If We Make It Through December

If we make it through December

Everything's gonna be all right I know

It's the coldest time of winter

And I shiver when I see the falling snow

                                    -Merle Haggard, 1973

Merle obviously wasn’t in Cincinnati this past weekend. December 12^th and the mercury hit a record high of 72 degrees. Overweight, out-of-shape, and even I, the Reluctant Cyclist, couldn’t say no to a 50 miler. Three other friends longing for the open road on two wheels joined Velo Junkie and I for an unseasonably sweet December day.

I was excited to give the new Mavics a spin and right out of the gate we got to enjoy a series of downhill switchbacks. As nice as that was I couldn’t help fretting over the return trip. Hopefully the new wheels would smooth out the hills to make it a wee bit easier to cart my birthday cake laden, holiday food overloaded, Christmas Ale soaked girth back up the switchbacks to the sunny yellow Subaru waiting at the top.

Now here’s something you don’t see on every bike ride – a parade. Surprise!! Less than five miles into the ride we crest a hill happen upon the Christmas Parade lining up in Miamisburg, OH. Frosty the Snowman had to stay home and poor Santa was sweating in a Hawaiian shirt but the horses and politicians were out in full glory. By this time we were warming up and starting to shed layers (like an onion). Wow! December and we are in shorts and short sleeves.

1967 Beetle

I had quite a scare on the way out. We were nearing fifteen miles or so and I heard the dreaded “PING”. Damn. A broken spoke. I feared it was my new wheel suffering under my new-found bulk. Alas, it was not my wheel but one belonging to the rider beside me. His wheels had many more spokes than mine so he was able to limp along with (n-1) spokes. It did cause us to abandon the goal of riding all the way to the end of the trail. OH DARN! *dripping with sarcasm*

As with every event during the holiday season the goal was to find food, and food we found. If I wasn’t slow enough on the way out, I was even slower on the way back. Velo Junkie took us on a foodie adventure to Rob’s Restaurant in Brookville, OH., home cooked food and family owned since 1976.  After filling up at the buffet I had the double chocolate brownie pie. I took a ladle full of caramel sauce from the ice cream bar and drizzled it over the pie for a sugar high only a five-year old would crave.

My body was begging for a recliner to practice the art of digestion. Although I filled my plate with a small amount of protein, some potatoes, and a lot of vegetables, the pie did me in. I was struggling to keep up, which was OK because it afforded me the opportunity to get some good shots and footage of the crew ahead of me. Knowing that the uphill switchbacks meant we were close to the end gave me the strength to pedal to the top, albeit slow as molasses in January.

Check out the 90 second video to get a real feel for the December day. This pluviophile wallowed in it.

I hope you all had an opportunity to enjoy nature’s gift this past weekend. It doesn’t get any better than this.

#ifwemakeitthroughdecember #robsrestaurant #miamisburg #christmasparade #newwheels
#velojunkie  

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Annual Cincinnati Cycling Summit

https://www.facebook.com/roeblingpointbooksandcoffee

December 7, 2015 was the annual meeting for Queen City Bike in Greater Cincinnati held at Roebling Point Books and Coffee . I’ve never attended one of the meetings because, quite frankly, I am still coming to terms with being a cyclist. Cyclists are those Spandex and Lycra clad dudes riding carbon fiber bikes that cost as much as twelve months of my mortgage, right? I think they call themselves MAMIL’s.

So I walked in and what to my wandering eyes should appear?

Cyclists in sweaters and flannel sipping bourbon and beer.

The 20-something men with gauges and beards

Talking to women about frames and gears.

Neighborhood spokespeople and group-ride leaders

Sharing ideas with philanthropists and bike dealers.

Local promoters and business owners alike

Finding ways for everyone to ride a bike.

Rich, poor, middle-class, Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky,

Joining forces to make 2016 even more lucky.

OK, so a poet I am not, and please don’t let the grammar police find me. I am certain I have broken more than one literary rule in my eloquent rhyme, even after being surrounded by many great volumes during the meeting. The real reason for my blog was not to create clever prose but to share the phenomenal success the dedicated people of Cincinnati and NKY have worked tirelessly for over the past years. 

Below is the list of some of the groups represented at the gathering. I had no idea there were this many different collectives working for cyclists in the city.

Cincy Red Bike	Tri-State Trails
Connecting Active Communities Coalition	Cincinnati Cycle Club
Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance	Cincy Summer Streets
Cinci Holiday Bike Drive	Margy and Mel Ride Bikes
Riding Forward	Cincinnati Bike Center
UC Bike Kitchen	Ohio Bicycle Federation
Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission	MoBo Bicycle Co-op
City of Cincinnati Bike Program	BRIGHT Rides
Bicycle Friendly Destinations	Queen City Blinkies
Cycling Backroads	Cincinnati Bicycle Dealers Association
Urban Basin Bicycle Club	Street Skills 101 Classes
Cincinnati Connects	Streetcar Safe Cycling Clinics
Bike Valet	Cheviot, OH "Slow Ride" Group
Thursday Night Slow and Steady Ride	Queen City Wheels
Seven Hills Racing	May Bike Month

….and all the other cycling clubs, organization and activities that make up our cycling community.

I was the nerd taking notes, not because I am that diligent, but because my over-50 memory can be fleeting at times, especially when so much information was being shared. I didn’t want to miss any of it.

Here is my very brief rundown of what was started, completed, or dreamt up in 2015 to be continued in 2016.  

1.       Green Umbrella is working to connect nine counties with a network of trails. Visit the Tristate   Trails FB page at https://www.facebook.com/tristatetrails1
2.       98,000 rides have been taken on Cincinnati Red Bikes since January 1, 2015. http://www.cincyredbike.org/
3.       Groundwork Cincinnati Millcreek is working on connecting a network of trails in Cincinnati including Wasson Way, the Oasis, River West, Lunken Airport, and the Little Duck Creek. When complete it will be 42 miles of urban bikeway.  http://groundworkcincinnati.org/recreation/
4.      Connecting Active Communities Coalition building a network of pedestrian and bike trails and routes in the northern neighborhoods. https://www.facebook.com/Connecting-Active-Communities-Coalition-141975832584290/
5.       SouthBank Partners are working with the State of Kentucky to build Riverfront Commons which includes a trail from Ludlow to Ft. Thomas. http://www.southbankpartners.com/projects/riverfront-commons.aspx
6.       Marge and Mel Red Bikes organize rides throughout the area on weekends in the summer and the Bright Ride in December. They are credited with Summer Streets, an initiative to close neighborhood streets for community activities. https://www.facebook.com/MargyAndMelRideBikes/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
7.       Urban Basin Bicycle Club is responsible for such events as the Tuesday Night Slow and Steady and the West Side Death Ride. https://www.facebook.com/groups/391316300890025/
8.       Cincinnati Off Road Alliance(CORA) is tirelessly working on a dirt road trail map and building natural surface trails in Mt. Airy Forest. https://www.facebook.com/Cincinnati-Off-Road-Alliance-381648891214/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
9.       Riding Forward is a Kentucky non-profit that uses wheel sports to get people out. https://www.facebook.com/ridingforwardnonprofit/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
10.       Ride With Us is working with STEM students at 16 schools teaching them bike engineering and rebuilding.
11.       CPS Safe Routes Allegiance Project is helping young students get to school via safe walking and biking routes. http://www.cps-k12.org/parents-students/student-safety/safe-routes

I am certain I did not do any of these groups justice. Please feel free to add information in the comments or contact me through the form at the bottom of the page if I need to make a correction.

I hope you enjoyed my blog as much as I enjoyed the meeting.

Crank On!  And Happy Holidays from The Reluctant Cyclist!

#queencitybike #cincinnatcyclingsummit #Crankon

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Not-so-Random Acts of Cycling Kindness

Some may say this is just road etiquette, some call it kindness. I say it is a simple way to respect each other. I know drivers and cyclists are perceived as arch enemies, but as Christmas approaches and everyone is talking about the season of sharing and caring, let’s be mindful of our everyday actions and the ripples they may cause.

    1.       Right of Way

a.       If you are a driver and you see a cyclist getting close to an intersection, don’t cut in front of them. Instead wave, say “hello” and let them continue their momentum. It is much harder for a cyclist to start at a light than an automobile, and even worse if there is a grade.

b.      If you are a cyclist and you are approaching a stop sign or red light, stop. Put your foot down. Don’t be “that guy” or “that girl” who is irritating or hazardous to drivers and don’t give the rest of us a bad name by disobeying traffic rules. Shame on you.

    2.       Pedestrian crossing

a.       If you are a pedestrian do not jaywalk in front of a cyclist. They may be going speeds you can’t even fathom on two wheels. Getting hit by a bicycle at 20+ mph is not pretty, for the pedestrian nor the cyclist. The cyclist could suffer life changing injuries but will have his head protected by a helmet. The pedestrian, on the other hand, will have no protection and will end up with unwanted tattoos that resemble tread marks in conspicuous locations.

b.      If you are on your bike and you see a crowd of people crossing ahead or sharing the path, stop and wait or get off and walk your bike. Keep everyone safe. Besides, flesh and blood do not look appealing on that magnificent piece of machinery.

    3.       Bike lanes and parked cars

a.       Drivers should always be aware of their surroundings and must be certain the path they are about to swing their car door into is clear of any moving traffic, be it cyclists, another car, a dog walker, or a skateboarder. There are no excuses for opening your door in the path of a cyclist. NONE. (This happened to me and I was one of the lucky ones. I walked away with minor injuries)

b.      Cyclists, on the other hand, have every right to take a lane and ride far enough away from parked vehicles so as not to be in the path of car doors. Do yourself and the vehicle operator a favor, take the lane. It also gives you more time to react if they start to pull out. At that point yell as loud as you can so they hear you. I tend to yell “WHOA!”, or “STOP!” with a trailing “you F**@%# Idiot” inaudible to the driver or the masses.

    4.       Bike trails and multi-use paths

These are the worst. I ended up with nine stitches in my chin on crowded a bike path.

a.       A high number of oblivious riders, undisciplined children on bikes, and people with small dogs on long leashes flock to these designated recreational areas. I don’t know what to say to each of them except parents manage your kids, owners manage your dogs, and newbies manage your bikes.

                                                               i.      Don’t stop in the middle of the path

                                                             ii.      Don’t park your bike, or your kid’s bike, on the path

                                                            iii.      Shorten Fido’s leash so it doesn’t become a booby trap resulting in a tangled mess of fur and spokes.

                                                           iv.      Don’t ride side by side on the narrow part of the path, especially if there are others approaching.

b.      As for experienced cyclists on these paths, why? Just kidding. I know they are nice, long routes away from traffic. Just be aware of who you are sharing the path with and be cautious of hazards, be they little dogs or little people.

    5.       Lastly, Riding in the Dark.

a.       Don’t wait till the holidays to light yourself up like a Christmas Tree. The moral of the story is to See and Be Seen.

I wish you joyful cycling all year long.

Peace!

#seeandbeseen #treadmarktattoo #everydaycyclingripples #joyfulcycling #bikeetequette