Want to have a healthy debate about cycling in Dallas?

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2009/10/city_hall_needs_a_bike_rack.php

Where have I been?

I’m in France, following Le Tour. I’m posting up to Facebook and Picasaweb.com/whareagle, so check it out there. I will try to write about the trip in detail either Sunday or on the flight back. Honestly, it’s been epic, but it hasn’t been one where I’ve gotten much sleep since riding began, and today I just cratered. I’ll post verbal details and descriptions of the images when I can. Until then, enjoy the photos.

Elkhorn Classic Stage 4 results

Uh, nothing to report here. What was going to be a 105 mile race instead turned in to a 19 mile hillclimb due to severe inclement weather. I think I finished in the 30’s, but the weather worked against the officials, as their camera was on the wrong side, and the fog affected the readings. Oh well. Not a biggie. Great weekend, fun time, but cold & wet. I needed 20 miles just to open up my legs!!

Stage 3 Crit results

Its going to be hard to get the images on here immediately, but it’s now Tuesday, and ya’ll need to know the rest of the story.

The afternoon crit went well. I rode very aggressively, and raced hard for 2 or 3 primes, just missing out on each one. For the last prime, even though I missed the cash, I dashed on and kept going, only just getting caught by the pack on the last lap. Unfortunately, I was gassed, so I struggled to hold on to a Top 10 in the sprint. As you know, I’m no sprinter, so I slipped back to 11th. NUTS.

Still, it was a great 45 minutes, I had a strong showing, I hope they got some good photos – the ones my friends took were awesome, and I’ll post them as soon as I can find the time. No change in GC.

Update to the update, and images

Moved up from 32nd in GC to 29th in GC, 4:16 back! I can DO THIS! I KNOW I can!!

Here are images from the past 2-3 days.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/ElkhornClassicStageRaceJune2009#

Update on Stage 2

20th place! That’s got to be worth SOMETHING in the GC! Will post those results shortly.

Governor Vetoes SB 488

BUT, here’s another perspective that might merit thought and pause. Me? I WANT EDUCATION! EDUCATE MORE CYCLISTS!

http://cycledallas.blogspot.com/2009/06/reason-prevails.html

Don’t Forget!!

The Cycling Center of Dallas will be starting a new quarter of classes on June 22nd or 23rd, and the program will set you up for a peak performance in late August, JUST IN TIME for the Hotter ‘n Hell 100. You can sign up now by going to

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=8663

and filling out the information. If you have questions at all, don’t hesitate to e-mail me and ask!

WOW! 3rd place – In a crit, even!

Pro 1,2's sprint for the finish

I’ll post more information about it later, and I’m hoping there are a few photos to go with things, but Jason, Chase, Jordan and I rode a VERY smart race, as we attempted to go for the win in the Mirage Crit. The course is semi-technical, with one hairpin, but it CLIMBS, which is awesome, and the finish is at the top of the hill. Jason, Chase, Jordan and I each attacked several times, starting about 20 minutes in, and we all had some good gaps going, which forced everyone else to work on reeling us in. But in the final sweeper to the uphill climb at 400m, I was in the PERFECT position, and we gutted it out for the top positions. Unfortunately, I was on the verge of cramping both my calves, and that would have meant some serious carnage if they’d seized, so I stayed seated the whole time, and unfortunately, I think that’s what cost me a win. Still, it’s upgrade points, and it’s the result of some awesome teamwork and communication, so I’m incredibly grateful for the finish and those who helped me get there.

There were some funky stats for this 75 minute event. PNorm for the 75 was 299, a new record, yet the average was just 241, which meant that I actually was able to sit in and read the race better, and relax when it counted. I also cooked about 1084 Kilojoules, which is pretty significant, yet the race was so wobbly and tight, that I dared not take my hand off the bars to drink at all.

It was a gorgeous day, not too hot, and the breeze was actually kind of refreshing. Hopefully the photos turned out. Thanks to the officials, and to the promoters, especially Brad Weddell, who busted his bum getting the race pulled off. Chapeau, dude!

A new direction

After a lot of thought, and several failed attempts, I finally decided to put my money where my mouth was, and become a cycling commuter. Here’s a photo of my new rig, but the co-pilot had taken off for a quick pre-ride squirt.

How to get from here to there and back again.

The route that I take to the JCC is almost 7 miles exactly, and I’ve done the out & back twice thus far this week. I’m hauling the dog in the front basket, and two panniers on the side, complete with my laptop, ipod for classes, and a u-bar lock, which I haven’t needed thus far. The route takes me past Northpark Mall, via Boedeker, and while I was nervous about the way I would be received, thus far, over 28 miles, on and crossing several busy streets, I haven’t been honked at or hazed once.

The question is, WHY?

Well, let’s look at some things about the route, the bike, and my behavior.

First, the route. I am taking the Katy Trail up to it’s (current) northernmost edge, then bearing left on Airline to SMU boulevard.

Home to JCC and back

Once there, I travel through the University edge, where there are some great neighborhoods and mild traffic. Once I”m across Lover’s Lane, there are STOP signs every intersection, so that’s a good traffic control device. Once I get on to Boedeker at NW Highway, however, it’s a 4-lane road, with very few right-turn neighborhood entrances or exits. North of Walnut Hill, the road is absolute crap, but again, traffic has ways to pass me, since it’s as wide as a boulevard up that way. North of Royal, things continue to be well-spaced out, and my right-hand turn on Northaven is similarly wide. Here’s a map. I’ll try to shoot photos, but honestly, I’d rather focus on cycling and not dumping my dog in a tipover.

The bike is a Gary Fisher Simple City 8, with an internal hub for shifting. It has fenders, two fat tires with built-in reflectors, and a small self-centering spring on the front wheel. The bike with gear must weigh close to 40 lbs, and I’m extremely upright. As such, it’s certainly NOT a speedster. Instead, it’s a true cruiser-hauler, and while I’m sure there are people with more effective bikes for schlepping, this one was the right one for my needs, my budget, and my tastes. On the rear, I’ve placed one of my Dinotte 200 lumens Blinkies, which is daylight-viewable, and on the front, I’ve temporarily placed a Cateye to comply with the law. However, on my helmet is my front-blinking Dinotte, which will give retina burn to anyone who stares at it long enough. The front is amber, but I may switch to white so I can see when the evening light is darker.

I wear this headlight and helmet combo at all times, and I am always making sure that the batteries are freshly charged. My average speed thus far? 12-14 miles per hour. When I’m on the road, I act, and ride like a citizen. The bike is not terribly maneuverable, and it’s heavy, but it is stable enough that I can use my hand signals when and where appropriate. MOST importantly, I’m going out of my way to act like my fellow motorists. That means riding with intent, signalling in advance, being polite with others (I smile a TON), and putting both feet down when I get to intersections, and waiting my turn. There’s no darting and dodging, hot-dogging, or cutting through. It’s all steady cycling.

I also carry a cold water bottle for myself and the dog, and I keep my cell phone in a zippered pocket, though I never pull it out, even if it’s ringing.

I think this all adds up to sensible urban cycling, and I’m excited about sharing this and other rides with you as I go about mitigating my driving.

One other thing. I’ve been trying to figure out just how much money I’m saving, per-mile, by riding instead of driving. It’s been a little tough, but there are some calculators out there on the internet, and based on those, I’m going to use $.90 per mile. So that means, when you add up gas, tires, oil, taxes, insurance, and depreciation, that’s what it costs me to drive per mile on a regular basis. It may go up, it may go down, but I think it’s a decent number to start with, so I’m going to use it until I can research this some more.

The bike cost about $1000, give or take, so I’m going to ride to proverbially pay that off first, then I’ll start blogging lunch, dinner, extra money for travel, etc. I don’t expect to completely replace my car, but I do think I’ll be able to lower my miles in the second half of the year, and maybe go 2 weeks between fillups. Right now, I’m at $25 over two days, so we’ll see how long it takes to come back up to zero.

Wish me luck, and feel free to provide comments or suggestions as you see fit.