• The Winona Bridge, about which I have written a billion times following its brief closure in Summer 2008, is now scheduled for ‘rehabilitation’ in 2014. Everyone gets to take their chances on this fracture-critical structure until then.

• A Complete Streets bill is under consideration in Minnesota. I recommend against even going NEAR the comments on the linked article, as they are full of standard-issue hatred of bicyclists and the same tired arguments about licensing, taxes, and etc. that we have heard many times before.
• City of St. Paul is starting pothole patching this week. Hooray. I think we’ve all encountered a few doozies lately. MPR’s user-driven pothole map is pretty epic.
• The National Bicycle Summit is next week in Washington DC. I’ll be there! Watch this space for coverage of the sessions, plus I’ll also provide a summary of the bills we’re advocating for on Capitol Hill – the Active Community Transportation Act of 2010, the federal Complete Streets bill, the Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act and the reauthorization of Safe Routes to School.

But cycling safety goes beyond those issues. Taking care of YOURSELF is also core to cycling safety, especially on sweltering summer days like the one we’re having today here in Minnesota.

There are a number of considerations:

• Hydration. If you don’t hydrate, you can lose concentration. This can be dangerous. When it’s especially hot, you’re going to sweat more (more on that later), and thus you need to intake more. Plain old water is your friend, as are drinks with electrolytes. I personally like to take sport drink and mix it halvsies with water to make it less sweet, but still get sodium and potassium.
• Nutrition. I can’t tell you how many people trying to use cycling as weight control I’ve seen bonk because they’re trying to dodge taking in calories. You can balance the two and output more than you input, but your body needs glycogen to break into fat stores, which requires a bit of a quick-hit input. You also need, as mentioned, potassium and sodium. Water and low-calorie ‘sports drink’ alone may not be sufficient. When you bonk, this can be unsafe.<.li>
• Sunscreen. Look, skin cancer is no fun. I spent part of last weekend just wincing watching people ride by shirtless, and it was clear that the chest on display hadn’t seen sun in YEARS and if you held a piece of white printer paper up next to it, it’d blend. This just yells ‘ouch.’ Sunburn can raise your body temperature, and is skin damage. A generic sport sunscreen, reapplied regularly, is a fine thing.
• Moderation. Maybe the day with a 101 heat index isn’t a good day to do hill repeats. Moving your workout to dawn and dusk, outside the day’s heat and most direct sun, is a good start. Consider easier workouts, as hot weather can stress the heart, create air quality issues that stress the lungs, and stress your body’s ability to regulate temperature. Sweat is the body’s way of reducing temperature – you sweat, it evaporates on your skin, you cool. But if heat index is greater than standard body temperature, the evaporation step may be missing. Be aware of your body’s response to heat!

There are other considerations for heat, as well. Check your tire pressure, as temperature changes can impact the inflation of your tires. Beware of pavement tar strips intended to fix cracks, as they are treacherous when hot. Find a shady route. Or consider cross-training: A pool workout can build your upper-body core, all while being in delightful and refreshing water.

Being well is a first step to being safe. Never undervalue your own health in the safety equation!

This year? The only part of the sidepaths I’ve seen plowed appear to have been cleared by neighboring property owners.

My suspicion, which I have yet to confirm, is this is one way to help deal with budget shortfalls and an anticipated drop in state aid to communities.

Given that Minneapolis is doomed to be especially impacted by the drop in state aid, I wonder if we’re looking at the end of the regular clearance of commuter byways such as the Midtown Greenway?

HI-MN will be distributing it via local book shops shortly, and it’ll also be available at the Minnesota Ironman Bicycle Ride on April 27. Note for those who have not done the ride previously that this is not an Ironman like a triathlon – it’s Ironman like ‘are you ready for a long freakin’ ride at the end of April when the weather could be agony or ecstasy?’ Last year’s weather was perfect, although it was the first time in 10 years I didn’t attend – I had gotten married the day before and wearing heels on grassy lawns all day did a real number on my calves. We can only hope for such weather this year, although once again I shan’t be riding, only volunteering.

Forecast calls for an urban ride, which means fairly flat, with a rest stop at either Liberty Frozen Custard (flavors of the day: Fool’s Gold and Lemon, with apple cider shakes as a monthly special), or the Pump House Creamery.

Yummy.

Winter riding is achievable for most people who regularly ride. It may not be the best introduction to bicycle commuting, which is another reason starting in the fall is a better idea. Riding through the winter achieves a fitness that your friends will envy come spring, and despite the initial investment that may be needed in gear, saves considerable money compared to the current price of gas!

To effectively commute in a Minnesota winter, there are some basic requirements:

1. Warm clothes, preferably made of warm-yet-lightweight fibers for ease of movement. Some experimentation ends up necessary, because most people overestimate how much clothing they’ll need while riding. Riding keeps you warm! Bright colors are also a good idea, as always, to increase visibility.
2. Appropriate shoes. While many bikers use clipless pedals and cleated shoes in summer, in winter this can be more problematic. At the very least, a good mountain cleated system is required (like a Crank Brothers Eggbeater, designed to shed mud); else, switching to platform pedals with toe clips allows for a wider range of shoe choice for cold weather and sock-layering purposes.
3. A good lightset – both a front headlight and a rear ‘blinkie.’ I recommend finding lights that can be recharged or use rechargeable batteries for cost-effectiveness. Note that Minnesota Bicycle Law (169.222) requires a white headlight with at least 500 feet of visibility for the front of the bicycle, and a red rear reflector visible from 100-600 feet behind (inclusive).
4. Good reflective additions to the bike. Lightsets provide front-back visibility. Adding marine-grade reflective tape to wheel rims and to pedal cranks helps provide side-on visibility. Because these parts also move (wheels spin, pedal cranks spin), it increases the visibility factor.
5. Appropriate tires. Skinny tires are nice on clean pavement, but who sees that in a Minneapolis winter? Cyclocross tires on road bikes, or knobbier tires on hybrids or mountain bikes, are useful in winter, and easier to change with gloved/cold hands in the event of flats. Some bicycle brakes may need modifications to accept these tires.
6. A route. Keep in mind that a route that works in spring-summer-fall may not work in winter. As it starts to snow, you’ll learn the plowing patterns more quickly. Some roads with sidepaths get sidepath plowing that is often quicker (and more effective) than the roadway plowing, although sidepaths still have their issues from a safety perspective. In Minneapolis, the Midtown Greenway gets plowed all winter. The Gateway Trail, however, gets groomed for XC skiing. Over time, by amassing a variety of routes, you’ll be ready for whatever happens and whatever you discover about the plowing patterns.

I also think, if one isn’t already cycle-commuting, getting started in fall helps with the lung issues. Winter air is colder, and harder on lungs than warm summer air. Developing the capacity and endurance over time, and as the air cools gradually, is better than jumping straight into breathing the cold air straightaway.

Bummer for bikers.

Info and updates are at the Minnesota DNR site.