Ride Boldly!

Been pretty busy lately, but as the (first) thaw gets underway, there are goings on here in the tundra and elsewhere.

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 [...]

At present, two Traffic Skills 101 courses – the course formerly known as Road I – are scheduled in Minnesota in the coming months. This course is the League of American Bicyclists’ trusted bicycle safety curriculum, taught by trained and certified cycling instructors. Courses are intended for those who know how to operate a bicycle, [...]

Two quick notes:

Registration for the League of American Bicyclists’ National Rally, which is being held in conjunction with TCBC’s Weekend on Wheels, is now open: WOW2009 Registration
The aforementioned event is to include a League Traffic Skills 101 course in Winona, Minnesota, on Friday, July 31, 2009.

The TS101 course will be listed on the League web [...]

The Twin Cities Bicycling Club has announced the 2009 Weekend on Wheels event. This year’s event will again be in Winona, Minnesota, and is scheduled for July 31, August 1 and August 2, 2009.
One special thing about this year’s event is that it will be the partner for the League of American Bicyclists National Rally [...]

There is apparently controversy about the construction/repair of the bicycle/pedestrian crossing of MN43 across the river at Winona!
Apparently, MNDOT is using creosote-treated wood for the crossing. Exposure to creosote can cause irritation of the skin, and eating it is an especially bad plan.
MNDOT points out that it’s a river crossing, so metal is a [...]

They have finally started work on the sidewalk on the MN43 bridge in Winona, hoping for favorable weather to complete the project by October.
Signage still says bikes are legally unwelcome on the bridge. However, enforcement seems lax – when I’ve been in Winona, I did see some cyclists using the roadway. MN43 is a 4-lane [...]