"Wouldn't it be great if there were long-distance trails specifically for bicycles? Basically -- roads without cars?
Well, there are! A quickly emerging network of abandoned railway lines are being converted by regional governments into superb bike paths. In addition to offering very gentle grades that are ideal for bikes, many of these new trails are satisfying long. The longest rail trail is over 300 miles long, and the longest off-pavement bike trail in the country stretches 2,500 miles. On these bike roads you can cruise along for weeks without ever encountering a car, or worrying about being bumped off the white line by an oblivious motorist. These are not paved roads, but packed gravel or dirt. Many sport spectacular tunnels and bridges courtesy of the former railways. At the same time these trails pass through small towns affording local eateries and rural lodging, as well as the usual camping spots along the way."
- kk.org
more on the railroads converted to bike trails here:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000905.php
Ralph Becker has made a campaign promise to create more general bicycle trails throughout SLC. We will see, if elected, if this comes true. Sure would be nice to ride Jordan Parkway without having to climb under muddy bridges.. time to take to the Railroads?
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Josie Ride 2007.
They are doing the Josie Johnson Ride again this Saturday. I won't be riding this year. I support the cause, but don't feel comfortable riding with a lot of people that ride. I often end up feeling out of place because I don't have the roadie appearance, and unfortunately, that is mostly what shows up to the event. The event itself is a great idea, too bad the representation of the people who ride the streets the most day to day, the commuters, is not represented. I am tired of being one of five 'commuter' types of these people that show up and then feel uncomfortable riding the entire time. Maybe I sound like a real ass, in not going to support the greater cause, but their are other causes to ride for on a bicycle. If anyone else desires to ride this ride, by all means ride it. I am sitting this one out.
photo credit: google images.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
slc bike collective Road One.
Spent a Saturday 8a-5p in class @ the bicycle collective in Road 1 part of the Get-A-Grip Bike Safety series.
The course goes through a lot of in depth bicycling, and despite my original thoughts that it was going to be everything I already knew, I learned a lot.
They provided breakfast and lunch, in class discussions and bicycling on the actual road. It was taught by two instructors who went by a course manual provided by the League of American Bicyclists.
graphic credit: slcbikecollective.org.
Friday, September 21, 2007
the Adventures of Sprocket Man!
Download and print this comic book or read it on the computer!
Meet Sprocket Man, on a bike safety adventure. As he zips through town, Sprocket Man explains the dangers on his street. Learn how he uses his logical powers of reasoning to avoid obstacles and injuries.
Explore helmet safety, bike mechanics, and street smarts with this super-safe super hero! (24 pages)
Ages 6 up
Download Details
Requires:
Acrobat Reader
Filename: 341.pdf
Filesize: 2.7 Mb
Download: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/341.pdf
source: kidsdomain
originally found at a comedy site: http://www.strangecult.com/pisser/sprocket.html
Cycle Smith'd in SLC
If I manage to screw my bicycle up beyond my own repair at the SLC Bicycle Collective, then I take a journey to the hills to the doors of Cyclesmith.On their website, they underline and boldly claim, "Our top priority is to send you out the door with a bike that works perfectly and that you enjoy riding."
..And they do. ..and if they don't? Then you take it back and they repair it until it works right at no additional fee beyond the base charge. (that is of course unless their are new parts involved..)
Fast turn around - I had a problem with my cables as they were too loose, and they fixed the problem and had me out the door on a fixed bike (not fixed gear, mind you) in 20 minutes.
They don't try to sell you a bunch of crap you don't need and really do focus on that top priority.
Salt Cycle rates it 4 out 5 salt shakers, only one less than 5 because of that damn-d-able hill you have to climb to get there.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
cycle tunes.
When riding, I enjoy listening to a certain selection of tunes. My favorite thus far? A very rare instrumental version of Fear Factory's Demanufacture/Zero Signal/Body Hammer from the game Carmageddon. Listen to it, download it, steal it, here. I am always looking for recommendations for fast and insanely great music to bike . My list thus far of bicycle music. I know there are a few anti-music whenever bicycling folks out in the Salt Valley, however, I generally am not much of one myself. (exception to this one being the wonderful and bright bicyclist who choose to wear full headphones that enclose the ear.) More rants on this topic over at the bike forum dot net.Writing of bicycling music, if anyone has any tunes for this months Pirate Theme Critical Mass they want me to play (try to stay with the Pirate theme), send me a link from sendspace.com or direct send them to thezoed@gmail.com ... or simply suggest them and I might be able to find them.
Ride on!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Electric Road Bicycle - Heavy, Costly, But Efficient.
-- http://www.jvbike.com/bikes/CRD_BionX.htm
I wonder when this technology will really 'make it' and become affordable?
amusing bike campaign video
"In all the ads, Christensen rides a bike and leads a crowd of other bikers, including an odd pairing: Democrat Anderson and Republican former U.S. Sen. Jake Garn, both of whom support Christensen's mayoral bid, riding together on a tandem bicycle. Anderson sits in front."
-http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695200230,00.html
Somehow, the spandex billboard and this video make me like Christensen even less. (Not that it matters much anymore as he is out of the running.) He acts like he leads the city in his bicycling efforts, and yet admitted that he doesn't commute on a bicycle to work and uses it mostly for recreation.
While the vision of the happy elves all joyfully riding their bicycle on quiet roads and over bridges is lovely, the story I ride in is a bit more realistic and deals with cars, cars, cars and more cars.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
SLC Pirate Critical Mass - September 28th 2007
Come be a pirate on a bicycle at the SLC Pirate Critical Mass ride! Whether you dress up as a Pirates of the Captain Jack Sparrow or as Captain Hook, the choice is yours. Whatever you choose, be creative and get ready to plunder the streets.
Here is a copy and paste link to share the above flier with friends, family and pirates:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/thezoed/slcpiratemass.jpg
Here is a flier to share with friends, family and pirates on the street (6 fliers per page):
http://thezoed.googlepages.com/slcbikepirprint.pdf
Salt Lake City Mayoral Candidates' Bicycles
Recently, mayoral candidates had the opportunity to answer questions from Cycling Utah about their commitment to bicycling community if they were to be elected (August 2007 Issue, pages 3-4, on their site here.). I thought it would be a nice addition to display what their bicycles would look like according to their answers and from how they have ran each of their campaigns.
Ralph Becker:
info: The wooden bicycle. While the blueprints haven't been completed, every effort to commute until they have been is being made two times a week.
Dave Buhler:
info: The tricycle. Who could ever get offended over a tricycle? Everyone likes the tricycle, and you should too. Except Rocky of course.
Keith Christensen:
info: The latest road bicycle model. not pictured: jersey. spandex. wedgies. if you must, see it at the Trax 4th south 200ish east Library stop, west of the SLCC college on the billboard.
J.P. Hughes:
info: What do you mean this isn't a bicycle? Bicycles, who needs them when you have swimming pools..
Jenny Wilson:
info: I was unable to obtain a bicycle model for Jenny. This is her fathers bicycle. He once was a mayor.. and apparently he rides bicycles too and that matters.. I think.
Ralph Becker:
info: The wooden bicycle. While the blueprints haven't been completed, every effort to commute until they have been is being made two times a week.Dave Buhler:
info: The tricycle. Who could ever get offended over a tricycle? Everyone likes the tricycle, and you should too. Except Rocky of course.Keith Christensen:
info: The latest road bicycle model. not pictured: jersey. spandex. wedgies. if you must, see it at the Trax 4th south 200ish east Library stop, west of the SLCC college on the billboard.J.P. Hughes:
info: What do you mean this isn't a bicycle? Bicycles, who needs them when you have swimming pools..Jenny Wilson:
info: I was unable to obtain a bicycle model for Jenny. This is her fathers bicycle. He once was a mayor.. and apparently he rides bicycles too and that matters.. I think.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Critical Mass: Put the Fun Between Your Legs
by Jeanette Moses [jeanette@slugmag.com]
September 2007
On the last Friday of every month, cyclists all over the world take to the streets in a loosely organized celebration/protest known as Critical Mass. Safety in numbers and promoting the idea that bikes are legitimate traffic are the two key statements Critical Mass makes. The number of participants varies from month to month, anywhere from 30-100; the route is never the same and there are no leaders. In fact, the only planned element is the cyclist’s meeting place and time––in Salt Lake it’s on the north side of the Gallivan Center around 5:30p.m.
I first saw flyers for Critical Mass around town about four years ago, but didn’t participate in the ride until a few months ago. I was hesitant to attend because I wasn’t a very active bike rider and my bike wasn’t my sole form of transportation. Thankfully, a handful of years later, I finally let go of my inhibitions about being heckled by “hardcore bike riders” for driving a car. It didn’t take long to realize that my fears had been unfounded.
The first Critical Mass, originally called the Commute Clot, was held in San Francisco in September 1992. The same year Ted White released Return of the Scorcher, a short film that explored the culture of bicycles and documented a phenomenon in China. Cyclists would pile up at intersections without lights and after a large group had compiled they would go through the intersection together. The phenomenon was called a Critical Mass, and early participants of the San Francisco ride decided to change the name of their event after seeing the film.
“I wasn’t around for Critical Mass when it hit Salt Lake City, but have been informed it dwindled in and out of Salt Lake in the late nineties and didn’t take hold until the new century,” Cory Bailey, a regular participant of Salt Lake City’s Critical Mass tells me. Bailey discovered Critical Mass after seeing stickers and flyers for it around town. Bailey can’t recall when he started riding in Critical Mass but says, “I feel like I have been riding in Critical Mass my whole life.” In addition to riding regularly in the event Bailey is the group’s self-appointed bike DJ. Bailey’s bike is equipped with an iPod shuffle turned into a stereo via computer speakers and a rechargeable battery unit. The makeshift boom box provides Critical Mass participants with a soundtrack for their ride¬, and Bailey is always taking requests.
On Friday July 27, I attended my second Critical Mass. I rode to the Gallivan Center with two of my friends and waited for the group of cyclists to assemble. When I’d participated the month before my roommate and I had barely made it. We pulled into the Gallivan Center right as Critical Mass was leaving and fell in towards the back of the group. This time around I was one of the first ones there. After about an hour, when a large number of bike riders had assembled and no more seemed to be trickling in, someone made a few announcements about rides coming up. Fundraisers being held for Marty Kasteler, an active bike rider who had been intentionally hit and nearly killed by a delivery truck earlier in the summer, were the main events discussed. After that the bikes took to the streets en masse.
Someone near the front of the pack of bicyclists picked a direction and everyone followed. As we began to overtake the lanes of the road, thus becoming traffic, old school hip-hop, punk rock and even some bad 90s music blasted from Bailey’s bike stereo. As we rode past lone bikers, participants of Critical Mass yelled, “Come ride with us.” Cars began to swerve around the bikes, sometimes attempting to pass the horde we had created in the opposite lane, but more often honking at us and looking annoyed. People on the streets asked us what the hell was going on as we rode past them.
Everyone participates in Critical Mass for different reasons and the event is promoted as a celebration. “I imagine a million different voices offer a million different messages. Critical Mass is an ‘organized coincidence’ it offers no single, unified statement,” Bailey says, “[The idea I hope to spread is] that it is good to ride your bike and that you can feel safe riding your bike.”
Riding as a group is an important aspect of Critical Mass which helps keep bike riders safe too. To prevent separation, a few cyclists will block traffic so anyone near the end of the pack will be able to make it through red lights and intersections. “[People] often feel that the cars are for the roadways and that everything else belongs on the sidewalk. We offer a friendly reminder that sometimes gets taken in an unfriendly way; we are not blocking traffic, we are traffic,” Bailey says.
Critical Mass avoids breaking the law by refusing to pin down an exact goal of the ride. It cannot technically be labeled as a protest and so the city needs no advance warning that it will occur. Although there is nothing illegal about riding bikes in a large group Critical Mass has still encountered some run-ins with police. “In cities where numbers have been large they [the police] have arrested, harassed and taken bicyclists’ bicycles. [The Salt Lake City police] have mostly chosen to ignore Critical Mass,” Bailey says, “However, I don’t think it is beneath the Salt Lake City police to do the same when there are greater numbers.” In July 1997 San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. attempted to map out a route for Critical Mass participants with the help of police escorts. Around 5,000 riders showed up and the monthly event turned disastrous. During the ride, police corned 250 bicyclists, arrested all of them and seized their bikes—no convictions were made and Critical Mass in San Francisco continued without police escorts.
Critical Mass is largely defined by its loose organization and that the only requirement is that you bring a bike. Those two factors make it very inclusive and allow riders to make the ride their own. “We come from all different walks of life, but when we ride together in Critical Mass we become close to each other and empowered,” Bailey says.
If you own a bike and know how to ride it, it’s high time that you attend Critical Mass. The ride occurs the last Friday of every month, no matter what the weather conditions, at the Gallivan Center around 5:30p.m. Get out of your house, cut the leash from your car and go do something you won’t regret.
taken from: Slug Magazine 225 Sep 2007 Issue http://slugmag.com/article.php?id=1039
September 2007
On the last Friday of every month, cyclists all over the world take to the streets in a loosely organized celebration/protest known as Critical Mass. Safety in numbers and promoting the idea that bikes are legitimate traffic are the two key statements Critical Mass makes. The number of participants varies from month to month, anywhere from 30-100; the route is never the same and there are no leaders. In fact, the only planned element is the cyclist’s meeting place and time––in Salt Lake it’s on the north side of the Gallivan Center around 5:30p.m.
I first saw flyers for Critical Mass around town about four years ago, but didn’t participate in the ride until a few months ago. I was hesitant to attend because I wasn’t a very active bike rider and my bike wasn’t my sole form of transportation. Thankfully, a handful of years later, I finally let go of my inhibitions about being heckled by “hardcore bike riders” for driving a car. It didn’t take long to realize that my fears had been unfounded.
The first Critical Mass, originally called the Commute Clot, was held in San Francisco in September 1992. The same year Ted White released Return of the Scorcher, a short film that explored the culture of bicycles and documented a phenomenon in China. Cyclists would pile up at intersections without lights and after a large group had compiled they would go through the intersection together. The phenomenon was called a Critical Mass, and early participants of the San Francisco ride decided to change the name of their event after seeing the film.
“I wasn’t around for Critical Mass when it hit Salt Lake City, but have been informed it dwindled in and out of Salt Lake in the late nineties and didn’t take hold until the new century,” Cory Bailey, a regular participant of Salt Lake City’s Critical Mass tells me. Bailey discovered Critical Mass after seeing stickers and flyers for it around town. Bailey can’t recall when he started riding in Critical Mass but says, “I feel like I have been riding in Critical Mass my whole life.” In addition to riding regularly in the event Bailey is the group’s self-appointed bike DJ. Bailey’s bike is equipped with an iPod shuffle turned into a stereo via computer speakers and a rechargeable battery unit. The makeshift boom box provides Critical Mass participants with a soundtrack for their ride¬, and Bailey is always taking requests.
On Friday July 27, I attended my second Critical Mass. I rode to the Gallivan Center with two of my friends and waited for the group of cyclists to assemble. When I’d participated the month before my roommate and I had barely made it. We pulled into the Gallivan Center right as Critical Mass was leaving and fell in towards the back of the group. This time around I was one of the first ones there. After about an hour, when a large number of bike riders had assembled and no more seemed to be trickling in, someone made a few announcements about rides coming up. Fundraisers being held for Marty Kasteler, an active bike rider who had been intentionally hit and nearly killed by a delivery truck earlier in the summer, were the main events discussed. After that the bikes took to the streets en masse.
Someone near the front of the pack of bicyclists picked a direction and everyone followed. As we began to overtake the lanes of the road, thus becoming traffic, old school hip-hop, punk rock and even some bad 90s music blasted from Bailey’s bike stereo. As we rode past lone bikers, participants of Critical Mass yelled, “Come ride with us.” Cars began to swerve around the bikes, sometimes attempting to pass the horde we had created in the opposite lane, but more often honking at us and looking annoyed. People on the streets asked us what the hell was going on as we rode past them.
Everyone participates in Critical Mass for different reasons and the event is promoted as a celebration. “I imagine a million different voices offer a million different messages. Critical Mass is an ‘organized coincidence’ it offers no single, unified statement,” Bailey says, “[The idea I hope to spread is] that it is good to ride your bike and that you can feel safe riding your bike.”
Riding as a group is an important aspect of Critical Mass which helps keep bike riders safe too. To prevent separation, a few cyclists will block traffic so anyone near the end of the pack will be able to make it through red lights and intersections. “[People] often feel that the cars are for the roadways and that everything else belongs on the sidewalk. We offer a friendly reminder that sometimes gets taken in an unfriendly way; we are not blocking traffic, we are traffic,” Bailey says.
Critical Mass avoids breaking the law by refusing to pin down an exact goal of the ride. It cannot technically be labeled as a protest and so the city needs no advance warning that it will occur. Although there is nothing illegal about riding bikes in a large group Critical Mass has still encountered some run-ins with police. “In cities where numbers have been large they [the police] have arrested, harassed and taken bicyclists’ bicycles. [The Salt Lake City police] have mostly chosen to ignore Critical Mass,” Bailey says, “However, I don’t think it is beneath the Salt Lake City police to do the same when there are greater numbers.” In July 1997 San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. attempted to map out a route for Critical Mass participants with the help of police escorts. Around 5,000 riders showed up and the monthly event turned disastrous. During the ride, police corned 250 bicyclists, arrested all of them and seized their bikes—no convictions were made and Critical Mass in San Francisco continued without police escorts.
Critical Mass is largely defined by its loose organization and that the only requirement is that you bring a bike. Those two factors make it very inclusive and allow riders to make the ride their own. “We come from all different walks of life, but when we ride together in Critical Mass we become close to each other and empowered,” Bailey says.
If you own a bike and know how to ride it, it’s high time that you attend Critical Mass. The ride occurs the last Friday of every month, no matter what the weather conditions, at the Gallivan Center around 5:30p.m. Get out of your house, cut the leash from your car and go do something you won’t regret.
taken from: Slug Magazine 225 Sep 2007 Issue http://slugmag.com/article.php?id=1039
Midnight Mass Avast Ye Pirates!
Inspired by the Midnight Ridazz and in celebration of Talk Like A Pirate Day, I am going to dress up as bike pirate for Midnight Mass.
I am not asking anyone to talk like one tho.. just sport an eye patch or ratty shirt for the cause.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
tweak this page.
I am updating and tweaking out the webpage. Lots of new exciting features in a moment or two - I am going to make sure all my links are local. After all you came here for the Salt Lake Experience right? Good. Because I am ready to provide it. Ideas taken on content. That calendar is around here somewhere.. look for it.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
3,2,1 Spand-off!
Protest arise from the Salt Lake City bicyclist roadites wearing tight form fitting spandex.Get the City Weekly story here.
Forget spandex, I prefer to bike nude.
anyone else want to start a nude bicycling event in SLC?
(this story is old, june two 'o seven, but i figure if i didn't catch it, then you might have not caught it either. so catch my diseasestory and carry on with your life.)
Monday, September 3, 2007
The Night Rider Vs. The VA
While the city sleeps the night rider rides facing the challenge before them in the wake of barren streets. You may have seen them and wonder in awe, "What the hell is that person doing riding their bike at one in the morning?" To which the Night Rider doesn't reply for they are too busy preparing for the battle with the VA. The VA, a retired route that not very many bicycles traverse on daily basis. Like the battle hardened soldier, if you aren't careful this route has the misfortunate of destroying your innards. I rode this route around 1 am and was unpleasantly shocked on the grade. I am not good at grading, but I know this one was steep as my legs slowed to crawl climbing upward. V, or as many know her as Virginia, acts as transport from the Salt Lake City Avenues to the rich and the well off area of Salt Lake City. Virginia nearly took me off my bicycle, but I endured and climbed all the way to one the trail heads of the Bonneville Shorline. A speechless view of glimmering lights, glowing city presented itself to me so as it exhaled its wonder, I inhaled it and took a breather from the sweat ridden ride. Downhill is always fun. Many cyclist complain about the uphill and its various levels of suck, but few can deny the relief of rocketing down the Salt Lake City wide streets with the sweat flying from their drenched frame. I too, enjoy a good downhill. However, I am for earning the rights to the downhill.
What I earned was a very twisty windy downhill ride jamming on my brakes. One of those rides where you are most grateful to the John Harringtons' for inventing a brake. Couldn't even imagine trying it on a brakeless fixed gear. But who is to judge without the trial of taking up the fixie?
On South Temple, I decided to face the 'A'. 'A' street has been voted by SLC Weekly as, "Most Likely Place In They City Where Your Car Will Brake Down".
Stupid is fun, so I gave it a whirl, and it wasn't as hard as I remember. It was one of those, 'man when I was kid that really was five times as large' moments. After defeating VA, I rode home enjoying the empty streets and bright city.
At those late hours I find myself from time to time thinking of bicyclist like Marty. It is frightening to think some people out there would do such acts. It solidifies it more so when I am riding at the middle of the night. I offer the advice that I have created for myself while riding at night:
Be even more cautious about oncoming traffic at night. erratic driving, etc. On that same point - get in the habit of memorizing license plates from oncoming traffic.
Not everyone can be a Night Rider. Some of us work early morning shifts. However, if you have some late night trails you would like to suggest, drop a line. I am always open to new bicycle rides. I will leave you with this one:
Midnight Mass
The First Friday of Every Month at Midnight at Gallivan Center
Bicycle Ride Bring Bike Lights Front And Back.
reclaim the streets
Into freakin' my bike out, spray painting my helmet, blaring a bike stereo and most of all riding at late hours into the night on the streets of SLC. I ride for the thrill of the ride, and while I enjoy pushing myself, pressing spandex against my butt cheeks and riding the latest model just doesn't get me going.
Its time to sprinkle salt and spread the wealth so that bicycling in Salt Lake City so that a bicycle becomes a viable alternative to the automobile. To realize our rights - our right to the roadways, our rights to alternatives to the automobile, our rights to a system that will not only operate with these in mind, but encourage and bolster them up.
Its time to reclaim the streets.
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