Cycling Tips & Stories-MoBikeFed

Exercise helps preserve mental acuity

2010-01-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

A study of older men and women--ages 70-79--found a rather striking correlation between the lack of physical activity and mental decline:

. . . a sedentary lifestyle may hasten cognitive decline. . . .
Conversely, simple activity -- walking 20 to 30 minutes daily -- appears to be protective, according to Deborah E. Barnes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco . . .

"What we have learned from this trial is that physical activity is important for older individuals," said William Thies, PhD, chief medical officer for the Alzheimer's Association, who commented on Dr. Barnes' study. "It doesn't mean you have to go to the gym and work out -- unless you want to do that. It just means getting more activity --as simple as walking to your neighborhood restaurant instead of driving there."

The 61 year old farmer who won a 544 mile endurance race

2010-01-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

This post from the Elite Feet blog tells the story of the 61 year old farmer who showed up at Australia's Sydney-Melbourne endurance race (544 miles) and ended up taking first place over a field of elite runners:

In 1983, a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone's shock, Cliff wasn't a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners. . . .

Eventually Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. To everyone's disbelief, he claimed he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.

Cliff kept running. Each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of the young, world-class athletes. He was the first competitor to cross the finish line and he set a new course record. . . .

Today, the "Young-shuffle" has been adopted by ultra-marathon runners because it is considered more energy-efficient. At least three champions of the Sydney to Melbourne race have used the shuffle to win the race. Furthermore, during the Sydney to Melbourne race, modern competitors do not sleep. Winning the race requires runners to go all night as well as all day, just like Cliff Young.

Read more about Young's story on the Elite Feet blog.

Below are a couple of videos showing Young's running style and telling his story:

Bicycle joke of the day . . .

2010-01-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

How about starting the new year out with a really bad bicycle joke:

It had been a quiet night at the local bar so far, but then the door was thrown open and an Interstate highway strode in.

"I'm an Inter- state highway," he declared. "I stretch from coast to coast and have at least four lanes, shoulders, and a median almost my entire length. I have the highest speed limit of any highway. I'm the best of the highways, and I'm afraid of no highway and no road."

He then strode up to the bar, ordered a beer, and began drinking it, while looking around.

A short time later, a four-lane highway came in, went to the end of the bar, and ordered a beer.

The Interstate looked him over and walked over to him. "I'm an Interstate highway," he declared. "I stretch from coast to coast and have at least four lanes, shoulders, and a median almost my entire length. I have the highest speed limit of any highway. I'm the best of the highways, and I'm not afraid of you."

The four-lane highway said "I agree that you're the best. I don't want any trouble with you. Let me buy you a beer", and he did. They drank their beers and discussed their engineering specifications.

After a half hour, the door opened again and a two-lane road came in, went to the other end of the bar, and ordered a beer.

The Interstate looked him over and told the four-lane highway that he had to take care of the new arrival. He walked over to the two-lane road and said "I'm an Interstate highway. I stretch from coast to coast and have at least four lanes, shoulders, and a median almost my entire length. I have the highest speed limit of any highway. I'm the best of the highways, and I'm not afraid of you."

The two-lane road quivered a bit and said "You're absolutely right. You are the best of the highways. I'm just a lowly two-lane road. I don't want any trouble. Can I buy beers for you and the four-lane highway?"

The Interstate motioned the four-lane highway to come over, the two-lane road bought beers for each of them, and the three of them drank their beers and discussed the merits of various paving materials.

After another half hour, the door opened again and a strip of asphalt about eight feet wide came in. The Interstate highway ducked behind the bar and hid there quivering quietly.

The bartender was shocked.

After serving the asphalt strip, he walked over to where the Interstate was hiding. "I watched you stand up to the four-lane highway and the two-lane road. You said you weren't afraid of any highway or road. Why are you hiding from that little asphalt strip?"

The Interstate replied quietly, "It's true that I'm not afraid of any highway or road, but he's a cycle path."

More bicycle jokes here.

Bicycles as the disruptive technology of the 1880s

2009-12-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

This New York Times article from 1881 gives an interesting insight into what happened in the 1880s as bicycles came to be more commonly used on city streets:

TESTIMONY IN THE BICYCLE CASE

The taking of evidence in the bicycle case was resumed yesterday by Referee Parris. Mr. Townsend was present to represent the Corporation Counsel, and Messrs. Wetmore and Thompson appeared for the bicyclists. Charles A. Cushman, of No. 419 West Nineteenth-street, testified that on June 12 last he was driving with a young lady in a top buggy at Madison, N. J. A bicycle suddenly appeared, and, the horse taking fright, overturned the buggy, and the young lady was painfully cut on the head. Nathaniel Higgins, the proprietor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, testified that about one.year ago he was driving a. usually quiet span of horses along St. Nicholas-avenue. The horses took fright at a bicycle, and ran two or three blocks before he could control them. Some time afterward he was driving one of the same horses, and as he was turning out of Central Park to go up St. Nicholas-avenue, three bicycles came suddenly into view from behind one of the big advertising signs in the neighborhood. The horse turned around quickly and drew the vehicle up on the sidewalk. The counsel for the bicyclists said, at the conclusions of this witness's testimony, that they might deem it necessary to go to Boston to take testimony in their behalf, but the question was not definitely settled. The hearing was then adjourned to the 9th inst. at 11 A. M.

The regular bicycle of the time would have been the penny-farthing or "high wheeler". Safety bicycles--with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive--were first invented in the early 1880s but didn't become the dominant type of bicycle in everyday use until about 1890. The pneumatic tire was invented in 1888.

The photo below, from Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri, shows the Kansas City Bicycle Club from about this same time period. More historical photos of the Kansas City Bicycle Club are available in their online archives.

Cycling in the city . . .

2009-12-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

Nice bicycling music video for your weekend:

(Direct link.)

Bicyclist Peter Herschend named to Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

2009-12-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

Bicyclist Peter Herschend of Branson will be one of 15 individuals inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony January 31st.

Herschend has been an extraordinarily successful fund raiser for the MS Bike Ride over the past 19 years, and has participated in many community events--including carrying the Olympic torch in 2002. He has also been inducted into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame.

Here is the Sports Hall of Fame's announcement:

Cyclist (Branson) The co-owner and co-founder of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation (formerly Silver Dollar City, Inc), Peter F. Herschend is an avid fund raiser on behalf of those with multiple sclerosis. Since 1990 Peter has participated annually in the local MS 150 Bike Tour, generating $1,264,680 during that time. Peter is recognized as the nation�s highest cumulative fund raiser for the MS 150 Bike Tour, and for several years was the event�s top individual fund raiser in the nation.

Yak-traks and screw-shoes and snow tires--oh, my!

2009-12-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Well, arctic weather has hit Missouri once again. I've spent the past couple of days on a trip to Columbia and Jefferson City to meet with some legislators and MoDOT folks--and I have to say I was quite amazed to see the number of bicyclists out in Columbia right in the middle of a snowstorm and sub-20 degree weather.

A few years ago I wouldn't have thought about venturing outside in such cold weather--certainly not on a bicycle!

But after reading about people who bicycle all year around in places that regularly get down to -40 fahrenheit--and claim to enjoy it immensely--I started getting a little more adventurous.

Here are a few key tips:

For walking or running, good boots or shoes and something help with traction--like Yak Traks or (even better) screw-shoes--really helps. They're like studded snow tires for your feet--and are especially helpful when freezing rain hits.
For bicycling, the IceBike web site sums up most everything you need to know--from what kind of clothing to wear to what kind of bike and what kind of tires. You can even make your own studded snow tires for your bike if you like (or, of course, buy some of the commercially available studded snow tires)--though the IceBike web site points out that regular mountain bike or road tires can work just as well, depending on conditions.
We often worry about being too cold, but vigorous bicycling, running, or even walking generates a lot of heat. IceBike.com has a whole section dedicated to clothing--and after reading and heeding its advice, I'm warmer in the winter and--as an added bonus--look a little less like the abominable snowman (with 12 of the wrong type of layers . . . ) when I go out.

A few more pointers from the IceBike web site:

How does one get started?
The easiest way is just don't stop.

You cycle all summer right? Just keep it up. See how late in the year you can be out cycling, whether for commuting or recreation. There is no inherent reason to hang up the bike at a certain date.

Don't think of it as attempting to ride all winter. Just think of it as riding today. Possibly tomorrow, conceivably next week, but definitely today.

Read more about getting started here.

Aren't you cold?
More than once I've arrived dripping with sweat only to be asked "aren't you freezing out there"? This question is usually asked by someone who drove to work in a toasty single occupant vehicle, which was parked in a garage all night, but never the less, they got bundled up in a down jacket for that 30 foot walk from the car to the office.

The answer is: Not very often. You are more likely to get too warm. Biking produces a lot of heat. If you do get cold, ride faster, it makes more heat.

Read more about regulating your temperature here.

How slippery is it, really?

Folks new to winter cycling often are amazed that anyone can remain upright on a bike on snow and ice.

After you have been on the bike for a few days, you come to realize that the situation is quite manageable. Snow, while certainly more slippery than bare pavement, is somewhat like a shallow covering of sand, which requires somewhat more gradual turns, but otherwise is not particularly slippery.

Read more about how slippery surfaces really are, and how best to handle them, here.

How safe is it?
Winter cyclist report few serious accidents.

There are the occasional crashes but because of extra clothing and a slippery surface to land on, these usually result in less injury than would be sustained by a bare limbed cyclist on dry pavement. Road rash is just about unheard of.

Read the results of their survey of winter cyclists here.

And why do you do this again?
Fun!
Warm!
Don't have to drive!
Don't have to take a bus!
Faster than taking a bus!
Fun!
Fun!
Fun!
Did I mention fun?

Ok . . .

Being fit makes you smarter . . .

2009-12-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

Need another reason to get and stay fit--or to improve physical fitness among Missouri's students? Apparently, becoming more physically fit can have a very significant impact on your IQ:

The study shows a clear link between good physical fitness and better results for the IQ test. The strongest links are for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. But it is only fitness that plays a role in the results for the IQ test, and not strength. "Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen," says Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. "This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength. We are also seeing that there are growth factors that are important."

By analysing data for twins the researchers have been able to determine that it is primarily environmental factors and not genes that explain the link between fitness and a higher IQ.

"We have also shown that those youngsters who improve their physical fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 increase their cognitive performance," says Maria �berg, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy and physician at �by health centre. "This being the case, physical education is a subject that has an important place in schools, and is an absolute must if we want to do well in maths and other theoretical subjects."

Read the ScienceDaily summary of the research here or see the original research paper here.

How to deal with--or prevent--road rage

2009-12-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

BikingInLA has some great advice for how to deal with road rage when it happens--and how to prevent it from happening in the first place:

I was the victim of a road rage attack a few years back, and in retrospect, I did almost everything wrong. Over the next couple days, I�d like to share some of the painful lessons I learned so you�ll know what to do if, God forbid, it ever happens to you.

Maybe you�ll be smarter than I was and find a way out that doesn�t pass through the emergency room. Or lose your case before it starts.

His advice includes: Ride courteously, ride legally, keep your finger to yourself, and let dangerous drivers past.

Read BikingInLA's complete post here.

Rams give 275 bicycles to kids

2009-11-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Rams and Variety Children's Charity of St. Louis helped 275 dreams come true: 275 kids getting their first bikes. For the first time, the fleet of 275 new bikes for needy kids included 22 therapeutic bikes for disabled riders, bikes that can cost $3000. . . .

More than 100 volunteers, building 275 bikes, at The Whitfield School in Creve Coeur, changed everything. . . .

Along with the Rams, Bikes for Kids sponsors include World Wide Technology, and THF Realty.

Human body "built for distance"

2009-10-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's New York Times had an interesting article on the development of the human capacity to run long distances:

In �Born to Run� (Knopf), Christopher McDougall, an avid runner who had been vexed by injuries, explores the world of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, a tribe known for running extraordinary distances in nothing but thin-soled sandals.

Mr. McDougall makes the case that running isn�t inherently risky. Instead, he argues that the commercialization of urban marathons encourages overzealous training, while the promotion of high-tech shoes has led to poor running form and a rash of injuries.

�The sense of distance running being crazy is something new to late-20th-century America,� Mr. McDougall told me. �It�s only recently that running has become associated with pain and injury.�

The scientific evidence supports the notion that humans evolved to be runners. In a 2007 paper in the journal Sports Medicine, Daniel E. Lieberman, a Harvard evolutionary biologist, and Dennis M. Bramble, a biologist at the University of Utah, wrote that several characteristics unique to humans suggested endurance running played an important role in our evolution.

Most mammals can sprint faster than humans � having four legs gives them the advantage. But when it comes to long distances, humans can outrun almost any animal. Because we cool by sweating rather than panting, we can stay cool at speeds and distances that would overheat other animals. On a hot day, the two scientists wrote, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.

Bicycling stakeholders meet in Columbia

2009-10-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation was pleased to be one of dozens of organizations represented at a recent Columbia bicycling stakeholders meeting organized by the PedNet Coalition.

According to the KBIA news report:

Bicycle stakeholders met Wednesday night to discuss a variety of issues facing the cycling community. At a meeting Wednesday night Columbia residents and local organizations met to brainstorm ideas to improve the cycling community. The caf style discussion broke people to into smaller groups to focus in on key ideas before addressing the group as a whole. Major topics discussed included ways to create a better relationship between motorists and cyclists, ways to change negative stereotypes about cyclists, and the possible adoption of a cyclist code of conduct. The next step in the process will be to focus in on these key topics and devote time to finalizing plans on how to implement these ideas within the community.

U.S. Census 2010: Coming soon, and surprisingly important for bicycling & walking

2009-10-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

The 2010 United States Census is coming soon.

Census data has a surprising impact on planning and funding for bicycling and walking facilities, so MoBikeFed is partnering with Census 2010 to make sure you all know about the Census and how important it is to fill out and return your Census form when it arrives.

Missouri could easily lose a congressional district in this Census--but if we get a full, accurate count we may avoid losing it.

Some quick facts about the Census:

The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years.
The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
The next census is in 2010.
Your participation in the census is required by law.
It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.

Transportation equity field organizer for Missouri sought

2009-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Transportation Equity Network is looking to hire a full-time Missouri State Field Organizer in the Kansas City metro area:

The Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity (MORE�), in partnership with the Transportation Equity Network (TEN), is seeking a Field Organizer to coordinate the transportation campaign in the state of Missouri. The Field Organizer will be based in metro Kansas City. The successful candidate will work in tandem with Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU), our sister organization in metro St. Louis, MO, to advocate for a federal and statewide equity-oriented transportation policy.
Duties Include:
- Working with the Faith Based Communities of metro Kansas City and St. Louis in developing a common vision for regional equity,
- Recruiting new member organizations,
- Training grassroots leaders,
- Consulting with local groups in order to build alliances,
- Coordinating national days of action in Missouri,
- Meeting advocacy outreach goals on postcards, local actions, calls to policy-makers, etc,
- Using media creatively,
- Raising money to support the campaign and salary through grant writing and other fundraising efforts.

More info here.

The One Mile Solution: A Lesson Plan for Walk to School Month

2009-09-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

October is International Walk & Bike to School Month and--just by coincidence--Kansas City's LEARN Science & Math program invited me out October 23rd to do an activity with the group.

Below is the project plan we have cooked up--feel free to use, adapt, or modify it as you like.

The students will work on the project between now and October 23rd and then when I visit them October 23rd we will discuss the results and their experiences.

THE ONE MILE SOLUTION

This project is based on The One Mile Solution by Andy Cline.

In this project you will find out whether you can safely bicycle and walk to destinations in your neighborhood.

You will:

Make a map of destinations in your neighborhood and bicycling and walking routes from your home to the destinations
Try out the routes on foot and by bicycle
Summarize your results and what you learned

By Bicycle or On Foot--or Both?
Students can do this project entirely by bicycling, entirely by walking, or both. Trying both options is preferred as students will discover that bicycling & walking are quite different experiences and present different difficulties in reaching destinations. But some students might not have a bicycle or know how to ride it, so the walking option will work for them. Also some students might live in places where it is quite easy to get around on foot by not by bicycle.

1. Student prints out a map showing his/her own home and the area approximately 1 mile around it.

Mark home on the map with an X.
Draw a circle around the X showing a 1-mile radius

2. Student works with parent to locate 5-10 destinations on the map that the student would most like to travel to in daily life: homes of friends, schools, parks, shopping, church, library, places to visit or play, entertainment, etc.

Choose the destinations on the basis of where you want or need to go, NOT on the basis of whether you can easily get there by foot or by bicycle. Part of the point of this exercise is to see **whether or not** all your most common destinations can be reached (safely) on foot or by bicycle. Some destinations may be difficult or impossible for students of this age to walk or bicycle to, other destinations may be quite easy. But for now, choose destinations you want or need to go to, not simply the easiest to walk or bicycle to.
Try to choose a variety of distances, some close to home and some closer to a mile away or (especially for older students) even a little more--up to two or three miles is considered easy bicycling distance for older teenagers.
Mark each destination on the map with a black dot.

3. The student works with the parents to figure out a safe route to walk and/or bicycle to each destination.

Start with the easiest destinations first
You may find some destinations that are just impossible for the student to safely walk or bicycle to
You may need to use a combination of plotting possible courses on the map and checking out possible routes in person
You can use the bikeability and walkability checklists to help figure out what to look for in possible good or bad routes
Keep in mind the route you use to drive to a destination may not be the best route to walk or bicycle--look for and explore all the alternatives

4. Between now and October 23rd (the date of the in-class session), try to walk and bicycle to each destination for which you have found a safe route.

Depending on the destination and the difficulty of the route students may need to walk or bicycle with a friend, older sibling or older friend, or parent or other adult
On the map, mark each destination you were able to safely walk to with a W
Mark each destination you were able to safely bicycle to with a B

5. For each destination, mark the route between your home and destination on the map this way:

Green for portions of routes or streets that are very easy/safe for bicycling or walking
Orange for portions of routes or streets that are somewhat easy and safe, but also have some difficulties or problems for bicycling or walking
Red for portions of routes or streets that are very difficult or unsafe for you to walk or bicycle--places so difficult you really don't feel safe going there
Mark any difficult points (intersections, street crossings) with a large orange or red dot as appropriate

Can you use the same map for both bicycling and walking or are the difficulties different for bicycling compared to walking? You may want to create two separate route maps, one for your bicycling routes and one for your walking routes.

6. Tally up your results:

Number of total destinations
How many you were able to (safely!) reach by walking; how many not
How many your were able to (safely!) reach by bicycling; how many not

7. List in order of importance the five characteristics of the street, traffic, or environment you felt made the most difference in making the streets or places in your neighborhood safe and comfortable (or unsafe and uncomfortable) **for bicycling**.

You can read the bikability checklist for ideas on what to look for and think about--but things like: the amount of traffic, speed of traffic, width of the road, whether or not there was a bicycle lane, whether there were difficult intersections, whether destinations were close or very distant, whether there was a place to safely and securely lock or store your bicycle when you arrived, etc.

8. List in order of importance the 5 characteristics of the street, traffic, or environment you felt made the most difference in making the streets or places in your neighborhood safe and comfortable (or unsafe and uncomfortable) **for walking**.

You can read the walkability checklist for ideas on what to look for and think about: amount or speed of traffic, street design, presence of sidewalks and crosswalks, etc.

9. What are the top three reasons you would like to bicycle or walk to these destinations instead of driving? What are the top three reasons you would like to drive to these destinations instead of walking or bicycling?

Some things to think about:

Was it easy or hard to find a lot of places you want to go within one mile of your home? Could you have found 15, 20, or 30 interesting destinations within a mile of your home? Would that number change depending on where you live within the city? How about if you lived in a small town or miles outside of any town or city?
How do bicycling and walking compare? Is one faster or easier than the other--and is that one *always* faster and easier or does it depend on where you are going? Did the same things that made a street safe for walking also make it safe for bicycling?
How does your age and experience factor in to the places you can safely walk and bicycle? Could a four year old safely walk or bicycle to any of your destinations? How about someone three years younger than you or three years older? How about a 25 year old or an 85 year old?
Could you always walk or bicycle to all these destinations from now on? What would be the advantages of doing that? If you can't always walk or bicycle to these destinations, why not? What are the problems or situations that would keep you from doing so?
If there are problems or situations that keep you from walking or bicycling to these destinations on every trip from now on, can you find solutions that would allow you to walk or bicycle there more often? (For instance, if you need to carry heavy or bulky items, are there ways to carry heavy and bulky items when your are walking or bicycling? If you don't like to walk or bicycle in rain, snow, cold or dark, are there ways to keep dry, safe, warm, and well lit when bicycling or walking in rain, snow, cold, or dark? If streets or intersections are busy, is there a way to make them safer for walking and bicycling, or ways to find or create alternative routes? Are there ways to design or redesign cities and towns to put more destinations within safe bicycling and walking distance? Are there other difficulties you observed in your trips, and possible solutions you can imagine?)

Resources:

The best bicycle safety info for parents & children that I know of:

Teaching a child to ride a bicycle (if they don't know how at all):

http://www.ibike.org/education/teaching-kids.htm

Brent Hugh

Executive Director

Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation

director [at] mobikefed.org

816-695-6736

9/29/2009

Columbia cafe moves--entirely by bicycle power

2009-09-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

According to Connected Mid-Missouri:

It was the most environmentally-friendly move in the history of Columbia.

About 30 people moved an entire restaurant to a new location using nothing but pedal power.

Cyclists hauled furniture, equipment and everything else you need to run a restaurant. The owner of Columbia�s Caf� Berlin made a move to a new location using only bicycles.

�We�ve almost got everything moved in a matter of hours just by pedal power," Caf� Berlin Owner Eli Gay said. "It�s just been really amazing that all these folks showed up to help us out. It makes me feel real good about our community.�

Gay is participating in PedNet's No Car Challenge this month.

Columbia and Mayor Hindman's bicycling featured in Parade Magazine

2009-09-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Parade Magazine this week ran a feature on Columbia's recent work to become a Bicycle Friendly Community (the first official designated in Missouri) and on Columbia's bicycling mayor, Darwin Hindman:

For a bicyclist, Darwin Hindman is rather nattily attired, wearing a crisp tweed blazer and an orange silk tie as he pilots his ancient mountain bike through the center of Columbia, Missouri. Hindman, 76, (pictured) is this Midwestern town�s mayor and a survivor of both esophageal and prostate cancer. As he glides along, coattails flying, he is savoring the streets of Columbia, which he�s transforming into one of the nation�s premier cycling cities.

�Here outside this caf� is a huge corral of racks for locking your bike,� Hindman says, riding along happily. �And here, we�ve painted a bike lane. We want bicyclists to feel as happy as larks out in the road.�

Until recently, Columbia (pop. 100,733) was, like most American cities, designed almost exclusively for automobile transit, offering up a host of four-lane mini-highways over which motorists could zoom between parking lots. For Hindman, a retired lawyer, the situation was all wrong. �If we depend too much on cars, then we increase our reliance on foreign oil, childhood obesity goes up, and life just isn�t as much fun,� he says.

Across the country, the number of bicyclists has exploded. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of American bike commuters increased 38%.

(And yes, you can credit Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation for the fabulous photo of Mayor Hindman that Parade ran with the article.)

A killer crosswalk strikes again--but professor survives and thrives with help of students

2009-09-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

A recent Kansas City Star article by Joe Robertson told the amazing story of Professor Frank J. Smist and the aftermath of his encounter with a killer crosswalk:

Smist, who was a professor of political science and the director of global studies at Rockhurst University, was leaving his office for his car. He had just returned to Kansas City after a week of interviews on his latest book project, two years in the works.

A truck stopped at the crosswalk to let Smist cross Troost Avenue, but a car coming up behind veered around the truck without slowing.

Smist suffered multiple injuries. His legs broke the car�s bumper, he said. He smashed into the windshield and was tossed onto the pavement.

Worst of all, the impact left his brain swollen. When he came out of his coma, Smist said, �I was like a child. I had to learn to speak and walk all over again.�

He survived. But his book project had seemingly died.

Read the rest of the KCStar article to see how Professor Smist finished his book.

The street and area where Smist was hit and nearly killed--if not the very crosswalk--is the same place UMKC student Pei Chen was struck and killed in 2003.

The issue there is that Troost is a very fast-moving, four-lane motor-vehicles-first-and-only road passing through the campus area of Rockhurst College, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a nearby elementary school.

The area would greatly benefit by re-configuring it in a way similar to the Great Streets Initiative in St. Louis--making the area safer and more inviting for bicycling, walking, transit, and people of all ages.

Right now Troost is like a superhighway running through a college campus.

The street view below shows Rockhurst University on the right, Brookside Charter School on the left. The University of Missouri-Kansas City campus is just to the left as well.

View Larger Map

Starting physical activity after age 70 increases life span and independence

2009-09-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Dr John Morley, writing in the St Louis Post-Dispatch, summarizes a couple of interesting recent studies:

A study by Stessman and colleagues from Hadassah Hebrew University in Jerusalem found that initiating physical activity over the age of 70 years leads to a 12% increase in longevity. This study was published in the September issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

This study also found that physically active persons between 70 to 85 years not only were less likely to die, but also had increased function and less loneliness. In addition, the physically active considered themselves to be more healthy than the inactive group. The findings of this study were similar to the British Heart Study and the Zutphen Elderly Study, both of which showed that physical activity was associated with longer lifespan in older persons.

The bottom line, according to Dr Morely: "Taking up exercise at any age will increase your chances of living longer."

SRAM bicycle chains/powerlinks recalled, Apr-Aug 2009

2009-09-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: 10 Speed SRAM Bicycle Chains with PowerLock connector links

Units: About 24,000

Manufacturer: SRAM LLC, of Chicago, Ill.

Hazard: The recalled PowerLock connector links, used on bicycle chains, are brittle and can crack, allowing the chain to separate from the bicycle and posing a fall hazard to the rider.

Incidents/Injuries: One incident has been reported in the United States and three outside. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall involves SRAM PowerLock connector links, which are sold individually, on 10-speed bicycle chains and as original equipment on some bicycles. The recalled PowerLock connector links are identified by a date code of M or N, which is located on the side of the PowerLock connector link. 10-speed SRAM chains that were equipped with recalled PowerLock connector links include the following chain model numbers: PC-1030, PC-1050, PC-1070, PC-1090 and PC-1090R. The recalled chains were also installed on some Guru, Surly, Salsa, BMC, Serotta, Seven, and Ridley brand complete bicycles. The individual PowerLock connectors and bike chains with these connectors were sold from January 2009 through August 2009; bicycles with affected chains were sold from April 2009 through August 2009.

Sold at: Specialty bicycle retailer stores nationwide from January 2009 through August 2009. PowerLock connector links were sold separately for about $5 or as part of 10-speed chains for between $35 and $85.

Manufactured in: Portugal

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled PowerLock connectors, chains and bicycles with these connectors and contact their SRAM retailer for a free replacement PowerLock connector link.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact SRAM at (800) 346-2928 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday CT or visit the firm�s Web site at www.sram.com

Crazy Guy on a Bike

2009-09-05T00:48:00.001-07:00

Missouri's own Neil Gunton is the creator and operator of one of the premier bicycle touring web sites in the world, Crazy Guy on a Bike.

Crazy Guy on a Bike allows bicycle tourists to create a journal of their trip, recording their experiences, photos, and thoughts.

The site documents pretty much every kind of cycle touring imaginable, from unicycle touring to mountain biking, and every aspect of bicycle touring from diet and cooking to humor.

St Joseph News-Press features bicycling couple

2009-09-04T12:03:00.001-07:00

Bicycling couple Bob & Cindy Neidinger (MoBikeFed members and key members of the St. Joseph Bicycle Club) were featured in a recent St. Joseph News-Press article:

At home, local riders became an extended family. �The Bike Club was really instrumental in teaching us what to do, where to go, how to dress, what to look for in a bike,� Bob says.

Their son, David, who grew up in this hothouse of pedaling, has since become president of the cycling club at the University of Kansas. �Everybody around here in cycling knows him and feels responsible for how well he�s doing,� Cindy says.

The couple began tandem cycling as a means of togetherness and for ease of longer rides. The more ergonomic recumbent machine they now use, one allowing riders to pedal in a reclined position, gives them cycling�s health benefits with less physical rigor.

As for mental health, they ride on pavement but among God�s creations. And the stress of a day pours off into the activity.

�I love when she has a bad day because she pedals harder,� Bob jokes.

They will volunteer when the Tour of Missouri rolls into the region next week.

Bicycle parking--why it matters in encouraging more people to bicycle

2009-09-04T11:56:00.001-07:00

Columbia and Springfield have had bicycle parking requirements, as part of their zoning and development codes, and recently Kansas City adopted a major, forward-looking bicycle parking requirement in its development code update.

Other Missouri cities are looking at bicycle parking as well--either to require it in certain developments, include it in commercial parking lots, or encourage more bicycle parking in other ways.

That sounds like such a boring topic--the words planning, zoning, development, code, and parking all in one sentence pretty much put you to sleep before you even get to the end of it.

So we are we interested in bicycle parking?

Slate has a great article recently that puts it all together:

Why do these measures matter? Because parking helps make commuters�a lesson long ago learned with cars. Studies in New York found that a surprisingly large percentage of vehicles coming into lower Manhattan were government employees or others who had an assured parking spot. Other studies have shown the presence of a guaranteed parking spot at home�required in new residential developments�is what turns a New Yorker into a car commuter.

On the flip side, people would be much less likely to drive into Manhattan if they knew their expensive car was likely to be stolen, vandalized, or taken away by police. And yet this is what was being asked of bicycle commuters, save those lucky few who work in a handful of buildings that provide indoor bicycle parking. Surveys have shown that the leading deterrent to potential bicycle commuters is lack of a safe, secure parking spot on the other end.

Being in a walkable neighborhood adds value to homes

2009-09-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

A recent report on the value of making cities better for walking:

Though housing values are still slow to rebound from the collapse of the real estate market, a new analysis from CEOs for Cities reveals that homes in more walkable neighborhoods are worth more than similar homes in less-walkable neighborhoods, pointing to a bright spot in the residential real estate market.

The report, �Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities� by Joseph Cortright, analyzed data from 94,000 real estate transactions in 15 major markets provided by ZipRealty and found that in 13 of the 15 markets, higher levels of walkability, as measured by Walk Score, were directly linked to higher home values.

�Even in a turbulent economy, we know that walkability adds value to residential property just as additional square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms and other amenities do,� said Cortright. �It�s clear that consumers assign a tangible value to the convenience factor of living in more walkable places with access to a variety of destinations.�

Research shows better facilities promote more bicycling and walking

2009-09-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

We've been putting together some research for a grant application and the results are very interesting.

The question is, do more, better bicycling and walking facilities actually increase the amount of bicycling and walking?

The answer is a resounding yes.

Below is a summary of some of the research and, below that, full citations of the original sources.

Some of the summaries are based on the invaluable Travel Demand Management Encyclopedia and others to a very comprehensive report, Guidelines for Analysis of Investments in Bicycle Facilities, both of which have summaries and references to many other reports on these and related subjects.

BETTER BICYCLE FACILITIES PROMOTE MORE BICYCLING

Hopkinson and Wardman (1996) found that individuals were willing to pay a premium to use bicycle facilities that are deemed safer argue that increasing safety is likely more important than reducing travel time to encourage bicycling.
The study "Bicycle Commuting and Facilities in Major U.S. Cities" found a strong positive correlation between the number of miles of bicycle lanes and paths per square mile and the mode share of bicycle commuters (Dill & Carr, 2003).
The study "If You Build Them, Commuters Will Use Them" found a positive association between miles of bicycle pathways per 100,000 residents and the percentage of commuters using bicycles, and states, "One problem with shifting the mode of commuting away from automobiles may simply be an inadequate supply of bicycle facilities" (Nelson & Allen, 1997)
.
A study of the Minneapolis-St. Paul region found that adding or improving bicycle facilities brought a significant increase in bicycling, even in areas that previously had high levels of bicycling. The areas near the improved facilities showed mode share increasing from 1.7% to 2.0%, while the remainder of the region remained constant. The report says, "Downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota, where most of the facilities were concentrated, showed large increases in bicycle mode share, while downtown St. Paul, which had few improvements, had no increase" (Barnes, et al, 2005).
Bicycle routes and directional signage is important for creating a complete bicycle network network and connecting important destinations. To encourage cycling as an alternative commuting mode, Nelson & Allen emphasize that facilities must connect appropriate origins and destinations.

BETTER WALKING FACILITIES PROMOTE MORE WALKING

Loukopoulos and G�rling (2005) find that there is an threshold distance, above which people (on average) will choose to drive rather than walk to a destination. Difficult walking conditions, including poor sidewalks, lack of crosswalks and signals, and other similar factors, decrease that threshold distance. In short, people won't walk as far when the walking conditions are bad.
Residents in a pedestrian friendly community walked, bicycled, or rode transit for 49% of work trips and 15% of their non-work trips, 18- and 11-percentage points more than residents of a comparable automobile oriented community (Cervero and Radisch, 1995).
Another study found that walking is three times more common in a community with pedestrian friendly streets than in otherwise comparable communities that are less conducive to foot travel (Moudon, et al, 1996).

Sources:

Hopkinson, P. and M. Wardman, Evaluating the Demand for New Bicycle Facilities. Transport Policy, 1996. 3(4): p. 241-249. Source URL
Dill, J. and T. Carr, Bicycle Commuting and Facilities in Major U.S. Cities: If You Build Them, Commuters Will Use Them. Transportation Research Record, 2003. 1828: p. 116-123. http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/faculty/handy/ESP178/Dill_bike_facilities.pdf
If You Build Them, Commuters Will Use Them: Association Between Bicycle Facilities And Bicycle Commuting, A.C. Nelson and D. Allen, Transportation Research Record No. 1578, Pedestrian and Bicycle Research 1997. http://pubsindex.trb.org/document/view/default.asp?lbid=578180
A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Effect Of Bicycle Facilities On Commute Mode Share, Gary Barnes, Kristin Thompson, Kevin Krizek. TRB 85th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, 2005. http://pubsindex.trb.org/document/view/default.asp?lbid=777415 and online at http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/slp/pdf/reports_papers/effect_bike_facilities_mode_share.pdf
Anne Vernez Moudon, et al (1996), Effects of Site Design on Pedestrian Travel in Mixed Use, Medium-Density Environments, Washington State Transportation Center, Document WA-RD 432.1, (www.wsdot.wa.gov/ppsc/research/onepages/WA-RD4321.htm).
Peter Loukopoulos and Tommy G�rling (2005), Are Car Users too Lazy to Walk? The Relation of Distance Thresholds for Driving to the Perceived Effort of Walking, TRB 84th Annual Meeting http://pubsindex.trb.org/document/view/default.asp?record=777894
Robert Cervero and Carolyn Radisch (1995), Travel Choices in Pedestrian Versus Automobile Oriented Neighborhoods, UC Transportation Center, UCTC 281 (http://www.uctc.net/papers/281.pdf).