Posts from — June 2008

Multiple sources — from bike shops to news sources to anecdotal observation — suggests that bicycling is way up in response to heinous gasoline prices. I suspect this means that people who don’t normally ride much are coming out.

If I could give them a few tips, here are the things I would put into place as need-to-knows:

1. Learn to change a tire. This is a simple and necessary skill if you’re going to be riding regularly, and it’s pretty dire to blow a tire and not have the equipment or the skill to fix it. Then you’re stuck roadside hoping that a nice person comes by who has all of the above, or looking for a phone-a-friend. When commuting, this can be especially rough.

   The equipment needed? A spare tube that fits your tires, a set of tire irons/levers, and a pump that fits your tubes. Many compact frame pumps exist, some better than others. You might also carry along some handi-wipes for post-change clean up; I generally appropriate mine at gas stations and/or Famous Dave’s.

   There are many good online resources to find out how to fix a bicycle flat, else many bike shops are happy to show you how. If you have a bike geek friend, buy them a refreshing beverage in exchange for a lesson. And practice!

2. Get a light set. Whether it’s a flat tire or something unexpected, you never know when twilight is going to overlap your ride. Light sets can be had far more cheaply than medical care because someone couldn’t see you.

   For bonus points, go to a boat/car place and find reflective decal tape. (I find boat places have the best stuff.) Cut strips of this and attach it to your pedal arm (the bit that attaches your pedal to the cogs) and to your wheel rims. This gives you awesome side-on reflectivity - lights really help most with front and back visibility, and side-on is also a good thing.

3. Check your bike for road worthiness before you go out - every time. The ABC Quick Check is a good drill, and fast.
4. Don’t blow stop signs, lights, etc. Traffic rules apply to you, too.
5. Learn to ride on the road, and ride properly. Go with the flow of traffic, and always position yourself to the right side of the right-most lane that leads to your destination. The LAB has a fine page on road rules that is worth a read.
6. Wear a helmet. Sure, some will argue that a helmet won’t protect from all injury. Neither will a seatbelt or an airbag, but they’re good ideas in an automobile. Brain injury can be a really awful thing. Sure, you might be in a wheelchair after an accident, but will your brain work, or will you have a tube in your nose and constant supervision because you scrambled your eggs?

I’m sure there’s more I could say, but these are really the basics. Urging road confidence and lane positioning is scary enough for some, after all. But bikes really do fare best when they behave as vehicles and share the road according to traffic rules, applicable laws, and common sense behaviors. By following common traffic rules, cars can predict your behavior and know where you will be, and then can follow rules of the road that apply to them in regards to you, such as leaving a 3-foot zone between you and them when they pass you.

Minneapolis is hosting an open house tonight (June 18) to seek comments on the bicycle master plan.

I don’t believe a copy is online, but they will be providing details during the open house. Again, that’s taking place Wednesday, June 18, 2008, from 4:30 p.m – 8:00 p.m in room 319 of Minneapolis City Hall, 350 S. Fifth St., Minneapolis.

Further information on bicycling in Minneapolis can be found on the Bicycling in Minneapolis page of the city web site.

Under transportation legislation passed in Minnesota during the past session, driver education will now require would-be motorists to learn their responsibilities towards bicycles and other slow-moving vehicles.

Text can be found in HF No. 3827.

The exact nature of how this will be executed will be interesting to watch.

Today, the MN43 bridge over the Mississippi River in Winona re-opens. As previously reported, no bicycles or pedestrians will be allowed, upon pain of… something.

There IS an update on that:

Pedestrians and bicyclists are also restricted from crossing, but a cab service will be available for 75 cents per person each way.

So, these cabs… have bicycle racks?
I’ll believe it when I see it.

Per the MN DOT, the Highway 43 bridge over the Mississippi River in Winona is going to re-open.

But, mysteriously, they’re not allowing bicycles. Per the Star-Tribune:

Judy Bodway, assistant city manager for economic development, said state transportation officials decided that the bridge will reopen Saturday at 8 a.m. to passenger vehicles but not commercial trucks, pedestrians or bicycles. Also, no vehicles can be pulling trailers, even to transport boats.

This does include pickups. It would kind of have to in that area, else the reopening to traffic would be laughable. Everyone and their dog owns a pickup down there, it seems.

Because, yeah, those pedestrians and bicycles? The straw that will break the gusset plate’s back!

They do claim the continued closure to pedestrians and bicyclists is because that part of the bridge needs repair. Uh, what? This can’t just be the gusset plates, which means it probably needed it before the closure, huh?

Bodway said the bicycle and pedestrian traffic remains banned because improvements are needed on that part of the bridge.

MNDOT and Winona are looking for options for pedestrians and bicyclists, although the ferry service will end June 20. Beyond the gusset plate work, they plan to replace the sidewalks.

Which still doesn’t explain to me the bicycle ban, since sidewalks are for pedestrians. But, whatever. I don’t know what enforcement is going to be in place and plan to check it out later this month when I’m in Winona to scout WOW routes.