Thanks for the useful info, Chuck. Maybe I'll get to come in last this year!
-india On 07/14/10, "STRAWSER, Charles" <[email protected]> wrote: > "Bicycle Steeplechase" aka cyclocross races have indeed been held in county > parks here for decades. > > Whether this is a good idea for the "wild" section of Warner Park is really > dependent on the slope of the trail and the precipitation on it (and to some > extent on the management of the event), rather than the kind of user, or > according to some, even the number of users. > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > Yu-Fai Leung Ph.D, an assistant professor at North Carolina State University, > who has examined trail erosion for the National Park service and others, says > the type and amount of use has far less to do with erosion than factors like > amount of rainfall and trail steepness and design. "Environmental factors" - > including trail slope and precipitation - "have more to do with (causing) > erosion." > From: http://www.imba.com/resources/science/trail_shock.html, one of a series > of articles found here: http://www.imba.com/resources/science/ > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > In the article above, the discussion is about bikes vs hikers; with no > comparison of either group to equestrians, which have been shown in some > studies I don't immediately recall to do far more damage than either of the > other two groups. > > I've never been in the "wild" section of Warner Park, so I couldn't comment > on the suitability of the trail that's proposed as a race course. > > But I have seen a similar event elsewhere "leave no trace". I participated (I > won't say "raced" since I came in dead last even in my advanced age group) in > a an event at Camrock county park last October on a beautiful fall day that > was dry and cool. When I got on the course in the middle of the day, after > half the races were already over, there was virtualy no evidence at all that > there had been hundreds of riders riding dozens of laps on the course already > that day, save for one off-camber corner that was basically a dry mudhole > before the races started. > > Indeed, I didn't even bother to clean my bike after that race, the conditions > were so good.. You can see lots of pictures of racers and other racecourses > here: http://madcross.smugmug.com/Cyclocross > And more about cyclocross racing in the region here: > http://www.madcross.org/ > And the 2010 schedule of Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross races here: > www.wicycling.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=301&Itemid=10 > > > > chuck > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]](javascript:main.compose() On Behalf > Of India Rose Viola > Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 9:34 AM > To: Michael Rewey > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bicycle "steeple chase" proposed for Warner Park > > Michael et al, > > I'm going to play the devil's advocate here for a moment...I'm not > necessarily against the steeplechase event in Warner Park, but I think that > the Wild Warner Park group's concerns about path/soil erosion/degradation are > valid (even though I have a fundamental disagreement with them about the use > of the word "wild"). > > I think it's ok to support bicycling in all of its forms and to NOT be ok > with a particular bicycle event occurring in a particular place. We want > bikes to be respected on the roadways and mixed use paths, but this doesn't > mean that they necessarily belong on urban or rural footpaths. > > A steeplechase in Warner Park sounds FUN to me. But so does flying across > Lake Mendota in a huge motorboat, or drag-racing in a sports car down E. > Washington Avenue. Just because I want to do something and may enjoy the > activity a lot does not mean I should necessarily do it. Wild spaces in > urban areas are a mixed bag. I don't think that they are really wild- they > are totally impacted, managed and micro-managed by humans. It is precisely > because of this that we need to make very conscious decisions about how to > treat and use these spaces. If the steeplechase can be held in Warner Park > without chewing up the paths and damaging what little "wildlife" is present > there, then the race is not a bad idea. If not, then a different venue ought > to be picked. > > A lot of steeplechase races (for runners or horses) are held in completely > manufactured arenas these days. Perhaps there is a less "wild" space in > Madison... say the proposed "Central Park" area, that would be better suited > to this type of event? It would be an easier space to set up for spectators > as well. > > Just some thoughts. > > -India > > > On 07/14/10, Michael Rewey <[email protected]> wrote: > > > The parks commission will vote on a proposal today (July 14) to allow a > bicycle "steeple > > chase" in Warner Park on Nov. 7. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You can find the proposal, the race route and Wild Warner's thoughts on > this Web site blog: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://wildwarnerpark.org/blog/?p=599 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I'm in a conflict on this one. I enjoy the wild area that is being > considered, but I support all > > forms of biking. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mike Rewey > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > -- > India Viola > Stretton Lab > 115 Zoology Research > 1117 W. Johnson St. > Madison, WI 53706 > 608.262.3336 > > "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge them?" > -Anonymous > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org -- India Viola Stretton Lab 115 Zoology Research 1117 W. Johnson St. Madison, WI 53706 608.262.3336 "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge them?" -Anonymous _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
