“Bike Night” highlights – July Meeting of the MPO

Last Wednesday I attended “Bike Night”, an evening session of the San Antonio/Bexar County Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee. This government committee is responsible for making bicycling/walking in San Antonio safe and accessible.

Here are a few highlights from the meeting:

• The 2009 edition of the San Antonio Bike Map will be available in October. Hard copies and a digital version of the map will be made available to the public. During a presentation at the meeting, it was noted that San Antonio went from having 33 miles of bicycle lanes/routes in 2003 to over 133 miles in 2009. That is a great sign of progress and a trend that I hope continues and grows.
• The City of San Antonio (CoSA) is putting the finishing touches on an interactive bicycle route planning web site designed to help cyclists plan their trips using as many bicycle friendly roads as possible.
• There are plans to provide access to the Leon Creek Greenway from Spur 53 (UTSA Blvd).
• A Walkable Community Workshop is being planned for the Loop 1604 and Bandera Road area.
• There are plans to create greenways along westside creeks like Martinez, Apache, Alazan and San Pedro Creeks with connection points to Mission Conception and near downtown San Antonio.
• The CoSA is looking into the possibility of a Bicycle Station in downtown San Antonio. This location would include showers, lockers, bicycle parking and possibly repair facilities.

Multi-modal Commuting

My Ford F-150 pickup is grinning.

I usually bike commute on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As I headed out the door for my bike commute, I opened the garage. Unlocked my truck. Started the ignition and drove off.

Wait a second.

If you're wondering what happened to my bike commute today, never fear, it still happened. I just used my truck to drive about 2.5 miles to my parents house nearby where my bicycle was waiting patiently for my arrival.

Due to road construction right outside the gate of my subdivision, my commuting rules of engagement have changed.

A massive effort is underway to expand infamous Blanco Road, north of Loop 1604, into the larger road it has needed to be for the past several years. Both southbound and northbound lanes have become truly inoperable to cyclists in an area just south of my residence.

The southbound lane is narrow with a two-foot high concrete barrier (meant to protect the construction workers). The northbound lane is narrow with traffic markers and no shoulder.

Add to this that while the speed limit has been reduced to 35mph, the actual traffic speed is still humming along at the old speed limit of 50-55mph.

No thanks. That's a setup that has high risk written all over it.

The solution is simple and is an option that many commuters should examine. It's called multi-modal commuting - using two or more methods of transportation to get you where you're going. For example, riding your bicycle to the bus stop and taking the bus the rest of the way to work or simply driving a portion of your commute and then switching to your bicycle when you're within a reasonable distance.

I know folks that live 30 miles from work and wish they could bicycle commute. Short answer, they can! Drive 15-20 miles of that route, then hop on the bike to save some gas, burn some calories and get the wind blowing in your face as you soak up the experience of commuting on two wheels.

So, the F-150 gets to play a part on my bicycle commute days and seems to be burying itself in the part!

“Traffic Skills 101”

In late May, I stayed overnight in Austin, TX to attend the League of American Bicyclists' Traffic 101 class. The class was supported by members of the Austin Cycling Association and REI which provided a conference room free of charge.

The class was nine hours long - 4 hours of classroom instruction and 5 hours of "on the road" training. That may seem like a lot, but the time passed pretty quickly - no surprise for someone like me with a bad case of cycling obsession.

The classroom instruction was comprehensive and helpful. While most of what was covered served as more of a refresher to me than brand new material, I could quickly appreciate just how valuable the class would be for new and prospective cyclists.

Some of the accident statistics shared during the presentation really drove the message home that riding predictably as the slow-moving vehicle that you are and taking your share of the lane when necessary is the safest way to get from Point A to Point B. For example, the statistics prove time and time again that being hit by a vehicle coming up directly behind you is actually one of the more rare bicycle accidents yet it is the type of accident most cited by new riders as their greatest fear.

The “on the road” portion of the class was a lot of fun. We learned and then practiced emergency maneuvers like rock dodges, quick turns and very hard, minimum distance “emergency” stops. We then completed a 6 to 8 mile ride in Downtown Austin where we put our traffic skills to use.

All-in-all, the course was worth every penny – I highly recommend it. Kudos to Wes & Stan(our instructors) for a job well done!

Karma officially disturbed!

During my last post about crossing the 1,000 mile mark on my Trek Valencia I dared to boast that I had more than 1,100 flat free miles.

Yesterday I came home to see the front tire on my Valencia flat.

Karma can be so fickle.

Might have been a blessing in disguise. While replacing the tube I discovered that it has a stem that is too short. Took the tire down to Bike World where the great mechs there found some appropriate tubes and threw a new one in there to save me the trouble.

I continue to be impressed with Bike World. They have been very helpful every time I have visited and have made adjustments to my Valencia on a moment's notice (sometimes when riding home on a commute).

Also, while I was there getting the new tubes I saw that they had a 2009 Trek Soho in stock. The new top-of-the-line commuter bike with its belt drive and roller brakes. I did a quick spin on the bike in the parking lot and was pretty impressed. The bike was a bit lighter than my Valencia but I'm not sure the 8-speeds would be enough for my commute based on a quick ride up a small hill at the bike shop.

Still, you know me, I'm always game for adding 2-3 more bikes to the stable! ;-)

Trek Valencia at the 1,000 mile mark

Having logged over 1,000 miles on my Trek Valencia since purchasing the bicycle in December of last year, I thought I'd take a moment to pause and reflect.

• At the risk of disturbing the karma, the Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires have been flat free. This is the longest duration of flat free miles I've experienced. I'm very impressed since my bicycle commute involves bicycle lanes and highway access road shoulders that are full of glass and debris. Wow!
  

• The bike seems to really be "in its element" - it has required very little maintenance and the last several hundred miles has been hassle-free. It's shifting nicely, braking with authority, etc.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with its performance. It has handled adverse weather conditions, withstood brutal pavement challenges and always manages to get me to my destination in safety and style.

We'll see how she's doing at the 2,000 mile mark. So far, the Trek Valencia continues to earn its keep as Trek's "killer commuter".

As a tribute to this fine bike, I've created a special group of photos of my Valencia on Flickr.

The Art of Being Conspicuous : Part II

As a follow-up to my original article, The Art of Being Conspicuous, here's a video demonstrating how bicycle lighting really helps to make you stand out so that drivers are much less likely to be surprised by your presence on the road.

Also, keep in mind that while many bicycle lights claim to offer 10 or more hours of service this is NOT a promise that your light at 8 hours will be as bright as it was when you put fresh batteries into the unit.

Periodically check your lights to ensure they are at peak efficiency. If they're getting weak, replace the battery. That's a small expense for a big return in added safety.

Bike To Work Week

May 11-15th was national Bike To Work Week which culminates on Friday as national Bike To Work Day. I decided to make a commitment to bike commute all five days this week (I usually commute by bike about 2-3 days a week).

I'm proud to say, to quote a phrase my two-year old daughter likes to use often, "I did it!"

When I rolled into the driveway on Friday afternoon my total commuting mileage was just over 113 miles for the week and my sore calves, hamstrings, shoulders, neck and back were happy to confirm this!

The bicycle racks at my employer were noticeably more full. On Monday, it was almost hard to find a "parking space" given the number of bikes present.

A few highlights from this exciting week:

• I was featured in a story in our local newspaper, The San Antonio Express-News!
• I joined a coworker on his first bicycle commute from Leon Springs. Our route home included a little "off road" segment which my Trek Valencia handled quite well. Mountain bike it is not, but in a pinch it isn't shy about kickin' up some dirt!
• I documented 10-15 new bicycle commuters where I work - hearing some of them describe their experiences was awesome. Always great to see people discover - for themselves - that "going by bike" can be done and done safely at that!

Here are a few images from this week's commutes: