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Devo — Developing a love of cycling in children

Stubborn Wrench has been holding some basic bike classes/events for kids and families.

Devo

Original article here: Mountain Biking Devo.

From what I’ve heard, this has been a lot of fun for kids and parents.

This is their schedule/location for the last two events:

  1. Monday 30 June: at the Georgie K. Fitch Park Pump Track on Balcones Street in College Station (behind the Ringer Library) at 6:30pm
  2. Friday 4 July: cookout at HENSEL PARK (not Millican Reserve!) at 6:30pm. We’ll bring charcoal and some hot dogs; feel free to bring something to grill or share!

If you are interested in participating, send Kim Topp (kim.topp@gmail.com) a note!

When someone has a fall

In my post on Leading a Ride, I mentioned you should keep an eagle eye on someone who’s taken a fall and see to it that they get home safely.

I wrote that remembering an organized ride in which I was injured, then separated from my friends. I made my way to a rest stop and medical area safely, then managed to faint in front of the medical guy. I got sent back to the ride start on SAG support.

We hadn’t planned out what to do if someone had an accident in advance. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that I got separated. But it was scary to be separated from my friends when I was feeling shaky.

Today, another friend posted this story of tragic consequences when someone was hurt on a ride and went off by himself.

Be a friend. Be a leader. If someone is hurt, stay with them and make sure they get home safely.

Another cyclist dies along Highway 21

Sad news to report today – The Eagle has reported that another bicyclist has died from injuries after being hit by a pickup truck along San Jacinto Way, also known as Highway 21.

At the Bryan/College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting earlier this month, one of the items provided to attendants was a map of accidents and fatalities in the Bryan/College Station area. Highway 21 stood out as a major problem in that regard, with 5 bicycle or pedestrian accidents over the previous five years, plus two fatal car accidents.

This raises several important questions:

1. Why so many accidents along this stretch?
2. What can, and should, be done to reverse this trend?

Sunday Ride

We did the Weedon Loop this morning, heading out from the Shellron, aka Shell station that used to be a Chevron at Highway 6 and Highway 30 across from the mall, out Elmo Weedon and then around.

One of our riders spotted a dead snake on the way out, and another is a herpetologist.

How many bike rides do you know that will reroute and then stop to investigate a dead snake? It was a nonpoisonous one, a king snake, if I remember correctly. Pretty dried out.

I will spare you photographic evidence.

Leading a Ride

A friend was over tonight, and the topic of what do you have to do to lead a ride showed up. What does it mean to take responsibility for a group?

It means this:

  1. You make an informative post about your ride. Include
    • Distance and speed
    • equipment requirements like a helmet, flat change kit, lights.

    Though, goodness knows, sometimes I forget to mention some of these things.

  2. If you can’t handle minor emergencies like flat tires yourself and help others to do so, you state this up front and have a plan B.
  3. You show up for the ride….
  4. On time or close.
  5. You have some route ideas in mind.
  6. You say hello to people.
  7. You encourage others to do the same.
  8. You will extend normal assistance and courtesies to the other riders.

I generally try not to drop people, but that said, if I’m planning a 15 mph ride and say so and someone can’t keep up, I’ll let them know early so they can head home, or go off on their own ride.

The most common thing to go wrong is mechanical issues. It’s good to know how to change a flat, if nothing else. But even if you don’t, if you’ve got a plan for dealing with these everyday emergencies, that should work with a group too.

In the last 12 years of riding, I’ve seen a few crashes and accidents. Most of the time, it has been minor injuries and all parties have ridden home. Let me give some advice here. If someone does have a crash, do keep an eagle eye on them, and I think someone should ride home with them to make sure they arrive safely. That’s just human decency, isn’t it?

I think maybe once someone was injured and that person him/herself called for a ride home.

I remember one time that someone got hurt at the Flagpole ride. This was a new rider, unknown to all of us. I volunteered to help. I had to call a friend to come get me and the injured rider, because his wife didn’t pick up the phone. I wasn’t going to leave him sitting alone in urgent care, and so I stayed with the injured rider. We got ahold of his wife before he was released, and she came and picked him up. I did miss my ride that day, and that doesn’t bother me a bit. I think I had a more important job to do.

Another common minor emergency is that someone forgets something like money or food. $5 has been passed around on many a ride.

Being a ride leader really isn’t tough. It does take some planning, but beyond that, it’s about being a human being to the other human beings around you. Surely we are all capable of doing that.

Advocacy Alert: Tell the US DOT to improve bike/ped safety goals

Motor vehicle crashes come at a huge cost to Americans, according to a study recently released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What can we do about it? For one thing, contact the US Department of Transportation, and ask them to establish a goal, with some system of accountability, to make attempts to reduce the 16% of all fatal crashes that include people who walk and bike. The comment period ends June 30 – please speak up today. Here’s the Action Alert from BikeTexas.

GhostBike

A new way to mow the lawn?

There’s a classic picture of a bike where the front wheel has been replaced by a push mower. Looks cute, but is it practical? Hard to say. In the meantime, these guys have come up with another option, the Mow Cycle:

recumbent lawnmower bicycle

Do you think we’ll see any of these on Texas lawns anytime soon? Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “riding lawnmower.”

Monday Social Ride

The Monday Social Ride has been going strong for at least 12 years, since I moved to College Station in 2002.  I still remember my first social ride.  This was before the days of Google Maps on the phone, and I was terrified of getting lost and separated from the group.  I stuck behind the group leader like a burr, and I paid careful attention to how we’d gone in case I needed to retrace my steps.

I didn’t need to fear, I wasn’t dropped, but the next week the previous ride leader couldn’t make it.  Someone else needed to take over.  I said I thought I could remember most of the route if someone would help me.  I’ve been the unofficial “Fearless Leader” ever since.  🙂  It’s been an awesome Monday night journey; I’ve met a lot of people on the ride.

Monday Social Riders

Happy Cyclists at the Monday Social ride

 

If you get a chance, come out and join us. Beginners welcome, faster people will need to slow down to make the pace comfortable for everyone to ride and talk. Think: recovery ride. No fancy bike is required.

Here are the ride details.

Departure: 6 pm Monday
Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5881835 or http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4684741
Distance: ~20 usually, but the short route is ~15 if needed.
Meeting place: TAMUs Research Park, on Technology Loop, nearest shade to the south bridge by the duck pond. Free car parking available.
Pace: Suitable for beginners, no-drop.
Required items: helmets, flat change kit, water; lights when it gets dark earlier
Strongly suggested: headlights, taillights, food, cell phone

Best,

Jean Marie

Monday Mountain Biking DEVO

The fine ladies over at the Stubborn Wrench have been hosting DEVO rides during the month of June, for K-12 kids, but also kids of all ages, who want to learn more about the awesome sport of mountain biking. They’ve been riding in the grass and on a new set of trails in Hensel Park, right off of College Ave. If this sounds like a good time, they’re extending the invitation, to YOU – just plan on arriving 10 minutes early to sign a waiver.

The DEVO rides happen every Monday and Friday from 6:30-7:30 pm.

Great group at this Monday's DEVO ride!

Great group at this Monday’s DEVO ride!

Tips for riding in the summer heat

Summer heat can make bicycling uncomfortable, if not dangerous. Below are some common-sense suggestions for coping with summer weather.

Plan. Plan trips well ahead of time, and give yourself enough time to ride and recover. Know how long you can comfortably stay outside and therefore how far you can safely ride (generally under an hour; ideally under 30 minutes). Select routes that allow you to keep moving with fewer or shorter stops. Try to locate and follow shaded routes, or routes traveling through cooler areas. Check for public stores, malls, or other potential cooling points along your route. Make agreements with family members or friends to be on-call for emergency rides in the event they are needed.

Acclimate. Start out riding slowly and avoid the hottest parts of the day (10 am to 4 pm). If you’re just getting started with commuting by bicycle, you might want to make the switch gradually instead of trying to dive in during the summer heat. Dress strategically: consider whether dry-wicking clothing and sunscreen work best for you, or if you’d prefer light, loose, long-sleeved cotton for sun coverage.

Hydrate. Drink lots of water before, during, and after riding, beginning up to a day ahead of your ride. Always carry plenty of water and don’t be afraid to ask businesses to refill water bottles. If you wait until you’re thirsty, you are usually not drinking enough and it may already be too late to avoid heat exhaustion. A good indicator of good hydration is the need to urinate once an hour.

Avoid Heat Exhaustion. Learn to recognize your body’s signs of heat exhaustion, which are similar to signs of fever. Initial signs can be subtle, so know them and pay attention. At the first signs of heat exhaustion: back off. Relax your pace, and increase your fluid intake, especially if you have stopped feeling thirsty. If you do not recover within 10-20 minutes, immediately find air conditioning or shade, and be prepared to call 911. Heat stroke can occur quickly and it is potentially fatal, so don’t try to tough it out, even if you only need to travel a short remaining distance. Lastly, if you get a flat tire or have mechanical problems, be sure to seek out shade or a place indoors for repairs.