Let Us Not Forget

I left my helmet at friend's house the other day and my fenders at home.

How does one forget a helmet?  Twice, I've done it now.  It's not so hard in the cooler months when I put on a cap under my helmet.  With the snug fit and the  brim visible over the brow, it's easy to pedal off thinking the helmet is on.

Cautiously, I pedaled off, paranoid that I'd hit some sand or crack and send my skull into a no win altercation with the street.  However, that feeling gave way to a sense of freedom.  Is this what it feels like to ride in Amsterdam?  A couple of potholes and a close pass from a car reminded me that this is Nebraska, and though I may never fall, I really need to keep my noggin protected, just in case.

Yesterday I forgot my fenders and my feet got soaked on the way home from work in the rain.

Fenders seem like an odd thing to forget.  My Earl has these groovy quick release fenders.  These aren't your dad's quick release fenders, with the flimsy rubber straps and thin wire stays that need constant adjustment.  These are sturdy fenders that connect into permanent mounts that stay on the bike.  When the fenders are mounted, they look and feel like permanently installed fenders.

I removed the fenders earlier in the week when it was so windy with 20-40 MPH gusts.  I figured it would be one less thing to catch the wind and slow my commutes.  Well, lazy me, didn't think to remount the fenders before the rain.  Most of me and my gear stayed dry, but I'd forgotten just how much fenders do to keep the feet from getting drenched.

You can see some photos of quick release fender mounts here.

Please share stories of things you've forgotten to bring on a bike ride in the comments below.

Goodbye Fat Jeans. Hello Skinny!

This post isn't exactly about cycling, but cycling plays such an important role in the subject.

Two and one-half years ago I started commuting to work by bicycle to save money and to attempt to get into shape.  I enjoyed bike commuting, but also began incorporating cycling into my daily life.  I learned to ride my bike, not only to work, but for grocery shopping, errands, and for fun.  I made many cycling friends and have since been on many long rides, as many as 120 miles in a day.  I've since moved closer to town and in addition to cycling to work, I can easily walk to work, the grocery store, movies, bars, restaurants, etc. Basically, I've tried to simplify and orient my lifestyle around active transportation.

When I started cycling to work, I weighed about 213 pounds.  I was able to get down to 188 within a year by cycling alone.  Then this summer, I decided to shift fitness into high gear by joining Weight Watchers.

After five months, I am now down to 165 pounds.  As an aside, I weighed 250 pounds about 10 years ago, and lost a lot of that by switching to a vegan diet.

Between cycling and sensible eating using the Weight Watcher system, I have lost almost 50 pounds.

If I count back to 2001, when I was at my heaviest, I have lost a total of  85 pounds, most of it lost by diet.

So now that I'm at a weight I like (perhaps even lighter than I was when I graduated high school), my plan now is to perform regular workouts to get into a better form and shape, both for cycling and general fitness.  So far, my sessions with a personal trainer are proving to be both fun, and productive.  I've lost another inch around my waist, and gained a little around my chest and arms.

If you've made it this far into my seemingly self-gratifying post, please note that this isn't about bragging.  Simply, I want to pass along to anyone reading this that weight loss is, indeed, possible, and within reach.  As a lifelong pudgy guy, I always thought the natural order of things was to get fatter and fatter as I aged.  Between my diet and exercise, I'm finding that it's not only possible to lose and keep off weight, but once the proper mind frame and motivation is found, it's not as hard and I imagined.

Many pairs of fat jeans are going to Goodwill. 

I much prefer the new skinny ones.

Weight Watchers tool help me track my progress.

I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out to my brother, Jason, who, over the past year, has lost 118 pounds through cycling.  He really put the fire under me and inspired me to get more serious with my weight loss plans.  Thanks, bro.

Getting Ready for Winter

For you readers in climes where it snows and ices over, I can assure you that you can, indeed, continue bike commuting through the winter. In my last post, you'll recall that I fitted some 35mm studded tires to my Trek Earl. The fit was tight, but I did seem to be able to get the fat tires on the skinny rims.

Last week I refitted the studs and rode the bike a few miles to the Omaha Bikes winter commuting clinic. I felt silly riding studded tires when it was nearly 70 degrees out, but I wanted to do two things:

• test ride the Earl with studs
• show the studded tires to the clinic participants

I also got a new rack and a waterproof Pacific Outdoor Equipment pannier. I think the pannier is actually supposed to go on a front rack, but it fits pretty well on the rear rack. Even though I am comfortable on my commutes with a Chrome shoulder bag, my theory is that a rear pannier might help keep weight over my rear wheel for better traction. Having a rack also helps for trips to the grocery store.

I had wanted to replace the 17 tooth single speed freewheel with a new 22 tooth freewheel, but I ran out of chain. Simply, the new cog was large enough that there wasn't enough chain to go around it. The larger cog also put the chain up so high that I couldn't keep the chain guard. The 44 tooth chainring on a 22 tooth cog will provide for a 2-to-1 pedaling ratio, which may be easy enough to power through snow on the streets. Since I couldn't fit the chain, I ended up riding the bike with it stock 44 tooth chainring on a 17 tooth freewheel. Talk about slogging up the hills!

Yesterday I got a new chain to use for the winter configuration and took the bike for a spin. Certainly climbing Omaha's hills on the 44x22 was super easy, but all I could do on the downhills and flats was to coast and coast and coast ...

At this point, I think I have everything ready for the first snow. All I need to do is put the studs back on and I'm ready to roll. However, I may trade the cogs again so that I can use the rack for Cranksgiving in a couple of weeks.

Here are some pics of the new configuration.

From this angle, the freewheel looks as large as the chainring.

The Pacific Outdoor Equipment bag features pockets just the right size for my
wingtips. None of my other shoes fit, however.

Guerrilla Trail Crew - Doing What Must Be Done

I'm too lazy (and tired following an afternoon of digging) to write anything about this, so I'll just rely on links and photos to tell the story.

The Guerrilla Trail Crew web site: http://guerrillatrailcrew.blogspot.com/

Join the Facebook fan page.

GTC 2010 Strike #1 (North Keystone Trail, Jan. 11, 2010):

• Writeup at the GTC blog
• Article in Omaha.NET
• Photos at Facebook
• Video at YouTube
  

GTC 2010 Strike #1 (North West Papio Trail, Jan. 17, 2010):

• Preparation and planning at the GTC blog
• My Facebook photos

A few photos:

Biking After A Blizzard

First Blizzard of the Season




Heck, yeah! I'm riding!

Technically, the blizzard was overnight, and while there were still 30 MPH winds in the morning, the snow had stopped and most of the blowing snow had settled. There were still some wicked drifts and plow wakes on the neighborhood and side streets. I don't think it was ever warmer than 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

AM Commute

There was lots of pushing in the neighborhoods and side streets. It took me about 30 minutes to go 2 miles.

PM Commute

I only had to dismount once, and riding on the main streets was pretty easy. It took me 15 minutes to go 2 miles.

I halfway considered taking the bus home, but as the day went on, MAT kept pushing back the time they were going to resume service. Finally they announced that they weren't going to run any buses. So much for dependable public transportation.

Photos

Here are some photos I took in the morning and around lunch time. You'll notice the large wakes in the center lanes. The city is experimenting with pushing snow to the center to ease parking and pedestrian access to sidewalks. I think it's working, but it seemed to make for some awkward moments when traffic needed to move from one side of the street to the other.

Cycling home on Farnam Street, also with a huge wake in the middle, made me believe that the one way street might serve better as a two way street, especially if there were bike lanes along either side.

It's Going Around: Single Speed Fever

A curious malady is making the rounds in my barn. Symptoms of single speed fever are spreading.

My true single speed, the 1976 Schwinn Le Tour II is now my favored city bike and fair weather commuter. There's a 40 tooth chainring on the front and a 17 tooth freewheel on one side of the rear hub, and a 17 tooth track cog fixed on the other side. I find that this combination is perfect for me for tooling around town tackling the typical hills in my stomping grounds. With the addition of a new saddle, I'm all the more eager to spend a lot of time on this bike.

I've gotten comfortable standing to climb, spinning on the flats and coasting when the road turns downward.

This weekend I went to clean about 100 miles of Nebraska gravel road dust and Iowa Wabash Trace crushed limestone dust from my Specialized Tricross when I noticed something odd about the cassette.

A couple of Sundays ago combined a Bacon Ride with my first century ride, and last week I did a Taco Ride. Without realizing it, I'd been riding the Tricross as if it were single speed; standing to climb and spinning when not climbing. I got into a nice pace and spent most of the time pedaling.

As I got my degreaser and cleaning rags ready, I noticed that all the cogs but one were covered with white dust. The one that was cleaner was obviously the one I'd been using for my recent rides. At 34 x 14, I was cycling at a gear ratio just a tad stiffer than on the single speed Schwinn.

This weekend, I grabbed the grocery panniers and my Trek 7300 hybrid and headed out to Whole Foods to stock up one some specialty items that I can't get at my local Bag & Save or Hy-Vee. With 35mm tires and a cargo rack, this is my hauling bike. Again, I noticed that I was doing all the pedaling in a similar gear ratio. I did have to shift down to climb out of the Papio Creek valley into my neighborhood, as I was loaded down with groceries.

Incidentally, I saw Rafal D. with Megan, and Steve O. with some friends at Whole Foods and talked for a moment with each.

So, look out. If you ride near where I ride, you might want to keep your distance. If your bike gets too close, you might find it, too, afflicted with single speed fever. I just hope single speed fever doesn't jump over to humans in the form of some kind of knee pain!

First on Fixie - I Didn't Die

When I did the single-speed conversion on the Schwinn Le Tour II, I was left with a rear hub that has mysterious threads on the non-drive side. "So this is a flip-flop hub," I thought.

Curiosity got the best of me today when I went to the bike shop and got a Surly 17 tooth track cog and lock ring. Let's try fixie!

Fixie, or fixed gear, is when there is no freewheel or freehub allowing the rear wheel to coast when not pedaling. If the wheel is turning, so is the chain, and so are the cranks, and so are your feet. A flip-flop hub allows a regular freewheel cog on one side and a fixed cog on the other. By taking off the wheel and flipping it around, one is able to ride either single-speed (with coasting) or fixed gear (with no coasting).

Mike at the Re-Cycle bike shop was kind enough to let me use his work stand and tools to put it on. The cog was too thick for the multi-speed chain I was using, so I also had to throw on a beefy, silver single-speed chain.

Having never even sat on a fixed gear bike, I didn't dare try to ride home in this configuration. So I flippity-flopped the wheel back to single-speed and rode home normally.

Once home, I grabbed the wrench and flipped around the wheel and tightened up the chain and took it for a spin. Actually, the bike took me for a spin. I had trouble just getting out of the driveway. I live at the top of a pretty steep hill. I was riding both brakes at a slow crawl all the way down the hill.

My plan was to ride down to a nearby parking lot and just get the hang of the track bike style pedaling. The first parking was being resurfaced, so I rode neighborhood streets to a shopping center and practiced a while there. What pitiful track standing I had learned to do on my single-speed didn't seem to help much on the fixie. No longer able to ratchet the cranks to keep my best foot forward, I was all over the place, backward and forward, and thowing a foot out constantly. At one point I fell over when I couldn't get my foot out quick enough. Embarrasing, but expected. Standing for only a few seconds was the best I could do. Maybe some practice will help.

Finally I felt comfortable enough to try some back streets. I rode around a couple of blocks, ascending and descending hills. I was completely unaware of how the whole back-pressure on the pedals would feel. Once or twice I went to wipe sweat or shift in the saddle and forgot that I couldn't brace myself on one leg for a moment. Gotta keep pedaling!

Want to stop? Gotta keep pedaling!

Want to slow down? Back pressure, but keep pedaling! I felt no shame applying both front and rear brakes.

The 17t cog was a little steeper than the 18t that I've been riding, but it felt kind of aggressive and snappy. I zipped up the hill to my house a little more quickly.

I doubt I will try this configuration when riding the streets on my commute. It just makes me too nervous. The real fun will begin when I get to a trail or lonely road, flip the wheel around, and see what happens on a nice, long flat.

Even if I don't ride the fixed cog often, the thick silver chain looks a little sharper than the previous chain I had on.

Bike Omaha System Officially Open

With the ceremonial shredding of a ribbon, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle officially declared Omaha's on-street bicycle route system open.

Read more about it on the Bike Omaha blog, including a route map, photos and video from the event.

Omaha Urban Cycling, and Early Look at 16th Street Bike Lanes

Tuesday over lunch I ran some errands by bike, and also rode up and down the new 16th Street bike lanes with the camera recording video from the handlebars.

Presented below are two videos with my comments added in.

The first video is me simply riding South 16th Street from Leavenworth Street to Douglas Street. This section is along a sort of "greenway". In the 80s, Omaha revitalized this area to make it attractive to shoppers, but it never really caught on. Most of the storefronts are empty, and the only real foot traffic there are people waiting to transfer buses. Almost all MAT routes transfer along this stretch of 16th Street. Here's a link to an interesting news story about future plans to turn 16th Street into a home for artists and galleries, with an eventual return of shops.



The second video is of me riding from 13th and Jackson Street to Capitol Avenue, then down the new bike lanes on North 16th Street to Cuming Street and then back to work. This one shows some typical stop and go traffic, and then a disturbing incursion into the new bike lanes. To the motorists' credit, the lanes are new, there are no signs up about them, and the traffic and parking lane work isn't done yet. The city took the pre-existing four lane road and converted it to two lanes, with a center turn lane, and a lane of parking on the outside. I'm sure motorists are used to driving in what is now a parking lane, so they are confused.



In closing, I'd like to say that the bike lanes are a small part of a much larger plan. They should not be regarded as an end product of the cycling transportation plan of Omaha. People will get used to them, cyclists will start using them, and the city will gradually come into its own at a truly bikeable community.

Also, please note that the videos are not created to serve some sort of vanity purpose for me. I want to show others what it's like to ride in Omaha on the streets, in hopes that others might take it up. Please let me know what you'd like to see in a bike video and perhaps I can get some interesting on-street footage.

Pedaling the Daily Grind - A Year of Bike Commuting

It was a year ago today that I, as a "grown-up," rode my bicycle to work and back and set forth sequences of events that have, literally, been life changing.

July 16, 2008, I walked into the Trek Bicycles store at 72nd and Dodge and stated that I wanted a bike to use for commuting. They set me up with a Trek 7300 hybrid bike, and shortly afterward, I added a rack for carrying stuff and fenders for all-weather riding.

The next day I rode the bike, and have ridden a bike to work almost every day since then. Rain or shine, snow and ice. I've had to drive to work less than five times, usually to run an errand that required a car. I also rode the bus on a few days.

A lot of what I've learned about bike commuting can be found in my 2008 year in review post.

Below are some extra stats:

• Total miles cycled: 3,673
• Total bike-to-work miles: 2,476
• Total weight lost: 25 pounds
• Parking money saved: $750 (low estimate of $3/day)
• Commuting gas money saved $304 (estimate of $2.75/gal)
• Total bikes owned: 3 (two complete, one "project bike")

I can't say enough just how awesome it is to be out riding a bike all year long. I've made many new friends with some really cool people. I think Omaha is on the verge of becoming a notable "bike city," and I'm really excited to be a part of the change.

I'm here to demonstrate that if I, an ordinary, almost 40 year old dude of average fitness, can ride a bike to work in Omaha, then you can, too. Get out there and ride, and participate in the various online forums and blogs and be a part of Omaha's cycling culture.

Bike Commuting in Omaha: A Video Perspective

I've been commuting to and from work by bicycle for almost a year now. In my experience, it's always been a safe activity. I've not encountered many aggressive drivers. In fact, more often than not, I am passed with caution and occasionally waved through intersections by motorists who have the right of way. I've even received random words of encouragement.

Now I have proof that bike commuting in Omaha is a relatively safe mode of transportation. Using a home-made camera mount for my handlebars, I used a low-end digital camera to record a video of my ride home yesterday. In this video you will see many safe overtakes by automobiles, and general respect at traffic signs and signals.

The video runs about 10 minutes. I have edited it for time by speeding up the video to double-time. I also removed a little bit of some long stretches to help get it under the 10 minute limit imposed by YouTube. I added some annotations to provide some extra information and to try to keep it interesting. The distance is five miles, and the ride was about 25 minutes.

Over time, I may add some more videos showing early morning or night commutes, showcase area trails, and commuting in a variety of weather conditions. Feel free to leave comments, either here at the blog or on the YouTube video (direct link).

No More Sandbagging

This year I got in the Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge from the beginning and devised a strategy to stay in first place on my employer's team. I already know that I can ride everyday, despite foul weather, so in order to take the top position, I need more miles than other consistent riders. I would take the long way to work and the long way home.

I mentioned this to Rafal during a long way home ride along the Omaha Riverfront Trail and he teased me saying I was "sandbagging" the Commuter Challenge. I, a cheater? No way. I'm an honest guy. But I figured I was heading home, and not really participating in a group ride to artificially gain miles. Rather, I would opt for wide loops home that might give me a 15 mile home instead of the usual five.

I'd never heard the term "sandbag" used like this, but I inferred from the context what Rafal meant. However, the relevant definition from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day (5/1/2009) is:

to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of

And some explanation:

In the 19th century, the verb "sandbag" began to be used to describe the act of bludgeoning someone with a small, sand-filled bag -- a tactic employed by ruffians, usually as a prelude to robbing their victims. The verb went on to develop metaphorical extensions, such as "to coerce by crude means." By the 1940s, it was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of "sandbag" has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage.

I posed the question to our team leader and he said that during the BOCC organizational meetings that this topic actually came up. The consensus was that riders should log no more miles than "the safest route home." The safest route home might be a little longer than the most direct route home, but for me, that wouldn't be more than one-half mile over my five mile trip.

So being an honest guy, I will only be reporting 50 miles each weak for the remainder of the BOCC.

Even though I can't count the long way home rides, I did have a nice one yesterday. I ran into Wes J. in the locker room before heading out yesterday. I asked if I could ride out of downtown with him on his way home to Millard. Jeff D. rides a similar way so I thought I might show Wes how Jeff gets to the Keystone Trail and Harrison Street. Plus, bike rides are always fun with company. I assumed that Wes was riding his hybrid bike and that I might be able to keep up with him.

When we met outside to mount up and pedal off, I noticed he was on his full carbon racing bike with itty bitty cogs and gigantic chainrings. There's no way I would be able to keep up with him. However, Wes is very gracious and stuck with me on the way up Farnam/St. Mary's, and then Leavenworth on to Elmwood Park and then finally the Keystone to my exit at Grover. I felt bad for slowing him down, as he told me he only gets the chance for a bike commute a few times a year. However I enjoyed the ride, and I think Wes liked the path out of downtown to the trail.

I hope to get a more serious road bike in the future and have a better chance and hanging on with the fast folks when opportunities like these come up.

3,000 Miles And Counting

According to MapMyRide, I broke 3,000 miles this weekend!

I still have a month and a half before the one year anniversary of my cycle commuting conversion. I expect to log another 500 - 1,000 by then. (500 easy... 1,000 if I work at it).

Since the MapMyRide stats are fun to look at, I will reprint them here.

I'll also add that the total weight loss thus far is 25 pounds. It is my hope that with the longer summer daylight hours and extra time to get things done around the house that I'll be able to get some more miles in and see some more weight loss.

To those of you who have encouraged me in this venture, "Thank you!" To those who may be thinking of bike commuting, "Get out there and pedal. If I can do this, so can you!"

Kids Can Be So Cruel

Thursday I wanted to head down to the Trek Omaha store and drop off a winter coat. The cause: get a balanced voice about on-street cycling on the Tom Becka show on KFAB while helping the disadvantaged. Read more on the Trek Store blog here.

Apparently, last week Becka went off on a rant about cyclists, even to the point of allowing callers to suggest that cyclists should be vehicularly murdered. (I haven't heard the show myself, so correct me if I got that wrong).

I had planned to cycle down with my wife, but at the last minute, she changed the plans: we're driving. The store would be closing soon, so we'd have to hustle down whether we cycled of motored.

When leaving, I heard a kid on his girlie bike ride up behind my car and call out to me, in the sing-song mocking vocal style we all remember from the school-yard days. Think "nah nah na naaah naah."

You own a car.

Only it had more syllables to make it fit with the taunt.

You own a caaa-aaar.

I was hurt. Wounded. I almost cried. I ride my bike every day. To work. To restaurants. Errands. Shopping. To Shenandoah.

Never had I felt such shame.

I've going to get you, Lucas.

2009 Mayor's Bicycle Ride and Bike To Work Week

This morning Activate Omaha kicked off the 2009 Bike To Work Commuter Challenge. Mayor Fahey was there, but unfortunately, did not ride. Additionally, neither candidate Hal Daub or Jim Suttle put in an appearance.

After a short proclamation by the Mayor, the group ride pedaled off from 10th and Bancroft to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The weather was gorgeous, and the two and a half mile ride was all downhill, so more time was spent braking than pedaling.

RD was kind enough to host a group breakfast at his house where he made awesome pancakes and served coffee. I think about 10 people showed up at his place.

Here are some selected photos below. Click here for the full album.

Bikes at Bancroft Street Market

KPTM News Crew


Mark and Steve


Lucas is always there with his photography gear


Bob record stills and video of the event



The bike racks were filled to overflowing this morning

Bus Workout

This afternoon I took the MAT Route 95 Bellevue Express from downtown Omaha to Old Town Bellevue. The idea was to log a bus ride for the YP Bus Challenge, but not wimp out on a nice workout in this great spring weather. I had been talking with Brady about wanting to step up the cycling activity a bit, and decided to put my legs where my mouth is.

Before leaving work, I looked at the various wind speed and directional indicators that I use (flags on the First National building) to plan a route. The fierce and incessant south wind told me that I should try to ride south to north, if I could. I've taken a bus to ride home on the Keystone from the north before, so I was up for a change.

The 95 was very different from typical city routes. Once it drops off a lot of folks at the No Frills Park and Ride on Fort Crook Road, it turns uphill to meet up with Bellevue Boulevard and then continues south to Old Town Bellevue. The boulevard is a very scenic route running through the prettiest rolling hills in Bellevue. This route would get you close to the trails at Jewell Park, by the way.

Once in Old Town, I rode up to a convenience store for some Gatorade and Nutter Butters cookies. I didn't have a water bottle with me, so I knew I'd need some liquid refreshment. Then I headed down to Hayworth Park where the Keystone Trail/Bellevue Loop terminates.


View Keystone Trail in a larger map

I hunkered down and rode, slowly, against the wind for the first five miles. I kept a low gear and high cadence, to avoid stressing the still-tender knee. Finally the trail turned west, and then northwest, and I got to enjoy 15 miles of sweet tailwind all the way to Grover Street. I didn't have a speedometer or GPS running, but I think I was cruising 18-20 MPH without straining too hard. I know I got a decent workout, though, as there was quite a bit of sweat involved (most of it on my glasses; how can I stop that?).

My morning ride to the 76th and Cass MAT transit center was five miles, and my ride home from Bellevue was 22 miles. After getting minimal miles over the past two weeks of the YP Bus Challenge, I was very happy with my 27 mile commute today.

Now if I could only do a 27 mile commute every day I might drop a few more pounds and get some faster legs.

Earth Day 2009

I like to think of everyday as Earth Day. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a tree hugging, patchouli wearing, long haired, underemployed hippie. However, some would think I have some of those tendencies.

I recycle, because it makes sense to me. I ride a bike to work and to the grocery store, because it makes sense to me. I use the bus at times, when it makes sense to me. I'm vegan, because it makes sense to me.

I like the idea of reserving a day and reminding everyone about environmental stewardship. Just like Halloween, you could say that it's gotten way too commercial. I did, however, make a conscious decision on this Earth Day to alter a habit this week.

All my adult life, I've used liquid laundry soap. Last week I bought powered laundry soap. It seems to be a little cheaper per load, but I think the main advantage is the reduced waste. The soap comes in a cardboard box, which would seem easier to recycle than the hard plastic jug that the liquid soap comes in. Certainly you can take a special refillable jug into Whole Foods. I also recall Omaha had a natural foods co-op at one time where you could buy liquid soap in bulk. I'm not sure if there's anywhere else to buy bulk soap.

Another advantage to powdered soap: It's lighter on the bike than a huge jug of heavy liquid soap.

Life Is A Series Of Challenges

That title sounds rather philosophical, but I mean it literally.

Within the next few months, we've got:

• Young Professionals Bus Challenge
• Bicycle Commuter Challenge
• Corporate Cycling Challenge

The YP Bus Challenge is happening now. And it might even overlap with the Bicycle Commuter Challenge. The Corporate Cycling Challenge is in August.

YP Bus Challenge

This one started Saturday, April 18, where it was to be kicked off at Earth Day Omaha event, but the threat of bad weather has postponed the Earth Day celebrations until Saturday, April 25.

The idea behind the YP Bus Challenge is to get the 40 and under set up to speed on how to utilize Omaha's Metropolitan Area Transit (the bus). Teams will log rides for three weeks, and the three teams with the highest average number of trips taken will win prizes. The participants will also provide valuable feedback on their experiences to help makes the transit system more relevant and efficient. Three weeks may also be enough time to change people's habits so they stick and folks might be more likely to ride the bus in the future.

I formed a team called The UP Hi-Railers. The idea was to stack the team with daily bus riders, of which UP has many. I had no problem finding four of them. I, being only a one trip per week rider, felt the challenge. Not wanting to be a weak team member, I bought a 30 day unlimited ride ticket and have committed to at least two trips per day. I can't completely give up the bike commuting, so I have some ideas on how to keep it interesting.

Here are some ways to log rides on the bus, but still enjoy the cycling:

1. Bike to a random bus stop and wait for the bus. This isn't much fun, since some routes aren't very frequent.
2. Bike to a transit center and grab the first bus going downtown. I did this Monday with decent results. It was weird riding five miles in the wrong directions.
3. Bike to a bus stop that's in the general direction of my destination, and that has a shelter. Sit down and relax.
4. When leaving work, go to 16th Street and take the first bus going in any direction. Exit the bus after 10 minutes and then try to figure out how to get home. This could be fun.
   
5. Take the bus to the Keystone and then ride home. I did this today using the #4/#14 and cycled from 90th and Maple. The weather was gorgeous, so I enjoyed a sweat-free leisurely ride in my office clothes.
6. Ride the bus to lunch. I did this today, meeting my wife at one of our favorite midtown restaurants. I then hit the Midtown Transit Center and grabbed the first bus back downtown. Bringing the bike helped me stay flexible and move to the stops/transit center more quickly.
7. To rack up more trips, I could bike to a stop. Ride the bus for a few minutes. Exit the bus and bike to another stop. Repeat.
8. Bike to a bus stop. Ride the bus. Exit the bus and sprint ahead of the bus, boarding same bus again. This is likely to annoy the driver (and passengers), and is not advised.

Despite these attempts to score well, I don't think our team can win. The team called OBRUA is either cheating (just kidding), or is super-committed to doing everything by bus. The are way out ahead of the number two team. You can see the leader board here. Some of our team are not logging in real time, but will probably submit a week's work at once. I think it's possible we could take second or third. Certainly, the winning teams won't be logging simple work commutes. It will take extra rides to stay ahead.

Using the unlimited ride card really changed my habits and thoughts about the bus. I logged a five block ride the other day. If I had to pay a dollar and a quarter for that, it would have seemed preposterous. Having the free pass totally changed my idea of what one can do with a bus. The 30 day card costs $50, and for someone who wants or needs to use the bus a couple of times a day, it's really worth it. Under normal conditions, I ride the bus once a week, so it wouldn't be the best use of the money. One of my reasons for cycling to work is to save the gas and parking expense, and replacing that with a $50 bus pass would certainly eat into the savings.

If I were to get rid of one of our two personal vehicles (not counting my son's car) and didn't have to ferry my daughter from time to time like I do, then I would absolutely buy the pass each month.

Bicycle Commuter Challenge

All I know of this one is that it starts in May. It will be interesting if it overlaps with the YP Bus Challenge. I suppose that's the cool thing about multi-modal bike/bus commuting, in that I can do both with proper planning and record keeping. I don't think I can count the miles that my bike is being carried by the bus as bike commuter miles, however. That'd be nice, huh?

This is usually initiated with a Mayor's Ride in conjunction with National Bike To Work Week. I'm thinking it might be fun to show up for this in a suit and tie, as suggested by EB, perhaps with a briefcase on the rack. Do you think this would be seen as the joke it is, or taken seriously by people who take everything seriously?

Corporate Cycling Challenge

This is really just a fun group ride. Routes are usually at 10, 25, and 45 miles.

It's not too late to sign up for the YP Bus Challenge. You don't even need a full team. Watch the local bike blogs for more information in the future for more information on the other challenges.

Omaha Cycling News Update

Thursday, March 26, 2009 I pedaled my bike to the First United Methodist Church at 69th and Cass to sit in on their monthly Sierra Club meeting. The topic was "Bicycling as Commuting" and was presented by many notable local authorities on the subject of cycling, community, and health.

First to speak was Stuart Shell, with RDG Planning and Design and a board member of the Community Bicycle Shop of Omaha. Stuart introduced the CBSO and reported on the wonderful work that they do to mentor Gifford Park children by teaching bike mechanics and promoting bike safety to the community.

Up second was Kerri Peterson, Executive Director of Our Healthy Communities Partnership. She spoke about how cycling can help treat some of the health problems affecting our society. Many modern health issues stem from inactivity. Other health issues are related to urban pollution, most of which comes directly from automobiles operating within the neighborhoods in which we live.

Finally, Marty Shukert, also with RDG and former Director of Planning for the City of Omaha, provided an update on the Omaha bikeway, tentatively called "Bike Omaha." Among other things, Marty mentioned:

• a logo has been designed to use on signage. It appears to be a circle with the top half showing a stylized image of the soon-to-be iconic image of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, and the bottom half showing a spoked bicycle wheel.
• the northen part of the 20-mile bikeway will be called the Fontenelle Route and will be the first part to be marked, possibly this year
• the central part will be called the Aksarben Route, and will include a sidepath "climbing lane" up Leavenworth between Saddle Creek Road and Elmwood Park. This will involve construction of a new sidewalk/sidepath
• Woolworth Avenue running through the Field Club will get proper shoulders
• the proposed Saddle Creek Road relocation project includes a bike lane
• the City of Omaha will consider incorporating bike lanes/paths as part of the transportation plan when building new roads, and more importantly, on reconstruction projects. This may be a shift in thinking where previously the City might not allocate street money to bike facilities unless bike money was specifically provided.

Before adjourning, another gentleman, whose name I didn't note, spoke on the Nebraska Legislative Bill 134. LB134 is a proposed change to the statutes of Nebraska that restrict natural resource districts in their ability to construct trails unless said trails are along a flood control system. This bill is in response to a planned path to connect Omaha and Lincoln via a trail. If this is important to you, please consider contacting your state legislator and ask them to vote no.

Some great things are happening in Omaha with respect to cycling as transportation. Be sure to get out and participate in the cycling community, and as always, keep pedaling.

Stuart Shell speaks about the Community Bike Shop of Omaha.


Kerri Peterson talks about the importance of living an active lifestyle.


Marty Shukert presents the latest information about Bike Omaha.



A possible design for the Bike Omaha logo and signage.


Proposed routes for the Bike Omaha system.

Ten Speed vs. Hybrid: What A Difference A Week Makes

For the past few weeks I've been working on, and now riding, a 1976 Schwinn Le Tour II ten speed road bike. Prior to that, I'd put over 2,000 miles on my Trek 7300 hybrid bike, mostly in daily commuting, since July 2008.

At first, I was a little intimidated by the more aggressive leaned over riding style of the Schwinn, plus the lack of suspension and smaller diameter, skinnier tires. In addition, the lack of a rack to carry a pannier was discomforting, as I need to be able to carry a full change of clothes, including dress shoes, my lunch, plus a small tool kit, tube, inflation, etc.

I rode the Schwinn every day for the last two weeks (except for a rainy day where I rode the fendered hybrid), even moving over the clipless pedals from the Trek, and used a backpack to carry my stuff. At the end of the first week, I got a sweet looking Chrome messenger style bag to replace the ugly and uncomfortable backpack.

I've made several trips to the grocery store, and found that as comfortable as the Chrome bag is, it's unforgiving on the clavicle when overstuffed with heavy things like jugs of laundry soap and cans of garbanzo beans. The Trek hybrid, with special grocery panniers mounted on a sturdy rack, is a superior "grocery getter" bike.

Last Sunday I rode the Schwinn in the rain to the grocery store. I've ridden in the rain quite a bit over the past eight months or so, but always on the hybrid with fenders. I was curious what it would be like on the ten speed. While it was a little fun, it wasn't socially acceptable (or comfortable) to walk around the Hy-Vee with a dirty, wet bottom. Unless I multi-purpose the Schwinn, it will likely remain in the garage during the wet days.

As I mentioned, there was rain in the forecast last Monday. In anticipation for this, I moved the headlight back to the Trek 7300 and rode it to work on Monday morning. I was totally amazed at how I had gotten so used to riding the Schwinn ten speed that it felt very strange riding the hybrid. The upright riding posture felt weird, as did the extra weight and different gearing of the Trek. It just wasn't as speedy and nimble. On the positive side, the wider tires and suspension head and seat post, and gel saddle made for a very smooth ride.

In summary, It's fun having a second, differently styled bike to play with. I now have choices about how I want to ride. I still think the hybrid is a great "go anywhere" bike, and would recommend one to someone just starting out with bike commuting, utility and general purpose riding.

Rafal said once that everyone needs at least eight bikes to satisfy all riding requirements and conditions. I think I'm beginning to understand.