrideable. But in the name of symbolism, they’re intent on wrecking the thoroughfares, too. Thanks.

 

The Goldenrod Road and Mills pre-bike-lane videos were shot by Brian DeSousa of CyclistView. The Mills post-bike-lane video was shot by John S. Allen.

In some cases in Cincinnati, wide right lanes (14') compensate for bike lanes, and are perfect for bike sharrows if desired.

 

--

 

Biked the Little Miami today from Milford to Xenia and back. A tree is blocking the trail just north of Loveland. The path around it (on the horse right-of-way) was pretty overgrown this morning, but was a well worn dirt path by this evening. From June 1 to June 12, many of the bridges north of Morrow that have wooden decks will be asphalted, so the trail will be closed.

how does it benefit cyclists to punish the competent and knowledgeable in an effort to offer a hollow illusion to the uninformed and fearful

 

I don't dispute that bike lanes may not be the best solution for every single situation (like bike lanes sandwiched between the right lane and parallel parking spaces), but at the same time, they are not bad in EVERY situation.    On a separate but related note, I gave a couple of good reasons in my post farther up this thread that have NOTHING to do with competency and fear as to why a lot of people don't want to bike on busy streets. 

 

Columbusite is correct that connectivity is the real issue.  Particularly the cul-de-sac development patterns that reduce connectivity of neighborhoods and force people into their cars. 

 

What I really take issue with is not the argument but the cocky and condescending attitude that only certain people are competent riders and everyone else is "uninformed and fearful".  This is what's harming the so-called vehicular cyclists more than anything.  If these folks would put away the attitude, they'd find others more willing listen. 

 

 

Well when I ride a bike on a wide lane arterial street, I get quite a few people behind me going around me but only half-switching lanes as to say "look @sshole, you can almost die from not getting your stupid slow bike out of the busy street!". It's the same mindset of truck drivers who think smaller cars should bow down to them because they can do more damage to you than you can to them.

 

I've been riding my bike to work; an office park in Hilliard. I really wish there were bike lanes on a few of the roads I ride on. If I ever get hit on the overpass with low guard rails, it's a wrap.

 

Some other reasons:

 

*it feels more organized.

*It makes a statement about the value of biking as a legit means of transportation.

*I don't have to worry about reckless drivers that hate cyclists.

*I don't have to worry about overly cautious motorists veering too far to the left to go around which ultimately endangers them.

*They promote unimpeded motorist traffic which is usually good.

*Perception of safety is basically reality - if bike lanes exist, people would feel more comfortable biking and more people would bike; meaning some day America might not be the most obese nation on Earth!

*You're lower to the ground from a car's line of sight which is more dangerous and that's probably an after-thought when considering the safety of steep grades and curves. I don't buy into the turning radius of bikes argument since people in bike lanes aren't prone to go too fast anyway (if they did, they would probably be more experienced and choose to use the motorist's lane).

*Bikeways could have a more gradual escalation in grade if you want to get really fancy. I think there's a lot of untapped possibilities that can be explored with the concept of bikeways/bike lanes/bike trails.

 

 

I've been riding my bike to work; an office park in Hilliard. I really wish there were bike lanes on a few of the roads I ride on. If I ever get hit on the overpass with low guard rails, it's a wrap.

 

When I lived in Columbus, I often biked from my rented townhouse on West Case Road to my office on Watermark Drive.  I could have taken Dublin Road, but I always took the back streets through Upper Arlington because it was quiet, relaxing, I could hear the birds, and there were far fewer tailpipes aimed at me.  One of the high risk groups for the negative health effects of air pollution are those who exercise outdoors (jog, bike, etc).  No one can argue that all of that car exhaust isn't more concentrated on Dublin Road rather than Upper Arlington's back streets.   

 

I live too far from my place of work now to bike.  However, since central Berea is set up on a grid rather than cul-de-sac style and the Metroparks goes through the heart of the city (I use the path and never feel at all unsafe, but I'm not one who tries to bike fast on it), I can bike efficiently for my errands and vary my route without having to be stuck in traffic and sucking fumes on Bagley Road. 

I've been riding my bike to work; an office park in Hilliard. I really wish there were bike lanes on a few of the roads I ride on. If I ever get hit on the overpass with low guard rails, it's a wrap.

 

When I lived in Columbus, I often biked from my rented townhouse on West Case Road to my office on Watermark Drive.

 

Wow, that's a long ride.

Re: bike lanes: see my sig. In case you  need an image:

 

Does this look safe to you?

 

Also, the article is from http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/, although it applies elsewhere.

I'm dangerously close to a regular roundtrip bike commute from Italian Village to Polaris. As it is now, I bus half-way there in the morning and ride all the way home at night--22 miles the way I'm doing it now; 29 once I get the nerve to do the whole thing. The summer is very, very young. Heck, it isn't even here yet.

Hi, I just wanted to check into this discussion.  I am a cyclist from Canton, OH.  Obviously as a small to midsize city we are very behind in all things bicycle including bike lanes.  When I ride on most busy streets I take the entire lane since the shoulder is usually full of pot holes and gravel anyhow.  I get yelled at A LOT riding on the roads, drivers in Canton don't see a whole lot of bikes so they think we belong on the sidewalks.

 

The worst incident happened on a country road where everyone drives 65.  I had a truck trail me for with the driver screaming his lungs out at me.  I (in bad judgement) flipped him the old middle finger, so naturally he pulled in front of me and stopped his truck.  Screamed at me some more but never got out, thankfully.  My only defense was a frame pump and I did not want to get to that point.  Now I smile and wave when I get yelled at.  I wish the city would do more to promote bicycles sharing the roads.

As long as the weight is coming from the frame, you're in good shape. Just replace components as they break with decent stuff and soon you'll have a decent bike the know-how to fix it.

 

You mean not coming from the frame? Other than the steel frame, I think the only other thing really holding me back are the wheels. I want to get an aluminum frame but I hear they ride really rough.

 

Looking at some of these bike parts websites, it's pretty amazing what some people pay just to shave a little bit of weight off of the bike. I'll probably start paying attention to craigslist.

 

I have an older (1990) aluminum framed road bike and I don't think the ride is harsh at all.  The fork is steel though so that may help.

What I really take issue with is not the argument but the cocky and condescending attitude that only certain people are competent riders and everyone else is "uninformed and fearful".  This is what's harming the so-called vehicular cyclists more than anything.  If these folks would put away the attitude, they'd find others more willing listen.

 

I seriously doubt that. Cyclists are doing nothing more than asserting their right to the road as automobile drivers have been doing for nearly a century now.

 

Yesterday, I biked the Little Miami Trail (Bike Route 1) for 84 miles. I had no problem maintaining 20 MPH, and passed slower cyclists and walkers with ease. What I really disliked were:

1. Cyclists who occupied both the northbound and southbound lanes. There is a reason the path is striped for one lane in each direction. You don't go on a two-lane highway and then occupy both directions while driving, right? I had to constantly yell "BIKE LEFT" to warn them a cyclist was approaching to pass.

2. Cyclists who bunch en mass. Spread out a bit so that others can pass safely. That said, a group of Amish were out biking the trail yesterday and had no idea of the rules of the path. They were taking up both northbound and southbound lanes and were causing many cyclists and walkers to become irritated because they were clueless as to how to bike. One of the cyclists yelled "MOVE IT!!!" and they finally formed a single line in their appropriate lane as they should.

3. The idiots who try to play chicken or do stupid stunts on a path. I was coming through Morrow and stopped to use the restroom at a park. There was some punk 13-year-old who was trying to play chicken with every cyclist coming through, and he started doing that to a group of 10 cyclists, weaving in and out. The last cyclist was tired of that apparently, and uncliped from his pedals and kicked the kid off of his BMX bike :D :D :D

 

That said, cyclists and pedestrians can peacefully co-exist if people follow the rules of the trail.

 

Going to the topic of bike paths, I'm half-for and half-against the idea of bike lane. While they aid many newer cyclists into riding in the road as they should and have a right to do so, many, such as myself, prefer not to use them. I deliberately do not use any bike lane because they are often full of debris that can puncture tubes; automobile lanes are often much cleaner and more well worn (i.e. no standing water). I travel out in small and large cycling groups all the time, and when we are presented with a bike lane, we never use it for the reasons stated. They are not required for cyclists to use.

 

Columbusite also presented another issue. At right-turns, best practices is to delineate a path for cyclists within a right-turn lane so that both movements are shared, but in bad cases, as the image depicts above, right-turn movements conflict with the bike lane and cause conflict. What about turning left? Especially on a multi-lane roadway? A bike lane cannot help out with that at all.

As long as the weight is coming from the frame, you're in good shape. Just replace components as they break with decent stuff and soon you'll have a decent bike the know-how to fix it.

 

You mean not coming from the frame? Other than the steel frame, I think the only other thing really holding me back are the wheels. I want to get an aluminum frame but I hear they ride really rough.

 

Looking at some of these bike parts websites, it's pretty amazing what some people pay just to shave a little bit of weight off of the bike. I'll probably start paying attention to craigslist.

 

I have an older (1990) aluminum framed road bike and I don't think the ride is harsh at all.  The fork is steel though so that may help.

 

My bike, too, is an early 90s model. Butted, welded steel frame. Steel forks. The works. Heavy, stiff, tuff, and ready to bring it. I love it, though I'll probably have a change of heart some day when somebody loans me their carbon-fiber-something-or-other. For now, it's a great bike to tinker with, and I have no compunction about taking it far afield; I travel with tools and tubes, but I have no concerns about the frame failing on me. Falling on me, maybe...

Mills Avenue: Then and Now

May 18th, 2009

by Keri.

 

In October, I made the case for why municipalities should not divide existing wide lanes with bike lane stripes. Wide lanes already accommodate cyclists of all speeds and riding styles. This post is a follow-up with video showing the dramatic decrease in comfort to cyclists who are accustomed to riding assertively.

 

 

Just for fun, here’s another video of a cyclist (well, 2 cyclists, one is wearing the camera) riding assertively, safely and comfortably in a wide lane (Goldenrod Rd, south of University Blvd.):

 

 

Comparing the videos, is it not clear who really benefits from the bike lane?

Step back from the all-consuming need to “promote cycling” and ask yourself, how does it benefit cyclists to punish the competent and knowledgeable in an effort to offer a hollow illusion to the uninformed and fearful?

If advocates could get over the bike lane distraction, perhaps they would focus on the real problems of connectivity. Winter Park has exacerbated those problems by converting asphalt to rough, unevenly-laid bricks on most of its already-limited quiet connector roads. Routes I used regularly 15 years ago are now virtually unrideable. But in the name of symbolism, they’re intent on wrecking the thoroughfares, too. Thanks.

 

The Goldenrod Road and Mills pre-bike-lane videos were shot by Brian DeSousa of CyclistView. The Mills post-bike-lane video was shot by John S. Allen.

 

The second video is terrifying. Is that shot with a different lens? It seems like the motion of the cars is exaggerated is they approach the edge of the frame. Regardless, it demonstrates that the real "beneficiaries" of bike lanes are the traffic engineers driven by the maximum through-put model and the drivers who can get to the supermarket 37-seconds faster for it.

 

Cyclists as traffic-calming devices. What a concept!

 

[...]

 

3. The idiots who try to play chicken or do stupid stunts on a path. I was coming through Morrow and stopped to use the restroom at a park. There was some punk 13-year-old who was trying to play chicken with every cyclist coming through, and he started doing that to a group of 10 cyclists, weaving in and out. The last cyclist was tired of that apparently, and uncliped from his pedals and kicked the kid off of his BMX bike :D :D :D

 

[...]

Around here, "family" equates with "suburban," and on the rivergreenway they reflect their conditioning that the whole world is their own private two-and-a-half-acre yard. Sometimes I'll come upon a family that has stopped for a break or to gawk at something and parked their bikes obstructing the path. One well-directed kick in passing can send the whole batch down in a clattering heap. Sort a metaphor for a strike in bowling. I probably reinforce their view that the city is full of dangerous crazies and criminals and cause them to never return.

^ I see a difference in the behavior of drivers on the roads as well. For example Cleveland Ave. ranges from desolate to gritty to congested from downtown up into the older-ring suburbs, but the further north you go--and the "nicer" it gets--the more and more dangerous it gets. By the time you reach the spanking-new hyperburbia of Polaris the drivers are completely oblivious to cyclists. They're on their cellphones, one-to-a-car, and completely lost in their own perfect world. Hair-raising.

 

 

Olentangy Greenway trail  :-P

 

 

 

Quality urban design right here!

 

I hop on the Alum Creek Trail on my way into work in the morning. Very tranquil and naturey in the morning with only occasional blinding clouds of agitated Noseums.

THIS WEEKEND:

 

 

COME! :)

I hop on the Alum Creek Trail on my way into work in the morning. Very tranquil and naturey in the morning with only occasional blinding clouds of agitated Noseums.

 

I prefer riding in the city; the built environment is a lot more stimulating to me but sometimes the woods/trails are relief. I have the attention span of a gnat lol. I don't think I would have ever bought a bike if I didn't have an mp3 player. The adrenaline rush mixed with the good music is so addicting to me now. I can't even do it in moderation lol. Though I think this is a better addiction than smoking or chewing tobacco like I used to. I think I just transferred my addiction. I feel like I'm biking my knee caps off.

 

I found a little trail in front of Dodge Park right along the Scioto River. I got excited for a minute then realized it ends abruptly under the bridge near where they're doing construction. I wish they would legitimize that path as a decent sized bike trail. Maybe I should write a letter to the mayor.

I seriously doubt that. Cyclists are doing nothing more than asserting their right to the road as automobile drivers have been doing for nearly a century now.

 

To me there is an apparent condescending attitude in the way they are asserting their right-- such as the references to "the uninformed and the fearful" and 'punishing riders who know what they are doing', etc. 

 

When I lived in Columbus, I often biked from my rented townhouse on West Case Road to my office on Watermark Drive.

 

 

Wow, that's a long ride.

 

Not really.  It was only ~9 miles. 

 

 

 

I hop on the Alum Creek Trail on my way into work in the morning. Very tranquil and naturey in the morning with only occasional blinding clouds of agitated Noseums.

 

I prefer riding in the city; the built environment is a lot more stimulating to me but sometimes the woods/trails are relief. I have the attention span of a gnat lol. I don't think I would have ever bought a bike if I didn't have an mp3 player. The adrenaline rush mixed with the good music is so addicting to me now. I can't even do it in moderation lol. Though I think this is a better addiction than smoking or chewing tobacco like I used to. I think I just transferred my addiction. I feel like I'm biking my knee caps off.

 

I found a little trail in front of Dodge Park right along the Scioto River. I got excited for a minute then realized it ends abruptly under the bridge near where they're doing construction. I wish they would legitimize that path as a decent sized bike trail. Maybe I should write a letter to the mayor.

 

I'd think twice about mixing city riding with earphones. Just sayin'...

I agree, those videos make biking look more dangerous than it is.  It has to do with the camera angle -- if it was shot from a distance with a telephoto lens it wouldn't looks nearly as chaotic. 

 

Also, I don't know how we can expect people to behave perfectly on bike trails. If it was announced that bike trails should only be built for hard-core bikers, they wouldn't ever be built.  About three weeks ago I saw a large woman on the Loveland trail riding in a little carriage pulled by pygmy ponies.  To each his or her own, I say.   

 

 

I'd think twice about mixing city riding with earphones. Just sayin'...

 

But the earphones protect you from having to listen to the unpleasant sound of the approaching car that is about to painfully grind you into the asphalt!

^^I hope the horses were not on the paved path. Horses are to be kept off of the paved path and onto the grassy shoulder (usually 4') except for bridges. I had to swerve to avoid a pile of fresh manure from two horses that were on the path. I'm sure other users were not too pleased with it either.

Westerville explicitly calls the paths leisure and bicycle - with bicycle second and most signs simply call them leisure paths (rules signs mostly, though the traffic markers where the paths intersect with public roads does use the universal symbol for bike path.

They weren't horses, they were pygmy ponies, goddamnit.  The rules don't say anything about ponies, let alone pygmy ponies.     

I hop on the Alum Creek Trail on my way into work in the morning. Very tranquil and naturey in the morning with only occasional blinding clouds of agitated Noseums.

 

I prefer riding in the city; the built environment is a lot more stimulating to me but sometimes the woods/trails are relief. I have the attention span of a gnat lol. I don't think I would have ever bought a bike if I didn't have an mp3 player. The adrenaline rush mixed with the good music is so addicting to me now. I can't even do it in moderation lol. Though I think this is a better addiction than smoking or chewing tobacco like I used to. I think I just transferred my addiction. I feel like I'm biking my knee caps off.

 

 

 

I know what you mean.  It's great to crank up the volume and go fast.  I usually turn the volume down when I'm on city streets, but in the 8 years I've listened to music and biked, I've never had a single incident (and hopefully none soon).

 

I love riding around on University of Michigan's Campus.  I NEED to do a video sometime.  The sidewalks nicely merge with one another in and out between buildings, go up over roadways and even 3 stories up alongside cutaways of buildings.  You don't need to reduce speed much at all, just flow through at 15 mph (speed limit).  If anyone has ever enjoyed free-flow on NYC freeways late at night, think of the same thing on a bike with a great soundtrack.

They weren't horses, they were pygmy ponies, goddamnit. The rules don't say anything about ponies, let alone pygmy ponies.

 

Like... ?

^You see a lot of that in the Short North.

They were like this thing, except they were white and were pulling a woman on a carriage: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eridony/2738310109/in/set-72157606454501915/

 

and

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eridony/2739149618/in/set-72157606454501915/

 

Shall we start a new thread called "The Great Pony Thread"?

Done: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15485.0.html

Do any of you ever meet up for group rides?  Myself and others from another forum have been meeting for casual, no drop rides.  They are usually 30-50 mile rural routes at around a 16mph avg.  We usually stop somewhere for food too.  It's been a lot of fun and there isn't any attitude.  Last ride there was a guy on a Surly big dummy, it was HUGE but he flew on that thing.

 

We are probably going to be riding this weekend, anyone is welcome to join.

^Where are you located?

I guess that would be important to know.  I am in Canton OH, but the rides are usually in Cleveland and vicinity.  For June 6th or 7th we are talking about riding the parkway at W 130th to the marina by Detroit. It's 44 miles round trip, mostly flat.  Maybe around 10am, nothing is finalized yet but we are close.