Hey Cyclists, May is cycling safety month and there are events going that have already been discussed in earlier threads. I hope you will all come out and support the efforts to make our roads more bike friendly and raise awareness.
This month, there will be an article in the paper about cycling each week. Last week, Tim Lucas wrote one about his crazy endurance rides and this week, Kevin addresses the ROS. Please be on the lookout for the articles. Bike to work week is May 16-20 and bike to work day is May 20. This morning, the USA Today said scooter and bike sales are up due to the gas prices! Here is Tim's article: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 10:53 AM Pedaling for different reasons By Tim Lucas | Special to the Times I always relish the opportunity to ride my bicycle. It¹s quality time spent alone pondering, meditating or socializing with friends. It also gets my heart racing making for a healthier life. I also feel more a part of the world rather than just looking at it through a window. Even when battling the elements such as cold, heat, wind and rain, I¹ve never felt more alive than when pedaling my bicycle. All my cycling friends pedal for different reasons, from commuting to work, riding to school, winning races, losing weight, raising money for charity or just having fun cycling as when we were kids. We come from all walks of life: students, doctors, ministers, military, law enforcement and everything in between. Some of us only have time to ride a couple times a week while others make it a daily routine. For the last year or so, I¹ve concentrated on endurance cycling. One form of endurance cycling is randonneuring, a sport started in France in 1891. Cyclists ride an event called a brevet. The ride length can vary from 200K to 1200K (125 miles to 750 miles). It¹s not a race between cyclists, but there is a time limit given in which to finish or you receive a DNF (Did Not Finish). The rides can last anywhere from 7 hours for the 200K up to 80 or 90 hours to complete a 1200K. A lot of safety issues are covered in the rules. Helmets must always be worn and riders are expected to obey traffic laws. On overnight brevets, bikes must be equipped with lights, and reflective gear must also be worn. Cyclists are given cards that must be signed at all checkpoints placed every 50 miles or so. Each ride has challenges, from sub-freezing temperatures, high winds, sweltering heat, heavy rains, or maybe climbing mountains. This is a popular year for randonneuring because the oldest brevet (Paris Brest Paris) is run once every four years, and this year 700 Americans will join 5,000 others from around the world in Paris for the ultimate 1200K challenge. The sport is also growing here in the states as well. Usually there are only two or three 1200K rides in the U.S. each year, but this year there are five, including one in North Carolina. Bike riding is a passion for many of us. Most drivers are patient with cyclists being on the highway, but there are a few who think cyclists impede traffic and do not belong on the roads. To those few, consider this. To pass a bicyclist safely, it usually only takes 20 or 30 seconds to slow just a bit and maintain at least a 3-foot buffer between the vehicle and bicycle. Now consider how many countless minutes you waste at stop signs and stoplights. That¹s where your time goes! Ride your bike. It¹ll do your body good! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CyclistsOfWilson-COWs" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cyclistsofwilson-cows?hl=en.
