Category Archives: Bike Advocacy

What are you willing to give up to get what you want?

Bike Advocacy, Random Thoughts about bikes, , , , , , , ,

Today was a historic day for equality in cycling.  The Ladies raced La Course by Le Tour de France on the bumpy Champs-Elysees.  For this story, the winner, Marianne Vos, is not as important as what it took to make this event happen.

Saying that there is a discrepancy between the way professional male and female cyclist are treated is an understatement.  If one thinks it’s hard to make a living as a pro man, it is magnified for the ladies.  Just a few of the challenges are the cost of travel, the lack of races, the size of the purses, or lack there-of, the UCI leadership not seeing a value to high caliber woman races, an old boy culture that thinks girls are not tough enough for multiday races.

Living in Tucson, we had the opportunity to see one of our local riders,  Kathryn Bertine, compete in the historic La Course.  At 39, this may have been one of her last professional races of this magnitude, but what is really remarkable is her journey to get to this point both on and off the bike.

Kathryn has been one of the most outspoken advocates for a women’s field in the Tour De France.  Last year she premiered a movie in Tucson about the inequality in cycling.  According to the films website, www.halftheroad.com , “HALF THE ROAD is a documentary film that explores the world of women’s professional cycling, focusing on both the love of sport and the pressing issues of inequality that modern-day female riders face in a male dominated sport. With footage from some of the world’s best UCI races to interviews with Olympians, World Champions, rookies, coaches, managers, officials, doctors and family members, HALF THE ROAD offers a unique insight to the drive, dedication, and passion it takes for a female cyclist to thrive.  Both on and off the bike, the voices and advocates of women’s pro cycling take the audience on a journey of enlightenment, depth, strength, love, humor and best of all, change & growth.”

The film and her passion to see a women’s race has been a consuming passion for the past three years.  Today, she not only was able to witness the fruits of her labor, but raced on team Wiggle Honda!  It is a modern day fairy tale come true.  As of a week ago I thought this was the entire story.  Local girl takes on the world and wins!!!

half

Click here for Photo album from Half The Road World Premiere in Tucson

Last week, I asked Kathryn if we could meet for an interview before she left for the race.  We were unable to hook up, but I did get in one question on the fly.  I asked “What has no one else asked you, that you really would like to have been asked about all this?”   She replied “I’ll think about it. But that’s your job, investigator. :) ”  Two days later she released a  brutally honest video that answered the question.

As with most fairy tales, the hero must face adversity. Every day, everyone must make a decision of how they are going to spend the day. There is only so much time.  Do you spend those hours on a bike ride training,  with family,  in school, at work,  religion,  friends, entertainment, creativity,  social engagements,  pets,  marriage, advocacy?  You can’t have all of them and still be the best in everything.   Something has to give. Based on the video, it is clear that Kathryn choose the Cycling world, training and advocacy.  As a result, she lost in the other areas.  She shares that she has lost her marriage, work, house, and even her cats.

Yet the video is not a complaint of what is lost, but a testament to what has been gained.  The Wiggle-Honda team giving her a contract, the existence of La Course at Le Tour De France, the success of Half the Road, and the future of a sport that she so dearly loves.

Personally, I cried when I watched the video. Not only because of the pains that she has endured, the hard choices she made but because it resonates so much for me personally. I sum it up as Opportunity Costs!  What are we willing to give up too achieve our deepest desires? For example, This is the first time I’ve posted to Bike Pilgrim in a few months because my family, professional work and bike advocacy have dominated my time.

I think the take away from this is that we need to find the balance and be present in everything we do.  Congratulations to all of the ladies who raced, and those that fought to see La Course happen in the first place.  And a special Thank You to our local hero, Kathryn Berntine, for taking more onto your shoulders than anyone should and for seeing it through to the end.  May you find peace and balance from this day forward.

Here is the link to her exceptional video. Just for a Day

The Shootout Stopped And Ticketed

Bike Advocacy, Bike Friendly Laws, Community Bike Events, , , , ,

Mass tickets were issued on May 10, 2014 on the Shootout for failure to stop at a stop sign.   Many riders said they did come to a complete stop, but the Sherriff ticketed the entire group.  It is a $187 ticket.   Fortunately, I opted for the Miles Ahead Shop ride this morning and missed it, but made the following post on Facebook.

“I heard the Shootout was stopped for running a stop sign with multiple tickets. Curious if you got one?

The post attracted so much attention that I have been pondering the incident all afternoon.

The entire dialogue is below, but I had a few thoughts of my own.

Our legal system is flawed when it allows people to be ticketed when they did nothing wrong.  Many riders today said they came to a complete stop, one even put a foot down, and they still received citations.  They will have the opportunity to argue their case in court, but that is time and aggravation that is not merited when you did nothing wrong.   Others blew through the sign and were rightfully ticketed.

I have ridden the shootout.  I have seen red lights run, the centerline crossed and riders taking the entire road 5 across.  I’ve also seen professionals, tourists and business owners who call Tucson home (or visit)  because of the cycling.  The shootout has been mentioned by these people many times, it receives national attention as one of the best weekly group rides in the country.  This is one of Tucson’s Treasures.   That translates to more money in Pima County, leads to more jobs and creates a better community for all of us. We need to make sure we protect all attractions that make Southern Arizona so desirable.

Is this the way the shootout has been, is and will be and is just a part of a 150 person group ride? How many citations would be needed to make people change their behavior?  Who is going to take the role of authority and lay down the rules?

One point that was not mentioned is the Idaho Stop.  It is a law that allows cyclist to treat stop signs as yield signs.  From a cyclist prospective, they are great.  I’ll write another blog about them soon.

The following is the conversation about the incident.

 

Devon Balet Good! They should be ticketed

Michelle Lowenthal Helmke I was lucky to get a flat just before Duval mine Rd  prob 50 tickets given

Kim Bourn Yes, about 60 riders in Green Valley.

Kim Bourn A few riders didn’t stop, others did and entire group got individual tickets.

Linnea Herbertson I got a ticket and I even stopped and put my foot down 🙁

Damion Alexander Thanks Linnea. Kim, did Don get a ticket as well? I’m just trying to figure out how an entire group can be ticketed when most people do stop. It seems like all the tickets should be thrown out. I do agree with Devon on one level, if we are not obeying the laws, we deserve tickets( but perhaps not on a a stop sign in the middle of nowhere where you can see traffic in both directions for some distance)

Kim Bourn Yes, Don got a ticket and did stop.

Linnea Herbertson The cop said he had it all on video, so I’m hoping it shows me stopping because I don’t feel like paying 187 for something I didn’t do! However, it is difficult to differentiate people when we all are wearing kits and and such.

Denise Schuldt Amos I hope anyone who got the ticket and stopped fights it! I also hope the ones that didn’t learned their lesson and pay up. on another note it seems the shoot out is being targeted? I haven’t been on the ride so I don’t know if it’s warranted, but I hate when law enforcement entities decide to do targeted enforcements like that. == Seems to be something that should be discussed at the next BAC meeting.

Tyler Stites Seriously Devon?

Tyler ShafferTyler Shaffer I have been on the ride and there is a moderate level of sensible behavior, but there are also moments of mob mentality guided entitlement. I have been on a ride where a sheriff’s deputy ran riders off the road too. The shootout makes itself a target by the nature of the ride and there will probably always be a push and pull between riders and drivers/law enforcement. For those that break the law because everyone else around you is doing it’s silly to complain for getting nailed for it, and it is also silly to think you will be fine and above getting in trouble if you are riding with people that break the law.

Kevin Harsley I got one & I was 2nd place telling everyone to stop & watch out for them. I did a track stand (which is legal) next to the guy who put his foot down & I got a ticke

Damion Alexander Any lawyers reading this? Is there a group defense? I think Tyler Shaffer made a great point about “”getting in trouble if you are riding with people that break the law”, but last time I checked in America, it was innocent until proven guilty. Of course, you need to prove the innocence and if the video is not conclusive, how can you argue you did stop or how can the man say you didn’t? Kurt Kroese, Scott Biaggi?

Kevin Harsley I certainly did not see any cops in front of the group which leads us to think the video was shot from behind. Which will be impossible to pick out faces in the video. So seems like 1 of 2 things will happen. 1. Judge says I can’t see your face or anyone’s face so everyone who fights it gets off or 2. for the same reason no one gets off and we’re $187 lighter!

Jimmy Bees Civil traffic is not innocent until proven guilty. The legal definitions us more likely than not. As far as targeted enforcement it is don’t to address a problem and anyone that rides the shootout, and I do, can clearly see the disregard for traffic law by the riders. We have brought this on ourselves. How about we work in organizing a few other group rides on Sat to include the east and nw sides of town so the group is not as big and then the real problem can be solved. Bitching about the cited does not solve anything and the problem we started continues.

Chris Cunningham You are innocent until proven guilty. If you get a ticket, and pay it, then you have admitted guilt or you are at least not contesting it. You can go fight it and be proven innocent or guilty in a court of law.

Jimmy Bees  Chris you need to learn the law. Guilt and innocent is criminal law. Civil is responsible or not responsible. Huge difference. Criminal is beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil is more likely than not. 51%vs49%. The officer is considered an independent witness. The person with the cite has to prove they didn’t do it after the officer establishes a few things. Either he saw it or can establish it happened. The court has jurisdiction over where it occurred and who he cited.

Jimmy Bees In addition pima county has a bicycle diversion program like traffic school. Complete it and cite is dismissed

Ken Montaney Strava files should be able to prove whether you stopped or not. And bicycle diversion is a free alternative to paying the fine. Sounds like the officer overstepped his bounds but at the same time sheriff’s have been on the shootout the past 2 months. People should have seen this coming and anyone who did run the stop sign and ruined it for everyone else is an arrogant asshole

Ken Montaney Ps. I got a ticket myself for being an “arrogant asshole” riding around town a couple weeks ago.

Lynn Orchard Everyone. The sheriff wants us to go in and show on his video that we did stop. That is backwards… the burden of proof is on the sheriff. Everyone who was cited must contest and no one should volunteer to ID themselves on his tape. Make him match you in your suit and tie to the blurry sunglass wearing mass of lycra. Also… this was targeted and so it had some direction from some higher ups. A coordinated letter writing campaign to Mr. Huckelberry, the Pima County Administrator, and Sheriff Dupnik is in order. Or we could wring our hands and moan and let them target us each Saturday. Be respectful…Mr. Huckelberry is a HUGE cycling advocate and has done tons of good for our community. His contact info is: County Administrator’s Office, 130 W. Congress St., 10th Fl

Lynn Orchard Ken Montaney that one actually sounds deserved. 😉

Ira Getraer I would fight it and question the cop about pointing out you specifically in the video. He can’t claim to have kept track of every member of that large of a group at the same time.

Does anyone have GoPro footage from a riders perspective? That would atleast prove some people stopped and give a judge reason to doubt the officer knows every single person didn’t stop.

In other news no mountain bikers were ticketed en masse today so maybe try riding where traffic laws don’t apply.

Christine Jeffrey We are being targeted because a lot of the group chooses to disregard traffic laws. There were riders across the center line for most of the ride this morning and from my point of view, the last rider through the stop sign, most of the group didn’t stop and a good number of those that did stop were on the opposite side of the yellow!! Hello!!! Were are all the comments about how we as cyclists should obey traffic laws, instead of complaining about being targeted.

Christine Jeffrey And there was definitely a car right at the stop light taking video.

Lynn Orchard Christine, I was on the pointy end of the ride but I didn’t see anyone over the center line at all… And we were mostly two by two the whole ride, or single file when it ramped up. The cop started trailing us in town and was just looking for anythi…See More

Ira Getraer So you’re saying the same group of cyclists rides the same route at the same time every Saturday, and a lot of them run a stop sign, and you’re upset that law enforcement targeted this behavior to put a stop to it?

Lynn Orchard Yep.

Christine Jeffrey There were definitely people across the line and for the past three and a half years of living here and riding the shootout the majority of the riders roll that stop sign. Of course the cops are going to target it if people are always breaking the law there. They would do the same on a corner if every car was refusing to stop.

Lynn Orchard Christine… did you get a ticket?

Christine Jeffrey No, I new the cop was there, was there last week hiding with a video for the main shootout. Dropped back a couple hundreds yards from the group before Duval Mine road, did a complete stop at the sign, and wasn’t asked to stop by cops so kept riding.

Lisa Ribes Roberts Just FYI guys, legally it is every rider’s responsibility to stop at a stop sign. Two by two if necessary, but a few stopping or pausing and yelling ‘clear’ won’t cut it. I teach the diversion classes for Pima County and that is just about rule #1. Right after riding on the correct side of the road. Please don’t bother Chuck Huckleberry with this; he has more important things to do!

Lynn Orchard Yes bother. Bother bother bother!

Jorgiana Jake Those “roll through” folks give a bad name to the rest of us who follow the rules. I’ve never hesitated to let the rule breakers know that after a ride. If you obey stops in a car, so the same on your bike. If you don’t obey stops (car or bike) the ticket is deserved.

Jon Roberts All, years ago I spear headed a meeting with all local law enforcement, county attorney and governors office to clarify the interpretation of the bicycle statutes. We made great headway for the cycling community and have had relative peace for

Jon Roberts Years. Running a stop sign is not up for interpretation and will setback relations with law enforcement. I hope everyone takes a breath and deals with this properly. The sheriff in GV has a long and rocky history with cyclist but the court is fair. My two cents!

Lynn Orchard The issue is that the police gave tickets to everyone guilty or not….. and that they are there every week hounding the ride. If a cop followed you in you car for 60 miles week after week and was bent on giving you a ticket… eventually he would find a reason. That was what happened today.

Lynn Orchard Christine, I would be interested in hearing your tune if they decided to pull everyone over while you were still in the group. What if next Saturday morning they nab the entire ride because someone crosses the yellow and you are there in the bunch and end up with a ticket.

Jon Roberts Lynn, I was one of the 46 ticketed at the top of freeman during the law enforcement sting operation years ago due to many months of the wed ride breaking rules. I joined the group from my house 2 miles before the stop, breaking no rules and still was cited. So yes it happens out of frustration because the cops are responding to complaints and are forced act. We need to be better Stewards of the road

Ron Buotte I see the attitudes at the Saturday World Championships haven’t changed.

Kyle Van Renterghem I also received a ticket and what really upsets me is that any government entity can fine and punish people who did no wrong. I was towards the front and yes I’m sure people further back probably rolled through the stop sign which is illegal, enough said. However, according to the very knowledgeable Jimmy Bees it is the responsibility of the accused to prove their innocence simply because it is defined as a civil infraction (one that still costs a minimum wage earner 24 hours worth of pay). It very worrying that any government entity can cite/fine an entire group of people and and then say that you are responsible for for proving unequivocally that you did not commit the crime. Especially when there is no way to defend yourself from this sort of accusation short of video taping every action you ever make. That is too much power for any agency. Guilt by association is not an acceptable policy.

Todd Mion Here we go again.

Devon Balet Tyler StitesTyler yes, seriously. I am a cyclist too. Breaking a law is breaking a law. Being on a bike doesn’t make you above simple laws like a stop sign

Damion Alexander Thanks Devon. In a nutshell, that is what this comes down to. It’s the law. Break the law, get a citation. Hang out with people breaking the law, you might get thrown in with that group, even if you are innocent. How many citations would be needed to make people change their behavior? Who is going to take the role of authority and lay down the rules? Is their a figure in the community who riders would listen to?

Bike Advocacy, The Loop

 

The following is a response to comments I have had with Supervisor Ally Millers office and an article that was written in TucsonVelo .  Personally, I felt that Supervisor Miller articulated her support for the Loop much better in our phone conversation.  I asked her to prepare a statement showing her 100% support for the funding of and finishing of The Loop. She fell short in my opinion with this statement.

Do you have an event coming up on the Loop?  I said I would invite her to one and she has said she will attend.  At that time, I’ll again ask for her unconditional support of The Loop.

As Always, If you care, contact your elected officials.  Her numbers and her statement are below.

PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT 1

130 WEST CONGRESS STREET, 11TH FLOOR TUCSON, AZ 85701-1317

(520)724-2738 district1@pima.gov www.district1.pima.gov ALLY MILLER SUPERVISOR

March 18, 2014

To the Tucson bike community and Tucson Velo newsletter,

I recently published an op-ed piece in which I offered suggestions on how Pima County could prioritize their spending and use leftover funds to fix the dilapidated roads. I made a comment (below) regarding the LOOP and I would like to clarify that I am a supporter of the project and the interconnectivity and exercise potential it provides to County residents. I could have been more artful in my language, and I am not anti-bike or anti-LOOP. As a matter of fact, I regularly enjoy using these walking paths/bike trails for recreation as I do not have to worry about traffic and I am able to appreciate the scenery of the mountains.

My statement was as follows:

“The Loop, which is a bike system along the various river beds, is estimated at a total cost of $84 million. These trails are important for erosion control but connecting the bike routes added millions to the cost. While this is a nice addition to the community and billed as an economic driver for tourism, do we believe visitors don’t notice the roads they drive on while they are here? Riding bicycles on these roads is a hazard to the health and safety of all residents and visitors to this community.”

 

The point I was trying to make in my statement was regarding the condition of our roadways for both bicyclists and drivers visiting our community. As a Pima County Supervisor, I feelbembarrassed that our main arterial roads are in such a state of disrepair that it will take over $270 Million to bring them up to “good” condition. Tourists, visitors, and riders in the El Tour de Tucson (amongst other races) surely notice the state of the roads they compete on. Many of my bike friends have told me that they spend more time dodging potholes than they do actually getting in a good training ride. I ran on a platform of fixing the Pima County roads, and I intendto continue my fight to do so.

 

Sincerely,

Ally Miller,

District 1 Supervisor, Pima County

Letter from Supervisor Miller

 

Bike Safety Bills Introduced in Arizona today

Bike Advocacy, Bike Friendly Laws, , ,

Many months ago I called on Arizona House of Rep Ethan Orr and Senator Steve Farley to talk about bike safety laws.  Not long after our first meeting, my good friend and bike safety advocate, Brendan Lyons and his girlfriend Lorena Evans were struck by a car while riding.  What was a tragic day for them has resulted in a passion that has seen 3 bills introduced on bike safety.  This is a great step, but the battle has only just begun.  We need YOU to contact you State legislators and show your support for these laws.  Below is a letter from Brendan and 3 letters you can send, one for each bill.  We have spends hundreds of hours to get it this far, all you need to do is take a few minutes and contact your Representative and Senator

_____________________________________________________________________________

As a Professional, career Firefighter and EMS provider who happens to be an avid cyclist, I recognize that PUBLIC SAFETY is much more than responding to emergency calls. This resides in awareness and educating the public on everyday hazards, moreover encouraging legislation, which could help facilitate the need to prevent such hazards from taking someone’s life.

In early October, I went for a ride with my girlfriend to celebrate her birthday. Unfortunately, an inattentive motorist struck us both from behind. Still in recovery, uncertain of my return to the Fire Department, I am utilizing my “near-fatal” incident to awaken the users of our public byways. I invite and encourage you to take a moment to read this article I wrote, regarding the very incident that nearly took my life. Here is another article, recently released disclosing what I am doing to better not only Tucson, but the entire state of Arizona.

***Attached you will also find two pre-written letters which you may personalize

  •       H.B. 2622      (Vulnerable Users of Public Ways)
  •        S.B. 1147      (Texting While Driving, Prohibition)
  •        H.B. 2545      (Bicyclists, Public Ways)

By sharing my story across the state of Arizona, I’m inviting others to step up to encourage their local leaders to recognize this problem and encourage helping protect the lives of vulnerable users like me who share and utilize our public byways. Click for House Roster, or Senate Roster.

Click here to Find or Contact My Legislators?

I PERSONALLY, THANK YOU FOR TAKING A MOMENT IN EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THESE BILLS.  THEY WILL SAVE LIVES!!

“Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility”

Brendan Lyons

Firefighter / EMT

Founder Look! Save A Life / ARIZONA 

LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR H.B. 2622

Vulnerable Users of Public Ways

Your Name

YOUR TITLE/BUSINESS

ADDRESS

DATE

Honorable Senator/Representative [Last Name]

Arizona House of Representatives

Capitol Complex

1700 West Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890

 

Dear Representative / Senator [Last Name]:

As a member of (YOUR BUSINESS/AFFILIATION), I write asking for your support in H.B. 2622, the bill is to protect vulnerable users from drivers operating vehicles in a reckless/malicious manner and a presumption of liability on the part of the motorist if a collision occurs.

Representative Orr (H.B. 2376) is the primary sponsor of this bill, which is awaiting consideration from the State of Arizona Sub-Committees.

A “Vulnerable User of a Public Way” includes any LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, EMERGENCY RESPONDER, or a WORKER in a State Highway Work Zone. Also includes Pedestrians, or Person(s) Operating any of the Following on a Public Way, Crosswalk or Shoulder of the Highway: A Farm tractor, skateboard, roller skates, in-line skates, scooter, wheelchair, and a bicycle.

 We hope to humanize everyone who utilizes our public byways with your support of H.B. 2622. Why not support a law that will protect those (First-Responders) who protect us? To foster such protection of vulnerable users will encourage tourism, inviting comfort to those who travel here for recreation and enjoyment of life. Nobody wants to be struck by a vehicle and no driver wants to crash into anyone, let alone kill them.

Again, thank you for your consideration and support of H.B. 2622. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME)

LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR S.B. 1147 & H.B. 2376

Texting While Driving, Prohibition

 Your Name

YOUR TITLE/BUSINESS

ADDRESS

DATE

Honorable Senator/Representative [Last Name]

Arizona House of Representatives

Capitol Complex

1700 West Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890

Dear Representative / Senator [Last Name]:

As a member of (YOUR BUSINESS/AFFILIATION), I write asking for your support in S.B. 1147, the bill is to prohibit the use of text messaging, which diverts a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. Texting while driving is a growing trend, and a national epidemic, quickly becoming one of the nation’s top killers.

Senator Farley (S.B.1147) and Representative Orr (H.B. 2376) are sponsors of these bills. This is awaiting consideration from the State Transportation Committee.

Texting while driving:

  • Causes nearly 25% of all accidents, 1.6 million per year –National Safety Council
  • Is about 6 times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated
  • Is the same as driving blind for 5 seconds at a time- VA. Tech Transportation

As you may know, research like this has driven 47 states to pass legislation banning texting/driving. National cell phone carriers, such as AT&T are campaigning, “Texting & Driving, It Can Wait”. As technological distraction increases, Arizona has an opportunity to make a stand, decreasing the number of collisions on our roads.

Your bipartisan support for S.B. 1147 and/or H.B. 2376 shows your compassion to preserve the Life of your citizens. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME)

LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR   H.B. 2545

Bicyclists, Public Ways

Your Name

YOUR TITLE/BUSINESS

ADDRESS

DATE

Honorable Representative Karen Fann

Arizona House of Representatives

Capitol Complex

1700 West Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890

Dear Representative Fann:

As a member of (YOUR BUSINESS/AFFILIATION), I write to ask your support for H.B. 2545, the bill is to protect the safety of cyclists while riding on a public roadway, shoulder, or bicycle path.

This bill is sponsored by Representative Orr and is awaiting consideration in the State Transportation Committee.

This bill is important because it will provide a broadening of protection to cyclists on the shoulder of a road even if there is no bike lane and will require debris to be cleaned from bike lanes after accidents. As you may know, cyclists ride to commute, for better health, and simply to enjoy life on a daily basis. Our local, city, and state leaders have made significant strides in making it safer, investing millions of dollars to cycling-safe infrastructure. Why not enact laws that will help keep your constituents safe?

The economic impact that cycling brings to this state is substantial.  Arizona is highly ranked as one of our Nation’s Top Cycling Meccas; recognized by “Outside Magazine” with Tucson being the #1 Cycling Town in the United States. The League of American Bicyclists ranks Arizona as the 10th Bicycle Friendly State, hosting 9 Bicycle Friendly Communities, 11 Bicycle Friendly Businesses, and 2 Bicycle Friendly Universities. Your bipartisan support for H.B. 2545 and bills to protect cyclists only show your compassion to preserve the Life of your citizens. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance.

 

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME)

 

Just be Nice :-)

Bike Advocacy

In the past few weeks I’ve been having many conversations with other riders about being nice when you are on the bike.  This conversation is coming up in response to tacks on the road, cars buzzing us, the sheriff pulling over the shootout.  To define nice, I’ll explain what I have been seeing that in Not Nice.   Stopping anywhere and everywhere to urinate, running red lights and stop signs, leaving tubes and CO2 cartridges on the side of the road, littering nutrition wrappers, groups blocking traffic and taking the entire road, and many reckless acts of riding into the road.

A friend warned me not to blog anything bad about the Shootout or “suffer the consequences of alienating the cycling world”.  As a Real Estate agent trying to appeal to the cycling world as the base of my referral network ( yes- I will show homes on bikes), I really don’t want to do anything to call out this group in a bad way, but it is so clear that some of these actions are hurting our overall credibility in the community.

 

This afternoon I saw a post on facebook from Chloë Black that addressed this exact issue.  I love seeing it come from someone who is a transplant to Tucson, was once a visitor, has raced as a pro, is a coach and has given back as much to Tucson as a Bike Ambassador as anyone I know ( and I know everyone).  Her post was:

Dear Visiting Cyclists to Tucson (“Pro” or not),

It’s super awesome to have you all here during the winter. I use to be just like you, escaping harsh winters for the lovely roads of Tucson. I just have a small request, but it would make a HUGE impact on our community. Tucson & Pima County work really hard to make life better for bicyclists. I mean REALLY hard! There is a massive effort from some really dedicated people to keep improving our experience here as well as our safety. This community is actually a national leader in this area!

Every time you blow through a red light or stop sign, or pee in front of someones home like the world is your toilet, or throw your trash & punctured tubes on the side of the road, or cut off traffic in a way that is really super rude & dangerous (for yourself, mostly), and you know how it goes…..we are all ambassadors of our cycling community. And while you are here, you are part of our community.

Anyway, I know this is preachy, but it’d be super awesome if while you are here, your presence elevates our image like I know it can! Cheers!

I think Chloe left off one important part.  If you are a local, this should count double for you. Also, if you are a local and wear a team kit, it should be triple.

If we want others to respect us and allocate more infrastructure for cyclist it has to start with us being good stewards of the sport.   So please, play nice:-)

 

Can’t we all just get along

Bike Advocacy, Bike Friendly Laws, Bikes and Beverages (beer and booze), Established Group Rides, Mountain Bike, Random Thoughts about bikes

In the past few weeks I have seen a rising tension between cyclist, pedestrians and cars.  This is both on roads and trails.  This weekend I witnessed my first collision when a car took a left turn in front of a cyclist.  Last week I found a pile of nails on an urban trail.  A cyclist who leads a Tuesday morning ride called and told me they are having more flats from tacks and have even been picking them up on the decent.  The Shootout was pulled over twice by the Sherriff Dept. this past Saturday.

This is nothing new.  As more and more users are taking advantage of our incredible climate and infrastructure it is not surprising that some tension exists.  On the trails this has been going on for generations between equestrian users, and hikers.  Mountain bikes have added a new dimension to the mix.  Bikes fly down trails, around blind corners, buzz hikers, and spook horses.  Riders chasing Strava KOM’s and personal bests segments are disrespectful and not willing to slow down.  An overall feeling of entitlement from everyone seems to be the norm.  On the roads group rides are acting like they are the only people on the road and are riding 4 across.   People are urinating on the side of the road without making any effort to find a bush.  Cars ignore the 3 foot laws, speed pass riders and make sudden right turns, throw things out the window, lean heavy on the horn, scream, and even mace cyclists( yep, it happened to me).

As new trails spring up or are getting more traffic home owners are becoming angered by the actions of those using the trails that cut close to their homes.   I’ve been confronted by owners on washes where I have been riding for years telling me not to ride there.  I try and have engaging and polite conversation and ask what their objection is.  I’ve heard “It will bring a bad group of people”, “The bikes and hikers will trash the wash”, “It is not our property, but It is private property”, and my favorite “you will get bite by a rattlesnake and sue us”.  I could go on and on about how most hikers and bikers leave the trails better than they find them.  From a crime prospective, I think bikes are a good thing.  We come down trails at speeds that thieves don’t like.  We are the neighborhood watch program.

As with everything, we as trail and road users need to take responsibility for our actions and do what we can to improve relationships.   Use your common sense.  Give people extra room when passing.  Let them know you are there with a bell or say “rider back” and “passing on your left”.  Slow down and say hello.  If you really need to go to the bathroom, hide behind a tree.  If you are hiking in a group don’t take up the entire path.  Move over when someone says they are passing.  Turn the music down so you can hear the outside world.  Pay attention when you are behind the wheel to what bikes do that piss you off and don’t do that when you ride.  Go for a walk on the trails you ride so you can understand what it’s like when a bike is passing and darts in front of you at speed and then quickly veers back into the other lane.  If you are a walker, get on a bike and see how walkers blocking the road can stop your rhythm.  Basically, walk (or ride) a mile in others shoes so you can understand we all have the potential to make improvements.

always show courtesy when passing path users

If we all take the time to be more patient and sympathetic we can make this a great community for everyone.  I look forward to seeing you on the trails and remember, Please say rider back when you pass me.

Specialized/Cafe Roubaix Tucson version

Bike Advocacy, , , , ,

In case you missed it, in the past week Specialized Bicycle Co. received a huge backlash for sending a cease and desist letter to a small bike shop in Canada called Café Roubaix.  Specialized has a bike called the Roubaix and were alleging that the bike shop was infringing on their copyrighted name.   The social media backlash that supported Café Roubaix was incredible with their Facebook fan page ballooning to nearly 15,000 likes and Specialized bashing became a trending topic.

It was a publicity nightmare for Specialized and it only became worse when Fuji Bikes announced it was the actual owner of the Copyright for Roubaix and they licensed it to Specialized.  Specialized’s CEO flew to Canada and offered a personal apology to the bike shop owner and said they would not follow up on the cease and desist, but the damage is done.

This morning I saw another post on a clothing apparel brand called Epix Gear saying they have also received a cease and desist from Specialized because their logo resembles specialized.

Is this corporate bulling?  What is the appropriate way to respond when someone takes a name you have been building and uses it?  I have a local example that is similar to the Specialized/Roubaix example, but in this case it is Corporation using a non-profits moniker.  It involves a local non-profit, Look! Save a Life and Allstate. Allstate has a new safety campaign to try and tackle the accidents involving bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists on the roads of Tucson.  The program is called “Tucson on Two” and one of the first ads has the slogan “Look Twice, Save A Life”, but this program has nothing to do with the local charity, “Look, Save  A Life Arizona”.

At this time, having seen the public outcry towards Specialized I think any company that is in the cycling industry and makes a stink over copyrights has the potential to see it explode in their face.  What makes this case with Look, Save a life even harder is that the message that “Tucson on Two” is promoting is very much in line with the safety message that the charity is a proponent of.  It is easy to say, how can more of good thing be bad even if it is potentially confusing a brand identity.

I spoke with Kylie Walzak at Living Streets Alliance (they are also a part of this campaign).  I opened the conversation by asking is she knew anything about “Look Twice, Save A Life”.  She relied that she knew Brendan Lyons (the founder of Look! Save a life).  If that is not a clear indication of how confusing this is, I’m not sure what is.  I also talked with the City Of Tucson and am told the signs and billboards are only a small part of the Allstate campaign.  They said the slogan of Look Twice grew organically and that they choose it because it was catchy and conveyed the message.  Was it so catchy because they had been hearing it for a few years?

A little disclaimer I feel I should ad in here.  You might notice on this blog that I have the Look! Save A Life Logo and a link to them.  I also have been helping them with publicity for nearly a year.  I am an administrator and create some of the content on the Facebook Page.  However, I do not have the final say in anything that they do.  This article and my conversations with the City and LSA were in an attempt to create a dialogue that will lead to a win-win outcome and avoid any negative mojo.

How do you feel  Look! Save a Life should respond?

Is this the guy who dropped all the tacks on the road?

Bike Advocacy,

 

This is a screen shot from Facebook
This is a screen shot from Facebook

This previous facebook status was posted by Nicholas Paul Meola.  I do not know this man, but a friend saw it and shared it with me.  It is nice to see the community is paying attention.

I keep asking myself “is there a way to communicate with someone like this?”   I read through most of his posts and looked at his photos trying to see if I could find some common ground with him.  I really like to think I can find common ground with anyone if I look long and hard enough.  Apart from his apparently being of human nature with an offspring, I’m coming up empty.   

How do we communicate with someone that is so aggressive in nature?  Is it even worth the effort? 

The following are some of the comments on the various facebook pages that got the most “likes”.  .

“I think this post is actually dangerously close, or outright crossing the line of criminal intimidation, bro. Has this kind of sabotage actually occurred in Tucson in the past? Does this coward’s post literally cause concern or fear that he will follow through? If it scares or intimidates local cyclists, it is quite possibly illegal. If you have a local bike advocacy group, I think they should investigate filing charges. It might actually violate some kind of hate speech law as well.”

“What’s worse – I checked out his page just to see if he was legit… finding not only, but I actually share 3 friends with this jerk. I may be 5 degrees from Kevin Bacon, but only 2 from excrement.”

“One thing is certain – if there are tacks on the road at the TdT, this post needs to be brought to the police and this dick should need a strong alibi. Definitely take some screen shots to file this away. If he is involved anywhere with violence against a cyclist, his hate posts can and should be used as proof of premeditation.”

“What an asshat. His pics show his license plate. If you see a pickup with 571 XBG around Tucson maybe let the air out of his tires.”

”That guy should be sterilized.”

“Buy thumb tacks and spread them thru out his drive way to front door and all over his yard.”

“these fucking, blow hard, ignorant, hateful, violent pieces of shit. total fucking douche nozzle, this sack of crap is. this type if garbage is the same twat nozzle that will blare a horn at 45 mph but won t even look at you at the red light because they know that the quads of justice can kick a fool until he can t see. pussy.”

“He also must not like his own community. Because I’m sure the Tour brings revenue into the city, otherwise they wouldn’t run the race. Also what douchebagery of astronomical proporty”.

“May he be beat ceremoniously with frame pumps”

“Report his status as potentially violent behavior OR possible vandalism” 

Yetman Trail Pint night Fundraiser and Trail works days

Bike Advocacy, Bikes and Beverages (beer and booze), Charity Event, Community Bike Events, Mountain Bike, ,

Do you like to ride your Mountain bike in the wash.  If so, just go for a ride and ignore this(Oh, I’ll join you, sand is good).  However, for the majority of you, there is a major trail improvement that is going to make the Starr Pass Area even better.

If you have ever ridden over the west side of Starr Pass and come back through Yetman Wash you have likely had the thought “why the hell is there not  single track here and why am I riding in 3 inches of sand”?

Great news!!! Yetman Wash Trail Work Days are coming up to put in that mush anticipated Yetman Reroute!  Sonoran Desert Mountain Bikes (SDMB) is inviting people for upcoming work days in November, December, and January.  SDMB will provide all the tools needed, but please come dressed for a day outside, bring work gloves, and make sure to bring water and snacks.  They will provide lunch for after the work days. The dates of the work days are:

Sunday 11/17/13, Saturday 11/30/13, Sunday 12/15/13, Saturday 1/4/13

All work events will run from 8:00am to 12:30pm with lunch following.  Meet at the Sarasota Trailhead off of Kinney Rd and hike in from there. Parking is limited so we encourage you to carpool. Please RSVP to trailsteward@sdmb.org or the Facebook Event by the Wendesday prior to the work day to make sure they have lunch for you.

If you have never participated in a trail building day it is worth the effort.  You will meet some other like minded riders, get food, and remember every time you ride the trail the section “YOU” made happen.

New trails do come at a cost and in order to fund the Yetman Trail SDMB has an upcoming event.  It includes Beer!!! Yetman Wash Pint Night at Borderlands Brewing Co. on November 13th for the SDMB Yetman Wash Re-Route Pint Night Fundraiser. Time is 5-8pm. $20 will get you an awesome SDMB pint glass and two beer tickets. There is going to be a food truck, live music, and a lot of fun. We’ll also have some SDMB schwag like t-shirts, socks, stickers, etc. Additional beer tickets are $5. If you haven’t already, please “like” SDMB on Facebook and RSVP for the event there. If you can’t be there and would still like to help out, they  welcome you to one of the trail work days (see above) or you can just throw a few bucks to the cause. To donate, visit SDMB.org and click on the Donate Now button. And THANK YOU!

Is Lobbyist a dirty word?

Bike Advocacy, Bike Friendly Laws, BMX, ,

These days it seems that anything that is politically related is negative.  However, for over 200 years our country has endured.  At the U of A I graduated with a degree in Political Science, but was only a few credits short of a double major in History as well.   Out of this fine educational experience I saw that the history and frustration with our government started before the ratification of the constitution, has continued to this day, and will be here as long as the US exists.    The good thing is that each of us really do have the potential to create a change that will benefit your own believes.

So what does any of this have to do with a blog on bikes?  I want to see how we can use the system, the one that has endured two centuries, to create laws that benefit cyclist, Mt. Bikers, Commuters, recreational riders and BMX  both in safety and additional infrastructure.   I’m not going to get into Right or Left, Liberal or Conservative or any of my thoughts on any political issue, unless it revolves around Bicycles.

Last month I met with Arizona House of Representative Ethan Orr to discuss bike laws.  3 weeks ago I coordinated having Ethan and Senator Steve Farley to Brendan Lyons hospital bed to talk about safety after Brendan and his girlfriend, Lorena Evans, were struck by a car.  This morning I had breakfast with Senator Farley to ask his opinion on the best way to impact the state legislators.

Senator Farley is going to create a Bike Caucus in the state Senate.  Representative Orr will be doing the same in the AZ house.   Once we see who we have on our side we can start to focus on what is most important for Bicycling in the State.

We are going to need your help.  If you, a family member, a boss or employee rides a bike and has a relationship with an elected official I would like to talk with them.  If we can find the riders who have the personal connections with these Senators and Representatives our chances of accomplishing meaningful legislation will skyrocket.

The only way this will work is if cycling/MTB/BMX/Commuter enthusiasts from all over the state get involved.  Will You?

Finally,  If you have a huge pocket book and want to give me an outlandish allowance, I’ll dedicate my life to this.  This a huge task and it warrants a full time “lobbyist”.  As with most of you, I’m currently stretched very thin between being a full time Realtor, Father, Husband, This Blog, Photographer and Coach at El Grupo.  I’m very fortunate that I have some overlapping between all of my passions and responsibilities, but know that this needs more effort than I can give.

So, Is Lobbyist a dirty word?  Only if they are lobbying against what is good.