Sunshine and blisters

We broke 70 degrees today! I put on shorts! Shorts! Oh heavenly sun, I praise you. It's true that those of us who reside in more northern climes tend to get a little batty toward the end of winter, especially when the weather starts doing that awesome "will it or won't it" snow-then-rain-then-sun-then-who-knows-what dance in early spring. We tend to become moody bastards, hiding away in our unwashed dens and subsisting on nothing but beer and centipedes (I hate those jerks).

Lousy Smarch weather.

But hey, 70 friggen degrees! And though I had writing to get done, there was simply no excuse not to get outside and enjoy the beauty. I broke out the Surly and pedaled off to the gym, followed by a jaunt around the isthmus to drop off my resume with a few coffee shops. Still looking for a part time gig to supplement my income. This makes six applications made and zero call-backs, but that's nothing, right? I'll keep plugging away until something pans out. You figure that with all the students leaving in a couple of months there will be a few openings. Yeah? Yeah.

Of course the down side of all this hoofing and pedaling after several months spent cooped up in a gym and/or on the couch is that my feet have gone soft on me. The result of this week's various outdoor excursions is one rather gnarly blister on my left foot. Part of the blame for that lies with the fact that I have two completely different sized feet (woman's 8 and 9, respectively), because apparently I'm a mutant. And since it's nearly impossible to buy two different size shoes unless you fork over the cash for two different pairs, that means the shorter of my feet tends to slide around a bit more than it ought to when I walk. Lucky me.

Don't scroll down if you don't want visual evidence of the gnar.

Riding the normally car-clogged streets

On Sunday, Madison held its first ever "Ride the Drive" event. Co-sponsored by the city itself and Trek Bikes, a handful of downtown streets were shut down to all but bicycle, foot, and skater traffic for the duration of Sunday morning.

There were parades, food vendors, public art, live music, bike repairs and information all along the 6-mile route. And smiles, lots of smiles. I got out to enjoy the rare opportunity to bike freely down some major thoroughfares and saw lots of people out enjoying the heck out of the day (which, thankfully, turned out rather beautiful - especially compared to the week we'd been having).

I would have liked to seen more in the way of bike education - people talking about the various bike paths and routes we have in the city, urging people to be active in lobbying for better bike and pedestrian access, and more outreach to lower income areas about how to get a basic, cheap bike and get around that way. Overall, though, I thought it was a great first year and a remarkable event. It takes some time to get everything right, after all.

Of course, there were plenty of detractors: Mostly people who found their vehicle paths through the city blocked, as well as those who rely on the buses to get around. The latter I can forgive, but honestly, drivers, can't you handle one day without immediate access? There were other ways to get around the RtD traffic - maybe adding a few minutes to your commute, but that's small beans compared to what those who travel by foot or bike have to put up with on a daily basis. You'll pardon me if I have little sympathy.

Ultimately, though, the whole thing seemed to go over quite well, and I'm hopeful that Madison will make this sort of thing a tradition. I'm also hoping, and planning to work for, better non-vehicle access to all parts of the city in the future. We all need to work together--bikers, pedestrians, and drivers alike--to make this a more livable place for everyone.

Riding bikes indoors

What's sore and bruised and content all over? That'd be me after a weekend at Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland, Ohio. I'm back from both my blogging and real-life vacations, only a little worse for wear, and even more in love with riding my bike than ever.

My fella and I, feeling the ill-effects of a too-long Wisconsin winter, decided to head out for Ray's this weekend after hearing that it offered an indoor reprieve for northern biking enthusiasts. And though, in the end, I still much prefer riding long, flowing trails in the great outdoors, I can definitely say that Ray's is a pretty rad place and I wish we had something like it a little closer to home.

As it turned out, the park was having a "Ride With the Legends" day when we got there, which included the presence of several pro BMX and mountain bike riders, plus a mob of curious onlookers. Still, the friendly Chicago ex-pat minding the door told us that the events never interfere with regular folks' ability to ride, so we had free reign to explore the nearly 100,000 square feet of park.

Think about that: nearly 100,000 square feet of indoor biking. Pretty impressive. I felt a little overwhelmed when I first rolled my bike into the melee. Between the fact that we'd only just recently retrofitted my bike to the point of it pretty much being a brand new ride, and this being my first time on it in months, I was a little shaky at first. Thankfully, there's a very nice "beginner room" that's generally quieter and less crowded than the rest of the building, and I spent some time there getting warmed up. After a few adjustments, the new bike ran smooth and true. After some mental adjustments, I wasn't so bad, either.

We spent a good 6 hours trying out what lines we could (that is, what lines wouldn't kill a couple of relative greenhorns like ourselves). There's the Gary Fisher XC loop, which runs along the ceiling of the converted factory space and then swoops down and around berms and ramps that crisscross several of the other areas. A small pump track provides a good chance to develop that particular skill. A good handful of technical mtb tracks are packed onto one half of the floor, each with varying levels of difficulty: teeter-totters, boardwalks, log runs, berms, tabletops, and plenty of skinnies.

I watched several trials riders bunny hopping their way from line to line and marveled at the degree of skill needed to do what they do. I have no interest in trials myself (I'm not that balanced, nor that patient), but it's fascinating to watch. Check out a video of what I'm talking about right here.

I worked on my jump take-offs and landings, trying to even out my bike as much as possible instead of just bumbling over things, and actually started to feel like I was getting the basic hang of it. I've still got quite a long ways to go, but the day provided a good chance to get to know my new bike and try out some things I'd been wanting to work on for awhile.

Of course, the day was not without injury. I took one pretty spectacular spill as I tried to navigate a long log run, nearly doing an endo before throwing my bike at the last minute and taking the bulk of the hit on my right side. My shin and knee pads did their job, but unfortunately I got a log right to the thigh and ended up with a pretty gnarly muscle bruise that left me limping for the next day. All part of the process, right?!

We took a few short breaks to just watch the pros tackle the big ramps near the front, marveling at the tricks they pulled and how easy they made it look. At one point, as we were waiting for our turn on one of the mtb lines, my fella struck up a conversation with another guy about some fancy new feature on his bike, not knowing that said guy was Hans Rey, one of the pros in for the day and a major pioneer of trials riding. So that was fun.

All told, it was a great day of riding, trying out new things, developing some skills, working up a sweat, and watching some pretty amazing riders do their thing. I was happy to see quite a few other women out on their bikes, too (we're still the minority in this sport, of course). And the overall vibe of the place was good, with little in the way of ego or pretense. And kids! We ran into quite a few tots pedaling around on miniature BMX or bigwheels. One particularly skilled guy was even out on the track holding his own. I talked briefly with his mom, who said he was just 4-years-old but already racing motorcycles, too. I can't say I'm entirely down with letting pre-schoolers race motorized vehicles, but hey, if that kid keeps it up and doesn't get mangled in the process, he's going to be pretty damn good at a pretty young age.

Got back into Madison last night, welcomed by much colder temperatures and snow. Our weekend biking adventure should help to keep me sane until spring really shows up and I can take it outdoors again--but it's Wisconsin, after all, so who knows? Here's hoping.

Tomorrow, it's back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

(full set of photos available at my Flickr account)

Get a light

I have a bad temper sometimes, but this is just ridiculous:

Two bicyclists came up behind O'Brien, with one saying they were going to pass him on the left. As they passed, O'Brien said, "Get a light."

Dunlavy apparently asked him to repeat himself so he did, with the couple then telling O'Brien to mind his own business. Dunlavy apparently then tried to run O'Brien off the road.

The pair followed O'Brien to his home, where the light talk continued.

The female said it appeared O'Brien had plenty of lights and asked for one, so he gave one to her, but Dunlavy still was upset and clamped his hands around O'Brien's head, according to a police report.

The report added that he twisted O'Brien to the ground and kicked him in the ribs, but Dunlavy denied doing so when he was arrested.

I admit that it's a little rude to just yell "get a light" at a fellow cyclist, but the sentiment is completely legitimate. Riding a bike in the dark is dangerous enough as it is, let alone if you're lacking some sort of illumination. It's hard for other cyclists to see you, as well as motorists. Seriously, it's really in your best interest to get a damn light (which aren't necessarily all that expensive) if you're going to ride at night, so I do understand where O'Brien was coming from.

Regardless of whether or not the statement was rude, there's absolutely no reason to then harass the guy for it, going so far as to follow him home and smack him around a little. Cripes, O'Brien even gave them a light for free.

But I guess some folks have anger management problems, or maybe just major insecurity at being called out in front of their girlfriends. Who knows.

Point is twofold: night riding requires a light, and really, we all need to chill the fuck out.

EDIT TO ADD: As always, Bike Snob NYC provides some humor on the situation.

Peds v. cars v. cyclists

What is it about the subject of vehicle-cyclist-pedestrian interactions that engenders so much anger in people? A recent Capital Times article dealing with the issue sparked a whole slew of comments, most pointing fingers at either inconsiderate drivers, bikers, or pedestrians. The resentment on all sides was palpable. And this certainly isn't unique to that article. I've come across it countless times whenever the subject comes up.

Because, y'know, it's never your fault. It's always the pedestrian who doesn't look before they cross the street, or the biker who runs a red light, or the driver who tries to run you down.

The fact of the matter is, I think, that all of us have the capacity to be the asshole--and all of us likely have been, at one time or another. And simply claiming that one or the other party is completely at fault for all the trouble on the road is wrong, and completely misses the bigger picture.

Bikers are, by law, supposed to act and be treated as fellow vehicles on the road. You ride with traffic, stop at stop lights and signs, signal your turns, and kit yourself out in the appropriate safety gear (helmet, lights, etc.). Not all bikers do this, however, and they're the ones who typically inspire the most hatred in drivers. Thing is, plenty of law-abiding bikers are still finding themselves at the receiving end of motorist's bile, simply for daring to share the streets with them. And even those drivers with nothing against bikers are sometimes prone to not paying enough attention. Heck, I'm an avid cyclist and I'm still sometimes times guilty of this when I'm in my car.

And pedestrians--especially, for whatever reasons, the students downtown--can be prone to wandering out into the street without so much as glancing up from their ipods. I don't know what these folks were taught as children, but apparently they missed the "look both ways" lecture.

I understand the frustration felt by all parties, as I've been all parties at one time or another. I think most of us have. But somehow, we seem prone to forgetting what it's like to be the cyclist when we're driving, or the driver when we're walking, etc. We're quick to anger at the slightest inconvenience, we zone out and don't pay enough attention to our surroundings, we let a sense of entitlement creep into our heads--and the results are often dangerous and tragic.

Simply put: we all need to suck it up and take responsibility for ourselves and the people with whom we share the city. Bikers need to strap on a helmet and obey the traffic laws. Pedestrians need to actually pay attention to their surroundings. Drivers need to remember that they're not the only ones on the road, calm down, and pay attention.

Because it's not just one party or the others responsibility to make our streets safer--it's all of ours. So put down the cell phone. We'll all be better off for it.

A car-less you

Gas prices got you down? Thinking about the negative impact on your environment and your health that so much driving might have? Just want to try something new? Then I recommend checking out the upcoming "Car-less U" event - a week of "fun, free eco-transportation events" put on by the Madison Environmental Group's EnAct program.

This is a good chance to get basic information about things like bike trails and routes, bike safety, how to navigate the sometimes wonky Madison Metro bus system, community car programs, and other tips and tricks for lessening your reliance on automobiles.

The full schedule of events is available here.

I love programs like this, because they help to make things like bike commuting and public transportation more approachable for everyone.

And I should mention that dane101 publishes a regular feature about biking called Bike-It-Yourself that offers some pretty good, down-to-earth advice on the subject, too.

Sunday Brunch: Poetry and bikes

Two of my favorite things! I had the great pleasure of covering the 2008 National Poetry Slam competition/festival held here in Madison over the last week, and I can honestly say that poetry has totally kicked my butt. In a good way! I saw and heard so many amazing poets with so many different styles, I don't even know where to begin. So instead I'll just direct you over to dane101.com, where me and a few other folks have been covering the festivities. Check it out! I'll have my thoughts and photos from finals (one of which is above) posted there tomorrow, if you're curious.

Today also marked the end of the ACT 6 Wisconsin AIDS Ride, which I took part in last year as a rider but, sadly, couldn't this go round. Too frakking busy! But I did volunteer to help with closing ceremonies, and took a few photos of that shindig, too, if you'd like to have a looksee. They raised tons of money for a great cause and, if last year was any indication, made lots of friends and accomplished something pretty amazing along the way.

Hell hath no fury like a biker scorned

Generally, I agree with a lot of what Paul Soglin has to say. But not everything. It would appear that I'm not the only one who took umbrage with his recent rant against winter bicyclists. Check out the comments section on this sucker. That's what the kids call a "hornet's nest" after it has been thoroughly poked.

And frankly, he deserved the virtual tongue lashing. Like I said in my own comment to the post, riding in any kind of weather, but especially inclement weather like we've been having, without proper safety gear and adherence to the laws of the road is stupid. But riding your bike in the snow in general is not stupid. In fact, I wish I could do it (well, technically I could, but it's a 16 mile ride one-way to work for me and I just can't face that in the snow). I think it's pretty dedicated and hardcore.

Recently, I met this awesome lady, probably in her 50's, who surprised me when she started telling me all about the ice biking she does up on Lake Superior. Holy crap, ice biking? And here I thought riding in the rain was hard. People like that put me to shame, but they also motivate me to get off my duff and try new things, even if they're difficult. Maybe there's a pair of studded tires in my future after all....

Point is, a bicycle on the road during the snowy season has more to fear from cars than cars do from them (and same goes for all-year-round, frankly). But with some common sense and efforts at safety by both sides, risks can be greatly reduced. And hey, there's that whole bikes-don't-tear-up-the-earth-and-the-air thing, too. Don't forget about that. And get off your cell phone!


(image credit: www.nemba.org)

Wisconsin bikes take two pedals forward, one back

I've been trying to suss out what, exactly, happened with funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the recently passed state budget (nebulously referred to as the "Surface Transportation Grant Program"). It's not all that easy to figure out the details, but the basics are that Governor Doyle included, for the first time ever, a specific line item for their funding. That's the good news. The bad news is that of the $19.1 million set aside for biking and pedestrian projects by the Legislature, only $2.7 million of that made it past the governor's veto pen.

This leaves Wisconsin languishing near the bottom when it comes to how much in the way of federal transportation dollars states use for bike and ped projects. It seems like an especially petty slap in the face for a state that prides itself on being not only bike friendly, but downright bike obsessed. In addition to the thousands (if not more) of riders in the state, we're also home to numerous bike or bike related companies, including Trek, Planet Bike, Saris and Pacific Cycle.

For all the lip-service our public officials seem to pay to our bike and pedestrian friendly culture, more often it would appear that regular citizens are the ones who do the most to promote and sustain the culture.

What I'm confused about, and would love if someone could help sort out for me, is what's being done with the money that was supposed to go to surface transportation. Before Doyle got to it, the budget originally allocated $14.6 million from "federal transportation sources historically spent on bicycle and pedestrian projects, plus an additional $1.8 million." But Doyle vetoed the extra $1.8 million and put the other $14.6 million back into the regular transportation budget. What gives? What confuses me further is the total amount of money allocated to Wisconsin by the federal government for surface transportation: $130,226,463 according to this document.

That last bit is from the budget for 2007, so it's likely to have changed for the coming fiscal year. Still, what am I missing here? Where is that money going? Are we getting it in the first place? Am I misreading everything?

There is one thing I'm sure of, however, and it's that we owe it to ourselves to far better fund bicycle and pedestrian projects in this state. Improved and increased trails, bike lanes, secure parking spots, education and incentives are all things we should be focused on providing. There are so many benefits to bicycling and walking and so few down sides that it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to ignore them. But then, I suppose we have to remember where the big money is and who it speaks for, and we've only to look at the funding for highway and freeway maintenance to find it.

Bikers & Hikers vs. the ATVs

Per an article over at Isthmus Daily Page, there's some controversy a-brewin' over how and by whom the Badger State Trail should be used. The trail, just opened in July of this year, currently runs from Paoli to the Illinois border (with plans to connect it to the Capitol City Trail in Madison). While cyclists, hikers, and casual strollers are all allowed on the trail year-round, ATV riders are restricted to only using a small portion of the trail and only during the few months when the ground is frozen but snow-free during the winter. This apparently has the ATV folks all in a tizzy because, let's face it, people should be allowed to do whatever they damn well please and wherever they damn well please, consequences be damned.

I'm being sarcastic, of course, which I admit is a poor way to make a good argument. I'll switch tactics, then, and say what everyone who's ever studied this sort of thing has already said: ATVs and other motorized recreational vehicles cause extreme damage to trails and their surrounding environments, generate a great deal of noise and air pollution and can make conditions very unsafe for those people sharing the trail on bike or on foot.

ATVs should have (and do have) their own separate places to ride, locations removed from residential areas and well-maintained so as to avoid too much negative impact on the soil, etc. ATVs should not be allowed on trails built for and frequented by pedestrians and cyclists. This keeps the majority of people happier and safer.

As is often the case, however, a few ATV activists have taken it upon themselves to try to push through changes to the rules governing trail usage. These vocal few don't appear to speak for the many, though: "A study by Bob Smail, a graduate student in the UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources, found that fewer than 175,000 ATV owners — less than 6% of the state's population — take their machines on public land. And, of those who do, most were satisfied with the quantity and quality of available trails." (TDP)

So why the need to gain access to the Badger State Trail? Why can't it be left alone for the enjoyment of people whose hobbies are less taxing on the land, air and neighbors? What's with this selfish "I should be free to do anything I want even if it impedes on the freedoms of others and destroys the world in which I live" attitude?

...

Speaking of less heavy things relating to the trail, I'm adding this to my list of things to do next spring: biking the Badger State Trail and staying at Earth Rider Cycling Boutique and Hotel. I'll also be waiting for the city of Madison to finally get around to connecting the BST to the Capitol City Trail here in town.

(photo credit: State DNR)

Bike City

Just noticed this over at Atrios' corner o' the web: Bicing, a great public bike sharing program in Barcelona (a beautiful city for pedaling, by the way).

"Bike stations are placed strategically throughout the city, and subway stops usually have signs pointing to them. Members have a card which they swipe, they're told which bike to grab, and off they go. It isn't necessary to return the bikes to where you got them; they can be dropped off at any bicing station. The first half hour is free, and after that there's a bit of a surcharge. When the program began they set the annual membership fee at some absurd low figure like 7 Euros, causing most of the city to sign up. That's now been increased to 24 Euros.

It's apparently become quite popular with seniors, who use them for leisurely afternoon bike rides."

Seems like a pretty excellent idea to me. Here in Madison, we do have the Red Bikes program, courtesy of Budget Bicycle. Though you get the deposit back in the end, the initial cost is a bit too steep for many folks to afford. There's also the Bikes At Work Program, though I have doubts about its effectiveness, seeing as how they only provide a whopping five bikes for use and qualifications for use are pretty narrow.

With all the recent hubbub over Mayor Dave's now defunct Street Car proposal (no comment), this sort of program seems like a cheap, clean and good way of adding to the city's public transit options. That and actually expanding the Metro's service areas and times to make it an option for people who work second or third shifts.

Hot Weekend Action

I'm already making plans. So much to do, so little time!

Courtesy of madpoetry.org:
9/15, Saturday; 5:30–7 pm: Open Mike; musicians, poets, & artists of all ages and influences are welcome. 10 minutes & one free PBR allotted to each performer. RP’s Pasta Company Café, 1133 E. Wilson St.

9/15, Saturday; 7 pm: Urban Spoken Word Slam. Genna's Lounge, 105 W. Main St. on the Capitol Square.

And then, of course, there's the annual jamboree of music, art and hippies that is The Willy St. Fair! Always a good place to score tasty grub, listen to great music and see lots of brightly colored people.

Me? I'll at least be covering Friday and Saturday nights of the World Music Festival at the Memorial Union Terrace, on behalf of Isthmus Daily Page. Looks to be an awesome line-up. I'll be the girl up front, taking lots of pictures.

As a side note, I just discovered the Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison, which holds regular touring bike rides open to anyone. I may have to go check out one of their trips sometime soon, especially as fall foliage starts kicking.

Goal Met and Broken!

The band [2]
Originally uploaded by Lost Albatross.

What a fantastic evening! Saturday night's fundraiser gig went far better than I could have hoped for, both in terms of money raised (over $400!) and good times had.

I am so relieved that my minumum fundraising goal has been met. Now all I really need to worry about is that pesky 300 mile ride....

Many, many heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out and rocked with us that night. You gave so much more than you could know. And we (the band) had a blast performing!

With help from various Mercury Players (special shout-outs to Cara, Cam, Bonnie, Kirk, Pete, etc.), we cleaned up the warehouse, put together a mighty fine stage and backdrop, fixed the damn air conditioner, bought beer and snacks and had ourselves a mighty fine party. We also ended up having a great opening band in (members of) Catapult Western, who played a handfull of songs before our own set began. Of special note was their better-than-the-original cover of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up."

We (Aporia) played for a little over two hours, a show which included but was not limited to: a bike clothing strip tease, helmets a-go-go, audience interpetive dance, and our new smash hit "The Horror (It Puts the Lotion in the Basket)" - which we've already recieved several requests for recordings of. Good news is, we had the whole show videotaped and should have clips online in the near future.

Now it's back to training training training, and just in time for quite the heatwave. Hooray! Thanks again to everyone who made this event possible. You're all my heroes.

ACTing

http://www.active.com/donate/act5/2007EMills

It's official, I will be fundraising for and then taking part in the ACT V ride in August of this year. Which means I will be documenting the whole crazy process here, for your reading and viewing pleasure (I hope). Hooray!

What's ACT V?

"ACT 5 is the fifth annual AIDS Network Cycles Together, the Wisconsin AIDS bike ride, to raise funds and awareness for AIDS Network. Our goals are to provide a ride that is a substantial challenge for all levels of riders, but is at the same time fun and safe. Educate the community, raise awareness, and teach tolerance about HIV/AIDS. And finally, raise the highest possible return to AIDS Network.

"ACT 5 covers four days and 300 miles on a bike. The riders are 100% supported before and during the ride."

I decided that it was high time that I put my money where my mouth is and do something good for someone else. AIDS Network is a great non-profit organization that works for people with HIV/AIDS and their families, providing health care support, counseling, legal representation, etc. And the great thing about the ACT Ride is that 89% of the funds raised go directly to the benefitting organization (AIDS Network). Most fundraising events have a return rate of something like 60%, so that's pretty awesome. They can do that because the whole event is almost completely volunteer-run. I'm really, really excited about doing the ride, though I admit it scares the crap out of me, too. And it's not just the prospect of fundraising (I'm not a fan of asking people for money, but I think this is well worthy cause). I'm pretty out of shape these days, and between that and my super fun knee problems, training and riding should be pretty damn hard. But I believe I can pull it off and whip myself back into shape in the process.

Even if you can't donate any money for my ride (but I hope you do), please consider giving either your time or money to similarly worthy organizations and causes. Every little bit counts. And wish me luck!

http://www.active.com/donate/act5/2007EMills